The chair of Australia's largest super fund has called on the federal government to abandon the use of carryover credits, saying it would be dangerous to use the carbon accounting measure alongside other "deadbeat" countries.
AustralianSuper chair Don Russell told the Centre for Policy Development's climate forum on Monday evening that Australia should avoid being a "free rider" on climate at the next United Nations COP26 conference.
"It’s going to be particularly dangerous for Australia to be flirting with things like carryover credits," he said. "That puts us in very bad company with a whole stack of other deadbeat countries at a time when the world will be wanting to lift global standards.
"It will be very much in Australia’s interest to draw a line in carryover credits and sign up with the rest of the right-thinking members of the world community."
Mr Russell's comments come as key federal politicians have blasted the financial industry, particularly super funds, for engaging in climate "activism" by enforcing net zero emissions targets across investment portfolios.
Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said banks should not become "society's moral compass" after ANZ pledged to exit thermal coal by 2030 and stop funding new coal mines and power stations immediately at its full-year results last month.
Assistant Minister for Superannuation Jane Hume said it was not the job of super funds to "reframe the climate debate" after a string of industry super funds, including Aware Super and Hesta, announced plans to cut emissions to zero by 2050.
AustralianSuper, which manages $188 billion in retirement funds, recently dumped its holding in coal miner Whitehaven Coal amid efforts to decarbonise its assets.
Mr Russell said the fund's action on climate was informed by creating "long-term value" for members, adding American foreign policy under President-elect Joe Biden will be more structured and aggressive.
Kyoto credits explained
- Australia's carryover credits come from its participation in an international climate agreement to reduce carbon emissions and curb global warming, known as the Kyoto Protocol.
- The credits are the amount Australia exceeded its emissions reduction target for the first Kyoto period (2008-12) and the projected overachieved for Kyoto 2 (2013-2020). The latest calculation is 128 million tonnes of greenhouse gas for Kyoto 1 and about 280 million tonnes for Kyoto 2.
- The Morrison government is counting the surplus towards Australia's commitment to the 2015 international agreement, the Paris accord, where Australia pledged to cut 2005-level emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2030.
- Australia played hardball in negations over Kyoto targets. It was one of three nations - along with Norway and Iceland - permitted to increase its 1990 emissions by 2020 and was permitted to count savings from reduced land clearing, which has supplied almost all Australia's Kyoto "over-achievement".
- Taken from 1990 to 2012 Australia's emissions from industry grew by about 28 per cent, but the reduction in emissions generated by land-clearing restrictions dragged Australia's emissions below the 8 per cent increase permitted.
"It’s easy for us, now that we’re all caught up in the circus of the transition, to forget a little bit just how important this election was.
"It’s fair to say the world was teetering on the edge of something really chaotic. Another four years of the Trump administration would have done lasting damage to US institutions and it also would have set back the chances of any global cooperation on a whole range of issues for a very long time."
Mr Russell said Mr Biden's climate policies will be constrained by a Republican-heavy Senate but predicted the Democrat president would continue to use executive power to pass climate policies.
"Australia will not want to be seen to be actively opposing the US in the run up to COP26, we will be in a tricky position so we will need to trim our policies so we are not voting against the US," Mr Russell said.
Over 200 countries, businesses and non-government organisations will meet in Glasgow next November to discuss the implementation of the Paris Climate Accord, signed in 2016 to limit global warming to 2 degrees this century.
Australia is the only country that has said it intends to use carryover credits - an accounting mechanism that uses historical emission reductions to meet current targets - for its Paris target. Last December, a bloc of 32 countries including Germany, France, the UK, and New Zealand lobbied to ban the use of carryover credits.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week flagged it was his government's goal to soon abandon their use but stopped short of making any firm commitment.
Outgoing executive board member at the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Geoff Summerhayes, also speaking at the forum, called on the Australian government to show leadership like that displayed during COVID-19 to prepare the economy for "the next industrial revolution".
"To a low carbon future, which like previous transitions will not only require massive investment, it will also create a wealth of opportunities and leave a raft of stranded assets weighing on those that didn’t see it coming."
Mr Summerhayes said Australia's financial system depends on companies managing and responding to climate risk.
"Financial regulators recognise the material risk presented by climate change for the finance sector, and are acting to support the industry as it addresses these risks and also the opportunities where they occur."


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Digging for Discovery
Digging for Discovery
Curiosity Sent an International Team of Scientists Digging in the Soil for a Solution to One of Medicine’s Most Pressing Challenges.
The accidental discovery in 1928 of the antibacterial properties of penicillium fungi by Scottish biologist Alexander Fleming ushered in a revolution in modern medicine. The development and use of penicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin and other antibiotics in the years that followed has saved by some estimates as many as 100 million to 200 million lives.
But the widespread use of antibiotics has also led to the rise of superbugs, including E. coli and staphylococcus aureus, which are resistant to many drugs. According to the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance 700,000 lives are lost every year to drug-resistant infections, and these numbers are expected to grow.
What if the Solution is Laying Beneath Our Feet?
Scientists around the globe are exploring ways to stop the growing threat of superbugs with the use of antibodies, gene editing and even nanotechnology and light. A study published last year, however, suggests that one answer to antibiotic-resistant bacteria might be – as counterintuitive as it sounds – a newly discovered antibiotic.
It’s called “teixobactin” (pronounced “takes-oh-BACK-tin”) and an international team of researchers discovered it in the dirt. It does something no other antibiotic has done before: It kills even the most virulent superbugs without the superbugs developing any signs of resistance.
“Our impression is that nature produced a compound that evolved to be free of resistance,” the study’s lead author, Director of Northeastern University’s Antimicrobial Discovery Center, Kim Lewis, PhD said in a post to the University’s website. “This challenges the dogma that we’ve operated under that bacteria will always develop resistance. Well, maybe not in this case.”
Even more remarkable than the discovery of teixobactin is the innovation that allowed Dr. Lewis and his team to make its discovery in the first place.
How Curiosity Led to the iChip
If teixobactin works as well in clinical trials with humans as it has in lab studies with mice, it won’t be the first time that soil bacteria has been harnessed for use as an antibiotic: streptomycin and tetracycline were also discovered in the dirt.
But while the earth teems with potential antibiotics, most have proven unusable once removed from the soil; in fact, 99% of all soil bacteria fizzle out in the petri dish a phenomenon referred to as the Great Plate Count Anomaly.
Curious about what might be lurking in the 99% of unculturable soil bacteria, Northeastern University Microbiology Professor Slavo Epstein, PhD partnered with his colleague Dr. Lewis and graduate student Tammi Kaeberlein to develop a small chamber that allowed soil bacteria to continue to access the nutrients in the bacteria’s natural environment. The chamber allowed them to grow 30,000% more bacterial colonies compared to the standard agar plate petri dish. What it didn’t do so well was to isolate the bacteria they wanted to study.
Next, the Northeastern University team built a device that allowed bacterial cells to grow individually, in isolation – the “isolation chip,” or iChip. Their iChip holds 192 mini-chambers, each with an individual bacterial cell.
Teixobactin is just one of the antibiotics Dr. Lewis’s team was able to discover with help of the iChip. This innovative device, born of curiosity, holds within it the potential to discover many more antibiotics, to change the landscape of antibiotic treatment, and to save lives.

domain: medical


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Miso Ramen Noodle Soup.
You can have Miso Ramen Noodle Soup using 12 ingredients and 10 steps. Here is how you achieve it.
Ingredients of Miso Ramen Noodle Soup
- You need 1 tbsp of ◎Sesame oil.
- Prepare 1 of few drops ◎Ra-yu.
- It’s 1 of ◎Garlic.
- Prepare 5 of cm from a tube ◎Ginger.
- It’s 1 of Green onion or scallion.
- You need 400 ml of Water or hot water.
- It’s 1 tsp of Consomme soup stock granules.
- Prepare 1 tsp of Oyster sauce.
- You need 2 tbsp of Miso.
- It’s 1 of Sesame seeds.
- You need 1 of portion Noodles.
- You need 1 of Vegetables (bean sprouts, carrots, and Chinese chives, etc).
Miso Ramen Noodle Soup step by step
- Prepare the vegetables for toppings. Bean sprouts, carrots, cabbage, wakame seaweed, pickled bamboo shoots, and simmered boiled eggs..
- Heat the ◎ ingredients over low heat. (If you like spicy food, add a little bit of doubanjiang. It also tastes delicious!).
- When the garlic is fragrant (if you are plan to add ground meat, stir-fry at this point), add water..
- Chop the green onions. Make cross cuts lengthwise first, then chop into thick pieces. That way, you can enjoy the texture of the green onions..
- When Step 3 starts to boil, add the consomme soup stock granules, oyster sauce, and miso. Adjust the taste and amount of the soup. If the soup is too thin, adjust with soy sauce..
- If you are using cooked noodles, add them at this point. 1 minute before the finish, add green onions and sesame seeds. Go to Step 9..
- If you are using fresh noodles, boil in a separate pot..
- Put the green onions and sesame seeds in a bowl, pour in piping hot soup from Step 5, and add the drained noodles..
- Add the prepared vegetables for toppings, and it's done!.
- For simmered eggs. https://cookpad.com/us/recipes/145844-soft-boiled-eggs-marinated-for-your-ramen-noodles.

domain: food


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RaceThread is the most comprehensive website where users can research and review running, obstacle course, triathlon, cycling, mountain biking, swimming and duathlon races.
The RaceThread community enables athletes to share their races, questions, upload photos and videos, provide training tips, and write reviews of recent races.
We want your opinion about anything and everything for each race - from most scenic run ever to worst post-race food to the best finish line medal! We know you're committed to your sport and achieve satisfaction each and every time you cross the finish line, so planning for your next race should be just as important!
Any race director can find their race's profile, claim their race and update all the information on the respective profile with the accurate information from year to year.
But to take it a step further, we would like to partner with you to promote your race to users with the end goal of increasing participation in your race and improving it year after year. As a RaceThread Partner Race, you will be able to become a featured race, provide the optimal amount of race information, give participants a voice, drive your race's website higher in Google searches and more!
It’s that ghostly time of year! Fall fun kicks into high gear with Halloween, and towns and cities all across the nation celebrate in spooktacular style with festive 5Ks. Costume contests, music, food, trick-or-treating, zombies – you can find it all, and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be running for a good cause too. So, lace up your shoes, throwRead More
American Ninja Warrior, Wipeout, TKO: Total Knock Out – all these reality television series have one thing in common: obstacle courses. One other common factor? They have nothing on Spartan or Tough Mudder racers. Contestants in either one of these obstacle-course race series are prime SEAL material because these extreme events are not for the faint of heart. They areRead More
The Parkway Classic is a road race run on the George Washington Parkway, starting at Historic Mount Vernon and finishing up in the heart of Old Towne Alexandria...Read More
The Nation's Escape Triathlon in Washington D.C. was scheduled for today, September 9, 2018 in West Potomac Park, but was cancelled yesterday afternoon due to poor weather conditions and...Read More
The Fitzgerald's Lager Run is one of the most relaxed yet competitive runs in New Jersey, taking place the last Sunday every June at dusk. This run is usually a USATF Grand Prix race....Read More
Looking for your next race - we got you covered. With over 40,000 races across the United States and Canada, we make finding your next race fast and easy.

domain: hobby


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The Ruby Duo - 56 Fonts
The Ruby Duo - a retro inspired font duo with a wide range of sans and script styles. Rugged and simple sans with a cool pair of mono line script. The main thing is the possibility of various combinations of using - from Condensed to Extra Expanded and from Light to Black. You will definitely find the best way to use in your projects with more than 50 styles. By the way, the sans came also as Variable Font. That mean you can set the Width and Weight by yourself! The sans has underline small caps alternates to use it with conjunctions. The script also has some alternates to change the script mood. Also, you will find a five graphic fonts with 130 elements total! A lot of vintage badge shapes and more than 100 vector vintage mood icons to use it in your badges or logos.

domain: artistic


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‘The Unafraid’: With DACA’s future uncertain, new film offers intimate look at the struggles of undocumented youth as they fight to attend college
Mark Keierleber | June 19, 2018
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Since the Trump administration announced last year it would end a program that offers protections to undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country as children, their fate remains in limbo.Si
Amid the political gridlock in Washington over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Dreamers must keep pushing forward. Among them are the young undocumented students who, despite the odds being stacked against them, strive to receive a higher education.
In a new feature-length documentary, The Unafraid, filmmakers spent about four years following the lives of three Dreamers from Georgia — Alejandro, Silva, and Aldo — as they fight for the chance to attend college. Across the country, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for federal financial aid, and in Georgia, they’re ineligible for in-state tuition and are barred from attending the state’s top public universities.
This Thursday evening, the 80-minute documentary will screen at the IFC Center in New York City as part of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, an event featuring 15 films focused on human rights issues. A Q&A with the directors and the film’s subjects will follow the screening.
Directed and produced by Anayansi Prado and Heather Courtney, the documentary first premiered at North Carolina’s Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in April, where it received the Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights. This fall, the film will be screened in several states as part of the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, said the directors, who are waiting to confirm broadcast opportunities.
The documentary, which was funded primarily by the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms, was released during a turbulent, uncertain time for the DACA program, but it doesn’t stop at policy. Filmed in an observational style, cameras follow the young adults from protests — chanting “Undocumented! Unafraid” — to intimate moments with their families. Viewers observe the students as they engage in immigration reform activism while struggling with the college application process, family finances, health issues, immigration enforcement, and cross-country moves.
Prado and Courtney met the students in 2013 and shadowed them through the 2016 presidential election, highlighting the fears the students face of losing their DACA status and being deported. In September, the Trump administration announced it would phase out the program. While lawmakers negotiate legislation to protect Dreamers, the Trump administration’s decision to end the DACA program is currently held up in the courts.
By the end of the documentary, Prado and Courtney said they hope viewers leave the film feeling as though they know an undocumented young adult living in the American South.
“If people feel like they got to know someone at a personal level, then I think people are more likely to take some sort of action, even if it’s just sharing with their husband or kids or coworkers the story that they just saw,” Prado told The 74.
Prado and Courtney have each explored immigration issues in their previous film work. They met in 2003 during a shoot on the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, a nationwide tour to promote immigration reform. After they agreed to work together on a film, they settled quickly on DACA, which then-President Barack Obama created through executive order in 2012. Georgia became the central focus when they learned about a 2010 ban prohibiting undocumented students from enrolling in the state’s top public universities.
When Prado and Courtney met with DACA recipients to feature in their documentary, they intentionally sought students who transcended stereotypes. They connected with students without perfect grades who have a slew of other responsibilities, Prado said. When they met Alejandro, for example, he was attending high school full time while working two jobs. The documentary also focuses on the students’ families, Courtney said, to show the sacrifices they made to give their children a better life.
“For me, it’s also about telling those stories and showing the need for, ultimately, comprehensive immigration reform because our immigration system is not working and it’s not helping anybody by keeping their families [from] having to hide in the shadows,” she said.
In Georgia, about 3,000 undocumented students graduate from high school each year. Nationally, an estimated 800,000 undocumented youth turn 18 each year and about 65,000 graduate from high school, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Yet only 5 percent to 10 percent of undocumented high school graduates enroll in college due to a variety of challenges. Even fewer earn a college degree.
Beyond Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama also prohibit undocumented students from attending public universities. Meanwhile, 20 states and the District of Columbia allow undocumented students to receive in-state tuition, according to the National Immigration Law Center. In many states, college access for undocumented students remains contentious. In April, for example, the Arizona Supreme Court found DACA recipients are ineligible for in-state tuition.
Although the changing political climate has added relevance to the film, it also altered the final product. Initially, Prado and Courtney planned to shadow the students for a decade. Ahead of the presidential election, however, Prado and Courtney decided to wrap up the project, in part because the students’ stories had reached natural conclusions. By election night, they’d already finished filming. Then Donald Trump won.
“We called each other the night of the election and we were upset and crying and we said, ‘We have to go film tomorrow,’” Courtney said. “And we did.”
This article was published in partnership with The 74.

domain: news


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Appleton, Minn. (September 9, 2013)- The Minnesota Health Action Group (formerly Buyers Health Care Action Group) announced today that Appleton Area Health Services is among 445 Minnesota and border state clinics that were recently recognized for delivering optimal care and achieving or improving specific patient outcomes as part of the 2013 Minnesota Bridges to Excellence program and Minnesota Quality Incentive Payment System, a State of Minnesota program also administered by the Action Group. A complete list of reward recipients can be found at www.mnhealthactiongroup.org.
Appleton Area Health Services was recognized for achieving the program’s specific clinical outcomes for patients with depression; which is known to be a primary driver of health care costs. Meeting the achievement goals is the highest level of recognition in the program.
“We are very pleased to be recognized for excellence in improving patient outcomes”, says Judy Carruth, Clinic Manager for Appleton Area Health Services. In addition, Appleton Area Health Services was recognized for meeting the improvement goal for depression care or increasing the use of the PHQ-9 for depression (the assessment questionnaire used to determine a patient’s level of depression).
“We applaud the efforts of health care providers across the state who have made a commitment to improving the quality of care for their patients and for targeting this specific condition that is known to drive up health care costs, and can impact a patient’s overall state of health”, said Carolyn Pare, president and CEO, Minnesota Health Action Group. “This is significant because co-morbidity complicates the treatment of chronic conditions and increases health care costs and workplace productivity. Treating the whole person and all of their health needs is essential for achieving the best outcomes possible for each patient.
The Minnesota Bridges to Excellence program, which was established by the Minnesota Health Action Group in 2005, and the State’s Quality Incentive Payment System implemented in 2011, relies on clinical data that is publicly reported to identify clinics that qualify for a reward for meeting or exceeding optimal care standards for a specified percentage of patients with depression.
To be eligible for a reward, clinics must have a certain percentage of patients at optimal levels of care or significantly increase the number over the previous year. For depression measurements include remission, response and use of the PHQ-9. Both are remission and response measures based on the patient’s improvement in their PHQ-9 score over a six-month period of time.


The Humane Society of Utah is lashing out at a "predator and pest control contest" sponsored by the Sevier Wildlife Federation, calling the event "an incredible affront to 20th century American civilization in general and the image of the state of Utah in particular."
Gene Baierschmidt, Humane Society executive director, said the society is especially upset because contest organizers are encouraging youths to participate in the event, which began last week and will run through July 15.The contest awards points for the taking of coyotes, raccoons, skunks, pocket gophers, starlings and magpies. Several Sevier County merchants have donated prizes that will be awarded to those amassing the most points by contest's end.
Paul Niemeyer, spokesman for the Sevier Wildlife Federation, said the contest is not intended to promote cruelty to animals but is intended to foster control of predator animals that are causing problems for other birds such as pheasants, chukkars and water fowl. He said many of the predators, especially coyotes, skunks and raccoons, create difficulties for local farmers and ranchers.
The group recently ran a full-page ad in a Richfield weekly newspaper promoting the contest, which offers prizes for groups and individuals.
Baierschmidt said none of the animals targeted in the contest represents enough of a threat to the area's economy to justify their "wholesale, communitywide slaughter."
"The entire project and the manner in which it is being publicized present an unmistakable image of being conducted solely as a `fun' sort of thing not noticeably different from a scavenger hunt or a baseball game," Baierschmidt said.
Niemeyer said the organized killing of predators is not new to the area and in the past has often involved Scout troops and high school organizations. He said there is no intent to foster a lack of respect for animals among youth. He said it is hoped younger participants will better understand the idea of natural balance.
"We're not doing this to annihilate these animals," Niemeyer said. "We just want to bring their numbers to a point that we can live with."
Niemeyer said a government ban on the use of poisons to control predators has created an imbalance that must be addressed. He said that is the goal of the contest.
Baierschmidt said the Humane Society plans to do everything within its power to curtail the contest now and in the future. He said the society's legal counsel and cruelty investigation staff are evaluating the situation to determine what actions can be taken.


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Key to the Map Markers
You may click on the check boxes below to show or hide the different markers on the map.
This former 18th century farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales is now a well-established pub, hotel and restaurant offering the well-known and traditional Yorkshire hospitality to all who visit.
The Wyvill Arms
North Yorkshire DL8 5LH
+44 (0 1677 450581
Yorkshire Dales, UK
Built in 1729 as a classic Georgian country house in a charming hamlet just one mile outside of Richmond, North Yorkshire, Easby Hall was significantly extended in the late 19th Century to accommodate a ballroom and generously sized dancing hall and ...

domain: geography


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Guys, this honey lime dressing is a fabulous addition to your next fruit salad. Ready within 15 minutes, it’s the perfect summer salad. The simple addition of lime zest adds a punch of flavor and brightens whatever fruit you have available. You’re going to love it at your next potluck or family dinner.
Summer is a time for simple dinners with friends and family when you can feature whatever you pick up at the farmers market, grocery store or fruit stand. When it comes to salads, there is nothing as easy as a fresh fruit salad. You don’t even have to turn on the stove.
This is one of my favorite ways to serve a fruit salad. You might not think that adding something as simple as lime zest and honey could make much difference, but the citrusy flavor perks up the fruit and enhances the natural fruit flavors. Just a hint of honey helps if some of the fruit is not at its peak.
A lot of fruit salads use lemon juice or orange juice as the citrus base, but I think lime juice brightens up the fruit and makes it stand out.
I’m always making easy fruit salads in the summer with a combination of what’s in season and my favorite fruits. Add some tropical fruit like pineapple, bananas or kiwi to round out the flavors and you’ll have a perfect side dish without any effort. I love having a colorful salad to round out a meal or to take to summer picnics.
My parents were raised in California where fresh fruit was available all year long. Fruit salad was something that we had with every meal, even if it was the dead of winter when it would be a waldorf salad with apples.
You’ll never get tired of this easy fruit salad recipe because it ends up different every time. Regardless of the combination, it’s hard to beat fresh fruit.
It doesn’t matter what fruit you choose, the simple dressing with honey and lime zest will enhance the flavors. It’s so refreshing on hot summer days and won’t weigh you down. If you’re going to an outdoor event or picnic, it will hit the spot and you don’t have to worry about it spoiling in the heat.
How to Avoid Fruit Turning Brown
Apples slices and pears will turn brown when exposed to the air. You can prevent this by sprinkling them with lemon or lime juice. Since the dressing has lime juice, it will also help, but it doesn’t hurt to add a little extra.
Why You’ll Love a Honey Lime Fruit Salad
- You can use whatever fruit is in season
- Kids and adults will love the flavors
- Perfect for cook-outs or potlucks
- Freeze the left overs for smoothies
- So simple you don’t even need a recipe
The Basics for a Summer Fruit Salad
- Seasonal fruit – all types of berries, peaches/nectarines, plums, cherries, apples and pears. You can also add red grapes which can always be found at the grocery to fill out the salad.
- Tropical fruits – fresh pineapple, kiwi, or bananas. If using fresh pineapple, learn an easy way to core a pineapple.
- Lime zest – it’s crazy how just a little lime zest can add so much flavor
- Honey – some fruit if not quite ripe needs just a little sweetness and honey works well with fruit.
If you are using cherries and don’t a cherry pitter, check out this cook kitchen hack for pitting cherries without a cherry pitter.
Easy Steps for Making a Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
Step 1: Pick the fruit
Choose the combination of fruit that you want to use and place it in a large bowl. If you’re adding bananas or kiwi, you’ll want to add them at the end so they don’t get mushy. I like to have a mixture of textures and flavors. My favorite combination is peaches, cherries, blueberries and kiwi.
Step 2: Make the fruit salad dressing
Use a fork and whisk honey, lime zest and lime juice together. 1 lime will be enough for 8 cups of fruit. It doesn’t need to be exact.
Pro Tip: To prevent the dressing from being bitter, use a lemon/lime zester for the lime zest and avoid getting any of the white part of the lime in the dressing.
Pour the dressing over the cut fruit.
You can serve this right away or refrigerate for an hour to let the flavors soak into the fruit.
How to Store a Fresh Fruit Salad
This will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 days depending on the type of fruit you use. If using bananas, try adding them to individual servings to avoid the rest of the salad from getting mushy.
You can freeze this and use it for a fruit smoothie.
Fruit Salad FAQs
Can you use frozen fruit in a fruit salad?
Frozen fruit does not do well in a fruit salad. It will just be too mushy. One exception is that you could add frozen blueberries which tend to keep their shape and texture when thawed, but fresh will still be better.
Can you make a fruit salad a day ahead?
If you make a fruit salad a day ahead, some of the fruit will get soft. You can make it a few hours ahead of time but I would not suggest letting it sit overnight. If making this ahead of time, make sure to add the softer fruit right before serving.
How long does a fresh fruit salad last?
A fruit salad with honey lime dressing is best served the day you make it. It will still taste wonderful the next day but some of the fruit will start to get soft. You can freeze the leftovers to use in smoothies.
What should you serve with a fruit salad
More fresh fruit salads to choose from
If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.
Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
- 1 cup strawberries diced
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1 cups pineapple diced
- 1 cups kiwis peeled and diced
- 2 cups peaches peeled and sliced
- 1 cup cherries cut
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 lime lime zest
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Cut 8 cups total of your favorite fruit. You can also try bananas, grapes, and mangoes or just about anything that you like.
- Whisk together the honey, lime zest and lime juice and pour over the fruit.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- There will be enough dressing for 8-10 cups of fruit.
- Try adding bananas, grapes, mangos, any type of berry.
- If adding bananas, wait to add until right before serving.
- If using apples or pears. sprinkle with lemon or lime juice to keep them from turning brown.
- This is best served the same day.
- Try freezing the leftovers and use for smoothies


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This Airborne Trooper action figure was released in
2007 in The Anniversary Collection.
It was exclusively available at Target.
Hasbro gave the figure 14 points of articulation and included
four accessories (blaster rifle, blaster, removable helmet, removable satchel).
Here is what we noticed when we took a closer look at the Clone Trooper:
- The Airborne Trooper was released in set 5 of 6 of the Order 66 2-packs together with Anakin Skywalker
- The mold used for this figure was used in 2007 when Hasbro released the Airborne Trooper in the 30th Anniversary Collection
- The blaster is too small in order for the figure to hold it well in both hands
- The blaster however fits nicely into the satchel, which can be hung around the trooper's shoulder
- The helmet can be taken off the figure, but no other armor pieces are removable
- The blaster rifle fits OK into both hands
- The trooper stands nicely without help from a stand
The articulation details are as follows: ball-jointed neck, 2 ball-jointed shoulders, 2 ball-jointed elbows, 2 swivel wrists, swivel waist, 2 swivel legs, 2 ball-jointed knees, 2 ball-jointed ankles
If you like this Airborne Trooper figure, you might also like:
After he becomes a Dark Lord of the Sith and the Emperor's new apprentice, Anakin storms the Jedi Temple with his personal legion of clone troopers, including an elite division of airborne troopers. Together, they eliminate all the Jedi inside, sparing no one.


By AA6J Bill Jeffrey
Assistant Scoutmaster and Merit Badge Counselor
3. Where do I tune the radio to find what I want?
Do the following:
a. Draw a chart of the electromagnetic spectrum covering
100 kilohertz (kHz) to 1,000 megahertz (MHz).
b. Label the LF, MF, HF, VHF, UHF, and microwave portions of the spectrum on your diagram.
c. Locate on your chart at least eight radio services, such as AM and FM commercial broadcast, citizens band (CB), television, amateur radio (at least four ham radio bands), and police.
This all sounds and looks a lot harder than it is. First let's explain some of these words, then we'll look at a chart which is a lot simpler than the one in the merit badge book.
The electromagnetic spectrum can be shown on a chart which shows what different frequencies are. For example, you can hear from 20 hertz (Hz) to 20,000 Hz (which is 20 kHz). Remember from math and science that kilo means 1,000 and mega means 1 million. When you tune your boombox to AM you are tuning in kHz, for example, 1000 kHz. FM is in MHz, for example, 100 MHz. Therefore, FM is actually higher even though the number on your dial is smaller.
Requirement (b) is asking about very wide ranges of the radio spectrum.
LF Low Frequency 30 kHz to 300 kHz MF Medium Frequency 0.3 MHz to 3 MHz HF High Frequency 3 MHz to 30 MHz VHF Very High Frequency 30 MHz to 300 MHz UHF Ultra High Frequency 300 MHz to 3,000 MHz Microwave Microwave 1,000 MHz up
You can see that your AM radio is LF and your FM radio is VHF.
d. Discuss why some radio stations are called DX and others are called local.
DX: Distant (not local, usually means out of the country).
Local: Closer, therefore more common usually.
Explain what the FCC and the ITU are.
FCC: Federal Communications Commission, sets rules in US.
ITU: International Telecommunications Union - Sets band plans internationally.
|These notes are designed to help the Scout earn a merit badge that sometimes can seem a bit difficult. They are not intended to replace the Radio Merit Badge book.You will still need to meet with a merit badge counselor.|
3Links about this requirement below:
Copyright Bill Jeffrey 2000-2001. Rights to
reproduce and use for nonprofit purposes given.
Please do not copy this material to another web page. Thank you.
DXing.com has several pages explaining the different radio frequencies:
Frequency Vs. Wavelength is an explanation of kilohertz (kHz), megahertz (MHz), and meters.
Tuning 150 kHz to 30 MHz is a detailed guide to what is found on the lower bands.
The World Above 30 MHz is a detailed guide to what is found on VHF and UHF bands.
Icom Radio's U.S. Amateur Radio HF Band Plan Chart
Hams talk a lot about "DX" (Distant contacts). Here are some links that might give you that same excitement:
Ham Radio Online is a free online magazine. Very well done, plus more info on getting a license.
The Federal Communications Commission governs radio use in the United States.
Their Wireless Telecommunications Bureau includes the
Amateur Radio Service.
While they won't teach you what you need to learn for a license, they do have
how to contact the Volunteer-Examiner Coordinators to take a license test and
Rules for the Amateur Radio Services.
AC6V's DX & Amateur Radio - My friend Rod has the world's best collection of links to amateur radio information.
Last update October 6, 2001


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One of the things we wouldn’t want to miss in South America was visiting the world’s largest salt flat; Salar de Uyuni/Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia and our experiences were epic and incredible!
Alex and I took a 3-day tour from San Pedro de Atacama in Northern Chile to Uyuni in Bolivia. We went searching for tour by ourselves in the day we arrived in San Pedro de Atacama, there were many agencies available, the itinerary and the price weren’t so different in standard. Tour agency from San Pedro will send you to the border and then forward you to Bolivian tour agency anyway! It’s a legal. We just picked one we felt right!
- The Uyuni tour from San Pedro price range form $99,000 – $150,000 CLP including accommodations and food! ($150 – $250 USD)
- Preparing 250 Bolivianos/person in extra for National Reserve entrance, Incahuasi Island entrance, hot shower, some more bottles of water and toilet fee
We stayed 2 nights in San Pedro: 1st day we went exploring Valle de la Luna or Moon Valley, really spectacular landscapes, felt a lot like already somewhere on the moon and then continued to witness the best sunset in San Pedro, 2nd day in early morning, we visited the Tatio Geysers, the third largest in the world, it was one of the most breathtaking sunset I’ve ever seen so far. Also, it was high and cold, about 4,300+ m above sea level and -10 °C! So wear something warm, get some good night sleep before you go, drink more water (water, not alcohol) and take it easy!
3-Day Uyuni Salt Flat & Desert Adventure
Day 1: We left San Pedro the following day in the morning by a minibus to the border of Bolivia, through the immigration of Chile and Bolivia. Our group was 12 people together. At the Bolivian border, the vehicle was changed to a 4×4, 4 people per car.
We got an incredibly funny and kind Bolivian driver (and also being our guide the entire tour), his name is Roberto from Licancabur Tours (The office is located in Uyuni, Bolivia). He didn’t speak much English and all of us also speak a little bit Spanish but everything went great.
It was one of the best and the worst days of my traveling life!
The worst? I got the worst Altitude Sickness in my life! We went up from 2,500 m to some 5,000 m in 2-3 hours and hanged around at 4,000+ the entire day, and I was drawn! I got the worst headache I’ve ever experience, I was trying to control it the entire day and at the end of the day, the mountains had won. I couldn’t open my eyes and couldn’t walk. I decided to take a pain killer and it was getting better after 30 minutes, should I take it since the day already?
After I got better, then I tried to eat something, it will be worse if you got a mountain sickness and also don’ eat anything, better give yourself some energy! Alex was better than me, only felt a little bit like hangover and many people felt in a similar way to me.
Remember, when I was telling about altitudes gain shouldn’t be over than 500 m in every other day to let your body adjust to high altitudes. Keep in mind, it’s way too high elevation gain from San Pedro to Uyuni! I believe it’s better way to come from Peru side, which means, altitude gaining is slightly up and that your body will be more delightful!
The best… Even though, Altitude Sickness was trying to attack me badly, everything around wasn’t less incredibly impressive at all. We visited Sol de Mañana Geysers, Salvador Dalí Desert, the Polques Hot Springs (time for hot bath), beautiful white and green lagoon, also the red one called Laguna Colorada was the most impressive, it is home to more than 30,000 flamingos and they’re super cute, we’re so in love with them.
We shared a dorm with our group the 1st night, it was without shower and who cares? Anyway, I didn’t get any chance to sweat and it was very cold, brrrr!
Day 2: Woke up fresh, no more headache and it gonna be the best day of my life, woo hoo!
I mean I was so happy to wake up another day at that moment. Confession, I was actually scared because mountain sickness could cause the real worst. At that moment, I hadn’t seen Machu Picchu yet and it’s a lot more to do and see, give me more times pleaseee!
After breakfast, very delicious Bolivian pancake, umm, then we went to observe the Stone Tree and a rock of volcanic, some more lakes, black lagoon was the most impressive with beautiful view and reflection, and lovely animals such as Llama, local birds and ducks. It was an easy day.
We arrived in the salt hotel in San Juan del Rosario village at sunset time, beautiful evening!
We got a twin room with salt bed and a hot shower, that was soooo good already after all the battling!
We spent a nice evening with local Bolivian food and wine, wine wasn’t intense so don’t worry we all were fine!
Day 3: Incredible fun day in Uyuni Salt Flat
Woke up in early morning and left hotel at 5 am for Isla Incahuasi/Incahuasi Island/ gigantic cactus Island sunrise trekking in the middle of Uyuni Salt Flat. The place is the top of the remains of an ancient volcano, which was submerged when the area was part of a giant prehistoric lake, roughly 40,000 years ago.
After sunrise, we had a lovely and delicious breakfast (Our driver who was being our guide was also being our number one chef!)
Salar de Uyuni/Uyuni Salt Flat is the world’s largest salt flat at 10,582 square km and is at an elevation of 3,656 m above sea level. The Salar is covered by a few meters of salt crust, which has an extraordinary flatness with the average elevation variations within 1 m over the entire area of the Salar. Huge area and clear skies, still high but I already adapted, so everything went great.
Our guide, Roberto, he’s also one of the best Uyuni Salt Flat Instagram photo designer, it was very fun having him with us!
Uyuni Salt Flat is very dry with extremely strong sun, don’ forget to put on sunscreen otherwise your face will get cracked badly like my face was! I was suffering from it for a week but it worth it, right? But better look after yourself!
After spent half day running around here and there in Uyuni Salt Flat, we continued to Colchani village market for some Bolivian souvenirs and tasty fried Llama meat, Museum of Salt and the Train Cemetery. Then arrived in Uyuni town at lunch.
It was an epic experience of traveling we will never forget. Thank you so much to Roberto who take care of us and being a great entertainer the entire time. Thanks a lot to fellow travellers who had been adventuring together for 3 days, it was very nice spending time and having fun together. The world offered so many incredible people and things to do and see. I’m in love more and more with traveling!
Incredible South America


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WATCH: Cynthia Bailey Flirts With Peter Thomas As She Treats Husband To Massage After Marriage Issues In 'RHOA' Clip
Cynthia Bailey showed her husband, Peter Thomas, a little love as they attempted to continue to overcome their marriage troubles in a clip from the March 13 episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta!
PHOTOS: Kandi Burruss And Phaedra Parks Have Girls’ Night Out At Tiny Harris’ Baby Shower After Ending 'RHOA' Feud — See The Cute Photos!
Bailey couldn’t hold back her smile as she treated her sweetie to a massage! The duo were glowing as they joked and laughed during their time together!
PHOTOS: ‘RHOA' Season 8 Reunion Photos Released! — See The First Look At The Ladies’ ‘Shady’ Reunion Taping!
But the moment didn’t completely go according to Bailey’s plans!
Watch Cynthia and Peter laugh while bonding over his massage in the video above!
What did you think about Cynthia and Peter’s marriage troubles during The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Season 8? Tweet us @OKMagazine or let us know in the comments section.
- Kim Zolciak-Biermann Shares Quote About 'Manipulation' and 'Toxic Behavior' While Coping With Divorce From Kroy Biermann
- Kim Zolciak Still Wearing Wedding Ring From Kroy Biermann After He Accuses Her of Having a Gambling Problem: Photo
- Kroy Biermann Demands Kim Zolciak Be Examined by a Medical Professional, Accuses 'RHOA' Star of Spending Their Money on Gambling
You can catch part one of The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Season 8 reunion show on Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on Bravo.

domain: entertainment


Edmonton Women's March participants continue to push for equality
'Everybody realizes that we need to continue the fight and continue to make sure that these voices are heard'
A crowd of around 1,000 people, some wearing pink toques and carrying protest signs, gathered at the Alberta legislature grounds to speak out and stand up for women's rights.
Some people in the crowd for the second-annual Women's March in Edmonton said progress has been made since last year's march — but they want to see more.
"There's some movement, but there definitely could be more happening as well," said Michelle Nieviadomy, who was among the crowd gathered at the legislature grounds on Saturday afternoon.
"It's time for our women to rise and let their voice be heard and stand in solidarity," she said.
When U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January 2017, protesters took to the streets in Washington D.C. and around the world, rejecting the derogatory comments Trump has made about women.
A follow-up event wasn't planned in Edmonton, but it was brought back by popular demand, said co-organizer Alison Poste.
"We have continued to get amplification on this particular event because I think everybody realizes that we need to continue the fight and continue to make sure that these voices are heard," Poste said.
'It wasn't even recognized that the problem existed'
The event is about much more than opposition to the U.S. President and his agenda: it's about women's rights.
Peggy Morton, also at Saturday's event in Edmonton, has been a women's rights activist for five decades.
"When I started, it wasn't even recognized that the problem existed — and if it was, it was like our problem. It wasn't society's problems," Morton said. "The fact that women still face discrimination and oppression as women, especially working class women, that's recognized by everybody now."
Over the past year, there has been increased attention to the regularity with which women endure harassment and abuse. Actress Alyssa Milano asked women who had experienced abuse to hashtag #metoo on social media.
As that campaign gathered steam, the New York Times broke a story alleging film producer Harvey Weinstein had a history of assaulting young, vulnerable, up-and-coming women in the entertainment industry. Hollywood has now latched on to another movement: Time's Up.
"In the era of #metoo, we are seeing those brave individuals come forward and tell their story, and we want to amplify that," Poste said, noting the Women's March has evolved to encompass a myriad of issues, from gender-based violence to pay-equity.
"We want to go beyond the hashtag. We want to say the hashtag isn't enough," she said. "It's time to go into your respective communities and do the work every day to ensure that when you see something, you say 'that's not acceptable.'"
An increased awareness of gender inequality
Compared to last year's Women's March, Saturday's gathering drew a significantly smaller crowd. The first march was attended by about 4,000 people.
But Elaine Cardinal said the shrinking crowd isn't reflective of the change she has seen on a day-to-day basis.
"One of my biggest things that I've seen change are the men who are willing to stand out here, our brothers who stand out here with us and support us as women in all the things that need to change for women," Cardinal said.
Her friend, Wilma Ellenburgh, said in the past year, she has noticed people becoming more educated about gender inequality.
"This can't happen anymore. We can't take harassment any more," she said. "Our rights have to be given to us and we have to fight for them."
Both women said the trend of people standing up for women's rights needs to continue.
"I think we're trailblazers for the generations, and so I would love to see more young people," Neviadomy said. "More young voices. And that they have a space where they know that they're equal. That our young women know that they have rights. They're equal. They have an equal voice and they have something amazing to contribute."


I'll write about the Cubs again when the Cubs finally play baseball again, which allegedly is scheduled for tonight, just before midnight, I believe, because baseball hates you. I don't know if I have a full-blown case of Cubs fatigue before they've even played a postseason inning, but I think the only thing our massive, spectacular Cubs Sports section missed this morning was a retrospective on the Peanuts Lowery Era.
Please, geez, let's get Joe Maddon's World Series RV started. Vroom, vroom already. Hel-LO. And so, as we wait for Major League Baseball to blow a replay that costs the Cubs a game and sets up Madison Bumgarner to pitch the Giants into an NL Division Series lead, here's something nearly as stunning as a Cubs championship would be:
The NFL's ratings are dropping, which could mean the league will be forced to give back money to advertisers.
That's the way you get the attention of NFL owners and their sock puppet Roger Goodell: Take money out of their sometimes deceitful and regularly greedy hands.
The ratings had been dropping 10 percent or more from the start of the season, and while nobody could name with certainty one single reason, there has been a consensus of several explanations that have caused the often tone-deaf and always arrogant league to take on water.
The popular reasons include:
- An important presidential election like we’ve never seen. How it got to this point remains as inexplicable as Chip Kelly’s continued employment.
- Bad games all over the place. See what happens when you put the Bears in primetime twice? And how’d you like those 16 punts between the Cardinals and 49ers on Thursday night?
- Controversies finally impacting the once-Teflon league. The NFL might not care if a guy slugs a woman as long as he can play football, but its audience might, and there are a lot of women in the NFL’s audience, or at least there used to be.
- New technology and new habits. The number of cord cutters is growing, which means technology is changing the way more people are keeping track of games instead of making them appointment viewing.
- Colin Kaepernick’s silent protest. It has gained followers among players but perhaps offended viewers to the point that they’ve turned elsewhere.
I've heard other reasons, such as fewer good quarterbacks and the collective bargaining agreement that limits padded practices, thus adding to the dropping quality of play.
One thing I haven't heard, however, but one thing I believe is playing a part in the ratings falloff is a drop in youth football signups. It's on schedule, if you think about it, after the explosion of concussion news intrinsic to the brain-damaging game less than 10 years ago led to a 9.5 percent drop in Pop Warner signups from 2010 through 2012, according to an ESPN report.
In my view, parents have learned enough about chronic traumatic encephalopathy that they'll never let their kids near a helmet, no matter how laughable the safety claims.
Parents also have learned how much the league has lied about everything involving safety, and for starters, nobody who truly cares about player health schedules Thursday night games.
Parents surely have seen the many aging former NFL players who've lost their mental faculties and are seeing a growing number of young players quitting before they do, too.
Parents, I think, are wisely protecting their kids by sending them into some other sport.
I don't have data to back up the dots I've connected, but common sense tells me that fewer people playing the game in lower leagues is a logical connection to fewer eyeballs on games at the highest level. Those eyeballs --- whole families of eyeballs --- easily could be redirected to whatever new activity kids are playing.
If there's something to my theory, then the NFL is a two-time loser:
First, there are dropping ratings that reduce money, money, money for a cartel whose only goal is to own all the money, and second, there is the dwindling number of players willing to develop brain damage for a league that doesn't care about brain damage unless it costs money, money, money.
If the NFL's ratings in fact surge after the presidential election, then we'll have an answer. It was short-term. America was distracted. When's Lady Gaga's performance?
But if it turns out that the election didn't hijack the NFL's audience, then the NFL had better find some humility as a step toward finding answers, and it can start with ending the stupidity of Thursday night games to improve the quality of play and display some small spasm of concern for player safety.
Oh, and figure out what a catch is.


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Vetalogicas health care range is Australian made and owned, and all their products are scientifically formulated after years of research. With input from scientists, chemists, veterinarians, and flavour experts, and the use of natural ingredients, you can be sure youre giving your pet the best quality health care.
Vetalogica Hemp Clinicals Skin and Coat Dog Treats contain a unique formula designed to help maintain healthy skin and a shiny coat in dogs. With organic hemp, omega fatty acids and Vitamin E, these non-intoxicating treats can be used to promote a strong skin barrier and shiny coat. These delicious treats contain real Australian fish and sweet potato, and are completely free from grains, glutens, GMOs, or artificial colours and flavours.
Hemp is a rich source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and is a naturally occurring complete protein source. Hemp is also packed full of minerals, antioxidants and fibre. The hemp used in these treats is organic and 100% sourced in Australia.
- Australian made hemp dog treats
- Promote healthy skin and coat
- Organic hemp with omega fatty acids and Vitamin E
- Natural ingredients including Australian fish and sweet potato
- Crafted by pharmacists in Vetalogicas own Sydney facilities
- Natural and grain free with no artificial colours, flavours, gluten or GMOs
Australian Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas, Dextrose, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavour, Hemp Seed Powder, Ground Flaxseed, Sea Salt, Hemp Seed Oil, Turmeric, Kelp, Pumpkin, Coconut Oil, Kale, Blueberries, Sunflower Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Glycerine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Magnesium Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Oxide, Iodine, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols (a Natural preservative), Rosemary Extract.
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.

domain: pet


text:
- Category: Computer
- Author: Todd Moore
- Pages: 320 pages
Read and download free eBook intituled Tap, Move, Shake: Turing Your Game Ideas into iPhone and iPad Apps in format – 320 pages created by Todd Moore.
This book is A Hands-on Guide to Creating Multi-touch Games with iPad and iPhone.
Got a good game idea? Turn your concept into a hot game app for iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with this do-it-yourself guide. Tap, Move, Shake helps you build multitouch games that take full advantage of iOS 4, and shows you how to prepare your app for the App Store. Create your first game with just 20 lines of code, then learn how to add graphics, sound effects, and key game algorithms. This book helps you explore practical game examples for iOS devices.
Read and Download Links:

domain: library


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A fake Reliance Jio bill has surfaced on the web, which asks the customer named Mrs. Ayunuddin Mondal to pay Rs. 27,718. The render of the bill has sent shock waves among Reliance Jio users. However, the company sources have assured that the bill is indeed fake and bogus.
The bill has been reportedly circulating on social media despite the mobile service provider is offering free services under its Welcome Offer until December 31. However, you should buy the SIM card before December 3 to avail free services. There were reports that Reliance Jio is planning to extend the free Welcome Offer up to March 31.
— SANJAY BAFNA (@sanjaybafna) November 22, 2016
The fake bill was issued under the name of Mrs. Ayunuddin Mondal, who resides in Kolkata, West Bengal. The bill clearly displays November 20 as the last date of payment. If she fails to pay the amount, she will be charged an additional bill of Rs. 1100. Even though media attempted to reach out to the contact number on the bill, the handset has been switched off.
— NextinWeb (@nextinwebcom) November 25, 2016
Commenting on the development, a Reliance Jio spokesperson revealed to BGR that the bill in circulation is not a valid. He said that the company is providing services under Jio welcome offer. If you purchase the SIM before December 3, you will be eligible for free voice and data package till December 31, Reliance added.
After the emergence of the fake bill, several customers have been in touch with Reliance Jio to know about the actual state of affairs. However, the company officials have confirmed that the services will be available for free until December 31, 2016.
Meanwhile, other mobile service operators have complained to TRAI. The main point of providers like Airtel is that Reliance Jio has violated the 90-day limit by Reliance. Recently, TRAI gave a clean chit to Jio’s free voice calling facility and also asked them to end providing free SIM cards on December 3.
With Reliance Jio tipped to make a big announcement on December 28, it remains to be seen as to whether the Welcome Offer will be extended till March 31, 2017.


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How to Prepare Your Dog for Your Time Away
We have all witnessed the sad eyes, and all the other tell tale signs our dogs exhibit right before leaving to go away on a trip. Dogs can usually sense early on a change is about to happen – it might be the act of packing your bags, or they may be picking up on your own stress and anxiety you may be exhibiting.
You can’t change your travel plans, but you do have options, tools and methods you can use to ease the stress for both you and your pet. Here are some of those methods:
1. Visit Your Sitter Ahead of Time
- Begin your search for a boarding location or sitter as soon as possible in order to have time to check references and feel comfortable with your decision.
- Before leaving your pet with a boarder, kennel or sitter bring your pet to visit the location and people in order to acclimate your pet to the sights, smells and sounds of what will be there temporary home. This will give your pet a sense of security so when you drop them off for their stay they will feel more secure having been there before.
2. Avoid Long Goodbyes
- Don’t make a huge production or shower your dog with an abnormal amount of attention right before you leave. The more you act like it’s “business as usual” the less anxious your dog will become.
3. Exercise is Key
- Exercising your dog and expending some of his/her energy will do wonders for your his/her overall stress level. Try to take a walk, play fetch – anything to get your dog moving before you pack up. A tired dog does not have the energy to be stressed.
4. Calming Tools
- Consider trying some of the dog calming products on the market. Some dogs respond well to items such as a Thundershirt, or taking calming supplements. Always consult with your vet before giving your pet any new supplements.
If you would like to find out more about our boarding services we welcome you to come by to meet our staff and see the facility. You can also contact us. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.


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COCONUT GREEN CURRY LENTILS
Adapted from Pinch of Yum
These easy coconut green curry lentils are so delicious and so healthy! Loaded with spices, coconut milk, spinach, and lentils.
Total Time: 35 Minutes
- 1 cup uncooked lentils, rinsed
- 1/2 cup bulgur wheat
- 2 and a1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup green curry paste
- 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 and a 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons Sahara Foods crushed garlic
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon Sahara Foods crushed ginger
- 2 cups fresh spinach, stems removed
- Greek yogurt for topping
- Place lentils, bulgur, 2 cups water, curry paste, and turmeric in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are mostly cooked. Add the remaining 1/2 cup water during cook time if lentils and bulgur have absorbed all the water. You want to cook it until there is no liquid remaining. Turn the heat to medium or low, if it’s not already.
2. Keeping the saucepan on the heat, stir in the tomato paste. Mixture should thicken slightly. Add butter, garlic, and garam masala; stir to combine until butter is melted. Add coconut milk and simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until thick and creamy.
3. Remove from heat and stir in ginger and spinach until barely wilted. You can also serve this with fresh spinach, adding it just before serving.


text:
The lemon law or the “Song Beverly Consumer Warranty Act” was written to protect buyers of consumer goods from defective products. The most common products are new and used vehicles, but the law can also apply to motorcycles, motorhomes, trucks, boats and home appliances. If your vehicle or consumer good is defective, the law provides that the manufacturer must replace the defective product or refund the buyer’s money. Depending on your case, you may also recover civil penalties from the manufacturer. The law allows for you to recover attorney’s fees from the manufacturer, which means there is no charge to you.
The main objective of our lemon law attorneys is to assist individuals who have purchased or leased a defective vehicle or a consumer good. Our focus is to aggressively fight for each client to obtain refunds or replacements from the manufacturers. Our experienced attorneys will be there every step of the way, fight aggressively for you against manufacturers and dealerships, and ensure that you receive the justice you deserve. The lemon law requirements are very technical and an attorney is essential to protect your rights against large manufacturers.
Call now for a free consultation! We can start your case with no money down!

domain: law


text:
Brunei has postponed its implementation of harsh Islamic punishments, that have earned condemnation from the United Nations and sparked rare criticism at home.
No confirmed new date has been given for the start of the punishments which were due to come into force on Tuesday.
The punishments will eventually include flogging, the severing of limbs and death by stoning – but an official told the Brunei Times they would begin “in the very near future”.
The new criminal code brings in execution by stoning as the punishment for gay sex and adultery as well as rape.
It also introduces the death penalty for defamation of the Prophet Mohammed, blasphemy and declaring oneself a non-Muslim.
Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal is on a trip to Singapore, and it is thought that his government decided it could not introduce the new law without the Islamic monarch – the driving force behind the move – kicking it off.
Jauyah Zaini, assistant director of Brunei’s Islamic Legal Unit, was quoted by the Brunei Times as saying implementation had been delayed “due to unavoidable circumstances”. He did not elaborate nor give a new date.
Authorities in the oil-rich sultanate said a sharia “declaration ceremony” would go ahead as planned on April 30 to launch the first phase of the new penal code.
Sultan Hassanal – one of the world’s wealthiest men – had announced in October that new sharia law punishments would be phased in.
The UN’s human rights office criticised the raft of harsh new measures this month, saying it was “deeply concerned” about the revised criminal code.
The move also sparked an outcry earlier this year on social media — the only outlet for public criticism of authorities in Brunei, where questioning the 67-year-old sultan is taboo.
Non-Muslims have also expressed anxiety over mixed messages on whether the punishments would apply to them.
Situated on Borneo island, which it shares with Malaysia and Indonesia, Brunei practises a more conservative form of Islam than its Muslim-majority neighbours, banning the sale of alcohol and heavily restricting other religions.


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”. “Q-Bond” stands for ‘Quick Bonding’. Besides the liquid adhesive, there is a two-part system which utilizes the liquid glue combined with powders to create unique reinforcing and filling capabilities with which breaks, cracks, holes and gaps in plastics and metals can be repaired to regain their original shape. The repairs can then be grinded, filed, sanded and even painted! “Q-Bond” is a fantastic product with a wide variety of applications.
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Jim Rosh of Rosh Construction & Excavating shows how using LiquiTube as a preventative in every tire is a savvy investment.
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domain: chemistry


text:
GUESS has collaborated with Alibaba Group to bring artificial intelligence to the fashion world. The FashionAI concept store, embodying the technology and showcasing a new model for the digitisation of fashion retail, is open to the public on the Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus, from today to 7 July.
Garments and accessories featured in the concept store are provided by GUESS, a strategic partner of Alibaba on the FashionAI project.
Alibaba’s FashionAI system underpins the concept stores, featuring smart racks and smart mirrors. Garments and accessories touched or picked up by consumers will be automatically displayed on the RFID-enabled magic mirror nearby.
Then the smart mirror offers customers personalized mix-and-match clothing and accessory recommendations for customers from the GUESS line, as well as items sold by others on Tmall and Taobao, China’s biggest B2C and C2C platforms, respectively.
The store also offers a new fitting experience, where after consumers select any items on the smart mirror that they want to try out, the retail staff will be alerted by the in-store system and then prepare garments and accessories in the fitting area for consumers.
“With the latest AI technologies, like machine learning and computing vision, FashionAI can now recommend items that match your personal style. That gives imagination to consumers and injects new ideas into fashion brands and retailers to rethink their business and sales models. Leveraging AI in fashion, therefore, offers many untapped opportunities for fashion retailers.” Zhuoran Zhuang, Vice President, Alibaba Group, said.
Zhuang added, while retailers can only collect purchasing record in the past, FashionAI allows the brand to overlook the full picture of the customer journey. For instance, the frequency of being pick up for each particular piece of garment or accessory can be recorded.
Meanwhile, the purchase record in the offline store will be automatically reflected on consumers’ mobile Taobao or Tmall accounts, so consumers can find even more mix-and-match recommendations from other brands in Taobao and Tmall, expanding the recommendation capability beyond the limits of an offline store.
“GUESS and Alibaba share the same vision to understand customer behaviours through technologies. With GUESS’ retail expertise, we are able to train and refine our FashionAI system, and marry technology with fashion in a way that’s never been done before. We are looking forward to deepening our partnership to innovate personalized services offered in retail shops.” Zhuang said.
José Blanco, CEO of Greater China for GUESS said: “It is important that we continuously invest in new technology and platforms. This entire project came together in just five months, thanks to a strong partnership between our two companies. At GUESS, we believe in the need to innovate in real time. We plan to extend this project in the region as the future of retail.”
Blanco said GUESS is ready to launch FashionAI in GUESS physical store as soon as Alibaba grants green light, expecting within this year. A new GUESS store will be open in Nathan road soon, “It probably will be the first store to apply the AI technology,” Blanco said.
GUESS launched its store on Tmall at the end of 2013 and the brand has been one of the most popular brands in the fashion apparel category. GUESS’ store has achieved more than 100% growth over the last 3 consecutive years. GUESS collaborates with Alibaba closely in the New Retail concept since 2016 with the implementation of the O2O project in both online and offline stores.


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Eight days after a meeting on a potential free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union last month, two congressmen introduced a bill to influence the process and help prevent economic discrimination against Israel. Called the “U.S.-Israel Trade and Commercial Enhancement Act” the bill is an effort to counter the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions Movement (BDS), which is lamentably popular in Europe.
The bill’s primary sponsors, Illinois’s Peter Roskam, a Republican, and California’s Juan Vargas, a Democrat, proposed the legislation as a “targeted approach” to counter BDS activity where most of it occurs – the EU. So far, 24 congressmen have co-sponsored the legislation.
After having conversations with Israeli companies and business leaders, Roskam became concerned that BDS activity could seriously affect Israel’s economy. As such, the bill would require the president to submit a report to Congress within six months after enactment, and annually thereafter. The report would require the administration to present “specific steps being taken by the United States to encourage foreign countries and international organizations to cease creating such barriers and to dismantle measures already in place.” According to Roskam’s office, as per congressionally mandated reporting requirements, it would be at the discretion of the administration to determine what constitutes companies being encouraged to join the boycott. Any boycott activity by an EU company that is part of the US stock exchanges would have to be reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
If the bill passes, some expect it to exacerbate trade tensions between the U.S. and EU -- which is sort of its point. Larry Solomon, a Financial Post columnist, said in an email, “This bill is making the anti-Israel crowd apoplectic and for good reason -- it will help expose their funding. Although the BDS movement portrays itself as grass-roots, in fact it is largely funded by EU institutions. If this bill passes and succeeds in erecting a wall between EU funding institutions and the BDS NGOs, the BDS movement would soon be starved of funds and dissipate.”
The BDS movement does not only affect the geopolitical arena, it’s also the source of battles fought daily on college campuses across America. Daniel Mael, a Brandeis University student and pro-Israel activist, said in an email, "As thousands of college students battle BDS on college campuses it [is] reassuring to see members of Congress make a similar effort. One must recognize that everyone wins if the BDS movement is thwarted… The goal in the long-run should be to not only outlast BDS, but to continue to promote Israel's case in an unwavering fashion despite the legions of activists seeking its ultimate destruction.”
Adam Reuter, the chairman of two Israeli financial companies, says, “It is especially important that the U.S. will help us versus European institutions … some of them are threatening us with all kinds of academic and economic boycotts. These kind of intentions are definitely hurting relationships between Israel and Europe.” According to Reuter, the continued existence of BDS in the EU is the fault of European institutions, not just anti-Israel agitators. Reuter also observes that Israel imports more from Europe than it exports to the continent.
Though known as an economic protest, BDS also has psychological propaganda. Human Rights attorney and Lawfare Project director Brooke Goldstein said BDS is a “modern form of Jew-hatred and should be addressed by legislation,” though the next step would be to concentrate on domestic boycotts of Israel. Pro-Israel activist Chloe Valdary said that, as of today “BDS is much more of an ideological, symbolic weapon than an economic one… Such weapons have the potential to affect public policy if anti-Israel sentiment becomes trendy and acceptable in the popular sphere. If it does, the voting public can put pressure on lawmakers to actualize a symbolic sanction of Israel via legislation.”
In this economic and psychological battle, this bill has the potential to better impact trade relations between the U.S. and the EU.
Jackson Richman is an intern at The Weekly Standard.
Former Texas governor Rick Perry is taking on Russian president Vladimir Putin. The possible presidential candidate says that the "peace and security of the world" depends on how America deals with Russia.
Here's what Perry recommends doing to counter Putin's recent aggression:
Vice President Biden spent about a day and a half in Belgium in early February to meet with various European leaders, but his entourage, security team and other delegation members required up to 209 rooms for up to three weeks surrounding the visit.
Vice President Joe Biden is in Europe today where how spoke out against Vladimir Putin's aggression toward Ukraine.
"Ukraine is fighting for its very survival right now. Russia continues to escalate the conflict by sending mercenaries and tanks and as we euphemistically say in the United States, Little Green Men, without patches in, and very sophisticated special operation soldiers," Biden said at the European Council building in Brussels.
In Athens in mid-January, two weeks before the election that would make 40-year-old engineer Alexis Tsipras Greece’s new prime minister, a bunch of cleaning ladies explained to me why they planned to vote for his party, the Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza, for its Greek acronym). We met where they had lived, at least part of the time, for the past 16 months: among tents on the sidewalk in front of the economics ministry in downtown Athens.
The European Parliament has called for the dismemberment of Google, the French want “les Gafa,” as they call Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon, reined in, EU regulators are under pressure to get tough with the Americans. And the leaders of Silicon Valley’s non-tax-paying, privacy-invading, dominant tech firms, to use EU descriptives, are surprised. They shouldn’t be.
Only 12 years ago, the Republic of Turkey was correctly seen as the model of a pro-Western Muslim state, and a bridge between Europe and the Middle East. A strong military bond with the Pentagon undergirded broader economic and cultural ties with Americans. And then, starting with the 2002 elections that brought the Justice and Development party (AKP) and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, first as prime minister and now as president, to power, Turkey dramatically changed course.
When it comes to military actions, President Obama likes to declare the end of wars, regardless of whether America’s opponents agree that is the case. When it comes to economic wars, he has no need to declare an end, no need for unilateral disarmament, because he never engages in the first place. Indeed, he does all he can to make our adversaries’ task easier by spiking any guns we might have before they can be fired by Congress, his trade union friends, or other aggrieved parties.
In the late 17th century, times were tough in Scotland. The Stuarts, the Scots’ royal family, had been tossed off the throne of England for a second time, and the country had been excluded from the burgeoning English system of international trade regulated by the Navigation Acts. Even the climate was more miserable than usual: these were the worst years of northern Europe’s “little ice age.”
This week’s referendum on Scottish independence may seem like an obscure, perhaps even Ruritanian quarrel to many Americans, but it has profound implications not just for the U.K. and Europe but also for the United States.
Vladimir Putin’s efforts to establish hegemony over Ukraine may now have reached a decisive point both for the balance of power in Central and Eastern Europe and for the NATO alliance. Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko warned on August 30 that Russia’s invasion of his country and extensive aid to pro-Moscow separatists could soon “reach the point of no return,” becoming a generalized conflict. German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that “the situation is increasingly getting out of control.”
In my quest to write an article about my family vacation to Turkey and thereby write off part of the cost, I came up with an observation I deemed worthy of David Brooks or Malcolm Gladwell. It turned out to be dead wrong.

domain: politics


[ejabberd] strange stanza size problem w/ "max_stanza_size, infinity"
gabriel.rossetti at arimaz.com
Tue Jul 21 11:17:16 MSD 2009
I have a strange problem w/ transfering large msgs w/ ejabberd. I set
"max_stanza_size, infinity", and it works great locally (same network)
on my test server, but if I try the same thing with a remote server,
exact same config file, same ejabberd version (2.0.5-1.1), same OS
(linux), same OS version (ubuntu 8.04), any msgs longer than 10779
characters get my client disconnected. Is there some sort of implicit
size limit applied to clients when these are not on the same network
(e.g. connected over the internet)?
More information about the ejabberd


The Goldman Sachs technology M&A team, led by Sam Britton, has cashed in on its software focus and decades of experience to dominate 2019's biggest deals.Technologyread more
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Investors will continue to demand a risk premium on the U.S. dollar heading into 2014, though some remain optimistic that Washington may reach a lasting solution to the debt impasse early next year, restoring some confidence to the battered greenback.
This month's bruising political standoff over the U.S. budget combined with the acrimonious debate over extending the U.S. government's $16.7 trillion debt limit shut down non-essential government services and hit growth expectations for this quarter.
(Read more: Dollar braces for dovish Fed, gloomy US data)
Those heightened perceptions of sovereign risk, which tarnished the dollar's reputation as the world's reserve currency and boosted the appeal of the , Australian dollar and the once-ailing euro, said Sean Callow, Senior Currency Strategist, Westpac Bank.
And while U.S. political tail risks haven't "undermined the dominance of the dollar completely, it has still encouraged diversification into other currencies such as [the euro]," said Kathy Lien, managing director at BK Asset Management.
Although recent European economic data including Germany's IFO business morale index printed below forecasts, the single European currency only fell modestly from two-year highs of $1.3833, suggesting investors still favor the euro over the dollar, Lien said.
Still, the dollar index staged a mini-recovery early Wednesday in Asia, trading at one-week highs after breaching 79.00 on Friday to sink to a nine-month low. The dollar may continue to mend if the political environment in the U.S. is more constructive heading into 2014, said Mirza Baig, head of currency and interest-rate strategy in Singapore at BNP Paribas.
"The debt ceiling fiasco was a major blow to U.S. standing in the world, and raised new questions about the dollar's reserve currency status, " Baig said.
(Read more: Shutdown's aftermath continues to jolt dollar)
"However, I think the Republican Party must have learnt that there is little to be gained from further grandstanding on this issue. As such, we may get a lasting solution to the U.S. debt ceiling issue in February, which should help restore some prestige for the USD."
Though U.S. Democrats and Republicans reached an 11th-hour agreement to break the fiscal impasse, the deal only funds the government until Jan. 15 and raises the borrowing limit through to Feb. 7, setting the stage for possibly another showdown and possibly more turmoil for the U.S. currency.
Against such an uncertain background, "some investors are clearly thinking about whether the dollar needs a political risk premium attached to it," said Jens Nordvig, Global Head of G10 FX Strategy at Nomura.
(Read more: Taper talk sets tone for down and out dollar)
Officials "from the Eurozone to China…have expressed concern about the special status of U.S. securities and the need to revise current structures," Nordvig said in a research report earlier this month. "This calls into question the reserve currency status of USD, even if it is hard to find a good alternative in the short term."
— By CNBC's Sri Jegarajah. Follow him on Twitter:


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11 Days in Western Australia – Itinerary v3
With the two more challenging accommodation places in Margaret River and Pemberton chosen and booked, things were a bit more clear now – how far/near the stays were to places of interest, logistics, any activities that were part of the stays themselves etc. I could now also take a more informed look back at the rest of the itinerary written up in December last year to see what was and wasn’t going to work.
There were a couple of key changes to the base itinerary against the late December version, and still keeping in mind the things that our two kids would especially enjoy:
Dropped: Dolphin/Penguin/Sea Lion cruise @ Rockingham. I read that mid-June is the nesting season for the resident penguins on Penguin Island, and our projected visitation date would be just when this season begins. The couple of operators I checked all had blacked-out periods mid-June onwards. Hannah is going to be really disappointed. With the cruise dropped though, we had an extra half-day to play around with now. The Donnelly River Cruise @ Pemberton was also dropped, on account that I wasn’t sure how the two kids were going to like a cruise in cold Winter! Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse also went, as we’d be already visiting the relatively more impressive Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. Lastly, the Dolphin Discover Center @ Bunbury was removed as we we would have needed more time to do the really fun activities – time we would not be able to spare as Bunbury was a stopover.
Amended: Moved our Fremantle segment from almost the last day all the way front, and in so doing created a free full-day to spend in Perth – hooray!
Added: Added Lake Cave (which many visitors rate as the best of the four caves in the region), Millers Ice Cream and Rotary Park and Trail @ Margaret River which many visitors rate as the best of the four caves in the region, and a short visit to Bunbury Wildlife Park while on our way back to Perth. Thanks to the full-day in Perth we’ve got now, considering adding Caversham Wildlife Park (very pricey as it is though) and if so, the Whiteman Park that’s just next door.
Here’s what the itinerary looks like now:
In all likelihood, more changes to come soon though. We still have pockets of free-time in Pemberton and Margaret River. Moreover, once we’ve determined our places of stay over the three nights in Perth city itself, I reckon we’ll scout around for things to do around those places!
11 Days in Western Australia – Accommodation Arrangements
After some back and forth about when our travel windows for the upcoming June school holiday period would be, we managed to find a two week window where the both of us would be able to responsibly take time off work. And within this, we decided on an 11 day travel period, that we’d head to Perth and Western Australia, and went about finding appropriate airfares to and back.
There are several airlines that fly between Singapore and Perth directly and even more if you don’t mind flights with stopovers – though most of these stopover flights will see you first flying north further away from Perth before turning around and flying in the right direction LOL. As for direct flights, and as we wanted to maximize our length of stay:
Scoot: inconvenient arrival time in Perth (early night), great departure time (late afternoon)
Jetstar: good arrival time (early morning), good departure time (late night)
Emirates/Qantas: inconvenient arrival time (late night – almost midnight), OK departure time (late morning); pricey
Singapore Airlines: good arrival time (early morning), inconvenient departure time (midnight); pricey
So, on balance, Jetstar seemed the best bet. So, after flight booking was done, we immediately went about working out the two more tricky accommodations: farmstays in Margaret River as there are just a few of these in the region, and thereafter, our Pemberton stay – since there are very few properties there too.
For Margaret River farmstays, we were looking at two options:
Margaret River Hideaway & Farmstay: short 5KM drive away from the township, fairly modern, 57 acres farm = ample space for the kids to run around, possible discounts for a Whale Watching trip that we’re also planning for.
Sunflowers Animal Farm: convenient location too, pony rides, a lot of animals – though like the above, also not a working farm. Unfortunately, fully-booked for our period of stay.
So, it was choice #1. Its cottages were not available anymore over our 5D4N period, so we had to settle for studios instead. Still – I’m glad that we were able to find a farmstay to begin with! It was also encouraging to read one blogger’s post and also the property’s Tripadvisor reviews who praised the general cleanliness and hosts’ hospitality – and unusual to see a property reply to every review not using stocked replies even.
Pemberton: there’s a small number of motels and Bed & Breakfasts in this small town. Unlike the Margaret River accommodation though, our current itinerary over the 4D3N here involved very little of Pemberton itself. Rather, we would be using it as a central location to get to the more interesting places around it. I’d previously stayed at Karri Valley Resort back in 2003’s trip. It was a pretty decent place back then, helped by the lake that it sits beside, though the more recent views also seemed a bit more mixed than before.
Still, we were able to book a two bedroom chalet at the Forest Lodge Resort. The property looks lovely with its small lake, beautiful gardens, and visitors have shared on Tripadvisor about the countryside feel about the place. With any luck, we’d might like the place so much we’d just end up staying in the chalet and not venturing out LOL.
More posts in the coming weeks!
Vacation, June 2017 – Perth (?) v2
We had plenty of discussion time over the long new year holiday weekend, and have revised our Perth itinerary quite substantially. The first version of the proposed 11D10N trip would have seen us driving a fair bit as soon as we land – about 4 hrs and 281KM. Since there was a good chance we’d be having a red-eye flight, Ling was worried that we’d be too zonked out as soon we’d land – especially if Peter decides to keep us awake by not sleeping on the plane! The other consideration was that the itinerary required us to be perpetually on the road most days, requiring changes of our stays almost every night. Moreover, as we were reluctant to drive in the evening, our foray north of Perth also did not seem that worth while after all. We’d only have just two days left in our stay, and can only travel as far as Cervantes – about 200KM north of Perth, and the more interesting bits of Western Australia seemed to be well beyond that.
So, we reworked out Perth itinerary to:
Stay in Perth for the first evening and only drive out after a good night’s sleep
Reduce the number of times we’ll have to change our accommodations
Increase the duration of our Farmstay
The itinerary is now much slower-paced and spread-out, and here’s what it looks like (itinerary below is clickable to a larger version).
This updated Perth itinerary looks pretty much set – if we do decide to go with this region come June! As an alternate, here’s the Sydney equivalent that I’ve started scratching out:
Day 1: Sydney to Katoomba (Blue Mountains).
Days 2 to 3: Katoomba
Day 4: Katoomba to Farmstay
Days 5 to 6: Farmstay
Day 7: Farmstay to Sydney
Days 8 to 11: Sydney
The above outlay is rather unusual, since most visitors to Sydney typically just do a day trip to the Blue Mountains to see the sights there rather than plan to spend 4 days. We figured we’d really just take our time in the area to soak in the sights, enjoy the mountain air, and just chill.:)
Vacation, June 2017 – Perth (?)
There’s a popular quip among some Singaporeans here that there’s only one reason why we toil at work: and it is to pay for our twice a year vacations in June and December. And our planning for a new holiday spot begins as soon as we’re done withe the last one! So – my last post of 2016 centers on possibilities for our travel spot in June 2017.
The planning for our Melbourne trip in June this year took just over a week to nail down most bookings and itinerary items – and it wasn’t a particularly complex trip to plan for, since we stuck to the city for half the time, and all outbound trips were taken care of by day tours. Since we’ve started planning much earlier for the June 2017 trip, we figured we’d reduce as far as possible our day tours (and save a lot of money) and get to as many places as possible on our own, and with two young kids in tow too.
The first itinerary we’ve written up is for a 11D10N day trip to Western Australia, self-drive and will see three main segments: Perth itself, down south to Margaret River/Permberton/Walpole, and finally up north of Perth to Lancelin, and the total driving distance should be a pretty manageable 1,600KM in all. Ling has been to Perth twice now – both times to visit me during our dating days haha – while I also visited the Margaret River region with family 13 years ago too. But as these things go and for this period of years, family vacations are really more for the kids than for the parents. The map is embedded below, with pins to indicate the places we’re looking at:
And a brief summary of what this 11 day itinerary looks like at the moment:
Day 1: Perth to Busselton (Busselton Jetty and Observatory). Busselton to Margaret River
Day 2: Margaret River to Augusta (Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, Whale Watching, Boranup Karri Forest, Jewel Cave). Augusta to Pemberton
Day 3: Pemberton (Gloucester National Park, The Cascades, Pemberton Tramway, Beedelup National Park). Pemberton to Walpole
Day 4: Walpole (Valley of the Giants, Treetop Walk, Giant Tingle Tree). Walpole back to Margaret River/Pembelton
Day 5: Margaret River/Pemberton Farmstay
Day 6: Margaret River/Pemberton to Busselton (Choc Factory, Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, Ngilgi Caves). Busselton to Bunbury (Dolphin Discovery Center). Bunbury to Perth
Day 7: Perth to Rockingham (Penguin Island). Rockingham to Fremantle (Fremantle Market). Fremantle to Perth
Day 8: Perth to Yanchep (Caversham Wildlife Park, Yanchep National Park). Yanchep to Cervantes (Pinnacles Desert)
Day 9: Cervantes (Nambung National Park). Cervantes to Lancelin (Lancelin Sand Dunes). Lancelin to Perth.
Days 10-11: Perth
This version of the itinerary will have us staying at six/seven properties:
Margaret River (1 night)
Pemberton (1 night)
Walpole (1 night)
Margaret River/Pemberton Farmstay (2 nights)
Perth (2 nights + 2 nights)
Cervantes (1 night)
The main considerations and parameters for this itinerary were:
That we’d drive and get from point to point only when there’s daylight, short as it will be since it’ll be winter.
The farmstay will be a key highlight for the kids, but there are only about six farmstays in our consideration and they tend to get booked fast. So the itinerary has to plan around that stay.
Depending if I can take additional days how for this vacation stretch, we might get real ambitious and go beyond Walpole and to Albany, though the sights there are more coastal than of national parks.
Well, that’s one itinerary. Along the way we’ll work out alternate itineraries to different cities/countries, so more to come soon.:)


The news that Steve Stone is leaving the Cubs' broadcast booth just ruined my day. It's a huge mistake for Tribune Co. not to bring him and Chip Caray back.
Stone is someone whom Cubs fans feel close to. We appreciate his honesty. Does Kent Mercker really think fans are going to take his side? The spoiled guys on the Cubs can be thanked for running off the two people with whom Cubs fans really identified. I promise the Cubs will lose fans because of this. If they're a first-class organization, it's time they started to act like it.


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Diana Reid’s debut novel Love & Virtue won the ABIA Book of the Year Award, the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year Award, the ABA Booksellers' Choice Fiction Book of the Year Award, and the MUD Literary Prize.
Now, she's followed it up with a hot new summer book, Seeing Other People, one of the most anticipated books of the year.
"...charming, insightful…and immensely readable novel that explores the bonds of family, friendship and principle."– Books+Publishing
Join Reid in conversation with former artistic director of Sydney Writers’ Festival, Jemma Birrell, for what is sure to be a highlight Roaring Stories Bookshop event.
You'll be able to buy both of Reid's books and have them signed by her following the discussion.
The event is at White Bay Beer Co. – settle in and grab a drink before or after, with an incredible range of locally brewed beers and other beverages to enjoy. There’ll be plenty of delicious food available too thanks to special event caterer Agape Organic, so why not make a full evening of it and come for dinner too?
If you miss out on a ticket, you can still watch the event as it is livestreamed from the Roaring Stories Facebook page (accessible on the Home page and from the Live tab). A recording will also be available to view later as an upload on the Roaring Stories YouTube channel.