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12/11/2012, Sabah
November in Kudat is wet and sometimes very wet. But there is nothing like a good coat of anti-fouling to freshen things up ready for a re-launch in December.
Back to Cairns on Wednesday, then to Phuket for a conference, back to Cairns and then Kudat early December to start heading further south. Will be so good to be back on board again.
21/09/2012, Kudat
Had another ten days in Kudat late Sept. Lucky, hope the tanks now ok but haven't filled them yet.
Job list is diminishing, then anti fouling to put on, new mainsail to fit. Hopefully a couple of weeks more to launch and then later in November to head back across to Tioman and Peninsula Malaysia>
thanks for your blog contact - hope all is well.
Heading back to Kudat. This time via KL arriving this morning.
Have a new MainSail to pick up in KK. Hit the usual "14 doors" to clear things! Arrived at Terminal 2 with Air Asia, waited and went to T1 where the main was supposed to be, it wasn't so called them and was told it T2 so went back over to T2 where I found them to be told I had to go back to T1 to get customs clearance. Went back to T1 where I was told had to go to Malaysia Air Cargo, when to the office, they said go to a door around the back, that was not the right place of course and I had to drive around the back of the airport to Malaysian Air cargo base.
Found customs they said you have to use an agent so they arranged one for me and off I went with the Customs Officer to the Agent. We completed all the paperwork after downloading ships papers etc and transferring them onto his computer, in an hour or so it was all done after I lent him a memory stick to transfer the data!
Back to T2 with all the paperwork and get a Mainsail in return for MYR15 for Terminal Charges.
Stacked it in the mini Karcil and with a circle of rolled battens that filled the whole car headed of with battens around my head into KK. All good but the day is nearly done.
Got the telephone and data sims sorted at the usual place, changed some cash at MYR 3.30 which is excellent and booked in. Down to the waterside for a fish for dinner and off to bed.
Two weeks goes quickly in Kudat. Following the Easter weekend we also did a "flying visit" to KK. In uor rented Karcil, which is a very small car, takes 25 litres of fuel and you can fill it up for about $15!, we loaded up with a three 45kig batteries and head and our boat cover and headed off to KK. Purchased one new 55kg battery and took the boat cover in for repairs, went for reflexology and bought some hardware. Went to our favourite Chinese restaurant, indian restaurant and stayed at the usual economy but reasonable spot in town.
Stayed Monday night and headed back to Kudat in the Flying Karcil on Tuesday night.
Back to work in the boatyard. A few good thunderstorms, with heavy tropical rain a great chance to "clean the decks" which we did in the rain. Had a yard worker for the week who polished paint, stainless the mast and boom.
On checking out the boom we found that sparrows had found it a great place to set up nests , several of them in the sail cover. Ended up taking off the main and sail cover and cleaning it all up, birds, with related ants etc etc a menangerie. All clean now and the main is coming back to Aus -squashed with very neat folding we managed to get it into a soft bag.
Completed the painting and fuel tank lids, couldn't put the fuel guagaes in as the drill and bit were too long so that is now deferred. Did a little but not much in the Engine rooms. and then it was about pack up time, always a big job.
Good Friday:
The painting process was to begin but once again the dreaded diesel was back in the clean prepared back diesel tank - the saga continues. Painting on hold and thinking caps back on. We went back to our original thoughts last year of putting in an inspection port on the deck as the best option to access the sealed compartment behind the fuel tank. Sure enough just enough to be a nuisance about 1cm of diesel in the bottom, sponged and cleaned that out only to have diesel seep back in from the compartment next door. Managed to drill a slit in the bottom of the wall between these two tanks to let the diesel seep through completely. Back to steps 1 and 2 cleaning and preparing before the painting could take place.
Late morning the first coat of paint applied not only to the tanks but Chris as well, he now has grey painted arms! Access to the tanks is only by the top inspection ports just big enough to get ones arm through. After the first tanks application Chris was covered with long sleeves and everything he used such as mirror and torch I covered in glad wrap to reduce the spread of paint other than where it was required. The first round of all four tanks took nearly two hours, we both felt rather light headed from the fumes and dehydration.
The second coat went much quicker as we seemed to know what we were doing and had a better rhythm sorted. Decided we'd drive into town for dinner and go to our favourite indian where we were warmly greeted like long lost friends. Definitely been here too long when people remember you and welcome you back, also people in the yard call out "hello Chris"!
Saturday: Help at last with washing of the exterior, a yard worker has been allocated to us and he made good progress on the top sides finishing off the washing and then polishing the gloss painted surfaces - almost back to new.
Chris and I continued with the painting of the tanks and finished the last of the tin when we got back after another enjoyable dinner.
We went in for dinner early as had down time between the coats but hadn't anticipated taking so long, being Saturday night and earlier than usual we had quite a wait for our meal. We went back to the Chinese on the waterfront - you could picture something like the Cairns waterfront or Sydney waterfront - well not quite but equally as enjoyable after a long hot day in a dusty industrial boat yard.
We managed to sit at our favoured table on the jetties edge where we can observe the activity both on and off the water, all quite fascinating. The kitchen that our meal is cooked in is about the size of a beachside change cubical, there are four of these each independently operated, not sure how one selects which one to eat at. The one we choose is closest to the water. The first icy cold beer went down very quickly, Chris said maybe it'll be a 3 tiger night and if it wasn't for the final coat of paint after dinner it may have been. Being early we seemed to be hungrier so we added chile crab to our selection of dishes. The food is so fresh, we saw the cook walk along the jetty and select our live crabs from a tank on the wharf.
Scraps go straight into the water, the dishes are washed in large plastic bowls on the lower steps of the jetty, a small girl from one of the tables nearby needed to go to the toilet, the mother carried her down to the lower steps just near the dish bowls and squatted the child to wee into the deck! All so different here without the over rules and regulations that we have. Lots of garlic, chile and ginger all aid to naturally ward off germs one hopes!
Tuesday 3rd April Drive to Kudat:
Another glorious hot sunny day without a cloud ion the sky, car loaded to the roof we set off for the 3.5 hr drive to Kudat. Slight delay we have a parking ticket all of .25cents! We drive around looking for the meter guy and pay our dues which we get a receipt for, one would hardly think it worth the paperwork! Half way we stop for fresh coconuts to drink and bananas to munch on, the road was relatively quiet and we arrived without any mishaps!
Spent the remainder of the day unpacking the car and the boat out of its mouldy dusty moth balls! So hot we headed into town to our favourite place for ABC's to cool us off and then back again in the evening to the markets for dinner.
Wednesday: Started with Chris having to remark a couple of exams and answer a few emails, so I cleared my messages too, it was lunch time by the time we got down to some real work.
The oil of cloves must have done the trick last time as the inside of the boat is virtually mould free but I will re go over everything to make sure it stays that way. Chris set about preparing the diesel tanks for painting it is a 3 step process while I started scrubbing the decks in bertween assisting Chris. In the past Chris has had Johny clean prior to our arrival however he has just got a job working on a government boat and we really miss his excellent cleaning skills :-(.
We didn't make it into town for dinner as I think I got dehyrated and just managed a few vegemite crackers, a cuppa and collapsed into bed!
Thursday: Kirsty's birthday but being 2 hours behind and she had to start work at 7.00am we had to wait all day before we could call her. The day progressed well pretty much a repeat of yesterday - on the computer until nearly lunchtime answering emails etc. Worked until 7.30pm cleaned up and walked into town for dinner.
We decided on the Chinese on the waterfront which was not as far as our other favourite eating place the Indian in town. Celebrated for Kirsty with two tall icy cold tiger beers and enjoyed delcious dishes of ginger prawns, mixed garlic veges and rice - oh so cheap $13 for the lot! Lovely evening, cools off with a gentle breeze blowing. Many locals out enjoying fishing along the waterfront, karaoke, eating, drinking etc. We ended up having dessert lightly battered deep fried bananas and ice teas - just as well we had a 20 minute walk back to walk our over indulgence off - but oh so nice.
Arrival in Kota Kinabalu:
We were pleased to see that our bags arrived and all our belongs we set out from Sydney with were intact!
I was a problem at Sydney airport going through security, had forgotten about the toiletries in the back pack so had to get those out and then my hand bag seemed to be an issue too. It turned out that I had a screw driver in it, shock horror it was a little brass one that was my grandmothers and had two smaller ones inside it. It had turned up in a box of stationery from home that i was unpacking at the office and I hadn't wanted to loose track of it so put it in my handbag and then forgot about it!
The security guy could see my horror at the thought of surrendering it and I explained that it was my grandmothers, he got his supervisor and amazingly they let me through with it!
Chris hired a sardine can for us to drive to Kudat , just managed to squeeze our bags in the back. First stop was to get the phone and data cards sorted at the celcom shop, no different than telstra - they were out of prepaid data cards. Went to the next shopping centre to obtain but found that the data card wouldn't work in Chris's modem so we went back again to see about getting one for the ipad which is a smaller sim. They are so clever they just punched the sim card to fit the ipad. Chris was going to use the ipad as a hotspot so the computer could use it too but that didn't work so we put the sim back into the frame from where it was punched from and inserted it into the iphone which we use as a hotspot for the computer and I pad.
Technology sorted we phone Alvin the guy that had our sealant paint that was sent from Sydney for repair our diesel tanks. Alvin couldn't deliver until 7.00pm so we went and visited the Marina. Blue Moon had suggested we catch up with China Grove, we found the boat but it looked as if the owners were away as it was well locked up.
Visited our usual Indian Cafe for lunch for Roti Telurs and Ice Lemon Tea then onto the supermarket to purchase tea for Sarah from Blue Moon, she was having withdrawal symptoms from the Boh Earl Grey and Tangerine. Couldn't walk pass the egg tart shop without indulging - its been a year since I was here last whereas Chris visited end of August but that was Ramadan time so not many places were open.
Decided it would be too late to drive to Kudat so we booked it at Hotel Fulla Hua right beside our favourite South Seas Sanctuary massage centre. Alvin arrived with the paint which we squashed into the car. Alvin invited us to have dinner with him, we ate an excellent meal at a Chinese place nearby washed down with icy cold tiger beer.
After farewelling Alvin off just enough time for two hours of pampering for me and one for Chris as he had emails to catch up on. Needless to say after all that when the heads hit the pillow we went out like a light!
Our return to Kudat:
We started out on Saturday 31st March via Sydney where we watched the opera "La Traviata" on Sydney Harbour. The weather was just perfect for open air viewing and quite spectacular with the opera house and harbour bridge as the backdrop to the stage on water.
Sunday Chris was lecturing for the day at the Uni whilst I spent the morning finalising last minute emails, online banking etc. The afternoon I shopped for souvenirs, fiction books, vegemite, instant cuppacinos/ lattes and wine. I read on our airline itinerary that we were allowed 25kgs so thought we take the max not realising that was 20kgs for booked luggage and 5kgs of hand luggage!
We flew Malaysian Airlines Sydney to Kuala Lumpar, our bags exactly 50kgs , have no idea how much the hand luggage weighed but it didn't seem an issue all round. The flight departed at 9.40pm and arrived around 4.30am, was a good flight and we seemed to get quite a lot of sleep.
Monday: Flight to Kota Kinabalu was around 7.30 and our luggage was booked right through from Sydney. The wait didn't seem that long by the time we took a shower had a chair massage and some breakfast it was almost time to board.
28/04/2011, Kudat
Back to Kudat for a couple of weeks and prep for Anti Fouling Charmar.
Dianne and myself headed up and spent an overnight in Singapore, which we always enjoy this time staying near Buji. Up KK and Kudat the next afternoon. This time we hired a car in KK as they are quite reasonable even for a couple of weeks. But we enjoyed a night in KK attending to some matters there before heading off to Kudat. Beautiful weather here this time and we had a great couple of weeks pottering around doing the odd jobs. We have the diesel issue addressed now and solutions in hand, and we have ordered the anti fouling.
We had arranged for Charmar to be washed down before we arrived and it was so nice to step on board a lovely clean boat. For a few days we had some assistance completing some jobs which was very reasonable and made great progress.
The main issue now is just to put the anti-fouling on, change the engine oils etc and a couple of bits and pieces and we are ready to go again.
It seems we lost nothing really from the break in incident and it did highlight an issue with our alarm system which has now been replaced so it is an ill wind that blows no good as they say!
Enjoyed again our favourite Borneo cafe for Indian Food, the ABC's from our Malaysian triathlete and the Chinese meals at our favourite cafes. So good to be back!
But it is home again off to Canberra, then Mullumbimby and back to Scherger for the next month and then ...............
Regards Lucky
13/03/2011, Kudat - Penawasa
After one of these messages that you never want to get but you do appreciate being passed on I am on a quick trip to Borneo as it is apparent that someone has broken into our boat and taken some things. The Police already have the culprit but of course no-one only us knows what could be missing and Charmar is currently also therefore unsecured. I was up at Scherger whilst all this was happening. Scherger is a remote immigration detention centre near Weipa with limited communications.
So only one thing to do, head for Borneo at short notice. No flights available from Singapore to Koto Kinabalu so I take the alternate track Cairns>Darwin>Singapore>Kuala Lumpur>Koto Kinabalu. Double tracking a bit but not too bad apart from the waiting time - three hours in Darwin, bearable, and from midnight until 06.50 at KL Airport. Not exactly a good place for a sleep but survivable!
Arrive at KK at about 0930 after a good sleep on that flight and decide to hire a car which is quite reasonable for the three days rather than take the normal charter car to Kudat. Need to attend to some jobs in KK like getting a sim for the phone, and a new battery for the dual sim phone which appeared to be dead but was resuscitated with a battery. Then to Celcom where I found that I could change my broadband plan to a new prepaid plan which is much cheaper and better for our type of use and also get a phone sim that lasts two years without topping up that I can put in our boat sentinel that would have let us know we were broken into if the sim hadn't expired! Went to the wrong restaurant, looks identical to one of our favourite spots, but the food is not so good, but for $3 with coffee can't whinge too much (although it is the same price for the good food) and headed off for the 2.5 hour drive to Kudat.
As I meander down the various highways and byways north I notice that it is wet, it is raining, not like a shower but if Cairns and Qld has been getting deluged this is worse, much worse! The farm areas are flooded, water is cascading down the mountains and rushing along the table drains, at times the road is covered.
Logs are hurtling down the rivers and occasionally have floated onto the roads along with many coconuts and other debris.
Was stopped in queue of traffic by deep water on the road so pulled up with all the rest. Left the parkers on so as not to get run into. About an hour later when it was time to go and raining torrentially the battery was flat so here I was stopped in the middle of the road in pouring rain in a tiny car with traffic going around both sides of me, hopped out to put the bonnet up and got soaked. A car came slowly and and closely by and said in in my best Bahasa Malglish - battery any leads? And the two obliging guys stopped, looked at the weather, stripped off their shirts and jumped out to give me a push start. Next time I get held up keep the engine running!
Stopped at the usual Tanda (toilet) stop about halfway, a bit behind schedule but still expecting to arrive Kudat at about 1600. Fortunately bought a small packet of dried bnnana, some peanuts and bottle of water.
Headed of but not much more than 10 k down the road, in TORRENTIAL rain the traffic was stopped and building up. Ok so just stop and wait till it clears before carrying on. About an hour later when the rain eased I walked down the road, a long way to see what the hold up was but could not get to the end of queued cars before the rain came in again. It just got worse now there were literally hundreds of cars, buses, trucks, taxis all piling up in the queue. Well have a sleep. Awakened about 8:00pm as the traffic started moving so jumped into action and joined in as the hundreds of cars on the road and verges pushed and crawled their way forward down both sides of the road only separating to let the traffic sometimes come through from the other way.
Eventually we get to the cause a mud slide over the road being cleared by a loader and backhoe in between which we slithered and crawled our way over the mud to get back to bitumen. On we go in the torrential rain with the odd tree over the road, water cascading across and more hold ups whilst the water comes up and goes down.
The last major one we drove through miles of water over the road. I waited till a little car the size of mine, very small and low, and followed it trying to pick where the road was. It worked and eventually we ended up back just driving on bitumen.
As I get closer to Kudat we cross some hills so the road wasn't covered but there were some washouts and the rain was torrential.
Over ten hours for a normally 2.5 hour leisurely drive.
Finally arrive a bit after midnight, it is too wet to go to the boat and I cannot get the car into the boatyard at night so sleep in the car in the rain. Up in the morning and into Kudat for Egg Roti and copi Sweet milk coffee. $2.5o including two Koppi's. No wonder I love it here!
Go to Charmar, they have been in through a tiny back hatch and out the galley hatch and pulled a lot of stuff out of shelves and cupboards. Pulled out and cut the wires on the VHF but it is still there, and stolen the entertainment system. The TV is in the galley, obviously on the way out and other stuff such as binoculars and bits and pieces pulled out. It seems they may have been in and out more than once, maybe "selling to order". They were nabbed by the Police because they were trying to change an Aus $20 note at the kiosk and eating chicken every day and seemed to living a high life. The boat next door was also broken into, it was someone employed to work on a boat parked in front of us.
After a stocktake and tidy up there is not all that much missing - the CD/DVD radio, some money, maybe a computer and who knows what else??
Going to the Police tomorrow, they won't give the neighbour back his stuff until I have a look also!
So a bit tired and worn down the day is spent rejoining wires, refitting things removed, and putting things (where they belong and where they dont belong to get them off the floor!) Lunch with the neigbours and it is still wet and muddy here!
Tomorrow have an appointment with the boatyard office, and will be off to the Police to report and go through what they have and will take the neighbour so he can get his stuff back also.
An interesting few days!
18/11/2010, Japan
Late October and first half of November we sojourned to Japan. A little time in Tokyo, an Onsen in Niko and then two weeks with Yamagishi in Mie prefecture and we left from Osaka to return to Oz (by air).
Its about time to go back to Borneo but a few things to sort out here first.
It's off to Vietnam, via KK, then to Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur, KL, then to Saigon or Ho Chi Min as it is now called and then to Da Nang. A big day but a good trip. Once up in this part of the world nothing is far away but it would be lot shorter to go KK to Saigon - only a couple of hours across the water and not too long a sail!
Vietnam is stunning and Oh!! What a cruising ground!!!! It is the missing link for the South China where now the East Coast of Malaysia is available, with the East Malaysia Rally, the West Coast of Borneo, the Phillipines, but how fantastic would it be to go from North West Borneo to Hu Long Bay, a paradise above all, down around Vietnam to Cambodia then east Thailand and back to East Malaysia!! The China Sea Circle - two years of the most beautiful and fascinating cruising!!!!! Different cultures, waterways, diving and snorkelling, rivers and islands - the most different and beautiful areas imaginable!
How good to be back in Kudat, home away from home, just around the north west tip of Borneo. A small fishing village in Borneo with a shipyard, great tucker, friendly people - I love it! :-))
A trip up from Aus with Jetstar, we stopped over inside Singapore Airport at one of the internal hotels to catch our connecting flight to KK the next morning also with Jetstar. Very convenient! Two hours to KK and we have the day and night there, renew our Celcom internet account, visit the markets, and check out a few things in town including a quick trip to Sutera Marina. Dianne is suffering from Aussie Flu and not well at all. The next morning after doing a couple of chores we wanted to attend to in KK it is into a Toyota for the four hour drive to Kudat.
A great ten days in Kudat, catching up on maintenance, going into town to eat, and solving the riddle me do, riddle me don't diesel saga - a long and interesting story but too much for the blog.
Each day we do at least one bicycle ride into town for lunch or dinner, its not far, but the tucker is great. Have found the best ABC's or Ice Kuchang's (which they never call them up here) in Kudat and have a few favourite and well frequented eateries where we are well known. Catch up again with Peter the fountain of all knowledge and local taxi driver, and have the same workers Rusdi and Johnny which is really great and we get quite a bit done.
Just when we are back in the boatyard groove however it is time to go to Vietnam.
Regards The Phantom Blog Reader
08/03/2010, Kudat
It is interesting how we still get contact from people we met going through Indonesia now two years ago. Soleman the student in Alor, Cepy we met in Bima and others along the way. Txt's, facebook, email make it all possible.
Still working back home and commuting to Borneo at present. We will spend June in Vietnam and October in Japan with intermittent sailing in between. This month sees a few days in Korea and time in Sydney lecturing interspersed with visits home.
My oh my where do the days go to......it is Wednesday already and pack up day. Well now Sunday was ok with more cleanup and a couple of chores attacked. Why would they bring out a new model foot anchor switch and put a flange on it so you cannot fit into the same hole as the old ones!? I am sure they do it to make life difficult. Sunday night at the Golf Club for boaties dinner and met acquaintances from the rally Doug and Margaret on Tonic who are slipping here on Wednesday before a quick trip to Kiwi land.
Monday and assistant one started and more progress was made. He was the right size to get into the bilge and so he washed it all out again and all the aft cabin again and dried it. He then cleaned up all the accumulated dust in the cockpit and once it looked spick and span things started to feel better. Assistant two started on Tuesday by pumping out the remaining thirty five litres (of 200 to start with) from the tank and then totally cleaned out the tanks removing the peeling inner paint so I can ultimately have a go at sealing the tank from the inside as well. Rosdi did a great job of this while Johnno di general cleaning and then attacked the decks, windows etc. We fitted the anchor switch with a lot of manual cutting and filing but it is in and works and then decided to unload the anchor and chain to send away for galvanising in KK so we dropped it off into a box.
Must admit to spending a bit of time in the afternoon sitting on the foredeck under the shadecloth talking to Eric who owns the fishing boat next door. Picked up a lot of interesting and useful local information and all about the fishing boats and their "relationship" with the Phillipines only a couple of hours away.
Peddle into town most nights to enjoy dinner.
Wednesday the boys were into it and the final cleaning up of the now internally spotless tanks was completed, some polishing and cleaning and in the afternoon to while away the time some quick varnishing to seal some areas needing attention but they will need more coats on return but this will hold them in good condition in the meantime. Started to secure things before imminent departure.
Wednesday night Doug and Margaret called in and we walked into town for dinner.
As to bilge pumps and things. No I don't leave the pumps on although I do know of a boat that sank on the land when the cockpit scuppers became blocked and the water seeped in under the stormboards until the boat filled up with devastating effects. However because all our machinery and "wet things" are behind sealed bulkheads aft we don't have bilge pumps in the cabin areas so they were not there to do the job. I guess if they were at that stage the diesel would have still seeped over everything that it did before hitting the bilge and being pumped out anyway! So not sure they would have much use other than to create a big pool of diesel beside the boat rather than captured within the bilge.
Kudat is a delightful fishing town/village where westerners are still a novelty. An industrious and busy place with many comings and goings and very friendly people. Each time I come here I get more out of it.
Off tomorrow to KK and then to Singapore, Darwin and Cairns.
Saturday, up and back into the bilge with washing materials. Joy of joy and how thankful we can be for small mercies the water is on so I can get a few bucket loads for bilge cleaning.
After watching the wall of the aft cabin last night for over an hour to see where the diesel was coming from not a drop appeared. Today there are puddles again! Clean them up and pull off some more panels on the search. Feeling and looking as there is no sign of a source but towards the back and the furthest corner from where the diesel was gathering the wall feels slippery,,,,,,,diesel. On the trail now it follows back to an aft corner weld just at the level of the bottom of the tank. Pull out some more foam and interestingly find Les has marked this very spot with an arrow! And there it is a pin hole in the corner weld with a little flow of diesel coming from it right at the bottom most corner of the tank. Out with nead it, just a little to block the flow and then clean up the surface and apply a larger section which later I cover with metal epoxy. The leak has been stemmed but there is more cleaning up todo. Diesel is found seeping out of the insulation glass at the back of the genset cabinet so off with more panels and pull it all out and trash it the bottom is saturated as the diesel soaked up it. The cabin is pretty well stripped.
Mix up batches of hot water, bilge cleaner and citrus and again flush the bilge out hoping to vacuum the floating diesel off the top of the water - we'll see tomorrow.
At this stage I can see or feel no more leaks!
Onto something productive fit the new sternlight. Apart from some frozen screws requiring the impact wrench to loosen them at least this all goes well and the new one works fine. This is a second light but useful when using the dinghy at night also.
Then to the anchor switch. Make a start but enthusiasm is waning and it is getting dark. Get on the skype for a while to home and the family and then peddle into town on the folding bike to our favourite Indian restaurant for a $1.80 feed including coffee which was great after a low food day! No rain today which was good. It was hot tonight it is cooling down as there has been strong winds here today although where we are in the yard is quite sheltered.
A little progress at last and a full belly so feeling better. Tomorrow, Sunday night, is yachties social night over at the Golf Club across the road so looks like I will get fed tomorrow night as well. Monday morning I have a boy coming to work at 0730 so I'll have to be up early as well.
Water is on but not enough pressure to run the shower but at least could run the low taps to fill a small bucket for a decent wash off tonight. I probably needed it although I couldn't smell anything except diesel!
Sunday tomorrow but not a day of rest over here!
Friday, where did that go to? A quick scout around the yard, go and pay the bills and buy a heap of rags. Arrange for a pump and a drum and three boys who pump the diesel out of the boat and do a bit of a clean up, Well that was a start and then the investigation.
Diesel being diesel it seems to be coming from everywhere but it has soaked into insulation wool, foam and cork tiles so it oozes out. Great day for cleaning the water is off but it is raining but not enough to fill buckets. So there is no water for cleaning and too damp to do outside jobs, With a bit of rain water and degreaser do the first attack on the bilge, aft cabin berth which fortunately we did not have a mattress in and cleared before we left. Removing panels and cleaning up little pools of diesel. Oh what joy. But I cannot find the leak.
The day is spent cleaning washing bilges and other. Can't even have a shower to clean the diesel off me as the water is off! Have rinse down before hitting the sack early.
To the airport in the morning check in and go back to town as the flight is running about 4 hours late. Back to the Airport in the afternoon, to Darwin and get connection to Singapore. Arrive at Singapore several hours later than planned and stop at the airport for the night which was good. In the morning check in for Koto Kinabula, Jetstart Asia, also a bit late. At KK go to Celcom to get the internet Sim card, as I can't find the old one. Then to the bus bay to find a car to Kudat.
Russ got the job and together with about 5 other pax we head off in his Toyota. He has been doing the track for about ten years and a nice guy. We are away a bit after three but a Police Road block causes a traffic jam that slows us down. We stop to pick up someones gear and Russ bought me some fried bananas, later we stop and have fresh young coconut milk.
It gets dark at about 6:00pm and we arrive at the boatyard a bit after 7. Charmar is safe and sound but as I get onboard I notice a strong painty/fuelly smell. It gets stronger, later I find about 150 litres of diesel has run through the after cabin into a "dry" bilge. There goes this week's plans. Can't do much about it tonight so hit the sack.
Have a wooden fishing boat getting built to port and a gap to starboard then a yacht that was here when we left. The yard is very busy.
Well its overdue but a trip back to Kudat will take place in January to check Charmar over and start a bit of maintenance. Looking forward to it!
The Sail Indonesia Rally and the Sail East Malaysia Rally are vastly different experiences. Sail Indonesia of last year is detailed much earlier in our blogs, the track taken by the yachts this year is different. Sail Malaysia details appear more recently in our blogs. In this review I will comment on the comparisons and contrasts of these two events. Last year over 100 yachts took part in the Indonesian Rally,this year 120+ and next year even more are registered. We did about half the rally and then continued on "sailing in company", in good company too, to Singapore where we 'parked up' at Sebana Cove in Malaysia about an hour by ferry from Changi Airport in Singapore, and a great place to stopover. Many of the boats of course continued on in the Sail WEST Malaysia Rally which continues from Danga Bay through the Malacca Straits to Penang and Langkawi, a haven for passing yachts with Marinas, Workyards, beautiful islands and beaches etc. The Sail WEST Malaysia Rally has been running for a number of years. The Sail EAST Malaysia Rally started last year with ten boats, 46 registered this year and next year over 60 are expected.
With Sail Indonesia (SI) from the time we left Darwin until we arrived at Nongsa Point, the last place in Indonesia before leaving for Singapore, we never saw or stopped over at any marinas. Our stopovers were all on anchor, in open waters, bays, fiords, behind reefs, at islands, in isolation, in populated areas, but 98% of the anchorages were great. We never went to the major cities, initially clearing into Kupang, although we did go to some highly settled areas, we stopped in very remote areas, we visited remote and isolated villages and traditional lifestyle areas. In Indonesia we never had issues with any of the authorities or any of the people. The Indonesians were tremendously warm, welcoming, generous, helpful, interested and giving. Those who had the least, offered the most! an interesting reflection on humanity generally. We were welcomed everywhere, overwhelmingly in many instances. Indonesia for us was about culture, nature, the environment, wonderful people and interesting, challenging and vastly different environments. Traditional boats by the tens of thousands constantly amazed us, as these people live by and from the sea. The only downside in Indonesia was the pollution of the oceans and the lands, particularly the Oceans. It is a tragedy in the making that even if it stopped today would never be able to be cleaned up, but it gets worse, exponentially worse, every day as western companies DUMP what they can no longer sell in our communities into these areas without conscience, care or thought. Plastics, bags, wrappers, crates, foil, rubber, bottles and more bags than could ever be counted are dumped into this area daily and find their way into the oceans. But it was the simplicity of life, the family caring and bonding, the generosity that left the most lasting impressions. And then of course there are Komodo Dragons, volcanoes, rainforests and dry area, monkeys, pristine waters, beautiful bays and wonderful islands that create a montage of experiences.
East Malaysia Rally (EM), now only in its second year, introduced us to the South China Sea that has just so much to offer. An overview is set out in the blogs below. Up the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia, across the South China Sea and then up the west coast of Borneo, including Brunei. This rally offers a totally different experience as you move from marina to marina punctuated by beach and island stops. Progressively north up peninsula Malaysia the waters get clearer the Islands better, Tioman, Kapas, Redang and Perhentians with crystal clear waters, reef, fish snorkelling, diving and swimming and it seems to just get better and better as you go. There are marinas with world class facilities, Tioman, Terengganu, that become the base for further exploring, stocking up, great food outlets and interesting shopping experiences and a kaleidoscope of food variety at wonderfully cheap prices in such a relaxed and comfortable environment. The ocean is flat, very flat, the beaches and water beautiful. It is cleaner from plastic, foil and other pollutants than Indonesia but this is still the biggest challenge for these areas in the future. But again we are welcomed everywhere, they don't take your fruit, they GIVE you a local tropical fruit platter, they welcome and assist you and do not throw up barriers to entry. Yes you still have to deal with the bureaucracy, but, heh, remember we showed them what bureacracy is and we are still the masters at unnecessary officialdom and rules and regulations! Crossing the South China Sea we sail through Indonesian Islands again on our way to Borneo. Kuching is the entry to Borneo and this country, part of Malaysia but with areas that are Indonesian, and of course Brunei show signs of considerable and in places great wealth and we experience everything from the traditional Iban villages with similarity to the nature of the people in Indonesia as we traverse massive and extensive river systems with whole enormous trees and their foliage going up with the tides, down with the tide, back up with the tide.......and the next stop may be a modern marina and town with the economy "fuelled" by massive and extensive offshore oil and gas rigs that light up the ocean at night for twenty miles and more until the grand finale in Koto Kinabalu where possibly one of the nicest boutique marinas in the world is with theatre, ten pin bowling, too many pools to pick from and crystal clear water with tropical fish and coral IN the marina and beautiful islands only the shortest of hops away. Malaysia was a diversity of peoples from many backgrounds, rapidly developing areas, massive expenditure and development on marine infrastructure (but not many boats visiting............yet) and one of the most underexploited boating environments around. Thus their emphasis on promoting through rallies and other means including events such as the Monsoon Cup and Miri Brunei Race where THEY pay you to enter and offer other inducements to go and enjoy yourself in this welcoming and friendly environment.
The South China Sea gets my vote.
Both the Indonesian Rally and the East Malaysia Rally are very different but equally great experiences for any cruising yacht that will take you to new destinations and assist you to find and explore places you would otherwise miss with many great advantages from joining the rally as well as opportunities to meet some great people along the way.
Where to next? We have much, much more to see up there, and we want to go back to the top end of East Coast Peninsula Malaysia (back across the South China Sea), we want to explore the tip and the north eastern side of Borneo, we want to..................................the next job is antifouling to get us right for another couple of years of exploration in this vibrant and interesting area.


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Most of the questions related to the Benghazi debacle are about the mechanics, both offensive and defensive. What did the White House know and when? What assets were available to the military? Did someone order a stand down, and if so, who? Why was "the video" blamed long after the administration knew the truth — and didn't the administration know the truth from the beginning? If it didn't, why didn't it?
All reasonable questions, but a generally unasked one deserves attention: "Why did al-Qaeda want to kill Ambassador Chris Stevens?"
The ambassador had good relations with some of the most extreme Libyan militias, including those with al-Qaeda ties. Did he upset them with something he did, or didn't do? Was the White House fully apprised of his connections and dealings with the militias? Was he killed because of something the administration told him to start doing or to stop doing?
There are things we know and things upon which we must speculate, including the entry of surface-to-air missiles to the Levant.
Emerging from the chaos is a dim understanding that the U.S. was operating a clandestine arms operation from the CIA post that was loosely — and incorrectly — described as a "consulate." Before and during the revolution, Ambassador Stevens had helped arm the anti-Gaddafi militias, including the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIF), whose leader Abdulhakim Belhadj later became the head of the Tripoli Military Council.
The LIF's Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi told an Italian newspaper in 2011 (later reported in the British Telegraph) that he had fought the "foreign invasion" in Afghanistan. Captured in Pakistan, al-Hasidi was handed over to the U.S. and returned to Libya, where he was released from prison in 2008. Speaking of the Libyan revolution, he said:
Belhadj met with Free Syrian Army representatives in October 2011 to offer Libyan support for ousting Assad. Throughout 2011 and 2012, ships traversed the Mediterranean from Benghazi to Syria and Lebanon with arms for the Syrian rebels. Turkish and Jordanian intelligence services were doing most of the "vetting" of rebel groups; in July 2012, the Washington Post reported that the CIA had no operatives on the ground and only a few at border posts even as weapons were entering Syria. Said a U.S. official, addressing the question of even non-lethal aid:
In August, a report by Tony Cartalucci, a supporter of the Syrian nationalist opposition, detailed the extent of Libyan and al-Qaeda involvement in Syria, calling it a "foreign invasion." In November, the Washington Post noted a $20 million contribution by the Libyan government to the Syrian National Council — of which the Muslim Brotherhood is a member.
Ambassador Stevens would have known all of that; he was the go-to man. He didn't seem to have a problem with it, so why did they want to kill him?
In 2011, it was reported that the Libyan rebels had acquired surface-to-air missiles from Gaddafi's arsenal, and smuggled them into their own. They were not used in the revolution because the skies were filled with allies of the militias, but American sources worried that as many as 15,000 MANPADs (man-portable air defense systems — or mobile surface-to-air missiles) might have "gone missing." Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Shapiro told USA Today:
He added that the Obama administration took "immediate steps" to secure the weapons, launching an effort to recover them even before collapse of the regime. Which is interesting, because the U.S. claimed to have no "boots on the ground."
So who was looking for them? And if they found them, what did they do with them?
Some, at least, appear to have emerged in Syria — in August there was a report of a Syrian government plane downed by the rebels. In October, the Russians claimed the rebels had U.S.-origin Stinger missiles. (Stingers are designed to hit helicopters and low-flying planes — they wreaked havoc with Russian aircraft during the war in Afghanistan.) The BBC reported that the Syrians had old Soviet SA-7 missiles that can destroy an airplane flying at higher altitudes.
Whether Russian or American, the introduction of MANPADS into the region would be cause for alarm. The Levant is not isolated like Afghanistan, and the multinational nature of the Syrian rebels puts a number of countries and their interests in harm's way. A stray shot — or a deliberate diversion — could be used against Israeli commercial or military aviation. Or American aviation. Turkey would have to worry that the Kurdish part of the anti-Assad revolution might divert its energies to assist in the Kurdish guerrilla movement against Turkey; Turkey's war against the PKK is largely conducted with helicopters. Jordan would have to worry that the Muslim Brotherhood part of the Syrian rebellion could divert its energies to assist the MB in Jordan against U.S. ally King Abdullah II. Russia would worry that missiles could be diverted to the anti-Russian Sunni jihadists of the Caucasus or Central Asia.
In October, the IDF confirmed that a surface-to-air missile, said to be an SA-7, was fired at a helicopter from Gaza. Iran had not provided such weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, perhaps understanding that such an escalation would produce Israeli retaliation. The fact that Israel struck the Sudanese Yarmouk rocket/missile factory at the end of October may have been a reminder of the consequences of escalation.
So far, only the last bit is speculation.
But what if Turkish, Jordanian, Russian, or Israeli concerns about the appearance of MANPADS close to their borders made the administration decide that it had to exercise more control over weapons shipments to the Syrian rebels? What if the State Department told Ambassador Stevens to clamp down on the shipments or to stop them all together? If Stevens had told his militia allies that he was cutting back or cutting off the CIA-organized shipments to Syria, could they have been angry enough to kill him?
Al-Qaeda operatives knew of the ambassador's presence in Benghazi — either because they had operatives in Tripoli or because they had them in Benghazi. They knew where he was and they attacked after the Turkish ambassador left the compound. This raises the question of why Stevens and the Turkish ambassador were meeting in Benghazi at all, when both are stationed in Tripoli.
Another "what if" involves the administration response to the attack, both initially and when senior members — including the secretary of State, the president's press secretary, and the U.S. ambassador to the UN — all insisted that the attack was the result of "the video." Two full weeks later, President Obama pounded the lectern at the United Nations and denounced "the video."
What if they needed for Ambassador Stevens' death to be part of a larger event, unrelated to the specifics of arms, militias, al-Qaeda, and Syria?
Remember, we're speculating here. But if the truth of an arms relationship came out, the administration would have been caught in a major falsehood right before the election — that's not speculation. Mrs. Clinton had flatly told CBS News in February that the U.S. would not arm Syrian rebels, specifically because of the potential for arming radicals with which the U.S. would not be associated:
It may still fall into the realm of speculation, but it seems we were, and if we were there would be a price to pay.
In what appears to be a related event, in early November Secretary Clinton withdrew U.S. support from the Syrian National Council and proposed a differently comprised coalition that would reduce the SNC's influence. She said it was needed in part because:
She didn't mention their American interlocutors.
That appears to be the final backing-away from an American relationship with al-Qaeda-related militias in Libya that ultimately resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Stevens, former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Greg Doherty, and State Department computer specialist Sean Smith.
Related Topics: Middle East Uprising, Syria, U.S. Foreign Policy | Stephen Bryen | Shoshana Bryen receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free jewish policy center mailing list
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PHILADELPHIA –- The American Political Science Association has elected University of Pennsylvania Political Science Professor Nancy Hirschmann as a vice president for 2012-2013.
Hirschmann is one of three new vice presidents who serve one-year terms on the association's council. She is joined by Anne-Marie Slaughter of Princeton University and Hanes Walton Jr. of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, as APSA vice presidents.
Hirschmann chairs Penn's political science department's graduate division. She works in the history of political thought, analytical philosophy, feminist theory and the intersection of political theory and public policy. Her recent books include Gender Class and Freedom in Modern Political Theory and The Subject of Liberty: Toward a Feminist Theory of Freedom, which won APSA's Victoria Schuck Award for the best book on women and politics.
Hirschmann has held fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and the American Council of Learned Societies, which oversees APSA programming and speaks out on issues affecting political science scholarship and teaching.
APSA, the largest professional organization for the study of politics, serves more than 15,000 members in more than 80 countries. APSA publishes Perspectives on Politics, The American Political Science Review and PS: Political Science & Politics.


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King County Executive Kurt Triplett will ask the County Council for $10 million to $35 million to protect and possibly evacuate jail inmates, courts, animal shelter and county offices in the face of floods in the Green River Valley that could be caused by water releases from the damaged Howard Hanson Dam.
King County may have to spend millions of dollars to keep its South King County jail, courts, animal shelter, elections and permitting offices open in the face of potentially catastrophic flooding of the Green River this winter, the County Council learned Wednesday.
The stakes are even higher for the thousands of businesses and residents who face $2 billion to $3 billion in property damage if the river floods because of problems at the Howard Hanson Dam, Assistant County Executive Pam Bissonnette said in a briefing before the Metropolitan King County Council.
The damage estimate for the state's largest warehouse district comes from a draft report prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Bissonnette said.
She said the Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and operates the Howard Hanson Dam, has also said it may take three to five years to fix the problem of water seeping through a hillside dam abutment. That solution — most likely a concrete cutoff wall — would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, she said.
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County Executive Kurt Triplett will present a plan to the council in two weeks for protecting county property, along with a funding request — now estimated at $10 million to $35 million — to protect county operations from possible flooding of parts of Kent, Renton, Auburn and Tukwila, Bissonnette said.
County facilities at risk, include:
• King County Elections headquarters, opened at the end of 2007 in a $20 million building on Southwest Grady Way in Renton, could be flooded by up to 10 feet of water, Bissonnette said. It might be necessary to relocate the headquarters before flood season to avoid possibly disrupting the November election, she said.
• The Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, opened in 1997, which holds 800 prisoners in its jail and has courtrooms for 19 Superior Court judges and commissioners, could by flooded by up to 4 feet of water;
• The Department of Development and Environmental Services, which issues building and land-use permits, could receive up to 7 feet of water at its building on Oakesdale Avenue in Renton;
• The county's main animal shelter in Kent, up to 3 feet of water; and
• Aukeen District Court in Kent, up to a foot of water.
County officials are studying options for maintaining services at the at-risk buildings. Options include placing protective barriers around buildings and evacuating employees, jail inmates and shelter animals. Some offices, including the 1-½-year-old election headquarters in Renton, could be permanently moved to new locations.
Some of those costs could be reimbursed by the federal government. Acting Budget Director Beth Goldberg said it wasn't yet clear how flood preparations would affect the already troubled 2010 and 2011 budgets.
"We're really in an unprecedented, uncharted situation," she said. "We're getting new information all the time."
The council's Committee of the Whole sent to the full council without recommendation Triplett's request for authority to declare an emergency in advance of a flood so the county could avoid the red tape of standard procurement procedures.
The corps is now installing an underground "grout curtain" intended to slow water seepage. Until that seepage is controlled, the corps is restricting the amount of water that will be held behind the dam. That means more water may be released into the river during storms, resulting in "bigger and more frequent" flooding, Bissonnette said.
The valley hasn't had a major flood — once common in the valley — since the dam began operating in 1962.
Several County Council members urged Triplett's office Wednesday to organize a door-to-door campaign to reach all 20,000 valley residents of the flood danger. Council members were also unhappy about how long it will take the federal government to fix the problem at the dam.
"If we eventually have a flood that does 2 or 3 billion dollars damage and displaces the entire valley, I think we need to respectfully challenge the federal government to explain why they will take so long to come up with a permanent fix," Councilmember Julia Patterson of SeaTac said.
Bissonnette said the corps is working "very hard" to solve the problem. Because of the complexity of the seepage problem, she said, "it takes a while to do the studies to make sure you don't make a mistake."
Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Officially Wed in Florence! (VIDEO)
It's official — Kim Kardashian is now Kim Kardashian West. The reality star and rapper Kanye West tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at the Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy on May 24, 2014.
The couple celebrated the eve of their wedding with a feast at the Palace at Versailles, which included a live performance by Lana del Rey. In the morning, Kim, Kanye, and all of their guests boarded several flights to Florence.
In front of a massive wall of flowers (a larger scale version of Kim's Mother's Day flower arrangement), the couple exchanged vows in a ceremony officiated by Miami pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr., according to People magazine. The location of the wedding has special meaning for the couple, who believe they conceived their daughter, North West, in the romantic Tuscan city.
According to one witness who spoke with People, Kanye was every inch the nervous groom leading up to his bride's walk down the aisle. "He clearly knew the gravity of what he was about to do," the source said. "This morning he was all smiles, but as it got closer, you could see that the nerves were kicking in. It's common for most grooms. I've seen it all before."
We're dying to hear details on Kim's dress, which was kept so secret even her own mom saw it for the first time when her 33-year-old daughter walked down the aisle arm-in-arm with stepdad Bruce Jenner, who gave the bride away. Of course we'll be updating with all the details as they come!
Source: People


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Prehistoric Sea Creatures
Dino Dot to Dot: Tsintaosaurus
Was Tsintaosaurus a prehistoric unicorn? Learn about this dino with a fun dot to dot.
T-Rex Dot to Dot
Counting, writing and drawing practice are wrapped up in this dot-to-dot coloring page. What prehistoric animal will be revealed?
Dino Dot to Dot: Hylaeosaurus
For dinosaur lovers, this dot to dot featuring armor-plated Hylaeosaurus is sure to please.
Dino Dot to Dot: Triceratops
If your kid's a dino buff, chances are he knows Triceratops. With a neat fact about this classic dino, this dot to dot is not only fun, it's educational, too.
Dinosaur Dot to Dot
Who is this fearsome dinosaur? Have your child complete the drawing by filling in the dot to dot. Remember to count in even numbers only!
Dino Dot to Dot: Styracosaurus
Connect the dots from 1 to 30 to reveal Styracosaurus's mighty horns.
Dino Dot to Dot: Supersaurus
Learn about Supersaurus, one of the largest dinosaurs ever recorded, with this fun fact dot to dot printable.
Dino Dot to Dot: Prehistoric Tortoise
Tortoises lived in prehistoric times, and they looked pretty much the same then as they do today. Get to know this long-living reptile with a fun dot to dot.
Dino Dot to Dot: Struthiomimus
Brighten your dino lover's day with this fun fact dot to dot all about Struthiomimus, the "ostrich mimic".
Dino Dot to Dot: Gallimimus
Learn more about Gallimimus, one of the fastest dinosaurs, with this cool dino dot to dot.


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Louisville's Most Highly Skilled & Fun Dance Instructors
Brian Barakauskas (Owner, Instructor, Professional Competitor, Judge, Coach)
Watch Brian's DANCE INSTRUCTOR INTERVIEW
Years ago, Brian took his first dance steps right here in Louisville. He has now been dancing professionally for almost 18 years. Through competitive ballroom, country & swing dancing, he has danced in over 22 countries around the world as a competitor, performer, judge and teacher.
His journey has come full circle. In 2005 his dream of a fantastic studio in Louisville came true. "I'm completely committed to making Dance Louisville the best studio in the city for you – the new dancer." Read Brian's story in the Voice Tribune
Awards and Recognition:
- 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2010 UCWDC Superstar World Champion.
- 1999 & 2003 UCWDC Renegade World Champion.
- 2005 3-time Grand Champion UCWDC Division 1.
- World Championships Division 1 – 6th place in 2004, 5th place in 2005.
- 2003 Star Award Winner 'Favorite Dancer'.
- 2005 Star Award winner 'Favorite Teacher'.
- 2007 Japan's Favorite Country Dance instructor.
- 2011 3-time Professional American Rhythm Rising Star Finalist.
- 2012 6-time Professional American Rhythm Rising Star Finalist.
- UCWDC Certified Judge.
- WSDC Swing Judge
- Performed on television on the BBC in England.
- Guest Instructor on Lifetime TV and ABC.
- Instructor on the soap network series "Southern Bells Louisville".
Megan Anderson (Instructor, Professional Competitor)
Watch Megan's DANCE INSTRUCTOR INTERVIEW
Growing up with a mother who was a professional dancer, Megan was destined to be a dancer. She started ballroom dancing in 2004 and has been with Dance Louisville since we opened. With a background in competitive ice skating and ballet, Megan has had an impressive amateur competitive dance career traveling all over the United States competing with great success in all four styles of Ballroom & Latin as well as Country, Bachata, Line Dance and West Coast Swing. Megan began her professional career with a bang by winning the 2015 UCWDC ProPro Female World Championship!
USA Dance Ballroom Nationals:
- 2010 Amateur Adult Silver Rhythm – 5th Place
- 2011 Amateur Adult Gold Rhythm – 4th Place
- 2010 & 2011 UCWDC World Pro-Am Female Open Intermediate – 4th Place Overall
- 2012 UCWDC World Pro-Am Female Open Intermediate – 3rd Place Overall
- 2013 & 2014 UCWDC World Pro-Am Female Open Advanced – 3rd Place Overall
- 2015 UCWDC World Pro-Pro Female Open- World Champion
- 2016 UCWDC World Pro-Pro Female Open – 2nd place
Collegiate Ballroom Nationals:
- 2011 Silver Smooth – 4th Place
- 2011 Silver Rhythm – 2nd Place
- 2011 Silver Latin – 4th Place
Pro-Am Swing Advanced Routine Division:
- 2013 Grand Nationals Atlanta – 3rd Place
- 2013 Michigan Classic – 2nd Place
- 2013 Orlando Dance Festival – 1st Place
Ben Howard (Instructor, Amateur Competitor)
Ben Howard began as a student of dance Louisville. He quickly began serious training as a competitive dancer and has had great success as an amateur competitor. He spent several years successfully competing in the UCWDC and WSDC circuit. Ben has been able to quickly transition his passion for dance into to his teaching. His degree from the University of Louisville in Psychology has helped him become a fantastic communicator to his students. You will see Ben in the studio almost everyday teaching lessons and helping our students!
Awards and Recognition:
- 2015 Derby City Swing Pro Am routine – 1st place
- 2016 Derby City Swing Pro Am routine – 1st place
- 2016 Derby City Swing Pro Am Strictly -1st place
- 2016 UCWDC world championships ProAm Novice – 6th place
- 2015 Indy Dance Ex Pro Am novice – 2nd place
- 2015 Dallas Dance Pro Am Novice – 2nd place
- 2014 Swing City Chicago Rising Star – 8th place
Kelli Romanchuk (Instructor)
Watch Kelli's DANCE INSTRUCTOR INTERVIEW
Kelli began her career as a ballroom dance instructor and choreographer in Lexington, KY. She studied theater at the University of Kentucky while teaching and training at the Franklin Cottrell Dance Center. She continued her career as an instructor & choreographer in Los Angeles, where she specialized in teaching beginners and choreographing wedding dances in Culver City.
She is excited to be back in Kentucky and to be a part of Dance Louisville where she can share her love for dance in her home state.
Awards and Recognition:
- 2008 Music City Swing – 2nd Place Novice Hustle.
- 2008 Music City Swing – 5th Place Pro-Am West Coast Swing
Emily Larsen (Instructor, Professional Competitor)
Watch Emily's DANCE INSTRUCTOR INTERVIEW
Emily Larsen was born and raised in Austin, Texas. She was introduced to Ballet at age three and continued adding on various dance genres over the years such as Jazz, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, and Musical Theatre. Emily received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from the University of Texas at Austin.
She had always wanted to learn how to partner dance, and quickly caught the bug after joining a ballroom dance studio in Austin about 5 years ago. She had a competitive partner for 3 years in which they placed first in numerous local and national competitions and placed second at the UCWDC Worlds Competition in January of 2013.
In 2014, Emily joined the Dance Louisville staff and has quickly become a big part of the studio. Emily has a special gift, as she always makes students feel welcome; she is a big part of what makes this studio such a happy, warm environment. We're lucky to have her!
Awards and Recognition:
- 2016 UCWDC Adult Advanced Classic Line- 3rd place
- 2015 UCWDC Adult Advanced Classic Line -3rd place
- 2014 US Open Swing Team Division – 1st Place
- 2013 UCWDC Worlds Division 1 – 2nd Place Overall
- 2014 UCWDC Worlds Female Pro/Pro – 4th Place Overall
- 2013 Show Me Showdown Advanced Jack & Jill – 1st Place
JoAnn Lewis (Studio Manager)
JoAnn is most famous in the studio for being Brian's mom. She started working at Dance Louisville in 2012 and has continued to be a great asset to the studio. JoAnn is in charge student scheduling, studio rental and other important functions that allow the the dancers to dance and the studio to run smoothly!
There is a good chance that JoAnn is the first person you will talk to on the phone and the first smiling face you will see as you walk in for group class. She works hard at being very helpful in getting new students started. JoAnn is one our 'secret weapons' in making people feel comfortable when they first begin dancing!


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Dr. Joseph Annan, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industries, on Tuesday donated GHc7, 500 worth of food items to some health institutions in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem constituency.
The donation that comprised of rice, cooking oil and mackerel, was presented by Mr. Kofi Ebu, a Special Assistant at the Ministry, on behalf of Dr. Annan.
Mr. Ebu said the donation was Dr. Annan's Christmas gift to inmates of Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital and Kissi, Agona Abrem and Elmina health centres.
Mr. Ebenezer AbakaSey, Director of Nursing Services, thanked Dr. Annan for the gesture, and appealed to individuals and organisation to emulate the Deputy Minister for the donation.


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Snowboarding Forum - Snowboard Enthusiast Forums (http://www.snowboardingforum.com/forum.php)
- Nightlife (http://www.snowboardingforum.com/nightlife/)
- - Next best Canadian Resort for Nightlife (http://www.snowboardingforum.com/nightlife/48259-next-best-canadian-resort-nightlife.html)
Next best Canadian Resort for Nightlife
Hi lads, so I'm looking to spend next season living and working at a resort in Canada. It will be my first full season riding and I want to approach it like a pro, focused fully on pushing my riding. For this reason, I want to make my living working at night doing barwork and or DJing leaving my days free to ride as much as I can.
I know Whistler is the spot for nightlife but may not be able to work there this year as they require 1 year level 1 instructing experience which I don't have yet. I need to take the instructing route in order to build up qualifications to get work at a resort once my visas(two 12 month) run out. I will be doing this part time only hence the need to work at a bar get by.
So, after Whistler, where's liveliest? In terms of bars and clubs and a high volume of girls what resorts can offer a young man in his sexual prime :D a winter never to forget and a means of funding 6 months of shredding some of the best terrain this planet has to offer.
Gentlemen, I leave it up to you. All opinions welcome has everyone has differing preferences when it comes to music, ladies and bar scenes.
Any help much appreciated
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You're going to ski town to find girls? Even in Whistler, you have something like 10. You don't lose your girlfriend, you lose your turn in a ski town.
I'm guessing Lake Louise would probably be the next most lively spot. Then again, I should let the Canadians answer this one...
focused fully on pushing my riding
leaving my days free to ride as much as I can.
6 months of shredding
Lake Louise. Why so?
Hold on bud, BA is likely to come shatter your precious little dreams. On a side note, you made three duplicate threads - pick one and I'll delete the rest. This forum isn't Travelocity.
What's BA? alright let's stick with the nightlife thread
Banff, AB. And here's why.
- 4 mountains within bus distance (Lake Louise, Sunshine, Norquay, Nakiska)
- 7 month season (Nakiska opened Oct 31st or so, Sunshine is open until May 24)
- girls: Not sure on the ratio's but there are a lot of aussie and kiwi girls working at the resorts and they're certainly not bad on the eyes. Banff itself is a tourist town so the bars will have more than just ski bunnies in it
- taxes: Alberta has the lowest taxes in canada due to our oil money. Might as well enjoy it while it's here.
- gas prices: Again, due to oil money our gas prices are some $0.20 a litre cheaper than BC
- pushing your riding: these are the Canadian Rockies. They don't call them rocky mountains because they're nice and flat. There is anything and everything as far as terrain here. Cliffs, chutes, bowls, groomers, glades, rocks, terrain park (Lake Louise is decent). If this place doesn't push your riding, nowhere will, and if you get bored with these resorts, there are another 5 or so within weekend distance, including the highest vertical drop in North America (Revelstoke), arguably the best off-piste bowl/tree boarding (Fernie), plus other great resorts (Kicking Horse, Panorama, Kimberley, Castle Mountain, Marmot Basin).
I don't know what it's like to live/work in banff. I imagine lots of people want to do it so it's probably fairly expensive. Best thing might be to take a trip to see the town and talk to the locals working in the pubs, on the hills, etc. I really like the vibe of the area, it truly is a 4 season place to play and lots of people do lots of things here. I think it'd make for an unforgettable year and you'd probably want to stay longer...
Thanks a lot for the info. I read up on the website Lake Louise is 35 mile from Banff village.. 3 mountains, one pass. It raises the question which village to stay in?
Sounds fantastic, loads to to, offers everything from a riding perspective. Getting excited just thinking about it.
I think the Snowboarding pretty much anywhere, considering it will be my first full season will have me pumped. Making money is a major issue, where do you think the tips will be as bartending work is heavily reliant on this.
As for a car, how necessary is it to have one if there is a shuttle between the 3 mountains?
remember- uniform + accent = super hot.
You said you're from ireland? So you have an accent, that's half the battle.
Your welcome :)
Banff no contest. I would say it has one of the best girl/guy ratio of any resort in North America. Summer is bigger than winter here so people stick around for usuually both seasons if they are working here so you are not just relying on chicks that are big into riding.
Plus if you are Irish don't worry about it. They will be lining up! (Wear protection!)
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Greg Grunberg In 01-18-08
By Josh Tyler 2007-07-26 03:24:03 comments
We should have seen this coming . J.J. Abrams best buddy Greg Grunberg got famous this year as Psychic detective Matt on Heroes, but before that he was just that guy who finds a way into every Abrams project. In Lost for instance, he was the pilot who gets eat by the monster in the first episode. So, of course hes going to be in Cloverfield, er 01-18-08, er Monstrous, or whatever the hell theyre calling the Abrams produced mystery movie this week.
Grunberg dropped hints about the movie to TV Guide recently and claims hell be in it, though you may not notice him. It'll probably be something where no one will be able to tell it's me," he said. "As you know, J.J. calls me his good-luck charm, so he's got to put me in there somewhere. I actually went to the set the other night, and it was really exciting and cool. The budget is not astronomical. But they're doing incredible things.
So wait, he was at the set the other night? I guess that means theyre still filming. I wonder if even he knows what the damn thing is about. Come on Greg, give us a hint.
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Wharfside Patio
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I have six shared folders, each in a separate account.
I need to change the rights to these shared folders from viewer (r) to manage (rwid) for 40 accounts.
I found how to create and assign rights at the command line but not how to use zmmailbox modifyFolderGrant to change the rights to existing shared folders (not the entire account but a folder inside the account).
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The pathogenesis of the arthropathias is still in doubt. The rôle of trauma, analgesia, neglected rheumatic effusions, rarefaction, epiphyseal separation and bone atrophy as an end result of syphilis are still denied as causative factors by many who look on the condition as induced in some manner by the peculiar and inherent nature of the disease itself. Since the macroscopic, chemic and histologic investigations of Regnard, Féré and Blanchard on the bone changes in tabetics, no one has seriously doubted the importance of these tissue alterations as factors in the arthropathias of this disease. However, the extensive study of Kienböck six years agoon tabetics by means of radiography gave no abnormal picture, neither in the arthropathic joints nor in any of the free articulations of such patients. While this investigation was a surprise to those who believed in the theory of rarefaction and bone atrophy, it failed of
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BOSTON One year ago, Scott Brown pulled off a stunning upset to be elected the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts, and the country suddenly woke up to the new political force of the Tea Party. But in the year since, Brown has gone from being the poster child of the Tea Party movement to its target.
In a recent interview, Scott Wheeler, executive director of the National Republican Trust, a PAC in Washington, D.C., which donated tens of thousands of dollars to Brown's campaign for 2010, told WBUR that he is now actively seeking a candidate to challenge Brown in the primary in 2012.
To many members of Brown's conservative base, including Herbert Yakus of South Weymouth, the senator has not turned out to be the man they thought he was. Sitting by the window at a coffee shop near his home on a recent afternoon, Yakus, a World War II veteran, had a message he wanted to share directly with the senator.
"He's been walking a tightrope. If he goes too far right, he fears losing the general election. If he goes too far left, he fears losing his conservative base."
"I think Mr. Brown, I think you're a nice guy and I think you understand a lot," he said. "You talked pretty good before you got in, but all of a sudden you've backed down. Something scares you — I don't know if it scares you, but something's making you weaker in your thoughts — you're not strong."
That's pretty much the way Republican political analyst Todd Domke sees it, too — that Brown hasn't turned out to be the strong political force that his supporters expected.
"The expectations were so unbelievably high for Scott Brown going in," Domke said. "He was the David who had beaten the Goliath in a one-party state. He became a Republican rock star just by winning. But the expectations were frankly just too high."
Instead of going to Washington and shaking things up, Domke said Brown went to Washington and blended in.
"He's sort of trying to emulate what Hillary Clinton did when she went into the Senate as the former first lady," he said. "Everyone expected her to use her star power and her celebrity, instead she was more studious, more low-profile and trying to earn clout in the Senate in a low-key way."
Beyond that, Brown has taken several key votes that did not sit well with many conservatives. Most notably, he compromised with Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) on the congressman's Wall Street overhaul, earning him the warm praise of the bill's co-sponsor, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.).
Interestingly, it seems to be those very things that infuriate his more hard-nosed supporters that contribute to what is Brown's popularity among voters as a whole.
"He's one of the most popular politicians in the country," said Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling in Raleigh, N.C. "And most of the other folks who are at the top of that list are Republicans in really Republican states or Democrats in really Democratic states."
Jensen said Brown's popularity is all the more remarkable given the polarized political climate in the country.
"Brown, what he did during the campaign was amazing and he hasn't slipped at all over the last year," Jensen said. "He's just as strong as he was a year ago — even after he's had to deal with so many hot-button issues, he's stayed on the right side of public opinion."
"We have to give him a break and we have to give him a chance, because he's still a freshman, he's still in the middle of finding his way."
Massachusetts Republican Party
Still, analysts say the challenge for Brown, if he is going to win re-election in 2012, is not staying on one side or another, but finding a way to stay on the line.
"He's been walking a tightrope," said Domke. "If he goes too far right, he fears losing the general election. If he goes too far left, he fears losing his conservative base of volunteers and donors.
"It's difficult. He'll fall off that tightrope sometimes, as he did in the midterms, where the state GOP had a wipe-out and showed that, as popular as he is, he doesn't have coat tails."
It was thought that Brown's coat tails would help carry Republicans like candidate for governor Charlie Baker and congressional candidate Jeff Perry in the midterm elections. But it didn't happen. Massachusetts voters gave Deval Patrick another four years as governor and put Democrats back in all 10 congressional seats.
But analysts say that's not necessarily a sign of Brown's weakness, it may just be further evidence that he's one of those rare politicians who is elected because people like him, not because they like his party.
Which is why, even if she doesn't always agree with his choices, Massachusetts Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour thinks Brown is the best shot she has at keeping a Republican in Washington in 2012.
"He's got to realize who put him in there. This was an uprising, this was to send a message, and he hasn't sent that message yet."
"We have to give him a break and we have to give him a chance, because he's still a freshman, he's still in the middle of finding his way," Nassour said. "But at the end of the day, 80 percent, 90 percent of voting how we wanted him to vote when we elected him — not so bad."
But some conservatives think it is so bad. Scott Wheeler, of the National Republican Trust, used to be one of Brown's biggest supporters. Now, he's written an essay titled "Why Scott Brown Must Be Defeated." He says Brown's support of the New START arms treaty with Russia was the last straw. Wheeler is actively in the field looking for a candidate to challenge the senator in the GOP primary election next year.
"I would look at the Arlen Specter model," Wheeler said. After the Pennsylvania senator voted for the stimulus bill in 2009, Wheeler and other right-leaning Republicans vowed to defeat him. Seeing the Republican polls, Specter switched parties, lost the Democratic party and is now out of the Senate.
"So I see Brown following a similar pattern," Wheeler said, "and we're more than happy to help him go the way of Arlen Specter."
Back at the coffee shop in South Weymouth, Herbert Yakus said he hasn't given up on Brown yet. But he needs to see a sign in the coming year that his senator is still the same truck driving, barn jacket wearing guy from Wrentham that he was a year ago.
"We're more than happy to help him go the way of Arlen Specter."
"He's got to realize who put him in there," Yakus said. "This was an uprising, this was to send a message, and he hasn't sent that message yet."
Sending that message will be Brown's challenge on the Republican side. Asked to comment on Wheeler's threat, a spokesman for the senator said only that Brown is focused on his job and on restarting the economy.
On the Democratic side, the list of potential candidates is already taking shape and it includes names like Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) and City Year founder Alan Khazei, who both seem to want another go at Brown after losing to Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley in the Democratic primary last year.
So, at the end of his first year, Brown has turned out to be exactly who he said he was — a Scott Brown Republican. In 2012, it will be up to voters to decide if they are members of his party.


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Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be hitting shelves in May. May? Yes May. May 23rd to be exact. Why in May you ask? It may have something to do with the fact that the month of May usually has little to offer on a consistent basis year to year for video games. The release date for SMG2 was announced in San Francisco, so it may be that this will only be the date for North America – sorry Europe.
[gametrailers 62270]
Article from Gamersyndrome.com


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Owing to mounting competition, bio-pharmaceutical companies often expand their product portfolio in the same indication area. This may lead a new brand into gaining more popularity at the expense of an established brand. The challenge for all product and brand leaders is to expand their product portfolio such that introduction of a new product does not affect the sales of the established brand.
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Friday Open Thread
We have nearly survived Bey Day; we have nearly survived 2013. (Or, we're getting there.) Before we all return to today's only true task, a quick look back at the week that was on The Hairpin:
• We finally got the yacht, the duplex, and the Cute Baseball Player Finally Fingered Me dress.
• We brainstormed other balls, looked into the future, and paid tribute to a piece of plastic.
• We pretended to laugh and called it yoga, and threw a party with a lot of horse hair.
• We served cranberry chode, circa 1951, and protected this house.
• "Remember the animal of you with its heat & hunger, pacing the stars & tearing them open."
• We talked with Jamie Shupak and Linda Holmes.
• Erica got an IV, and Jia lost her mind.
You are all the best. Tell us how you're doing, and we'll see you back here Monday.
Photo via state_library_south_australia/flickr.


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DENVER - Carrie Shultz didn't have much reason to smile Friday afternoon. By the time her Roaring Fork volleyball team wrapped up a five-set win over Eaton in the evening, the program's head coach couldn't stop grinning.
While the Rams need some help to extend their stay at the state volleyball tournament, they at least kept their semifinal hopes alive.
After looking flat in a three-set loss to No. 2 Platte Valley to open Class 3A pool play at the Denver Coliseum on Friday, Roaring Fork surged back to defeat Eaton in a tense match that went back and forth. If Eaton defeats Platte Valley in today's Pool II finale, the three teams would then square off in a tiebreaker for the pool's one semifinal berth.
"We put ourselves in the best position we can be in now," said Josie Horn, the Rams' junior libero. "We'll come back and watch Eaton and Platte Valley play tomorrow and hope Eaton beats Platte Valley."
Said Shultz with a smile: "We'll be Eaton fans in the morning."
Hattie Gianinetti blasted 20 kills and her twin sister, Megan, swatted 16 as Roaring Fork twice rallied from a set down to defeat the defending state champion Reds in five, 22-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 15-13.
"Right away, I think we figured out, 'Hey, we can play with them,'" Shultz said. "The girls played with heart. Any time we did have a little lull, we picked it back up. I couldn't be more proud of them."
The Rams, the state field's 11th seed, battled through eight tie counts to eke out the fifth-set win. From a 13-all score, Megan Gianinetti blasted a kill off the hands of Eaton blockers to make it 14-13. An errant shot by the Reds sealed the victory, triggering a joyous celebration.
Even Roaring Fork's 3A Western Slope League mate, Gunnison, shared in the occasion, lining up to slap hands with the Rams courtside as the Cowboys arrived to face Colorado Springs Christian in the day's final 3A match. Gunnison won in three (25-13, 25-17, 25-23).
"We're rooting for them and they've been rooting for us, until it comes down to if we play each other," Horn said. "We come from the same league and we're just excited that we're both here."
Taylor Adams finished with 41 assists and three blocks for Roaring Fork, which improved to 23-4 on the season. Madison Handy racked up 20 digs and Caitlin Kinney wound up with 18 digs and five blocks. Megan Gianinetti chipped in four blocks for the Rams, who hadn't won a match at the state tournament since at least 1990.
Said Shultz: "However it plays out, they played their hearts out."
No. 7 Eaton dipped to 19-7 with the defeat.
Rachel Moralez belted 11 kills and Teslin Holton eight as Platte Valley stormed past Roaring Fork, 25-18, 25-16, 25-20, in Friday's Pool II opener.
Abby Reinick had 26 assists and Kyra Mix eight blocks as, according to head coach Jared Rudiger, the Broncos (20-6) won their first state match since 2005.
"My kids were very focused and energized," Rudiger said of his second-seeded squad. "This was a big win for us."
Jazmin Montes finished with 23 digs for Platte Valley, which finished second behind Valley in the Patriot League during the regular season and is one of five Class 3A schools from that circuit to qualify for the 12-team state tournament. Eaton is also a Patriot League squad.


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Brilliant Britain - Brilliant Wales: Episode 2
12 May 2014, 12:07
Adam Duce and Huw Ware host the second episode of Brilliant Wales from the Brecon Beacon national park.
As well as the amazing scenery, they'll be bringing you some of the most exciting projects that Wales has to offer.
Challenge Wales
The Challenge Wales is a 72-foot yacht originally built to race around the world — something it's done twice! Now, it's used by a Welsh charity to provide young people with the opportunity to experience sail training in Cardiff Bay.
The project is entirely run by volunteers, and take young people ages 16-25 out on voyages that can last a week!
If you're interested in the project you can read a little more about it here www.challengewales.org
Talgarth Mill
Talgarth Mill is the only water mill in the Brecon Beacon national park, and uses the stone ground flour in it's award winning bakery and café.
As well as providing a unique insight into the history of milling, the project has really made a difference to the local community. Huw Ware shows us round the mill and hears from some of the volunteers who help run the project.
If you'd like to visit the mill, click here www.talgarthmill.com
Recovery Cymru
Recovery Cymru is a mutual-aid support community in Cardiff for people seeking recovery from drug and alcohol problems. A strong focus is placed on strengthening communities of people in recovery, with their members designing and running activities themselves. We'll be meeting Andrew Sims, a member of this community and this week's hometown hero, to hear his story.
Learn more about the project at www.recoverycymru.org.uk
Swansea Community Farm
Established in 1992, Swansea Community Farm works towards allowing people of all ages to learn about the environment, gardening and animal care.
There's also a strong focus on volunteers playing an active role in the community and building on personal growth. The farm is run entirely by volunteers and is often described as an outdoor community centre as well as a farm.
If you're interested in visiting the farm, you can find out more about it here www.swanseacommunityfarm.org.uk
Geraint Rhys
Geraint is a bi-lingual singer song writer, singing in both Welsh and English. Today, he's sharing his video for Welsh song Ble Mae'r Haul? with us.
If you want to hear more of Geraint, you can visit www.geraintrhys.com
Do #SomethingBrilliant
We're asking the UK to escape the sofa and Do Something Brilliant to help make the UK a brighter happier place! There are loads of brilliant things that you can do and share at www.dosomethingbrilliant.co.uk
On Twittter, follow @dsbrilliant and rock the hashtag Do #SomethingBrilliant, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dsbrilliant