text:
- Off The Beaten Path
- Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City (HCM City) – Arrival
- Day 2: HCM City – Full-Day City Tour
- Day 3: HCM City – Cu Chi Tunnels & Cao Dai Temple
- Day 4: HCMC – Mekong Delta – Vinh Long – Sa Dec – Can Tho
- Day 5: Can Tho – HCMC – Flight to to Da Nang/ Hoi An
- Day 6: Hoi An – A Vietnamese Day
- Day 7: Hoi An – My Son Holy Land
- Day 8: Hoi An – Da Nang – Hue
- Day 9: Hue – City Tour – Flight to Hanoi
- Day 10: Hanoi – City Tour – Night train to Sapa
- Day 11: Sapa – Hill Tribe villages
- Day 12: Sapa – Market tours – Train to Hanoi
- Day 13: Hanoi – Halong Bay – On board a junk boat
- Day 14: Halong – Hanoi – Flight to Luang Prabang
- Day 15: Luang Prabang – City Tour – Khuang si Waterfall
- Day 16: Luang Prabang – Ban Khia Luang – Pak Ou Cave
- Day 17: Luang Prabang – Khmu Village
- Day 18: Luang Prabang – Drive to Vang Vieng
- Day 19: Vang Vieng – Tham Phoutham – Kayaking
- Day 20: Vang vieng – Vientiane – City Tours
- Day 21: Vientiane – Flight to Siem Reap
- Day 22: Siem Reap – Full day Angkor Temple tour
- Day 23: Siem Reap – Tonle Sap Lake
- Day 24: Siem Reap – Kampong Thom – Phnom Penh
- Day 25: Phnom Penh – City Tour – Killing Fields
- Day 26: Phnom Penh – Departure
The ultimate Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia which will give you a deep insight into the life, culture and history of each country! Starting from southern Vietnam, you’ll explore Ho Chi Minh City and later the Mekong Delta on a boat. Travel to Hoi An, where you will experience the fun basket boat ride on Thu Bon river. You will later travel to Hue to find the glorious past of the former capital behind the walls of the Imperial Palace. In Hanoi, set off on a city tour and then head to Sapa, where you will learn a lot about the life of the ethnic tribes. After spending time cruising around the scenic Halong Bay, you will venture to the old capital Luang Prabang, known for its tranquil life, the morning almsgiving and the pristine nature. Drive to Vientiane to see its recommended sites, en route visit Vang Vieng. In Siem Reap, discover its grand temples with remarkable architectural structures and then go on a city tour in Phnom Penh to learn about life in the city. Phnom Penh will be the last destination on your trip.
Ho Chi Minh City (HCM City) – ArrivalDay 1
Your private tour guide will meet you at HCM City’s Tan Son Nhat airport and will escort you by private car to your selected hotel in HCM City (travel time approximately 1 hour). Your knowledgeable guide will be happy to answer any questions about your Indochina holiday itinerary along the way and will assist you with check-in and registration at the hotel.
Dinner will be on your own, but your guide will recommend excellent options for your preferred cuisine – we highly recommend trying Hanoi cuisine for a true immersion experience.
Note: For the Vietnamese Visa on Arrival, please make sure you have 2 passport sized 4 cm x 6 cm photos and $25 for the stamping fee.
Overnight in HCM City
HCM City– Full-Day City TourDay 2
After breakfast, your private tour guide will pick you up and take you on a full-day city tour of HCM City. Below are the recommended sites, but of course, your guide will be happy to modify the list based on your preferences.
– War Remnants Museum
– Reunification Palace
– Notre Dame Cathedral with its French colonial architecture
– Dong Khoi, one of the city’s main shopping boulevards
Lunch will be at a local restaurant where you will be served delicious local HCM City cuisine.
After lunch, your full-day city tour continues with a cyclo tour, winding through HCM City’s vibrant streets to Cho Lon and its bustling markets, also make a stop at Thien Hau Pagoda- the most important pagoda in the city.
The rest of the day will be yours to explore at your leisure.
Overnight in HCM City
HCM City – Cu Chi Tunnels & Cao Dai TempleDay 3
After breakfast, your private tour guide will pick you up and take you to the Tay Ninh to visit the Cao Dai Temple and watch most of the Cao Dai service. This will tell you of the strangest religion in the world. Lunch will be served in a simple local restaurant with lovely southern Vietnam cuisine.
You will be transferred 1,5 hours to Cu Chi tunnels. The tunnels were mainly constructed in the American war and used by the Viet Cong. Upon arrival at the historical relics of Cu Chi, you will be shown a brief introductory documentary and then enjoy sightseeing consisting of 2 walking on uneven mud paths through the bush. You also have a chance to crawl through some of the tunnels.
Finish the tunnel tour, wind your way back to HCM City (travel time approximately 02 hours). The rest of the day will be yours to explore at your leisure.
Overnight in HC City
HCMC – Mekong Delta – Vinh Long – Sa Dec – Can ThoDay 4
This morning you will be driven through the lush gardens and green fields to Mekong Delta. Upon arrival at Vinh Long Town, you will embark on a private boat trip on the Co Chien River, some of the largest Mekong’s arm. You will cruise under the spectacular My Thuan Cable-stayed Bridge. A stop will be made at Dinh Tan Hoa, an ancient provincial house built some hundred fifty years ago.
You will proceed the cruise up-stream on the Tien River, another large arm of the Mekong. On the banks, some dark smokes in the sky will lead you to one of the biggest bricks and tiles factories where you will have an interesting visit.
After lunch, you’ll get back on board then continue to cruise towards Sa Dec. On both sides of the river, locals are revolting water water-hyacinth, another famous Mekong delta product used for furniture and baskets.
Sa Dec town is appearing like a little “Venice” with numerous narrow canals, with various kind of activities on the banks. We will disembark at Sa Dec local market, one of the biggest ones of the delta. Walk along its narrow streets and beautiful old houses dating from the last century, some old Chinese temples, including the primary school of Marguerite Duras famous writer. (See Marguerite Duras novel turned into a famous movie, “The Lover”).
Depart Sa Dec you wind your way to Can Tho. Arrive and check into your hotel.
Overnight in Can Tho
Can Tho – HCMC – Flight to to Da Nang/ Hoi AnDay 5
After breakfast, you will take a two-hour boat trip to visit the Cai Rang floating markets. Wander into the villages to visit the rice paper mill and the rice noodle making factory. Learn how to cross the “Monkey Bridge” which is made from a single bamboo.
From Can Tho, you will take a drive straight back to Tan Son Nhat airport to catch a short afternoon flight to Da Nang.
Upon arrival in Da Nang airport, you will be met and welcomed by your local tour guide and driver. Transfer to hotel in Hoi An. Free at leisure after hotel check-in.
Overnight in Hoi An
Hoi An – A Vietnamese DayDay 6
After breakfast at the hotel, you will start the day with an interesting bike (pushbike) ride to visit Hoi An’s major attractions: The Japanese Bridge, Old Merchant House, China Assembly Halls, and some other interesting shops.
Hoi An was once a flourishing port under the Nguyen lords. Today, the charming town retains the spirit of a bygone era, with tile-roofed wooden buildings and ancient winding streets. Riding through this pedestrianized town, losing ourselves in the potpourri of vendors selling colorful handmade lanterns (a Hoi An specialty), tailor shops with local fashions on display and the intoxicating aroma of Vietnam’s undeniable cuisine.
After lunch, a fisherman will greet us at the shore and help us to step on Hoi An’s special boat: Basket Boat. The basket-shaped transportation is widely used in Southern Vietnam; sitting in one would be one of the precious fun moments in your Vietnam holiday. Just as other fishermen, you will be back to shore with a boatload of fish when sunset. What a harvest!
Overnight in Hoi An
Hoi An – My Son Holy LandDay 7
After breakfast, your private guide and driver will take you to My Son Holy Land (about one hour), considered to be one of the best-preserved Cham structures in Vietnam. My Son is a former capital of the ancient Cham civilization that ruled central Vietnam between the second and thirteenth centuries. The complex is comprised of seventy Hindu-like towers and temples dating from the second century.
After visiting the temple complex and taking plenty of photos, you’ll be taken back to Hoi An at around mid-day. The remainder of the day will be free to explore the town, visit the local markets or simply enjoy your shopping.
Overnight in Hoi An
Hoi An – Da Nang – HueDay 8
Depart Hoi An, you will be driven towards Hue which is about 120km from Hoi An town. Today the journey over Hai Van Pass will be one of the most scenic ones.
In Danang, a stop will be made at Cham Museum which has an open-air collection of Cham sculptures. Many of the sandstone carvings are breathtaking. Visit the marble mountain. You also stop at the famous My Khe Beach (Known as China Beach by American GIs) for some quick photos.
You will also stop for a short coffee break at Lang Co beach – one of the most beautiful beaches of Vietnam.
Arrive in Hue and check into your hotel.
After a local lunch, you will visit the Imperial Citadel, a 19th-century walled fortress taken by North Vietnam during the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War. Later, you’ll embark on a boat cruise along Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda and admire the sunset on the boat.
Overnight in Hue
Hue – City Tour – Flight to HanoiDay 9
After breakfast, you will check out of the hotel and continue your exploration of Hue. Visit Emperor Tu Duc’s tomb, a complex of terraces and pagodas. Then set off to discover Emperor Khai Dinh’s mausoleum — though smaller than Tu Duc’s, it is far more elaborate. Stop at Vong Canh – Bird’s eyed view point to admire the wonderful scenery of the perfume River. Stop at the local workshop to see people making joss sticks and conical hats.
Today you will have an opportunity to enjoy a delicious lunch buffet in a local Buddhist monastery.
After lunch, you will be transferred to Hue airport for a short flight to Hanoi. You will be met on arrivals by your private guide and driven to your hotel on down town to check in. The evening will be at your leisure.
Overnight in Hanoi
Hanoi – City Tour – Night train to SapaDay 10
You will set out at 6:00 am and head off to the Hoan Kiem Lake where you will catch a glimpse of Hanoi residents performing their morning exercise routines, perhaps you can join in a random Tai Chi or Aerobics class to stretch your tired limbs.
Leaving the lake, you will go to an authentic Vietnamese restaurant, frequented by the “locals” for breakfast. Here you will enjoy a bowl of our famous “Pho” noodles. At the restaurant, your tour guide will explain the routine during Vietnamese meal times, and also tell you which special ingredients are needed for you to make an excellent Pho back home.
After breakfast, your tour guide will take you to one of the oldest coffee shops in Hanoi to enjoy a cup of coffee and learn about Hanoi’s coffee culture. This coffee shop is where many Hanoi residents come to relax, slowly sipping coffee and chatting for hours with old friends about times that have gone by!
You will continue this wonderful tour through the Hom market. Here we stroll up ‘food alley’ to see the mouth-watering foods they have on display! We also visit the vegetable stalls, which have an array of freshly picked fruits and vegetables, and where you will see the most common herbs used in daily Vietnamese cooking.
8:00 am, you will visit the Soviet-style Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh read out the declaration of the nation’s independence in 1945. You will visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; escorted by the soldiers in full regalia (you will be asked to remove hats if entering, and no shorts or vests are allowed either). As you leave, you will be able to walk through the gardens of the Presidential Palace before seeing “Uncle Ho’s” house; the humble dwelling he built (based on a traditional Vietnamese stilt house) and where he lived for the last ten years of his life.
You will then continue to the One Pillar Pagoda and the 900-year old Temple of Literature, the principal Vietnamese Confucian sanctuary, and its historical centre of learning. Made up of five courtyards, this is one of the few remnants of the original city. Lunch will be at a local Hanoi restaurant, where you will be served a delicious Vietnamese style lunch.
You visit the Hoa Lo Prison, the highest security prison of Indochina during the French colony. It was where the Vietnamese patriotic soldiers were detained by the colonialists and were later known as the “Hanoi Hilton” for American pilots during the American War.
You will wind through the narrow alleyways of the Old Quarter and discover many other streets selling Hanoi specialties, and sample some of the local Vietnamese treats such as Omai, Nom, Banh Cuon….etc.
This tour will also include visiting some of the very special historical sites such as the beautifully faded St Josephs, the Old Well at Nha Tho Street and the Bach Ma Temple!
The food tour will conclude once you return to your hotel.
Tonight, you will be transferred to Hanoi Railway station to catch the night train to the Lao Cai, a border town to China.
Overnight on A/C train
Sapa – Hill Tribe villagesDay 11
Arrive at Lao Cai, you will take a short transfer on a private van ascending to the former hill-station town of Sapa. At an elevation of 1,500 meters, Sapa was once a hill resort of French administrators when the summer heat became unbearable. The remoteness and the simple lifestyle of ethnic minority people are a highlight of Sa Pa although conditions are basic.
Freshen up and enjoy breakfast and then take a leisure walk to visit Sapa town, Sapa market.
After that, you’ll proceed to Muong Hoa Valley visiting Lao Chai and Ta Van Villages.
After a light picnic lunch at Lao Chai Village, you will continue your walk through the dirt trails and rice terraces to Ta Van village, meet and talk with the hill tribe people and explore their daily life and beautiful landscape. Return to Sapa in the afternoon and the rest of the day will be at your leisure.
Overnight in Sapa
Sapa – Market tours – Train to HanoiDay 12
After breakfast and check out, you will depart Sapa with your entire luggage, transfer for 2 hours to Can Cau market. Your journey will take us through the mountainous border area between Vietnam and China. Situated 20 kilometers from Bac Ha, Can Cau is a small but very colorful market. Opening only on Saturdays, it always delivers a very photogenic display of Flower Hmong, Nung, and Phu La ethnic costumes. After spending the morning exploring the market, we will leave for Bac Ha town where we will have lunch.
After the market tour, you will drive back to Lao Cai station. Have dinner at a restaurant near the station before catching the overnight train again to get back Hanoi. Stay overnight on train – 4 berth cabin – Soft sleeper with A/C.
Other market options:
Option 1: Bac Ha – Sunday Market
Leaving Sapa, you’ll take your drive to Bac Ha market (approximately 3 hours). Arriving at Bac Ha, visit the big market and the colorful ethnic people of the Flower H’mong, Phu La and Dao Tuyen minorities, who gather here to buy and sell their handicraft products. After spending the morning exploring the market your lunch will be served at a local restaurant.
After lunch, you’ll drive downhill to start a short walk to Trung Do Village which is home to the Tay minority. Here you can visit a traditional Tay house. You will then travel by boat through the amazing countryside to Bao Nhai Village.
Option 2: Coc Ly Market – Tuesday market
Drive from Sapa (3hrs) to Coc Ly market situated between the stunning mountains by the Chay River. Every Tuesday morning, the people from the surrounding ethnic villages such as Flower H’mong, Phu La and Dao Tuyen gather to sell and buy their products. Having explored the market, you will have a boat trip to Flower H’mong village of Na Nen then trek to Trung Do village of Tay minority people. Enjoy a picnic lunch in a local house with the Tay people.
From there you travel by boat down the river and experience the magnificent sights surrounding the beautiful river banks.
Overnight on A/C train
Hanoi – Halong Bay – On board a junk boatDay 13
Upon early morning arrival at the station, your private local guide in Hanoi will pick you up and take you to the mini-hotel for rest and shower. After that, you will be taken to a local restaurant for breakfast.
Depart Hanoi with a small backpack with all necessity for the overnight trip (the main luggage is stored in the hotel and you collect upon our return). The drive will be about 3 hours through rustic Vietnamese countryside to Halong Bay, one of the 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites. With hundreds of giant limestone peaks jutting out of the water at the Bay of Tonkins – it is indeed an impressive sight.
Board our cruise and after a delicious seafood lunch is served, we’ll take a short trek to a nearby summit to enjoy the panorama view of the bay. As the day wanes, slip into a swim in the cool water before enjoying a sumptuous dinner under the moonlit sky.
(Note: Program may differ slightly base on cruise ships).
Overnight on board
Halong – Hanoi – Flight to Luang PrabangDay 14
Rising to the sound of the bay, enjoy an elegant breakfast before visiting a beautiful limestone grotto to admire its many unique rock formations. Then you’ll get back to the boat to form your final lasting impression of Halong Bay’s awe-inspiring beauty while cruising back to the dock, at the same time enjoy your lunch/ brunch.
Getting back onshore, you will be transferred directly to the airport which takes about 4 hours, then take a short flight to Luang Prabang.
On arrival in Luang Prabang, you will be met at the airport by your private guide and driver then transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day will be yours to explore at your leisure.
Overnight in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang – City Tour – Khuang si WaterfallDay 15
An optional early start will give us the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. From there, you will visit the morning Phosi Market, where we will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings.
After that, back to the hotel for breakfast. You’ll then continue touring the ancient town of Luang Prabang with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. Next stop will be the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. You will also have time to visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai.
Continue to visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, a Hmong village, Ban Ou a Laoloum village and Ban Thapene, a Khmu village. This then takes you to the beautiful Khuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. Return to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang – Ban Khia Luang – Pak Ou CaveDay 16
Today we will start heading north on a private car along route 13, before taking an unpaved road to Ban Khia Luang village. You then have ample time to visit the school, play with the kids. You also take some time to explore the rest of the village, where you can see weaving and visit the local temple. We stop for lunch at the village, which can either be a western picnic lunch, or traditional Lao food such as sticky rice, laap and fresh vegetables cooked by the villagers.
After lunch, you will say goodbye to the village and drive to Ban Khoklin. The road will take you through some beautiful scenery of mountains and paddy fields. At Ban Khoklin you board a private boat down the Nam Ou River for 30 minutes to Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims and continue down the Mekong River back to Luang Prabang. Arrive back into town in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang – Khmu Elephant VillageDay 17
After breakfast, you will take a short drive to the Spirit Resort, where you will experience the protected Elephants at the “Elephant Park Project” along the Nam Khan riverbanks. From here you can enjoy the 1 hr. Elephant ride on the back of a protected Asian Elephant.
It will then be followed by a short and easy hiking tour will lead us out into the Fair Trek project area where villages profit directly from our visit. A small Khmu community lives below a high rising mountain range.
After your Lao style lunch at Ban Houay Fai, you will return to Tad Sae waterfall, taking a boat ride back to Lao Spirit Resort, from there you will travel back to Luang Prabang.
Overnight in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang – Drive to Vang ViengDay 18
After breakfast, you will start your day with a visit to The National Museum (closed on Tuesday) and the Central Market. Then you travel by roads to the mountainous town of Vang Vieng. Today your intrepid journey will be strenuous as this drive is along one of the most scenic but also one of the roughest routes in Asia.
Arrive in Vang Vieng, a small and tranquil town, which is nestled on a bend of the Nam Song River. Its stunning scenery with a mixture of quiet water and limestone outcrops remains unspoiled, despite recent developments with the advent of tourism. After check into the hotel room, you will embark on a boat for a well-paced trip along the Nam Song River, exploring the breathtaking mountain landscape.
Overnight in Vang Vieng
Vang Vieng – Tham Phoutham – KayakingDay 19
After breakfast, you will start your ride on a local tractor through paddy field areas heading to Tham Phoukham caves, where your breath will be taken away seeing the most beautiful and famous limestone cavern, surrounded by natural forests. Along the way, you will have a chance to explore the local cultures by mingling with the local villagers and learning about their daily lifestyle. There is a small natural pool in front of the caves where you can take a swim to refresh ourselves from the hot climate or explore the nearby area.
You will then make our way returning Vang Vieng town, using local transportation or tractor. En route, you’ll visit the ethnic minority villages of Hmong, Souay and Taidam villages meeting the warm and friendly hill tribe people and observing their traditional tribal costumes.
You will enjoy kayaking down the Song River for 3 hours to visit temples and local caves. Return to your hotel after an exciting day.
Overnight in Vang Vieng
Vang vieng – Vientiane – City ToursDay 20
You’ll drive out of Vang Vieng in the early morning for Vientiane. Along the way, you make a stop to visit Vang Xang, a famous archeological site dating back the 11th century. After about 2 hours drive, you will get to Vientiane, the charming and fascinating capital of Laos. This small town conjures up exotic images, with the curious mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French influences.
You will explore the town’s major sites including Wat Sisaket which is the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane. This amazing structure features remarkable frescoes and Buddha images. Continue to visit Haw Prakeo, the former royal temple of Laos monarchy, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Statue. Then visit the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph before proceeding to the famous That Luang Stupa. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. The rest of the day will be at your leisure.
Overnight in Vientiane
Vientiane – Flight to Siem ReapDay 21
The morning will be at your own leisure. Check out of the hotel room at midday.
In the evening, you will be transferred to Vientiane airport for your short flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, you will be met and warmly welcomed by our local guide. Then we will transfer to the hotel for check-in.
Enjoy walking at a busy pub street where you can find many bars for a cool drink or shopping at Angkor Night Market.
Overnight in Siem Reap
Siem Reap – Full day Angkor Temple tourDay 22
You will start on our bike and cycle (45 minutes for cycling) or drive to world heritage areas on the roads less traveled. Ride among the jungle passing local village and local shop. It’s a very special and acting day as you will explore some of Angkor’s most beautiful temples. You will visit the West Gate of Angkor Thom – undiscovered by mass tourist;
– The ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century)
– See the South Gate, Bayon Temple- unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avalokitesvara
– Baphuon temple lying just to the north of Bayon a pyramidal representation of mythical Mont Meru
– The Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas
– The Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.
Continue to visit the fabulous Ta Prohm embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. After that, you will have lunch at a local restaurant.
The tour will continue with the major visit to the famous temple: Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a World Heritage Site since 1992, famous for its beauty and splendor. Angkor Wat features the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls and narrates stories from Hindu mythology.
You will end the day with a visit to Bakheng Temple and enjoy a romantic sunset view form Bakheng hill.
Overnight in Siem Reap
Siem Reap – Tonle Sap LakeDay 23
Early morning at around 5:30 am, we will start our day with a sunrise watch over Angkor Wat temple and listening to singing birds over the ancient land of Angkor area. We will walk to nearby Pagoda and offering food to monks. Spend your time talking to the monk and nuns to exchange the culture or relieve. We will return to the hotel for breakfast.
Moving in tune with the rhythm of the great annual flood of Tonle Sap, take a boat ride to the floating villages.
Finish the hotel around midday. The afternoon will be at your own leisure.
Overnight in Siem Reap
Siem Reap – Kampong Thom – Phnom PenhDay 24
After breakfast, you will drive to Phnom Penh around 5 – 6 hours via Kampong Thom, travel just outside Kampong Thom to see key archeological sites, starting with Sambor Prei Kuk, perhaps the most important grouping of pre-Angkorian monuments in Cambodia. Before the rise of the Angkor, this was the capital of Chenla during the sixth century, known as Isanapura. Today over 100 small temple ruins sit peacefully in a forest setting. Explore the main central complex and gain an insight into the early architectural styles of Cambodia. On the way, you’ll visit archeological “Naga Bridge” at Kompong Kdei.
You will arrive in Phnom Penh in the late afternoon. Check into the hotel and free to relax afterward.
Overnight in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh – City Tour – Killing FieldsDay 25
After breakfast, your tour guide will take you on a guided tour visiting the National Museum, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Independence Monument, Russian Market, & Wat Phnom. Then lunch at a local Cambodian Restaurant.
You will have the opportunity to learn more about these terrible years, through visits to the infamous Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crimes and Cheung Ek, better known as the ‘Killing Fields’. It is an incredibly moving experience, but these are two visits you will be glad to have made. During your visit to Cambodia, you will barely meet a single person who didn’t lose a member of their family during these years, yet they are all willing to talk openly about it with you. They wish you to hear about it and see these places, to ensure that it will never happen again.
Overnight in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh – DepartureDay 26
After breakfast and a leisurely morning on your own, you will check out by midday and your private driver will pick you up and take you to the Phnom Penh airport for your departure flight home.
Inquire this trip
This tour is built upon our firsthand knowledge & experience, offering you the best choices available. The price of this trip varies depending on the number of people in your party, dates of departure, and availability of ground services. Please click on REQUEST A FREE QUOTE (above) and supply the required information, enabling us to send you your personalized quote within 24 hours!
Note: Amendments CAN be made to this tour to suite your requirements.
- Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
- Private Vehicles and Drivers
- Private English Speaking Guides (Other languages if available, upon request)
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
- Domestic flights within Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
- Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
- Service Charge & Government Taxes
What’s Not Included?
- Your International Flights to and from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
- Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia entry Visa Fees (contact us for further information)
- Personal Expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
- Any bank fees or charges at your end
- Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Tips for guides and drivers
Reviews on Our Service
We are committed to giving our customers unforgettable experiences in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and beyond, not just something staged for tourists. Read reviews written by our customers about their experiences in Indochina after they have returned home. These include the ratings and comments on attractions, guides, activities, hotels and food.
We had a wonderful 7-day trip last July; Kata was awesome to work with. So professional, reliable and helpful!
"Lifetime of Memories"
Lam did an amazing job putting together an itinerary based on phone/text conversations. We told him the where and what and he did the rest. The accommodations were beyond expectation, the guides were unbelievably friendly, and the places we were taken were spectacular. Having guides and drivers is worth every penny. So much time and money would have been wasted had we tried to accomplish this ourselves.
We got to experience so much more because of our guides local knowledge. Lastly, how great it was not to worry about how we were getting to the next adventure. Had we not used Indochina Pioneer I truly believe I wouldn’t have as many astonishing memories.
"Amazing 30 Day Journey with Indochina Pioneer"
If you are looking for a private tour of SE Asia, look no further than Indochina Pioneer. I recently returned from a 30-day private tour of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand all arranged by Indochina Pioneer and could not have been happier with everything they arranged for me. They are top-notch from working directly with you on planning your trip, arranging visas, having individuals at the airports to meet and walk you through everything when entering the countries, having amazing tour guides and drivers as well as organizing everything for you on the ground and being there to help you all along the way if you have any questions or problems. My tour was amazing with not only the normal tourist sights, but many off the beaten track sights and with your own guides, you learn so much more from these individuals who actually live in the places you will visit. I can’t recommend this tour agency enough. If you are looking to travel to any of the locations Indochina Pioneer has tours, you must book through them, you will not be disappointed.
"Excellent from the very beginning"
We had 21 days on a private tour and every detail was perfectly arranged. Perhaps, the Spanish speaking skills of guides can ve improved, but overall they were very helpful and committed with their job. I want to highlight the performance of Juan (Hanoi), Miguel (Hoi An), Chao (Ho Chi Minh City) and La (Luang Prabang, Laos).
Hotels were as we asked and the timing for the visits was very good.
I recommend this travel agency!

domain: travel


What is the goal of the investment?
Empower the Electronic Health Report (EHR) to ensure its circulation throughout the national territory and strengthen the New Healthcare information System (NSIS), the infrastructure and instruments through which the Ministry monitors ELC (Essential Levels of Care) and schedules health services. Through the general practitioners' work, data collection will be standardised and clinical charts will be constantly updated . In addition, a central archive will be created, providing financial support to the Regions that adopt the EHR platform.
- Reduce the gaps in standards of living
The Electronic Health Report will include the patient's entire clinical history, helping the ASL [Local Health Authority] analyse clinical data and improve the provision of health services The project includes ongoing initiatives to roll out the electronic healthcare card system and to design the infrastructure for EHR interoperability and management. Additionally, the Ministry of Health's technological infrastructure for data analysis will be implemented to ensure ELS, thereby enhancing the New Healthcare Information System (NSIS), i.e.. the Ministry of Health's infrastructure and analytical tools to monitor the ELS programming of healthcare assistance services based on the population's needs. The collection and production of NSIS data at the local level will be enhanced, along with the development of advanced analytical tools to study phenomena and improve capacity for scheduling health services and detecting emerging illnesses. Lastly, a national platform for telemedicine services will be created.
Electronic Health Record circulated throughout Italy to make data available at all times
Digital clinical charts
Creation of a central archive for patient data
A more efficient healthcare system, capable of producing forecast data
Health condition information, with constant digital updates


text:
Things to see and do - Amsterdam
Leaving for the Netherlands
Unmissable tourist sites
Amsterdam Leisure tips
- 45.0 €
- 57.0 €
- 72.0 €
Amsterdam Travel guide
Amsterdam : Michelin's recommendations
Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, stands on the banks of the rivers IJ and Amstel. With its atmospheric network of canals, its brick houses, its port, its intense commercial bustle, and its rich culture, this "Venice of the North" will undoubtedly cast a spell on you. Enjoy wandering for hours through the streets of the city centre, where cyclist and pedestrian are king. And don't forget to visit the art museums, which are amongst the best in the world.
Tourist attractions Amsterdam : Things to see and do
Le Dam NL - Amsterdam
Lying around the Dam, Amsterdam's main square, and covering the area of the medieval city as delineated in the 16C (before the cutting of the great canals to the west), the historic centre has numerous important buildings: the New Church, The Royal P..
NL - 1012 NX Amsterdam
Though in the centre of the city, this hofje (sanctuary) is a haven of peace. Each of its tall facades (17th and 18th Centuries) is fronted by a little garden, and the whole is organised around an open space and the ancient church of the Beguines (a ..
Herengracht NL - Amsterdam
Cut from 1586 onwards, these nobly-named canals ("Emperor's", "Prince's", "Patricians'") have majestic quaysides, bordered by narrow gabled façades, opulent patrician residences, old warehouses and houseboats. Venture in..
Damrak 96 NL - 1012 LP Amsterdam
Prix Prices from : 127 €
Located on Amsterdam’s famous Dam Square just 10 minutes’ walk from Centraal Station, Swissôtel Amsterdam offers bicycle rental and 24-hour business and fitness centres. A café with terrace is on site. Swissôtel Amsterdam’s rooms include large wind..
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 119-121 NL - 1012 RH Amsterdam
Corner House offers budget rooms with private or shared bathrooms in the centre of Amsterdam, 200 metres from Dam Square. It includes a cosy bar and is 10 minutes’ walk from Amsterdam Central Railway Station. Each of the simply furnished rooms at th..
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 67 NL - 1012 RE AMSTERDAM
MGallery The Convent Hotel Amsterdam is a 4-star hotel with a unique history that makes it the perfect place to stay. Its location in the center of Amsterdam is ideal for visiting the city. It is a five-minute walk from Centraal Station, Dam Square a..
Leisure activities Amsterdam
Amsterdam, one of Europe's most popular cities, boasts it all. Always lively and always fun, you will enjoy meeting the people that make this city great! A trip to Amsterdam is not complete without a visit to a world-renowned museum, a boat cruise al..
Prices from : 40 €
Leave Amsterdam behind for a few hours and discover the typical Dutch countryside outside the capital. You'll drive through a picture-perfect landscape crisscrossed with canals, see authentic wooden houses, windmills and fishing villages, and witness..
Prices from : 67 €
Amsterdam Super Saver 1 combines two best selling tours at a discounted price. Get your bearings in Amsterdam on a comprehensive 2.5-hour tour and visit Keukenhof Gardens, one of Holland's top attractions. The tour to Keukenhof Gardens offers plenty ..
Van Baerlestraat 158 NL - 1071 BG Amsterdam
This retro brasserie attracts regular customers, mainly from the local area because of its attractive menu, tasty steak tartare and well-matched wines. Courtyard terrace.
Ruysdaelstraat 54 NL - 1071 XE Amsterdam
Excellent up-to-date establishment with an original décor. The entertainment and business clientele come to see and be seen as well as to enjoy the great food.
Apollolaan 2 NL - 1077 BA Amsterdam
It is not easy finding somewhere for a delicious lunch at a reasonable price in Amsterdam. The chic La Sirène restaurant at Wyndham Apollo Hotel is the answer, offering fresh, contemporary cuisine at attractive prices. The terrace offers views of Ams..
Weteringschans 175 NL - 1017 XD Amsterdam
Van Vlaanderen has long been recognised as the place to go for the good things in life. It has a pleasant location in the centre of Amsterdam with its own jetty on the patio. The restaurant's success lies in attentive service and a young, spirited te..
Nieuwe Doelenstraat 2 NL - 1012 CP Amsterdam
On the terrace of this luxurious canal-side brasserie, with its views of bridges and passing boats, Amsterdam really comes into its own. The delicious dishes, which are uncomplicated yet always full of flavour, can also be enjoyed indoors. Sole Meuni..
Ferdinand Bolstraat 333 NL - 1072 LH Amsterdam
Luxurious, French brasserie ambience, select menus, sensible prices and a young enthusiastic team in the kitchen. A favourite hotel restaurant for locals.


text:
Eric Severson is co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer for Flatirons Solutions Corporation. Eric is also on the board of directors for IDEAlliance and is a former president of OASIS--both XML industry consortiums. He can be reached at Eric.Severson@flatironssolutions.com.
Enterprise Tech Videos
DAILY VIDEO: Yahoo CEO Mayer’s out-the-door package will total $100M-plus; Oracle's new Digital Experience Cloud a direct challenge to Adobe; IBM opens four new BlueMix cloud data centers in...
Dell’s latest Intel-based PowerEdge servers bring new levels of operational efficiency and flexibility while extending industry-leading reliability and uptime.

domain: news


Hello. I have set up our home network which includes a desktop with XP, where the printer is connected, and 2 laptops (1 XP & 1 Vista) which connect wireless through a Netgear router. The internet works well on all 3 computers, though I can not get the printer to work/connect with my laptop (I have only tried it on my laptop which has XP and not my husbands r/t getting irritated
) ~ it does work with the desktop.
**thank you in advance for your help**


Some of the most important medical bodies in the country have now declared to be against Ireland legalising assisted suicide. Several have sent submissions to the Oireachtas Justice Committee and expressed opposition to far-left TD Gino Kenny’s ‘Dying with Dignity’ Bill. We must hope the voices of some of the country’s most distinguished doctors will be listened to by politicians. The various medical organisations are opposed for a similar reason; they believe assisted suicide will prey on the most vulnerable patients.
What follows is a selection from their submissions.
“The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) believes that the proposed legislation is not in accord with best medical practice. The introduction of doctor assisted suicide is not in the best interests of patients and does not address the real issues of death with dignity. Much better that the State would not persist in this but instead support the neglected area of palliative care which has been so beneficial but could be undermined by doctor assisted suicide. … RCSI believes that the introduction of euthanasia will have a harmful effect upon society. … RCSI believes that the risks of introducing a legal structure to allow assisted suicide as set out in this bill would do more harm than good and, on this basis, that the bill should not be progressed. It is feared that legalisation of voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide would create a precedent to extend the practice to handicapped and sick individuals also, who do not suffer so much themselves, but rather are a perceived burden to society. … The consequences of the Bill are both legal medical and societal. It is at variance with the core values of the medical profession particularly in the area of patient protection. It has the potential to fundamentally damage the doctor/patient relationship.”
“The Irish Society of Physicians in Geriatric Medicine (ISPGM), representing over 130 specialists in the care of older people, after a survey of its members wishes to give the strongest possible endorsement to the 2017 and 2020 Position Papers of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland and submission to the Oireachtas Committee raising deep concerns about the many negative impacts of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia on the practice and ethos of care during life and for end of life care. … It is clear that not only are there intrinsic deep challenges posed by physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia but also that it can neither be restricted nor adequately regulated: in virtually every jurisdiction where it has been established it has extended to conditions – psychiatric illness, dementia, children, etc – far beyond the original proposal for restricted circumstances.”
“If enacted this Bill will result in a profound change in medical practice, affecting how doctors interact with patients who are terminally ill, but also how doctors view themselves as healers. … As psychiatrists, we are concerned that the enactment of this Bill may eventually lead to physician assisted suicide for people with mental disorders, as has occurred in in the Netherlands and Belgium. In both countries, such a request was initially excluded by the guidelines, yet this attitude has changed over time. … The College consider that it is not appropriate to legislate for physician assisted suicide of individuals with life-limiting conditions; rather legislation should be proposed to enable people to receive appropriate health care in a timely and compassionate manner so as to promote and protect their dignity. Although described below are numerous defects in the Bill as drafted, the College does not support the Bill and believes that no changes can make it acceptable.”
“We, the undersigned, are gravely concerned by the proposal to legislate for assisted suicide and euthanasia, also described as assisted dying in Ireland. As healthcare professionals we have respect for each individual, value personal autonomy and also share an interest in protecting and advocating for people who are nearing the end of their lives and who may be vulnerable and at risk. We believe the bill creates risks for many receiving healthcare that outweigh any potential benefits. This concern is based on our collective experience over many decades of providing health care to people and their families in Ireland.” (Signed by 2,172 healthcare professionals)
Other submissions from consultants (including palliative care, gerontology, neurology and psychiatry) and from professional medical organisations (RCPI, IPMCA, RPMGNI, APMBI) are not publicly available yet but it is understood that they all oppose the Bill which is before Oireachtas Committee on Justice.
No professional or training medical body has expressed support for the Bill.


11 a.m. in Milan (March 15th), prepared and excited PANDO MOTO team finally got their happy hour on Italian stage at the best known Harley Davidson spot in Milan – GATE32. Featured the prominent motorcycle expert /blogger Nicola Andreetto new motorcycle apparel line had been introduced to number of top journalists and recognized bloggers. “Designed and handcrafted in Europe the brand had gained instant popularity worldwide in just a few years for its undying passion for quality and innovation” – Nicola welcomed PANDO MOTO onstage and so it began…
Starting from unique Dyneema® BOSS line which is made out of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. It’s been widely used in military and maritime industry. 15 times stronger than steel – this state-of-the-art fabric can withstand 4.1 sec. of abrasion (according to EN 13835:2002 standard) and yet be so light to float on the water.
KARL line is another heavy-weight best seller in PANDO’s arsenal. Equipped with stretch panels on the back and knee areas it gives ultra-comfort and extra safety. Made of stretch CORDURA® (nylon) denim, lined with DuPont™ Kevlar® – it is the perfect sandwich for ultimate comfort and abrasion resistance. Seams in vulnerable areas reinforced using Kevlar® threads. Comes in black, indigo and pre-washed versions.
ROSIE line is the slim fit cut admired by ladies. Made of CORDURA®/ DuPont™ Kevlar® stretch sandwich, it has a unique COOLMAX® technology (polyester fibers that move perspiration away from the skin to the outer layer of the fabric).
CAPO line. Stretch CORDURA® denim based jackets: shirts; BOMBER and RIDER truck jacket. Equipped with bi-swing stretch panels on the back for comfortable ride position.
Iconic M65 line – the jacket everyone was amazed of. Having unique jacquard camouflage fabric and b-swing panels it is definitely “must have” item for every rider. Easy removable CE approved (EN 1621-1:2012) shoulder, elbow and back armor gives extra edge to the jacket. Also available in CORDURA® denim.
Tremendous success in famous shows: 2015/2016 EICMA (Italy), Intermot (Germany) and Artemoto (Portugal) had boosted brand awareness worldwide. Featured in The Bike Shed, Ultimate Motorcycle, Silodrome, Motorcyclist.com and many more. Acknowledged by 30 retailers in more than 15 countries, PANDO MOTO is your next best partner.
Sounds interesting – drop us a line!
“it’s not really the fuel that drives us – its passion”Pando Moto


Linear motion solutions for Medical field applications
The medical industry focuses on two key requirements. First, the level of hygiene: environments and equipment must always be clean and frequent washes and detergents can cause premature wear of mechanical components affecting their life and operation.
Secondly, the machines’ performance level must be accurate and stable to ensure reliable results, sturdy to withstand heavy loads, and compact to allow multiple components to be housed in enclosed spaces.
Rollon linear rails and linear actuators are suitable for different medical applications, ranging from medical-technical platforms, such as operating room beds, dentist chairs, or diagnostic systems (X-ray machines, MRI and CT scanners), surgery and laboratory robots for handling fluids, and automated drug warehouses.
Key applications for linear rails and actuators for the medical industry:
- Linear motion in operating room beds
- Linear motion in diagnostic systems
- Linear motion in laboratory robots
- Linear motion in dentist chairs


text:
It doesn’t take much to express creativity if you have a clear goal in mind. Instagram sensation, Toheeb Adedokun Akorede, decided to poke fun at celebrities by recreating their outfits using cheap and ordinary items.
“Sometimes when I don’t know what to do with the picture, I listen to music, then go through the picture [again] and I will kill it [the look],” Toheeb shares. “It’s not a day’s job, some pictures we spend weeks [recreating them]. Sometimes we work at night. Sometimes the material will be around, like what we did with the plastic bottles, you just have to look around for it.”
So far he’s recreated the looks of Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Aquaman, amongst others. What will he do next?

domain: hobby


text:
Description: Doodlebug Essentials Kits combine paper with an assortment of coordinating embellishments. Flea Market Essentials Kit contains six double sided cardstock sheets, Icons and Type stickers, fall striped buttons, assorted citrus flower sequins, and a buttercup doodle-pop. Autumn designs with leaves, flowers, canning jars, typewriters, plaid, campers, woodgrain, sunflowers, cameras, borders, tags, and more. Colors are Orange, Yellow, Brown, Teal, Aqua, Lime, Black, Green, Grey, and White. Acid-free, lignin-free.
See more Doodlebug Flea Market Collection.
Review this product and Enter
to Win a $100 shopping spree!
Scrapbook Page Kits

domain: artistic


France – There has been a shooting at a mosque in France. At least 8 injured.
The telegraph reports that worshippers were leaving the Arrahma mosque in Avignon, Provence, at about 10.30pm on Sunday night when two “hooded men” pulled up in a Renault Clio.
Police said the crowd fled in panic when the gunmen started shooting, injuring four people at the scene, La Provence newspaper reported. A family of four in a nearby apartment received shrapnel wounds.
A seven-year-old girl was among those injured, the paper reported.
One of the attackers was carrying a handgun, while the other had a rifle.
Police were searching for the suspects after they fled from the scene.
The shooting is not being treated as terrorism at this stage. Laure Chabaud, an Avignon magistrate, said police suspected it was a gangland dispute.


text:
I remember it being the month where mainstream media is filled with bad news. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, AIG, Washington Mutual, etc. etc… Stock market was crashing. Our company froze hiring, started cutting cost, the talk of laid-off started showing up in rumor mills. All kinds of unfamiliar financial terms started flying around, all flavors of economist are giving their opinion on TV/Radio/Newspaper/Internet. Some say it is going to be another Great Depression, some say no it won’t be that bad. Whatever the government and the Fed did or did not do, someone would hurl critics at them.
Chaos and confusion reigned the day.
Sometime around 2009, we suddenly realized the chaos seemed to have subsided a while back. But when? and how? What worked?
I wasn’t paying attention. Life somehow seemed to have moved on. The looming disaster that almost consumed wallstreet seemed to have been pushed aside by some unknown force.
I finally had some understanding of the tsunami like events during those days after i finished reading “Too Big to Fail” by Sorkin over the past few days.
What a great book it is! “Paulson, Gerthner, Bernanke and a dozen or so private and public sector figures who populated the drama”, they were the ones who actually stared at the abyss that they never thought would happen in their lifetime. They not only didn’t falter, but also managed to hold back the tide. Unbelievable.
We do live in interesting times. How lucky we are.
The book covered the approximately seven months period from the time when Bear Stern fell (3/17/2008) to the time when Paulse, Gerthner, Bernanke united to force the top 9 banks to sign up on TARP money (10/13/2008).
March 15, 2010 issue of the New Yorker magazine is jam packed with great reads. Two particular articles are relevant to “Too Big To Fail”. They read like sequels to the book.
One on current Treasure Secretary Geithner:
–No Credit by John Cassidy – Timothy Geithner’s financial plan is working—and making him very unpopular.
One on President Obama:
–Obama’s Lost Year, by George Packer.
I feel lucky to live in a time when great men like Paulson, Geithner, and Obama who manage to hold on to their conviction and who are always “willing to do the responsible thing, even when it is terrible politics.”
On the other hand, it came to me like a revelation. It is okay to be misunderstood, under-appreciated when you believe in what you do and was fortunate enough to be given the power to execute as you see fit. It is worth it when you can see the result of your work did pay off, even though most other people don’t. It is okay. They will. Politics don’t matter as much as doing the right thing.
The Obama article is only viewable in full to those who have a subscription. So let me quote some excerpts that I loved.
A very nice summary of this Administration’s first year.
The congressional senior aide… said, “One of the problems with this Administration is it has tried to have a grown up, sophisticated conversation with the public. That is the President’s instinct, it’s Tim Geithner’s instinct. And that itself is tone-deaf. You can’t say to people whose houses are in foreclosure, who are losing their businesses, ‘It’s a complicated situation.'” The aide went on, “The President is having a very eloquent, one-sided conversation. The country doesn’t want to have the conversation he wants to have.”
A backstage view of how the President makes decision.
Meetings with the President, various Administration officials told me, are businesslike but thorough. Opposing positions are solicited and hashed out, and Obama steers the debate with tough questions, often demanding more information than his advisers can provide, and brushing off a policy’s political consequences. Tom Perriello, who admitted to sitting in “relatively cheap seats,” remarked that the surest way to win Obama over to your view is to tell him it’s the hard, unpopular, but correct decision.
This pride in responsible process is the closest thing to an Obama ideology. It champions pragmatism without pandering to the status quo, and conveys skepticism, even contempt, for Washington’s ordinary way of doing business.
So what exactly is “Washington’s ordinary way of doing business”? The question kept coming to my mind as i was watching “In the loop” and later “The Thick of it” (thanks to Isaac who shared it with me!) – original British TV series that “In the Loop” is based on. In between laughs at how ridiculous the behind scene British and the US government day-to-day operation looked, i was horrified, is it really how our governments are run? Purely reactive, constantly trying to cover up or to make something bad look good. Completely short sighted, no long term vision whatsoever. Everyone chases for sound bites and both afraid and long for the glow under a media light.
And this article seems to confirm that is not too far from the truth! And Obama is trying to put a stop to that. The fact we feel frustrated with the futility of Obama Administration’s first year was partly due to our being used to that kind of short-sighted, sound-bite-chasing politics.
Axelrod…suggested that the political failures in Obama’s first year were a result of the President’s conscientiousness in addressing difficult problems like financial instability and soaring health-care costs, regardless of the political fallout. “he violated the sort of day-to-day gestalt of Washington that says every day’s Election Day, everything’s tactical,” Axelrod said, ‘I honestly don’t think people elected him because they thought he would be a great political tactician.” Obama, Axelrod argued, does what he believes to be right in spite of “short-term political calculations. In that sense, he stands apart from the sort of prevailing politics in Washington. Now our bet is that, at the end of the day, doing it differently is good politics.”
I really really hope so and i hope that day in “at the end of the day” proved to be shorter than 4 years.
Here are some examples on how conscientious this Administration has been and why their first year seems such a failure.
The Recovery Act was meticulously designed to favor the substantive over the splashy, but an unintended consequence was that its impact became nearly invisible. The largest tax cut, for example, would not be sent out in the form of single checks, which, economists have learned, tend to be saved during downturns. (This happened to the Bush Administration’s stimulus in 2001.) Instead, refunds would be distributed in pay-checks over a two-year period, which made them less noticeable and, therefore, more likely to be spent. Money from tax cuts and programs like unemployment relief stimulated consumer spending, which led to workers being hired or retained, but those jobs didn’t carry the label of the Recovery Act. Large numbers of jobs that can be directly credited to the stimulus have come from aid allowing states to keep public employees on the payroll — and nobody notices that cats that don’t run away. Many investments in infrastructure and research and development were targeted less for their immediate benefit than for their long-term effects on transforming the economy; this led to spending, on areas like high-speed rail and clean energy, that won’t immediately create large number of jobs. The White House also set up an independent board to guard against waste and corruption, which inevitably slowed the awarding of contracts.
The article also talked about how Obama tried to negotiate for Republican vote in the face of “unprecedented soullessness” from the other side. It is similar to how Obama tried to have an “adult conversation with the public”. It is a little funny, and at the same time, moving.
Obama’s quest for bipartisanship, in the face of exceedingly discouraging facts, has been so relentless that it suggests less a strategy than a core conviction: reasonable people can be civil, exchange ideas, and eventually, find points of agreement. But shortly after the Inauguration, when Obama went to Capitol Hill to discuss his stimulus bill with House Republicans, party leaders informed him before negotiations had even begun that Republicans would vote against it as a bloc….Nevertheless, the White House continued to bargain for Republican votes throughout 2009, as if the two sides were negotiating in good faith.
There was an obvious reason that Obama did not want to abandon bipartisanship: he often needed Republican votes. But this conciliatory approach came at a high cost. The White House and its allies didn’t push for advertisements against insurance and drug companies; they didn’t take the offensive early on to create outside pressure on Republicans in Congress; and they didn’t effectively use the Obama grass-roots movement and progressive organizations to embarrass Republican senators in vulnerable states like Maine and Ohio. The Administration, busily negotiating with the opposition, considered such tactics counterproductive. Meanwhile, Obama’s opponents went on the attach, and his restraint came across as weakness. Close observers of the President said that, as a consequence, he lacks a key element of Presidential power: the ability to inspire fear.
The article mostly concentrated on a rural town in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, with a 20% unemployment rate, and how Obama’s Recovery Act’s money is impacting the town folks.
I finished reading this last night before the healthcare bill passed. So you could imagine my mood swing.
The decidedly treacherous future of this Administration suddenly seemed a little more hopeful. Maybe the 2nd year of this Administration will be looking up? We shall see. “Yes, we can?”


text:
Reminder: General President Candidates’ debate is tonight
Sept. 1, 2021 | Make sure you know where the candidates stand on the issues that matter to you. Don’t miss out on tonight’s first live debate with the candidates for Teamsters General President at 6:30 pm ET. RSVP on Facebook to watch the candidates discuss their vision for the union and answer your questions LIVE. Or, go here or here to watch a replay if you miss it.
Sysco Teamsters in Illinois strike
Sept. 1, 2021 | Teamsters Local 703 warehouse workers went on strike at Sysco Corporation in Des Plaines beginning Monday, August 30 at 2:00 a.m. over the company’s refusal to bargain in good faith and treat workers with the dignity and respect they deserve. “One year ago, Sysco’s CEO referred to his employees as ‘heroes’, as the men and women who helped keep America fed. Now they won’t even offer a fair wage increase. These are the essential workers that kept hospitals and schoolchildren fed throughout the pandemic’s darkest days,” said Teamsters Local 703 Vice President Pat Bruno… Continue reading
Watch: Final Teamsters General President Candidates’ debate
Sept. 20, 2021 | You can still watch the second and final debate that took place on September 8. Hear directly from the candidates for General President here.
Schedule update for Local 355 retired members
Sept. 20, 2021 | Monthly meetings for the Association of Retired Members (A.R.M.) are canceled for the remainder of the year. The retirees’ Christmas Party is also canceled. Stay tuned for updates as we move into 2022. Please stay safe and healthy, everyone.
Local 355 approves first contract with US Foods in Virginia
Sept. 21, 2021 | More than 100 drivers employed by US Foods in Manassas, Virginia, have overwhelmingly approved their first collective bargaining agreement between Teamsters Local 355 and the company. The drivers voted to join Local 355 in September 2020. The three-year contract addresses many of the workers' concerns. It provides significant improvements to wages over the term of the agreement, coverage under the Local 355 Health Plan, bidding language, seniority rights, and a grievance procedure, in addition to other worker rights and protections typical of a Teamster contract. The agreement also covers drivers who work out of drop yards in Fredricksburg and Richmond in Virginia, and Upper Marlboro, Fredrick, Millington, and Savage in Maryland. Local 355 Recording Secretary Mark Garey and Business Agent Ed Mulford extend their thanks to the US Foods negotiating committee and their fellow drivers who stood in solidarity to make the contract a success.
Candidates for Teamsters Secretary-Treasurer to debate tomorrow
Sept. 28, 2021 | Watch as the candidates for Secretary-Treasurer discuss their vision for the union and answer your questions live Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 8:00 pm ET. This is your chance to hear from the candidates before the ballots arrive in October. RSVP here to watch the debate live on Facebook. When Teamsters vote, we all win.
Local 355 mourns passing of Sister Mindy Adams
Sept. 28, 2021 | It is with deep sadness that we inform our members of the passing of Local 355 member Mindy Adams-Williams. Sister Adams joined the New Penn office staff in 2020 at the company's Elkridge, Md. location. Visitation will be held on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, at 10 am at the Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., 1411 Annapolis Rd., Odenton, Md. 21113. A funeral service will be held at 12 pm at the same location. Local 355 officers and trustees extend their heartfelt condolences to Sister Adams’ family and friends.
Tell major film, television companies to give workers a fair deal
Sept. 28, 2021 | Our brothers, sisters, and siblings at the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) just launched a petition demanding a sustainable deal for film and TV workers. If enough of us sign, we can show we stand as one in our fight to end unsafe hours, unlivable wages, and the lack of reasonable rest on set. More info here. Sign the petition here.


Here are a few links that I’ve come across over the past day or so that I’ve found amusing, informative or interesting and wanted to share 🙂
- Middle-school student gets his head stuck in a chair (check out the photo on BuzzFeed.com) – Boys will be boys, I guess. This moment will most likely rank as one of the most embarrassing for this kid, but will also be a story that he’ll laugh about with friends for years to come.
- 10 ways social media improved lives in 2008 (check out the post at TheSocialPath.com)– Social media such as blogs, micromedia sites like Twitter, and social networks like Facebook, are often used to benefit charities and other great causes. David Griner compiled 10 ways social media has been used to improve lives in 2008 including the example of The Domestic Diva , a blogger who through the help of other bloggers spread the word about her daughter’s need for a kidney transplant. Just this week her daughter underwent the life-saving transplant. Unbelievable.
- The joy of video games on Christmas morning – Kids go crazy for Wii (check out the videos at Kotaku.com) – These videos of kids opening their Nintendo Wiis on Christmas morning are great. Slightly annoying, but great. The first kid is INSANE!
- Video games meet conquering, dominating, and annihilating needs of men (check out the news post on CNET) – A study from Stanford has proved that video games “stimulate the parts of men that so many other activities just cannot reach: the need to conquer, stomp on, dominate, crush, destroy, maim, annihilate, and turn to ashes and dust.” Makes sense.
- Photos worth a peek (check out the most viewed photos of 2008 on NationalGeographic.com) – Not necessarily the most beautiful photos I’ve seen, but this slideshow features some eye-catching and interesting images, for sure.


text:
Jonathan Jackson is a tv actor from Orlando, Florida USA. Winner of five Emmy Awards for playing the role of Lucky Spencer on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. He is also known for playing Avery Barkley on the drama series Nashville.
Continue to next page below to see how much is Jonathan Jackson really worth, including net worth, estimated earnings, and salary for 2020 and 2021.
Jonathan Jackson was born in Orlando, Florida USA on Tuesday, May 11, 1982. Jonathan is currently 38 years old. He was born in 1980s, in the middle of Millennials Generation, and in the Year of the Dog. His birth flower is Lily of the valley and birthstone is Emerald.
He was inspired by a family trip to Universal Studios Hollywood to get into acting.
|Name:||Jonathan Stevens Jackson|
|Known As:||TV Actor|
|Birth Date:||May 11, 1982|
|Birthplace:||Orlando, Florida USA|
|Current Age:||38 years old|
Jonathan Jackson is a member of famous people who are known for being a TV Actor, celebrities who are 38 years old, was born in May, in the year 1982. His zodiac sign is Taurus.
Go to next page for details on Jonathan Jackson’s net worth and earnings.

domain: entertainment


LOS ANGELES - Driving West Los Angeles on Wilshire Boulevard, California, USA, Travel, 4K UHD
Videography by THE TABLE
Copyright ⓒ 2020 THE TABLE, All Rights Reserved.
#LosAngeles #Wilshire #California #Travel
Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in the Los Angeles area of Southern California, extending 15.83 miles (25.48 km) from Ocean Avenue in the city of Santa Monica east to Grand Avenue in the Financial District of downtown Los Angeles. It is also one of the major city streets through the city of Beverly Hills. Wilshire Boulevard runs roughly parallel with Santa Monica Boulevard from Santa Monica to the west boundary of Beverly Hills. From the east boundary it runs a block south of Sixth Street to its terminus. Wilshire Boulevard is densely developed throughout most of its span, connecting Beverly Hills with five of Los Angeles’s major business districts to each other. Many of the post-1956 skyscrapers in Los Angeles are located along Wilshire; for example, the Wilshire Grand Center, which is the tallest building in California, is located on the Figueroa and Wilshire intersection. One Wilshire, built in 1966 at the junction of Wilshire and Grand, is said to be “…the main hub of the internet for the entire Pacific Rim” due to the large concentration of telecommunications companies renting space there. Aon Center, at one point Los Angeles’ largest (and presently third-largest) tower, is at 707 Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles.
One particularly famous stretch of the boulevard between Fairfax and Highland Avenues is known as the Miracle Mile. Many of Los Angeles’ largest museums are located there. The area just to the east, between Highland Avenue and Wilton Place, is referred to as the “Park Mile”. Between Westwood and Holmby Hills, several tall glitzy condominium buildings overlook this part of Wilshire, giving it the title of Millionaire’s Mile. This section is also known as the Wilshire Corridor and Condo Canyon.
The Wilshire Corridor, located next to Century City, is one of Los Angeles’ busiest districts, and contains many high-rise residential towers. The Fox and MGM studios are located in a series of skyscrapers, along with many historic Los Angeles hotels.
Wilshire Boulevard is also the principal street of Koreatown, the site of many of Los Angeles’ oldest buildings, as well as skyscrapers. Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire are among Los Angeles’ most densely populated districts.


text:
6 May 2018 -
价格区间 * AU$11.50 to AU$11.50
The Seabreeze Hotel Mackay is presenting the Lamberts Beach Seafood and Wine Festival. This family friendly festival includes:
- Local Seafood and Food Stalls
- Kids Zone
- Craft beer, Wine and Cider Stalls
This event will feature all day live music featuring a performance by Busby Marou.
Definitely not an event to be missed!


text:
The Baltimore Ravens have completed another successful draft. Year after year, general manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh have done their best work when April rolls around. Instead of splashing a lot of cash on big-name free agents, the Ravens organization has been shaped around accumulating draft capital and reaping the rewards on draft weekend.
This year the Ravens made an astounding 11 picks. They acquired assets in traditional fashion via the league’s compensatory pick formula but made one splash move on draft day. The Ravens shipped Marquise Brown and the 100th-overall pick (third round) to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for the 23rd-overall pick in the 2022 draft. DeCosta then elected to move back two spots to #25 and picked up an extra fourth-rounder from the Buffalo Bills. This gave Baltimore a grand total of six fourth-round picks — of which they used every one.
With quarterback Lamar Jackson going into the final year of his rookie contract, the Ravens needed to make a statement with their draft class and DeCosta and company have done just that.
Baltimore selected the following players in the 2022 draft:
- First-round, 14th overall: Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame) – Safety
- First-round, 25th overall: Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa) – Center
- Second-round, 45th overall: David Ojabo (Michigan) – EDGE
- Third-round, 76th overall: Travis Jones (UConn) – Defensive Tackle
- Fourth-round, 110th overall: Daniel Faalele (Minnesota) – Offensive Tackle
- Fourth round, 119th overall: Jayln Armour-Davis (Alabama) – Cornerback
- Fourth round, 128th overall: Charlie Kolar (Iowa State) – Tight End
- Fourth round, 130th overall: Jordan Stout (Penn State) – Punter
- Fourth round, 139th overall: Isaiah Likely (Coastal Carolina) – Tight End
- Fourth round, 141st overall: Damarion Williams (Houston)- Cornerback
- Sixth-round, 196th overall: Tyler Badie (Missouri) – Running Back
Baltimore Ravens 2022 NFL Draft Review
The Best Player: Kyle Hamilton
The Ravens landing safety Kyle Hamilton was an incredible stroke of luck that many pundits never saw coming. Hamilton was ranked as a top-10 player on each of the Draft Network’s and Pro Football Focus’s consensus big boards and was Daniel Jeremiah’s fifth-overall prospect in the entire draft. Analysts largely speculated that Hamilton could slip because of his positional value but the Ravens could be thanking the league for a decade.
Hamilton is a rare type of safety. At 6’4″ 220lbs, he is built like a weakside linebacker and has the range and athleticism to cover like a slot corner. Hamilton brings a ton of positional versatility, competitive fight, smarts, and a downhill trigger. Those skills put him in the middle of a ton of plays. Lance Zerlien compared Hamilton to Kam Chancellor. While that is a rich comparison for any player, Hamilton has the build and traits of an elite and scheme versatile safety.
The question now becomes, how will the Ravens implement Hamilton into their scheme? The Ravens already have one of the NFL’s best safety duos in Chuck Clark and new free agent-signee Marcus Williams but they typically play a semi-positionless defense in the secondary. New defensive coordinator Mike McDonald should have no problem asking Hamilton to cover tight ends, play single-high or in the box. Don’t be surprised if Hamilton is making splash plays in Baltimore Week 1 of the 2022 season and makes a push for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The Head-Scratcher: Jordan Stout
Looking at the Ravens draft class, just about every draft pick made sense. On the surface, DeCosta did not select any players who do not fill a need. He took many of them at slots which align with their pre-draft value.
If there was one head-scratching pick, however, it would likely be Stout. The Penn State punter was rated by many draft analysts as the best punter in the class but taking a punter in the fourth round is always a risk. He was the highest selected punter in the 2022 draft and became only the third punter taken before the third round since the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Bryan Anger in the third round of the 2012 draft. Most punters in the NFL are initially signed as undrafted free agents following the draft and are asked to prove themselves in training camp.
The 2022 draft was touted as one of the shallowest overall drafts in recent memory and this led multiple teams to pick punters. While the value is one question, the selection of Stout also leads to questions about the future of long-time Ravens punter Sam Koch. Koch is in the final year of his current contract and the selection of Stout may lead the Ravens to cut ties with Koch after 11 years with the organization. He still remains one of the best punters in the NFL even at age 40. The early selection of Stout signals that Koch’s time with the Ravens will be coming to an end sooner rather than later.
The Suprise: Waiting until Day 3 to draft a cornerback
While they may not have explicitly said it, Ravens brass did not appear to be interested in selecting a cornerback outside of Ahmad Gardner or Derek Stingley. Baltimore had its choice of either Andrew Booth or Trent McDuffie when they were on the clock with the 14th-overall pick but elected to select Hamilton instead. They even traded back their 23rd-overall pick to the Bills so that Buffalo could select Florida corner, Kaiir Elam.
However, it is clear DeCosta and Harbaugh both understand the secondary is still a position group that needs to remain strong. After selecting Hamilton at safety in the first round, Baltimore selected two cornerbacks in the fourth round in Jayln Armour-Davis and Damarion Williams. Both players will likely have a chance to earn playing time early in the season. Kevon Seymour should be the Ravens third-string outside cornerback after posting an overall grade per Pro Football Focus of 38.8 in 2021.
This could also mean that 2021 third-round pick Brandon Stephens will be given an expanded role in 2022. While the rookie mightly struggled last season, he could feature more as a slot corner following the Ravens selection of Hamilton. Stephens played primarily as a safety in 2021 after an injury placed DeShon Elliott on the injured reserve. The defensive scheme could also give slot corner duties to second-year player Ar’Darius Washington.
The Steal: David Ojabo
If Ojabo turns into the player many expected him to be prior to injuring his Achilles, he may be the biggest steal of the entire draft. Pundits projected the pass rusher as a top-10 pick before an Achilles injury at Michigan’s Pro Day derailed Ojabo’s first-round dreams. He will now reunite with Matt MacDonald, his defensive coordinator from Michigan. Coach Harbaugh, brother of his college head coach, Jim Harbaugh, will prominently feature him in gameplay.
While the biggest key to a successful NFL career for Ojabo will be his ability to recover from his most recent injury, he is still very much a work in progress. He was just a one-year starter at Michigan and is a very raw prospect. However, he has elite athletic traits and could not be in a better situation for his development. Ojabo possesses a rare blend of size and speed. However, much like his former high school teammate Odafe Oweh, he is still very new to football as a sport. He racked up 11 sacks during his final year of college ball by depending on his athleticism and raw talent. Ojabo is a speed rusher at his core. Yet, he showcased enough power during his time at Michigan to convince scouts he is not just a one-trick pony.
The Ravens have done a great job at churning out impact pass rushers over the past decade and should give Ojabo every chance to succeed in their system. This fit is perfect and the value at #45 is staggering.
Most Likely To Turn Heads In Training Camp: Tyler Linderbaum
Hamilton will make a lot of splash plays on his own. Yet, Linderbaum will own and excel at what the Ravens do best: run the football. While the former Hawkeye might not match the mold of a typical Ravens’ offensive lineman, he has incredibly well-developed technique. He plays as a menace in space by catching the opposing defender off-guard. At just 6’3″ 292 lbs, Linderbaum will be the lightest player on the Ravens offensive line by over 20 lbs. However, that does not mean he lacks that Ravens-type mentality.
Linderbaum excels the most when he is in space at the second level. Pundits projected him to fit best in a scheme that utilizes a lot of play-action and screens. He also brings a new element of versatility to the Ravens offense. Baltimore’s run-heavy attack is not the most complicated scheme in the NFL to execute for an offensive lineman. Linderbaum should have no problem adapting to his new environment. This should allow Jackson and offensive coordinator Greg Roman to expand the playbook. If that happens, Linderbaum is going to develop an extensive highlight reel running over defenders and violently finishing in the open field.
The knock on Linderbaum coming into the draft was his size. He, however, flourished in the Big 10 and should dominate early and often in his NFL career. He was one of the most productive players in the entire draft. Incredibly, the Ravens landed him towards the back end of the first round. Former Hawkeye Marshal Yanda played over a decade of All-Pro level football for the Ravens on the interior and Linderbaum is set to follow in his footsteps.
Daniel Faalele is a mountain of a man. Similar to Orlando Brown Jr, Faalele might not be the most athletic tackle, but he more than makes up for his shortcomings with his stature. At 6’8″ 383 lbs, Faaelele has a chance to be the heaviest player in the NFL next season. And that’s just as a rookie. If Faalele turns into a viable pro and wants to add mass, the tackle could become just the fourth NFL player in history to weigh in at over 400 lbs. He only started playing football in 2017. Faalele owns the intangibles to be a great project at right tackle for Baltimore.
Charlie Kolar was one of the most productive tight ends in the country during his four years at Iowa State. He finished second on the Cyclones in receptions in back-to-back seasons. Brock Purdy made him the go-to red-zone target, tossing Kolar 20 touchdowns during his final three seasons. There are some concerns about Kolar’s lack of true athletic ability. Yet, he proved to have a wide target radius with some of the most reliable hands at his position. While he might not possess a Mark Andrews-type upsides, the Ravens could find a number of ways to utilize a complete tight end like Kolar.
Isaiah Likely was the second of the Ravens two tight end selections in the 2022 draft. However, multiple outlets viewed him as the better prospect. Likely developed nicely as an unranked prospect out of high school. He then turned into one of the most athletic tight ends in college football. He finished the 2021 season with the third-most receiving yards in the Sun Belt. The NCAA honoured him as a John Mackey Award semi-finalist. Likely must add mass to his frame before playing as a full-time NFL tight end. Yet, his athleticism gives him the potential to become a mismatch piece in the Ravens offense.
Tyler Badie went from seldomly used third-down back to breakout star in 2021. Badie saw just 245 carries his first three seasons at Missouri. During his senior year, he saw a whopping 268 carries. He made the most of them rushing for 1,604 yards and 14 touchdowns, while adding 54 receptions for 330 receiving yards. While Badie is a smaller back, he has a compact build. He plays much bigger than his 5’8″ frame would indicate. He hits gaps with explosiveness and plays unafraid of taking on defenders head-on. Running backs his size do not typically become three-down backs in the NFL. Badie, however, could be a fun change-of-pace back in an already talented backfield.
Travis Jones could be one of the Ravens most valuable picks of the 2022 draft. He clocks in at 6’4″ and 325 lbs but moves like a man who is a lot smaller. His play strength was amongst the best in the class at his position. He plays with a mean streak and motor to match. Jones is the kind of nose tackle whom simply wants to power his way past or walk centers straight into the passer on every rep. He dominated the Senior Bowl 1-on-1 workouts and put a particularly impressive rep on tape against the New England Patriots first-round pick Cole Strange.
Jayln Armour-Davis is going to be a project player for the Ravens. He comes from a school in Alabama that consistently turns out impact rookie cornerbacks. Yet, Armour-Davis does not have the track record which so many great Alabama corners did before him. Due to the overwhelming amount of talent in Tuscaloosa, he was just a one-year starter. However, Armour-Davis was able to showcase a great blend of speed and agility with the reps he put on tape. At 6’1″ with 30 7/8″ arms, he has the ideal size and length for a press-man corner. He could be a great matchup piece down the line.
Damarion Williams is likely going to be part of the competition for the starting slot corner job in 2022. Coming out of Houston, he has a smaller frame at 5’10” 182 lbs but possesses a lot of the same skills that Tavon Young played with during his time in Baltimore. William plays with a high football IQ and always wants to get his hands on the ball. His size will limit him to nickel usage. Yet, the Ravens have already seen great results from 2021 UDFA Ar’Darius Washington (who is just 5’8″ and 178 lbs). Injury depleted the Ravens secondary last season and Williams will provide valuable depth.

domain: sports


text:
Minnesota Farm Bureau Annual Meeting
The 100th Minnesota Farm Bureau Annual Meeting wrapped up this weekend at the Double Tree Hotel in Bloomington. With the 100 anniversary there was a lot of talk about the history of the Minnesota Farm Bureau. There were a number of County Farm Bureaus organized before they then formed the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation. One of the major reasons County Farm Bureaus were formed were to hire a University of Minnesota Extension educator in the County. Often times the County Farm Bureau paid the salary of the Extension Educator!
The Minnesota Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers organize the College Discussion Meet at the annual convention. The winner goes on to represent the Minnesota Farm Bureau and compete at the American Farm Bureau Convention in January. In the picture are the Discussion Meet finalists performing at the Saturday luncheon. It is really nice to see so many young people involved in a farm organization like the Minnesota Farm Bureau!

domain: sociology


text:
Deorse: I actually own sets from both brands, I have yet officially "upgrade" my color pallet; I'm not using either of them yet, since I'm still using Crayola. I'm slowly trying to acquire 120 different colors of the Prismacolor brand before I retire the Crayolas, its just that they're so damn expensive to buy. However this video did answer a few of my questions to what I was going to expect in terms of quality and characteristics of the 2 pencil brands and the 4 pencil types.
I've got 52 more colors to buy.
Deorse: Seeing that you can get Prismacolor colored pencils for dirt cheap in Canada, I can only imagine what they are charging for the Derwent colored pencil sets up there. Here, I've seen a 24-pack of Colorsoft and a 24-pack of studio retail for $90 USD a piece at Micheal's, not including tax and I've seen Walmart advertise 12-packs of Derwent Studio for $167.94 USD. They are NOT cheap.
Deorse: Jesus, only 80 cents in Canadian Dollars per Prismacolor color pencil? In Canada? Damn, I'm just gonna have to make a trip up North then, I've seen these individual pencils retail for for high as $3 US dollars plus tax, the cheapest that I can find them is a $1.85 USD and that's with a military discount at certain art stores with a limited selection. $2.50 is the regular going price, I can normally pick them up for a $1.89 USD at Micheal's, but $1.89 is nothing like paying 80 cents even if it is in Canadian dollars.
Crafting: Extremely informative. Thank you!
Christinia Peake: I've used and have some of all these pencils. You are absolutely right the Verithins don't give a lot of color. They are good for out lining and details. Sometime I use the varnishing technique. I didn't know it was a name for this lol. I usually do it with skin tones. I use a blender pencil to. Sometimes both sometimes one or the other. This video has been very informative and I really enjoyed it
Reshma B: Oil Water Pastel Blendable Normal Hard
cdncopper: Thank you for replying so promptly. I have the same trouble with open stock as I do with the first boxed set I purchased. They are all the same I think. Some people say put them in the microwave to reseal the centre core but others say don't. I have never tried this. Have you? I love your videos by the way. You take the time to explain what you are doing which is most helpful unlike the speed drawing videos so prevalent on Youtube. Some of their work is beautiful but you can't learn a thing from them. They make me quite dizzy watching them. Thanks again.
cdncopper: I am trying Prismacolor and as you said earlier, I am very disappointed with the wood they use for casing. It splits and cracks when trying to sharpen the pencil no matter what type of sharpener I use. For the price of them it is absolutely abominable that they should use such cheap wood to make them. Since they are now made in Mexico their quality has gone way down. No sense complaining they don't reply anyway. It's annoying when, after only two or three drawings you only have a third of the pencil left.
Gina Oliva: You got me running to Michaels to see what they stock in pencils. I did look at the "Intense" sticks. I am sort of a newby at Art but always dreaming up stuff. My current project is a collage with a poem my sister wrote when she was all of 15 - "Dreams and Golden Sun". I started playing with this while attending an art journaling workshop where they used Acrylic paint to cover an 11x 14 sheet of paper and then we collaged on top of that. I think I would enjoy blending with the Intense sticks more than acrylics. Two questions: If I were to use the "intense sticks" can I use Smooth or Vellum Bristol, or should I use watercolor paper? Second, Will I be able to use letter stamps (eg, ink) or black markers on top of the (dried) "Intense" color???
Gina Oliva: I read some reviews that the quality of Derwent Studio has changed. I have a lot of "old" colored pencils, most are Prismacolor -- I have found, assuming from age, that the Prismacolor keep breaking. I can only sharpen them a wee bit to prevent the breakage. I love colored pencils and love the old Derwent Studio (only have ONE). Gisele...I am glad you will do another video. I will wait a bit on ordering.. Thank you!!
BaronBrownB: Hello! Thank you for helpful video! I want to buy some colored pencils for sketchbook drawings. Which type of pencils would you recommend?? I wish i could buy Prismacolor but there in Moscow its impossible to get any=(( I was thinking about faber-castell polychromos there is a lot of them=)
Joe Andrew: Hi, I bought a set of 36 Derwent artist pencils and whenever i use them they end up creating a waxy substance on the top that stops me from being able to add any more colour. Could this be the type of paper I'm using or is it something i'm doing. Thanks in advance.
Heidi Engel: Really informative and helpful, you've answered a lot of questions for me =). Thank you <3
MrNever theire: any one know where i can buy some these pencils for a cheap price
Visty Priest: Good instruction :) Thank you, Gisele. Greetings from Czech Republic
Gisele Grenier: Sarah, with the new batch of Prismacolours I picked up, they have a really nice feel to them, so the old batch is more than likely a "defective" one. Sent the bad ones to the manufacturer, never heard back. The Coloursoft are lucious, to me they do not feel hard, which is why I used the studio pencils (similar to verithin in hardness) to make hard detail lines if necessary. I've never had any Coloursofts crumble on me, but would assume they would break inside the wood casing if they were dropped. The only pencils I've been able to drop and not break inside the casing are Staedtlers. I've done some blending with Prismacolour clear blending markers, almost like an airbrush effect.
Sarah Cavaliere: I really enjoyed your video! I am a regular Prismacolor user, and I'm debating whether or not to buy Derwent coloursoft. I'm a person who loves blending a lot and Prismacolors are really good at that, but I was wondering what coloursoft feels like when you use them. With Prismacolor, it feels smooth and glides well. I know the coloursoft is oil based so do they feel smooth or hard? Do they crumble or feel like pastels?
Duvdev: Great review mmmmmmm'k
Gisele Grenier: Update 5/20/2014 - I'll be doing another updated video shortly. I picked up some fresh pencils and they are much nicer then the ones in the video review, so I'm thinking I had a bad batch of Prismacolour pencils.
xl292005: Thank you very helpful.
Comparing Derwent & Prismacolour Pencils5
out of 5


text:
Tonight, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, through its Institute for Public Affairs, hailed the U.S. Congress’ passage of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The measure passed both the Senate and House by unanimous consent in a flurry of pre-August recess activity.
The “RLUIPA” was sponsored in the Senate by Senators Hatch, Kennedy, Hutchinson, Lieberman, Smith, Daschle and Schumer, and in the House by Representatives Canaday, Nadler and Edwards.
A top legislative priority of the Orthodox Jewish community, and many other religious communities, this year, this legislation will redress the severe blows dealt to our nation’s “first freedom” by the Supreme Court in recent years. In handing down its ruling in Employment Division vs. Smith and then, more recently, striking down the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Court has severely impaired the rights contemplated by the Free Exercise Clause out of our Constitution. This impairment has been most directly felt in two areas addressed by this new legislation – the use of land use regulations to obstruct the activities of houses of worship, and the ability of prisoners and other institutionalized persons to receive spiritual guidance as part of their education and reform programming. In both those areas, this bill requires the government to meet a high standard of proof before it may be allowed to interfere with the free exercise of religion.
Nathan Diament, director of the Union’s Institute, issued the following statement in the wake of the Senate and House votes:
The Orthodox Jewish community is extremely pleased with Congress’ passage of this religious liberty legislation. This measure will give greater protection to religious communities of all faiths around this nation. It will ensure that they may build and gather in houses of worship without improper discrimination or undue interference on the part of government authorities. And it will give prisoners a greater likelihood of having access to religious practice as well. It serves the most basic ideals of our nation founded upon the principle of religious liberty.
We are grateful to the members of congress and their staffs with whom we worked intensively to achieve this goal over the past several months. We look forward to President Clinton signing this measure into law in the coming days to the benefit of all Americans of faith.


text:
I welcome the Leader of the House to his new role. I thought I was getting somewhere with his immediate predecessor, Mel Stride, on the issue of parliamentary time becoming available should Government business run short and whether the Backbench Business could be considered on those occasions and could backfill the business so that the House does not rise early and Members can vent the issues that they want to vent on the Floor of the House. I really do hope we can work together on that.
I wish you, Mr Speaker, everyone from all parties and all the staff of the House, particularly the staff and members of the Backbench Business Committee, a very happy and healthy recess. The members of the Backbench Business Committee have done a great service to the House in recent months, keeping the business of the House ticking over on many days.

domain: politics


text:
This project is about daily life of a little afro town, hidden among the mountains that separate provinces of Carchi and Imbabura. A community that refuses to be forgotten and struggles against the stigma of being a "ghost town", a mark that has been settling on the site for almost 20 years.
In its golden days Estación Carchi was one of the train stations of railroad that traveled from Ecuador's capital to the sea, carrying with him many wishes and dreams of the people who lived from the train's activities. This small settlement of black people became a prosperous and full of life place, until a Sunday the train stopped passing by the railway that crossed the town.
Now the days pass between stories and memories of what it was; the sounds and images rise like blizzards to dust off the past of its inhabitants. The daily life of those who still inhabit the place becomes the first resistance of their memory, that is still present through those who remain: the elderly and children -the most- who share the same hope and the same resignation, before a huge veil of "ghost town" that hides them more than the hills that surround them.

domain: history


text:
Future returns to his underground roots with his latest album.
We’ve seen Future flirt with pop success over the last three years. But much of that mainstream attention has come from collaborating and going on tour with Drake and getting caught in tabloid headlines because of his relationships.
In the process, his music has appeared to lose some of its potency. Sensing this, Future has come out of nowhere with a new album that has no big name features and is simply named after himself.
Future recruits a familiar cast of producers including Zaytoven, TM88, Southside, DJ Spinz, Dun Deal and Sonny Digital. He even works with beatsmiths like Illmind! and Jake One. However, the album has no contributions from Metro Boomin. Which could signal that Future is looking for a bit of reinvention.
While Future doesn’t do anything new under the sun on the album, he does sound like he’s going for a more ruthless tone on many of the songs.
Listen for yourself below.


text:
When it comes to motorcycles, so much has changed. But have they really? The feeling we get when we ride them; from the vibrations in our fingers and toes to the rewarding feeling at the end of the day, motorcycles really haven’t changed. I was inspired to create Steel Rolling after seeing black and white photos of Bart Kellogg racing in the 70’s. From my first glance at the photos I could feel it. This was motocross; real and raw. No helmet from the 70’s hid a grin with a face covered in dirt and sand in their teeth. These were the men who pioneered our sport; men who never lost sight of the simply joy of riding a motorcycle. At the end of the day, that feeling will never fade. Motorcycles, no matter how old, are Steel Rolling.
Directed/Filmed/Edited by Jared Hardy
Voice of Sean Moth
Scripted by Jared Hardy
Special Thanks to Chad Faulkner, Pat and Dave Leahy, Josh Kellogg, Bart Kellogg, Jett Kellogg, Matt Sweney, Mikey Sweney, Brennen Wotassek, Sean Moth, Nancy Hardy, Jay Hardy.
Music: Noises by David James Terry (Licensed from Artlist.io)
Growing Pains by LAYUP (Licensed from Musicbed)