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Exotic Thekkady Honeymoon PackageRated 4.1/5 (based on 2127 reviews)
Exotic Thekkady Honeymoon Package4 Days & 3 NightsCustomizable
Book 3 nights, 4 days Munnar Thekkady honeymoon package for an ultimate vacationing experience with your partner. This package is carefully crafted to take the newlyweds to the beautiful expanses of Kerala – God's Own Country. You can check Kerala tour itinerary 4 days to know in detail about what the package offers.
Your Thekkady and Munnar holiday package commences in Kochi from where you are transferred to Munnar. The very first day visit the two most splendid waterfalls, the Valara Falls and the Cheeyappara Falls. This hill town of Kerala imparts a beautiful start to your holiday with its aromatic tea plantations, Mattupetty Dam, Eravikulam National Park, Echo Point, Photo Point, and more. This Munnar itinerary presents you with the scenic and pristine beauty of nature. Next destination on the trip is Thekkady, which is famous for its wildlife reserve. Enjoy watching animals in the wild and take delight in the jungle safari for added fun in Thekkady at the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Thekkady also gives all the couple some quality time to spend together amidst the beautiful expanses.
Every package to these destinations can be customised as per your requirements and budget. Your vacation comes along with delicious meals, soothing accommodations, comfortable transfers, and amazing sightseeing trips. So, book a holiday package to Munnar and Thekkady today!
Other Benefits (On Arrival)
Stay Included
Start your trip with the freshness of the lush green surroundings of Munnar.
You will be greeted by an agent's representative on your arrival at Kochi Airport. From there you will be transferred to Munnar by a private cab. Sit back, relax and enjoy a romantic ride with your loved one. Check in to the hotel and get ready for a sightseeing outing. Today you will visit the majestic Valara Falls and Cheeyappara falls in Munnar. Stroll around the waterfall area hand in hands with your partner.
Later return to the hotel at night.
Distance from Kochi to Munnar: 130 km
Travel Time: 4 hours (approx.)
Other Benefits (On Arrival)
Stay Included
Your Munnar itinerary takes you on a sightseeing spree across this beautiful hill town.
Wake up to a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel. Today you will be visiting the most romantic places in Munnar, also Mattupetty. First on the list is the beautiful Eravikulam National Park famous for its animal and birds species, next visit the Echo point, which is mostly frequented by couples and lovebirds. You will also visit the Tea Museum and get to know in detail about the origins of tea. Later visit the magnificent Mattupetty Dam.
After a wonderful day return to the hotel for a comfortable night stay.
Other Benefits (On Arrival)
Stay Included
Enjoy an exceptional experience at Thekkady today.
Today you will be transferred to Thekkady by a private cab. Check-in to the reserved hotel and rest for a couple of hours. You can enjoy the day at leisure today. Opt to explore the surroundings of the beautiful place or the local markets.
Spend the night at the hotel.
Distance from Munnar to Thekkady: 94 km
Travel time: 3 hours (approx.)
Other Benefits (On Arrival)
Your 4 day Thekkady honeymoon tour concludes here
Have your breakfast in the morning before checking out of your hotel. You will be dropped at the railway station to catch your train home.
Note: Our agents will provide you these or similar hotels depending on availability
Spice Jungle Resorts
Pallivasal Munnar - 685612 Kerala, India
Spice Inn
7th mile, Anakkara, Thekkady 685512, India
- Breakfast
- Accommodation on twin sharing basis
- Airport/ Railway Station Transfers
- Private Cab Transfers
- Sightseeing tour
- Air/Train fare
- Early check-in and late checkout
- Any sport activities
- Lunch & Dinner
- Anything not mentioned in inclusions
Hotel included in package:
- Munnar (2D)
- Thekkady (2D)
Upto 3 Stars
Stay Included
Starting from:
₹ 12,672₹ 13,925
Per Person on twin sharing
Price For The Month
TravelTriangle has served 21312+ travelers for Kerala
You can get in touch with our travel agents to get to know about the same in detail.
Junk jewelry, seashells jewelry, and decorative items made of teakwood and rosewood are great picks to take home. Other items include teakwood and rosewood carpets, ethnic dresses, and statues. Travelers can also buy handicrafts from Tibet, Rajasthan, and Kashmir.
Trekking, night jeep safari, night jungle walk, forest jeep safari, rock climbing, and rappelling are some of the activities that tourists can enjoy in Munnar for the adrenaline rush.
Travelers have a vast range of fun-filled options to enjoy in Thekkady. They can enjoy a cruise on Periyar River, go hiking, visit Vandiperiyar - the town of tea factories, visit the Periyar Tiger Reserve, buy spices, and enjoy an elephant ride.
The best season to explore Thekkady is from November to February when the town experiences winters. During this season, the temperature is soothing for various activities and sightseeing.
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GE's Bob Wright Stays Strong By Lifting Weights Very Slowly
The Executive
Bob Wright understands the importance of adapting to change – that's clear from his career and from his exercise regimen. Mr. Wright, 64, spent more than 20 years leading NBC: the last three as chairman of NBC Universal Inc., following the merger that created that entity. He currently serves as vice chairman and executive officer of General Electric Co.
About four years ago, Mr. Wright injured his rotator cuff (a group of four muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder), an injury he...

subset: commoncrawl


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Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Masculine Wedding Card
I recieved this great image from my Secret Sister, Linda as well as those awesome metal corner brads. The "brad" part didn't really work for me so I just cut off the tines and used glue dots to make them stay where I wanted them to. The card base is stamped with Designer Woodgrain (Hero Arts), one of my all time go to stamps these days!!
Thanks for dropping by, I certainly appreciate you!!
3 comments:
- Lindsey said...
How creative! Yes, masculine but still very much a wedding card. Love those now-legless brads, too.
- May 17, 2011 at 3:19 PM
- Linda Palmer said...
I love what you did with the image. I never thought of a wedding card with this image but it is perfect for one. Love it all.
- May 17, 2011 at 5:21 PM
- Imke said...
Perfect masculine card, Donelda. I like the wood background and the metal edges.
- May 20, 2011 at 4:49 AM
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The circumpolar current used to protect Antarctic sea/land ice but warm water is reaching parts of the continent. The Larsen C ice shelf that had a big bit break off—it was thinned above by warm air and below by warm waters.
The Totten Glacier in East Antarctica has thinned on the bottom side way back into the continent because of plumes of warm water reaching it.


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Both my children have asked me that question recently.
Seems like it was only yesterday that I was mailing letters to the North Pole for them. Their Dad and I always knew what they wanted for Christmas. They told us over and over again.
But now they are adults, although always our children, and they are the ones asking the question.
It's not that easy a question to answer.
There are not so many things I 'need' these days, you see, but I haven't stopped 'wanting' yet.
The older I get, the more I find that the things I want the most can't be wrapped in shiny paper. They are huge, but have no shape that would fit neatly inside a box or bag.
Some of them can't be purchased at all. They are priceless, but have no price tag.
Some of them are not even possible, but that doesn't stop the wanting.
My Christmas List
I want a calendar to mark the special days and remind myself that each day can be special.
I want a journal to hold time in one place for memory's sake.
I want a snowflake to remind me of the awe and excitement that was winter in childhood.
I want a candle to symbolize the season, but also to remind me of candles lit within the year: on birthday cakes, for example, or spooky Hallowe'en nights.
I want the smell of that candle burning.
I want the colours of the seasons, wrapped in a bow.
I want the sound of your voices on the phone, saying that you arrived safely and all is well.
I want yesterday back for just the length of the Christmas season. I want the presence of family and friends who cannot now be with us except in memory. I want the excitement of Christmas morning with young children.
I want the sound of a bell. Just the sound.
I want kindness and warm hugs. I want great big bellyfuls of laughter.
I want peace on earth.
I want you home for Christmas. But if you can't be here, I want you safe wherever you are.
I want the words to tell you just how much you mean to your Dad and me.
P.S. What do YOU need for Christmas?
P.P.S. I hope your list is easier than mine.


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Doctor of historical sciences Prof. Solmaz Rustamova-Tohidi is the chief scientific staff of the Ziya Bunyadov Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan. She authors several books related to the 1918 genocide, including "Baku, March 1918. Azerbaijani genocides in documents", "Guba. March-April, 1918. Muslim massacres in documents", a photo-album titled "1918. Azerbaijani massacres in photos and documents".
– What are the major reasons for the outbreak of the 1918 genocide?
Despite the activities of Armenian armed forces, including "active assistance" provided to Russian troops in the Caucasus front and assaults against unarmed civilians both in Turkey in the South Caucasus during World War I, the Russo-Armenian alliance did not generate anything good but heavy losses and bloody tragedies to Russia, Turkey or South Caucasus. With the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, new large-scale conflicts and wars broke out in the South Caucasus, marking a new era characterized by truly great historical upheavals. Although the Armenians could not achieve the recognition of Armenian autonomy by Russia during the war, they effectively drew attention of Western politicians and societies. This success would later play an important role in creating a state in the South Caucasus, although not in Turkey, at the expense of territories of neighboring countries. However, the war was still going on, and the Armenian nationalists realized that it was very hard to implement their plans in that situation although they did not give up their dream of Great Armenia. This factor relocated their activities to South Caucasus, the region with more favorable conditions for realization of their goals. By March 1918, the Armenians had carried out ethnic cleansing by suppressing, deporting or massacring local Azerbaijani population in Kars, Erivan, Zangezur, Goyche, Yelizavetpol, Karabakh for the unborn Armenian state. As a result of confused and chaotic retreat of Armenian and Georgian troops in Caucasus front following the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917, hundreds of thousands of Armenians, both local inhabitants or temporary settlers in Turkish lands, left for Caucasus. The huge flood of angry and desperate Armenian population led by Dashnaktsutyun gangs and supported by Armenian deserters assaulted unarmed Muslim civilians and forced them to leave their lands in a very short period of time. For example, 199 villages only in the province of Erivan had been devastated and forcibly emptied by the Armenian by March of 1918. The existence of Armenian refugees, who blamed only Turks and Azerbaijanis for their tragedies, in those provinces eased the ethnic cleansing plans of Armenian nationalists. Therefore, one can confidently state that the Armenian statehood was founded at that time. By disarming nearly 50 Azerbaijani military servicemen on March 29, 1918, the Bolsheviks and Dashnaks provoked response. Using this opportunity, the combined armed forces of 6,000 Baku Soviet Red Army, 70% of which was composed by Armenians, and 3,000 Dashnaksutyun troops started massacring unarmed Azerbaijani civilians in Baku. 12,000 Muslim people of Turkic origin were slaughtered only within a week. On the same days, Shamakhi and surrounding villages were burned down. The events were later continued in Guba, Lankaran and Kurdemir.
– What can be said about the exact number of victims?
In my opinion, the best source to do this could be the protocols of the Extraordinary Investigation Commission. According to EIC documents, 11,000 people were killed in Baku. This figure is also reflected in my books about the 1918 massacre. I have also included the financial losses. Some researches contain incorrect information. For example, 167 villages were destroyed in Guba, while some researches claim 122. Or the casualties in Shamakhi are claimed 7,000 victims. In fact, 8,000-10,000 people were slaughtered in the town of Shamakhi, 10,341 people in its 110 villages. Summarizing these figures, we can state that about 18,000 -20,000 people were killed in Shamakhi, 50,000 people throughout Azerbaijan. Moreover, in France I have recently found new documents on provinces of Goychay and Javad. I will prepare them for publication soon. The documents related to Zangezur and Karabakh have not been investigated yet. The Commission was not able to work in those provinces as it did in Shamakhi. Tens of thousands of people died during the epidemic.
– How did those documents reach French archives though?
Those documents and photos were dispatched to the Azerbaijani delegation led by Alimardan bek Topchubashov to the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Some say that the delegation members took the documents with themselves. But A. Topchubashov left for Paris in late 1918. The Commission could not take the documents and photos as it had not finished its activities by that time. Despite his hard life, A. Topchubashov did not lose a single document; all his files were submitted to the archive of one of the French scientific institutions after his death.
– Did the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic adopt a political resolution based on the documents of Extraordinary Investigation Commission?
First of all, let me tell you that the Commission materials are of special importance today. They were collected and maintained by authorities. The documents are important not only from legal perspective, but also from historical and political point of view. The decision on establishment of Extraordinary Investigation Commission was made on July 15, 1918. The seven-member Commission was chaired by lawyer Alekber bey Khasmammadov. The Commission conducted investigation immediately and prepared documents. However, the government didn't have enough time to adopt any political resolution. Although the government could give the legal evaluation of the events, it could not provide political assessment due to Soviet occupation. Some researchers mistakenly write that the Comission`s work discontinued due to Soviet occupation. The Commission had already completed its work by November 1, 1919. It had collected a large amount of material reflecting the mass killings of Muslim population and heavy financial losses done by Armenian nationalists. After a year and half, the Commission completed its works, and its members returned to their respective activities. The Commission documents were sent to court. In other words, the Commission's primary purpose was to sentence the criminals, who had participated in massacring Azerbaijani population. After the Allied Supreme Council extended de facto recognition to Azerbaijan in early 1920, the Azerbaijani parliament adopted the law on amnesty in February due to pressures. According to the law, all persons, who had committed crimes on the ground of national hostilities became exempted from punishment, while all the EIC proceedings got terminated. Even people who had been bailed out, were paid back. However, I emphasize once again that, the EIC documents are extremely valuable and unique.
– You have worked a lot in archives. Is there any evidence related to the 1905 genocide?
Of course, there is too much documentation, which simply awaits researchers.
– Mrs. Rustamova, we would like to hear your wishes and recommendations to 1905.az.
The more sites and information deal with the events of 1905 and 1918, the better it is for our people. The 1905 events are less researched. Therefore, I support your site and wish a lot of successes.
Gunduz Nasibov


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On Saturday, 6/9/12, I traveled about 70 miles to a relative's house in Western Pennsylvania, which has a fairly dark sky. There was some gradient to the East from Clarion, PA, and a little to the South, which I'm not certain where it was coming from, as there are no towns nearby to the South of the site. Nevertheless, I was able to take pictures of some nebulae in Sagittarius. I was actually rather surprised how well the Lagoon Nebula came out with my unmodified Canon T3.
This is the full frame, uncropped image of the nebula:
A cropped version is here:
The image processing is different on the two, and I do believe I did a better job on the full frame version. This nebula is in an extremely star - rich area of the sky, and is in fact looking almost to the center of the Milky way. NGC6530 is the pretty open star cluster of bright stars just below and to the left of the bright part of the nebula.
This image was taken with a stack of 30 - 1 minute frames at iso1600 at f/5, 700mm focal length.
Amateur Planetary & Lunar & Deep Sky Photographer
From the New Middletown OH Observatory (South of Youngstown OH)
Sky Charts & Maps
Monday, June 11, 2012
M8, the Lagoon Nebula
Posted by Mike H - KD0AR at 9:40 PM
Labels: Lagoon Nebula, M8, Sagittarius
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ERIC Number: ED173805
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1979-Apr
Pages: 7
Abstractor: N/A
Reference Count: 0
The Use of Tests of Writing and Skills Related to Writing.
Lloyd-Jones, Richard
There are two modes for testing writing: atomistic and holistic. Atomistic tests depend on isolating a form, emphasizing the recognition of the form rather than the creation of it. Holistic tests require the generation of writing, so that the forms are seen in a particular context. The atomistic tests have great danger of leading to false inferences; their appropriate uses are limited, though valuable; and misuse is fairly common. Holistic tests come in two varieties, each of which focuses on the network which joins the separate elements of the writing: the Educational Testing Service's (ETS) test, which is designed to rank samples of writing in broad quality categories by means of tacit judgments, and the Primary Trait (PT) system, which describes papers in broad categories explicitly described in relation to purposes implied in the writing task. Problems exist in both systems in generating a sample of writing that is truly representative of the quality of writing done by the person being tested. As opposed to atomistic tests, holistic tests have difficulty in controlling the scoring for a large number of samples. The ETS system is probably more effective in ranking individual students, while PT provides more information for assessment and research. (DF)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Conference on College Composition and Communication (30th, Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 5-7, 1979)


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Started today: III International Symposium of Bioinformatics, Biosciences and Bioengineering (B3) in Panama, at the City of Knowledge Convention Center. This year's focus is "Science for Medical Innovation"
Symposium B3 seeks to create the space for education and research that fosters an innovative environment in Panama and the Central American region.
Coordinators: Dr. Allan Orozco, Dr. Rolando Gittens, Dr. Javier Sanchez.
Patrocined by EMBnet.
We wish Allan and all our collegues in Costa Rica a great success!!!


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Wednesday 4/25/18
1.) Balance:
a.) HS and glue mobility, calf and trap recovery
b.) :40 on/:20 off
row (easy pace)
hollow rocks
down dog to pigeon
2.) Strength: Warm up sumo deadlifts
3.) Movement: Complete the following for time…
5 rounds
200m row
10 sumo deadlifts or Suitcase deadlifts
10 burpees (lateral over bar)


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Monday, August 5, 2013
Goodbye tv...maybe....
My husband and I have both been discussing and praying about completely removing our television, play station, and movies from the home. I think we had better share why and what are concerns as well as our hopes are. 1. We don't think people doing this will make us better than other people. Romans 3:23 says we have all sinned... We will still sin and fall short without a tv. The tv on its own is just a big piece of equipment. However, we feel like by making this such a focal point of our lives,and home that we are allowing something else to draw our attention away from Christ and serving Him by serving our family. 2. It will most likely be hardest for my husband and I. Confession: we are boob tubes! At night we put the kids to bed and then crash in front of the tv. And you know what, these are the years when we are young and have a lot that needs communicated. We would,be better off spending the time discussing our own relationship and the ones we have with our children then watching fictitious characters and pretty much zoning out a bit. We do. We totally zone out. It's a bad habit on our parts. 3. As of right now our kids only know how to turn the tv on and do the volume but they can't change channels or start a movie without us setting it up. That won't always be the case. We don't want them to grow into boob tubes either. We also don't want them flipping through channels and seeing something inappropriate. Even some family channels like abc family have the most awful commercials for other shows while a family program for younger children is currently on. Our children are entrusted in our care and we are commanded to guard their hearts. We a responsible till they leave our home to train them how to make wise choices, but also to no desensitize them by allowing them to watch certain things. I would actually prefer my kids to be sheltered so that when they do see something that is displeasing to the Lord, they know right away and their hearts are saddened and repulsed. So many kids now a days watch things and overtime that won't satisfy their need for entertainment or they will have become so used to it it will no longer bother them when it should. I feel like my husband and I are even getting to the justification point and I don't feel good about it. 4. Our main goal isn't to deprive our family, but to make it better. Our kids are getting older and will start staying up late. I don't want to raise more boob tubers, but would rather play some monopoly late at night, work on a puzzle, go for a bike ride... Put back time and guidance into their lives. I don't want them to soak up what some person o the screen is saying more than what we say. We love them more than that cartoon character or person depicting someone else and we want to invest so much more into their lives. We want to use every opportunity to train them in. The ways of the Lord. That person on the screen could care less about our kids. Bottom line. 5. Video games. I can't say that I'm a big fan of them to start with and my husbands games are rock and and madden. However, someone gave our son sky landers and we got him Disney universe. Both have some violence in them. It creates a need for more thrills. Bigger guns. More explosions, etc. no thanks... If its not educational or devotional what's the point? I believe something can be fun and not just for entertainments sake but should serve a greater purpose. We will still have our iPads and touches so the kids do have games on there that they play but they are all teaching a skill. 6.we might still occasionally go out for a family movie or watch a football game at grandmas, but it will be a family activity or,a special treat the way it was long ago. Now entertainment is so accessible and at our very fingertips. Little planning or thought needs to go into what you watch. It's so easy to just turn it on and relax and well, kind of zone out. 7. This isn't our main goal, but families without television and video games tend to be more creative and intellectual. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/03/kids.tv.school/index.html?hpt=Sbin. Tv viewing that starts at a younger age can affect children's vocabulary and not only that, it teaches them bad habits. 8. It also helps us not get the gimmies. We won't watch tv and therefore we aren't watching commercials. Our kids already rarely see commercials and because of that they aren't swayed by them and the latest fad toys at Christmas or birthdays. It helps mom and dad too..l when I was in the hospital on bed rest during the day I counted how many commercials were about food. Almost every single day time commercial while I was there was about a snack, place to eat, grocery store... No mpwonder America struggles with obesity! It's being shoved in our faces that we want more food! 8. Mathematically speaking its estimated that children watch three hours,of tv a day. That's 21 hours a week. That's almost an entire day. If they are at church for even three hours a week, that means that what they are viewing and hearing the most is the television. Okay, this is a bit longer, but our main reason is to nourish and develop stronger relationships without something else competing to take time away from us. Most people claim they have no time to read whether leisurely or the Bible, but they have time for tv. People make time for what's important and we don't want to make any more time for something that isn't important in the grand scheme of things. Sitting next to our kids viewing something means we are concentarting on the show not one another. I'd rather we focus more on the people right here in our home and work on training their hearts and leading them in a stronger relationship with God.
Posted by Becky at 11:15 PM
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The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2014, Article ID 279614, 4 pages
Subclinical Ketosis on Dairy Cows in Transition Period in Farms with Contrasting Butyric Acid Contents in Silages
1Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA), 33300 Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
2Sociedad Asturiana de Servicios Agropecuarios, SL (ASA), 33199 Granda, Siero, Asturias, Spain
Received 22 July 2014; Revised 3 November 2014; Accepted 6 November 2014; Published 25 November 2014
Academic Editor: Chad C. Chase Jr.
Copyright © 2014 Fernando Vicente et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This study examines the relationship between subclinical ketosis (SCK) in dairy cows and the butyric acid content of the silage used in their feeding. Twenty commercial farms were monitored over a period of 12 months. The feed at each farm and the silages used in its ration were sampled monthly for proximal analysis and for volatile fatty acid analysis. A total of 2857 urine samples were taken from 1112 cows to examine the ketonuria from about 30 days prepartum to 100 postpartum. Wide variation was recorded in the quality of silages used in the preparation of diets. Approximately 80% of the urine samples analyzed had no detectable ketone bodies, 16% returned values indicative of slight SCK, and the remainder, 4%, showed symptoms of ketosis. Most of the cases of hyperkenuria were associated with the butyric acid content of the silage used (; ). As the metabolizable energy content of the feed was similar, no relationship was observed between the proportion of cows with SCK and the energy content of the feed. In our study, the probability of dairy cows suffering SCK is higher when they are eating feed made from silage with a high butyric acid content (35.2 g/kg DM intake).
1. Introduction
Subclinical ketosis (SCK) in dairy cows is a common metabolic disorder that can appear during the transition period, dry period, or calving, or in early lactation (Duffield et al. [1]), where the highest incidence of SCK occurs within the first 2 to 3 weeks of lactation [2]. The disorder is characterized by a high concentration of circulating ketone bodies (acetone, acetoacetate, and β-hydroxybutyrate) in the absence of any clinical signs of ketosis [3]. It is a strong determinant of the health and performance of cows throughout lactation and causes economic losses due to reduced milk production [4] and is associated with the occurrence of diseases such as displaced abomasum [5] and with impaired fertility [6].
The SCK is caused by a negative energy balance in high-producing dairy cows. Milk production increases dramatically after calving when constraints on dry matter intake force dairy cows to mobilize body fat to meet their energy requirements. This mobilized overload of fat is metabolized by the liver and is converted into ketone bodies. In addition, persistent ketosis problems have been associated with feeding cows' ketogenic silage [7]. During forage ensiling, lactic acid fermentation is desirable, as well as acetic acid fermentation only in a small amount, but undesirable butyric and alcoholic fermentations may also occur. Grass silage that is chopped too wet, or that is low in water-soluble carbohydrates, promotes the growth of Clostridium spp. These ferment some carbohydrates to butyric acid instead of the desired lactic acid [8]. When animals consume silage, this butyric acid is metabolized to ketone bodies [9].
Butyric fermentation is common in grass silage in the wet-temperate areas [10]. The eventual appearance of SCK in cows on these areas might depend on the amount of butyric acid consumed and on the presence of other risk factors for ketosis (early lactation, high production, low dietary energy, etc.). The aim of the present paper was to examine the relationship of SCK in dairy cows in the transition period in herds with contrasting butyric acid content in the silages used in preparing their ration.
2. Materials and Methods
Twenty commercial dairy farms in northern Spain (Principality of Asturias) making up 1112 cows, approximately 1.25% of all dairy cows of the region, were examined over a period of 12 months. Principality of Asturias is a wet-temperate area located in Atlantic coast and has a marine west coast climate, with warm and wet summers and fairly mild winters. According to the farm record databases, the average milk production per cow was 9100 ± 790 kg, with 3.73 ± 0.22% of fat and 3.13 ± 0.13% of protein. The farms were visited monthly and urine samples were taken from cows at risk of developing ketosis: from about 30 days prepartum to 90 days postpartum, a total of 2831 urine samples were taken. Urine was sampled directly from the bladder by urethral catheter and the ketone body concentration determined using Combur-test strips (F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland). The semiquantitative results were expressed in terms of four ketosis categories: trace (<5 mg AcAc/dL), low (5 up to 50 mg/dL), moderate (50 up to 150 mg/dL), and high (>150 mg/dL). Low and moderate levels of AcAc mean subclinical ketosis and high level means clinical ketosis. All work was conducted according to the standard of European Union Animal Welfare Directive Number 86/609/EEC.
All rations were formulated according to animal requirements with different feedstuffs. Grass and maize silage were included in the diet of 90% of the farms, ryegrass silage in 50% of the farms, alfalfa or grass hay in 40% of the farms, and mixed concentrate feeds in 100% of the farms. When the maize silage was included in the diet, the average content (on dry matter basis) was 33.6% (range: 18 to 68%). Grass silage was included averaging 28.7% (range: 10 to 56%) and ryegrass silage with an average of 19.2% (range: 9 to 35%). The proportion of concentrate in all diets was between 21 and 26% on dry matter basis. The rations were sampled on the same day as urine sampling, as well as the silage sampled that was used to make rations. Feed samples were dried at 60°C for 24 h and then ground through a 0.75 mm mesh. The dry matter (DM), ash, crude protein (CP), and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) in rations and silages and starch in rations and maize silages were determined by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in reflectance mode using a FOSS NIRSystems 5000 instrument (FOSS NIRSystems, Inc., Laurel, MD, USA). Silage juice was extracted using a piston press before drying, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) and lactic acid concentrations were determined by HPLC (Waters Alliance, Milford, MA, USA).
A linear regression analysis was done to establish the relationship between butyric acid concentration and the four categories of ketonuria, including the farm as random factor, in order to demonstrate the relationship between butyric acid concentration and the appearance of subclinical and clinical ketosis [11].
3. Results
Data based on farm records and survey responses from a questionnaire to farmers showed that the diet offered by cow was 23.3 ± 1.25 kg DM per day. The average chemical composition of diet and silages is showed in Table 1. Wide variation was recorded between the silages used in the diets, but the final rations had similar nutrient contents and fermentative values. The silages were generally well-made, especially maize silage, with negligible levels of butyric acid. The grass and ryegrass silages used were characterized by high levels of butyric acid (26 and 15 g/kg DM, resp.) and showing a wide range of butyric concentration (0 to 61.3 g/kg DM for grass silage and 0 to 38.3 g/kg DM for ryegrass silage). However, there was not observed any farm that includes poorly fermented silage routinely in the diets.
The distribution of subclinical ketosis was similar between farms, without observing any herd with a significant concentration of cases of subclinical or clinical ketosis. Figure 1 shows the distribution frequency of ketone bodies in urine in the cows studied. Few postpartum cases of subclinical and clinical ketosis were observed. About 80% of all the urine samples analyzed had no detectable ketone bodies and 16% provide values low and moderate of ketone bodies, indicative of SCK, and less than 4% of the samples show values compatible with clinical ketosis. The proportion of cows with SCK (low and moderate level of AcAc in urine) is illustrated in Figure 2, showing that prevalence was higher from the second until the seventh week postpartum, falling afterwards progressively.
Figure 3 shows the estimated butyric acid intake associated with the different descriptors (trace, low, moderate, and high) of urine ketone body concentration. Cows with ketosis problems (either SCK or clinical ketosis) consumed feed with the highest butyric acid concentrations, especially with moderate and high ketonuria. In all cases, the metabolizable energy content of the feed was similar (10.84 MJ ME/kg DM); therefore there does not seem to be a relationship between the proportion of cows with SCK, or clinical ketosis, and the energy content of ration. There was, however, a positive relationship observed between the concentration of ketone bodies in the urine and the butyric acid content of the silage used in the ration (; ).
4. Discussion
Diagnosing ketosis in large animal populations requires a different approach (urine testing for ketone bodies) to that used when diagnosing ketosis in an individual animal (blood testing for β-hydroxybutyric acid). In the present work, cow-side urine ketosis testing was used since it is more economic than blood β-hydroxybutyric acid testing and provides immediate results. Urine ketone tests have a reputation for poor specificity, but recent data suggest that their specificity and sensitivity are good compared to the blood β-hydroxybutyric acid test [12].
A strongly negative energy balance due to high milk production is one of the most important factors influencing the appearance of SCK between three and six weeks after calving. The results of the present work showed an average prevalence of SCK in the two first months postpartum of 9.2%, which is in agreement with the lower limit of the range (8.9 to 34%) reported by [2]. Further, the peak of prevalence between the second and seventh week of lactation is in agreement with that reported by [13].
High concentrations of butyric acid have traditionally been associated with anaerobically unstable silages made from crops with high buffering capacities, such as grass [9]. This leads to an insufficient decline in the pH during the primary fermentation phase [14]. Butyric fermentation can be prevented by inhibiting the detrimental effect of oxygen penetration into the silage via the addition of an inhibitor of aerobic deterioration, such as Lactobacillus buchneri, or by wilting the forage before ensiling [15]. Cows can metabolize the butyrate produced by ruminal fermentation (about 750 g/day), but additional dietary butyric acid increases the risk of ketosis. About 75% of the additional ruminal butyrate is converted to blood β-hydroxybutyrate and causes ketosis [16]. Similarly, Lingaas and Tveit [17] reported that daily doses of 50 to 100 g of butyric acid can cause ketosis, and that doses of over 200 g can induce severe ketosis. About 450 to 950 g of butyric acid will reliably induce severe ketosis in nearly any cow in early lactation [18]. Tveit et al. [7] reported that a concentration of 18.5 g/kg DM of butyric acid in silage can induce severe ketosis. In the present study, grass silage had a butyric acid concentration (25.5 g/kg DM) higher than the mean. Grass silages have long been considered linked to SCK since they contain much higher Clostridium spp. spore concentrations than corn or ryegrass silage [9]. Ryegrass silage is more resistant to clostridial fermentation because of its abundance in water-soluble carbohydrates. Maize silage rarely supports clostridial growth since it contains high carbohydrate reserves that can be transformed into lactic acid during the first days of fermentation, helping pH to fall below 4 [8]. Therefore, silage butyric acid levels should be kept low and monitored frequently. Small differences in the content of butyric acid in silage could induce high differences in the SCK cases in transition cows. However, the potential number of cases of SCK could be reduced by the use of maize silage, which would have provided an energy supplement.
5. Conclusions
On dairy farms in northern Spain, the probability of dairy cows suffering SCK is higher when they are provided feed made from silage with high butyric acid content. Farmers would be well advised to produce good quality silage, that is, low in butyric acid, in order to reduce the possibility of cows in transition developing SCK. The levels of butyric acid in silage should be carefully monitored.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.
This work was supported by Spanish PROFIT Projects FIT-06000-2003-170 and FIT-06000-2004-1. The authors gratefully acknowledge the help of the milk producers, associated with ASA enterprise, who participated in this study.
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In Stock. This triumphant arrangement by Mark Hayes is exciting from start to finish. Its full marcato singing has a remarkable impact in performance, and the addition of Mark's optional SoundPax instrumental parts or SoundTrax CD raises the bar for seasonal concert features. Dramatic "ahs" symbolize the arrival of royalty, and the high range descant evokes images of an angelic chorus above.
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I've been teaching Digital Arts classes for the past 4 years and my curriculum for my 6th an 7th grade classes are highlighted below. I will be further detailing these projects on the blog portion of this website.
Earlier this year I presented at the NYSAIS Teaching with Technology annual conference focusing on using Tinkercad for problem solving-based projects. The presentation can be viewed here.


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Every taxpayer is interested in lowering their property taxes, but few go about it in the right way. There are some common procedural and valuation methods to employ in protesting the property tax value of a hospitality property. This article sets forth a brief description of some of these methods. After receiving a notice of the Assessor's determination of value, the taxpayer should realistically consider whether the value appears on its face to be reasonable. While most taxpayers have a feel for the market value of their property, that value usually includes a business component. For ad valorem tax purposes, only the real estate value of the property is subject to tax. Market value comprises real estate value, business value, and personal property value. It usually is necessary to retain an experienced appraiser of hospitality properties to determine the various components of market value. An experienced appraiser will first determine the overall market value of the hotel or restaurant. This value should be determined using the income approach to value, using the actual income and expenses of the property. If the resulting value is lower than the Assessor's determined value, the actual income and expense information should be given to the Assessor. Many taxpayers only provide isolated actual figures, and try to rely on survey data to obtain a reduction in value. Assessors typically will not determine or accept a value using some actual results and some hypothetical results. Once a decision has been made to provide actual results, provide all of them and only rely on survey data to support the reasonableness of the actual results. After market value has been determined, the value must be reduced for property tax purposes by first deducting the business value of the hotel or restaurant. This is achieved by taking a deduction for the management fee and franchise fee from net income. The actual management fee and franchise fee paid should be used in making this adjustment. Support for the amounts of the actual management fee and franchise fee may be necessary, if the actual fees paid are higher than those used by the Assessor. If no management fee or franchise fee is charged to the property, which can be the case if the hotel is owned and operated by a hotel chain, an adjustment should be made as well. The resultant value must then be reduced for property tax purposes by making adjustments for the return on and return of investment in personal property. The return on personal property is determined by multiplying the current value of the personal property by an appropriate rate of return. The rate of return should reflect the cost of capital used to purchase furniture, fixtures and equipment. Typically interest rates for personal property loans are a few percentage points higher than interest rates on loans for hotel or restaurant real estate. The return of personal property is removed from the income stream by taking a deduction for the funding of an appropriate reserve for the replacement of the personal property. The appropriate reserve depends on the age, quality, and durability of the personal property, and the amount of guest traffic and resultant use. Reserves typically range from 3% to 5% of total revenue for hotels, and from 1% to 3% for restaurants. Finally, the net income must be capitalized, using a tax-loaded capitalization rate. The development of an accurate capitalization rate is a key component in the protest of a hospitality property value and requires access to data that may not be readily available to a typical taxpayer. The base rate should be composed of an interest component reflecting the return on capital as well as a recapture component providing for a return of capital. The first component (i.e., return on capital) can be determined using a regression analysis of interest rates for hotel mortgages and utility bond yields. The second component (i.e., equity dividend and equity yield) can be obtained from either a survey of lenders and investors, or from actual sales of hotels or restaurants appraised by the person developing the capitalization rate. Developing a capitalization rate from sales without knowledge of all the circumstances surrounding a sale can be misleading because the sales price may have been influenced by factors such as financing, existing or anticipated income, tax benefits, deferred maintenance, and reserves for replacement. Further, the base rate should be reflective of the risks involved with the particular property. Rates listed in surveys usually are reflective of major sales, and typically are indicative of the lower end of base rates. After determining the applicable base rate, the tax rate should be determined using the actual tax rate imposed by the taxing jurisdiction for similar properties. The total of the base rate plus the tax rate is the tax-loaded capitalization rate to be applied to the net income of the property. It should be noted that it can be difficult to convince an Assessor to use the taxpayer's capitalization rate. Assessors will argue that the same capitalization rate should be applied to all hospitality properties in a market because all properties in the market face the same risks. While an experienced appraiser or owner of hospitality properties knows that this is false, assessors do not typically have the time or data available to develop individual capitalization rates for properties. Therefore, in order to succeed on a capitalization rate argument, you will need to distinguish your property from other hospitality properties in the market, and you will need to be dealing with an open-minded assessor or hearing officer. This value is the value for the real estate component of the hospitality property. Compare this value to the value on your property tax notice. If it is lower, you may have a good case for lowered property taxes. The next decision is how to convert this lower value into a value accepted by the Assessor. It is our experience that few taxpayers are able to successfully represent their own properties before the Assessor. There is an art to achieving lowered tax values; and the key is a representative who is experienced with property tax. Retain an experienced professional to meet with the Assessor, or his representative, to present the results. Do not accompany the professional to the meeting. As in any situation involving a tax dispute, it is desirable to be represented rather than attempt to negotiate on your own behalf. A professional is trained to handle pointed questions, which a taxpayer may find difficult to answer. In addition, if the taxpayer is absent from the meeting, the professional can defer answers on some questions until after he has had a chance to confer with the taxpayer. Ask your representative to debrief you after his meeting with the Assessor so that you will know the results of the meeting, and whether additional information and/or meetings have been requested. It may be necessary to take your case to a higher level if the Assessor does not agree to lower the value. Your representative should ask the Assessor what additional information would have to be presented to convince him to lower the value. The Assessor may need to have the information be verified. The Assessor may state that he will not lower the value no matter what evidence is presented. This may or may not be indicative of the likelihood of success at a higher level. In some jurisdictions, it is commonplace to take every case to at least the next level. Whether this is the right step for your property depends on the costs and benefits of taking the case to a higher level. Your representative should be able to assist you in making this decision. In sum, there are some common procedural and valuation methods to be used in protesting the property tax value of a hospitality property. An appraiser or other representative experienced in property tax valuations can be invaluable both in assisting a taxpayer in the determination of whether the Assessor's value is accurate and in the presentation of evidence to the Assessor. If you would like more information on HVS's property tax services, please e-mail the authors at [email protected]
Every taxpayer is interested in lowering their property taxes, but few go about it in the right way. There are some common procedural and valuation methods to employ in protesting the property tax value of a hospitality property. This article sets fo 10,617 Views Comments


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Adams Point is one of the leading communities in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC. Explore the great amenities and homes offered in this development from over 3 of the top builders in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill. Whether you opt to build from the ground up, or explore the move in ready homes at Adams Point you'll be home in no time. Let NewHomeSource guide you in your home search when you filter by price, and bed/bath count to find the home that's right for you.
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The Alumni Association has finalized a program for the celebrations on Saturday May 4, 2019.
Below is the final schedule of events, and also some helpful requests for which our committee seeks your assistance.
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September 18th, 2018 — Reunion Updates
The Alumni Association has finalized a program for the celebrations on Saturday May 4, 2019.
Below is the final schedule of events, and also some helpful requests for which our committee seeks your assistance.
Continue reading →
July 30th, 2018 — News
Our new school takes shape! A former student who lives near Thomson CI took these photos on July 28, 2018. We are excited to see the progress of construction. Opening of the new school remains on track for September 2019.
Click below to see the full gallery of 8 photos.
May 25th, 2018 — News, Reunion Updates
Your Alumni, in collaboration with the school administration, have settled on a date for our 60th Anniversary and Farewell to the Old School celebrations in 2019.
Saturday May 4, 2019 is the date for Thomson CI's 60th Anniversary reunion and celebration.
There will definitely be an "open house" at the old school during the afternoon, with the usual set-up of decade rooms and other areas in which to reconnect with fellow former Thomsonites.
In the evening, there will be a gala Pub Night at an off-campus site, which we hope to announce soon. A luncheon for present and former staff is another possibility. We expect to have a full schedule lined up by this summer. It will be announced in our fall newsletter, but our website (www.thomsonforever.ca) and our Facebook pages will probably have details much earlier than that.
If you live in the GTA and would like to volunteer to help with planning and organizing or assisting on the day itself, we'd love to hear from you: firstname.lastname@example.com
April 17th, 2017 — News
Great news! Construction of the new David and Mary Thomson school building started today, April 17, 2017. The general contractor has taken control of the site, located in the open field north-west of our present school. Perimeter fencing has been installed and soon heavy machinery will begin foundation work on the site.
Opening of the new David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute is scheduled for September 2019. This web site will follow progress of the construction work in coming months.
The Thomson Alumni Association is planning a 60th anniversary celebration for the school, which will be hosted in May 2019, and a perfect way for all alumni to salute our old school building before its demolition and the hand-off of its proud legacy to the new building.
Click on this image for an enlarged rendering of the new school, presently under construction:
March 20th, 2017 — News
On March 2, 2017 the TDSB sent a letter to Thomson Collegiate students, staff and the community at large with an exciting update regarding the new school:
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U. S. Army, Tank-Automotive Command, Warren, Mich.
This paper describes a method of determining and evaluating vehicle vibration through frequency-response functions. Human transfer functions and absorbed power are used to investigate the effects of vibration on the human being. The advantages and limitations of frequency domain analysis in contrast to vehicle simulation in the time domain are discussed. A test case showing a series of computer simulations using both techniques is presented, and a comparison of the results is made.
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Here are the New Year's aspirations of a confirmed pessimist in search of hope. To confess, I come from a gene pool that leans towards mild depression. Consequently, when I face a seemingly insurmountable challenge or a negative forecast, my response is to slide into the darkness and maybe even wallow a bit in my pessimist hot tub! This is the time when I need to pull myself up and remind myself of three truths I've learned (in this long life of mine), which always turn me away from despair towards hope:
1. Helplessness is learned
2. Attitude is a choice
3. Hope is a habit
My teacher for the last several years has been my wife Kris who seems to always find a way to turn a situation of "lemons" into lemonade. For example:
- Shortly after we became a couple (decades ago now), we were told we could never afford a house in the San Francisco area. Her response? "Watch me!"
- Some of our friends are preoccupied with disease (real, not imagined). Her response? "Adopt science-based healing practices but don't invite the disease to take over your life by ruminating about it all the time"
- Many today are rightly pessimistic about the political situation in our country. They become a part of the BMW club (Bitch, Moan, and Whine Club). My wife's response? "Let's refocus our efforts toward bringing positive change to our community, even if we cannot do it (right now) at the national level."
So in considering my New Year's resolution to be more positive and hopeful, here are three pointers on the way towards developing and sustaining a more positive disposition.
1. Helplessness is learned
The other day on our walk with the dogs, I shared with a tourist we encountered on our path that we were having a La Nina-driven drought in New Mexico. He commented, cynically:
"Soon this area will become a hot desert like Arizona and the river that runs through your property will dry up".
Where did he learn this negative fatalistic response?
Researchers in psychology have studied the phenomena of learned helplessness as a habitual response that can lead to depression. People (initially dogs) were exposed in experiments to situations where they were trapped in a mildly painful environment. Initially they were able to escape the situation. However, when all exits were blocked for escape they passively adapted to the pain.
The antidote for learned helplessness is to learn new attitudes and behaviors that will likely produce positive change and to remember and practice old behaviors (like walking to improve mood) that have worked in the past.
Probably the most highly effective behavior of an optimistic person is the way he or she looks at life. Though we each have hard-wired dispositions, we can choose a hopeful, and more successful outlook, as discussed below.
2. Attitude is a choice
When I find myself under sustained stress and I don't take care for myself physically or spiritually, I can become grumpy and unnecessarily reactive. For example, when I want to sleep in after a restless night and our young dog starts whining to go out, my first response is to be annoyed and irritable. In so doing so, I allow a dark cloud to enter our home.
In recent months, I have been making the somewhat difficult choice not to react to unpleasant situations with negative comments. At dawn, when the dog predictably whines each morning to be let out, I remind myself to get up without outbreaks of complaining and rather, breathe, stay in the moment, and look out of the window to take in the glorious sunrise while I wait for the dog's return. It has worked!
Attitude really IS a choice.
3. Hope is a habit
Some people (like my wife) have a sunny disposition and a bias towards hope (This fact at times really bugs me because I have to spend so much effort re-focusing on the positive). So, since I am not a naturally hopeful person, I have to work on developing hope as a habit.
Here's how.
o Read less of the bad news when I wake up each day. Starting one's day by dwelling on national and domestic disasters, workplace toxicity (lately, harassment), and the seeming dearth of values in our society (e.g. civility and respect for truth in our government) is a real downer! So I have chosen not to read the news in the morning. Instead, I am starting my day with a
o Daily meditation. My mind is like a barrel-full of noisy dysfunctional monkeys. It chatters all the time with thoughts de jour centered on worry and ego concerns ("Why am I not getting the respect I think I deserve?" (is this my pathetic sense of white male entitlement?). I don't make these thoughts disappear but just observe them with compassion and detachment.
Also, as a general practice in my daily life, I
o Avoid Danny and Debby Downer. Neither is good for reinforcing my negative predispositions! I was once told, "surround yourself with truth-telling and supportive friends and not a caseload of negative people." When it comes to others' negativity, I tell myself "I am too old for this crap." This reminder shifts my attention towards people who live and generate hope.
o Focus on making a contribution to others. There is a saying that goes something like this: "A person too wrapped up in themselves makes a small and miserable package." One of the biggest satisfactions of my last year has been the volunteer work I do in my small community. In these modest but constant contributions, the truth of the quote, "It is better to give than to receive" has come home to me. I am also reminded that hope is sometimes "caught", not "taught". You "catch it" from other people–their positive energy, aspirations, sharing, and playfulness. And, especially, the everyday satisfaction of a tight, extraordinary community in northern New Mexico simply enjoying being together.
We can't deny that there is scary stuff out there in our larger communities and the world. We also cannot dodge unavoidable calamities. Nor can we always prevent our hair from being set on fire from daily tweets and disturbing news headlines.
We can practice being present in the Now, which almost always seems to bring peace, and develop the disciplines of choosing and learning how to hope.
Wishing all of you a Hopeful New Year!