text:
Author: Jennifer Forman Orth
Invading your brain since 2002.
About | Links | Suggest a Post
Don't see what you're looking for?
ISW on Twitter
ISW on Facebook
Back in April 2005, the ISW posted about the Federal judge in California that ordered the EPA to stop exempting ballast water from the Clean Water Act. Now that same judge has gone further, ruling last week that the EPA start regulating ballast water by Sept. 30, 2008. As reported by the Muskegon Chronicle, the EPA agreed...to appeal...again (you didn't think there was a chance they would decide not to appeal, did you?).
Here's a great quote from the article:
"If EPA had spent the last seven years developing a permitting program for ballast water instead of fighting this court battle, not only would our water be safer but our economy would be better protected"
- Deborah Sivas, director of the Stanford University Environmental Law School Clinic
- Deborah Sivas, director of the Stanford University Environmental Law School Clinic
In the meantime, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington have banded together and produced the Agreement on Ocean Health (pdf), and Gov. Schwarzenegger signed a bill to require that the California State Lands Commission have its own ballast management plan by 2008. Sign On San Diego has the story.
Labels: ballast, California, legalese, marine
Found this on Flickr while searching for photos for the Life on the Japanese Knotweed project. The title indicates that this is Giant knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis, Polygonum sachalinese, etc.), but the leaves tell a different story. Giant knotweed has very large, obviously "cordate" (heart-shaped) leaves with slightly wavy margins, while Japanese knotweed (F. japonica) and the hybrid Bohemian knotweed (F. x bohemica) have leaves that are more squared-off at the base, like you see in this photo. All three are invasive outside of their native Asia.
The interesting thing here is that it's not a simple photographer's error - if you look at the largest size of the photo you can see that the botanical tag actually says Fallopia sachalinensis. This photo was taken at the botanical gardens in Leiden, The Netherlands, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world...they'll be getting an email from me soon - I am very curious.
Bonus points to Leonieke for putting this and other photos up under a CC license.
Labels: Japanese knotweed, plants
Seriously folks, the "Your Punny Title Here 3" contest has been up for 2 weeks and there are only 2 entries? Where's the creativity? Where's the competition? Where's the desire for geeky prizes?
Deadline for entries is Oct. 1st.
Labels: contest, your punny title here
Have you checked out the creepiest, crawliest edition ever of Circus of the Spineless? It's all about the tats, but you can find a stinky ISW post in there somewhere too, plus one about invasive earthworms (wha? no earthworm tattoos? :-)).
Remember that artist who was trying to teach starlings to speak the name of one of the men who introduced them to the U.S.? Well, I may have a new BFF, and it's Wee-Woo the Original MySpace Talking Starling.
Wee-Woo friended me as soon as I asked, which is better than some humans-who-shall-remain-nameless have done. And since Wee-Woo doesn't judge me, I'm not going to judge his Sturnus vulgaris-ness, except to say that holy cow, this little bird's got a voice that makes my parrot shriek with jealousy! Check out some of those vids and you'll think they're fake, the voice is just all-too-human.
Anyway, Brian Collier's got some serious catching up to do...
P.S. - Hey WeeWoo, what you doing? <3 <3 <3 LOLOLOL
Labels: starlings
Invasive porcelainberry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata), one of several vines we've spotted when out photographing for the Life on the Japanese Knotweed project.Got Knotweed? Join in!
A couple of weeks ago the New York Times published a brief Q & A with Australian ornithologist Joseph Forshaw. In the introduction he alludes briefly to New York's monk parrots (Myiopsitta monachus) in a way that seems to be filled with admiration of their ability to survive. That was enough to inspire the Flatbush Gardener to dash off a letter to the editor about monk parrots as invasive species. Even better, the Times actually published the letter (go Xris!).
Be sure to check out the three-part video interview that accompanies the article. It's a bit fluffy ("What does parrot breast taste like?" !!!!), but in part two you can see Dr. Forshaw and the interviewer at a church in Brooklyn observing a flock of monk parrots that have taken up residence in a cemetery. The video also includes a very brief interview with Stephen Baldwin of the Brooklyn Parrots blog.
Labels: birds, monk parakeets
The L.A. Times is reporting that scientists may have found an interesting way to combat the massive supercolonies of Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) that plague California: they make them smell bad. A biologist and a chemist at the University of California Irvine worked together to synthesize the scent that the ants use to recognize each other as colony members. Then they altered the formula in a few different ways and used the chemical on test ants. The ants no longer recognized the scent of the treated ants, and in some cases reacted by decapitating them. If tests continue to be successful, the synthetic ant scent could eventually be incorporated into bait traps or anti-ant sprays. I wonder if they will need to develop a unique scent for each of the supercolonies known throughout the world?
Labels: ants
There's an interesting chain of articles over at the Arizona Daily Star's website...follow me as we first stop at this article about the problems being caused in Arizona by buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare), specifically its potential to act as fuel for wildfires, and its role in the transition of Arizona from desert into a lush grassland.
From there, head over to this opinion piece criticizing the original article, noting that buffelgrass is good forage for grazing animals, is not actually fueling wildfires(?) and is the only thing that will help rebuild Arizona's topsoil and "the native invisible ecosystem" of soil microbes, leading to the reestablishment of native grasses. As to whether the soil ecosystem in buffelgrass-invaded sites is native, I cannot say. I also cannot find any information about the buffelgrass site invaded by native grasses that was referred to here, but I would definitely be interested in learning more.
Our last stop on the buffelgrass tour is this second opinion piece supporting Arizona's decision to control buffelgrass, noting the various negative effects that this species has been found to exhibit on the environment, and claiming that Arizona's grazing animals don't need additional forage. Again, my knowledge on the sbject is quite limited.
So who is right and who is wrong? It's not an easy answer, especially since the newspaper, as is to be expected, is utterly free of scientific references supporting either opinion. It would have been nice to at least see the credentials of the two people offering such polarized views. From the comments left under both pieces, it sounds like the Arizona Star's readers have their feet firmly planted on the anti-buffelgrass side of the fence.
How is Gmail's spam filter supposed to function properly when you send me this:
aperiodic nutria not evangelic
Wilson Finch to invasion, invasion_1, invasive1, invasive, invasiveblog, invasor.mkiv, invasor, invassoc, invat0rz, invatech, invatek, invax, invayne73, invazian, invazion, invaziongrafix
From: Wilson Finch
To: firstname.lastname@example.com
Cc: firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com
Date: Aug 31, 2006 12:36 PM
Subject: aperiodic nutria not evangelic
Imagine your home at the r8te below.
We make it happen everyday.
It'd make your monthly paymInts around 1,500.
$553,000.00 at 3.95% int.
Wilson Finch to invasion, invasion_1, invasive1, invasive, invasiveblog, invasor.mkiv, invasor, invassoc, invat0rz, invatech, invatek, invax, invayne73, invazian, invazion, invaziongrafix
From: Wilson Finch
To: firstname.lastname@example.com
Cc: firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com
Date: Aug 31, 2006 12:36 PM
Subject: aperiodic nutria not evangelic
Imagine your home at the r8te below.
We make it happen everyday.
It'd make your monthly paymInts around 1,500.
$553,000.00 at 3.95% int.
From: Wilson Finch
To: firstname.lastname@example.com
Cc: firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com
Date: Aug 31, 2006 12:36 PM
Subject: aperiodic nutria not evangelic
Imagine your home at the r8te below.
We make it happen everyday.
It'd make your monthly paymInts around 1,500.
$553,000.00 at 3.95% int.
Where are these aperiodic nutria, and should we be worried? :-)
There is a spot on Nantucket Island where a huge stand of true bamboo grows - about 20 feet tall and so dense that it is dark within. On one side of the stand another photographer and I found a patch of Japanese knotweed, mostly on the edge but with some stems visible inside the dark bamboo understory. Can you tell the difference between true bamboo and Japanese knotweed, which is sometimes called "Mexican bamboo" (though it is neither)?
The Sconset Dump, a now closed landfill on the island of Nantucket, is no ordinary dump. You'd be hard pressed to find another landfill that is considered conservation land - this one harbors a number of rare plant species, but also some of the best examples of invasive plant populations that can be found anywhere on the island.
This week Nantucket is celebrating their Biodiversity Initiative with a series of field trips (.pdf), and I'll be leading one this Saturday afternoon at the Sconset Dump to check out the invasive plants there. If you're in the neighborhood, come check it out, and you'll get a free laminated guide to the Invasive Plants of Nantucket.
The Canoe Network is reporting that the Canadian military has been shirking their responsibility when it comes to preventing invasive species from entering their country. The Canadian Press apparently got their hands on a draft government report that details the lax procedures in place for reintroducing military equipment into Canada after it has been abroad. The report points out a wide variety of issues, from the contaminated ballast of military ships, to the untreated wooden pallets used to store ammo, to a general lack of awareness about invasive species among the Canadian Forces. The article notes that Afghanistan, just one country where the Canadian military has a presence, is a potential source of both autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata already an established invasive plant in North America) and Himalayan knotweed (Polygonum polystachyum, already known in Washington state).
Ok, I've been sitting here pondering the title for this story for well over an hour, and since some crazy person just spent big bucks in the ISW store, I think it's time to give away some more free stuff...
Post a comment with your single best idea of a punny title for the story below, and you could win your choice of 1) an item from the ISW store 2) a "Pests in Your Lake" decal with optional Vermont state park passes or 3) a "Charles Darwin has a Posse" decal. The previous contest and winner can be seen here.
Update:Congrats to Greenman Tim for coming up with the winning title!
A fresh new Tangled Bank is up over at the Hairy Museum of Natural History. Be sure to check out the custom-designed invasive irradiated moth!
An article in The Australian and elsewhere notes that Australia's biosecurity is at risk due to a dearth of taxonomic experts. The experts are desperately needed to identify invasive species and prevent them from entering the country. The Weeds CRC points out that the lack of experts needed to examine items for export could hurt Australia's economy as well. As the top botanists, entomologists, and parasitologists head towards retirement, there are few younger folks to replace them.
What is causing this shortage? It might be severe government cutbacks in hiring, or perhaps a lack of decent taxonomy programs for university students, or maybe both. All I can say is, if there are no Australians getting field experience, whether that experience is a college thesis or on-the-job training, Australia is treading a dangerous path towards the next big environmental crisis (Not that Australia is the only country that should be concerned. We've all got our own issues).
Some nice meaty posts about invasive species seen floating around the blogsphere this past week:
Labels: animals, carp, fish, grass, Microstegium, plants, weekend blog blogging
mimbrava over at Flickr has got a really nice mosaic of Kudzu photos (Pueraria Pueraria montana var. lobata). You can see close-up shots of the leaves mixed with wide-shots of its propensity for covering everything in its path. Check it out.
Seems the Sierra Club is not too happy about Florida's plans to farm giant reed (Arundo donax) for use as a biofuel, according to this story from the Palm Beach Post. If the Biomass Investment Group has its way, they'll be planting 15,000 acres of the grass, burning it to generate electricity, and then selling it to a local power company.
Setting aside the fact that whoever decided to start calling this plant "e-grass" needs a stern talking-to (grrrrrr, just look at B.I.G.'s URL), consider that it may not be the best thing for Florida to purposely introduce yet another invasive species there. California, which has also entertained proposals for using giant reed as a biofuel, has been dealing with invasions in the San Diego area for over a decade.
Thanks to Lynn M. for sending in an email about this story.
Labels: Arundo donax, biofuel, e-grass, Florida, grass, plants
The Scotsman is reporting that an invasive seaweed has been discovered in Loch Fyne, where it threatens to damage oyster and mussel fisheries. Known as Japanese wireweed (Sargassum muticum), this species is native to Japan, thought to have spread naturally from France to Scotland several years ago after it was accidentally introduced to France from Japan or British Columbia. Since its introduction, Japanese wireweed has gone on to impact Scotland's Firth of Clyde in several ways, including hull fouling, clogging of pipes, reduction of native seaweed diversity, and damaging equipment used to harvest shellfish. No effective long-term management techniques are yet available to control it.
Congratulations to just john for coming up with the winning entry for the latest "Your Punny Title Here" contest. His lyrical and punny title, "Lionfish Spikes on Cape Fear? Oh, my!" will proudly be displayed at the top of that blog post for eternity*. For his creative efforts, just john will be receiving an Invasive Plant Wall Clock from the ISW store. An honorable mention goes to Martin at Salto Sobrius for "Lionizing the Atlantic."
P.S. - if anyone who entered the contest is interested in getting an aquatic invasive plant decal that comes with two free Vermont park passes, drop me an email. Seems you guys prefer the ISW store schwag and I've got park passes to spare.
(*the life of this blog)
The Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica, Reynoutria japonica, Polygonum cuspidatum, or whatever you want to call it) is blooming around New England - what about where you live?
Flowering time is a great chance to observe some of the pollinators and other insects that use this species. If you've got knotweed, a camera, and an affinity for observing nature, consider joining Life on the Japanese Knotweed, a Citizen Science project with the goal of capturing digital records of plants and animals observed in and around the species.Life on the Japanese Knotweed uses the photo-sharing site Flickr, and is the sister project of last year's successful Life on the Purple Loosestrife project.
Labels: citizen science, Japanese knotweed, plants, volunteer
ARS News is reporting that scientists may have found a better way to control the cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum), a South American insect that preys upon various species of prickly pear cacti (Opuntia spp.).
While there has been some success with releasing sterile male moths into wild populations (sterile insect technique, or SIT), irradiating the males to the point of sterility also left them lazy and less likely to compete with non-sterile males for a mate. Results have shown that dosing the moths with a lower level of radiation gave scientists what they needed: male moths with reduced fertility, rather than sterility, that are much more interested in finding a mate and produce sterile offspring. Field tests for this technique are currently going forward on an island in Alabama, the outermost edge of the moth invasion, which has gradually been spreading from South America up into U.S. territory.
Interested readers may also want to check out previous ISW posts about the cactus moth.
Labels: cacti, insects, moths, plants
This weekend in invasive species blogging:
Labels: weekend blog blogging
YubaNet is reporting that a Dungeness crab (Cancer magister), native to the west coast of the U.S., was found this past July in the Atlantic Ocean. No one is sure how the Pacific Crab got all the way across the continental U.S., but due to its size (big) and sex (male), it is suspected that it was purchased as seafood and then released. West Coast dungeness crab fisheries can only catch and sell male crabs.
This story was first reported over a month ago by MIT and also media sources such as the Underwater Times.
Labels: crabs, crustaceans, marine


text:
Young Lady Is Loopy After Pulling Wisdom Teeth [Video]
I have not had the giggle gas too much in my life. When I did I'm sure I said some pretty interesting stuff. Not sure if I was ever this loopy.
I have not had the giggle gas too much in my life. When I did I'm sure I said some pretty interesting stuff. Not sure if I was ever this loopy.
Everyone marches to a slightly different drummer, and that's what helps to keep life from being completely, pathetically boring, right?
Annie had oral surgery, and the drugs were so good, she thought she was a NASCAR driver. Then comes the fateful moment she realizes she is not, in fact, a NASCAR driver.
This young lady just had her wisdom teeth removed. She now believes she is Hannah Montana. I now believe that cameras should never be allowed around people who have just had their wisdom teeth removed.
This girl named Emma wakes up after getting her wisdom teeth removed and because her lips are swolen, the poor thing thinks she's Kylie Jenner.
Planning a bunch of awesome practical jokes and pranks to pull on your friends and loved ones on April 1st? Don't.
Do you know what movie this quote comes from? "I am just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her." It comes from the same movie that features this bit of romantic wisdom,"Happiness isn't happiness without a violin-playing goat."Did you guess it? Both quotes are from Notting Hill and besides those two quotes the only other thing I remember about that movie is that Julia Roberts teeth are incredibly huge. But since Christmas is a time when diamonds find their way to fingers and questions get popped I thought you might want to add a little romance to the gifts your giving.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Management Marketing & PR jobs in Gerrards Cross
Found 0 jobs
We do have the following jobs available for Marketing & PR, Management
Showing 1 - 3 of 385
Press Relations Manager
Art Fund's Press Relations Manager will communicate our work as the national charity for art through our media relations campaigns and activity.
Project Manager
This is an exciting and varied role offering lots of responsibility within and across the quantitative side of the business.
Commercial Services Lead
To grow a portfolio of commercial activity, developing mission-aligned programmes to grow the BHFs income, increasing funds for life-saving research.
Related courses
Marketing & Business Analysis MSc
This course provides students with the theoretical foundations of marketing along with an added appreciation of the skills required in solving analytical and practical marketing...
Marketing MSc
The MSc in Marketing provides students with a critical appreciation of marketing through a comprehensive range of academically grounded courses. Students are provided with an...
Media and Public Relations MA
This is for you if you want the flexibility of studying by distance learning whilst gaining a critical understanding of the practices and outcomes...


text:
Driving dogs fail to drive adoption
An Auckland SPCA's publicity stunt to raise awareness of homeless dogs has not yet persuaded Marlburians to adopt a dog.
The elaborate stunt, which involved master animal trainer Mark Vette training three rescued pooches to drive a modified car, aired on Campbell Live on Monday night after two months of daily training.
Marlborough SPCA animal care manager Jess Monk said that while the "crazy idea" had generated a lot of interest from the public, people were remaining cautious about taking on the commitment of adopting a pet dog.
"It was a very clever, very cool and very crazy idea," she said.
"We haven't had any adoptions so far this week, but it's great that people are talking about it and have it on their minds."
People could be delaying adoption with the approach of the festive season and summer holidays, which was better than taking on the responsibility without thinking it through, she said.
The SPCA strongly recommends against buying a pet as a gift for family or friends.
"As sweet as it seems, if it doesn't work out, it's the animal that ends up suffering," Ms Monk said.
"And if the person doesn't want it, they have to re-home it themselves, which is a real pain."
The Marlborough SPCA at Foxes Island, Renwick, has eight canines in need of a home at the moment, including Bruce the shar pei-mastiff cross, who was the star of the SPCA float in the Christmas parade on Saturday.
While teaching a dog to drive a car would take a lot of time and training experience, all breeds had the intelligence to be taught good manners, Ms Monk said. "It's really easy once you know all the little tricks of dog psychology and learn how to speak their language."
Dogs were always more difficult to adopt than cats, she said, because they were more costly to keep and required more commitment, care and attention.
Before dogs are adopted, an SPCA staff member does a property visit to ensure the dog's new home is safe and fully fenced.
Marlborough SPCA euthanasia rates were below 5 per cent at the moment, compared to Auckland, which had 65 per cent, Ms Monk said. It had managed to increase adoption rates by swapping dogs with other SPCA centres around the country.
Fostering dogs out to homes also increased their chances of being adopted, because families became attached to them, she said.
The Marlborough Express


text:
Juegos para maquillar vestir y peinar barbies
1allowing modifications to video video games to make them easier - or harder. Juegos para maquillar vestir y peinar barbies are over 2000 complete occasions with various guidelines and forms of races. It has been fairly gratifying to this point. die() means "name the operate die() on whatever is inside these parentheses". I consider it's possible you'll find GLORIA THE CHIPMUNK very properly timed and I would be glad to mail you a reproduction. game series method five million copies juegos para maquillar vestir y peinar barbies. The. No, in all probability not. The development for many download sites lately is to incorporate all kinds of additional software with a game download to be able to earn cash. They are of superb use. It incorporates a silhouetted protagonist with a aptitude for parkour, on the run in a totalitarian metropolis. I believe that many imagine that Weebly is the best website builder as a result of everybody speak about it and never just because it's one of the best. Merely keep calm and see all of the potential dangers which can be coming and later evade them for those who begin enjoying from beginning or from the blue flag. Most people want professional images to look pretty much as good in their pictures as they do in individual. There are various free-to-play MMOs on the market, however LotRO is the very best one. Prime members also take pleasure in FREE Two-Day Transport and exclusive entry to music, motion pictures, TV reveals, and Kindle books. Give every boy a foam sword. A sound product key's required to acquire the full model containing all the objects (1144 objects). All people should have a put up-it's conscious on juegos para maquillar vestir y peinar barbies forehead. Consists of eight worlds, with each containing a 4 sub ranges. Online games free for girls only purpose I can think of for The Incredible Machine's not being included is that maybe it isn't considered a puzzle sport. Prediction attempts to resolve the problem by showing you where your computer expects your enemy to be primarily based on earlier frames. Video video video games for teenagers have to be easy, related, and by no means as aggressive as grownup games. I really like that you simply share all kinds of issues about birthing, parenting and what it takes to get via a day with kids-nevertheless we need not see all the lovable photos of your youngsters for you to get your point throughout. So let's add the previous Mario favourite: the Koopa Trooper. And as spring turned to summer, Juegos para maquillar vestir y peinar barbies used to be having extra unhealthy juegos para maquillar vestir y peinar barbies than good ones. 75; Rosie fragrance at 14; women' star pyjamas at eight; men's cashmere jumper at 32. Of course, any dialogue on the behavior and safety of children leads us straight to parents. Contact us for full particulars about recommendations on how one can become a part of the Household Pastimes crew and lift money in your worthy trigger. Wanna improve. The original Sonic the Hedgehog sport launched on June 23, 1991 for the SEGA Mega Drive (often called the SEGA Genesis to our American counterparts). Accessible and challenging in equal measure, Mario's newest race for the flagpole provides a complete new layer of los 10 mejores juegos para android for every kind of gamers, whether or not you play in 2D or 3D. Sam whomps beasties together with his membership, runs like a dog, and climbs vines. Revenue from the colourful, vibrant, novel, oriental themed symbols which will be tied collectively fantastically with matching themed music. The 2 prime scoring players at all tables (besides the top desk) rotate up a table - the two low players keep on the desk. Step 7: Receive up to 150 free once you claim your second offer of one hundred juegos para maquillar vestir y peinar barbies match juegos de barbie vender helados en la playa. My sister a teacher was in an area of her faculty the place two of the younger children strolling home were attempted to be taken. And even merely make a sound as that character. Help princess Rubie positioned on make-up after which choose the exact gown download free game nes rom this household pleasant recreation made for ladies, Rubie's Princess Get collectively. Our educational video games are simple to utilize and cool new free games nice, with a deal with the sight words, spelling, storybooks, addition and subtraction, place worth, cash, art, music, holidays and much more. The truth is that is utterly completely utterly completely different for each lady. Lastly, the New Strategies to Play different. You have doubtless explored the halls of the Met with the kids greater than once, but have they been to see the museum's medieval artwork and architecture collections, tucked away at The Cloisters. If as soon as the message opens, the sender might be seen blue color marks on each the ticks. This sport is designed by some Japanese firm and their essential goal of this recreation is to create some huge frustration whereas avid gamers aren't able to finish this recreation simply due to the objects and enemies that swiftly surprising kill the character. Description: Play game Bury My Bones on. The observe report is a bit small for my liking, although the intensive automobile-doc makes up for it.More...
Comments:19.01.2013 at 11:20 Samuzahn:
It — is intolerable.
26.01.2013 at 07:40 Dojas:
Excuse for that I interfere … I understand this question. I invite to discussion. Write here or in PM.
06.02.2013 at 00:17 Akijora:
Absolutely with you it agree. In it something is also to me it seems it is very good idea. Completely with you I will agree.
13.02.2013 at 23:52 Gardamuro:
I am sorry, that I interrupt you.
23.02.2013 at 22:48 Tami:
Very much a prompt reply :)
24.02.2013 at 06:19 Gusida:
There is nothing to tell - keep silent not to litter a theme.
06.03.2013 at 14:35 Banris:
And what here to speak that?
11.03.2013 at 22:07 Mik:
Amusing state of affairs


text:
Hotel Muthu Infiniti Beach Resort
Service & facilities
|Earliest check-in
|Latest check-out
Service & facilities
Hotel facilities
- Reception (lobby)
- Public Internet terminal Hourly rate 5,50 EUR
- Car park is directly by hotel
- Restaurant(s) 1
- Hotel bar
Room facilities
- Satellite TV
- TV remote control
- Room safe
- Kitchenette
- Fridge
In-house services
- Washing machine for guests
- Classic concierge service
- Car rental
- Sightseeing tours
- Laundry service
Style of hotel and ambience
In the hotel Muthu Infiniti Beach Resort, friendly and well-equipped apartments await the guests. The restaurant serves a variety of delicious dishes and in the hotel bar, guests may enjoy refreshing drinks and exotic cocktails. Furthermore, the sauna offers true relaxation.
Special features of the hotel
Please note that our spa facilities,including indoor pool are closed until June 2013. There is superb indoor leisure centre with an indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna and gym, available for an extra cost, as well as the 2 lovely outdoor pools and the beautifully manicured gardens. The hotel reserves the right to refuse accommodation to any hen/stag or any other groups that might disturb the regular operation and the family atmosphere of the hotel.
Hotel data
Number of floors 2, Total number of rooms 81, Number of single rooms 0, Number of double rooms 81, Number of apartments 81, Hotel closed from 2010-01-01, to 2010-03-20, Hotel closed from 2010-11-01, to 2010-12-31, Reception manned 24 hours a day, Earliest check-in 17:00, Latest check-out 11:00, Multilingual staff on hand 24 hours a day, Holiday apartments, Apartment/Suite hotel, Holiday resort, Club hotel/resort, Gay and lesbian-friendly hotel, No-smoking room 0
Service times
Reception open:
0:00 AM to 24:00 PM
Reception manned at weekends:
0:00 AM to 24:00 PM
Earliest check-in:
Latest check-out:
Accepted payment methods
- Diners Club
- Visa
- Eurocard/MasterCard
Calle Juan Sebastián Elcano Nº 72, 04621 Vera -
Located a short walk from the beach in Vera, the hotel is the ideal place for everyone looking for a relaxing and fun holiday. Play some golf, spend lazy days on the beach and go for walks in the nature reserve Parque Natural del Cabo de Gata-Nijar, located at a distance of 21 kilometres.
- 6.98 km
- 63.09 km


text:
I have a requirement to process a continuous sequence of messages.
Assuming the backend goes down due to an issue,the MPGW would try to back out the message to a back out queue and processing the second message in sequence.
But as per my requirement I want the message to be kept on to the same queue and disable the MQ FSH polling till my backend is available.
Is there a way I can disable the polling and enable it manually when my backend is up.
Right now If I back out the message to the same queue,then MPGW would end in a infinite loop
dplearner137 270005EF4T
27 Posts
Pinned topic MQ FSH Polling
Answered question This question has been answered.
Unanswered question This question has not been answered yet.


text:
Blackburn Rovers were one of the first EPL clubs to sign up to Football Aid and our first game at Ewood Park kicked off on the 3rd May 2001 with ex-pros Glenn Keeley and Alan Ainscrow in attendance. Since then, fans' favourites like Colin Hendry, David Dunn, Mark Atkins, Damien Johnson, Tony Parkes, Simon Garner, Mark Patterson, Alan Kelly, Simon Ireland, Richard Brown, Marlon Broomes, Chris Sulley and Kevin Gallacher have all joined in the fun, with Kevin signing up as a Football Aid Ambassador in 2006.
This year's game at Ewood Park was a huge success, with our Blackburn Rovers fans doing themselves proud in front of their enthusiastic supporters. We were extremely fortunate to have Rovers Legends Kevin Gallacher and Chris Sulley on hand to play in the game and share their expert experience on the night and we'd like to say a massive thanks again for their excellent support.
If you're interested in re-living your game there will be a full report available in our Match Reports section in the coming weeks. Note: We only get time to write reports and make them live after all our events are finished, so it could be late June/July before they appear on the website.
We hope to make Buy Now & Sponsored to Play positions available for Football Aid 2018 in early September 2017 and this year's players will receive 1st notification by e-mail when positions go on sale. If you didn't play in 2017 and would like to be notified when we launch for next season, make sure and Register on the website to receive e-mail updates or Contact Us with details of the games you're interested in.
A wide selection of fantastic Photographs from this match are available from Matt Nuttall Photography. To order photos just visit www.footballaidphotos.com or contact Matt on T: 07793 818021 or E: firstname.lastname@example.com
There's also a superb Matchday DVD available from Chillpics, this includes behind the scenes footage and the full 90mins of match action. DVDs can be ordered by contacting Shane Wilkinson on T: 07901 590723 or E: email@example.com


text:
Info Bank
27 June 2011
HR Summer Updates
HR SUMMER UPDATES KEY CHANGES Working Time Regulation to be Revised The Working Time Regulations (WTR) are to be amended to update them in light of case law (such as Pereda and Stringer) which has established that workers unable to take their annual leave because of sickness etc. in the current year must be able to carry it forward into the following leave year
25 May 2011
Insider May 2011
Drop in sick leave Coping with the time that employees take off sick can be a major issue, especially for smaller employers. So it might come as good news to learn that the average amount of sick leave in the private sector appears to be on a downward trend.
25 May 2011
Selling Your Business
Selling your business? The impact of the current economic climate and the fact that many baby boomers are now retiring is having an increasing effect on the number of business owners looking to sell and pursue other interests. The effect of government policies, turbulence of stock markets, low savings returns and the lack of available finance for business acquisition for small businesses means that disposing of a business interest requires careful planning and timing.
24 May 2011
Directors Responsibilities
DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITIES Directors are appointed to manage and run limited companies. With that comes a range of serious responsibilities: some specific to the abilities of the individual while others are a matter of legal obligation. This guide concerns itself with the latter.
3 May 2011
Insider May 2011
Government launches anti-red tape website It is described as one of the banes of business life: regulation compliance. The form filling and admin tasks involved in meeting the rules that govern businesses, critics say, direct vital resources away from the main task of winning new customers and developing enterprises. So, as part of its efforts to boost the private sector, the Government has asked the business community to identify which regulations it feels should be scrapped as part of a campaign to reduce red tape. To help businesses pick out those rules that impose the greatest administrative burden, the Government has set up what it has called its red tape challenge website.
2 May 2011
PAYE Update
2011 PAYE update From April 2011, many significant changes will be made to the operation of the PAYE system. There are also changes from 2012 that you should be considering now. Compensation rate From 6 April 2011, 'small employers' may reclaim 103% of statutory maternity pay. The rate had been 104.5% since 2002. A small employer is broadly one whose total national insurance payable in a year does not exceed £45,000. Other employers may only reclaim 92%, which remains unchanged.
1 May 2011
HR Spring Changes
KEY CHANGES Changes to Maternity and Paternity Leave Provisions In April there were two changes to Maternity and Paternity leave provisions. Fathers of children with an expected week of birth beginning on or after 3 April 2011 will be allowed up to 26 weeks' additional paternity leave in the first year of the child's life if the mother has returned to work from maternity leave. On the same date, the rates for statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay will increase from £124.86 to £128.73 per week
1 April 2011
Insider April 2011
Warning over cost of new business record checking regime. Plans by HMRC to scrutinise the record keeping of smaller firms could prove costly for many enterprises, it has been claimed. In its response to HMRC's consultation on the proposals, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) said that the plans are flawed.
23 March 2011
Budget March 2011
The Chancellor devoted a proportion of his 2011 Budget to measures that he and the Government hope will stimulate growth and hasten the recovery. His statement included a number of business tax changes designed to encourage both investment and innovation. He also took action to tackle some of the effects of the rising cost of fuel.
1 March 2011
Measure your return on Marketing Investment
In these financially precarious times businesses are constantly looking for ways to streamline operations and cut unnecessary expenditure while at the same time seeking to improve profitability, increase (or at least preserve) market share, and lay the foundations for future growth.
1 March 2011
New Rules on Capital Allowances
There have been some significant recent changes on capital allowances that could influence your decisions on buying business assets in the immediate future.
1 March 2011
Insider March 2011
Government to press ahead with new company accounts filing system The Treasury has decided to keep to its timetable for the introduction of a new system for the filing of company accounts. This is despite the fact that a number of tax bodies have written to the Government urging a delay.
1 February 2011
Insider February 2011
Fuel duty will 'hamper' smaller firms. Small businesses could find themselves laying off workers and cutting down on investment if fuel duty continues to rise, a leading business group has warned.
1 February 2011
The Finance Bill 2011
The coalition government has taken the new and welcome step of publishing draft clauses for next year's Finance Act.
1 February 2011
2011 PAYE Update
There have been a number of developments during the last year - here is a brief overview of the changes.
1 January 2011
Corporation Tax Reform
At the same time as the 29 November Office of Budget Responsibility report the Government announced details of some of the reforms to corporation tax. Among the changes announced is a plan to make corporation tax more "competitive." This comes on top of other significant changes already announced, such as using iXBRL for filing corporation tax returns next year and proposed changes to the rules on connected companies.
1 January 2011
Pension Changes
From 6 April 2011, tax relief for pension contributions is restricted
1 January 2011
Insider January 2011
Savers get extra protection There isn't much to cheer savers at the moment: rock bottom interest rates and stubbornly high inflation have combined to keep returns on funds at a puny low.
Article 201 to 218 of 218 [Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9]


text:
This property is no longer available.Search for Available Property.
3.25 acres in Garfield County, Colorado
All that's needed is a Buyer! This amazing lot comes complete with architecturally designed houseplans, survey, engineering report and soils reports. Tap fees already paid and Builder available and ready to start this spring. Let your driveway meander up the historic ranch road, and enjoy the views. This three plus-acre lot in pristine Elk Springs has already received preliminary approval with the Architectural Design Board. Seller motivated!
Highway 82 south to CMC turnoff, uphill to Elk Springs Subdivision on the left property is all the way down Elk Springs Dr.
Tax Data (Show Tax Data)
Loading Tax Data
Other Land for Sale in Garfield County
NOTE: The information contained herein is provided as general information only and has been obtained from sources deemed reliable. It is provided without any guaranty, warranty or representation, expressed or implied, made by Lands of America, or any related entity, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information. The information is presented subject to errors, omissions, change of price or conditions, prior sale or withdrawal without notice. Prospective purchasers should make their own investigations, projections and conclusions concerning the information.


text:
Tag Archive for 'Boston Lyric Opera'
Bizet's Carmen at the Boston Lyric Opera
The Boston Lyric Opera has left its long-time, unsatisfactory home in Boston's Shubert Theater. This season each production will be mounted in a different space, and the Boston Globe reports that BLO has joined some other local theatrical groups to bid for ongoing use of the fine Colonial Theater (now owned by Emerson College) when it is restored and reopens in a year or so—seems an outcome to be wished for. Meanwhile, BLO has started its current season with Bizet's Carmen in the Opera House on Washington Street, once home to Sarah Caldwell's highly creative Opera Company of Boston, in recent years home of the Boston Ballet and site of a never-ending stream of very popular traveling Broadway musical productions. The Opera House is a grand space with good acoustics, a broad stage, sizeable orchestra pit, and adequate lobby space on two levels. It is good to see and hear opera staged here once again.
The Year that Was: Boston Classical Music in 2015
The major news from Boston was the ascendancy of Andris Nelsons, firming up his place as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which included a quickly agreed upon three-year extension of his contract into the 2020-2021 season. This announcement was soon followed by the less happy surprise for Bostonians of Nelsons also accepting an offer from the eminent Leipzig Gewandhaus, the orchestra whose music director was once no less than Felix Mendelssohn, to take on that very position, beginning in the 2017-2018 season, thus dividing the loyalties of the young maestro (who just turned 37), though evidently with the possibility of collaborations between the two orchestras. (Remember when some people were complaining about James Levine dividing his time between the BSO and the Metropolitan Opera?)
Opera Boom: Lots of opera in Boston, but how much was really good?
I need more than two hands to count the number of operas I've attended in Boston so far this year. Two productions by the Boston Lyric Opera, our leading company; nine (four fully staged) by our newest company, Odyssey Opera; a brilliant concert version by the BSO of Szymanowski's disturbing and mesmerizing King Roger; all three of Monteverdi's surviving operas presented by the Boston Early Music Festival, performed in repertory for possibly the very first time; a rarely produced Mozart masterpiece, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, in a solid and often eloquently sung concert version by Emmanuel Music; the world premiere of Crossing, 25-year-old Matthew Aucoin's one-act opera about Whitman in the Civil War, presented by A.R.T.; and the first local production of Hulak-Artemovsky's Cossack Beyond the Danube, the Ukrainian national opera, by Commonwealth Lyric Theatre (imaginatively staged and magnificently sung). Not to mention several smaller production I couldn't actually get to—including an adventurous new work, Per Bloland's Pedr Solis, by the heroic Guerrilla Opera, which I got to watch only on-line, and Boston Opera Collaborative's Ned Rorem Our Town (music I'm not crazy about, but friends I trust liked the production).
A lot of opera! But how full is the cup?
Opera and Passion: Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Early Music Festival, and Odyssey Opera
Is there a more passionate art form than opera? In what other mode is the uninhibited expression of feeling—tragic or comic—so central? More central than reason. Given the emotional liberation of great music, what can in a mere plot description appear to be absurd (a woman tossing the wrong baby into a fire; a "fallen woman" sacrificing her entire future and the happiness of her lover for the sake of her lover's respectable sister; a man killing his best friend in a duel because he has flirted with his girlfriend; a nobleman secretly meeting his own wife in disguise—madness, murder, and deception) can become through music profound and moving, Revelation and Catharsis.
Murder Myth Married to Music—Lizzie Borden Wields her Axe at Tanglewood
In Jack Beeson and Kenward Elmslie's 1965 retelling, Lizzie Borden is unequivocally presented the murderer of her step-mother and father; in the opening moments, as the orchestra starts up with a scream of outrage, Lizzie runs onstage with an axe and plants it firmly in the middle of the family table. It remains there for most of the opera, sometimes reached for, sometimes stroked, and eventually seized with murderous intent.
Verdi, Macbetto, Boston Lyric Opera
Shakespeare was a great inspiration to Verdi, as he was to Berlioz and to many other nineteenth-century composers, writers, and artists of all kinds. Opera Boston recently presented Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict, adapted from Much Ado About Nothing; and before this late work Berlioz had, of course, written his great "dramatic symphony" Roméo et Juliette and an early King Lear Overture. Verdi wrote Macbetto in 1847 (and revised and added to it later), his tenth opera, and just on the cusp of his great middle period that would include Rigoletto and La Traviata He concluded his career decades later with the magnificent Otello and Falstaff, works that rival in greatness their Shakespeare sources. (Maybe Falstaff more than rivals The Merry Wives of Windsor. As for Otello, ages ago I was at a splendid Metropolitan Opera production—Levine, Vickers—and on the way out encountered a prominent Renaissance literature scholar from Princeton—"I think it's greater than the play!" he gasped.)
Looking Back at the Boston Winter and Spring Music Season, 2010-11
The winter music season in Boston made a strong beginning with James Levine leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra in what turned out to be his last set of concerts with the orchestra for the year—and perhaps forever. Levine's spring BSO concerts were cancelled for health reasons, and, of course he has resigned as Music Director. […] The notion is creeping up on one that Boston has become a remarkably good place for opera. —How about some Wagner?


text:
Great place to stop by on a Friday or Saturday night to watch the surf competitions! Pretty spectacular and you will have a front row seat in their backyard area. The food is ok - typical bar food. I would not go for just the...More
1 - 10 of 159 reviews
Great place to stop by on a Friday or Saturday night to watch the surf competitions! Pretty spectacular and you will have a front row seat in their backyard area. The food is ok - typical bar food. I would not go for just the...More
this is the ultimate spot if you like to surf or watch it. the bar has their competitions during the week and a good crowd with a chill vibe makes it all good
My favourite thing about visiting the backyard is the atmosphere and ocean view. Watching the surfing and drinking a cold one. The mint lemonade is a great refreshing drink to try too. The food is about what one would expect. Tasty and nice. The price...More
This place is great and a must visit is you are in tow, there is always a lot people and from many different nationalities. Great place to meet new people and to watch the sunset, staff is always friendly.
Perfect spot for first morning in Playa Hermosa after a red eye. Great service and great food. Beautiful ocean view
Food is average at a high cost... nice view of the beach good for hang out for drinks ONLY. Nice view of the beach waves and surf tournaments and that's about it!
One of the highlights of my trip. From the super fun and helpful staff, to the gorgeous location, to the yummy fresh food- everything was wonderful. Only the rain kept us from coming back the next day! We even watched an international surfing competition with...More
We went early on Saturday for the surf series. Arrived via taxi around 2 pm, it was fairly quiet & we took a table out in the grass front, in the shade with a direct perfect view of the beach. We enjoyed apps of wings...More
Very nice evening spent here after a hard day hiking through rain forest, just what we needed to relax and unwind. Highly recommend the Cuba Libre have it with flora de caña rum, extensive menu including vegetarian options. Kick back in the chairs outside overlooking...More
Backyard is the perfect place to spend a Saturday afternoon; drinks, surf tourney, bocas or barbecue... get there early to get a good table by the rail!


text:
Blog Entry# 2042322
Posted: Oct 30 2016 (17:32)
No Responses Yet
Departure: Wed Nov 16 2016 @ 06:35
25657/Kanchanjunga Express
Trip# 97831 Traveller: xxx Linked PNR Entry# 2042322
Class: Sleeper - SL
From: SDAH/Sealdah
To: BPB/Badarpur Junction
Follow this Trip **new
Blog Time-Table
ARP (Advanced Reservation Period) Calculator
Reservations Open Today @ 8am for:
Trains with ARP 10 Dep on: Sat Sep 2
Trains with ARP 15 Dep on: Thu Sep 7
Trains with ARP 30 Dep on: Fri Sep 22
Trains with ARP 120 Dep on: Thu Dec 21
Leading Polls
Top Trending Posts
Rail News
New Trains
Site Announcements
Admin Blog Links
Scroll to Top
Scroll to Bottom
Disclaimer: This website has NO affiliation with the Government-run site of Indian Railways. This site does NOT claim 100% accuracy of fast-changing Rail Information. YOU are responsible for independently confirming the validity of information through other sources.


text:
Hereditary Markers for Jatropha Biodiversity Evaluation and Breeding HONG Yan, Group of Plant Biotechnology email@example.com Introduction to jatropha Genetic markers, different procedures Controlled fertilization and hereditary mapping Our discoveries with SSR and AFLP on jatropha hereditary differences Methylation touchy assorted qualities Implication/dialogSlide 2
âIt has not been truly domesticatedâ¦. will likewise oblige genuine measures of agronomic researchâ Nature articleSlide 3
Breeding/taming will build profitability and enhance other agronomic characteristics Maize Wild plants versus trained onesSlide 4
Genotype and environment Morphology and agronomic attributes are variable for jatropha Between assortments, additionally inside of mixed bags Variable execution of kin plants under same development conditions demonstrates the significance of genotype A couple provenance trials* led in Africa discovered: Genotype-environment connection (GxE) An incredible scope of seed yield Various unrefined fat substance from 18.4-42.3% Trait particular relative commitment stays to be further explored *Heller 1996Slide 5
Genetic Markers A quality or DNA succession having a known area on a chromosome and connected with a specific quality or characteristic Advantages of hereditary markers: Profile of hereditary markers will characterize a genotype Uniform at all tissues at all periods of the life form permits early location formatively stable and not influenced by the earth profoundly particular example can be produced for every individual Utilities: For biodiversity study To pick right folks for cross fertilization Marker helped rearing To separate plant mixed bags Quality control of ranchSlide 6
Comparison of Different hereditary marker procedures *ISSR as a variation Gustavo Caetano-Anolles and P.M.Gresshoff 1997Slide 7
Genetic marker improvement and biodiversity investigations of jatropha Few reports with RAPD and ISSR strategies Potential issues of unwavering quality and reproducibility Generally low hereditary differences reported in neighborhood populaces examined No report on worldwide jatropha hereditary differing qualities Basha 2007; Xiang 2007Slide 8
Self fertilization: for innate lines and assessing heredity of qualities Cross fertilization: to create mixture seeds between distinctive mixed bags, additionally with other Jatropha species for half and half power and new attributes Controlled fertilization for reproducing in TLLSlide 9
Interspecies jatropha crossovers Objectives: Genetic mapping Possible better characteristics F1 crossover plantsSlide 10
Genetic marker advancement in TLL >500 SSR loci were cloned >50 groundwork mixes of AFLP examination High throughput fluorescence marker examination with ABI 3730xl DNA analyzer Both systems are utilized together for development of hereditary guide of jatropha with BC populaces Examples of SSR markers Example of SSR allele recognitionSlide 11
SSR/AFLP assessment of jatropha biodiversity Work in advancement to break down 192 specimens from Asia, South America and Africa Preliminary discoveries: SSR examination indicated almost no assorted qualities, most were homozygous EcoRI/MseI AFLP indicated next to no assorted qualities, as well (polymorphic loci <5%, mean heterozygosity < 1%) Monomorphic band example appeared for most SSR lociSlide 12
Low hereditary differences as identified by general AFLP examinationSlide 13
Methylation delicate AFLP Methylation touchy AFLP investigation PZ14A SU6 MD42 MD44 E2/H3-HpaII - methylation delicate E2/H3-MspI - methylation unfeeling X m5 C G C G C m5 Cut No cutSlide 14
Segregation of methylation touchy allelesSlide 15
Epigenetic assorted qualities in jatropha Methylation touchy AFLP Much higher assorted qualities saw in methylation touchy AFLP examination (polymorphic loci >60%, mean heterozygosity >14%) Stable in different parts of a plant Heritable, takes after Mendelian isolation Most differences found inside of populaces Biological essentialness not known yetSlide 16
DNA methylation in plant Best described epigenetic alteration Implicated in may critical organic procedures Interference of DNA methylation in Arabidopsis by down manage MET1, a methylase quality Inheritance of methylation exampleSlide 17
Discussion Reasons for the absence of biodiversity so far Technical or intrinsic? In the event that low hereditary differing qualities affirmed, issues to address: Genetic premise for phenotype? Rearing system? Any criticalness part of epigenetic in jatropha? Proposals: A worldwide study of hereditary differences is imperative and basic International cooperation and check is vitalSlide 18
Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) A non-benefit exploration establishment possessed by Temasek holding, NUS and NTU With 30 examination bunches, we chip away at both fundamental and connected science One focus of greatness in the region of plant tissue society, hereditary alteration, plant science and improvement study Experience and component to team up and work with industry A group with around 20 researchers taking a shot at jatropha: Biodiversity and rearing Genetic markers and mapping Platform innovation advancement Phytochemistry Genomics Molecular and cell science thinks about Two test homesteads 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604 Tel: +65 6872 7000 Fax: +65 6872 7007 http://www.tll.org.sgSlide 19
Jatropha International Congress December 17 - 18, 2008, Singapore First Circular Themes of the congress 1. Hereditary assets 2. Rearing advancements and procedures 3. Hereditary qualities and Genomics 4. Biosynthesis of unsaturated fats and poisons 5. Tissue society, proliferation and change 6. Manor administration and nuisance control 7. Oil handling 8. By-item use 9. Speculation and plans of action 10. Government approaches and motivators A True Event for Biofuel Research and Business Organized by Temasek Life Sciences LaboratorySlide 20
Presentation to the Administrative Chamber Uncommon Panel on Sexually Rough Individual Duties
60 views


text:
"About 6 p.m., 44-year-old Wilfrido Cruz called police to report his Dodge Grand Caravan stolen from his home in the 4300 block of West Cullerton," chicago.suntimes.com reports. "Officers responded to meet with Cruz and complete a preliminary report. Cruz . . . left to search for his vehicle armed with a handgun. A few minutes later, Cruz saw two males in his vehicle two blocks away, in the 4100 block of West Cullerton." Guess what happened next . . .
He opened fire on his own minivan and the two males, who ran away.
No one was hurt.
Yeah, no. Not a great idea. In Texas, where you have the right to shoot at felons fleeing with stolen property? Maybe. But certainly not after they've left the scene and you've gone perp hunting. And if for some reason you did that, which you really shouldn't do, but if you did, you might not want to lie about it to the po-po.
Cruz went back to his home and hid his weapon, police said. He then spoke to the officers, who were still at the scene and had heard the gunfire.
The officers discovered Cruz had two semi-automatic handguns, a revolver and a rifle, police said.
Cruz was charged with one felony count of aggravated discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle, and is scheduled to appear in bond court Sunday.
The real problem here – other than Mr. Cruz's decision to go all Death Wish and fire rounds that landed he knew not where – is that he's what the Campaign for Civilian Disarmament (CSGV) will call a "good guy with a gun." The Land of Lincoln resident had (the operative word being "had") a conceal carry license and a FOID card.
If only Wilfredo had shot the car thieves! Then the antis could have pointed to the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago and said, "See? We told you the streets would run red with the blood of innocents! OK, not-so-innocents. But still . . ."
Meanwhile, chicagotribune.com reports that at least ten people were wounded in shootings across the city since Saturday night.
[h/t DC Studios]
49 Responses to Irresponsible Gun Owner of the Day: Wilfrido Cruz
An operator wannabe who gets a cold wake up call from, bubba, his new bunkie.
Why is it okay to joke about homosexual prison rape but not any other kind of rape?
Because people become prison rape victims by committing felonies. We have no sympathy and consider it part of the penance.
When felonies calling for prison time include minor wetlands filling, obscure tax violations, possessing cannabis in one state when it's legal in the next….you consider anal rape part of the penance? Not to mention lots of this happens in pre-arraignment and pre–trial detention. Further, lots of prisoners are in jails for misdemeanors.
What do you consider the the rape means for the rapist? Promotion to prison guard?
A minor female getting drunk is against the law. If she gets raped do you consider it "just part of the consequences of breaking the law"?
So of that poor Pennsylvania woman who accidentally carried in New Jersey was raped in prison, that's part of her penance?
Sorry, we can't have it both ways – if we so avidly support the Second Amendment we have to also support the other amendments in the Bill of Rights.
Amendment 8: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted."
I'm pretty sure that constant fear of or actually being raped by other prisoners is not part of the sentence (ever) handed down by the court.
Incidentally, if someone cannot be protected from sexual assault, or many other types of criminal assault or activity, inside a prison with constant monitoring by guards and the very definition of a "Gun Free Zone", how can anyone expect that we could be safe from those crimes outside of prisons if we do not have our 2A rights of self protection?
Lighten up, Francis. If wilfrido ain't laughing when it's over, is it a joke?
Because the victims are men.
Don't get butthurt.
…by being butthurt?
Because prison rape, while fun to talk about, almost never happens.. the State is charged with your safety and security while you are incarcerated… meaning HUGE lawsuits, if it happens.., In Fact, you have a better chance of being raped while not locked up, than you do in custody
The correct prison term is "cellie" not 'bunkie' – only a new fish would say 'bunkie'.
Another helpful prison tip – if someone offers you a 'meat shank' don't take it. Its not a cut of beef steak.
Yeah, pretty stupid response. Probably still pissed that his car was stolen. If he had taken a basic weapons class on safety and the legal issues involved with firing your weapon he might have not gone Rambo on the perps. Now he will lose his right to bear arms. The class I took also pointed out that someone with a firearm should never fire at anyone in anger. Typically that is a mistake. Those kinds of points can be very helpful when making a decision in a situation like this. Another reason why I think that a basic class for someone to get a concealed permit is a very good idea.
"If he had taken a basic weapons class on safety and the legal issues involved with firing your weapon…"
According to the newspaper he had a Concealed Carry License, which means he took the required sixteen (16) hours of training and in fact had been taught about the lawful use of deadly force.
You can't fix stupid, and this shows why legislated training requirements don't make us safer.
I don't believe in mandatory training to excercise a right. It is good sense to seek out good training on the safe handling of firearms before obtaining your first gun. Safe handling trumps all other training IMHO.
What wilfrido needed was the good sense to know when NOT to fire. Much more important than any room clearing or corner clearing training.
If I owned a Dodge Caravan (and I wouldn't), I'd rather shoot at it, rather than shoot to protect it.
On a serious note, requiring training for any sort of gun related thing, i.e. carrying or owning, is just one more way to prevent new people from exercising their rights. A new pistol costs about $600, used about $350. Add on $100 for a class give or take, $50+ for training ammo, and then the fee for the application if applicable, and it's a big bill just to exercise a right.
I thought about how big a headache it would be if I had to take drivers ed drive the allotted hundreds of supervised hours and take a behind the wheel driving test after I moved to a new state. Sort of like having to take the pistol course again, pay to get a new permit, fill out an encyclopedia of forms and cool my heels for several months so I could have the rights afforded those that have resident permits have the privilege of getting. Definitely doesn't feel like a right to me.
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union,
Not really sure. While I personally only would fire following massad Ayoobs advice (immediate risk to life), I wouldn't quite throw the guy under the buss either. A person I know once chased some people out of his house with a Luger, but then they tried to break into another house. They were only stopped because they got chased out by a huge dog but I've heard of plenty of stories where the second victim was far less fortunate.
Rambo has had plenty of proper tactical training and if he even chose to use a gun in this instance, wouldn't have missed. Therefore this guy did not go "all Rambo"
Agreed. This blog is far too hard on Rambo.
Did he go 'Barney Fife' on the perps then?
It might be, if said classes actually taught you about the relevant legal and practical issues around gun ownership and carry. For example, CT requires the NRA basic pistol class for the state carry permit. This class teaches precisely nothing you need to know about carrying a gun. There is no review of state laws, no discussion of practical considerations for carrying, nothing. It goes over the 4 safety rules, teaches about the different parts of guns, and you take a quiz. This is the state of affairs in most places. The result is that the process fails on all counts; while it is time-consuming and expensive to take the class (and it's totally unnecessary for those who have no intention of carrying, but nonetheless need to because the state laws make it difficult to actually practice without one), it does not actually teach you anything useful, nor does it address the supposed "state concern" of making sure people carry safely.
I think a class is a good idea also! I think everyone who decides to carry should take one as soon as possible. But your neighbor or your government do not have constitutional authority to REQUIRE it. There are STILL no laws against smoking, or drinking. Everybody agrees about those, too, but government does not have the authority to require you to follow their rules, which are often dead wrong anyway. Note today's revelations about saccharine, 40 years late.
Does the "I thought it was Christopher Dorner" defense work for civilians? At least he identified the correct vehicle.
For the win!
Darn that Zoroaster!
Irresponsible comb owner of the day?
The article makes no mention of a comb; he likely hasn't one.
He kinda has a Charlie Sheen thing going on with that hair…
Unlike Charlie Sheen, this guy ain't winning!
Yeah, and zero tiger blood…
Why do you have a picture of Mark Ruffalo up top?
"Meanwhile, chicagotribune.com reports that at least ten people were wounded in shootings across the city since Saturday night."
What? No way! This has to be a false statement by the press. Chicago has very strict gun control laws and nobody has a gun that shouldn't.
It was a MINI VAN…… not a corvette… let em keep it collect the insurance and GET a corvette…. dumbass
I drive a nice car which is not worth killing or dying for.
Dying for? Perhaps the scumbags who stole it should be thinking that. I have that as a warning sign next to my front door. Inside the door is a massive "Wrong House Mother#@$#er" sign. I consider it slightly more classy than.
"This house is owned by a former Marine who is an excellent shot and a horrible negotiator. You have now been properly negotiated with."
Mine says even less…
"If you are found here tonight, you will be found here in the morning."
I don't have one, I'm afraid it might be used against me. The one I always liked, though, was
"Trespassers will be shot,
Survivors will be shot again."
Did he get the car back?
To quote an (in)famous children's movie, he should have "Let It Go".
And called the police while keeping the perps under observation.
Mock him all you like, if this happened more often, and the po-po didn't arrest people for it; there'd be a hell of a lot less grand theft auto…
Depriving society of violence only emboldens the dregs, and does nothing for the rest…
Seriously? His life is in no danger and he went looking for trouble. You think letting a fool like this fire several rounds in an urban environment is a good idea?
In Chicago the lots are only 25 feet wide; meaning there is house every 25 feet. Do you think this idiot considered the background of what he was shooting at? Hell no he didn't because if he wasn't an idiot and if he did consider his background he would have realized that it was full of houses with families in them and would have never fired his weapon.
I didn't say it was a GOOD idea. I IMPLIED that is was a SLIGHTLY LESS BAD idea than the way things are currently done.
And I'm right.
Pretty simple what happened, the cops got mad that he did their job for them because they're all incompetent morons these days so he's getting charged. Same thing with that British woman whos daughter was being bullied, she calls the school and the cops and per usual no one shows so when she beats the EXPLETIVE DELETED out of some of the kids who gathered around her house and threw stuff at her she's the one who got in trouble.
Liberals …. smdh
We used to hang horse thieves in this country. smh
Why assume that insurance would pay to replace it?? Perhaps he can't afford to be without transportation i.e. lose job which he needs to support his family, life etc. I am not saying this is true but if it was. How dare we criminalize his struggle to be a self supporting citizen he didn't go out and steal so money car…. only unfortunate part of this story is that he didn't ventelate the perps
"Yeah, no. Not a great idea. In Texas, where you have the right to shoot at felons fleeing with stolen property? Maybe. But certainly not after they've left the scene and you've gone perp hunting."
We'll see. This same thing just happened here in Houston last month. 1:00 a.m., truck alarm goes off, waking two sleeping brothers just in time to see one'struck being driven off, accompanied by another vehicle.
Armed and angry, the brothers gave chase in another vehicle; ultimately ending in something of a rolling shootout, the crashing of the stolen truck, and a dead thief at its wheel.
The exact events, including the timing and precise circumstances of the kill shot, are under investigation. I call it playing "Fast and Furious: Houston Drift", but that's just personal preference. By any other name, it's just as dangerous and fraught with legal peril all around.
I'm not feeling sorry for the dead perp, but I'll feel sorry if the boys get in any trouble beyond, say, their insurance company blaming the wreck on them, since they killed the driver while the truck was moving.
Well duh…Wlifredo lives in a crappy neighborhood. I doubt he had full coverage for his minivan. I saw this on the local news and they didn't mention (at all) he had legal carry or a FOID card. He makes all of us legal folks in Illinois look BAD. Sorry-dumba## deserves what he gets…


text:
2,4-D Herbicide & GMO Crops
Take action to keep 2,4-D from tripling
Rise of Superweeds
June 22, 2014
2,4-D Herbicide & GMO Crops: Rise of Superweeds
Benbrook C. 2012. Impacts of genetically engineered crops on pesticide use in the U.S. – the first sixteen years. Environmental Sciences Europe 24:24.
Owen MD. Weed species shifts in glyphosate-resistant crops. Pest Manag Sci. 64(4): 377-87.
Owen MD, Young BG, Shaw DR, Wilson RG, Jordan DL, Dixon PM, Weller SC. 2011. Benchmark study on glyphosate-resistant crop systems in the United States. Part 2: Perspectives. Pest Manag Sci. 67(7): 747-57.


text:
Crime Victims have a voice
Mary K. Spencer, Victims' Advocate, Survival, Inc., and Octavia Hall of R.C. Irwin Public Library showcase the Crime Victims display at the library. Paper butterflies that the public may use to honor victims of violent crime are provided to add to the display. National Crime Victims' Rights Week is April 21-27.
Latest News
'Neither snow nor rain nor heat...' The mail won't...
Charlaine Harris finds new audience July 24, 2017 marked...
'Star-crossed' 2013 The Year in Review for...
71 years after he earned it, Hungerford gets Bronze Star Reprinted with permission...
First Security honors Nancy Williams Nearly 50 years ago,...
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8


text:
All Rights Reserved Overview Review User Reviews Specs Kodi Foobar2000 CherryPlayer GOM Audio MusiCHI Lite Windows Media Player Windows Media Player (64-bit) Windows Media Player 12 JetAudio Basic Windows Media Player This post has been flagged and will be reviewed by our staff. Note that your submission may not appear immediately on our site. In the Network buffering section choose the bullet option for Buffer and enter any value between 0 to 60 to buffer that much of content before playback. this contact form
Even watching hi-definition DivX movies is not a problem with the freely downloadable codecs 3 Ways to Play Unplayable Videos on your PC 3 Ways to Play Unplayable Videos on your If you believe this post is offensive or violates the CNET Forums' Usage policies, you can report it below (this will not automatically remove the post). Click OK. Please submit your review for Windows Media Player 1.
Image © Mark Harris - Licensed to About.com, Inc. Not a fan of the Library idea either. Play it, view it, and sync it to a portable device for enjoying on the go or even share with devices around your home all from one place.Simplicity In Design: Bring Type in the year range, like 1980..1990 for all songs in that period.
Image © Mark Harris - Licensed to About.com, Inc. Privacy Policy Ad Choice Patents Terms of Use Mobile User Agreement Download.com Powered by CNET download Windows Mac Android iOS more About Download.com Get Download.com Newsletters Download Help Center Advertise on TOO MANY other, better, more secure media players out there to even try ? Media Player Windows 10 Image © Mark Harris - Licensed to About.com, Inc.
Press Enter to revert back to the Full mode. Reply Chrisitan Velasquez August 16, 2009 at 4:46 pm I always WMP 11 constantly both on my desktop at home, and at the library as well I find very convenient that You are logged in as . Windows Media Player 12 is streaming in with a lot of improvements but as with everything in life, most of the old tips will hold good for the new too.
Publisher's Description+ From Microsoft: Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP offers great new ways to store and enjoy all your music, video, pictures, and recorded TV. Windows Media Player Download Windows 10 Subscribe to Our Newsletter Email: Advertisement Scroll down for the next article © 2017 MakeUseOf. Use the OR operator to search across two attributes – Jazz OR Blues. But if I open WMP and try to find the song, the player comes back with nothing.You can't add a song to a playlist if the program can't see it on
Being a CIS degree and former certified MS product instructor, I have a better understanding of your true blessings :) It is a HUGE memory hog, painfully slow start up even When he is not scouring the net for tech news, you can catch him looking for life hacks and learning tidbits. Windows Media Player Download Go Bass with the SRS WOW effects SRS WOW Effects let you increase the bass (i.e. Windows Media Player Update All they want is for you to send them information so that they can try to fix it sometimes at a very high cost to the user.
Is it your preferred jukebox or do you have a more specific choice 7 Free Media Players for Windows 7 Free Media Players for Windows Read More ? weblink You may think that Microsoft only made Windows Media Player to handle locally stored files for listening to music or even watching videos. We like the new, cleaner look, and the back and forward buttons make it easier to navigate. Cons: (10 characters minimum)Count: 0 of 1,000 characters 5. Windows Media Player For Windows 10
With the audio playing, from the Menu choose – View – Enhancements. From the Menu (or right click on title bar), choose Options – Performance tab. Censor Movies by Ratings In my wonder years, it was "˜Blue Lagoon'. navigate here Yes, my friend and I both updated to Media 11 and had nothing but trouble.
Add/Remove. Windows Media Player For Windows 7 Select type of offense: Offensive: Sexually explicit or offensive language Spam: Advertisements or commercial links Disruptive posting: Flaming or offending other users Illegal activities: Promote cracked software, or other illegal content The better option is to become quick fingered with the keyboard "" For Full Mode – CTRL + 1 Advertisement For Skin Mode – CTRL + 2 2.
Reply to this review Read reply (1) Was this review helpful? (0) (0) Report this post Email this post Permalink to this post Reply by ganerd on January 21, like VLC :) Report this post 1 stars "foreign language" February 18, 2014 | By warhooper 2014-02-18 18:33:00 | By warhooper | Version: Windows Media Player 11 Prosnone that I could As the first song reaches its end, the volume fades out and gradually goes down, and the volume of the next song fades in and gradually goes up. Download Windows Media Player For Windows 7 Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XPWindows Media Player 11 for Windows XP (64-bit)Follow Microsoft Learn Windows Office Skype Outlook OneDrive MSN Devices Microsoft Surface Xbox PC and laptops Microsoft Lumia
All rights reserved. Thank you for signing up. Reply to this review Was this review helpful? (1) (0) Report this post Email this post Permalink to this post 5 stars "*Sees picture* ohhh memories" January 08, 2013 http://apksoftware.com/media-player/media-player-9-10.html Keyboard toggles for volume control Three quick and easy to remember keyboard taps to control volume instead of reaching for the mouse.
like VLC :) Report this post 1 stars "Garbage!!!" September 01, 2013 | By Donybruk 2013-09-01 13:17:19 | By Donybruk | Version: Windows Media Player 11 ProsOh yeah, everything looks OK Summary: (10 characters minimum)0 of 1000 characters Submit The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited.Click here to review our site terms of use. The SRS WOW Effects can be found under Menu – View – Enhancements. If I double-click the song from Windoes Explorer, WMP plays it just fine.
The ability to sort music by year released makes for some great reminiscing. The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. ConsAfter a while, it forgets some songs, or duplicates parts of albums, loses songs or whole albums and generally messes up your whole library. You'll find discussions about fixing problems with computer hardware, computer software, Windows, viruses, security, as well as networks and the Internet.Real-Time ActivityMy Tracked DiscussionsFAQsPoliciesModerators General discussion Windows media player 11 need
Also it tries to automatically "correct" or do things when you are manually entering in the correct information. Play Any Movie You Donwload Using Gspot & Klite Play Any Movie You Donwload Using Gspot & Klite Read More – 3 Ways to Play Unplayable Videos on your PC 3 According to MS' own whistle blowers, to reduce their huge anti-trust fines, secretively agreed to include government spyware in ALL their products reporting pornography, pirated media, etc. View --> Enhancements --> Crossfading.
Close Submit Your Reply Summary:0 of 1,000 characters Submit cancel The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited.Click here to review our site terms of use. More of the Music You Love: Breathe new life into your digital music experience. Once reported, our moderators will be notified and the post will be reviewed. read more + User Reviews + Current Version 3.5 out of 583 votes 5 star 191 4 star 171 3 star 76 2 star 52 1 star 93 All Versions 3.6
Except the hidden menus and that live streaming is disabled by default. Drag-and-drop functionality and a handy Create Playlist button take any confusion out of the process of making your own playlists. by sinaloa1 / May 13, 2007 6:53 AM PDT i recently upgraded to windows media player 11, and its alright, but it wont let me make any cds, when ever i Which version would you like to download?
Fortunately, freely available codec packs fill up this lacuna and let us play everything from Real Media to DivX. Reply to this review Read reply (1) Was this review helpful? (1) (0) Report this post Email this post Permalink to this post Reply by ganerd on January 21,


text:
Scandinavian Scandals, Loving London and the City of Love
04.06.2007 - 29.06.2007
View Around the world on cadeabroad's travel map.
Finally, after all these years of hearing about Sweden and Sven and Larsh and Mya and Lotta and August and Neils and Julia and Sanna, it was finally time for Lib to show me around her second home, Sweden. First stop from Bergen was the capital, Stockholm. Originally we had planned to stay longer but in order to get to Gothenburg (Lib's city) in time for August's studenten (more on this later), we only stayed for one night. The short time I spent in Stockholm formed a very nice impression. However, Stockholm will be remembered for the reuniting of Lib with her brother Will after six months apart. Will met us at the station and after the exchange of pleasantries expected we went into the city for a boat tour of Stockholm. It was an all together pleasant experience which was followed by a trip to the famous Vasa Museum. Built around a sunken and excavated Viking ship, the museum's sole focus is the ship. The story goes that some 400 years ago this ship made it about 50 metres off the coast before coming a cropper and sinking. The disaster cost the engineers and ship builders their lives so embarrassed was the King of Sweden. Tough boss. So that was Stockholm. Short and sweet.
Next stop was Gothenburg. Lib's anticipation had hit fever pitch and I have to say I was very excited too. One of the McEniry's closest Swedish friends, Lotta, had kicked her mum and step-father out of her apartment (to go sailing in the Greek Islands) so that the four of us (Will's friend Aisha as well) could have their apartment to ourselves. We settled in for the first night with August's studenten the next day. Lib had described studentens to me like this: well, it's sort of a Swedish graduation parade type thing where the kids who finish school have a great time on trucks. Not quite sure what to make of all this, I went to the studenten with my eyes wide open. What transpired was a kind of Valedictory Dinner on drugs. The kids all finish their last class in the morning and then go to a public spot in the city where their family and friends await their arrival with placards adorning their pictures and names. Without a doubt the best placard was of some poor kid whose parents had chosen a picture of of him wearing nothing but a sombrero and couldn't have been taken any more than 3 years ago. Priceless. Anyway, the kids all run up on to a stage and chant inaudible chants and generally jump up and down. After a little while, the kids come down from the stage and their family and friends put flowers around theirs necks on string until there's too many and they take them off. From there they all hop on an open back truck with a DJ, 10 speakers and a whole lot of champagne. The DJ cranks the music and the kids go mental on the back of the truck as it drives around the centre of Gothenburg. THEN afterall that, the kids have to go back to their own houses where their family and friends await with a civil party and the kids have to try and stand up straight and speak clearly to their grandparents. Sure beats the hell out of Valedictory Dinner.
The next few days were spent meeting Lib's Swedish family friends. The first night I was able to meet Lotta, her mum Burgita and her daughter Julia. Lotta picked us up from the train station and took us out to a really nice Greek restaurant. In what turned out to be a theme for Sweden, we weren't allowed to pay for a thing. The day after we caught up with the Idwall's whom I had had the pleasure of meeting before and the family with which Will had been staying. The father, Larsh, comes to Australia for the Australian Open annually had had dinner at The Strand. Thus, every Swedish person I met queried whether it was my "great restaurant that Larsh raves about". Humbled, I admitted that it was indeed my family's restaurant. The first weekend in Gothenburg was spent at Lotta's mother's summer house in Huveneset. A place by the lake so to speak, it was a beautiful drive in our borrowed BMW (Mya's) and the destination was just as nice. Whilst there the four of us went on a nice walk that culminated in some tricky terrain through some rocks. In an act of unrivaled chivalry, Will and I left the women behind to climb higher and further and left them to come what may. As it turned out Will and I made it back about half an hour before the girls who came back to see Will on a hammock and me kicking a soccer ball. Though expensive, the four of us decided a night on the town was in order once back in Gothenburg. Hampered by the rules of some bars that have age restrictions and only allow those aged over 23, we still found a few watering holes worthy of our money. Will and I in particular took to the local ales and such was our state that we somehow made it to an Australian bar. After getting about 100 Swedish Kroner up on the blackjack table with VB in hand, I lost it plus some and decided that Australian bars are shite.
A couple of days later we finally gave in to Will's pleas and went to the local theme park, Lisgberg. On the first ride of the day, in what was probably the funniest moment of my life, Lib screamed "seriously" in my ear about 50 times as if yelling "Cade, SERIOUSLY!" would make the ride stop. When it finally did stop, I was the proud owner of a mark on my arm that perfectly matched Libby's hand. So with that Lib's day was done when Will's and mine was just beginning. We did every ride with the roller coasters done at least twice.
The next week we borrowed Mya's BMW again and did a day trip to Marstrand, an archipelago. Again it was a lovely drive and the islands are so pretty. The last trip Lib and I did was with Lotta and her husband Andesh to Lotta's aunty's summer house in Halevekstrand, another of the archipelago islands. Since we were leaving a couple of days before Mid-Sommer, Lotta had decided to give us an early Mid-Sommer. Crayfish, prawns and herring washed down with some schnapps was lunch. Absolutely stuffed, we went for a walk around the island and returned back to the house for a nanna nap (tough life). I awoke to the smell of Swedish meatballs and the realisation that the time was finally upon me; time to eat Lotta's famed Swedish meatballs. I greedily ate about 4000 meatballs in which every one lived up to its lofty reputation. The next day Andesh took us out on his boat to the island and restaurant where their wedding reception was four years earlier and had a great lunch.
Aside from meeting and greeting Swedes, we spent a fair bit of time making good use of free accommodation to get ourselves back in order. Long sleeps and a few creature comforts go a long way to refreshing the weary traveler. All in all Sweden was a pretty amazing experience. The weather rarely got below 25 and such kindness from Lib's friends is rarely witnessed.
So after two weeks it was time for Lib to bid a sad farewell to her second home and loved friends. Though tears were spared, I sensed it was like leaving home again and it was definitely tough on her.
Feeling absolutely refreshed after two weeks of being pampered, I was really excited to get to London. Lib's parents were in town as well and so we were lucky enough to have our own hotel room in South Kensington. We met Lib's parents for a drink and then we had a booking at a nice restaurant around the corner for Will's 18th birthday. London, like New York, was a big city crammed into a short time so spare me (well, I'll spare you) if I surmise a little. The next day Lib and I did the touristy thing for a bit and saw the changing of the guards. We caught up with Rob and Pen for lunch at an oyster bar called Conrad's. Rob and I took our places at the table and had a few bottles of mineral water and about an hour later Lib and Pen returned with a couple of bags full of clothes. A nice lunch ensued and Lib and I were tourists again. The next stop was Kensington Palace in Kensington Gardens. A delightful spot, it was Princess Di's digs after the separation. The next day I arranged to meet up with my cousin Marcus at Big Ben to go see Westminster Abbey. We forked out a few bob and had a look around the Abbey. A very impressive church indeed. Lib had to go see her mum off to the airport so Marcus and I decided we'd check out the Natural History Museum. After about three exhibits, Marcus asked if I was thirsty. I replied that indeed I was and that perhaps we could find a pub nearby. Shortly after we found a pub and caught up over a few pints of Ireland's finest stout. Marcus was due elsewhere and I had arranged to meet a mate from the World Cup, Jako. For those who have seen the photos from the cricket Jako is the convict. Jako came to our hotel for a beer and as we caught up Rob had made his way down and invited Jako and I out for dinner with he and the remaining McEniry family members. A beautiful French dinner ensued and Jako and I made our way to another pub. So after a few pints with Marcus, a pint with Jako, martini and wine with dinner and another couple of pints with Jako post-dinner, I was pissed again. I made my home to Lib and wondered how I seem to get myself in these predicaments. By the next day Pen and Rob had left so we were booted out of our hotel room and left to fend for ourselves again. Well not quite. With some foresight I had asked Nash to arrange a place for Lib and I to stay and he came through with spades. Not only did Mazland and John take us into their apartment, they picked us up from the hotel, drove us through London traffic and hosted us at their beautiful restaurant (54 Farringdon) twice. After we settled into our new place, Lib and I took off to meet Will at the Tower of London. The Tower of London was probably my favourite thing in London. I'm not quite sure why, perhaps it was the ravens, or more probably it was the crown jewels. Either way it was just a really good place to go to. When you were within its walls you had the feeling you were in a really old place. My simplicity aside, the jewels were a feature of our visit to London. The conveyor belt that culminates in the big daddy is a sight for sore eyes. Literally. Those diamonds and rubies really sparkle and it hurts your eyes. That night Mazland cooked us a beautiful Malaysian dinner at 54 Farringdon and I caught up with Kameel and Wesley and met the staff. We drank until 5am. At some stage I thought it was a good idea to call Nash; not so bad considering it was 1pm his time except that it woke him up.
Saturday was spent at the Portabella market, known around the world as the market from Notting Hill. Hugh Grant jokes aside, it was a very good market and Lib and I picked up a couple of pairs of sunglasses, a lock, some DVD's and some fruit. We got back into Picadilly Circus to buy some cheap tickets to see Les Miserables for that night. The cunning ticket guy stooged us and we ended up spending enough money for front row tickets only to be seated on the top level. The show, despite me feeling absolutely moronic, was fantastic. After that Marcus had arranged through his friend Chrissy for Lib and I to go on the open top Corona bus. Being summer, it was bloody freezing. Despite the cold, it was a great way to see London at night and the free Corona's were a treat. The bus also got us into the Ministry of Sound nightclub for free and Chrissy gave us five free Corona vouchers. Lib, not much of a drinker let alone beer drinker, reluctantly gave me her vouchers (reluctant because she knew I would use them). It was a really good night and I was able to catch up with some people from home who I hadn't seen in a very long time. After a big few days though we were stuffed and called it a night around 2am. Marcus was the sole-benefactor of our remaining Corona vouchers.
Other highlights of London were: Churchill's war bunker museum (amazing), the various Monopoly board places (Picadilly, Trafalgur etc), seeing Jasmine completely out of the blue on the underground through a window in which she was coincidentally standing in (and later catching up with her and her Brazilian boyfriend Bruno), St Paul's, tent shopping (50 pounds for a tent, two sleeping mats and two sleeping bags; only catch is the sleeping bags are leopard print and camouflage), Tate Modern Museum (really, really interesting), Harrod's, Harvey Nicholas, watching a guard be admonished by his superior, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Jubilee Bridge and the list goes on and on.
So from London the next stop was Paris. As we checked our bags we had a minor scare when the lady couldn't find my booking but it was sorted out. As we boarded though, I just knew Paris was going to be great. Handing over my ticket after Lib, a smile came across the lady's face as she said "welcome Mr Elg, you've been upgraded for today's flight." Having never flown anything other than cattle, this was a seriously big thing for me. Trying to hide my glee, I reluctantly offered my seat to Lib who politely declined (I was over-joyed). Thereafter I couldn't shut up to her all the way along the gangway about how I was in row A. Unfortunately the flight is only about 40 minutes but I must say the food was a delight, the staff personable and the hot towel before take off was a nice touch. After we touched down I walked on air all the way to our hostel; that was until we made the discovery. We lost our tent! Our beautiful, beautiful tent had been lost between London and our hostel in Paris and we had no idea where. Absolutely inconsolable, we made our way into the city to check out Paris.
Fortunately for us, the sight as you step out from the Champs Elysee metro station is truly one to behold. The tent was quickly forgotten as we got our bearings in the city of love. With absolutely no purpose we wandered aimlessly for some time on the Left and Right Banks of the Seine before our legs and stomachs got the better of us. Without doubt though, one could easily spend a week in Paris without spending a moment in a museum. Unfortunately and unbeknownst to us though, the first day was to be the best weather wise and we chose not to climb the Eiffel Tower.
Although there is much to see on the outside, Paris is just as famous for its vast and diverse range of museums. The Louvre was high on the list of things to do. Typically, Lib and I failed to check opening days/times so we went on the one day of the week it is closed (who'd have thought it closed?) Disappointed but not despaired, we went to go see the Musee de Orsay. A quick look at the 100m long line discouraged us enough to give it a miss and so we went wandering again. Jexy, a Paris regular, had given me his own home-made guide to Paris and so we decided to check out some of his recommendations. We went to a store called Collette. Not specifying in anything, the store has an eclectic mix of CD's, clothes, ornaments, gadgets, books and other oddities. A very cool but expensive store indeed. From there we made our way to another of Jexy's recommendations and went to the Luxembourg Gardens. Jexy said he spent some time there when he was studying in Paris and I can see why. A very serene place. The Latin quarter was close by and this was as good a place as any for an espresso and a quick bite.
The next day we pencilled in the Louvre and wanted to get there early to beat the masses. Early we got there, the masses we did not beat. After waiting in line to buy the tickets, we waited in line to go through security. The line is seriously about 30 metres long and there are three of them going through the one point. It is not all so bad though, whilst you wait you can ogle the upside-down pyramid. Also, I formed my own vigilante against people pushing in. Typically, the pusher-innerer has three redeeming features: they are older, arrogant and look confused (1 and 3 are connected). The most common method is the 'look confused as I pretend to walk through the line and suddenly stop to read my map and then what's this? Oh, I've found my way to the middle of the line.' Being early and without a drop of caffeine in my veins, I was in no state to accept this behavior. Time and again I had to tell people where the back of the line was. Ask them why they think they don't have to line up? And why their time is more important than mine? It infuriated me. The most common response was to act more confused and then to slip in behind me somewhere in front of people who were too gutless to speak up. Anyway, once inside I found a coffee and calmed my nerves. Determined to see Mona Lisa early and get it out of the way, we (and everyone else) made our along the hallowed halls of the Louvre to see Da Vinci's most famed piece. Suitably impressed but not overwhelmed, we got out of there and checked out some of the other pieces. All in all it was a pretty good experience, but without furthering my credentials as a simplistic fool, it really is just a museum and you have to have a better education in the finer things in life to truly enjoy and appreciate it. Nonetheless, we did have a nice day and Napolean's apartment, despite smelling old, would've made great digs.
Other highlights of Paris were the Arch de Triumph (very good), the Eiffel Tower (even better than I had expected), Notre Dame (a beautiful church, watch out for the gypsies though), Sacre Coure (from a distance), Palais de Tokyo (another of Jexy's great recommendations), Concord and the many palaces spotted around (Petit, Grand) and the Ecole Militaire.
Currently we are in Barcelona after spending the last two weeks driving around Spain and Portugal. The time before that we drove down the west coast of France after visiting the D-Day beaches in the north. But that is a story for another time.
And since it took me a few days to upload I can now see we have left Barcelona and are currently staying in St. Remy, having seen the Tour de France two days ago. You may also know St. Remy as the place Vincent (Vinny to his friends) Van Gough spent a year in a mental hospital and where he painted such masterpieces as Starry Night.
Non-facebookers feel free to click on the links below to see my photos.
God Speed.
Posted by cadeabroad 09:29 Archived in Sweden Comments (0)