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Winter inspires many people to think about traveling. If you live in an area of the world where the months of January, February and sometimes even March are miserable with little sunshine and lots of snow and cold weather, going someplace warm and inviting is hard to resist.
There are times when a tropical vacation is difficult to come by. Consider other locations that work just as well to receive a tropical feel. Think about places like Singapore. Breaking up the cold and bleary winter months with an experience in a warmer climate is something to consider when planning a getaway or vacation for yourself or with your family.
Take into account what Singapore has to offer. Many travelers are ignorant of this amazing city and the joy of traveling here could bring you. The name literally translates to lion city. A number of people refer to it as the garden city of the east.
This island population was established in 1819 and is a remarkable, bustling place full of life and wonder. There are museums and other cultural attractions because tourism is an enormous part of the national economy.
This is a landmass located between Indonesia and Malaysia in Southeast Asia. Singapore has a large role worldwide in finance and export as well as the communication industry. An enormously diverse population of people resides here with English as the most common language spoken. This is an enormous appeal for a lot of Americans traveling abroad. With a tropical climate and an unemployment rate below 3 percent, the appeal broadens even more.
What does the country have to offer the average traveler?
Shopping is an excellent pastime for a lot of tourist who discover Chanel and Louis Vitton gear on Orchard Road. There is an annual event designed around shopping identified as the Annual Singapore Sale.
When this affair takes place discounts up to 70 percent off retail prices are found. The event is eight weeks long and held during the summer months. The municipality is investing millions in Orchard Road to intensify the encounter shoppers experience while they spend vacation dollars. There are contests, prizes and other enticements to make the greatest shopping experience possible.
The culture of this paradise is a combination of Chinese, Indian and Malay. Strategically placed where the Indian and Pacific Ocean meet, relates to why persons refer to it as the gateway to Asia.
Being so close to the equator means the weather rarely varies as the seasons change. It is warm and humid with an average yearly temperature varying between 67 and 86 degrees. There is a rainy season from the months of November through January, but nothing compared to several inches of snow and ice most Americans experience during these same months. The driest times of the year are May to July.
Getting around
Every part of the metropolis connects with a mass public transit system. This assembly of trains makes it easy for anyone to get around while visiting and sight seeing. Along with trains, taxis and buses are plentiful. Transportation services are extremely affordable for any budget.
Where to stay
Hotels are diverse and fit a number of incomes. There are hostels, boutiques and even luxury accommodations for visitors.
Food choices offered range from Western dishes, Chinese, Arabic, Malaysian and so much more. Along with a shopping extravaganza there is a Food Fair every July showcasing terrific eats all around.
With a diverse population the variety of ethnic food is delightful. Try some of the hundreds of different delicacies during your visit.
Things to see
They have an enormous amount of sites related to animals. Check out the Jurong Bird Park or Crocodilarium. The bird park shares over 8000 birds in their natural habitats and the Crocodilarium has more than 1000 crocodiles to meet up close and personal.
Because you are on an island, there are plenty of adventures available for underwater activities with ocean animals. The deep-sea experience lets you see an up close glimpse of stingrays, sharks and other aquatic creatures in their natural environment.
Outdoor activities include sites like the Sungei Buluh Natural Park, Orchid Gardens or the Japanese and Chinese Garden. There are natural waterfalls, gateways, fountains and native rain forest to explore at these sites. There are beautiful botanical gardens which make for romantic and captivating walks any time of day or night.
The nightlife here is exhilarating and exciting. Nightclubs offer dancing and fun and visitors find them electrifying.
Other considerations
Amazingly this is one of the cleanest cities in the world. They take this particular recognition seriously. Fines of up to $1000 are given for littering. This is how they keep their capital so beautiful. Although there are a number of ancient artifacts to see and explore, the majority of structures around this city are new and contemporary.
In a study conducted by Euromonitor several years ago comparing it with eight other Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern countries for travel and tourism, it was the most affordable. When compared against cities such as Bangkok, Tokyo and Dubai. One of the leading enticements was the retail market offered.
In conclusion
Wonderful food, excellent shopping, a lively nightlife along with unique sites to see make Singapore a destination you cannot miss. Beautiful weather and surroundings which are breathtaking make it a very popular vacation spot. The average traveler will find their monies well spent and things to do that are budget conscious at this island location.


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So I've been in Florida this week.
Made a pretty good trip with my Moma and my three hooligans in tow.
It was pretty fun. Oh!
And the coffee was good too! !
Isn't that something that makes priority on your packing list?
Bags - check
Kids - check
Moma - check
Dunkin' Donuts coffee - checkitty check check
It makes for a happy trip and a little extra pep in my step. Not so sure if thats good for my pedal weight or not.
We made it and we're having a blast. Its always good to be home.
We've been doing our thing, but Florida style. Not much difference in weather but the grass sure is fluffier. Sink your feet in sort of comfy. Now if I can get this Florida sun to work its magic on these ghostly legs of mine. Maybe I should've edited this picture to black and white instead. Oh well.
Please keep all comments on a shush. *wink*
You know whats awesome about being home?
The things we can do because we're here and not somewhere else. Pretty simple answer huh?
Like toddler driving.
Homemade spaghetti sauce like days of old.
New baby jabber over some breakfast.
Spending time with Pa
Having the bigger pets within arms reach.
Growing the most amazing
I did forget to pack my camera cord, so all these pictures are brought to you via my cell phone. Not bad, but I have a whole lotta more to share. So if you're patient, I'll share those when we cross over that South Carolina line.
Until then,
I'm off to sip on some more of my "Happy Coffee" as my Hope calls it.

subset: commoncrawl


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Here are some samples of her recent nostalgic moments.
"Mama, when I was very very small, I was inside your tummy!"
"Mama, I was splashing around inside your tummy!"
"When I was inside, your tummy was big and round. Then you went to the hospital and the doctor pulled me out and SUDDENLY your tummy became flat."
"I used to be a small baby. Then SUDDENLY I became a big grown-up girl."
"When I was very small, I used to cry for milk when I was hungry. Like this - nga nga nga..."
"When I was very small, I could not sit or stand or walk or scoot or jump or run. I was lying down all the time!"
"When I was very small, sometimes I wore only a diaper! No top or pants! Only a diaper!"
"When I was very small, I used to try to eat my toes!"
"When I was very small, I did not have any teeth. Now I have sooooo many."
"When I was small, I was not 10 kilos. Then SUDDENLY I was 10 kilos."
"We went to Australia and Poppy drove us in a blue car. I had my own car seat. I sat at the back because only grown-ups sit in front. It was very cold and I wore a jacket and a hat and mittens and we saw kangaroos."
"When I was very small, I used to say 'clockloach'. Mama, it's not 'clockloach'! It's 'cockloach'."
"When I was a little girl, I had soooo many soft toys. Then Dr. Thomas said that all the soft toys needed to go on a vacation till my lungs became big and strong. They will come back when I turn 5 years old."


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Reaching Out – A very special social enterprise
Fifteen years ago a paraplegic by the name of Le Nguyen Binh wanted to do something to help disabled persons in Vietnam become productive and independent. The result was a shop called Reaching Out in Hoi An.
He started by training three disabled persons, one with Down syndrome, one speech and hearing impaired and one with congenital dwarfism, to become artisans. Their first product was eight hand sewn dolls of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Today Reaching Out employs over 70 young persons with disabilities ranging from hearing impairment to mobility challenges resulting from Agent Orange exposure. They produce beautiful hand-made gifts of fabric, jewelry, china, and inlaid laquerware that are popular among the many Western tourists who visit Hoi An.
Disabled persons in Vietnam have traditionally been ignored by society. Through Binh's efforts not only in the social enterprise, but through national advocacy, are gradually helping to change that cultural view. Binh's enterprise adheres to Fair Trade practices and the employees are all well paid, earning more and enjoying greater self esteem than they otherwise would.
For the past five years, we have helped Reaching Out by raising funds to provide training bursaries for new employees and by serving as informal business advisors.
Books for remote village schools
Each year we are part of an international team of volunteers who deliver portable libraries to remote schools in very poor rural areas of central Vietnam. This project is spearheaded by a remarkable woman by the name of Le Ly Hayslip. Le Ly, a Vietnamese-American, the author of two books about her horrific childhood experiences as a victim of the Vietnam War, is the Founder of Global Village Foundation.
Traveling to, and arriving at, these isolated communities is often quite an adventure as most of them are well off the beaten path. We have endured hours of kidney-jarring motoring over muddy rutted roads, been forced to dismount and push the bus out of the mud, slept in hovels with chickens and pigs wandering in and out and shared our bed with lizards. But immense rewards and the satisfaction come with seeing children delightfully pawing through books.
Agent Orange
We are involved with the Hoi An Chapter of the Vietnamese Association for the Assistance of Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA). There are over 1,000 victims of Agent Orange living in and around the city of Hoi An. Although Hoi An itself was spared combat and direct Agent Orange spraying during the war, the hills to the west saw both heavy fighting and extensive use of the dioxin.
After meeting several victims and their families Bruce approached a number of his old Army buddies from his first tour of duty in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967, several of whom are suffering maladies related to Agent Orange themselves. They very generously agreed to help with cash donations.
With our partners at VAVA we have initiated a small micro-financing program. With loans of $200 to $500, victim families are successfully launching home-based businesses and becoming independent. The payback rate has been consistent and enables the funds to become available for further loans to others with business ideas.
Helping to Reduce Human Trafficking
In Southeast Asia the children of poor families are extremely vulnerable to exploitation, especially girls. Each year, thousands of children often as young as ten are duped or sold into virtual slavery in China, Japan, Thailand, the Phillipines, Korea and, yes, Western countries as well.
In Hoi An, Linda Hutchinson-Burn, an Australian ex-pat and grandmother, is trying in a small but significant way to do something to stem the tide. This quiet, determined crusader is firmly of the view that the answer to the problem lies in education.
The mission of her organization, Children's Education Foundation, is "to help girls grow to be women with choices." We first met Linda at Reaching Out, where she is a good friend to Binh and Quyen. She asked us if we would sponsor just one child by funding her tuition and room and board for a year.
We began by sponsoring one child from a leprosy village – funding her tuition and room and board for a year. CEF and its mission has captured the hearts of many of our donors who agree that educating girls will have a lasting impact on their development and expectations.


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Two goals by top scorer James Collins earned Crawley Town a valuable away win at Crewe.
The Reds forward scored midway in each half, putting his total number of goals for the season up to 11.
It was a welcome return to winning ways following last weekend's demoralising 5-0 defeat at Yeovil.
Head coach Dermot Drummy made six chancges from the side which lost 1-0 against Coventry City on Wednesday night in the Checkatrade Trophy.
Glenn Morris, Andre Blackman, Jimmy Smith, Josh Payne and Jordan Rorberts who had a virus bug, all started.
Crawley went close in the opening exchanges, with Roberts setting up Blackman in a good position, but the defence cleared, then Lewis Young's cross towards Enzio Boldewijn was flicked away.
Collins scored in the 21st minute when he seized upon a mistaje by the Crewe defence and volleyed into the net.
Collins nearly added a second goal three minutes later when after being set-up by Smith, his shot was deflected wide.
As Crawley continued to dominate, Collins paved the way for for Roberts to shoot, but the ball was deflected into the keeper's arms.
Crewe had a good chance to equalise on 35 minutes when Alex Kiwomya fired over the bar from 15 yards.
Just before half-time Collins blasted a superb volley into the net off the bar, only for the goal to be rules out for offside.
Danny Hollands and Chris Dagnall had shots narrowly off-target as Crewe came out strongly at the start of the second half.
Collins did some great work to find Roberts midway through the half, but his shot flew inches wide.
Bobson replaced Boldewijn as Drummy made his first substitution.
Collins scored his second goal of the game to make it 2-0 with 15 minutes to go when he tapped in Clifford cross after some poor marking.
Adi Yussuf then came on for Roberts with eight minutes to go for Reds' second substitution.
REDS: Morris, Young, Connolly, Yorwerth, Blackman, Smith (capt), Payne, Boldewijn (Bawling 66), Clifford, Roberts (Yussuf 82), Collins
Unused subs: Mersin, Davey, Tajbakhsh, Djalo, Henderson
Crewe: Garratt, Turton, Guthrie, Davis, Ng, Jones (Kirk 79), Hollands (Nugent 85), Cooper, Kiwomya (Ainsley 68), Lowe (capt), Dagnall.
Unused subs: Richards, Udoh, Bingham, Lowery
Attendance: 3,392 (73 away)
Have you checked out our new Christmas section yet?
It's packed with ideas and tips to ensure you make the most out of the festive season.
There's recipes, suggestions for presents and everything from choosing your tree to recycling your packaging and paper.


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If you purchased an Evoshield "Shooter's Shield", here is a video of Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty demonstrating how easy it is to form the Evoshield "ShooterShield".
Along with this video, you can check out a great review by Clark Bush. and here are some fantastic customer testimonials with pictures. If you are going hunting and plan on shooting a lot of rounds, this is a great product to have with you that doesn't take up a lot of room in your suitcase.


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On May 2, 2016, New Belgium Brewing finally celebrated the opening of its tasting room in Asheville, N.C. It's been a long journey for the company, some four years and counting, that finally culminated in something where they could tip back a pint (or two) of Fat Tire and celebrate.
It also marks a milestone for this blog, which kicked off a year ago with a Q&A with Kim Jordan, the company's founder, just as New Belgium was ramping up its construction in my hometown.
With the new brewery finally online, New Belgium will continue its plans to expand distribution across the country – particularly on the east coast where the beer brewed in Asheville will be shipped.
The brand-new "Liquid Center," the name New Belgium gives their tasting room, is a fine place to grab a brew – especially out on the deck, which juts out toward the French Broad River. From there you can enjoy views of the river as well as the new greenway the City of Asheville built on land New Belgium donated.
Another thing you'll notice when you order a beer are the smiles on the faces of the people serving them, who, oh yeah, potentially own a piece of the place.
The opening of the new brewery is certainly a special moment for the 80 or so new coworkers the company brought on in Asheville, all of whom will have the chance to become owners in New Belgium after their first year on the job. It's easy to get the sense that these people enjoy what they do and they're proud of what their company has accomplished.


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Routes : North America : United States : North Carolina : Central : Poplar Tent (CLOSED TO CLIMBING) : Open Book Boulder and Shark Bo : The Shark
The Shark - V8Average Rating : 0.00 out of 5
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Description:just a mantle on the large Shark Nosed shaped boulder across from Open Book. starts on the crimps on the left side of the boulder and goes straight up the nose.
Submitted by: chikinv10 on 2006-04-06
Views: 598
Route ID: 75748


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If you're a well-rounded individual, you might be attracted to the idea of living in a yurt — those charming little cupcake-shaped dwellings made of sticks and canvas that have been much in vogue on the steppes of Mongolia for the last several thousand years.
Actually, yurts are increasingly popular in North America, too, where they are prized for their easy-to-build, go-anywhere adaptability. In fact, yurts make perfect getaway cabins and backyard retreats — check out our slideshow, "Extreme Homes: This is Yurt Life," to see a potpourri of cool yurts.
"Yurt sales are increasing," says Alan Bair, owner of Pacific Yurts in Cottage Grove, Ore. One of the oldest yurt manufacturers in the U.S., Pacific Yurts has seen international sales double in the past several years.
"In particular, it's due to an increased interest in eco-resorts and low-impact camping," says Bair, who has sold more than 200 yurts to the state of Oregon as rentable accommodations in its many state parks and recreational areas.
Yurts are widely available as kits, making them good DIY projects. Most kits contain walls, structural members, rafters, windows and doors, and weatherproof coverings, and cost is relatively modest: You'll spend $5,000 to $6,000 for a 16-foot-diameter yurt. Note, however, that flooring and other niceties, such as plumbing and electricity, are not part of the basic yurt gestalt.
Would you consider a yurt? How would you use it?


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Home > News > Lamborghini release the world's most expensive supercar
Lamborghini release the world's most expensive supercar
Lamborghini have overtaken the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport by producing a new supercar which costs £1.77 million however at the moment the Lamborghini can't be driven legally on roads however there are plans to try and get Lamborghini on the road as it is thought some people will not want to pay £1.77 million if the car can't be used on the roads.
The Lamborghini Sesto Elemento has a top speed of 200mph and can reach 0-60 in just 2.5 seconds, but be sure this speed doesn't come with a cheap price tag. Lamborghini has had to dispense with normal measures when building this car which meant it didn't meet the required standards to be driven on the public roads. The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport was world record holder for the supercar region however Lamborghini have now beaten that to make the Elemento the quickest car in the world.
So as it seems as the moment the worlds new most expensive car will be forever driven on private racing tracks and roads, however if you are looking for a pricey toy the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento will be just up your street. The Lamborghini has a huge 5.2 litre V10 engine and a sleek carbon fibre body which weighs less than a tonne; it is no surprise that the Lamborghini Elemento can reach these speeds within 2.5 seconds.
The new Lamborghini has been revealed as a concept car at the Paris Motor Show last year and now the luxury Italian car maker has decided to go ahead and build 20 of these state of the art Lamborghini.


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Training and Experience RatingThe examination for many state jobs consists of a rating of applicant training and experience. This type of examination is often referred to as "unassembled" since applicants are not required to "assemble" or gather together for a written test. Sometimes applicants are required to answer online supplemental application questions. These are shown in the announcement and are used to obtain more specific information about the applicant's skill and job expertise.
(Unassembled Examination)
For detailed information about the application process and currently announced jobs refer to the Job Opportunities page.
What is a Training and Experience Rating?
In a Training and Experience rating (T&E), or "unassembled examination", an applicant's score and referral order are based on the education, special training, work experience, and related competencies described in the application documents. No written test is required. Since an applicant's score is based entirely on the information described on the application and accompanying documents, it is very important that the employment history, job dates, and duties be very complete and accurate.
Training and Experience scoring procedures are most often used for jobs requiring specific professional training, or experience.
Applicants must first meet the minimum training and experience requirements for a job class before their application can be scored. These "minimums" are shown in the announcement. Very often, alternative combinations of training and experience are acceptable.
Any applicant meeting the minimum training and experience requirements receives a passing score, usually 70 points. In most cases a category rating procedure is used to assign qualified applicants to 2 or 3 qualifications groups or categories. All applicants assigned to a group receive the same numeric score and have equal opportunity for referral to a hiring agency for possible interview. The actual numeric score assigned to each group may vary but is typically 70 (Qualified) 80 (Highly Qualified) and 90 (Best Qualified). In cases with very few highly qualified applicants, only 2 groups may be identified. In these cases, applicants may only be designated as "Selected" for possible agency consideration, or "Not Selected". Veterans preference points are added to the group score so that veterans receive first considerations within that group or the next higher group. Group assignment may depend on the amount of additional training and experience, the similarity of the experience to the announced job, the recency of the experience, special accomplishments, and job related skills and achievements indicated in the application materials. All application evaluations are based on the same evaluation standards.
There may be a re-application waiting period for each job announcement. For continuously announced titles this is usually 90 days. Jobs which are announced for 15 days usually allow re-application after 24 hours to enable applicants to correct errors or add information left out of the original application. In all cases, a new rating automatically replaces any previous rating. Multiple application will not increase an applicant's chance for employment consideration.
Some T & E Rating procedures require applicants to complete online supplemental application questions. Applicants must carefully follow all instructions given in the announcement. The overall objective of the Training and Experience Rating procedures is to enable all applicants with similar job related qualifications an equal opportunity to be referred for agency hiring consideration and possible interview.
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Fairbanks man accused in meat for heat case hires lawyer
Tim Mowry
FAIRBANKS — The Fairbanks man who is accused of illegally trading moose meat for firewood is taking his case to court.
Chad Gerondale, 41, has hired well-known Fairbanks attorney Bill Satterberg to represent him in the "meat for heat" case, as it has been dubbed by online spectators.
"I've got a lot to say about it but (Satterberg) told me not to," Gerondale told the News-Miner Tuesday morning when he returned phone messages left during the weekend.
Alaska Wildlife Troopers last week issued Gerondale a summons to appear in court on Feb. 3 to be arraigned on a misdemeanor charge of illegal barter of game meat. Troopers issued a news release Friday stating Gerondale had been cited for agreeing to trade 125 pounds of moose meat for two cords of firewood.
Buying, selling or bartering of game meat, except snowshoe hares, is illegal. The one exception is caribou meat in northern and western Alaska (units 22-26) may be bartered, but the meat cannot be taken out of those units.
Gerondale allegedly offered to swap moose meat for firewood on the radio show, Tradio, which airs on KFAR 660 AM.
"The allegations are the guy was on Tradio and said, 'I need some firewood and I'm willing to trade some moose meat,'" Satterberg said.
Trooper Ken Vanspronsen contacted Gerondale to make a deal and then showed up at his house and issued him a citation, Satterberg said.
A short story that appeared on Page B1 of Monday's News-Miner generated substantial interest — almost 10,000 views and more than 100 comments at last count — in the case. The story was picked up by The Associated Press and has attracted statewide attention.
"My phone has been ringing off the hook," Gerondale said. "I'm getting calls from all over the state from people who can't believe it."
Because illegal barter of game meat is a misdemeanor and not a violation, Gerondale will be entitled to a trial by jury, Satterberg said.
"We'll get to see what the public thinks about it and get right down to the meat of the matter," the attorney said.
Satterberg said there was no criminal intent involved and the citation issued to Gerondale is the product of "very zealous Fish and Game agents."
"Sometimes a good, solid warning for a person is sufficient," Satterberg said. "If the intention of troopers is to educate the public, I guess this is one way to do it."
Satterberg, a hunter himself, insinuated that trading game meat for fish and vice-versa is a common practice in Alaska.
"Most people don't even think about it," he said.
Sgt. Scott Quist with the Alaska Wildlife Troopers said trading game meat is illegal and troopers will investigate if they hear about it, whether it's through Craigslist, Tradio, eBay or word of mouth.
"This is the commercialism of game taken under a sport hunting license and it's not legal," Quist said. "We don't charge a lot of people with this, but if somebody is advertising it we will absolutely follow up on it."
The value of two cords of firewood is somewhere between $500 to $600, which "puts a fairly significant per pound value on that moose meat," Quist said. "It's no different than if you were paying money for it. Alaska law says that's not legal."
While it is illegal to buy, sell or barter game meat, the same is not true for salmon caught by federally qualified subsistence users.
Under federal law, subsistence users can buy, sell or trade an undefined amount of salmon caught, as long as it's caught in federal waters, Quist said. Subsistence fishermen cannot sell fish caught in state waters, he added.
As he reads the state statute, AS 16.05.920, Satterberg said even the offer of buying, selling or trading game meat is illegal.
"If you say, 'I've got some moose meat; you've got some salmon, let's trade,' that's a crime," Satterberg said. "Simply making the statement is the crime. That's a serious First Amendment question."
What the law says
AS16.05.920. Prohibited Conduct Generally.
(a) Unless permitted by AS16.05-AS16.40, by AS41.14, or by regulation adopted under AS16.05-AS16.40 or AS41.14, a person may not take, possess, transport, sell, offer to sell, purchase, or offer to purchase fish, game, or marine aquatic plants, or any part of fish, game, or aquatic plants, or a nest or egg of fish or game.


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Thursday, July 20, 2006, 11:26 PM - NewsI was bored today and decided to change the layout a bit, now i've got the blog hosted on the main site instead of blogspirit. Also I'm in the process of moving my builds gallery. The rest of the site (kits, turtorials,etc) haven't changed.
Saturday, December 10, 2005, 12:36 AM - Conversionsgot a little more done on the thing action figure I was working on. Added some teeth as well as general patching on the legs and wrists
Tuesday, August 2, 2005, 03:16 AM - ConversionsMr. Freeze got shelved...started working on converting one of Toybiz's rotocast Thing figures from the Fantastic Four movie into a statue/static figure. Its slow going trying to replicate the stone work. You can check out my progress on this thread over at the clubhouse.


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Carriage House Realty offers a wide range of properties for rent from 1 to 5 bedroom townhouses, condos and homes in Athens. Whether you're a student or professional, we can provide the perfect setting for your residence in Athens. Just give us a call and let us know what type of rental you are looking for and we can provide you the best option to fit your needs! We guarantee you will be pleased with our level of service and expertise. Athens Georgia real estate rentals and student housing are our specialty!
6-Month, 12-Month


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Wedding in Rixos Hotels Rixos Hotels which have a lot of hotels in Turkey and abroad are a world's leading brand chain of hotels with its magnificent hotels and beaches. Blue flag Rixos Hotel is one of Antalya's outstanding and advanced hotel chain with service and guests relations. They have many luxury hotels in Antalya as our wedding partner
They have many luxury hotels in Antalya as our wedding partner such as;
Wedding in Rixos Hotels
Our Wedding partner Rixos Hotel attach importance to private service policy altought working with All-Inclusive system. Rixos Hotel have an important architectural and they didn't flinch from any expense for guests to fell them special. Our wedding groups get necessary interest in Rixos Hotel, that's why they can continue to rest there with joy, without losing wedding excitement. By preparing magnificent menus of international cuisine, Rixos hotel can serve dishes according to cuisine culture of any our wedding groups. This is hotel chain, which we would recommend without any worries.


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The government has launched a new digital service that allows candidates to search, register and apply for apprenticeships and traineeships in England.
Find an apprenticeship/traineeship will replace the old Apprenticeship vacancies (Av) system by the end of June. Candidates who have not already done so will need to register to use the new service.
The new service includes:
- a straightforward registration
- a simpler application process
- an improved search function that allows users to search using a range of criteria (includes sector, keyword, employer and location)
- email or text notifications about live applications and recent searches
- a clear dashboard for tracking applications
For the rest of this month and during June it will not accept new registrations on Av and asks that candidates register to the new service. It also asks candidates to apply for any new apprenticeships or traineeships through the new service.
The Av search app will also be retired during this period, stakeholders should now only promote find an apprenticeship/traineeship which is a mobile first design. API and RSS feeds will continue but will reflect the design of the new system.
Careers guidance professionals should use the new service with candidates. Colleges, training organisations and employers should continue to use Av to manage their recruitment activities.


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Published: Oct 2011
Publisher: Scholastic
Length: 400 pages (Book) 12 hrs 6 mins (Audiobook)
Readership: Young adult
Genres: Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★
Buy: Paperback • Audiobook
More: Goodreads
Puck Connolly is about be the first girl to take part in the annual Scorpio Races, a dangerous race across compelling waters atop capaill uisce – flesh-eating water horses attracted to the sea. Puck is terrified, but it's her only choice. So with help from Sean Kendrick, winner of the races for the past four years, she begins to train.
Review of the story
On the surface, The Scorpio Races looks purely like a fantasy novel, but take away the capaill uisce (pronounced CAP-ul ISH-kuh), and it's much more like contemporary fiction. This is why I enjoyed it so much. It's not really a story about racing magical horses – although the race is an important element that holds everything together – it's more about the island of Thisby, the people who live there, and their relationship with the capaill uisce. The book takes place in the few weeks leading up to the race on these powerful, beautiful – and deadly – animals.
The Scorpio Races is a slow-paced story, but this is its strength. Thisby isn't bustling like the mainland – there's no need to rush when there's nothing to rush for. It's a poor, quiet island where everybody knows each other. It's home to Puck, and she never wishes to leave. The Scorpio Races is a humbling tale, imaginative and alive. I could picture it all and I was captivated by its characters, whom I followed right up until the perfect, cinematic ending. It also lacks action, which suits me just fine, but when there is, it's thrilling. Although I was rooting for Puck – it's hard not to – Sean was my favourite character to listen to. They're contrasting characters, but perfectly suited. There's the inevitable romance, subtle and real. You won't find instaromance here. Even though Sean and Puck look out for each other, they never take their eyes off the goal – to win.
I never expected to love The Scorpio Races. Surprisingly, I thought it was utterly breathtaking and haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished.
It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.
Review of the audiobook
The Scorpio Races is the first 'proper' audiobook I've ever listened to, aside from dramatisations of Enid Blyton novels and a little bit of The Time Traveler's Wife. It took me two months to finish, yet I never forgot any part of the story or became confused like I might have done if I was reading the book over that length of time.
Listening to the audiobook was an extremely enjoyable experience, perfect for my daily commute. It won a Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults award and I can see why – the production is fantastic. I loved the two actors who narrated Sean and Puck. They also had to put on different voices/accents for the side characters, which I imagine wasn't easy. If you've read The Scorpio Races before, you may be interested to know that Sean and Puck have southern English accents. I imagined Thisby to be similar to Jersey or Guernsey, and England to be the 'mainland'.
I was really disappointed when the story ended on my way home, when I had thought there was over an hour still left to listen to, which I haven't felt in a long time. First person narrative is well suited to audiobooks – it isn't like someone reading you a story, but more like watching a movie and feeling like you're in the thick of things. I'd wholly recommend The Scorpio Races audiobook even if you're hesitant about them. Give it a try! I loved it. You can listen to a sample here.


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January 19, 2006
Pain in the Glass
A random call from a reporter piqued my interest -- does recycling glass really save energy? That is, after you take into consideration all of the energy spent to collect glass from people's homes, truck the collected glass to a distribution center, route it to a glass manufacturer, and then melt it down for reuse, does glass recycling really save anything, compared with using virgin materials?
I was actually fearing the worst here. Obviously, given all of the energy costs of recycling glass, it's conceivable that it isn't a very good deal for the environment. Plus the reporter was asking specifically because he'd heard some mention that the benefits of glass recycling were overblown.
As it turns out, though, I shouldn't have worried. From just about every serious analysis I dug up, it seems that glass recycling really does save energy, compared with using virgin material. Some handy citations: here, here, here, and this extensive lit. review (pdf).
But as with most things, there is a bit of a twist.
As several of the studies point out, glass recycling saves energy -- but much less energy per ton of glass than, say, recycling newspaper, steel, and aluminum. (See, e.g., page 31 of the lit. review.) And because the theoretical energy savings of glass recycling appear to be relatively slim, it could mean that actual savings could depend on lots of devilish details -- how far the glass is shipped, how dispersed are the neighborhoods from which glass is collected, whether people make special car trips to recycling centers, etc.
One of those devilish details -- covered here, about 3/4 of the way down the page -- is the type of furnace used to melt the recycled glass. From the article...
[C]leaner-operating electric furnaces...use less energy and thus create less emissions than natural gas-powered furnaces, [but] cannot use as much recycled glass, so they are not as efficient.
That is, by using an efficient, low-emissions furnace, you can actually decrease the overall energy efficiency of your glass recycling operation. Darn.
And then there's this: even though using recycled glass does appear to have a lower environmental cost than using virgin materials, the environmental cost is not zero. Obviously--from an energy standpoint at least--it's better to drink water from the tap than water shipped in glass bottles, even if the bottles are made from recycled glass.
But more to the point, it may be that buying a drink in a lightweight plastic bottle uses less energy than buying a beverage in container made from recycled glass -- even if the glass bottle is re-recycled, and the plastic bottle just gets thrown away after a single use. This study from Israel (pdf) suggests as much -- though it points out that this is only true for certain types of plastics. And in the same vein, this analysis from the Institute for Lifecycle Environmental Analysis suggests that paperboard cartons have a lower environmental cost than bottles made from recycled glass.
Of course, I'm no expert here. All the information I have on the subject comes from a bit of googling -- and much of it seems to be at least a decade old. But it looks like glass recycling really is worthwhile...and, simultaneously, that the gradual trend among beverage bottlers to replace glass with plastic is in all likelihood a good thing.
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Is "the gradual trend among beverage bottlers to replace glass with plastic is in all likelihood a good thing"? I would say it is not.
If we are to seriously discuss the hidden costs we must go further in the process than the energy and economic issues alone. We must ask, are there recycling services available in the community at question at all? What is the usage of these services if they exist? What are the alternative fates of these products if they are not recycled? Do these materials have other assets and liabilities?
Many areas of the US and especially the developing world have no recycling services. They are expensive to run. Very few municipalities make recycling compliance a necessity by checking trash for mixed materials and levying fines. Costs of reusing bottles are admittedly higher, but the costs of disposing of plastic wastes are externalized to the public from the private sector and add up considerably, especially in the developing world or in rural US where burning of plastics and wastes in general is high. This has become the major source of persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs) like dioxin which travel through the atmosphere to be deposited anywhere and into our food, our bodies, our breast milk, our children. Regulations worked and phased out corporate and hospital emissions so now it is unregulated consumers that have emerged as the biggest polluters and without surveillance who knows how much PBTs are being discharged. Glass won't do that.
Furthermore, hormone-disrupting chemicals are leached off of plastics into the foods they contain throughout their thousand-year lifetime, but at higher doses when they are newest - when we use them. Many of these effects are cummumative and synergistic with other chemicals in our bodies having effects we have only begun to understand in the medical literature. Glass won't do that.
I remember living in Mexico in the mid eighties. Glass bottle reusing was a thriving cottage industry for the poor, the homeless, the hungry to make enough money to eat. This incentive ensured that all sectors of society cared not to break bottles unnecessarily and that their fates were more likely to be reused. Now there is a blight on the countryside with lighter than water plastics being carried far and wide by truck, by the wind and waters, to pollute the land. With no incentive, or, indeed, no programs for recycling, the trash piles up and/or is burned. Corporations found another way to externalize costs and return greater profits to their shareholders, so this is declared a victory.
My solutions? Go to your local thrift store with $20. Purchase a large canvas bag with a strong, comfortable shoulder strap. Fill it with glass mason jars for storage of your foods at home. Purchase these foods in the bulk foods are of your local co-op or the like. Purchase a stainless steel thermos for your daily use and reuse it. You can even recycle your wash water into your garden and back into food. The extra weight and effort will help lean you down and reduce your body burden of PBTs. Share with others this lifestyle. "Live simply that others may simply live", said Gandhi. He also said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." I don't see politicians or captains of industry doing this. No money in it. You've gone off the grid.
I'll see you there!
Posted by: Michael Greenberg | Jan 19, 2006 3:08:31 PM
Speaking only anecdotally here . . . it seems to me that the advent of very inexpensive plastic bottles, plus big box retailing, have dramatically increased the consumption of packaged water.
When it's a substitute for sugar water, that's probably a health gain. But I wonder how much of it is substituted for tap water.
Posted by: Alan Durning | Jan 19, 2006 3:37:14 PM
Whatever happened to reusables? You apply the "Three R's" in priority, reduce, reuse, THEN, and only then, recycle
When I was a kid, bottles were too valuable to throw away OR recycle. And us kids could make a mint collecting them and turning them in. In the late '60's, reusable bottles were worth a nickel -- just what "disposables" are worth today. Counting for inflation, the value of a reusable should be at least 20 cents!
It's only a matter of time. Energy prices will continue to increase to the point that we'll be forced to reuse bottles again. But we should be starting NOW!
Posted by: Jan Steinman | Jan 19, 2006 5:37:31 PM
Excellent ideas, y'all.
Fresh tap water packed in a cool looking and reusable thermos. Plus, "the extra weight and effort will help lean you down."
Also, Cascadia's tap water tastes much better than bottled water, anyway!
Posted by: Michelle Parker | Jan 19, 2006 5:48:28 PM
Thirty-odd years ago, I operated one of the first community recycling programs in the U.S. for several years. We were very cognizant, even then, of the energy conservation advantages of recycling, but we also knew that re-using things is far and away the most energy and materials efficient way of recycling and we encouraged that form of recycling wherever we could.
Our slogan was "If everything that is now used just once, were to be used just twice, then the amount of resources consumed for those things would be cut in half." And, of course, the corollary, which even the dimmest could see, every additional re-use of an item reduces the resource use even further.
One simple thing we did was culling out every usable item that came thru our centers (Mason jars, cooking utensils, jelly glasses, toys....) and putting them out for whoever needed them to take. My wife and I still use a baking pan I got that way, and it wasn't new when I got it. Its twin finally developed a couple of small holes a year or two ago and went into the recycling bin to become new steel, 35 years after someone decided that it wasn't worth keeping.
Another way was encouraging our community to buy beverages in refillable bottles. The "disposable" beverage container devolution was just hitting its stride in the early 70's and most soft drinks were still available in refillable, deposit bottles which were typically refilled in small local bottling plants. Beer was still available in refillable deposit bottles, but the brewing industry was consolidating rapidly and doing its dead level best to discourage its customers from buying its products in refillable bottles.
So, we sought out the location of stores which still offered beer in refillable bottles and publicized their location. But we were trying stop a freight train with our bare hands. Now there are essentially no beer or soft drinks packaged in refillable bottles.
The devolution of beverages from a local industry with local brands and an energy-efficient packaging system to a heavily concentrated one with national brands and a business model which absolutely requires its packaging to be discarded or, at best, recycled, is one of the many tragedies of modern American capitalism.
In point of fact, studies from the early 70's showed that in terms of EROEI (or net energy as we called it then), virtually all canned and bottled foods should be packaged in refillable deposit containers.
It's certainly possible to envision a system where this is possible. We already have a system of standardized containers (Mason jars) which could be made a little sturdier (the way they were 50 or 60 years) to
reduce breakage. Jars would not have to be clear -- light sensitive foods could be packaged in brown glass, the way beer is now. (You did know that's why proper beer bottles are brown, didn't you?)
Grocery shoppers would buy their green beans, or pickles or tomato sauce in 1/2 pint, pint or quart jars and pay a deposit which would cover the cost of the jar. Then the shopper could either keep the jar for home use (some pasta sauces are currently packaged in such jars, but no deposit is charged for them) or return it for the deposit. The stores collecting the jars returned for deposits would sell them to
local businesses which would wash, sterilize and box them up for resale to food packing businesses.
And, as in days gone by, kids could earn money going door to door, collecting deposit jars to return for people who are too busy to do it themselves.
Likewise, people could donate their excess jars to community canneries such as the LDS churches operate.
The amount of materials and energy necessary to package food would plummet, local employment would increase, and materials winding up in landfills would decline since people are much more inclined to "recycle" if they know they're throwing out 75 cents or a dollar everytime they discard a food container.
Posted by: Alan | Jan 20, 2006 5:10:23 PM
There are a couple issues that have not been touched on. First the move to one-way containers was part of a consolidation in the bottling industry. It used to be there were many small bottling companies. Every small town had one that just bought the syrup from the Coca-Cola company. They then bottles soft drinks, distributed them locally and the delivery truck picked up the empties to be washed an reused. That distribution and collection system doesn't work if you have one plant in California that distributes to the entire region. Thus the move to single use containers that could be shipped without having to be stored and returned.
The problem with re-use with beverage containers is not only the cost of transporting them but washing and sterlizing them. I don't know what the current balance sheet on energy and environmental costs is. If you want to know, I would check with folks who have been promoting the bottle bill around the country. You could start with OSPIRG since the PIRG's were one of the big backers of bottle bills.
Posted by: Ross Williams | Jan 20, 2006 8:10:00 PM


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Bostwick in Morgan County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Named in honor of the family who contributed substantially to the economic success of the community, Bostwick was incorporated by the Georgia legislature in 1902. By 1897, before it was incorporated, this community had a strong civic center including two cotton gins, grist mill, post office, doctor's office, bank, and hotel. Although Bostwick was approximately 10 miles off of the major railroad line that ran between Augusta and Atlanta, it had its own rail line that ran between the town of Monroe in Walton County, and the towns of Apalachee and Madison in Morgan County. A five-room school house with ten grade levels was constructed in the 1890s. The Baptist Church was organized in 1900 and the Methodist Church was founded in 1905.
The cotton economy of the area was served by a cotton gin, constructed by John Bostwick in the early 1900s. At the beginning of the 21st century, cotton was a staple of crop of the Bostwick area, and could be seen under cultivation for acres around the town. It was ginned locally at the Bostwick Gin. As the economy transitioned, ornamental horticulture, including sod farms and landscape nurseries, continued the agricultural tradition in this
Bostwick is recognized as a significant part of our county history because of its former thriving cotton-based economy and the many individuals who took pride in this community.
Erected 2007 by Morgan County Bicentennial Committee.
Location. 33° 44.25′ N, 83° 30.867′ W. Marker is in Bostwick, Georgia, in Morgan County. Marker is on Bostwick Road (Georgia Route 83) 0 miles west of 1st Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is adjacent to the Susie Agnes Hotel, founded in 1902 and after its recent restoration, used as the city offices. Marker is in this post office area: Bostwick GA 30623, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Matthew Talbot (approx. 2.8 miles away); Mallory (approx. 3.8 miles away); Flat Rock (approx. 4 miles away); Moina Michael (approx. 4.1 miles away); The Poppy Lady (approx. 4.4 miles away); Fairplay (approx. 5.2 miles away); Apalachee (approx. 5.6 miles away); John Andrew (approx. 6.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bostwick.
Categories. • 20th Century • Settlements & Settlers •
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on February 17, 2009, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 856 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 17, 2009, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.


text: I'm swimming around a circuit of buoys in Lough Dan, County Wicklow, on an icy day in early February. The cold is creeping up my fingers, into my hands and up my arms, gradually numbing them. There's a little voice in my head saying, "Stop." But there's another voice that says, "Keep going, you can do this."


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I loved the Spanish style pintxos (a piece of toasted bread with topping) with grilled veggies, salmon, prosciutto and pâté by All Class Food Experience! If you ask me, this was one of the most popular food trucks. But I also tried a vegetarian burger by the Vegetarische Slager and a spicy tortilla by Tante Tortilla.
Too bad I'm not a big eater... because I would have loved to try a lot more! There were Cuban sandwiches, French crêpes, Moroccan pancakes, oven baked stuffed potatoes, mussels and oysters, fruit smoothies, cakes, etc. etc. But the good news is... the event will most likely be back in december!
For more information, please visit:


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Red Barn Consignments and Antiques
217 W Main St
Lowell, MI 49331
(616) 490-8733
Tuesday - Friday 11am- 5pm Saturday 10am-5pm Sunday 12-4pm
Unique variety of Antiques, Specialties & previously loved items. Barn wood, Doors, Windows. Cherry Republic, Stonewall Kitchen, Schuil Coffee, Country Home Creations, Al Dente Pasta & Larabel Farms Honey are all products offered in Sandi's Cupboard. Samples offered daily. Something for everyone


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Listen to your favorite Christian speakers and musicians. Be encouraged in your faith, and share hope with febaonline.org
PASTOR ANIL KANT has dedicated himself completely to use his talents for the Lord. He recorded his first Gospel album in 2002 and since then he has released 18 Gospel Albums. His songs are word based (bible scriptures) because it is the word that breaks the yoke. It brings the anointing and the presence of God in our lives.
JOHN SCHLITT: While John is arguably one of the most powerful vocalists around, his mightiest cry is the cry of his heart. Whether onstage or up close and personal, John's voice is one of a truly changed soul. And his music is and always will be a reflection of God's love and redeeming power.
INDIA EVERY HOME CRUSADE: Bangalore
PRATIK BENJAMIN JOSEPH: Senior Maths Teacher at Wilson College, Mumbai Gospel Singer/Lyricist/Composer Multi-talented Creative Person/Composer/Writer in Bollywood Film Writer's Association (FWA) Member.
WG CDR I DAYANAND SOANS (Retd)
REV R.K.NAIR - Evangelical Church of India, Kanpur.
ENOSH ANSHUMAN CHATTREE: Lecturer at Christ Church College, Lucknow
CAMERON MENDES: Formed in the year 2002 by lead vocalist, song-writer & music composer Cameron Mendes, 'Yeshua Ministries' is a team of musicians and singers from the bustling city of Mumbai, India, who are committed to spreading the message of peace, hope and love of Jesus through their catchy and up-beat music like, 'Yeshu Tera Naam Sabse Uncha Hai', 'Gao Hallelujah', 'Hum Gaye Hosanna' and 'Rock 'n' Roll', 'Tu hi Rab hai', in India and the world over. http://www.yeshuaministries.com/
DR. BLESSON MENANA ABRAHAM is a christian song writer and musician from Kerala, India. Born December 22, 1984 Origin Kerala, India.
Dr.K.BENNY PRASAD: From being the shame of his family, he went on to being their pride. God's power brought the most powerful change in Benny's life. Before this transition he had displayed no interest or ability in music. But from that moment to the present, he has performed before PRESIDENTS AND PARLIAMENTS, CULTURAL STAGES OF THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES AND THE 2006 FIFA WORLD CUP. He has TRAVELLED TO 250 NATIONS (JULY 2011) performing music, earning him the honor of being THE FASTEST TO TRAVEL TO 245 NATIONS IN 6 YEARS, 6 MONTHS 22 DAYS (WORLD RECORDS ACADEMY – USA).
BIJOY THANGARAJ is currently working as Lead Singer/Guitarist at Cross Legacy. He also works as Music Producer for Ehsaas and Scales 'n' Hammers. http://crosslegacy.com/
PASTOR SUBBU RAO: Ps Subba Rao koduru is one of the famous Kannada Gospel Singers and a pastor at Indian Baptist Society, Banglore. The Lord has been using Ps Subba Rao a lot for His Glory among the Kannada People.
ALKA PRASAD: Christian Hindi Gospel Singer, Lyricist and Composer. Singer & Lyricist of song Jhoomo Nacho Khushi Se Aaj. Olive Ministries.
JASIEL PETER played his first hymn in Seamands Memorial Methodist Church, Bangalore on his seventh birthday (2003). Since then he has been privileged to be an instrument for Jesus.


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"OMG I hve 2 go 2 the bthrm!" would translate to "Oh my gosh, I have to go to the bathroom!" The former of the two versions of this sentence is how it would probably be written in a text message between two teenagers or young adults. This is known as "texting". One would "text" this message to someone else. This adaptation of the English language is meant to make typing on a small keyboard, such as on a phone, easier and quicker. Words are often abbreviated or turned into an acronym that makes sense when read out loud. Most words are recognizable though are completely wrong by English standards. Michael Masters explains one of the greatest benefits the best in TextAppeal - For Guys!: The Ultimate Texting Guide:
"Texting is very similar to normal conversation but with one HUGE difference; you have time to think of a good answer."
Credit: By Alton (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsThe point of this non-official language is not to be grammatically correct, but to transmit a message as easily and efficiently as possible while still making it readable. Most words can be understood by anyone who reads the messages. However, some words are harder to understand unless you've been around others who text each other frequently and use these transformations of the English language. It takes some practice to really get used to it. That is, if you choose to get used to it. The reality is that like it or not this language is very popular. Although it may not be an officially recognized language, texting is very much real and used on a daily basis by many people in the world and cannot be ignored as a real language, simply because it is used so much. It may not seem like it, but there are some loose rules or guidelines to using this language. We'll cover what they are.
The first rule of texting is that all texts must be understandable by the sender and the receiver. This may seem like an obvious rule. The catch is that nobody else really needs to understand the message. In fact, words can be made up on the spot and the meaning can be agreed upon once and it can be used from that point forward. An example of this exchange could look something like this:
"I dnt thnk he unstds me"
"oh ok"
From this point on, a new rule has been agreed upon for word usage. The word "understand" may be typed as "unstd" from this point forward without even realizing that this was a new unwritten rule of the language. More and more words can be formed this way. As you can imagine, this language can develop more and more complex new words over time. Someone else who reads a text message between these two parties in the future that sees the newly developed version of "understands" as "undstds" may not have a clue what that means unless you can match the context with what the word looks like it may be. You may notice some letters in the above example are missing in words. Letters can be omitted and even exchanged by numbers.
It is very common to exchange letters and words with numbers. It's obvious that it would be quicker to type "8" instead of writing out the word "eight". But it has gone a step further. Sections of words that sound like a number can be exchange with a number. For example, saying "I 8 brkfst" can be used in place of "I ate breakfast". Also, "I feel sorry for you" can be typed as "i feel sry 4 u". Here are some common examples of words that can be translated into a number or letter to significantly shorten it:
You – U
Ate – 8
For – 4
To – 2
Great – gr8
Credit: By Gareth Williams [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsThese five examples can be used alone or even as extensions for other words, such as using "undrstm8" in place of "underestimate". These shortcuts are not only common in text messages, but they are even used in some professional, published material. For example, the following is a fictitious conversation between Romeo and Juliet, with the twist of the two having a conversation today via text messages, in "The I.M.s of Romeo and Juliet" by Roz Chast:
Juliet: romeo u there
Romeo: yo wassup
Juliet: nothin, u?
Romeo: scool sucked 2day
Juliet: heard wylander got mad at u
While the text itself may be a mockery of the poor use of the English language, it is still widely used enough that a published author is aware of it and was willing and able to publish this piece utilizing the method.
Another rule is that vowels can be omitted in the middle of words, but not usually if it's the first or last letter of a word. Omitting as many letters as possible makes typing phrases quicker. It may seem lazy and unnecessary at first, but omitting a letter, or two, or three from a majority of words in a long phrase can significantly reduce the time it takes to produce a message. Let's look at another example:
"I think I'll reserve time another day for going to the library."
This can be typed as:
"I thnk ill rsrv tme anthr dy fr gng 2 the lbry."
As you can see, there are over 10 letters omitted and one entire word is actually changed into a number. The result is a phrase that is about 75% of the length of its formal (correct) version that can still be understood by most people. There is an internet meme called Typoglycemia, which demonstrates that readers can understand the meaning of words in a sentence even when the interior letters of each word are scrambled. There may not be an official definition for this term, because it is not an officially recognized medical term, but it is an interesting phenomenon that is explained best in a Wikipedia article:
"Typoglycemia is a neologism given to a purported recent discovery about the cognitive processes behind reading written text. The word does not refer to any actual medical condition related to hypoglycemia. The word appears to be a portmanteau of "typo", as in typographical error, and "hypoglycemia". It is an urban legend/Internet meme that appears to have an element of truth to it."
Although the above example does not exactly match the definition of this phenomenon because the letters are not scrambled, but rather letters are completely omitted, there may be some relation. This brings us to the fourth rule of texting.
The fourth rule of texting (although there is no specific order) is that messages must be as short as possible. The point of this language is to spend as little amount of time as possible typing. When cell phones first started becoming popular, the technologies available were very limited. Letters were, and still are in some phones today, bunched in groups of three on each number key. For example, the letters A, B and C are all accessible via the number 2. In order to punch in the letter C in a text message, one would need to press the number two, which would output "2", then press the same key again within a few seconds to change the character to the next option, "A", then press it again to change the character to "B", then a final press of the same key would generate "C". This makes texting very time consuming and annoying. The same key needs to be pushed 4 times to produce a single desired letter. To put this into perspective, lets look at a single word example and how the shortened texting method would be more efficient. To produce the word "accounting" on an older keypad phone, it would take 31 presses of the keypad to produce this one word. If we follow the rules of texting that were mentioned so far, and simply went with "acctng", it would only take 17 presses of the keypad. The amount of work was nearly cut in half! Another good example would be the word "underestimate". It would take 38 presses of the keypad to produce this word. A typical way to text this word is "undrstm8", which would only take 20 presses of the keypad.
Credit: By Oregon Department of Transportation [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsWith all the shortcuts that texting brings to the table, it does not come without side effects. For instance, there is much debate on rather texting should be allowed while driving. Some areas across the United States have banned it, while others have not. Studies have shown that both reading and typing text messages can slow your reaction time while driving near the same amount as being legally intoxicated. Texting may make life easier in some ways, but it ends lives in other ways.
When all the "rules" are combined together, a new breed of the English language is developed that can effectively be used to exchange messages that serve the purpose of any language: to communicate with others in a common, effective way that can be understood. One could argue that this relatively new form of communication is more effective than the complete, formal version of English. As long as a message can be communicated, and its meaning understood, then it has served its purpose. Why put the extra time into writing a message if we can understand a shorter version? The better question may be: if the formal rules and spelling of words in the English language didn't exist, would the texting version make sense at all? How could we relate "gr8" to "great" if the original spelling did not train our brains to associate the two sounds? Regardless of the origins, the fact remains that texting is an evolved form of English and exists as a language today.
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The Galapagos Islands have a varying climate marked by a scarcity of rain, and in April rainy season comes to an end. The Galapagos Islands are quite green and full of life.
In April, the massive arrival of Waved Albatrosses to Espanola Island, where their amazing courtship starts.
April ends the hatching season for the giant tortoises but begins the hatching seasons for both the Green Sea Turtles and Galapagos Land Iguanas. Rainy season comes to an end in April and the Islands become quite green all around!
April in the Galapagos:
Temperatures for Galapagos Islands in April:
|Average Low:
|Average High:
|Water Temperature:
|Average Rainfall:
|1.5 inches
For more information on Galapagos Islands weather, click here Galapagos Islands weather.


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Entry and Level 1 ProgrammesView Our Entry and Level 1 Programmes Courses
By studying a Foundation Learning course at Newton Rigg College students will develop their confidence, learning and work-related skills.
All learners study core skills together with a choice of vocational pathways:
• Animal Care
• Health and Social Care
• Agriculture
• Work Skills
• Retail Services
All our pathways are designed to enable students to study subjects they enjoy whilst gaining a practical understanding of a vocational area.
All of our full-time Foundation Learning courses include a vocational qualification. They also cover personal and social skills as well as help you develop your Maths and English skills.
The programmes take place in a supportive environment and are flexible, enjoyable, challenging and rewarding.
Courses are offered at Entry Level, Level One, and Level 1.5 to allow for appropriate progression. At the end of the time in Foundation Learning students may progress into our Level Two provisions within the College or into full or supported employment with local employers.
Our learners are based in a their own building in the centre of the Newton Rigg Campus, which includes teaching base rooms together with social areas. Teachers and Learning Development Staff provide ongoing support throughout the day.
The day starts within the base area but then learners have the options of using the wide-range of teaching facilities within Newton Rigg College. Depending on the pathway learners may be working with the animals in Newton Rigg's Animal Academy, they may be taking part in activities on the Farm, in the College's gardens or they may be running a short activity for children from the nursery based at the College.
Learners will join with students from other pathways when they are studying English, Maths and Personal Development units. Learners also work together on group projects including fundraising activities for local charities and on planning educational visits to local farms, animal centres, zoos and work places.
Open Days are held throughout the year at the College, when prospective learners are welcome to come and meet current learners and take part in a day's activities with them.
If you would like to come and visit please find out more about our Open Days.


text: Opening with the stirring battle between the British frigate Macedonian and the United States, Bosco goes back to explain the causes of the war and to give a chronological account of the high points, recounting battles along the Canadian border, the great sea battles, fighting in the (then) Northwest, British retaliation in the East, etc. Along with the great victories were ignominious defeats; one is struck with wonder that we won. Treatment is even-handed: savagery was common among the British, Indians, and Americans. An epilogue explains settlements achieved with the Barbary Coast countries and briefly delineates the powerful effects of the war on US development. A particularly pleasing book, with stark white pages, large print, wide margins, and good maps and b&w photos; more important, it's written clearly and without condescension, proving that history can be exciting. Notes; important dates; glossary; further reading; bibliography; and a poor-quality index.


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WAYLAND - Abolitionist writer Lydia Maria Child died almost 140 years ago, but Wayland Historical Society curator Jane Sciacca says her views remain important today.
Child emphasized equality and urged people to look at others as individuals, not as part of races and classes.
"I think she has a vital lesson for today," Sciacca said. "Here, we seem to have lost our vital sense of what's important."
Child, who lived part of her life in Wayland and would have been 216 years old on Sunday, would likely be disappointed to see the acts of racism and the divisiveness of the country today, Sciacca said.
The society is celebrating her birthday on Sunday with a 2:30 p.m. program about Child. Medford playwright and actress Laura Duggan will present a videotape of her work "The Ghost of Lydia Maria Child" about the 19th century author and abolitionist. The free event will be held at the Islamic Center of Boston, 126 Boston Post Road. Stop & Shop donated a birthday cake.
The historical society also has a variety of artifacts in its museum, including Child books and her calash, an accordion-style bonnet.
Born in Medford in 1802, Child was a famous writer in her 20s and early 30s. Her book "The Frugal Housewife" offered advice to women who did not have servants and had to care for their homes on their own. She wrote advice books for children and edited a children's magazine.
Child could have had a profitable career, but gave it up to fight against slavery and promote women's rights, Native American rights and equality, said Duggan and Sciacca.
She understood "we're all of the human family and that we should respect everybody and everybody should have an equal shot at things," Duggan said.
Sciacca added: "She was opposed to all forms of discrimination against anyone."
But, Child's abolitionist views and works such as 1833's "An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called Africans," ostracized her and she lost her popularity. The theme of racial inferiority was present even in Massachusetts at the time.
Child moved to Wayland in 1852 and lived in town until her death in 1880. She is buried in North Cemetery.
She is perhaps best known for writing the poem "Over the River and through the Wood," but Sciacca and Duggan see much more in her than the source of that holiday staple.
Duggan hopes people who watch her play, which she developed in 2016 with assistance from the historical society, see the sacrifices Child made to denounce slavery.
"I just adore her values and her courage," Sciacca said. "She's a very, very admirable lady."
Brian Benson can be reached at 508-626-3964 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @bbensonmwdn.


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Benson's Catering Limited. Quality catering across the Cotswolds and Midlands. We bring the restaurant to you. A chef in your home. Dinner party chef. Personal chef. Holiday chef. Private chef. Caterers. England. UK. Hire. Christmas lunch & dinner in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire
A personal chef for your holiday at www.bensonscateringltd.co.uk/holiday-chef - all or some of your meals taken care of; breakfast, lunch, children's and evening meals are all possible - you decide how much you want us to do. It's like being in a hotel but with the comfort and flexibility of your own home. No taxis to restaurants to organise and no baby sitter needed for the children - and it doesn't cost as much as you think!
Eat for under £30 in the Cotswolds! Staying in is the new going out - our bistro menu delivered chilled, or cooked and served exclusively in your home by chef and waiting staff throughout Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, West Oxfordshire and the Midlands: Benson's Catering Limited - Our Menus
Wedding catering in the Cotswolds - see some of our previous events right here
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Cheesecake recipe alert!
2 comments:
- Sam said...
Your recipe is very similar to mine, I use a mixture of ricotta, cream cheese and creme fraiche. I added white chocolate and raspberries to my last cheesecake, that was really good.
I really like you little cheesecakes served in glasses, that's a fantastic idea!
- Tue Oct 12, 08:31:00 AM 2010
- James said...
Came from an ancient Dairy cookbook originally & I've adapted the amounts.
Need to try oreo cheesecake next.....
- Tue Oct 12, 02:54:00 PM 2010


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Alan R's 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
Items installed:
- Eclipse AVN6610 navigation system
- JL Audio XR650Csi component speakers
- JL Audio TR525-Cxi 5-1/4" speakers
- JL Corvette Stealth Subwoofer
- SIR-ECL2nt Sirius Traffic Controller
- Eclipse iPod adapter
- Eclipse CH3083 CD Changer
- JL Audio XD700/5 5-channel amplifier
- Front and rear cameras
Installation Description
I had Area 41 of Kennesaw, GA and Sounds Sensations install the audio equipment and Dynamat throughout the car. I installed the Dynamat in the truck myself
Q&A Section
Why did you decide to upgrade your A/V system?
I had Eclipse in my previous car and wanted the same quality in my Vette
What's the first thing you show people about your installation?
The Amp rack installation in the truck
Why did you choose these products?
I chose the products for the quality of sound
What was the most difficult part of the installation?
The cost.
What plans, if any, do you have for future upgrades?
Upgrading the entire system to something more current like Pioneer and Alpine
|Picture of interior of car
|Amp rack from interior
|Amp rack and stealth subwoofer from trunk
|Eclipse navigation headunit
|iPod in the console
|Dynamat installation
|Another photo of the Dynamat installation
|Front of car
|Side view of car
|Me deal with it
MARK MARLOW from Myrtle BeachPosted on 7/24/2018
How well does that Dynamat sound deadening work? Seems like most of the loud noise comes from behind the seats in the convertible.Jon Paulette from Crutchfield on 7/26/2018Mark, We hear a lot of good things about Dynamat in Corvettes, so it might be a nice addition to your car. Give us a call and talk to one of our advisors. We'll help you get what you need for your convertible.
Alan R from MariettaPosted on 6/18/2016
Todd, the subwoofer enclosure is available through JL Audio and they may have one that is designed specifically for your car.div>
Todd from AtlantaPosted on 4/24/2016
Hello Sir I love your set up!! But I have a question about your stealth speakers.. I have a 1998 Vett, and would like to set up the subs like that as well.. Where did you buy them or were they made for you?? Thanks...div>
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text:
'Tis peak season for academic institutions to try and convince prospective students to sign on the dotted line. Unitec has looked to the city with its new, very urban campaign, The University of Canterbury has looked to the future with Designworks, Lincoln has looked to the land and most of the other academic institutions are active as well. And now AUT University is joining in the fun, with a new brand campaign by Consortium that showcases the work of six researchers who are "helping define the future of our changing world".
AUT's group director of marketing and communications Nick Swallow, who's up for the marketer of the year title at Thursday's TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards, says it's not solely about recruitment, however. That's the end goal, of course. But it's more of a long-term positioning campaign that aims to draw attention to the fact that the country's fastest growing university is becoming renowned as a hub for research and innovation.
Reputation is everything for a university and research is often how it is gained. But because AUT only became a university in 2000, it has had to position itself as a more contemporary option, which it has achieved through its 'The University for the Changing World' tagline. The university is now fairly well-established, and while the same contemporary approach is being used, Swallow says it's time to focus on the amazing things happening inside the institution.
"In 2000, we had 20 PhD students. Now we've got more than 500, with a goal of growing that to 750. We've also got 2,200 post grad students. But it's a story that not too many people know about."
The TVC, which was created by Miles Murphy and Toybox (and features a cameo from last year's rookie marketer of the year Max Woodhead, who's now working at Telecom), is the core of the campaign, but it will be backed up by outdoor and digital activity, with a website that features in-depth videos on each of the researchers featured in the ad.


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Michael Chiesa Injured, Out of July 13 UFC Fight Night Headliner with Tony Ferguson
A lower back injury has forced UFC lightweight contender Michael Chiesa to withdraw from his scheduled July 13 encounter with Tony Ferguson.
Chiesa confirmed the news on Monday following a report from MMAJunkie.com.
"During a routine training session, I felt a pop and shift in my lower back followed by very very sharp pains that left me on the floor," Chiesa wrote in a Facebook post. "I found out today I have a fully ruptured disk, I will undergo 8 weeks of physical therapy and rehab to hopefully avoid having to go under the knife and get back surgery."
Chiesa and Ferguson were slated to headline next month's UFC Fight Night card in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. UFC officials told MMAJunkie.com that the organization is currently seeking a short-notice replacement opponent for Ferguson.
Chiesa had racked up three straight wins over the past 14 months, most recently submitting Beneil Dariush in an April clash at UFC on Fox 19. The winner of "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 15, Chiesa holds an Octagon record of 7-2 with five wins by way of rear-naked choke.
One of the UFC's top contenders at 155 pounds, Ferguson will go in search of his eighth consecutive victory in his next outing. "El Cucuy" went 3-0 in 2015 but has yet to enter the cage this year after an injury forced him from a planned April meeting with Khabib Nurmagomedov.


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text: When it all becomes too much New mum wellbeing Baby 0 Postnatal depression affects one in seven new mums. If you're one of them, don't suffer in silence It was a sunny Tuesday morning when Heather was awoken by the sound of her 4-month-old baby babbling in his crib. It was well past feeding time and Heather knew Thomas must be hungry, but instead of getting up and preparing his bottle, she rolled over and buried her head in the pillow, letting out a long, silent scream. I just didn't want to get up,' recalls Heather. In fact, if I'm honest, I just didn't want to exist. What was the point? I felt I was a useless mum to Tom and he'd be better off without me. Everything in my life seemed so bleak and meaningless. But I didn't even have the energy to cry. I was at my lowest ebb.' As Heather later discovered, she was in the grips of postnatal depression (PND), a condition that affects nearly one in seven new mums in the UK. It can touch anyone, regardless of their background, and doctors can't predict exactly who will develop it - celebrity mums including Brooke Shields, Suzanne Shaw and Gail Porter have all admitted to struggling with the condition. The good news is, with the right support and treatment, nearly all sufferers will fully recover. Heather, who works as a healthcare professional, is all too aware of PND. But she initially wrote off her symptoms as just baby blues - the emotional low that many women experience shortly after giving birth. It's a perfectly normal and healthy part of the transition into motherhood, affecting about 80% of new mums, and usually vanishes within a week. However, 15% of new mums will go on to develop PND, which can appear up to a year after giving birth. Symptoms of PND include overeating or loss of appetite, constant tiredness and a lack of interest in your appearance. A baby will change you, but new mums who change dramatically may have PND. A lot of publicity is given to the extreme form of PND, called pueperal psychosis. Symptoms include hallucinations and irrational thoughts, and most sufferers need psychiatric treatment. But this affects only 1% of mums. For sufferers to recognise they have PND is the hardest but most important step to recovery. Heather now admits, Even when I knew there was something wrong, I couldn't admit it - it made me feel like a complete and utter failure. Tom was such a wanted child and I love him so dearly, yet I was barely able to function as a human being, let alone as a mother.' Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, consultant midwife of public health at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, says, Most just try to get on with it and don't like to admit they're depressed.' As a recent survey for BBC1's Real Story discovered, nearly half of all mums with PND lie to their health visitor about how they're feeling. This is because they worry people will think they're a bad mother, or social services will be called and their child taken away. But health visitors are there to help and offer support to vulnerable new mums, and as Jacqueline stresses, It isn't the mum's fault.' Many GPs and health visitors ask new mums to fill out the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression scale. The respondent underlines one of four possible answers to 10 statements that best describes her feelings. It's a useful tool in assessing PND, but it must be answered honestly. A partner or friend may actually be a better judge of whether a new mum needs support. They will know her better than anyone and will notice if she's not acting normally. In Heather's case, it was her husband Rob who recognised her symptoms as PND. Heather's such an upbeat, positive person, a real bundle of energy,' he says. Yet, here was this panic-stricken, hollow-eyed creature who couldn't even eat.' Why some women suffer while others don't is a subject of much medical debate. There's no conclusive research, though several contributing factors have now been identified. Dr Michael Killoran Ross, manager for a child health project called Starting Well, says, Suffering from depression in the past is the single biggest predictor for PND.' Other causes include a traumatic delivery, or a stressful life experience such as splitting up with your partner or moving home. Hormone levels can fluctuate dramatically, but Dr Killoran Ross asserts, There is no clear evidence of hormonal changes predicting PND.' Whatever the cause, PND requires treatment, so if you suspect you have it, tell a healthcare professional. You'll probably be referred to a counsellor. Their objective, professional support can be beneficial. Equally, confiding in friends and family can help. There are support organisations too, and some mums find it helps to share their experiences with other sufferers through chat rooms on the internet. You may be prescribed antidepressants or tranquilisers, which balance the brain's mood-altering chemicals. But antidepressants can take up to four weeks to work. Also, tell your GP if you're breastfeeding as certain types of medication aren't suitable. Finally, cognitive behavioural therapy can be offered in conjunction with drugs and counselling. This looks at the effect of negative thoughts, and finds new ways to deal with them. Heather's PND was treated with antidepressants and weekly counselling sessions. Within a few months the black cloud had lifted,' says Heather. The drugs helped me regain my balanced outlook, while talking to someone about my anxieties made me realise I wasn't going mad.' So what does the future hold for those who are suffering from PND? You can move on from it entirely,' promises Dr Killoran Ross. New mums are never alone and there are lots of women who've had PND and are now enjoying life as a parent to the full. NATURAL MOOD BOOSTERS Go outside or sit in a well-lit room. Light stimulates the brain to produce serotonin, a hormone that makes you happy. Exercise for 30 minutes a day. This helps produce serotonin. Avoid stimulants like caffeine and alcohol as these affect mood, and eat little and often to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Parenting consultant Debbie Lewis on how new mums can beat the blues Having a new baby is a massive life change. If you're feeling upset or worried, tell someone about it. Talk to your partner, good friend, or a professional. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it.Make sure you take it easy on yourself over the coming months. Be realistic about what you can achieve and take all the practical help you're offered. Remember, you don't have to be supermum. Being perfect isn't realistic - it is okay to make mistakes.Make time to have fun and enjoy yourself, even if it is just a quick bath by yourself with a magazine.Celebrate what is going well in your life, even if it's a small issue like making it out of the house by 10am. What real mums say... I used to dread my husband going to work - it was the thought of being on my own with Isobel. It wasn't because she was difficult. In fact, I couldn't have had a better child. It was this feeling of not being in control. I became completely obsessed by her routine, and if anything was five minutes out, I couldn't cope.'Emma McAllistar, has a daughter, Isobel, 2 I'm a very open person, but suddenly I found myself clamming up. How could I explain my life was falling to pieces and I was a wreck, constantly crying and shaking? I felt so ungrateful. I'd been blessed with the most beautiful baby. Why wasn't I happy?'Laura Davies, has one child, Orion, 10 months It was only when my partner Justin kissed me and said, "That's the first time I've seen you laugh in months," that I realised he was right. I'd been so depressed I'd barely smiled. It felt so good to feel positive again.'Mandy Oliver, has two daughters, Jessica, 3, and Becky, 8 months Support organisations APNI (Association For Post-Natal Illness). Go to www.apni.org or call 0207 386 0868.MAMA (Meet A Mum Association). Visit www.mama.co.uk or call 0845 120 3746.NCT (National Childbirth Trust). See www.nctpregnancyandbaby care.com or call 0870 444 8707.Look out for web forums where you can log on and chat to other sufferers, such as www.pni.org.uk. By Babyexpert.com 0 Comments Share Like this article? Showing of Uh-oh! You need to be logged in to do this... Sign In Sign Up Load more posts Write a comment


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Qadim is a word found in both Arabic and Hebrew meaning 'ancient' as well as 'that which will come.' The ensemble's repertoire includes Arabic, Jewish, Turkish Sufi, Hebrew-Yemenite, Armenian, Greek, Ladino and Moroccan music, celebrating the common musical and spiritual heritage of the region's cultures, while honoring the great diversity found within them.
Acclaimed for their passionate performances, The Qadim Ensemble is comprised of accomplished and acclaimed musicians. The San Francisco based band has attracted a growing global audience who are responding to their authentic musicianship and timely message of peace and cross-cultural appreciation.
Their most recent CD, Eastern Wind, received rave reviews world wide, reaching #7 on Billboard's World Music charts.
"Truly world music, some of the most open, human music you'll hear . . . Essential"
-East Bay Express
"Beautifully presented, the players bring superb musicianship and palpable enthusiasm to each performance. Eliyahu's ney flute along with Rachel's succulent vocals are stars . . . creating a sense of human communication with the divine."
-All Things Considered, NPR
"Listeners are deeply moved"
-Jewish Telegraph, London
"Visionary . . . achingly beautiful . . ."
-San Francisco Chronicle
Led by Eliyahu Sills on the ney, The Qadim Ensemble consists of Rachel Valfer Sills on oud and lead vocals, Faisal Zedan on Arabic percussion such as the darbukkah, riqq & daf, and Geri Hegedus on Turkish baglama saz, divan saz, persian setar, and oud.
Eliyahu studied for over ten years with the Hindaustani bansuri flute master G.S.Sachdev, one of the worlds most highly esteemed musicians in that ancient tradition. In Istanbul, Turkey, he studied with Neyzen Omer Erdogdular and Neyzen Ahmet Kaya, in Morocco with Akdii Abdelsalaam, and in Israel with Itamar Shachar.
Rachel Valfer is a passionate singer and oud (Arabic lute) player who brings depth of feeling to every song. She studied Maqam and Persian dastgah modal systems in Israel and Palestine for six years at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and sings with several ensembles in the Bay Area. Gifted in the art of language, Rachel sings in Hebrew, Arabic, Farsi,Greek, Turkish, Ladino, and Armenian.
Syrian-born Faisal Zedan was divinely inspired to play Arabic percussion at the age of 15. He received instruction from a distant relative, the only drummer in his village of Oum Dbaid. Since moving to the United States, he has played with many of the greatest Arabic musicians, such as Ali Jihad Racy, Julien Jâlal Eddine Weiss, and the band Kanzaman. Through team work and daily practice, Faisal is dedicated to keeping Arabic music alive, and inspiring fellow musicians to have a selfless approach to playing music.
Gari Hegedus plays variety of stringed instruments from Greece and Turkey including lauoto, oud, saz and hand drums as well as violin and viola. In addition to playing in the duo Teslim with violinist Kaila Flexer, he performs with world music group Stellamara and Persian vocalist Hamed Nikpay. He has studied with oud master Naseer Shamma and has recorded and performed with Ross Daly. He has toured with the Mevlevi Dervish (Sufi) Order of America and continues to participate in Turkish ceremonial and devotional gatherings around the country.
The ney is an end-blownflute that figures prominently in Persian, Turkish, and Arabic music. The ney has been played continuouslyfor 4,500–5,000 years, making it one of the oldest musical instruments still inuse. The ney consists of a piece of hollow cane/reed with five or six fingerholes and one thumb hole. Ney is an old Persian word for reed.
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in Middle Eastern music. The oud is readily distinguished from the European lute (its descendent) by its lack of frets and small neck. This instrument and its close relatives have been a part of the music of each of the ancient civilizations that have existed in the Mediterranean and the Middle East regions, including the Sumerians, Akkadians,Persians, Jews, Kurds, Babylonians, Assyrians, Armenians, Greeks, Egyptians,and Romans.
The saz (or baglama) is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central Asia. The term saz is mainly used to refer to a family of plucked string instruments, long-necked lutes used in Ottoman classical music, Turkish folk music, Kurdish music, Azeri music,Armenian music, Persian music, Assyrian music, and in parts of Syria, Iraq and the Balkan countries.
Setar (Persian: سه تار, from seh, meaning "three" and tār, meaning"string") is a Persian musical instrument. It is a member of the lute family. Darbukka:
Arabian in origin, the Darbukka is commonly found in Turkey, the Balkan countries, and North Africa.The Darbukka is a drum with a goblet or chalice-like shape. Also known as the Dombak, Doumbek, Darabuka, and Darbukka it is commonly associated with Middle Eastern music, often as the lead voice of percussion.
The riq (also spelled riqq or rik) is a type of tambourine used as a traditional instrument in Arabic music. It is an important instrument in both folk and classical music throughout the Arabic-speaking world. It traditionally has a wooden frame (although in the modern era it mayalso be made of metal), jingles, and a thin, translucent head made of fish or goatskin (or, more recently, a synthetic material).
The bendir is a frame drum used as a traditional instrument throughout North Africa. The bendir is used throughout North Africa, Ancient Egypt, and Mesopotamia, and has been around since prehistoric times. The bendir is used in the special ceremonies in the Sufi tradition is strongly characterized by the use of music, rhythm, and dance to reach particular states of consciousness.