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A couple of comments made at the Fremantle Election Forum at Notre Dame University this week made me contemplate the intricacies of voting for the right person or party. Is it more beneficial for Fremantle if we stayed a marginal seat all parties will try to win by spending money on infrastructure and services in our city? At present Freo tends to lean towards Labor and the Greens but with all the expected future development the demographics of the city might well change and Fremantle could become a Liberal seat in the next decade. Is that good or bad?
Independent Adele Carles claimed on the night that she has the ear of the Liberal government and that she knows how they work and that the Libs would not work with, and ignore, Labor's Simone McGurk. That might have been true a year ago but is this still so? Could it not be that Premier Colin Barnett is fed up with the Carles v Buswell saga and court case and that Carles would only get the cold shoulder from him and the government should she be re-elected. If that was the case, and we followed down the lines of Carles' argument, it might be better to vote for Greens' candidate Andrew Sullivan.
It is fascinating and something we all have to think about carefully. Fremantle needs someone in parliament who will get the best for our city. Is that achievable from a minority party like the Greens, an Independent, or from the Labor opposition? I need to think long and hard about it.
Roel Loopers
I am always keen to encourage community debate through this blog, so when the Mayor of Fremantle published his vision for our city we should not let it be unnoticed.
Brad Pettitt refers to The tricky knack of a political narrative by Bernard Keane that claims that negative narratives are simple while positive narratives are complex and nuanced. That is a bit simplistic for me because negative narratives can be very detailed and complex while positive narratives can be full of spin and hyperbole, so let's forget that bit.
Vision is good. Great detailed vision is better. Vision without spin is even better. It's all about good communication, so I simply copy what Brad wrote while being bunkered down on Cocos Island because of cyclone Rusty, and let you make up your own mind. Here it is.
The Council's vision for Freo is that it maintains its economic and cultural heritage by continuing to be Perth's second city – a place of consequence not just another dormitory suburb where people go home to sleep and tourists visit on the weekend. Fremantle will be vibrant seven day a week economically rejuvenated city with more people living, working and playing in it each day.
We will of course need new development to accommodate these extra people. The new developments will be environmentally sustainable, of high architectural design quality and have a high component of affordable housing which will ensure Fremantle remains an inclusive and diverse community not just a place for the wealthy.
Fremantle will have great public transport (including light rail) and bike and pedestrian links in and around the city so cars are not the dominant form of transport.
Fremantle will preserve and maintain its unique built heritage just as it will build on its unique cultural heritage including being home to innovative arts, culture and festivals.
Finally we will show leadership and innovation through minimising our ecological footprint and share our leadership as a 21st century sustainable city.
Tannock Hall at the Fremantle Notre Dame University was absolutely packed on Tuesday evening for the Candidates Election Forum and what a great event it turned out to be. Questions from the floor and via email and Twitter were thrown at the six candidates about almost everything; high-rise, beggars, road or rail, fremantle ports, development, traffic, hospital, homeless, graffiti, art, retail, mining, global warming, same sex marriage, abortion, euthanasia, corruption, etc.
ABC reporter Peter Kennedy did a splendid job being the MC for the night. The outstanding performers for me were in no particular order Adele Carles, Simone McGurk and Andrew Sullivan.
I very much enjoyed the very Freo atmosphere in the hall. Well done UNDA, Fremantle Network, Fremantle Society, Chamber of Commerce and Oxfam for organising the evening. It was well worth it.
Roel Loopers
Fremantle Council is hosting a community consultation on Saturday March 2 from 3:30 – 5:30 pm
in the Fremantle Council Reception Room to discuss the current status of proposals to
upgrade the High Street/Stirling Highway intersection.
This matter affects Fremantle residents, students, workers and residents of adjacent areas.
The plan to widen the road reserve to six lanes not only affects the future of High St
and the Stirling Highway, but has implications for North Fremantle, Stock Road and
the Beeliar wetlands.
In the interests of sustainable freight transport and community health and safety,
it is important that people come along to speak and be heard at this event.
Annolies Truman
Fremantle Road2Rail
Linley Lutton and his City Gatekeepers team are holding the OCCUPY COTTESLOE camp against Premier Colin Barnett at Cottesloe Beach on Saturday March 2 from 4 pm. Bring your tent or swag to have great night on the beach with people who are not impressed with the state government's Elizabeth Quay and other developments. I am sure many Fremantle people would love to see the back of the Barnett government, so show your colours on March 2.
Roel Loopers
A new artwork has been installed in Fremantle High Street mall as part of the Arcadia Public Art Programme. The City has not been able to give me the name of the artist who created the work, so I can't tell you who it is. If you know, let me know!
Roel Loopers
STOP PRESS! I have just been informed by the City of Fremantle that the work is by local artist Alessandra Rossi and is titled Pixelated Clouds.
I wished Rachel Watts, the editor of the Fremantle Gazette, would go out more and listen to Fremantle people. Rachel writes short editorials that are often not very good and the one in today's newspaper misses the point all together. Watts writes that "the resistance to putting youth culture in the centre of the City speaks to long-held biases about young people." Her comments relate to people who oppose a skate park/youth plaza on the Esplanade Park. She writes that "….tout such facts of life as reasons for social exclusion or sideline young people is eye-rolling facile."
What is facile is Rachel Watts' editorial, as the debate has not been about youth versus aged or the exclusion of younger people from the inner city. The debate only has been about a better, more suitable location for the skate park to the north or south of the Esplanade, not about not wanting a skate park in the city centre. It is unfair to those who want to preserve the Esplanade as a green oasis in Fremantle to claim that they have a bias against young people and want to exclude them.
Roel Loopers
I watched some of the presidential style state election commercials on TV today and am less than impressed. Both leaders have similar lighting, with back light lighting up their cheeks, and Premier Colin Barnett has a drop shadow behind him, probably to make his one-dimensional performance look three-dimensional. It doesn't work though as his expression is that of an undertaker ready to go to the next funeral. It's an election about the future of our state Colin, so a bit of optimism and a smile would have been nice to give us confidence you can lead us.
Labor leader Mark McGowan is underwhelming most of the time with his expressionless looks. He seems to have a bad hair day every day as his thinning hair looks unwashed. Maybe a Number One haircut would give him the more corporate look of a real leader and create a better impression. Where are the highly-paid media advisers for both leaders when they need them most?
More substance in the political debate seems to much to ask for, so now hoping Fremantle people will do a third degree on our candidates at the Fremantle Candidates Forum at Notre Dame Uni on Tuesday.
Roel Loopers
Comments Off on ELECTION COMMERCIALS SHOW BORING W.A. LEADERS
Dee and Ruth Shelley are two Fremantle people I very much respect and like, so when they sent me their opinion about the proposed South Beach ramp I want to assist in the debate about it by publishing their letter. Here it is:
This business about the pros and cons of a proposed small Groyne and Ramp is causing great concern to a good few Dog Beach users.
I and a few of my friends, are probably the silent majority who want the ramp. Lets wait to see the outcome of the questionnaire. We are all for it as a good amenity for us locals.
Who said there is a vast majority against? I think this is one eyed reporting favouring the small number of knockers.
As an elderly gopher driver I long to be able to get close enough to the water to be able to get in and swim without the crutches sinking into the sand at every step while walking to deeper water.
In my earlier days in Victoria I made two small sailing dinghies in our back yard and taught the four children to sail while I stood in shallow water. The boats were on the roof rack of our parked cars and could be rigged and launched by hand off the beach or a ramp. Now where can you do this anywhere south of Fremantle? Without carrying them for a long way over grass and sand dunes, over a wall and rocks before getting to the water. The proposed ramp would obviate this effort. There are very many Wind Surfers; Kayaks; Canoes; whose owners also will be really pleased to be spared the effort of this overland hike.
The knockers will say there is plenty of launching area at the Yacht Club (of which I am a member). BUT who can afford to make your self a member just for the simple chance of teaching the kids to sail – and to an average young parent membership is a heavy expence.
For some reason the Knockers seem to believe that the Club has some ulterior motive and have a hate on it. Why? Just because they see expensive boats around and are jealous. An additional 500 pens somewhere is not an excuse to give us this great amenity.
Anyway, I for one of many, really hope that I will live long enough to enjoy watching young parents teaching their kids to sail on water which belongs to all of us.
Signed, on behalf of the silent majority. Dee Shelley. Jenkin Street.


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Absolut comes apart onscreen
Just six weeks after Pernod Ricard won the race to buy Absolut vodka, the first
TV campaign for the brand in the UK has been launched.
A 20-second ad based on the
In An Absolut World campaign
will appear nationally on commercial terrestrial channels plus Sky 1, E4 and Sky Sports.
The Dissection ad shows the iconic Absolut bottle
fragmented into tiled shards to reveal the vodka inside, before being reassembled into the full pack.
Peter Mooney, marketing director for Absolut at distributor Maxxium UK, said: "The visuals highlight the attention to detail that goes into making Absolut vodka and emphasise the truly natural ingredients consumers can expect."
The film was shot by photographer Dan Tobin Smith, whose work has appeared in the Observer and the New York Times.

subset: commoncrawl


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Anyone can cook if they put their mind to it. Can you shop and follow directions? Is your kitchen full of cooking equipment and utensils that you never use? If so, then there is no reason you should not cook! Make use of the tips below to make excellent food that anyone would envy and add a star to your chef ranking.
If you are just starting out with cooking, consider doing your research at your local library. There are plenty of cookbooks with simple recipes available. Try your hand at several recipes that pique your interest, and forgive yourself for any mistakes you may make along the way.
One thing that you can do is to bake a pie or tart crust longer to optimize quality. Pastry crust should be baked to a golden caramel color rather than a pale blond shade. The deep caramel color demonstrates that the sugar has melded with the other ingredients, giving you an optimal flavor.
To easily slice meat thinly, place it in the freezer until firm but not frozen. This is best for Asian meals such as Thai or Chinese dishes. The meat holds a tighter form when the it is partially frozen making the strips clean cut with out any stretching of the meat. To ensure the meat cooks evenly, you must let the meat strips thaw thoroughly before cooking.
When making your own chicken stock, prepare more than you need up front. Plan on preparing a large batch so that the excess can be frozen and used later. There are a variety of recipes that call for chicken stock, so having it on hand is always a good idea. Allow your stock to cool, then put portions in heavy-duty Ziploc bags made for freezing.
In this manner, you will be able to preserve the freshness of the fruit throughout the year. You also have the benefit of enjoying fruits out of season.
Fresh herbs in a meal are delicious. Bunch them together and then use a pair of scissors to snip them. The herbs can be fluffier, lighter, and drier than if you just chopped them.
Always follow the directions on the box when making a simple mac and cheese. By following the instructions closely, you are far less likely to overcook your noodles. Mushy noodles make for an unappealing dish. Solid faced spoons are great for serving up macaroni and cheese. Use one of your favorite spices to add extra flavor to your boxed macaroni and cheese.
Allow your food to sit for a moment before serving it. A lot of people don't understand the importance of letting a meal sit for a while. Many people are tempted to rush food to the table when serving a meal. But many foods need to "rest" for a few minutes before being served in order to taste their best. To maximize taste and satisfaction, wait a little while before you serve your meal to friends or family.
You can cook as a hobby, skill, and as a profession. There are various ways of preparing food. The best method of learning new cooking tactics is by heeding the advice of expert cooks. Try these tips out when you cook a meal for your family and watch their faces light up with joy when they realize how great your food tastes.


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Top 10 July 4th Movies
Watch anything good on July 4th? I'm afraid I did not, because it was just too nice to be indoors here in Buffalo, but I compiled this list for the next rainy day. Here they are in reverse order: 10. Captain America 9. Air Force One 8. Head of State 7. Dave 6. The West […]
My Plan to Become a Born-Again Voracious Reader
I've been a big reader for as long as I remember. The last few years I have been slacking off though. Mostly because there are a million distractions from binge watching Vampire Diaries to live tweeting reality shows to trying to find the end of the internet. I think another problem is that I tend […]
When Women Go Off-Duty.
I was reading an interview of David Sedaris in the October 2013 (I know) edition of Writer's Digest and he mentioned a conversation he had with a woman at one of his book signings: "I heard on the radio that you were going to be here. Normally I take my bra off and it's off […]
Spenser The Dog Looks At Me When I Leave For Work In The Morning
Like a small child who knows he will be left alone all day with nothing but some chew toys and a bowl of kibble. Not that I ever did that with a small child. And the statute of limitations is long past anyway.
There Are Things in the Back of My Fridge Older Than This Fitness Blogger
There Are Things in the Back of My Fridge Older Than This Fitness Blogger.


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I am all about saving money, whether it be using coupons, shopping at second hand stores, and taking advantage of freebies. Since Valentine's Day is coming up soon, why not celebrate and save money at the same time?
I scoured the web looking for free printable Valentine's Day cards. These are all kid-themed and soooo cute!!
The cards below are from Pumpkins and Posies. Check out their website, they have cards for all occasions!
Here is another card selection from Pumpkins and Posies. These have a vintage feel to them. They remind me of some of my mother's old Valentine's that she kept from her childhood.
This set of Valentine's Day cards comes from Get Buttoned Up. These are perfect for the younger crowd and can be given by either a boy or girl. On the same site, you will find another download for kids of an older age.
These are colorful and fun! They are not your standard pink hearts and furry animals. Check out Diva Entertains for other Valentine's Day card downloads.
How cute are these cards? I really like the design on all four cards. These are my favorite out of all the Valentine's I have seen so far. Make sure to visit One Charming Party and check out their other Valentine's Day card download.
If you love Disney, here is a free download. There are 9 different Disney characters featured on these cards. They are sure to be a hit in your child's classroom.
If you are a fan of Star Wars, brace yourself…
These cards are so AWESOME! I can see college students handing these out in class! The best part about this choice is that you can also print out an envelope to go with the Valentine.
The next three Valentine's Day cards come from the same website: We Love To Illustrate. There are many more, in addition to the ones pictured, so make sure to check them out!
If you are interested in this topic, you may also like Edible Valentine's Day Cards.


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You're probably eagerly anticipating what this amazing lipstick is. I shall save you from your suffering then!
They are none other than the Rimmel London's Lasting Finish Lipsticks.
|Wearing Heart Breaker and loving it!
Ironically enough, Heart Breaker instantly stole my heart and I ain't ashamed of it. Not so much in love with Amethyst Shimmer though. Once you look at the swatches and read along, you'll find out why I love Heart Breaker.
Let's begin swatchy swatching!
|Left is Amethyst Shimmer and right is Heart Breaker.
First up is Amethyst Shimmer.
You can see my full face view here.
Next up is my favourite, Heart Breaker.
comfort, and price is all top notch. It does not dry out my lips and my lips feel so comfortable after wearing this. It applies smoothly and it's the perfect rosey-red shade for me.
HOWEVER! Remember how I said I have one minor issue with these lipsticks? Well, that issue is the smell. They smell like one of those horrible strawberry flavoured cough syrups my mum used to give it to me as a kid. I hated that stuff. Ever since then, I stay away from anything and everything that's artificially strawberry flavoured - strawberry milk, strawberry ice cream... The smell is stronger for Amethyst Shimmer then it is for Heart Breaker. Now that I think about it, I think this was the reason why I haven't been using these lipsticks. I can deal with the smell, but I would rather not have any scent at all T____T
Here's a full face view with Heart Breaker.
I am definitely going to check out other Lasting Finish shades now that I love Heart Breaker so much. I really hope other shades don't smell as bad as these do. I also want to try out the Kate Moss collections, especially the matte ones. So yes, I believe I am now going to slowly collect all of Rimmel's Lipsticks ;D
Love, very happy Court :))


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Alright, this post is dedicated to all of the guys who have been supportive of MalaysianStudent.com ~!
This week, we are featuring our very first post of MS.com InstaBabe For The Week.
Our #MS.comInstaBabe this week is Zhang Qiu Wen ~!!!
NAME: Zhang Qiu Wen
AGE: 20 Years Old
HOMETOWN: Johor Bharu, Johor, Malaysia
OCCUPATION: Freelance Model, Student of HELP University Majoring in Childhood Education (Graduating in 2018)
[For those of you who are studying at HELP University, don't go crazy if you spot her on campus. ?]
DREAM: Becoming a good teacher
[Wouldn't you agree that she would be one of the top teacher you would have a crush on as a student? ?]
STATUS: Rumor says she has a boyfriend, but if you happen to be in her social circle, you might meet some of her other cute friends who are single.
[Ooo…! For those of you who are single, what are you waiting for? ?]
WECHAT: quiwen2014
EMAIL: firstname.lastname@example.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Qiuwen1014
Anyway, let's take a look at where Qiu Wen she been Instagramming:
Here's her best Instagram photo that represents herself the most:
Here's a few more of her Instagram photos with the highest likes.
What do you guys think of her?
Leave your comments below and share this on your social media. 🙂


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The Kama Sutra of Vatsayayana
Richard Burton
The Kama Sutra of Vatsayayana
Sir Richard Burton, translator (1883)
Formatted at sacred-texts.com, July 2003. This text is in the public
domain. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose
provided this notice of attribution is left intact.
* Part I: Introductory
* Chapter I. Preface
* Chapter II. Observations on the Three Worldly Attainments of Virtue,
Wealth, and Love
* Chapter III. On the Study of the Sixty-Four Arts
* Chapter IV. On the Arrangements of a House, and Household
Furniture; and About the Daily Life of a Citizen, His Companions,
Amusements, Etc.
* Chapter V. About Classes of Women Fit and Unfit for Congress with
the Citizen, and of Friends, and Messengers
* Part II: On Sexual Union
* Chapter I. Kinds of Union According to Dimensions, Force of Desire,
and Time; and on the Different Kinds of Love
* Chapter II. Of the Embrace
* Chapter III. On Kissing
* Chapter IV. On Pressing or Marking with the Nails
* Chapter V. On Biting, and the Ways of Love to be Employed with
Regard to Women of Different Countries
* Chapter VI. On the Various Ways of Lying Down, and the Different
Kinds of Congress
* Chapter VII. On the Various Ways of Striking, and of The Sounds
Appropriate to Them
* Chapter VIII. About Females Acting the Part of Males
* Chapter IX. On Holding the Lingam in the Mouth
* Chapter X. How to Begin and How to End the Congress. Different
Kinds of Congress, and Love Quarrels
* Part III: About the Acquisition of a Wife
* Chapter I. Observations on Betrothal and Marriage
* Chapter II. About Creating Confidence In the Girl
* Chapter III. Courtship, and the Manifestation of the Feelings by
Outward Signs and Deeds
* Chapter IV. On Things to be Done Only by the Man, and the
Acquisition of the Girl Thereby. Also What is to be Done by a Girl to
Gain Over a Man and Subject Him to Her
* Chapter V. On the Different Forms of Marriage
* Part IV: About a Wife
* Chapter I. On the Manner of Living of a Virtuous Woman, and of Her
Behaviour During the Absence of Her Husband
* Chapter II. On the Conduct of the Eldest Wife Towards the Other
Wives of her Husband, and of the Younger Wife Towards the Elder
* Part V: About the Wives of Other People
* Chapter I. On the Characteristics of Men And Women...
* Chapter II. About Making Acquaintance with the Woman, and of the
Efforts to Gain Her Over
* Chapter III. Examination of the State of a Woman's Mind
* Chapter IV. The Business of a Go-Between
* Chapter V. On the Love of Persons in Authority with the Wives of
Other People
* Chapter VI. About the Women of the Royal Harem, and of the
Keeping of One's Own Wife
* Part VI: About Courtesans
Introductory Remarks
* Chapter I. Of the Causes of a Courtesan Resorting to Men...
* Chapter II. Of a Courtesan Living With a Man as His Wife
* Chapter III. Of the Means of getting Money...
* Chapter IV. About a Reunion with a Former Lover
* Chapter V. Of Different Kinds of Gain
* Chapter VI. Of Gains and Losses, Attendant Gains and Losses, and
Doubts; and Lastly, the Different Kinds of Courtesans
* Part VII: On The Means of Attracting Others to One's Self
* Chapter I. On Personal Adornment, Subjugating the Hearts of Others,
and of Tonic Medicines
* Chapter II. Of The Means of Exciting Desire, and of the Ways of
Enlarging the Lingam. Miscellaneous Experiments and Receipts
* Concluding Remarks
IN the literature of all countries there will be found a certain number of
works treating especially of love. Everywhere the subject is dealt with
differently, and from various points of view. In the present publication
it is proposed to give a complete translation of what is considered the
standard work on love in Sanscrit literature, and which is called the
'Vatsyayana Kama Sutra', or Aphorisms on Love, by Vatsyayana.
While the introduction will deal with the evidence concerning the date
of the writing, and the commentaries written upon it, the chapters
following the introduction will give a translation of the work itself. It is,
however, advisable to furnish here a brief analysis of works of the same
nature, prepared by authors who lived and wrote years after Vatsyayana
had passed away, but who still considered him as the great authority,
and always quoted him as the chief guide to Hindoo erotic literature.
Besides the treatise of Vatsyayana the following works on the same
subject are procurable in India:
The Ratirahasya, or secrets of love
The Panchasakya, or the
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According to researchers, low carb diets are better than low fat diets for:
- Lowering diastolic blood pressure
- Lowering triglycerides
- Lowering very-low density lipoprotein cholesterol
- Increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
Isn't that strange.
A low-carb diet consisting of (20 g/d for 3 months) in the form of low–glycemic index vegetables with unrestricted consumption of fat and protein turns out to be healthier than the universally accepted low-fat diet consisting of limited energy intake (1200 to 1800 kcal/d; ≤30% calories from fat).
Vegetables & meat are healthier than grains.
Who would have guessed that???
BTW, this study was funded by the National Institutes of Health – no Atkins money in sight.


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Do you know that the sharks do not have tongues?
Yes, sharks do not have tongues. Most cartoons portray sharks as animals having a tongue, but in reality that is not true. Sharks do not have tongues. So, the question arises, how do sharks swallow their food?
Scientists have been carrying out experiments since a long while in order to find answers. And through a recent study conducted at the Browns University, they might have just succeeded.
The observations from their experiments have led them to conclude that sharks 'shrug' their shoulders in order to swallow food. This study was successful only due to the X-ray movie technology developed recently. It allows scientists to internally observe mammals and even humans!
Thus, they were able to observe bamboo swing their shoulders internally in order to eat. Sharks are apex predators. Sharks mainly feed on fish, crustaceans, mollusks, plankton, krill, marine mammals and even other sharks. Sharks also have a very strong sense of smell that allows them to detect blood in the water from miles away.
Sharks have skeletons that are primarily made of cartilage. They create suction, by pulling their shoulder girdle back, to draw the food through the back of their mouth into the digestive tract.
The research was carried out by a team led by Ariel Camp, a postdoctoral researcher at Browns University and lead author of the research published in Proceedings B, a Royal Society journal.
"They have this long pharynx, and they have to keep food moving down it," Camp said. "We think this is part of a 'hydrodynamic tongue.' Sharks and fishes that don't have a tongue control the motion of fluid within their mouths to manipulate food." However, we now know that the sharks do not have tongues.
X-ray technology behind the success
The X-ray movie technology was created by Camp and her colleagues at the Browns University. They named the technology as the X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM). It combines CT scans of the skeleton with high speed, high resolution movies. It consists of tiny metal markers, used to create precise mapping of the movement of the bones and muscles within the body of animals and humans under observation.
It is interesting to know that the sharks that mostly remain near the ocean floor, bottom-feed. Other sharks generally filter feed on tiny fishes. They swim through the ocean, with an open mouth, carefully filtering the planktons.
Camp stated that bamboo sharks are just one among the many species of sharks that use suction to swallow their prey.
Earlier, many scientists had conflicting views on sharks using their shoulder girdles for suction-feeding. This was mainly because there is no actual connection between the shoulders to the jaws or anything else in the head. However, with the invention and development of the XROMM, scientists could see the inside of the sharks as they fed, and measure the swing of the shoulder girdle as well. It was observed that the cartilage rotated backwards at about 11 degrees.
More questions to be answered…
This study involved only the bamboo sharks. However, Camp said she suspects that other species of sharks too, feed in a similar manner. Through further research into this field, she hopes to find a reasonable theory on how the shoulder girdle evolved in sharks.
This could help explain how certain animals evolved to eventually survive on land.
Camp studied some of the fossil records dating years back, and noted that the girdle shows up in the records around the time that their jaws evolved. However, she still cannot figure out what structures the girdle evolved from or how that evolution took place.
She says that part of understanding history, is in understanding what functions the particular structure had to carry out.
Some of the other scientists who played a major role in this breakthrough finding are Cheryl Wilga of the University of Alaska, Bradley Scott of the University of Illinois and Elizabeth Brainerd of Brown University.
The research that discovered the fact that the sharks do not have tongues was funded by The National Science Foundation and the University of Alaska at Anchorage.


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Smith River
Smith River
California's crown jewel and the states last undammed river, the Smith is home to some of the biggest salmon and steelhead on the coast and considered by many to be one the most gorgeous. A short system, comprised of three main forks, the North, Middle and South, she gathers her water from the Siskiyou Mountains and the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, converging at The Forks and forming the main stem. Flowing through rugged, granite canyons with old growth redwoods lining her banks, she's the fastest clearing system on the coast and always the first river to fish after a big rain. Within 36 hours of the heaviest storms the Smith glows emerald green beckoning anglers to ply her waters while all the other rivers in the area run chocolate brown.
Summer flows bring the Smith River down to a trickle. The only fish life being juveniles and a few wily resident cutthroat trout that can be seen swimming 30 feet down in the gin clear water of the deepest holes. By September king salmon begin nosing in and out of tidewater and milling in the estuary waiting for rising flows to bring them home to their spawning beds. The first big winter storm system of the season ushers a legendary flood of these giant fish pushing upriver chomping at lures and bait as they go. October and November are the prime months for Smith River Salmon with new fish arriving all the way into December. As the water first begins to clear K-15 kwickfish wrapped with a sardine fillet produce arm wrenching strikes and in lower water, back-bouncing cured roe in the deep holes is the ticket. Every fall, countless salmon over 40 pounds are caught with 50, 60 and even 70 pound fish a possibility. No river in the state offers a better chance at a giant king salmon.
By early December the first Smith River steelhead get caught. These are normally incidentals while salmon fishing with big numbers starting to arrive by the middle of the month. The run peaks in January and February with good fishing a possibility all the way through March. As the salmon come to an end, heavy gear is traded in for light spinning rods and the thin line required to fool big winter steelies. Side drifting with roe and a fish pill becomes the go to method with fish grabbing baits as they float through the riffles and runs. The battles can be spectacular and chasing hooked fish through the rapids is common as they burn out of the pools cartwheeling into the air. While every Smith River steelhead is an accomplishment worthy of bragging rights, true giants are a very real possibility. Fish over 20 pounds are caught each winter and the river still lays claim to the California state record of 27 pounds 4 ounces.
While the Smith River doesn't give up her treasures easily, she's one of the most spectacular rivers on the planet with some of the most impressive salmon and steelhead. An opportunity to fish this gem under prime conditions offers the chance for legends to be born and indelible fishing memories to be formed. Between the giant redwoods that shroud her banks, the huge fish that run her waters and the angling history that decorates her past, the Smith is truly a special place.


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New Year Hours at NCC
Written by Super User
NEW YEAR HOURS: Wishing all of our family and friends a wonderful New Year. As a reminder our Ft Apache and Sahara Locations are open during the holiday.
Below are the Hours Sunday Dec 31: Open Till 8pm (Sahara Location Closes at 7p) Monday Jan 1: Closed As a reminder our Arroyo / 215 & Rainbow Location will be closed for remodeling until Jan 15th.


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Mrs. Brown's Boys The Complete Series DVD Special Features
Actors: Brendan O'Carroll
Language: English
Boxed Set: Yes
Number of discs: 8
Condition: New
Region: Region Free
Weight: 1 kg
Format: Support both NTSC & PAL
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
DVD Release Date: 2016
Mrs. Brown's Boys The Complete Series DVD Photos
Mrs. Brown's Boys The Complete Series DVD Overview
Mrs. Brown's Boys appeared first on RTÉ 2fm, an Irish radio station, in 1992 and then in a series of books written by Brendan O'Carroll from the mid-1990s onwards.The books, entitled The Mammy, The Chisellers, The Granny, and The Young Wan, were first published in Ireland, before being made available in the United Kingdom.In 1999, The Mammy was adapted into a film titled Agnes Browne with Anjelica Huston playing the title character. Following the success of the film, O'Carroll wrote a series of stories,Mrs. Brown's Boys The Complete Series adapted from the books, in which he played Mrs. Browne (now spelled 'Brown') and cast the rest of the family — including many of his own relatives as characters. A series of seven film-like adaptations were made, which went straight to DVD release. During this time, O'Carroll took the show on the road, appearing in a series of Mrs. Brown plays in the United Kingdom and Ireland.


text: Derrick is a Pastor at The Embassy Church in Northeast Park Hill. He is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and a vocal supporter of the football team of his alma mater, the University Of Alabama (Roll Tide!), where he earned a degree in engineering. In 2003, after working several years as a traveling consultant in the software industry, Derrick married his good looking and good cooking wife, Zaneta, and they subsequently moved to Dallas for him to pursue a Th.M at Dallas Theological Seminary. During their time in Dallas their family grew to include two delightful sons, Drew and Zach.


text:
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I made my first Twitter account in August of 2013 with the handle "tomcar670fast", which was also my email address. Due to my stupidity, I created a lot of weird Tweets. Let's look at some of them.
Where better to start than my first ever Tweet?
No, I don't know what I'm waiting for, nor why I decided to make this my first Tweet.
My second Tweet isn't much better.
It's a recreation of a Top Gear scene made with LEGO. I don't know why I wanted you to watch it so much.
After a spam of YouTube-related Tweets, we find this.
I really wanted people to look at some iPad accessories.
Immediately after getting a new phone, I begin spamming my minuscule amount of followers with Britian's Got Talent.
It was at this moment I realised I wasn't going to be the next PewDiePie.
This one doesn't need explaining.
u r a #bick :)
LOL rage is fun :)
My YouTube channel was pretty bad.
If you didn't see it at the top of this page, this is what my account looked like back in 2015.
I mean it's not the worst I've seen, but it's still terrible.
I've got nothing to say about this Tweet
This is the end of the amusing Tweets on my old account. Hopefully you enjoyed laughing at them as much as I did finding them.
I might do another one of these for old Tweets from my current account, but most of the fun ones also contain personal information, so I probably won't.
Got a comment, a query or some other feedback? I don't have a comments section, but feel free to Tweet me!


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text:
The CFPB announced on Wednesday, September 20th, 2017, proposed guidance to limit the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data it shares publicly. The Bureau's 2015 HMDA amendments (discussed in our alerts here and here) revamped HMDA's coverage and processes, including requiring lenders to report vast swaths of new data about mortgage applicants and their loans. At the time, the Bureau said that it was still considering what portion of that data it would share with the public. It expressed sensitivity to the privacy and data security concerns implicated by gathering and maintaining such large amounts of personal data, which include applicant and borrower addresses, loan amounts, and credit scores, and sought public comment. In response, many consumer advocates and lenders expressed concern with sharing such sensitive information and urged the CFPB to limit the public sharing of that data.
Now, almost two years later, the CFPB has made its proposal. The Bureau would eliminate more than a dozen data and text fields—including the applicant or borrower's property address, credit score(s), and race and ethnicity—from the HMDA data it publicly discloses. It is proposing a compromise on other data fields by making them less precise. For example, rather than publishing a borrower's loan amount and property value, it would "disclose the midpoint for the $10,000 interval into which the reported value falls." And rather than disclosing the borrower's age, the Bureau would publish a range (under 25, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, etc…).
The comment period ends 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register, and the update will take effect on January 1, 2018.


text:
Paula (MO) is the winner of Katie's Quest by Lee Carver.
Edward (VA) is the winner of Encore for Estelle by Kimberly Rose Johnson.
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If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites.
Also, tell your friends about the book ... and this blog. Thank you.
Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.
If you won an ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.
When you contact me, please give the title and author of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.
Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.


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Coelacanth Is Watching You…
The coelacanth is one ugly prehistoric fish. The cool thing about it is that it's post-historic, too! (Or at least, um, regular historic…)
From what I can tell, all of the collectors pictured below have three things in common: they like fish, they feel some connection to the concept of "survival", and they are nerdy enough to get a big tattoo of a living fossil.
This beauty adorns Mary McCarthy (no artist info available). Photo from The Love Lab, which seems to be a fish science website. How awesome is it that they have a "tattoos" section?
Arne Kuilman's piece (by Jan-Paul of Admiraal Tattoo in Amsterdam) is a nice balance of realistic and stylized. He's got some great shots in various stages of tattooage, as well as some cool source images in his flickr photostream. Lots of info about coelacanths in his captions, too. I didn't know, for instance, that the coelacanth's typical "headstand" is about 30 degrees.
Flickr member kittenhiccups says the real story behind her coelacanth (no artist info available) has to do with "evolution, beauty, horror, life, death, defying expectations, surviving
against all odds, my own phobias, and a bunch of symbolic stuff that
means more to me than I can say," but if you ask, the answer you're more likely to get
is, "I just think they're cool, I guess."
Hans Rueffert (contestant on the first season of The Next Food Network Star!) chronicles his tattoo experience on his blog. His coelacanth tells the story of his victorious battle with stomach cancer (extra nerd points because the numbers within the scales spell out "cancer" numerically). Tattoo by Deano, no shop or location info listed; based on original artwork by Richard Kirk.
I never pass up an opportunity to plug the geek-licious tattoos on Carl Zimmer's Sciece Tattoo Emporium, and this coelacanth tattoo (by Craig Cooley, currently tattooing at Stingray Body Art in Boston, MA) on Vicki Rosenswieg's abdomen is certainly plug-worthy. Here's an in-progress shot, as well.
Rusty Piton's "mysterious coelacanth", by Alex Higgens at the Tattoo Factory in Chicago, IL.
Flickr member pczoide gave me the idea for this post by adding his Japanese koi-inspired coelacanth to my Dinosaur Tattoos pool. More shots of this tattoo in progress and after later sessions in his "Finding Nemo" set. I can't wait to see this one completed; I think it will be my favorite one! Tattoo by Davi Duarte at Estúdio Muito Além de Tatuagem in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Matching Tardis Tattoos!
via www.flickr.com
Tardis tattoos by Boris the Russian at South
Tacoma Tattoo in Lakewood, WA.
Sci-Fi Surrealism
Really, this excellent piece by Paul at Old School Tattoo in Bellingham, Washington had me at "AT-AT," but this collector's idea to make it unique by incorporating elements of Salvador Dali's recurring spindly-legged elephants is pretty awesome.
Quoth Dali, "I am painting pictures which make me die for joy, I am creating with an absolute naturalness, without the slightest aesthetic concern, I am making things that inspire me with a profound emotion and I am trying to paint them honestly."
If you say so…
via ModBlog
So much for sanity…
Speaking of H.P. Lovecraft (weren't we?), this torso piece by the incredible Jesse Smith (originally spotted on Rate My Ink) is astoundingly awesome:
So creepy how she smiles as her eyes bleed/melt, with Cthulhu looming in the background.
Although The Necronomicon is a fictional book created by Lovecraft, many authors since have referenced it in their work.
Lovecraft approved, believing such common allusions built up "a background of evil verisimilitude." Many readers have believed it to be a real work, with booksellers and librarians receiving many requests for it; pranksters have listed it in rare book catalogues, and a student smuggled a card for it into the Yale University Library's card catalog. (Wikipedia)
All I know is that this is one of the most impressive tattoos I've ever seen. More views here, here, and here.
This one's for Dark Slope.
Stegosaurus (Tattoo) Stampede!
I'm partial to Cretaceous beasties, myself, but the Jurassic classic Stegosaurus seems to be popular these days in my Dinosaur Tattoos group on Flickr! Additions in reverse chronological order:
This is such a great start to MC Mikey Megatron's dinosaur "pantleg". ("Stocking"? Either of those terms working for you?) I can't wait to see the next installment! Tattoo by Evan Lovett at Bayside Ink Tattoo in Beachwood, NJ.
Littlest foot shows off her cute stego tattoo by Ethan at Brass City Tattoo in Waterbury, CT. She also has a colorful (and also cute) half sleeve featuring a pair of "apatosauruseseseseses" done at Hartford County Tattoo in Bristol, CT!
I like this little guy! Interesting how it is in the same position as MC Mikey Megatron's; bonus ink nerd points to anyone who can find a link to the source artwork! I asked Cossix for info about tattooer or tattooee (this collector seems to be female… Tatooine, perhaps? Sorry, I couldn't resist.), but got no response.
UPDATE: Briana has informed us that she is the Tatooine, and this stego was done by one of the artists at Marks of Art in San Jose, CA!
We've been following the progress of maurosourousrex's baby stego tattoo for a while now, and are looking forward to the "waterfall and possible tree still to come". I love the the blue and green (and purple!) color scheme and the interesting markings; it reminds me of a tropical fish! No word yet on artist or locale.
We first saw Roulettedares00's meticulously detailed stego skeleton on Carl Zimmer's Science Tattoo Emporium, and we were very pleased when he saw fit to add it to the Dinosaur Tattoos group. In case you're interested, it seems to be based on this illustration by pre-eminent paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh done in 1896.
This man, by the way, is a walking museum of nerd ink, representing a trifecta close to my own heart: Star Wars (Hoth, no less! The best part of all 6 movies!), dinosaurs, and comics. If he gets a Lego tattoo, I will found the Official Church of Roulettedares00 of Latter Day Ink Nerds, or, at the very least, swear eternal fealty to my true liege. A "Mutants in Asgard" tattoo would also qualify for this honor.
UPDATE: All of Roulettedares00's tattoos were done by Myles Karr, currently working at Saved Tattoo in Brooklyn!
One of the very first members of the group was The Gnome, who gets bonus ink points for symmetry with these two excellent specimens. No artist info available.
Thanks to everybody who has submitted photos to the Dinosaur Tattoos group; keep 'em coming!
One More D20 Tattoo
I can't believe I forgot this one when I did my post about D&D dice tattoos. I discovered Tim Victim while looking for dinosaur tattoos, and I'm really impressed with his work. Also, his shop, Deep Six Laboratory, is in Philadelphia, which I have an irrational affinity for (and not just because of the show; maybe it's the nice fossil lady at the museum?).
The following tattoo by Tim and Jeff Paetzold (of Topnotch Tattoos in Elgin, IL) is really awesome. Once I finish my dinosaurs-and-flowers sleeve (ha!), I'm thinking I would like to have my other arm tattooed with a dragon of some sort (maybe a twisty Midgard Serpent?), and I think the style of this collaboration would be perfect for such a piece (especially the alligator part).
Now I just need to win the lottery and get those guys in the same room again…
Holy Tattoo Blogs, Batman!
I saw this delicious blog devoted to pin-up girl tattoos over on Needled this morning. Yowza! What Marisa failed to mention is that Raised by Puffins also maintains a blog about owl tattoos and one about, you guessed it, Batman tattoos!
I've been contemplating a Batman tattoo post for a while now, but there are so many out there that I didn't know where to start (especially due to all the hype re: The Dark Knight)! Thanks RbP, for doing the hard work for me!
Here are a couple of highlights:Adam West-era Batman tattoo by Mike Kolling of Twilight Tattoo in Minneapolis, MN
Raised by Puffins, you should really check out the work of Electric Pick! Not only does he have a killer signature style of pin-up girl, he's recently posted an update of his awesome Batman "pantleg" (is the term catching on yet?).
I think RbP should combine two of his tattoo passions and do a blog about Harley Quinn tattoos! I'd subscribe!
Ink Nerds I Have Known: Ezra
My good pal Ezra's awesomely nerdy flaming 8- and 12-sided dice (showing "7" and "11," no less) were inked by Heather O'Shaughnessey at Trader Bob's Tattoo Shop in St. Louis, MO (she's also responsible for my Red Squares).
This tattoo inspired me to do a post with as many images of D&D dice as I could find, but it turns out I'm not the first in the blogosphere to have that idea. Here are a couple of really great collections, with surprisingly little overlap:
- "Aaawwwww YEAH! D20 Tattoos!" by Reis O'Brien on Geek Orthodox.
- "Roll a d20 for awesome tattoos" by Alice on Fun Vampires (nice favicon!).
So flaming D&D dice are not as uncommon as I would have thought. The tattoos with slogans (a la "High Roller") are the best, however, including "Roll 4 Damage, Bitch," "That's How I Roll," and "Leave No Die Behind." (Evidently there's a lot of love for 12-siders out in the tattooed gamer community… Who knew?)
Here are a couple more that Reis and Alice (both of whom sport D20 tattoos) somehow missed:
The first, found in BMEzine's "Dice" keyword gallery, gets bonus tattoo points for working on two levels: nerdy gamer tattoo and cosmic art piece, but loses nerd points for disguising a nerdy gamer tattoo as a cosmic art piece. Cere's tattoo was done by John Clue at Super 88 Tattoo in Massapequa, NY.
The second (below), found in Devil Dinosaur's Geek Tattoos flickr group, gets bonus nerd points for including the non-standard 30-sided die; double-TRIPLE bonus nerd points for including three 6-sided dice (for rolling ability scores the old-fashioned way) and two 10-siders (percentile dice, for generating numbers from 1 to 100)! No information about artist or collector, except that the latter attended Ohayocon '08.
Extra-mondo nerd points to anyone who spots what's wrong with this picture….
Long time, no post…
Sorry I haven't posted in a while; I've been using my allotted blogging time to work on an Ink Nerd redesign. It's actually in such an early stage that I shouldn't even mention it yet, but what the the hell! Maybe I'll post a couple of mockups and see what you guys think before I actually build out the CSS…
In the meantime, here's flickr member djmark1972, a true ink nerd:
I first saw Mark's tattooed digits on knuckletattoos.com, and decided to stalk him on flickr. Not only is he an ink nerd, he's a punk rock coffee nerd! Truly a man after my own heart… Sorry, no information (yet) about the tattoo artist. Tattoo by JJ at Iron Cross Tattoo in Santa Barbara, CA.
Speaking of knuckletattoos.com, have you guys ever played around with their knuckle tattoo gun? It's fun:
Creature from the Black Lagoon Tattoos!
Just in case you missed the link that Mia sent earlier, this totally sweet backpiece (as seen on checkoutmyink.com) was done by Alfie Lamberger at Mark of the Sparks Tattoos in Frederick, Maryland. Thanks, Mia!
This inspired me to seek out some other CFTBL tattoos on the web; I found quite a few, but here are some of my favorites:
This great shot (bonus points for complementary-colored t-shirt) from BMEzine's Sci-Fi Gallery was inked by David Antonio at Good Clean Fun Tattoo Studio in Georgia. I love the circular composition, creepy lighting, and menacing claw.
The colors, placement, and technique of this lower half-sleeve are really excellent . Bonus points for the brushstroke-lookin' daubs of color around the edges. Tattoo by Bez at Triple Six Studios in Sunderland, UK. Photo from TattooNOW.com.
The following Monster Mash sleeve (in progress in this photo) is from welovethedark's flickr photostream (self-described "corporate goths"). The process from source artwork (by awesome illustrator David Hartman) to finished piece (by Charles Cain at Mark of Cain Tattoo near Boone, North Carolina) is well-documented. Excellent artwork, Excellent tattoo, excellent photos and play-by-play description. Kudos to all!
BONUS VIDEO! This song by Dave Edmunds gets stuck in my head all the time!


text: As Donald Trump addressed world leaders at the UN headquarters in New York City, back in Washington, DC the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia revealed new developments. Media outlets in the US reported on Tuesday that investigators tapped the communications of the former Trump campaign manager, Paul Manafort. Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett reports from Washington, DC. US & Canada Politics


text:
Myanmar and Thailand 16 days tour itinerary: Experience the captivating allure with this innovative and intimate journey into the mystique. Evocative religious relics stand proud in jaw-dropping green valleys, ancient kingdom capitals remain untouched by modernity, and iconic impressions of undiscovered Southeast Asia included in this Myanmar and Thailand 16 days tour itinerary. During the 16 day traveling this trip unveils the dazzling highlights and unknown gems of two authentic countries in Southeast Asia.
Start City : Yangon
Visit Cities: Yangon – Bagan – Inle Lake – Mandalay - Chiang Mai - Bangkok - Koh Samui
Duration: 16 Days 15 Nights
Departure: Daily, upon your request
Extendable with optional tours from Yangon
Prices are quoted in US dollars per person double occupancy.
|Group size
|2 persons
|4 persons
|6 persons
|Single Supp'
Visit colonial buildings and the most beautiful pagoda of Myanmar in Yangon, former capital of Myanmar.
Capture the amazing sunset over thousand temples of Bagan
Enjoy peaceful Inle lake with the stunning scenery
Learn about Buddhism in Mandalay, known as the hub of Buddhism in Myanmar.
Go to Chiang Mai, the land of misty mountains and colorful hill tribes
Explore the exciting and dynamic Bangkok
Relax at beautiful Koh Samui beach
Day 1: Yangon Arrival
Mingalabar! Your guide will welcome you at the airport and you driver will take you directly to your hotel.
Your highlight for this evening is dinner in Karaweik Palace, overlooking to the Royal Lake and Shwedagon Tower. A meal of fine Burmese food will be served followed by a beautiful cultural show of music and dancing.
Meals: Welcome Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Yangon
Day 2: Yangon City tour
Today you will visit Shwedagon pagoda – the most prominent monument in Yangon which dominates the sky with golden flash, giant spires and holy relics.
Our next visit is Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda's 70m long reclining Buddha.
In the afternoon, continue our Yangon sightseeing with the visit to Sule Pagoda. It is believed to enshrine a strand of hair of the Buddha.
From Sule Pagoda, we embark on an orientation walk to Chinese Town, covering exotic streets of Yangon downtown and British Colonial building as Emmanuel Church, Inland Water Buildings.
End our city tour at Bogyoke Market (close on Monday). Formerly named Scott's Market, it is now the main tourist destination where you can find antique, Burmese handicrafts & jewelry shops, art galleries & clothing stores.
Accommodation: Hotel in Yangon
Meal: Breakfast
Day 3: Yangon – Fly to Bagan – Discovery
Today we have an early morning flight Bagan, in fact, the only direct flight. Bagan is Myanmar's archaeological wonderland, where over 3,000 ancient temples blossom from the countryside. Start your tour with a trip to the bustling Nyang U Market in Old Bagan then explore the beautiful, gold leaf Shwezigon Pagoda and learn about Burmese Buddhist traditions. We continue our tour with a visit to Ananda Temple, stopping along the way on the Bagan plains to admire some of the surrounding temples. In the afternoon, take a tour of a local lacquer ware workshop and learn how this traditional piece of art is made.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Bagan
Day 4: Bagan sightseeing
After breakfast, start with an exotic horse cart ride to one of the biggest temples in Bagan: Nan Paya Pagoda and many other interesting sites nearby, continue with sightseeing to Minkaba Gubyaukyi Temple, take note of the architectural difference in MyaZedi Pagoda before heading to Manuha Temple. The highlight of today is the panoramic sunset view from the second highest pagoda of Bagan, the ShweSandaw Pagoda.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Bagan
Day 5: Bagan – Fly to Heho – Inle Lake
Leave Bagan for Heho. Inle Lake, the second largest lake in Myanmar is located 900 meters above sea level and is home to a unique one-leg rowing technique of the Intha people.
Upon arrival, board a motorboat for a sightseeing tour to Phaungdawoo Pagoda, famed for its richly gilded five small Buddha images, also is believed the holiest in Inle Lake. Our next visit is Ngaphechaung Monastery, known as "jumping cat pagoda". As you travel further to Nam Pan village the cotton and lotus weaving factory and cigar-making houses will impress you with a sense of traditional Intha life.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Inle Lake
Day 6: Inle Lake Discovery
This morning, visit the "5 Day Market" which is held in different villages surrounding the lake. This is definitely a fascinating place to enjoy the scene of local tribes in their colorful clothes and exotic market atmosphere.
After lunch, the boat will take you to the beautiful temple of Indein, located on the hill overlooking the lake. It is relaxing to walk along the corridors and enjoy the giant columns that have been left to the nature for centuries.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Inle Lake
Day 7: Heho – Fly to Mandalay – Mingun – Mandalay Palace
This morning, transfer to Heho Airport for the short flight to Mandalay. Known as the hub of Buddhism in Myanmar, Mandalay is a realm of stupas, monks and monastery. The most fascinating visit will be the time to behold the monks doing their worship and having meals.
Driver to Mandalay pier, embarking on a private boat upstream to visit Mingun, famed for its huge and incomplete Pahtodawgyi Pagoda and Mingun Bell the 90 tons ringing bell.
In the afternoon, visit Mandalay Palace, Shwenandaw Monastery – noted for its exquisite wood carvings, gold leaf beating workshop, Kuthodaw Pagoda – known as the world biggest book and finish the tour by visiting Mandalay Hill to watch the sun-set and the panoramic view of the city.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodations: Hotel in Mandalay
Day 8: Mandalay – Amarapura – Sagaing – Fly to Chiang Mai
We will transfer from the city to Sagaing Hill, discover the monk education, visit Budda Cave, Uminthonze Pagoda and Sunooponnyashin Pagoda. Behold the panoramic view of Mandalay.
After that, come to Amarapura. Being famous for Mahagandaryone Monastery Amarapura is the best place to experience the monk life in Mandalay. Walk over Ubein Wooden Bridge, the longest teakwood of its type to Mahamuni Image – a bronze Buddha image castled during the lifetime of Buddha himself. Leave Mandalay for your flight to Chiang Mai. On arrival, you will be met by your tour guide & driver & transfer to the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Chiang Mai
Day 9: Chiang Mai – Doi Inthanon
On this tour you can cool off on Thailand's highest peak while taking in the beautiful scenic Doi Inthanon National Park. Night time temperatures on the peak can be as low as -8 degrees centigrade. In the cold/dry season night time frosts are common. In fact on top of the mountain the climate is closer to that of Canada than that of lowland Thailand. Day time temperatures can be surprisingly cold so do not forget a long sleeve jumper. On the way up we will visit Wachiritharn and Siritharn Waterfalls, the agricultural work at the Royal Project Research Station, the king and queen chedi's, (the best views across the park are found here), and then on to the peak of Doi Inthanon the highest mountain in Thailand. Near the top we will take the Angkha nature walk where you can walk amongst the unique flora and forest that grow at this altitude. There are both Karen and Hmong villages in the bounds of Doi Inthanon and we will see a Karen village on the way down the mountain before making our way back to Chiang Mai.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Chiang Mai.
Day 10: Chiang Mai – Elephant Camps
Breakfast shall be served at the hotel and then we will visit one of the popular Elephants Camp, where you can see the Elephants at work. You have a chance to ride the elephants crossing the river into the forest. After lunch, enjoy a bamboo rafting adventure along the river for around 45 minutes. Onwards to an orchid farm where there are many beautiful species of orchid. And after that going back to the hotel and free at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Chiang Mai.
Day 11: Chiang Mai – Wat Doi Suthep – Fly to Bangkok
This morning, drive up Doi (Mount) Suthep to visit Wat Phrathad Doi Suthep – 3,500 feet above sea-level, the most sacred temple in Northern Thailand, containing a holy relic of Lord Buddha. You will have a panoramic view of the city from this height. Then driving to the airport for your afternoon flight to Bangkok. Welcome to Bangkok, Thailand's bustling capital. Guide and driver will meet you outside the baggage claim of the airport and take you to your hotel in the city center. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure to explore the city on your own.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Bangkok.
Day 12: Bangkok – Floating market – City Tour
After breakfast at the hotel, you will leave Bangkok for Damnoen floating market which is about 110km West of Bangkok. On the way you will visit farmhouse and watch local people making sugar from coconut. Once you arrive in Damnoen floating market you will be impressed by various boats with different shapes and sizes used by local to carry their goods. You will get on a long tail boat to go around this colorful floating market to see how people here living, selling and buying goods. Return to Bangkok at lunch time.
In the afternoon, you will start the half day tour in Bangkok. Your first visit is The Grand Palace, which is the official Palace of The King Of Siam since 1782 made up of numerous buildings, halls, pavilions set around open lawns, gardens and courtyards. It is located on the bank of The Chao Phraya River. Inside the Grand Palace complex is Wat Phra Kaeo or Temple of the Emerald Buddha – the most beautiful and sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The following visit is Wat Pho – the temple of reclining Buddha. The temple has a long list of credits: The oldest and largest temple in Bangkok, the longest reclining Buddha and the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand, the first public education institution.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Bangkok.
Day 13: Bangkok – Fly to Koh Samui
This morning, transfer no guide to Bangkok airport for your flight to Koh Samui. Upon arrival, your driver will take you to your hotel. Check-in and enjoy your time at leisure on the beach.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Bangkok.
Day 14: Koh Samui beach relaxation
Your full day is at leisure for beach relaxation.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Bangkok.
Day 15: Koh Samui beach relaxation
Today you are free for beach relaxation
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Bangkok.
Day 16: Koh Samui – Departure
Enjoy your free time in the morning before transfer to Koh Samui airport for your departure flight home.
Please contact us if you need to book the flight from Koh Samui to Bangkok.
Good bye & Bon Voyage!
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: N/A
6 domestic/regional flights Yangon – Bagan, Bagan – Heho, Heho – Mandalay, Mandalay – Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai – Bangkok, Bangkok – Koh Samui
Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
Private tours, transfers and all services as mentioned in the itinerary
Services of a private driver and air-conditioned vehicles
Service of English speaking guides as mentioned in the itinerary
Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
International flights
Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
Early check-in and late check-out at hotels.
Personal expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
Tips for guides and drivers
Personal travel insurance
Myanmar Visa (more at www.burmatravel.com/visa/).
Did you know? Burma Travel can organize any additional accommodation.
Call us on +8424. 3942 9444 to speak to one of our experts or click here to request a quote.


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Open enrollment season is here, which means many organizations and their employees are selecting health insurance plans – and dealing with rising premium costs.
In traditional insurance plans, monthly premiums are paid to an insurance carrier. The carrier then pays out claims filed by covered individuals using those premium funds. The increasing overall cost of healthcare means a heavy financial burden for enrolled employees, and often an even bigger burden for their employers who help pay premium costs.
While a traditional plan is the most common for employers to offer, it's certainly not the only option. One potentially more affordable alternative for small businesses is peer-to-peer (P2P) insurance. Here's what you need to know about it, and how to decide if it's right for your business.
What is peer-to-peer insurance?
According to Investopedia, P2P insurance is a "risk-sharing network where a group of associated or like-minded individuals pool their premiums together to insure against a risk." Unlike a traditional insurance model, in which a large group of individuals with varying risk levels are covered under the same plan, P2P insurance lets you select your insurance pool – be it friends, family members, or simply people with whom you share interests and activities.
"By selecting one's pool members, the insured is assuming responsibility for the group's risk profile. This selection technique would motivate an individual to initiate a pool that has a low risk outcome, and hence, low cost for the members," writes Investopedia.
Additionally, instead of keeping unused premium funds as profits like traditional insurers do, P2P insurers return any remaining funds at the end of a coverage period to the pool's members. If the claim payouts exceed what's available in the pool during a given coverage period, a reinsurer, which assumes a part of the risk in exchange for a share of the insurance premiums, will cover the difference.
What are the benefits?
Kyle Hoffman, vice president of customer success at Insureon, noted that, while the core concept being used by P2P insurers is not new, new entrants like Lemonade and Guevara are offering new distribution channels: online direct to consumer. This improves interactions between insurers and the insured "by leveraging new technology like automation, AI and modern CX [customer experience] concepts, and enhancing the benefits returned to insurers in years where there are a few claims," he added.
Hoffman noted that very small businesses can benefit significantly from a P2P insurance model. These microbusinesses are often less complicated to underwrite, since there are fewer individuals to insure.
"Microbusinesses – companies with less than 10 employees – are the perfect target for P2P insurers because it's a large and growing segment of the market that has traditionally been underserved by brokers and carriers," Hoffman told Business News Daily. "As P2P insurers become more established and sophisticated, they'll likely move up channel to serve larger businesses who yield better unit economics."
According to Hoffman, the major benefit of P2P insurance is the value it places on growing.
"In contrast to a stock carrier, which effectively serves its shareholders, P2P insurers as mutual insurance companies seek to deliver value to their policyholders," he said.
P2P insurers are looking to build their competitive advantage with a low cost, which is frequently the first and foremost consideration for small businesses, said Hoffman. However, prudent insurance purchasers will thoroughly assess the coverage being offered and the carrier's ability to pay claims and balance that with the cost of the insurance, he said.


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Please Note - This article may be reposted and distributed only when the following information is included:
The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Pope Francis Affirms Natural Marriage, Not Same-Sex Civil Unions
Wednesday, March 12, 2014 4:56:00 PM
© 2020 by The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Pope Francis Affirms Natural Marriage, Not Same-Sex Civil Unions
March 12, 2014
Much ado again has been made about the words of Pope Francis, this time on the subject of same-sex civil unions. In anticipation of the one-year anniversary of the election of Pope Francis on March 13th, the Italian national newspaper Corriere della Sera published an interview with the Pope on March 5th.
That same day, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor Daniel Burke reported that "Pope Francis reaffirmed the Catholic Church's opposition to gay marriage . . . but suggested . . . that it could support some types of civil unions." Catholic News Service (CNS) correspondent Francis X. Rocca claimed that "Pope Francis suggested the Catholic Church could tolerate some types of nonmarital civil unions as a practical measure to guarantee property rights and health care." Joshua Norman of CBS Newsparaphrased theology professor Massimo Faggioli's thoughts: "The most important part of the Pope's Wednesday interview is the part where he tried to distance himself from the Catholic Church's past views on 'non-negotiable values.'" On March 10th, David Gibson of Religion News Service, referencing the CNS story, stated "[i]t was the first time a pope had ever held out the possibility of the church accepting some legal arrangement for same-sex couples."
The impression is that the Pope has indicated a tentative acceptance or even support for same-sex civil unions as an alternative to same-sex marriage. Yet the Pope did not once mention same-sex couples.
Pope Francis did explicitly mention marriage, however, in the first statement of his reply to the question about civil unions: "Marriage is between one man and one woman." That he replied with this statement before entertaining any concept of civil unions speaks volumes. The rest of his response makes no direct reference to same-sex couples, indicates no tentative acceptance or tolerance of any form of civil union, and most definitely does not evince support for same-sex civil unions as an alternative to same-sex marriage, which is distinctly ruled out by his affirmation of marriage as between one man and one woman.
Sources as varied as Cardinal Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York on NBC News, Joshua Bowman with CatholicVote.org, Elizabeth Dias with Time, and Tyler Lopez with Slate acknowledge that the Pope has not said anything that implies support for gay marriage or for civil unions for same-sex couples. Elise Harris with Catholic News Agency has reported a clarification on the interview by Father Thomas Rosica, C.S.B., a priest connected with the Vatican press office: "Addressing questions from some journalists who have asked whether or not the comments were made in reference to gay civil unions, the priest emphasized that 'The Pope did not choose to enter into debates about the delicate matter of gay civil unions. . . . Pope Francis spoke in very general terms, and did not specifically refer to same-sex marriage as a civil union.'" Most importantly, notes Father Rosica, "We should not try to read more into the Pope's words than what has been stated in very general terms."
So what exactly was stated by the Pope? What follows is the complete question and answer exchange from the interview (my translation from the Italian):
Q: Many countries regulate civil unions. Is this a path that the Church can take? If so, up to what point?
A: Marriage is between one man and one woman. Secular nations want to justify civil unions in order to regulate various shared living situations [situazioni di convivenza], driven by the need to regulate economic aspects among persons, such as ensuring health care. These are shared living agreements [patti di convivenza] of various sorts, with different forms that I wouldn't know well enough to list. The different cases need to be seen and assessed in their variety.
The Pope's reply is consonant with the tradition of Church teaching on marriage. It describes why so-called civil unions of "various" sorts are being established in different countries, and implies that there is nothing which inherently links the legal concept of "civil union" with same-sex couples and alternatives to same-sex marriage—indeed, the Pope never mentions those terms. A civil union, in his words, is a "shared living agreement" in order "to regulate economic aspects among persons, such as ensuring health care." This concept would apply equally to an elderly parent living with a caretaker, a brother and sister living together, or even to close friends renting together or co-owning a home. It need not imply any romantic or sexual relationship.
The Italian term convivenza can and has been translated as "cohabitation," which in English often has connotations involving romantic, nonmarital relationships; however, convivenza is used more often than its English literal equivalent to simply indicate "living together," whether as a family of parents and siblings in daily life (convivenza quotidiana), as apartment roommates, as extended and multi-generational families living under the same roof, or as members of society more broadly (convivenza sociale). It can even be used to generally reference all relationships and social interactions as a human family (convivenza umana).
It would be naïve to suggest that Pope Francis was unaware of the intended reference to same-sex couples in the term "civil union." Yet he deliberately points to shared living agreements "of various sorts, with different forms I wouldn't know well enough to list." If he meant to address only the kind of civil union that is proposed as an alternative to same-sex marriage, which is the well-known elephant in the room, it would have been a one-item list.
As it stands, he concludes that "[t]he different cases need to be seen and assessed in their variety." In other words, shared living agreements between an elderly parent and caretaker child might be seen and assessed as morally licit; shared living agreements between same-sex couples that confer a status resembling that of marriage might be seen and assessed morally illicit. The legal details and context of each type of agreement will clearly impact the outcome of the moral assessment.
In sum, the Pope did not commit himself one way or the other on any particular type of legal arrangement that might regulate shared living, but he indisputably reaffirmed the natural moral law and the Church's unchanging teaching on marriage: "Marriage is between one man and one woman."
John A. Di Camillo, Be.L.


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INNOQUAL journal – first issue!
I have been involved with the EFQUEL community for a number of years now. It's a great group and the annual conference in September is always good. Recently in addition to this we have established a new journal INNOQUAL, which will focus on quality issues in the use of technologies in education. This is an under-researched area I think and hence the journal is very timely. I am one of the editors, along with Ulf Ehlers and Jan Pawlowski. We are very fortunate indeed to have Ann Tannhauser coordinating the administrative side of things. The first edition is now out and has five great articles:
Trusted Educational Networks for the Internationalization of Open Educational Resources
Jan Pawlowski, Kati Clements
Quality Assurance Processes in E-Learning – An Estonian Case
Toomas Plank, Anne Villems, Lehti Pilt, Marit Dremljuga-Telk, Merle Varendi, Eneli Sutt
Transtitution – Transforming higher educational institutions through modernization of middle management
Radojka Krneta, Rolf Reinhardt, Danijela Milosevic
A view on Personal Learning Environments through approaches to learning
Esteban Romero-Frías, José L. Arquero
Evaluating staff led initiatives in teaching and management innovation in an online university: the case of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Nuria Ferran, Teresa Sancho
Ulf sets the scene for the issue as follows:
Openness is arriving at educational institutions. It will hit educational institutions at large and change completely the nature of their organization, profile and mission. Like an avalanche it has started already on the top of the mountain and finds its way downward. You don't see it but it is moving faster and faster with great force underneath the surface. If you are experienced with avalanches you know that it will hit but you don't know when, and if you are experienced with 'old style education and training' you know why: Organisations are giving away knowledge for free. More and more higher education institutions are opening up, in their business models in their leaning designs and in their access regulations.
Training institutions and schools are beginning to change. A huge pressure on the classical 20th century education and training organisation is building up because its unique selling point – to be the sole shepherds of knowledge – no longer holds differentiating power when knowledge is made available for everybody or free. When knowledge is available one of the important future tasks of educators will be to give orientation about quality and to organize certification and assessment. The intention of this journal is to lead the way to these horizons and discuss new emerging and more open forms and methods of quality development and assessment.
If you are interested in issues around quality and e-learning, do consider putting in a paper to the journal!


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Thu, 5 June 2014
David Collins returns to provide expert analysis of the rich soundtrack for Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. For this volume, we listen closely to music composed by Williams for some sequences early in the film on the planet Hoth, but were never used. Then we hear audio from the film with the music placed where it was originally intended in a "What If"-type scenario. Plus, we study a motif that could be considered as a mini-theme for Boba Fett and much more!
Direct download: RFR_040214_SWOxygen007.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 1:01am CDT


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Dr David Cuete
on May 26, 2013
- "This case shows findings suggestive of normal pressure hydrocephalus"
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There's primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary colors. How they mix, the effects that these mixtures create and the study of "color theory" can be traced back to the 15th century. Color theory is considered one of the most basic and important building blocks of artistic practices.
In 1920, while teaching at the Bauhaus, Paul Klee elevated the conversation and study of color theory, arguably creating a whole new appreciation of color that blossomed into art that was ever more abstract. He was, in a word, obsessed with color.
Some of his paintings simply consist of varied color blocks. If you look closely though, you can see technical experimentation taking place, this is especially obvious in Ancient Harmony, pictured below.
While all his paintings display a masterful understanding of color, some of them also explore images and symbols that seem ancient and mythical. One of my favorite paintings is On the Edge. While abstract art does not usually capture my attention, this particular piece draws you in and holds your gaze.
His other paintings like Mask of Fear, depicting small inscrutable faces, just make me laugh. They are so playful and full of childlike wonder it is hard not to smile.


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About Robin Suomi
Robin Suomi, MBA – the founder of Startup to Growth, LLC. I've assisted, mentored, counseled, coached and trained thousands of small business owners like you start and/or grow their companies. My clients have ranged from pre-venture, the "I have an idea!" stage, to businesses with $5M+ in sales – and every one of them has sharpened my understanding and love of the small business world.
Early in my career, I worked as a court reporter with various legal systems throughout the United States. I saw many small business owners struggle with legal issues that resulted from their business decisions. Because of this experience, when I work with clients I am often able to highlight where they can consult with legal counsel to help prevent problems down the road. During this period, I came to understand and appreciate small business from an owner's point of view. I started and sold court reporting firms as I moved throughout the United States. I also used both the solopreneurship and partnership structures, hiring both employees and independent contractors.
While I enjoyed court reporting, I knew I wanted more. I just didn't know what it was! As I continued to take college courses here and there outside my court reporting realm in the areas of photography, environmental sciences, biology, chemistry and the banking system, my true passion – small business – began to emerge.
When I moved to Virginia in 1995, I zeroed in on the formal business knowledge base I knew I'd need by completing an Associate of Science degree in Management at Northern Virginia Community College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Management at George Mason University, and a Masters of Business Administration degree at The George Washington University.
Then I really rolled up my sleeves and went to work with the Loudoun Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Inc. I was hired as Assistant Director, and within six weeks our Board of Directors promoted me to Executive Director. In this position, I helped start and grow businesses in Northern Virginia for more than nine years.
Soon after starting with Loudoun SBDC, Inc., I knew that I needed a better way to empower and encourage my clients. On my own time and nickel, I attended the Coaches Training Institute and became a life coach. These coaching skills, combined with my technical expertise as a small business counselor and former business owner, helped me deliver critical advice in ways that really resonated with my clients.
Because I love to teach, I became an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College, my alma mater, in 2008. There, I taught two courses: Introduction to Business and Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management. While I know the theoretical side of business is important, I also know some clients want a practical, "walk-out-the-door-with-an-action-plan" type of knowledge. I delivered small business education in this practical format through Loudoun SBDC, Inc., where I taught the NxLeveL® business planning course as well as a business planning course that I created and tailored specifically to the needs of Virginia small business owners.
As Executive Director of Loudoun SBDC, Inc., I learned from the best business community leaders and the best small business owners! The programs I created – and the invaluable support of my staff, volunteer counselors and Board of Directors – helped Loudoun SBDC, Inc. win the U.S. Small Business Administration's SBDC Service Excellence and Innovation Center Award for the Washington Metropolitan District Office in 2010. This was the first time in our 20+ year history we "took the prize." I am honored to have been instrumental in elevating the stature of Loudoun SBDC, Inc. as well as growing the small business community within Northern Virginia by helping to make the dreams of thousands of small business owners come true.
Now, as principal of Startup to Growth, LLC, I've continued to create programs and workshops educating and empowering small business owners for their success. In the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, I served as Ambassador, as well as serving on the Business Women of Loudoun and Small Business Council committees. In the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce, I co-chaired the Dulles Executive Women committee for two years, and co-founded the 2016 Business Success Series.
All of these activities stem from one prime motivation – I'm passionate about helping my clients start, grow and win!
Let's stay in touch! Please join our newsletter email list.


text: This is a safe and welcoming space for transgender people, gender non-binary people, those questioning their gender identity, and their family, friends and allies. This meeting is created for the purpose of finding connection with others of similar life experience, sharing information and supporting each other. This is a peer facilitated group and not a clinical therapy group.