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Influence of oral glutamine supplementation on survival outcomes of patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Clinical and radiation oncology
Glutamine (Gln) supplementation during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (C-CRT) effectively reduces the incidence and severity of acute radiation-induced esophagitis (RIE). However, there are concerns that Gln might stimulate tumor growth, and therefore negatively impact the outcomes of anticancer treatment. We retrospectively investigated the effect of co-administration of oral Gln during C-CRT on survival outcomes of patients with stage IIIB non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). We additionally evaluated role of oral Gln in preventing C-CRT-induced weight change, acute and late toxicities.
The study included 104 patients: 56 (53.8%) received prophylactic powdered Gln (Gln+) orally at a dose of 10 g/8 h and 48 (46.2%) did not receive Gln (Gln-) and served as controls. The prescribed radiation dose to the planning target volume was 66 Gy in 2-Gy fractions. Primary endpoints of progression-free survival (PFS), local/regional progression-free survival (LRPFS), and overall survival (OS) were correlated with status of Gln supplementation.
Oral Gln was well tolerated except for mild nausea/vomiting in 14 (25.0%) patients. There was no C-CRT-related acute or late grade 4–5 toxicity. Administration of Gln was associated with a decrease in the incidence of grade 3 acute radiation-induced esophagitis (RIE) (7.2% vs. 16.7% for Gln+ vs. Gln-; p=0.02) and late-RIE (0% vs. 6.3%; p=0.06), a reduced need for unplanned treatment breaks (7.1% vs. 20.8%; p=0.04), and reduced incidence of weight loss (44.6% vs. 72.9%; p=0.002). At a median follow-up of 24.2 months (range 9.2-34.4) the median OS, LRPFS, and PFS for Gln+ vs. Gln- cohorts were 21.4 vs. 20.4 (p=0.35), 14.2 vs.11.3 (p=0.16), and 10.2 vs. 9.0 months (p=0.11), respectively.
In our study, supplementation with Gln during C-CRT had no detectable negative impact on tumor control and survival outcomes in patients with Stage IIIB NSCLC. Furthermore, Gln appeared to have a beneficial effect with respect to prevention of weight loss and unplanned treatment delays, and reduced the severity and incidence of acute- and late-RIE.
Complications related to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (C-CRT) such as acute radiation-induced esophagitis (ARIE) may cause significant morbidity and unplanned treatment delays in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (LA-NSCLC). Such complications not only impact the quality of life but also reduce the ability to escalate the dose of radiotherapy (RT) to more effective levels, resulting in potential reductions in tumor control and survival rates. Improvements in target definition and the advent of sophisticated RT techniques, combined with elimination of elective irradiation of clinically uninvolved lymphatics, have significantly reduced the volume of normal tissue exposed to high-dose radiation with a resultant reduction in incidence and severity of treatment-related toxicity
Pharmacologic radioprotection can efficiently prevent, or at least reduce, the incidence and/or severity of acute radiation-induced esophagitis (ARIE) and related complications during C-CRT of LA-NSCLC. One agent with potential radioprotective properties is glutamine (Gln), the primary oxidative fuel of the gut epithelium that is necessary for maintenance of its structural integrity
It is important to investigate the effect of any agent that reduces treatment-related toxicities on tumor tissue. As an example, amifostine, which is a strong radioprotector, was found to have no detrimental effects on survival outcome in a recent meta-analysis by Bourhis et al.
Study subjects
The database maintained by our institution was retrospectively searched to identify all patients with LA-NSCLC who had undergone C-CRT between January 2008 and December 2010. Inclusion criteria were: histopathologically proven NSCLC, stage IIIB disease by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET-CT), age ≥18 and <70, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ≥70, available treatment charts and hospital computerized data, RT data sets for dosimetric calculations, no prior history of thoracic RT (TRT) or chemotherapy, no contraindication for C-CRT, no pre-treatment dysphagia or ingestion difficulties, body mass index (BMI) ≥18 kg/m2, and no dietary supplementation except for Gln in the prescribed dose and schedule. The study population contained 104 patients who met the above criteria.
The study was approved by the institutional review board of Baskent University before collection of patient information and was conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and the rules of Good Clinical Practice.
Concurrent chemoradiotherapy
In our department, FDG-PET-CT fusion-based three-dimensional treatment planning is the standard of care for LA-NSCLC patients. Target volume definition, dose specification, and normal tissue tolerance limits for eligible patients were as described elsewhere
Glutamine supplementation
Our current institutional policy is to recommend prophylactic Gln supplementation for all patients scheduled to undergo TRT. We prefer to use oral Gln powder to reduce the incidence and severity of ARIE. Fifty-six patients (53.8%) received powdered Gln (Nestle Nutrition, Istanbul, Turkey) at a dose of 10 g/8 h orally in water or fruit juice, starting 1 week before TRT and continuing for 2 weeks after completion of RT. The remaining 48 patients (46.2%), who did not receive Gln due to economic reasons or patients' self-choice, served as controls. Based on institutional standards, patients receiving Gln were followed by experienced nurses for adherence to protocol, general nutritional status, and adverse events throughout the treatment period. The dose of 30 g/day was selected based on available literature, which reported its efficacy in reducing the incidence and severity of ARIE and weight loss in LA-NSCLC patients treated with C-CRT
Patient evaluation and toxicity scoring
For each patient, we calculated weight change (WC), percent WC (PWC), and body mass index (BMI) change between baseline and post-treatment measures using available chart records. Weight change, the absolute difference between pre- and post-treatment weight measures, is a parameter that is independent of pre-treatment weight and has the potential to underestimate the value of pre-treatment body mass
Response assessment and follow-up
Treatment response was assessed by re-staging FDG-PET-CT scans from the 8-week post-C-CRT follow-up according to EORTC-1999 guidelines
Statistical methods
Statistical analyses were performed based on patient stratification according to their Gln supplementation status (Gln+ and Gln-). Frequency distributions were used to describe categorical variables and mean, median, and ranges were used for quantitative variables. Demographic features were compared between the Gln+ and Gln- cohorts using a Chi-square test. The effects of Gln on acute and late radiation-induced esophageal toxicity, BMI change, WC, and PWC during treatment, and need for hospitalization and/or treatment breaks were comparatively analyzed. As these issues were previously addressed in our previous study, for this current study, the primary endpoints were determined to be differences in overall survival (OS), locoregional progression-free survival (LRPFS), and progression-free survival (PFS) between the two cohorts. OS, LRPFS, and PFS were calculated as the time between the first day of C-CRT and the date of death/last visit for OS, the date of local or regional relapse or the date of death/last visit for LRPFS, and any type of local/regional or distant progression of disease or the date of death/last visit for PFS. Survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method and the survival curves of subsets were compared with two-sided log-rank tests. All tests were two-tailed, and a p-value <0.05 was considered significant.
Pretreatment characteristics of patients and disease are shown in Table
No grade 4–5 ARIE was reported in Gln+ or Gln- cohorts. As shown in Table
Although all other supportive measures were similar between cohorts, Gln- patients experienced significant weight loss, negative PWC, and negative BMI change, whereas Gln+ patients maintained or gained weight at the end of the C-CRT course, as reflected in the PWC and BMI measurements (Table
At a median follow-up of 24.2 months (range 5.2-37.8), 45 patients (36.9%) were alive [23 Gln+ (41.1%) and 22 Gln- (45.8%)], and 17 (16.3%) of these were free of disease progression [10 Gln+ (17.9%) and 7 Gln- (14.6%)]. Analysis of response rates according to EORTC-1999 criteria and relapse patterns revealed no significant difference between the two cohorts (p>0.05; Table
Median OS, LRPFS, and PFS for the entire population were 20.9 (95% CI: 19.5-22.3), 12.7 (95% CI: 11.5-13.5), and 9.7 months (95% CI: 9.0-10.4), respectively. Corresponding 2-and 3-year survival estimates were 34.9% and 25.4% for OS; 16.8% and 16.8% for LRPFS; and 16.1% and 16.1% for PFS, respectively. As shown in Figure
Figure 1
Comparative survival analyses between Gln+ and Gln- cohorts
Comparative survival analyses between Gln+ and Gln- cohorts.A: Overall survival (OS); B: Progression-free Survival (PFS); C: Local Regional Progression-free Survival (LRPFS). Solid line: Gln+; Dashed line: Gln-.
Despite the potential unpredictable disadvantages of any retrospective analysis, in the dose and schedule utilized here, present results showed that besides being beneficial in prevention of weight loss, unplanned treatment delays, severity and incidence of acute and late RIE, co-administration of Gln during C-CRT has no detectable negative impact on tumor control and survival outcomes in patients with stage IIIB NSCLC.
One strategy to reduce radiation-induced normal tissue toxicity is the use of protective pharmacologic agents shortly before and/or during the course of RT/C-CRT. Recent preclinical studies revealed that Gln, the primary fuel of enterocytes and lymphocytes, not only plays a crucial role in maintaining gut integrity and cellular immunity
Considering its selective protective function in normal non-cancerous tissues, ease of use, and mild and easily manageable toxicity profile, Gln appears to be an ideal radioprotector. However, there are concerns that Gln may protect tumor cells, or even promote tumor growth, when used in conjunction with anticancer treatment
Although the fact that human tumors exhibit a 5- to 10-fold faster rate of Gln consumption than normal healthy tissues
If Gln is not provided exogenously tumor cells can successfully manipulate host metabolism to cover their needs, therefore artificial depletion of Gln cannot stop, or even retard, tumor growth. In fact, Gln-deprivation increases tumor cell survival through the induction of pro-angiogenic, pro-metastatic, pro-inflammatory, and tumor motility factors such as VEGF, IL-8, and NF-KB
One important consequence of dose-limiting acute toxicities of RT, and particularly C-CRT, in LA-NSCLC patients is the need for unplanned treatment breaks, which mandates reductions in doses of chemotherapy/RT and/or prolongs the overall treatment time with the potential to induce accelerated tumor repopulation
The present study has several limitations. First, as for any retrospective study, unpredictable biases may have influenced our results. Second, heterogeneity due to inclusion of both adeno- and squamous cell cancer histologies, together with the limited cohort size, probably decreased the statistical power to identify a subgroup that may have benefited from Gln supplementation in terms of tumor control and survival outcomes. Third, although not significant statistically, the survival rates of the Gln+ cohort were higher than those of the Gln- cohort at all time points, suggesting that patients who received Gln supplementation tended to do better than those who did not. This may be partly associated with the small sample size and relatively short follow-up period and should be further addressed in larger studies with a longer follow-up period. Finally, although our institutional policy mandates arrangement of nutritional status of patients prior to treatment, nutritional differences are strongly associated with general feeding behaviors and socioeconomic status and cannot easily be controlled between the groups which may also affected our results.
Our analysis showed that supplemental use of Gln during C-CRT has no detectable negative impact on tumor control and survival outcomes in patients with Stage IIIB NSCLC, but rather might prevent weight loss and unplanned treatment delays and reduce the severity and incidence of acute and late RIE. However, prospective randomized studies with larger cohorts and statistical power or comprehensive meta-analyses are warranted to conclude more relevantly on this continuously discussed specific issue of oncology.
Competing interests
We have no personal or financial conflict of interest and have not entered into any agreement that could interfere with our access to the data on the research, or upon our ability to analyze the data independently, to prepare manuscripts, and to publish them.
Authors' contributions
Study conception and design: ET. Provision of study materials or patients: ET, ST, CP. Collection and assembly of data: ET, CP, BP. Data analysis and interpretation: ET, CP. Manuscript writing: ET, CP. Final approval of manuscript: ET, CP, ST, BP.
Results of this study were presented at the 29th European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Congress (ESTRO 29): 12–16 September 2010, Barcelona, Spain.
Multiple fields may offer better esophagus sparing without increased probability of lung toxicity in optimized IMRT of lung tumors
Radioprotectors and mitigators of radiation-induced normal tissue injury
Prevention of chemotherapy and radiation toxicity with glutamine
Glutamine as indispensable nutrient in oncology: experimental and clinical evidence
Alterations in glutamine metabolism in response to operative stress and food deprivation
Glutamine enhances selectivity of chemotherapy through changes in glutathione metabolism
LF H: Does glutamine facilitate chemotherapy while reducing its toxicity?
Mitochondrial glutathione depletion by glutamine in growing tumor cells
Prevention of radiochemotherapy-induced esophagitis with glutamine: results of a pilot study
Prevention of acute radiation-induced esophagitis with glutamine in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with radiotherapy: evaluation of clinical and dosimetric parameters
Effect of amifostine on survival among patients treated with radiotherapy: a meta-analysis of individual patient data
Recombinant human erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and mortality in patients with cancer: a meta-analysis of randomised trials
Nutritional needs of mammalian cells in tissue culture
Determinants of glutamine dependence and utilization by normal and tumor-derived breast cell lines
Ketone body, glucose, lactic acid, and amino acid utilization by tumors in vivo in fasted rats
The effect of oral glutamine on 5-fluorouracil/ leucovorin-induced mucositis/stomatitis assessed by intestinal permeability test
Oral glutamine is effective for preventing oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy in colorectal cancer patients
Bariatric surgery for morbid obesity
Toxicity criteria of the radiation therapy oncology group (RTOG) and the European organization for research and treatment of cancer (EORTC)
Measurement of clinical and subclinical tumour response using [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose and positron emission tomography: review and 1999 EORTC recommendations. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) PET Study Group
Effect of glutamine on tumor and host growth
Glutamine-enriched diets support muscle glutamine metabolism without stimulating tumor growth
Glutamine and the preservation of gut integrity
Dietary L-glutamine supplementation reduces the growth of the Morris Hepatoma 7777 in exercise-trained and sedentary rats
Prophylactic glutamine protects the intestinal mucosa from radiation injury
How glutamine protects the gut during irradiation
Prevention of chronic radiation enteropathy by dietary glutamine
Oral glutamine reduces bacterial translocation following abdominal radiation
Effect of timing of glutamine-enriched enteral nutrition on intestinal damage caused by irradiation
Oral glutamine to alleviate radiation-induced oral mucositis: a pilot randomized trial
Effects of glutamine supplements and radiochemotherapy on systemic immune and gut barrier function in patients with advanced esophageal cancer
Double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial on intravenous L-alanyl-L-glutamine in the incidence of oral mucositis following chemoradiotherapy in patients with head-and-neck cancer
Effect of low-dose oral glutamine on painful stomatitis during bone marrow transplantation
Oral and parenteral glutamine in bone marrow transplantation: a randomized, double-blind study
Reduction of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy with glutamine
Oral glutamine ameliorates chemotherapy-induced changes of intestinal permeability and does not interfere with the antitumor effect of chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer: a prospective randomized trial
Glutamine transport in isolated human hepatocytes and transformed liver cells
WW S: Adaptive alterations in cellular metabolism with malignant transformation
The proportionality of glutaminase content to growth rate and morphology of rat neoplasms
Glutamine potentiates TNF-alpha-induced tumor cytotoxicity
Vars Research Award. Glutamine enhances immunoregulation of tumor growth
Does the addition of glutamine to total parenteral nutrition have beneficial effect on the healing of colon anastomosis and bacterial translocation after preoperative radiotherapy?
Phase III double-blind study of glutamine versus placebo for the prevention of acute diarrhea in patients receiving pelvic radiation therapy
Phase III study comparing second- and third-generation regimens with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy in patients with unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer: West Japan Thoracic Oncology Group WJTOG0105
Phase III trial comparing docetaxel and cisplatin combination chemotherapy with mitomycin, vindesine, and cisplatin combination chemotherapy with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy in locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: OLCSG 0007
Phase II study of cetuximab in combination with chemoradiation in patients with stage IIIA/B non-small-cell lung cancer: RTOG 0324
Sequential vs. concurrent chemoradiation for stage III non-small cell lung cancer: randomized phase III trial RTOG 9410
Phase I trial of radiation with concurrent and consolidation pemetrexed and cisplatin in patients with unresectable stage IIIA/B non-small-cell lung cancer
Randomized phase II study of pemetrexed, carboplatin, and thoracic radiation with or without cetuximab in patients with locally advanced unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer: Cancer and Leukemia Group B trial 30407
Accelerated regrowth of non-small-cell lung tumours after induction chemotherapy
The impact of overall treatment time on the results of radiotherapy for nonsmall cell lung carcinoma
Pre-publication history
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:


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Rain Fall (2009)
Review from novel fan (mild spoilers if any)
I read Rain Fall a few years ago immediately followed by the other 5 books in this series, then I started loaning and recommending them to everyone I know who likes this genre. Fantastic book series! So, of course I was interested in the movie. Interested with realistic expectations, after all, people who love novels will never be satisfied with movie adaptations.
First, what I think was good about this movie:
* They started at the beginning of series. No-brainer, right? Actually rarely does anyone do this; the Dennis Lehane books, the Tom Clancy books, etc, they all jump around and change actors and plot to accommodate the fact that they've screwed up the progression of the story. So, good for these guys for at least setting up the possibility of doing this right, if they see it through.
* Appears to be filmed in Japan, with Japanese actors speaking Japanese when appropriate and American/other actors speaking English when appropriate. Again, why wouldn't they do that? Because they might have sold more tickets to a wider US audience if they had not, but they did it right. I'm not convinced in the 2nd location, but that's okay, they did this right. THANK YOU!
The cinematography. It was cool and there were shots and lighting I enjoyed, but it was hard to watch at times, especially while reading subtitles. Might have gotten a little too cute with it in places.
What I didn't like:
* They screwed with the plot a bit too much. I know this almost has to happen with film adaptations, but it still stings because the plot of the book was so good. Taking the film plot on it's own merits, it was confusing and then a little too neat. I had trouble buying it and it didn't really hold up for me. I can't imagine that someone watching this without having read the book would have connected with it on plot beyond a superficial point.
* The worst thing about loving a book and then seeing on film is what happens to the characters. I know, you've got hundreds of pages to give us insight into someone in a book and little bits of film to do the same thing in a movie. I get it, but it's still sad. Barry Eisler's characters are remarkably compelling and I didn't latch onto anyone in this film. They all become composites and some get changed completely to help the plot along. But, even with Rain, I didn't get any sense of his emotions or motivations after the opening. You just can't have a stoic hero.
* I never really understood from the film who John Rain was, what he did, why he was involved with Midori. I know it made sense in the book, I felt it was really thin in the movie. Their relationship in the movie didn't work for me. Again, my memory is foggy, but I think they truncated a whole portion of how they met and how she initially came to know him that would have made it sensible.
* Holtzer character annoyed the crap out of me. I don't remember him doing so in the book. I know he was not likable in the book, but I don't recall him being a micro-managing, hot-headed rogue, corrupt power monger in Mr. Eisler's story. Again, I think it helped the movie plot along to have a villain, but it was a better story before. It always amazes me how complex CIA operations in movies are portrayed as unplanned, emotional improvisations. Not that I know first hand, but I don't buy it. I know that Mr. Eisler has some insight, but this isn't how I recall him writing it, so I feel like the screenwriter and director, screwed it up.
* Whereas the books sucked me in and kept me glued to the edge of my seat, the movie was hard to get through. You'd think it the other way around, right? Reading is boring, movies are exciting, right? Nope.
So, I don't want to bash it. It's an ambitious project. And I don't want to be one of those "the book was better" guys. We all agree that those people suck. I'm glad I saw it, they did some things right, maybe they can improve this series as they go, start with giving us better insight into the surviving characters. We really need that. Go easy on the comic book lighting effects, especially if you're going to have us reading subtitle (which I approve of). And please don't make future characters into composite sketches of typical movie devices.

subset: commoncrawl


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A few weeks ago, I donned a pair of pink ballet slippers and headed off to my very first ballet class – ever.
In doing so, I crossed the line from an observer of Ballet to a participant.
It was an exciting first step!
Later, it occurred to me that I'd been playing the same side-stepping game around my passion for food – always the observer, never the participant.
Well, all that's about to change.
I, for one, find it impossible to envision a vibrant, nurturing home without also focusing on food, and the kitchen, thus bringing our range of sensory experiences full circle.
This is, in part, why I've introduced a new tagline to my Harmony Design Studio website – "Healthy Home, Healthy Body, Healthy Mind".
I believe in approaching client projects from every angle, and have long embraced a more holistic approach to interior design.
I also believe in nourishing ourselves in every sense of the word by celebrating beauty and enjoying the bounty on our tables.
And when it comes to nourishing ourselves, I am also an advocate for that segment of our community dealing with food allergies and Celiac Disease.
For this reason, I'm excited to announce my new Blog and website, titled "The Gluten-Free Designer".
While the new Blog is an off-shoot of my primary business – Harmony Design Studio – it has been established with your health in mind.
For anyone wondering what a Healthy Body and a Healthy Mind have to do with interior design and your home, the answer is simple.


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Boot Camps Under Fire After Florida Teen's Death
The recent death of a 14-year-old boy in a juvenile-justice boot camp in Florida is forcing lawmakers to rethink the model. Critics are calling for an end to the programs. But state lawmakers say boot camps can be toned down and reformed, even though research shows the programs are ineffective.
MELISSA BLOCK, host:
This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
And I'm Robert Siegel.
Florida lawmakers are rethinking the idea of military-style juvenile justice boot camps after the death of a 14-year-old boy this year. Martin Lee Anderson was beaten by nearly half a dozen guards in a confrontation that was captured on video at a camp.
But while Anderson's parents and civil rights groups have called for the closure of all boot camps in the state, Florida lawmakers believe the programs can be reformed.
NPR's Audie Cornish reports.
AUDIE CORNISH reporting:
Martin Lee Anderson was 14 years old, loved to play chess, and his parents agree, he looked just like his father.
Mr. ROBERT ANDERSON (Father of Martin Lee Anderson): He looked just like me.
Ms. GINA JONES (Mother of Martin Lee Anderson): He looked just like him, like he the one who spit him out instead of me.
CORNISH: Gina Jones and Robert Anderson say their son was arrested after he and some friends stole his grandmother's car while she was at church and totaled it. Anderson was sentenced to spend six months in a juvenile justice facility and ended up in the Bay County Boot Camp program in Panama City, Florida.
Gina Jones remembers one of her visits with a supervisor there.
Ms. JONES: And he was talking, telling Martin, when you in my house, you go by my rules. I'm not going to just sit you outside of the door like you're in a classroom. He said, do you like spitting in your face? Martin said, no sir. He said, in here, are you going to be a lover or a fighter?
When we got in the car, my baby said, mamma, I don't care how many times they spit on my face. I'm going to do everything they ask me to do. I'm going to be good in there.
CORNISH: In the first few weeks of most boot camps, teenagers are introduced to shock incarceration, and ideology that says you do what you're told, when you're told to do it. But during his first night at the camp, Anderson either refused or couldn't continue a running exercise and was beaten by nearly half a dozen guards at the camp.
Mr. THOMAS BLOMBERG (Dean of Criminology, Florida State University): There is science to boot camps, and what the studies show with unbroken frequency is they don't work.
CORNISH: Thomas Blomberg is the Dean of Criminology at Florida State University. He says since the late '90s, nearly half a dozen states, from Arizona to Maryland, have dropped paramilitary-style facilities after federal investigations and wrongful death suits.
Mr. BLOMBERG: They don't reduce recidivism, they don't change attitudes and, in fact, some even argue they have brutalizing effects.
CORNISH: In Florida, most of the camps had nearly 60 percent of their youth-offender graduates arrested again with a year, but state lawmakers say what they're calling for now is nothing short of a total overhaul.
Anthony Schembri, the Secretary of the state's Department of Juvenile Justice, says these programs can be reformed.
Mr. ANTHONY SCHEMBRI (Department of Juvenile Justice, Florida): Their practices are going to change, but still, there will be a military type of stripping kids of their criminality and a lot of these kids need some discipline. We get them when their parents are at their wit's end.
CORNISH: Schembri says the camps will be renamed STAR programs, as in Sheriffs Training And Respect programs. They will have stricter policies regarding the yelling and intimidation tactics of shock incarceration. Lawmakers are basing the new model on the one camp that has seen 80 percent of its graduates actually move on without arrest.
Sheriff Robert Crowders, Martin County Juvenile Training Center:
(Soundbite of boot camp exercise)
CORNISH: The teenage offenders here do their fair share of counting off by number of marching and calisthenics, but Crowder says the primary purpose of the paramilitary approach is to get the kids under control and establish discipline.
Sheriff ROBERT CROWDER (Martin County Juvenile Training Center): Once we've established that, then we change the focus completely and go to the individual and try to have a comprehensive approach toward dealing with their problems.
CORNISH: Crowder's year-long program offers counseling, an active Boy Scout troop and ends in a transition period, where the teens continue to get mentoring and schooling, even when they're no longer living at the detention center. It's an expensive process and despite the renewed attention, this camp is closing because it's under-funded.
Sheriff CROWDER: We get a lot of lip service, but the true policy of a government is stated in its budget document, and looking at the budget of the State of Florida, kids don't rate that high.
CORNISH: House lawmakers are pushing for the ten and a half million boot-camp dollars to be redirected to newer, less aggressive programs, and the U.S. Attorney's office in Florida and federal civil rights investigators are investigating the death of Martin Lee Anderson.
Audie Cornish, NPR News.
Copyright © 2006 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
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Knowing that you will be single and not dating is a hard thing.
When my ex left I thought well I will find someone new. Trouble is I don't like what's available to me. The hook up culture has made me distrustful of those who participated in it. Both the guys and the girls. How can people forget that cheaters can't be trusted?
So I just go about my life. Getting nice things, building a future. But for what? It's pointless without someone to share it with. My daily routine is just more "success " but is it really.
So while I can afford to do these things, it's become an art too. Everyday things get better. But I'm alone.
I'm better off then anyone I know, including family and friends. This gets awkward when they tell me their sad stories. But they could improve their lives they just dont. I stopped helping long ago. So now I'm the asshole because I don't give away what's mine.
They keep saying get a woman, but that's not easy. I'm shy. I don't just have sex. And most just want money.
So I'm alone.
How to fix this I don't know, but I'm not just going to find someone. Most don't like me these days.
This was my rant about being a good guy in a world that doesn't want nice people.
It's not all about me.
It's observation.
I would've been considered a good catch if the way of things was like it was when I was younger. But even if I still am the available people in the world have different values.
This is about that
Most Helpful Girl
Do you have friends?00|00|0
Most Helpful Guy
Don't worry Mike, you're not alone in the way you think.
I've dismissed myself from the "cool" people simply because of the way they think; it's just not for me.
I think the way you should approach dating is to take your time with the women your pursuing.
If they can't seem to come up with anything intelligent and/or original in thought, then consider moving on from her.
Good luck, bud.
Good advice. It's more about social shift of how things work today.
It's not hard to find someone, it's just hard to find someone not shallow


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This story from Wired is a couple months old but it is still relevant.
Here's a snippet:
Unnamed DHS officials told the panel the fusion centers produce "predominantly useless information" and "a bunch of crap." An internal 2010 assessment, which DHS did not share with Congress, found that a third of all fusion centers don't have defined procedures for sharing intelligence — "one of the prime reasons for their existence." At least four fusion centers identified by DHS "do not exist," the Senate found.
Did you catch that? "...fusion centers produce "predominantly useless information" and "a bunch of crap."
Why is that? With all the billions of dollars spent on these fusion centers and privacy violating...er I mean, information gathering technologies, you'd think they'd be catching terrorists left and right.
Some fusion centers simply don't care about terrorism. A Senate survey of 62 fusion centers in 2010 found that more than one-third of them, 25, didn't even "mention terrorism in their mission statements." Instead, they take federal anti-terrorism money and use it to supplement local law-enforcement priorities like fighting drugs, under the pretext that terrorists "would commit precursor crimes before an attack."
As I've long suspected, the DHS, like most bureaucratic .gov agencies, are largely inept, money sucking, greedy, behemoths that can't be counted on to do their jobs properly.
Does this mean that the DHS is not dangerous to those of us who love Liberty? Not at all. More than likely the opposite.
As they are given more power, they become more unwilling to give it up. And that makes them dangerous.
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." ~ Lord Acton
But their ability to be effective is hampered by their own stupidity, which can be advantageous to FreeFor if/when the time comes.
Think electronic information overload, misdirection, etc. via social media sites like Twitter and Facebook and blogs.
A well organized misdirection campaign can confuse them, distract them, and depending on the intent, be used to identify them.
Apparently, Fusion Centers aren't all that they're made out to be. This doesn't mean you should let your guard down. They're not the only 'information gathering' team out there. Others are very very good at it.
Stay diligent.
Stay safe.


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The ACA is going to fail if they don't cancel their individual policies due to a lack of broad base. On the other hand, the Dems are going to fail if they don't keep their promise that if you like your policy you can keep your policy. Talk about being between a rock and a hard spot?
Maybe they should have read the bill before signing it. LOL.
Without the lie of "you can keep your plan and doctor",
Obamacare would not be law,
and Obama would not be president after Jan, 2012.
Obama is term-limited, Dem Senators are not. Time for Obama to get under the bus. LOL!
Is the day coming when we'll all say "Judge Roberts! You're a genius!"


text:
Geeks Rejoice: 'The Hobbit' Greenlit for Production
There and back again? How about: "On and off again," which could be a fair summation of the story so far in regards to the development of MGM and New Line's epic film prequel, "The Hobbit." After losing a directorand nearly the entire co-producing studio MGMthe much-anticipated look into J.R.R. Tolkien's pre-"Lord of the Rings" fantasy world has finally been given the green light to commence production.
Peter Jackson is back at the helm following the May departure of then-director Guillermo del Toro, and Jackson intends to release the prequel as a two-part movie, according to Friday an announcement from New Line Cinema. "The Hobbit" will also be jumping on the 3D bandwagon, which is sure to disappoint those participating in the informal public opinion poll taken during "The Hobbit" panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con - not to mention del Toro.
"As a co-writer and director of this film (who works with the design teams, costume teams, creature teams, VFX teams every day of the week), let me be very clear one more time: we are not talking about 3D, we are NOT writing the screenplay for 3D right now," wrote del Toro in a post to TheOneRing.net's message boards last year.
Principal photography for the film is expected to begin in February 2011, and reports thus far indicate that "The Hobbit" could eat up roughly $500 million in production costs. Although MGM has already signed its name to cover half of the budgetwhich it likely cannot, due to its current bankruptcythe Los Angeles Times reports that Warner Brothers has agreed to loan MGM the cash in exchange for additional distribution rights.
That's not to say that all potential snags for "The Hobbit" have been cleaned up, however. The Screen Actors Guild sent out a notice last month to its members, detailing that it is not to accept any work on the non-union production until a collective bargaining agreement has been reached with New Zealand actors unions.
In a reply to the missive, Jackson was none too thrilled.
"My personal opinion is that this is a grab for power," he wrote. "It does not represent a problem that needs a solution. There will always be differing opinions when it comes down to work and conditions, but I have always attempted to treat my actors and crew with fairness and respect. We have created a very favourable profit sharing pool for the non-Union actors on 'The Hobbit' - and now the Union is targeting us, despite the fact that we have always respected SAG conditions and residuals."


text:
In the last 90 days, 6 listings have been posted online, which means spaces are probably leasing quickly. You'll want to be prepared to make an offer immediately. About 50% of the office spaces in the Cheviot are subleases, so you might be able to sign a shorter term by taking over a previous lease. There aren't many listings below 2,000 square feet posted, so finding a space for a small business might be tough.
Even though the median size is 4,200 sqft, there are still 0 new availabilities below 2,000 sqft. Most properties in this market are close to 3 stories. Most buildings in this region were built in 1941 and are Class B.
Not much of the real estate is used for commercial space, so it might be hard to find office space. Real estate is the dominant industry in this area. Commute by motorcycle is the most popular way to get to work amongst Cheviot occupants. Commuting around an hour and a half a day is the norm for those who opt to reside in this part of town.
Trends and status of the commercial real estate market in Cheviot.
Market Report
Real time and historical data on commercial real estate listings in Cheviot.


text:
Is this your business? Claim it today and take control of your Business Credit Rating.
|Company Number
|Phone Number
|020 77277799
Pedlars was formed on the 6th September 2012 , and are based in London, 128 Talbot Rd. They are currently rated B and are considered to represent an unknown risk score. This information was last updated on the 4th November 2013.
No director or shareholder information was found for this business.


text:
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
My usual upbeat mood has taken a dive.
Today I'm sick of being considered the weak gender in need of protection and too useless for words.
Today I just wanted to jump on a bike, any bike, and ride.
The boys can.
Hubster and Mr Finland went riding off on their big arse Harley's and Motoguzzi's this morning - something they can do anytime they want. Why the hell can't I?
Today, when men rode casually past me on their bicycles and scooters I had to fight a huge urge to push them off so I could grab their bikes and ride up the road, round the corner and off to any place I darn well please. Today I pouted and swore and huffed and cursed and was shouting anything but 'Serenity Now' because today, for some reason, it annoyed the heck out of me that 50% of the population here (that's the half that call themselves 'men') can do whatever they want, if they choose, no questions asked.
And I can't.
The Husbands less than sympathetic attitude was not helping.
He was only making me mad.
Every day I listen to his ranting and raving about his 'Saudi issues' at work.
Every day!
Every day I'm sympathetic and supportive. Every now and then I offer suggestions that I know are pointless, but hey! I'm listening. I'm there with him.
Once in a blue moon I go off and what do I get?
Mr Finland thought today I looked like I wanted to hit someone.
I did end up whacking a few tennis balls into a concrete wall.
It didn't help.
Today any male telling me to calm down, cover my hair, go shopping 'cos that's what women are good at' or go visit another coffee shop and eat another piece of cake can take a flaming hike cos today I'm seriously shitty living the Saudi Male interpretation of a woman's fabulous life!
Usually Sent wishing you a fabulous day - but today I'm just a little bit off!
Ka Kite,
Posted by NZ Pounamu at Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Labels: Kiwi Perspective, Women's Business
Saturday, 26 January 2013
Don't get too excited about Jeddah's new aquarium
I spent this morning chuckling over an article by Sabira S Jawhar in the Arab News - Don't get too excited about Jeddah's new aquarium. Pertinent pieces of text, which had very little to do with the aquarium itself were read to Hubster as he sat at his desk attempting to start his day, but being distracted by moi who was finding the item quite entertaining.
The article targets some subtle criticism at Saudi's Virtue Promoters who tend to be guilty of poorly considered, rather backward behavior that is in stark contrast to the goals of Saudi's current hierarchy in their attempts to move society forward. It's Saudi's version of a tug-of-war. Enjoy the read - Don't get too excited about Jeddah's new aquarium.
Ka Kite,
Posted by NZ Pounamu at Saturday, January 26, 2013
Labels: Arab News, Culture, Morality Police
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
What Do Men Wear in Saudi Arabia?
It's common knowledge that women can't step out in Saudi Arabia without an abaya on, but what is acceptable clothing for men in this Islamic country?
Expat men can wear whatever they want so long as it's not Stubbies. Islamic protocols dictate that the more acceptable form of clothing for covering the lower half of the expat male should be long pants. Knee length shorts will, generally, be tolerated. Hubster has only been approached twice regarding his choice of attire as he wanders down the street in his long shorts. Given that he doesn't actually own many other forms of pants those approaches have been for nought.
|Photo credit: www.theinspiration.com
To cover the male torso, long sleeved shirts are preferred though T-shirts are very common. I've never seen singlets.
Men from the South Asian part of the globe wear their own form of national dress.
Saudi men wear thobes. Thawb is an alternative form of spelling, but as 'thobe' tends to be pronounced similarly to 'robe' then that is how I spell it.
Usually, Saudi thobes are white in color though, during the winter months, Saudi men have the option of a color change to brown, blue or even black to better suit the season. Why women are not afforded the luxury of different colored abayas during summer months has been a question on my lips for some time. An answer is not expected.
Expats tend to be less than complimentary regarding the Saudi male traditional dress. 'Dress' being the basis of most of the taunts. Because we back home tend to run around in grass skirts on special occasions - if you ever get to Waitangi or Polyfest you're sure to get an eyeful of grass covered or, often, bare Maori butt - as far as this Kiwi is concerned, what Saudi men feel comfortable wearing is fine with me. I just wish they'd quit dictating women's fashion!
|My nephew at Polyfest
All white and pressed and sparkling clean.
Whether or not Saudi males know how to wash and press their own thobes is something I've often contemplated. My guess is not many, so well done all you maids and dry-cleaners out there. The men are looking good!
The thobe, like the abaya, tends to hide the effects of over-indulgence in the sugar loaded food so popular in this country although there comes a point when fat just cannot be hidden!
The Saudi male costume also involves a 3 piece head set - a cotton hat, a folded piece of fabric (more commonly called a Shamagh or Gutra) and an Igal, a thick black cord, that holds everything in place.
Saudi men seem to constantly play with their Shamagh, throwing it over their shoulders, just like a girl with long hair would do. Or rearranging their head pieces. As a fellow countryman said, they look like they're poncing around. No doubt some of the rational for Shamagh flicking is vanity or grandstanding for anyone watching but I'm not going to hold that against them. This article 'Vanity and The Modern Man is an entertaining look at what is going wrong with the modern male and his relationship with his own appearance on a global scale.
One of Hubsters Saudi friends says it's quite difficult keeping the Shamagh steady on your head - its like attempting to balance a book on your crown all day, hence the constant fiddling. He also says the headgear gets a bit heavy as the day wears on, so he chooses to go bare headed when he's in the office.
Completing the Saudi male ensemble is a cloak that can be worn over the thobe. I call these The Flowing Golden Capes as they're often trimmed in gold coloring. The cloaks are usually worn on formal occasions. Just tonight at the Aussie Embassy National Day function (which was very good, by the way - big ups to the Aussie's for this occasion) a number of Saudi guests were wrapped up in their capes. The capes looked warm and snugly and the men looked quite regal.
What do Saudi men wear on their feet? I admit to not actually knowing the answer to this question because looking at Saudi men's feet has never been on my list of things to do. Hubster, on being asked what his friend H wears on his feet, replied 'Shoes'. How undescriptive is that!
If you're interested, this website, Discover Saudi Arabia., has a nice page explaining in more detail the traditional muslim clothing of the men and women of Saudi Arabia.
Posted by NZ Pounamu at Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Monday, 21 January 2013
Saudi Family Farm v Kiwi Farm
Last month we were invited to visit a Saudi family farm just outside Riyadh.
Saudi's do love getting out of the city. They are tribal desert dwellers at heart and most of the Saudi's we know have family owned date farms back in the desert hinterland. We love getting these invitations because it is nice to join Saudi family's as they relax in surroundings that they thrive in and I can understand their sense of affinity with the land. It's similar to how we Maori feel when we return to our home lands in New Zealand.
Here'a a photo collage of the similarities and differences between a Saudi family farm and our family farm back in Kiwiland.
The major difference, and one we have taken a long time to adjust to, is the brown barrenness as compared to the lush green pastures and forest. Note the football field at the Saudi farm. We tend to just throw rugby balls around in the grass.
Well, what can one say. Camels, ships of the desert versus cattle, potential steak meal - and Wagyu steak at that!
Water is piped in or pumped up and is such a precious resource in Saudi Arabia. It is still a precious natural resource in Kiwiland, but we tend to have more of it lying around.
In any back yard farm, in any country, the birds always seem to get the house that looks like it's been whacked up in a hurry out of bits of stuff that were lying around.
Simple country quarters. The building in the Saudi shot is the men's house. The ladies one is similar but down the other end of the property. The Pink House is an old corrugated iron beauty.
These two boys are about the same age. They both like to run around in the great outdoors and are always on the look out for food!
Both of them also like to get driving lessons from the whanau when they are out visiting the family farm. Really, when you get right down to it, although there are differences between the landscapes, the people, for what is a place without people, whether from Saudi or NZ are, in essence, much the same.
Ka Kite,
Saudi's do love getting out of the city. They are tribal desert dwellers at heart and most of the Saudi's we know have family owned date farms back in the desert hinterland. We love getting these invitations because it is nice to join Saudi family's as they relax in surroundings that they thrive in and I can understand their sense of affinity with the land. It's similar to how we Maori feel when we return to our home lands in New Zealand.
Here'a a photo collage of the similarities and differences between a Saudi family farm and our family farm back in Kiwiland.
|View over the back fence.
|The livestock
|Water Storage
|Pigeon roost versus chook house.
|The accommodation
|The kids playground
|Future drivers
Ka Kite,
Posted by NZ Pounamu at Monday, January 21, 2013
Labels: Kiwi Perspective, New Zealand, Saudi Farm
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Execution of a Maid
There is no nice way to say beheading - execution, executed, beheaded.
Sri Lankan maid, Rizana Nafeek, 24 years old, was beheaded a few days ago. Her crime - killing a child left in her care. At the time she was 17. She had been in Saudi Arabia for one week.
Apparently her documents had been falsified by the agents who sent her here, stating she was older than she actually was. She went to work as a maid and nanny in a Saudi home, having never worked in either role before.
Since her imprisonment there have been calls for clemency, proof of Rizana's true age has been presented and Saudi was reminded of the International Conventions it is a part of, particularly the Rights of the Child which states that no child will be subjected to torture and no participating country can impose capital punishment or life imprisonment without the possibility of release for anyone under 18 years of age.
But all of that was for naught because in 2005 a mother lost her baby and, as is her right according to Saudi law and based on a date printed for all to see in a legal Sri Lankan passport document, she refused to pardon Rizana and accept blood money. So a young woman was sentenced to death and now another mother, in another country, is feeling the anguish of a lost child.
If I was walking in the Saudi mother's shoes, would I have made the same choice?
I'm glad I've never had to know.
I hope I never have to find out.
A Memorial to Rizana is a thoughtful piece that looks at all parties involved in the execution of a maid in Saudi, from the culture and laws of Saudi Arabia through the politics of poverty and corruption in Sri Lanka and beyond.
Ka Kite,
Posted by NZ Pounamu at Thursday, January 17, 2013
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
In Hediards in the Dark
Hediard was plunged into darkness in Riyadh this evening.
Someone turned all the lights off. Sure it was salah but does that mean we need to be completely hidden while the Hai'a cruise the streets shooing everybody off to the mosque with their loud speakers.
It turns out, thankfully, that someone made a blue and much flicking of switches behind the cake display unit meant the mood lighting was soon taking the edge off the darkness, though a torch was still needed to read the menu.
This welcome, plus the smell of fried food assaulting the nostrils as soon as we entered what is supposedly a French restaurant, made us consider reconsidering our decision to come here. We were, early on a Friday evening, the only two customers in the circular shaped family section with its large windows leaning out over Tahalia St. The lack of other customers meant service was rapid.
Hediard must have been a beauty in its day with its French style chairs of dark wood and white upholstery against red decor and heavy timber dividers. It has, of recent times, been going down the gurgler due, so we heard, to a falling out between Hediard HQ in France and the local Saudi partner.
The menu was more Middle Eastern than French. We were after a light meal so decided to settle for starters only. Hubster had Mushroom Soup that he described as 'nothing outstanding'. I had Kibbeh - an Arab dish that is basically a minced meat croquette. Having been raised on minced meat in all its many forms, Kibbeh is a food that reminds me of my childhood so I'm quite comfortable consuming it. The accompanying sauce was thick and fruity.
Our drinks, a lemon mint for myself and juice for the other half, were served in quirky glasses that Hubster took a fancy to because they were shaped so you could, literally, pour the liquid into your mouth.
The weather outside was cold, so we decided to stay for dessert and coffee. The coffee, I have to say, was very nice and a decent sized serving in chic cups. However, the Tiramisu was out of the frij and still damp in places - it's the only Tiramisu I have never finished. Hubster's caramel slice was better quality - it must have been, he ate it all.
Hediard used to be a happening place on Tahalia. We have passed it many times over the last three years, its cone shape towering over the single section patio has quite an imposing presence. Perhaps the cold weather was keeping everyone away this night, though I tend to think people vote with their feet when food quality is not up to scratch.
There is an upstairs terrace at Hediard's which, for thermal reasons, we didn't go and investigate though, because I do like a good coffee out in the open air, I'm prepared to go back and suss it out when the current cold snap has settled down.
Location of Hediards
View Dining Out In Riyadh in a larger map
Ka Kite,
Posted by NZ Pounamu at Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Labels: Dining
Saturday, 12 January 2013
New Year Snow in Saudi
It's snowing in Saudi.
Up in the northern regions.
The locals have come out in force to enjoy the unusual weather. This picture from the Arab News is exactly what I'd expect to find on a snow covered road in Saudi - cars strewn about the place on purpose.
And as this news clip on English al-Arabiya website shows, Saudi's are taking the opportunity to do what they do best - picnic and be Flamin' Galah's in their cars. Good on them, I say.
('Flamin' galah' is an Ozzy term for someone who is a bit of a fool, but in a loveable way. For more information on Galah's visit The Australian Galah).
This cold snap isn't limited to Saudi. Most of the Middle East is in for a freezing, which isn't good news for residents who remain in wore torn Syria, nor their fellow countrymen living in refugee quarters across the border. Spare a thought for them suffering in this New Year snow.
Ka Kite,
Photo credits:
Posted by NZ Pounamu at Saturday, January 12, 2013
Labels: Saudi news, Saudi Weather
Friday, 11 January 2013
Dance Fitnez in Riyadh
DanceFitnez provides Hip Hop dance for kids (5 and up) and teens. The classes are all about fun, excitement and encouraging kids to express themselves through dance. Kids learn some of the latest, and hottest, dance moves while grooving to popular songs.
For adults, fitness classes are in a Hip Hop dance format. Adult DanceFitnez sessions are uniquely designed to maximize fitness, toning, weight-loss, and enjoyment.
It doesn't matter if you've never danced before. Dance Fitnez classes are for all skill levels. Their well-trained instructors break down the moves into easy, simple steps so anybody can participate. Before long you'll be able to break out your dance moves at Embassy get-togethers.
Keith Alexander, founder and director of DanceFitnez, has a wealth of experience behind him. Growing up in New York City he was exposed to the many fun and exciting fitness options available and, after seeing a gap in the Saudi market, was inspired to provide a similar experience for expats here in Riyadh.
Adult classes are held on Sunday and Wednesday at 8pm. Kids classes are currently on Thursdays at 3pm and 4:30pm. If demand is high then Keith will look at opening more classes. The cost for an hour long session is 40sar.
To get details about location and up-to-date information about space availability in the classes call, or email, Keith on:
Phone: 054.682.6891
Email: email@example.com
Ka Kite,
Posted by NZ Pounamu at Friday, January 11, 2013
Labels: Dance, expat groups, Sport, Things to do in Riyadh
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Bowling Venues in Riyadh
The other night Hubster and I went back to UBC, the Universal Bowling Center on al-Ma'adhar St, for a couple of games with a lovely Canadian couple. This time there was no issue with a segregated car park and we had a good time. And Hubster was on fire - damn it!
UBC is not the only bowling center in Riyadh but I like it. The Family Section is spacious - you don't feel closed in - it has a relaxed atmosphere, there are plenty of lanes plus, there's a well equipped games arcade for the kids if they get bored with the bowling. What they lack in phone etiquette they more than make up for in delivery of a good night out. What do I mean?
Expats jest that Saudi's are clueless when it comes to customer service and the following scenario is a classic example of why. To ensure we had our lane pre-booked the UBC website was Googled one morning and the advertised phone number dialed The soothing sounds of Koranic verse were playing over the line - obviously, no-one was at the office yet so I hung up.
Sometime later my phone rings and, at the end of the conversation, I couldn't help but think that whoever returns inquiring calls at UBC could benefit from some phone training, learning something along the lines of, 'Good afternoon, it's So'n'So from the UBC bowling center. I'm returning your call', instead of this conversation:
Ring, ring:
Me: Hello
Him: Hello
(Oh buggar! Don't tell me this is another Male-In-Saudi fruitcake randomly dialing numbers looking for love!).
Me: Can I help you?
Him: You rang
Me: Errr, I did.
Him: Yes.
Me: Ummm, when?
Him: Today.
Me: (racking my brain, who did I call?). Are you the bowling guy?
Him: Yes.
Me: From UBC?
Him: Yes
Me: Ohhhh. OK....
Mystery Man identified!
It turns out, reservations are not required at UBC Family Section if you're going bowling early in the evening, though peak times after last salat and weekends may be a different matter. The UBC number, in case you're wondering, is +966 505 269 788.
If you'd like to go elsewhere for your bowling, then here a some other options -
Ten Pin Bowling is available at the Intercontinental Hotel, also on al-Ma'adhar St. They re-opened a couple of lanes to women fairly recently, however to bowl there women have to be happy being stuck behind a wooden screen which, in my mind, is not conducive to fun and relaxation. According to the bloke at the counter, the Intercontinental venue is often used for bowling tournaments or booked out for groups so it always pays to phone first to check availability. (The Intercon number is 014655000).
Al Khozarma Hotel also has a bowling alley within its bowels though I hear (because I've never been) that it is very small - only 4 lanes. However, if you get a group together you can book the whole place out and enjoy your own private bowling party, which does sound like fun. The front desk at Al Khozarma can be reached on +966 11 465 8576.
The Ritz Carlton houses Strike Alley which, as one friend told me, is just like being back in the States. But it only opens it's doors to women on a Saturday or Tuesday. All other times are men only. Strike Alley operates on a 'first come first served basis'. For further information call The Ritz +966 1 802 8020.
The other bowling location in Riyadh is at Marina Mall. It's a small, seven lane alley right next to the food court upstairs which means it's for men only. (Woop-de-doo! Nuff said about that place).
Women are expected to remain 'appropriately dressed' at all bowling locations (possibly with the exception of the Al Khozarma). And, yes, that means leave the abayas' on. Does this impede your bowling style? Well, I guess that would depend on what your style is. The 'toddle up to the line and throw' style probably wouldn't be terribly affected by an abaya.
However, if your style is anything like the guys in this vid, which, by the way, is quite informative re: how to bowl properly, then no, an abaya is not the best gear for bowling. I can tell you from personal experience...
Yeah right!)
...that a fast moving, swinging arm easily gets hung up in a loose, robe-like over garment; and the ground hugging nature of said garment often causes one to stumble mid-slide on the way to the foul line; and you can imagine how difficult it is to get height and/or width on your follow through leg wearing an abaya.
However, if your style is anything like the guys in this vid, which, by the way, is quite informative re: how to bowl properly, then no, an abaya is not the best gear for bowling. I can tell you from personal experience...
Yeah right!)
...that a fast moving, swinging arm easily gets hung up in a loose, robe-like over garment; and the ground hugging nature of said garment often causes one to stumble mid-slide on the way to the foul line; and you can imagine how difficult it is to get height and/or width on your follow through leg wearing an abaya.
As a completely different issue I ought to mention this 'thing' that has happened every time we've gone bowling in Riyadh. We use house balls when we bowl and, for some reason, other people who turn up for an evening of bowling think it's OK to walk up to your ball rack, assess the balls sitting in it and then pick up, and walk off with, whichever ball has taken their fancy without asking if your group is using said balls, which they are, which is why they are in the ball rack at the start of our bowling lane! What's with that?
Anyway, if you do decide to go bowling at one of the bowling venues in Riyadh, the centers don't open till 4pm, which is a bummer because I reckon a Ten Pin bowling coffee morning every now and then in Riyadh would be a lot of fun for we female types.
Location of UBC Bowling Center
View Kiwi In Saudi: Tiki Tour in a larger map
Ka Kite,
Posted by NZ Pounamu at Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Labels: Bowling, Sport, Things to do in Riyadh
Saturday, 5 January 2013
Falconry in Saudi Arabia
A falconry display in the Saudi Arabian desert on a beautiful, cloudless, blue sky day attracted a large contingent of expats. The trip was organised by the American Community in Riyadh (ACRSA or, more commonly known as ACR).
As our group congregated at the meeting point in town, the local constabulary began circling about nervously in their cars. Large gatherings of any description tend to by eyed suspiciously in the Magic Kingdom. We were requested to move on ASAP. Fortunately, our Saudi guide and falcon expert arrived to settle the nerves of all parties before we followed him, convoy fashion, out of town. (A word of warning to more sedate drivers - Saudi's do not drive slowly, so when joining a Saudi convoy be prepared to flat foot it to keep up!).
We didn't have far to go.
A few kilometers from the edge of Riyadh we left the tarmac and bounced our way across flat, barren had desert to a spot our guide considered perfect for a falcon display. Anticipation was in the air as we visitors left our vehicles and began milling about.
Eventually, some local chaps rolled up in their desert vehicles and began laying out Arabian carpets, lighting a fire and setting large kettles of water to boil on the flames. A fold up table was dragged from the back of a ute and huge dishes of local cuisine were set out across it. We hadn't expected to be fed at this shindig so had bought our own food, but a good Kiwi does not turn their nose up at hospitality - so we ate and drank qahwah, and watched as a number of hunting birds were carried from the vehicles to perches pushed into the desert sand.
After we had been sufficiently fed and watered it was time to take photo's of the hooded birds waiting patiently in the shade provided by parked 4WD's. Our host called us all around for a talk on what is now considered the sport of falconry, though in the past the use of falcons to supplement a sparse desert diet was considered more essential than sport.
|Our falconry host surrounded by paparazzi
With the talk over it was time to see the birds, and their masters, in action. This required live bait. If you visit the Pet Souq in Riyadh you will find pigeons for sale. Pigeons are eaten in Saudi - by people, (take a look at my post on Eating Pigeon For Lunch) and by falcons.
|Falcon Food
Whilst perched on the arm of their trainers, with talons gripped around a thick, protective leather glove, the falcons look beautiful. Once the falcon's hood is removed they easily spot the movement of a bird in the distance and take flight with only one thought in mind. They gather speed quickly, rising into the air above their prey, altering course as the bird locked into their radar attempts to escape, before diving in to attack. Escape is futile. Usually.
Actually, on this day, a couple of pigeons did escape.
Who knew they had brains?
Instead of flying off into the empty blue yonder which, lets face, is certain death for a pigeon with a bird of prey on its rear, they flew straight under the utes and wouldn't come out to play. The pigeon that did high tail it over the horizon wasn't supposed to get that far and a 4WD had to give chase to collect the released predator before it ate it's downed victim and flew off into the wild blue yonder, never to return.
Because the pigeons were not all co-operating by flying into the bright blue sky, and there was insufficient wind to lift a kite into the air with freshly slain meaty treats attached to the line, it was decided to swing a lure around so we could see the birds more closely. There would be photos of this activity but my skill with the point and shoot camera doesn't extend to capturing falcons diving at speed, so I'll leave that to your imagination.
But, here's a couple of other pics from our day.
|Pots on the fire
|Waiting for some action
The folks at ACR should be able to put you in touch with our Falconing guide if you think you have falconing in the blood, so pop over to their website, www.acrsa.com, and drop them a line.
Hubster loves Falcons, a couple of sculpted pieces are included in the decor in our flat and he is forever on the look out for more. I swear, if he lives alone in his older years his home will one of those that will freak out any visiting youngsters because of the garish pieces of birds of prey hanging from every vantage point! Today, he was totally chuffed we had a chance to watch Falconry in Saudi Arabia.
Ka Kite,
Posted by NZ Pounamu at Saturday, January 05, 2013
Labels: Desert trip, expat groups, Things to do in Riyadh
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Maya for Chocolate.
If you're a chocoholic then I suggest you visit Maya Chocolaterie, at the eastern end of Tahaliah Street.
Although I'm not a chocolate lover Maya is one place I would go for chocolate treats. I find most chocolate products these days are sickeningly sweet because they're loaded with sugar to try and disguise the cheap palm oil they're made with.
Hubster, who loves chocolate, encouraged me to try a morsel of his dessert the night we decided to stop in and I was impressed. Maya chocolate tastes chocolaty - obviously there is a bit more cacao in the mix than can be found elsewhere, resulting in chocolate that tastes the way I imagine chocolate should.
Everything on the Maya menu has chocolate either in it or on it. No carrot cake to be found. There's hot chocolate drinks, cold chocolate shakes, chocolate pastries and a Maya signature chocolate fondue. The least chocolate item on the menu was the babka, but even it didn't escape chocolatation.
The first night we went to Maya the eating area was packed with young women. Maya, a friend informed me after I told her we went there to satisfy Hubster's chocolate fancy, is a family only eatery - no Singles Section available.
As one of the few males, and the only westerner in the diner this evening, Hubster was not hard to miss in the crowd! There are no booths (at least none that we saw) but screens can be provided. The lack of space between tables meant those behind the screen didn't get much elbow room to relax and enjoy. Suffice to say, there was only one screen in operation the night we went and the staff were kept on their toes though, by then end of the evening, found time to stop for a collective photo.
The decor at Maya is chocolate related, hardly surprising, with two large vats of chocolate - one milky white the other a rich dark brown, greeting you at the entrance. The restaurant has large panels of black glass surrounding it and little else dressing the windows which means the lighting is kept dim. Perhaps this is meant to create an ambiance of chocolate romance, but for those with failing eyesight it makes it difficult to see the menu.
Romance and loving eyes aside, if you're a chocolate lover and plan on heading to Maya for chocolate desserts you will not be disappointed.
Posted by NZ Pounamu at Thursday, January 03, 2013 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: Dining
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Situated on Jamaica's North Coast in the popular tourist destination of Runaway Bay, the SuperFun Beach Resort & Spa provides a brilliant location to spend a fantastic holiday, and is right next to the Ochi Rios Beach. The resort is also close to some of the popular attractions in the area including the Dunn's River Falls, the Shaw Park Botanical Gardens and Dolphin Cove, ensuring your holiday is a memorable one.
This all-inclusive adult-oriented 3-star resort provides the ideal place for those looking to kick back and relax in one of the best locations in Jamaica, and can certainly help you do so with its 225 spacious rooms and a whole host of leisure facilities including three outdoor pools with a pool bar, several restaurants and a nightclub. There are also spa facilities available at this resort providing even more ways to unwind with massage/beauty treatments, as well as sauna and steam rooms and two spa tubs, or for those looking to keep active there is also a well-equipped fitness room available. Alternatively to ensure there is a never a dull moment during your stay the resort has a host of activities and animation available day and night, during the day there are various activities run such as snorkelling and sailing nearby or you can just have fun in the games room with billiards, table tennis, board games and a large screen TV. In the evenings there is live music, laser karaoke and floor shows, or you can simply to enjoy the company of friends or family with a drink in one of the comfortable bars, which stay open till late.
There is also high-speed internet access available (surcharge) in the games room, free parking is provided onsite and additional services include tour/ticket assistance, a duty-free shop, room service, safe deposit boxes and a 24-hour desk with multilingual staff that can help you with any request you might have.
Distance from Airport:
28 miles from Boscobel Airport
The 225 rooms and suites at the resort offer views over the pool or the ocean and include a host of amenities to help keep you comfortable, including: air conditioning - cable/satellite TV - tea/coffee maker - CD player - in-room safe - clock/radio - telephone - private bathroom - jetted bathtub - shower - hairdryer - toiletries.
Transfer time:
45 minutes
Location and Resort:
Jamaica's Runaway Bay is a wonderful place for all kinds of holidays, whether you are looking to try out of some of the many activities available in the area such as water sports and excursions or simply looking for a more relaxed holiday browsing the shops or relaxing on the fantastic beaches. Some of the exciting activities available in the area include bike tours, river rafting and also see some of the impressive sights such as the Dunn's River Falls, a tour through a Jamaican agricultural property and the Coyaba River Garden and Museum. The nearby town of Ocho Rios was once a fishing village but now caters for tourists as well with restaurants, night clubs and shops; it is also a popular port for cruises and one of the most popular activities is the chance to swim and interactive with the dolphins in Dolphin Cove.
Eating and Drinking:
The main buffet restaurant at the resort is the Tropical Terrace, an open-air restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant also features a stage for afternoon and evening entertainment including fashion and cabaret shows, and for those looking for a late meal it also offers a midnight buffet service.
Additional restaurants at the resort also include the Munusan, an air-conditioned Japanese restaurant with typical minimalist d�cor and four eight-person teppanyaki tables; also there is the Martinos serving unique Italian cuisine with a Jamaican twist and the Reggae Caf� with an open-air oceanfront spot perfect for casual dining with a selection of Jamaican specialties.
Along with the restaurants the resort also features a number of bars including the Disco Bar in the nightclub, with some unique features such as the 20ft long transparent water slide section; or alternatively there is also the air-conditioned Piano Bar open daily for cocktails and features unique events in the evenings such as laser karaoke.
Swimming pools:
There are a total of 3 swimming pools to choose from at this resort, with one of them including a large water slide. There are also sun terraces with loungers/parasols, a pool bar available all day for refreshments, two spa tubs and even more at the spa centre.
Right choice:
You will find the SuperFun Beach Resort and Spa is an ideal choice if you are looking to spend a holiday in Jamaica relaxing or to try the great activities available nearby, with plenty of great facilities onsite and even more to see and do in the area it will help ensure a memorable holiday in Runaway Bay.
Suitable for:
Individuals, couples, families and groups (18+)


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Financial Accounting and Controls
Auxiliary Enterprise
An auxiliary enterprise is an entity that exists predominantly to furnish goods or services to students, faculty or staff, or incidentally to the general public or other campus departments. However, the primary function of an auxiliary enterprise is not direct teaching, research or public service.
A distinguishing characteristic of an auxiliary enterprise is that its activities are managed to be essentially self-supporting. An auxiliary enterprise charges fees related to the cost of the goods or services provided.
Educational Activities
Educational activities revenues are revenues that are related incidentally to the conduct of instruction or research or are derived from public service activities. Such revenues, for example, may be derived from instructional and laboratory activities that may incidentally create goods and services that are sold to students, faculty, staff and the general public.


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UNESCO World Heritage Site
The "war on cars" and its pushback has a achieved a singular pitch in Belgium, where the national rail service has canvassed the country with a satirical ad campaign excoriating the country's horrible congestion.
The Wall Street Journal
The San Antonio Missions—five frontier missions that include The Alamo—were named among a group of new World Heritage Sites.
Japan's Mt. Fuji, Italy's Medici Villas and Gardens, and a historical port town in Fiji are among the 19 new additions to UNESCO's vaunted World Heritage List; bringing to 981 the number of cultural, natural, and mixed sites comprising the list.
Los Angeles Times
New high-rise towers spreading throughout central London are threatening the character of the city's most important historic sites, reports Martin Bailey.
The Art Newspaper
Christian Sahner reports on the devastating destruction of historical sites that has befallen Syria since the beginning of the opposition uprising 18 months ago, and urges international communities to take action to protect them from further harm.
The Wall Street Journal
The historic city of Pingyao, China, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, faces an uncertain future as it tries to find a balance between managing modern threats and petrification by preservation, as it attempts to maintain its historic character.
The Atlantic Cities


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Los Angeles, June 10 (Reuters): You might think that hes just secretary of defence, but Donald H. Rumsfeld is also a poet even though he doesnt know it.
In fact, says journalist, humourist and verse compiler Hart Seely, the mans poetry has been hidden embedded, if you will deep inside his numerous press briefings and it took round-the-clock perusals of Pentagon transcripts to liberate the poems, free the verses.
Seely says theres gold to be mined in Rumsfelds words as in the poem The Unknown which takes pride of place in the just-published book he edited, Pieces of Intelligence: the Existential Poetry of Donald H. Rumsfeld (Free Press):
As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are unknown unknowns
The ones we dont know we know.
Seely, a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard who specialises in the long stories in the paper that people never read, said he first realised that America did not know what it had in Rumsfeld during his rambling Iraqi war press briefings.
A lot of the Pentagon press corps just thought that the 70-year-old former Congressman was just a garrulous old codger and they would click off their pens at the moment when Seely started taking notes.
In classic journalistic style, Seely realised that the circumlocutions and gerunds gone astray contained a folk wisdom worthy of a Spiro T. Agnew, Casey Stengel or even Yogi Berra, who once noted of a popular restaurant, Nobody goes there anymore, its too crowded.
Take for example this poem on a woman journalist that Seely titled Cheating woman in a section in the tiny 118-page book called Nine Poems for the Media:
She said she had a question
And she asked three
I asked for an easy one
And she gave me a tough three.
Seely said he even found a Rumsfeld poem that rhymed, which he titled Flying, Too:
Now that is not always true.
Think of the B fifty-two.
Its still flying just fine, thank you.
And so am I ... thank you.
Seely said the book is all Rumsfelds words and that he was helped in recognising the value of Rumsfelds poems by a book he collaborated on about a decade ago about a similar figure in public life, Holy Cow! The Selected Verse of Phil Rizzuto, the great Yankee shortstop and broadcaster.
If I did anything except use Rumsfelds words, it would be cheating. As a result my eyes practically had a film on them because the Pentagons transcripts dont have paragraph marks. I have driven roads that are shorter than some of these paragraphs; theyre longer than a babys leg, Seely said.
So far, the secretary of defence has had no comment.
But as he said in the poem Gerbil:
I feel like a gerbil
I get on that thing
And I run like hell.


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Legislators entered the 2011 regular session under the dark cloud of a $1.6 billion budget shortfall.
They returned home two months later with a $25 billion budget that they said would not devastate state government.
The state spending plan is essentially what the governor proposed, but using different ways of funding it.
Some cuts were made. A program for at-risk youths, for example, will be eliminated. Some jobs will be lost, although less than 1,000 of the eliminated positions actually are filled. State employees won't get pay raises for another year.
Standstill funding coupled with moving money sitting unused in funds eliminated the rest of the shortfall in the fiscal year that started Friday.
Federal stimulus funding helped states across the nation get through lean economic times. Now those dollars are evaporating at the same time health-care costs are rising.
Making the situation worse, Louisiana did not just use stimulus dollars as an enhancement. Instead, the state used the money to pay bills in place of dollars that otherwise would have come out of the state general fund.
The administration of Gov. Bobby Jindal warned legislators of a $1.6 billion shortfall in the money needed to continue the same level of services in the upcoming fiscal year.
State Rep. Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro and the budget bill's sponsor, said he doubts the shortfall ever was as staggering as $1.6 billion.
He said that figure included inflation as well as wants, rather than needs.
"We only had a $1.2 billion problem," Fannin said.
State officials began whittling down the shortfall by nixing what they perceived as wants, including nearly $100 million in annual pay raises and inflationary health-care expenses.
The Jindal administration tossed in $225 million in "efficiencies." Legislators demanded to know what the efficiencies were. The administration never provided a concrete list, but explained that efficiencies referred to instances in which dollars, other than the state general fund, could be used.
For example, a maintenance fund might be used instead of the state general fund that pays much of state government's daily expenses. By relieving the burden on the state general fund, that created an efficiency.
Also helping reduce the shortfall were cuts made last fiscal year because of money woes. Instead of restoring that funding, the reductions were maintained.
State general fund revenue grew by more than $500 million, thanks to personal income and other tax collections, curtailing the size of the shortfall.
Still, the state was short of needed money to provide services, prompting Jindal to push for selling prisons and forcing state workers to put more of their paychecks toward retirement costs. Legislators resisted those proposals.
In addition to rejecting selling prisons and shrinking state workers' pay, the House decided that an additional $200 million in cuts could be made. The Jindal administration disagreed, warning that prisons would close and disaster response would be limited.
From the House, the budget moved to the Senate, where legislators worked with the Jindal administration to do what amounted to digging through the couch cushions in search of cash. They found leftover money in funds that could be plugged into the budget.
A self-insurance fund produced $119 million. Payments by the federal government for past hurricanes generated $55 million. A technology fund resulted in an additional $6.8 million.
Some legislators are concerned about the cuts that were made, arguing that even standstill funding amounts to a reduction because expenses rise year to year.
The budget excludes the standard 2.75 percent boost in state support for public schools at a savings of $79 million. Schools will get more money for increased enrollment.
For the second consecutive year, school systems also are asked to handle costs that the state once helped pay, such as bus transportation for private school students.
"I would have liked to have been able to give K-12 (schools) some money to offset the increase in costs that they've had," said state Rep. Clif Richardson, R-Central.
State Rep. Jack Montoucet, D-Crowley, said he is upset the state stands to lose employees because of budget cuts. He said the public would suffer because fewer people are staffing services.
"I hope it's not the beginning of the bleeding," Montoucet said.
Roughly 3,500 positions are scheduled to be eliminated. About 950 of those are filled, said Michael DiResto, spokesman for the Division of Administration.
At the state Department of Health and Hospitals, 325 jobs will be cut, including roughly 45 in the Baton Rouge area, said Lisa Faust, communications director for DHH.
"I think Baton Rouge has to consider the loss of government jobs in this area and the region," said state Rep. Michael Jackson, D-Baton Rouge. "The loss of jobs anywhere is significant."
DHH Undersecretary Jerry Phillips said $266 million in cuts will be made to the Medicaid vendor program that helps fund health care for the poor. He said DHH was able to absorb the reductions without cutting rates to health care providers.
"The services are continuing at the current levels," he said.
Exactly where the cuts were made is unclear. DHH officials attribute the $266 million in reductions to smart money management.
"We have been very judicious in the past few years in our administration of the Medicaid program," Faust said.
State Sen. Lydia Jackson, D-Shreveport and vice chairwoman of the Senate Finance Committee, said the budget was balanced with $520 million in cuts, $225 million in "efficiencies," fund sweeps and job eliminations.
She said she is concerned about state agencies being able to achieve the cuts and efficiencies.
Jackson's prediction: Legislators will be back to make additional cuts.


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Issa founder Daniella Helayel talks Latin style
Daniella Helayel wants more women to inject some Latin flavour into their wardrobes this summer.
Helayel founded Issa in 2006 and the brand quickly became world-renowned for its vibrant femininity, gaining fans such as Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, who chose an Issa signature draped sapphire blue dress when she announced her engagement to Prince William in 2010. While Helayel left her post as creative director at Issa in 2013, she's still involved in fashion and has recently released her own capsule collection in partnership with British high street brand Monsoon. Speaking about her design influences, the Brazilian-born star says Latin style is at the heart of everything she does.
"We Brazilians are excellent at design in general – graphic art, art and architecture, and this skill is reflected in the fashion world too," she told Britain's Hello! Fashion. "Brazilian women are very carefree and natural, but also groomed, taking great pride in their appearance. They like to get all dressed up, enjoying being very feminine in general, with impeccable hair and nails."
Helayel adds Latina women can't help but adorn themselves with jewellery and accessories, especially with regards to interesting hair pieces, like bows or flowers. But she asserts that women in Brazil like to keep their clothes as simple as possible, something she has reflected in her own designs. "You'll notice that my dresses are very simple. They never have buttons, the zippers are always invisible and the cut is very simple, so the woman wearing them feels free to accessorise as she wishes," explained Helayel.
Priced from £99 to £149 ($128 -$192), Helayel's Monsoon line features simple silhouettes and wrap-style dresses, in an array of vibrant colours and eye-popping prints. Of the samba-worthy collection, the London-based designer said that she wanted the clothes to suit "real women" with curves.
"Brazilian women in general are very voluptuous and they just embrace their curves," she said. "Confidence is key!"
Cover Media


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- Description
- View Full Specifications
- Year:
- 2004
- Length:
- 44'
- Engine/Fuel Type:
- Single / diesel
- Located In:
- Medemblik, Netherlands
- Hull Material:
- Fiberglass
- 36464-2896104
- Last Listed Price:
- EUR 298,000 Tax Paid (US$ 350,388)
- Sold
JO-ANNE is a Contest 44CS still in the hands of her first and only user. She has sailed around the globe and has proven to be a reliable and fast center cockpit cruiser. Her solar panels and Duogen wind/water generator offer electric independence in a "green solution". Navigation and communication equipment are extensive. She has just been thoroughly polished and looks like she only has sailed on fresh water. If you are planning a fast and safe circumnavigation JO-ANNE is the yacht that will offer you this.
Please contact Contest Brokerage at +31 (0)227 543636
Additional Specs, Equipment and Information:
Boat Name
Beam: 4.10 m
Maximum Draft: 2.10 m
Total Power: 100 HP
Engine 1:
Engine Brand: Yanmar
Engine/Fuel Type: Diesel
Engine Power: 100 HP
- Shape Vacuum infused roundbilged hull in gelcoat white with blue striping
- Deck design Teak on vacuum infused GRP
- Superstructure GRP
- Keel/Leeboard Fin keel with bulb
- Rudder Semi balanced rudder in skeg
- Steering system Withlock rack & pinion steering system, leather grip on steering wheel
- Windows Thermopane windows in superstructure.
- Load displacement (kg) Approx. 13,5 tonnes
- Ballast (kg) Approx. 4.9 tonnes
- Vertical clearance (m) Approx. 21 metres
- Boatyard Contest Yachts, Medemblik, The Netherlands
- Designer Georg Nissen
- Build Nr. 44314
- CE code CE-A, unlimited ocean going voyages
- Material, colours Spacious interior with handcrafted teak joinery
- Upholstery, curtains Bue cloth upholstery
- Saloons Saloon
- Cabins Large guest cabin forward with V-Berth, Owners cabin aft with large centreline French Berth
- Beds 4 in cabins en 1 in saloon
- Headroom Approx. 2 metres
- Toilet Electric toilet aft (seawater), manual toilet forward
- Shower/bath Separate shower cabins in both forward and aft head
- Sound system/TV JVC Radio/CD/MP3 with 2 speakers in saloon and 2 speakers in cockpit
- Cooking device Techimpex 3-burner stove with oven
- Fridge Large front opening fridge
- Freezer Fridge/freezer
- Heating Webasto Thermo 90
- Other Beautiful handcrafted teak interior with lots of daylight coming in, galley with corian worktop, ensuite bathrooms with forward and owners cabin, both heads equipped with seperate shower cabins, Many led lights in interior to reduce electric consumption, darkening/musquito rollo under hatch in aftcabin, curtains under deck hatches, multiple opening portholes, several lights in saloon and galley are in LED.
Engine, electrics, water
- Power 100 HP
- Make Yanmar
- Year built 2003
- Engine hours 1.545 hours
- Fuel Diesel
- Fuel tank 315 Litres in stainless steel, extra 120L. capacity in 10L tanks in decklocker
- Cooling system Indirect cooling system
- Propulsion Stainless steel propeller shaft with 22" maxprop 3 bladed feathering propeller, 3 bladed fixed propeller as spare
- Cruising speed (knots) Approx. 7 knots (under engine)
- Max speed (knots) Approx. 8 knots (under engine)
- Fuel consumption Approx. 5L/h at 7 knots, 3.5L/h at 5 knots
- Measuring instruments RPM, oil pressure, temperature, and charging current
- Bow thruster Sleipner 24V/10HP
- Voltage 12V/220V
- Operating panel Professional control panel in saloon
- Battery 5 x 85Ah (need replacement) service batteries , 2 x for engine and bowthruster (2012)
- Battery charger Victron Phoenix charger/inverter 12V/2000W/120A
- Alternator Dynamo on engine, extra 150Ah Balmar alternator
- Wind generator Duogen water/wind generator
- Solar panel Larger solar panel on top of bimini Capaciteit 20Ah/12V
- Water pressure system Electric water pressure system, mix taps in galley and heads
- Warm water 40L boiler in stainless steel
- Water tank Polyehtyleen 500L
- Holding tank 50L for aft head
- Water maker Spectra watermaker 26l/h (appr. 2006)
- Shore power Yes
- Voltmeter Yes
- Tachometer Yes
- Water tank gauge Yes, on control panel
- Diesel meter Yes, on control panel
- Other Magnetronic battery monitoring system
Rig and sails
- Type Sloop rigged with 2-pairs of spreaders
- Spars, stays Seldèn aluminium mast, boom, boomvang and spi-pole, isolated backstay
- Winches Andersen S.S. winches for genoa (electric), 2 x manual ST for ATS, 2 x halyard ST, 1 x boomvang,
- Main sail De Vries Sails in heavy duty dacron (2011) fully battened, with 3 reefs
- Main sail reefing system Slab reefing system with lazy jacks and lazy bag
- Genoa De Vries Sails in heavy duty dacron (2009)
- Genoa reefing system Furlex manual genoa reefing system
- Halfwinder De Vries Assymetric Touring Spinnaker with stripper, halyard and sheets
- Other Removable cutterstay with tensioner, cutter sail de Vries Sails (2011)
Navigation and electronics
- Navigation lights Yes, including 3-coloured mast headlight incl. strobe function
- Compass Suunto on steering pedestal
- Rudder indicator On autopilot
- Log/speed Raymarine ST 60
- Depth Raymarine ST 60
- Wind Raymarine ST 60, direction, windspeed and magnified
- Autopilot Raymarine ST7001
- Radar Raymarine RL80CRC radar/chartplotter/GPS
- VHF Simrad RS87 with 2 stations, ICOM VHF (2012)
- Weatherfax/Navtex Furuno 300NX
- Radio receiver Kenwood transceiver (2005)
- Charts, pilots Extensive electronic chart library
- Other Raymarine ST60 Graphic at companionway and chart table, Vesper Marine AIS.
- Anchor Delta anchor and spare Delta achor (identical)
- Windlass Lewmar electric windlass, 75mtr. chain,
- Covers Lazybag for mainsail in blue (2014)
- Sprayhood Fixed windscreen with blue spraydodger (2014)
- Bimini Bimini (2008) with white cloth and stainless steel frame
- Swimming ladder Stainless steel and teak
- Swimming platform Teak on bathing platform, hot & cold shower at stern
Sea rails, pushpit, pullpit Stainless steel pull and push pit, 2 wires, opening gates on both sides
- Tender Zodiac RIB (2004)
- Outboard engine Yamaha 2.5HP 4-stroke (2004)
- Other Foldable cockpit table in teak, Diving equipment (bottle, diving suits, lead, many spare parts like waterpump, blocks etc. etc.
- CE certification CE-A, Ocean going voyages
- Radar reflector Cyclops II
- Epirb Next check 2017
- Flares Yes, not checked
- Life jackets, harnesses Lifelines for deck
- Life raft BFA life raft, never used but needs to be checked by new owner.
- Bilge pump Electric and manual
- Fire extinguisher Fire extinguishers (must be checked by new owner)
- Gas bottle locker Yes, with space for 2 bottles (2 aluminium bottles come with the yacht)
- Other Harness eyes in cockpit, 2 horse shoe life buoys on push pit.
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
Other Boats from Contest Brokerage BV
Medemblik, Netherlands
Medemblik, Netherlands
Unknown, Netherlands
Medemblik, Netherlands
Unknown, Italy
Medemblik, Netherlands


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By: Mike McDaniel. I am not among the throng who think a President's job to be Comforter-In-Chief. Bill Clinton might be blamed for this idiotic idea when he came up with the idea of traipsing around the nation whenever anything bad happened, to be photographed hugging a widow, child, etc., and muttering "I feel your pain." Of course, such displays were all about Clinton, not the people whose pain he supposedly felt, often accompanied with a meaningful bite of his lower lip, and when he was particularly wound up, a staged tear or two. A flood or tornado are not occasions for a presidential photo op, which does nothing more than aggrandize the president. Any local that thinks "the president cares about me!"–particularly our current president–is deluded. Any federal help a state needs is not expedited by a lachrymose presidential jaunt.
About mcdanielm 351 Articles
Mike McDaniel is an Air Force veteran, a veteran of civilian police work, a classically trained singer, high school English teacher, certified firearm instructor, woodworker, fencer, author, playwright, bicyclist and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.


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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Redmond O'Neal, son of actor Ryan O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of possessing heroine and having a handgun following his arrest earlier this week in a routine traffic stop.
It was the latest trouble for O'Neal, 26, who has battled drug dependency in the past and who saw his mother die after a long, public battle with cancer in 2009.
O'Neal, 26, was arrested on August 2 after he ran a red light while driving. Police searched his car and found heroine and marijuana.
After his arrest, police searched O'Neal's home and discovered a handgun, which he is not allowed to possess because he is still on probation for a 2009 drug conviction. Back then, he was ordered to spend one year in a drug treatment program and given three years probation.
O'Neal is currently being held in jail without bail pending an August 24 hearing for probation violation.
Outside the Los Angeles courthouse on Thursday, Ryan O'Neal told People magazine that "he never recovered from the loss of his mother."
Reporting and writing by Carly Mayberry; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte