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During the weekend of May 17-18, some of Las Vegas' leading lights will be turning up the city's already dazzling star wattage to make life a bit brighter for those in need. A star-studded collection of public figures, philanthropists, entertainers, and television and movie stars are coming together in a constellation of compassion to raise funds for American Humane Association, the country's first national humane organization, local animal rescue efforts, and wounded warriors who need the healing care of a therapy dog.
On Friday, May 17 the "Lights of Compassion" weekend will kick off with an Afternoon Tea and Fashion Show at Bellagio to demonstrate that compassion is always in fashion. Guests will be treated to a fabulous lineup of adult, child and even animal models showing off Elie Tahari and Fifi and Romeo creations during an elegant afternoon showcasing the talents of Las Vegas "Headliner of the Year" Frankie Moreno, star of "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" Lisa Vanderpump with her dog Giggy, and two-time Oscar-nominated singer/songwriter Carol Connors. Paul Mitchell The School – Las Vegas will be donating hair and makeup services for talent.
On Saturday, May 18 Bruce and Barbara Lee Woollen will host a Great Gatsby-themed gala at their Anthem Country Club estate in Henderson. The evening will feature elegantly clad ladies and tuxedoed gentlemen, classic cars provided by Jim and Beverly Rogers' Sunbelt Classic and Antique Automobile Museum, exquisite jewelry from the Hollywood Collection of Kazanjian of Beverly Hills, entertainment by Frankie Moreno, renowned concert pianist Lola Astanova and classical guitarist Eric Castro, a live and silent auction, and lively emceeing by NBC-TV anchors Jim Snyder and Jessica Moore. A roster of VIPs will be honored, including U.S. Congressman Joe Heck, who has been active in veterans' affairs, Wayne Newton, Lisa Vanderpump, Mrs. Howard Hughes (actress Terry Moore), and Christine Robinson CEO of Las Vegas' The Animal Foundation.
Proceeds from both events will establish a disaster preparedness program for the rescue of animals in Nevada and American Humane Association's Wags4Warriors program benefitting our military veterans through the healing power of animal-assisted therapy.
Tickets for the May 17 Afternoon Tea and Fashion Show are $150 each. Individual tickets for the Gatsby Gala are $350. Sponsorships with VIP seating and features in the program, as well as program advertising are available. Tickets and sponsorships are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.
For tickets or more information, please call 866-242-1877 or email [email protected] .
American Humane Association President and CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert said, "We are immensely grateful to Bruce and Barbara Lee Woollen, Congressman Heck and his lovely wife Lisa, Jim Snyder and Jessica Moore, Frankie Moreno, Lisa Vanderpump, Terry Moore, Carol Connors, and the many talented stars who are coming together to raise funds to brighten the lives of those in the greatest need. Thank you!"
Dinner Chair Barbara Lee Woollen said, "Each year, American Humane Association works to protect more than 400 million children and animals, and helps our nation's military families cope with the impact of service. We cannot think of a more worthy cause to support and ask for our friends and the entire Las Vegas community to support their work here in Nevada, across the country, and around the world. You'll be supporting an important cause while enjoying a wonderful evening."


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The Fanhouse has our favorite story of the day: Former Chiefs running back/bulldozer Christian Okoye is appearing on a CBS reality show called "Pirate Master." (We didn't know "master" was a rank of pirate, but whatever.) Here's the synopsis:
On "Pirate Master," 16 contestants will live aboard a 179-foot, square-rigged barque. Over the course of 33 days, they'll live as buccaneers, traveling around a Caribbean island in search of a treasure totaling $1 million. Each episode will find the contestants gathering at Pirate's Court, overseen by host Cameron Daddo, where they'll state their case and somebody will be cut adrift.
It is encouraging to know that someone out there remembers Okoye as fondly as we do. It is also encouraging to know that that someone would like to see him dressed up in an eyepatch and saying the word "scurvy." Our fingers are crossed that he has a parrot.
Arrrrrrgghh Ya Wonderin' About Christian Okoye? [The Fanhouse]

subset: commoncrawl


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text: LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Insurance firms posted sharp losses in London on Wednesday after U.K. finance minister George Osborne announced plans to scrap a rule that requires pension funds to be used to buy annuities. Shares of Resolution Ltd. uk:rsl slid 14%, Legal & General Group PLC LGEN, +2.47% slumped 13%, Aviva PLC AV, +0.21% dropped 7.4% and Standard Life PLC uk:sl gave up 2.9%. Presenting his annual budget at the House of Commons, Osborne said that no one will have to buy annuities anymore, but will instead be able to get advice on how to make the most of their pension savings. Anyone who wishes to continue buy annuities will be able to shop around for the best deal. "Pensioners will have complete freedom to draw down as much or as little of their pension pot as they want, any time they want," he said in his budget speech. Annuities are the lifeblood for some insurance companies, so the new rule will have future implications for U.K. insurers, Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown said.


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Mayer Receives Distinguished Service Award
By Marcia Goodrich | Published
Faced with two extraordinary candidates, the University has selected two faculty members for the Distinguished Service Award. Professor Alex Mayer, who has a primary appointment in civil and environmental engineering and a secondary appointment in geological and mining engineering and sciences, receives the 2009 award. Janice Glime, professor emeritus of biological sciences, was honored for 2008, since no Distinguished Service Award was given last year. Each will receive a $2,500 prize.
Mayer was cited for forging collaborations that cross disciplinary boundaries, particularly in his quest to enhance teaching and research and to expand awareness of water-related issues.
"Because of Alex, the importance of water quality and quantity issues is apparent to hundreds of students, faculty and staff at Michigan Tech," wrote Kathleen Halvorsen, associate professor of social sciences, in nominating Mayer.
His projects range from a study of the local Huron Creek watershed to a $1 million National Science Foundation study of water as a material in the Great Lakes region. His international outreach has extended to Mexico, Cuba and Vietnam, and he has brought more Latino, Native American and female students to campus by appealing to their interest in water resources. One of his graduate students was chosen by the US State Department to meet with then-President George W. Bush because of his and Mayer's extraordinary efforts to solve water problems in northern Mexico.
"He is truly dedicated to raising awareness about problems of water quality and quantity in several regions throughout the world," wrote Agustin Robles Morua, a PhD student who came to Michigan Tech after graduating from the University of Sonora in Mexico. He credited Mayer for securing funding that allowed him to pursue a graduate degree here.
Hugh Gorman, an associate professor of environmental history and policy, called Mayer "the person most directly responsible for raising awareness of the Huron Creek watershed in the community and on campus. In the process, he has successfully mobilized all segments of the community . . . Many more people, including myself, now recognize the importance of preparing a plan that allows for development without wrecking the basic integrity of the stream."
"Furthermore, he has proceeded in a truly interdisciplinary way," Gorman said, in nominating Mayer.
David Watkins, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, also recognized Mayer's interdisciplinary efforts. "As founding director of the Center for Water and Society, Alex has successfully brought together students and faculty, including myself, from several diverse units to address complex water resources problems," he said.
Mayer said it's essential to involve people from other fields in water-quality work. "I learned in Mexico that the technical part is easy," he said. More than developing an engineering solution to a problem, it's important to understand what people want and what laws and rules govern what they do. "You can build a wonderful sewage treatment plant," he said, "but if the community's priorities are elsewhere, it won't be maintained."
Building those interdisciplinary coalitions can be challenging. "Pushing disciplines together is really hard," Mayer said. "You have to work to encourage people to respect each other."
In addition, collaborative work is not always fully recognized in the tenure and promotion process. "Doing interdisciplinary work is risky, but in talking with my colleagues at other universities, Michigan Tech has far fewer barriers," he said.
As for receiving the Distinguished Service Award, Mayer says, "It's embarrassing, especially because I see colleagues who work their butts off. But it's nice to have the recognition, to know that doing things differently, coloring outside the lines, is being recognized at Michigan Tech."
Michigan Technological University is a public research university, home to more than 7,000 students from 54 countries. Founded in 1885, the University offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and social sciences. Our campus in Michigan's Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.


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TELL CITY – The annual Evangelical United Church of Christ bazaar will be held from 7 to 10 a.m. Oct. 1 in fellowship hall.
The bazaar will be an old-fashioned breakfast with homemade biscuits and sausage gravy, German fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, toast, sausage patties, coffee and orange juice available.
There will also be a country store featuring homemade baked items, candy, canned fruit and vegetables, relish, jellies, pickles and craft items.
The public is invited to attend.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Perry County News, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
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Volunteering with the Washington Youth Garden is a rewarding experience. You don't need to have experience, but you must be willing to make friends with the soil and the bugs! Our volunteers strive to work in the garden 3 hours/week on various organic gardening tasks, such as weeding, planting, pruning, mulching, and pest control. All interested individuals are required to complete a Washington Youth Garden orientation before volunteering.
Volunteer Days and Times:
- Every Saturday April-October, 9AM-noon
- Every Tuesday March-November, 9AM-noon
- Orientations are the first Saturday of the month, April-October
Please contact the Garden Coordinator at firstname.lastname@example.com with the Subject:Volunteering with The Washington Youth Garden to sign up for an orientation and start!


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Monthly Archives: March 2014
REVIEW: "No No: A Dockumentary"
The tale is well known. In 1970, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis threw a no hitter against the San Diego Padres while under the influence of LSD. It's the stuff of legend for baseball aficionados and psychedelic adventurers alike, but both groups want to know the answer to same question: How in the hell could someone pitch a no-no while tripping on acid?
Ellis' career and life were more than just one great performance under the most bizarre of circumstances, however, and "No No: A Dockumentary" explores the man he was on and off the field. The documentary premiered Saturday at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas as part of the annual event's new "South By Sports" effort.
The no hitter is the central event around which "No No" revolves, but it is far from the only focus of the film. I count myself among probably many who didn't know much more about Ellis than the acid event, but he was a lot more than that and "No No" does a great job of telling the whole story of the man.
Ellis was a fairly polarizing figure in his day, and his day was a fairly turbulent time in history. In "No No" I learned about his baseball career, his civil rights activism, his flamboyant personality, and his substance and physical abuse problems. I also learned about how Ellis was able to right the ship and use his experiences to mentor troubled and at-risk youth long after his Major League Baseball days were over. He was far from a perfect man, but Ellis managed to overcome his faults and accomplish a lot of good before his death in 2008 from a liver ailment. The film covers his ups and downs and features interviews from teammates, family members, and close friends. Footage of Ellis himself is from before filming for this movie began, but its inclusion punctuates the story perfectly.
"No No: A Dockumentary" is an incredible film that would be really hard to improve upon. It is laughs, it is tears, it is a redemption story, it is a baseball story. And if you enjoy any of the aforementioned even a little bit, it is a can't miss. "No No: A Dockumentary" is one of the best baseball documentaries I've ever seen, and the long, sustained applause from the audience at its conclusion tells me I'm not alone in that assessment. Seriously, when it comes out, see it.


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Nation & World
Mexican colleges look to expand in U.S. to serve immigrants
In an ethnically themed shopping center called Plaza Mexico just south of Los Angeles, a public university from the Mexican state of Colima has planted its flag.
Alongside the shopping center's stores and taquerias, the University of Colima offers mostly remedial education in reading, writing and math to about 100 Mexican immigrants. But a handful of students here are preparing to take their final exams for Mexican degrees, just one of several recent efforts by Mexican universities to branch into providing full-fledged university educations in the United States.
"It's important for at least one university to pursue this," said Ana Uribe, a University of Colima professor who runs the Lynwood branch.
In fact, several Mexican universities are considering stepping in to offer accredited university classes in California and other states primarily to serve an immigrant population that lags far behind others in college education.
California, where public universities have been dealing with deep budget cuts and enrollment limits, probably will be the principal target of Mexican universities. There's a huge market in the state, where Latinos account for more than 52 percent of public school students who'll eventually be college-aged. A quarter of elementary-school students nationwide are Hispanic, the Pew Research Center reports.
Conversations between Mexican and U.S. universities have increased to the point that U.S. accreditors, knowing they'll be asked to evaluate more Mexican schools soon, are working with their Mexican counterparts to find out more about higher education south of the border, said William Plater, who advises the Western Association of Schools and Colleges – the primary accreditor in the Western United States – on international affairs.
"We think it's in our best interest to learn more about quality assurance," he said.
The days of Mexican campuses in the United States are just around the corner, some said.
"I don't think it will be five, 10, 20 years" before Mexican universities build U.S. campuses, said Jonathan Brown, a higher-education consultant who's working with Mexico's Center for Higher and Technical Education as it decides whether to expand to Sacramento. "I think it will be sooner. In the next few years, we're going to be 2 million degrees short of what California needs. Who wouldn't want to go to a first-rate (Mexican) university close to home?"
Nearly 34 million people in the United States identify themselves as Mexican or of Mexican origin, but only 5 out of every 100 have university degrees, compared with about a third of immigrants in general, according to the Migration Policy Institute. About 35 percent of native-born citizens do.
In California, only 10 percent of Hispanic immigrants ages 25 and 26 have completed at least two-year degrees, compared with the state average of 36 percent, according to a report to be released soon by the institute. Latino youth – both immigrants and those born in the United States – have the lowest rate of college attainment in California, researchers found.
Even Hispanics who do enroll in American colleges and universities are 50 percent less likely than non-Hispanics are to earn bachelor's degrees by age 24, Pew reports.
Many U.S. universities, coping with competing demands for stretched resources, have been struggling to provide the kinds of support that could increase the number of Mexican-Americans who graduate. In a survey released in January by Hart Research Associates, 40 percent of Hispanics said the American higher education system was meeting their needs only somewhat well or not well at all. Many Hispanic students are the first in their families to go to college, come from high schools in low-income areas that don't necessarily prepare them well for advanced course work and are disproportionately reluctant to borrow money to pay tuition.
Some Mexican universities and their advocates see an opening. Though most of the half-dozen or so schools with U.S. centers now offer little more than English, Spanish and cultural classes, they're eyeing greater prominence north of the border and higher-level programs.The University of Guadalajara, for example, has set its sights on educating the millions of Californians who are from its home state of Jalisco. The university already offers a joint nursing degree in Los Angeles, but the partnership will end in October, and the school is studying whether to offer independent degrees in several subjects.
Educational barriers such as cost and language have made life in the United States difficult for many Jalisco natives, said Guillermo Arturo Gomez Mata, who directs the university's foundation and is helping to guide its future in Los Angeles. He said there was no timeline for when a decision about that would be made.
"We feel morally obliged to help them with their academic profiles," said Mata, adding that the school also is exploring U.S. accreditation. "We are walking in the right direction, but we also know we have more work."
He and other advocates are talking about legal immigrants. But Mexican universities also might appeal to some of the approximately 6 million Mexican immigrants who are in the United States illegally and their children, many of whom are unable to afford American schools because of laws in most states banning them from receiving government financial aid.
"Is there a need? Yes," said Fernando Leon Garcia, the president of the Center for Higher and Technical Education, which has taken its first steps toward a campus or center near Sacramento and already has been accredited to operate in the United States. The university educates about 300 San Diego-area students at its Mexican campuses along the border, Leon Garcia said.Several Mexican universities already have opened offices or started offering classes in California, including the National Autonomous University of Mexico, which has a campus in Los Angeles in addition to one in San Antonio.
Some are skeptical that Mexican universities can transcend educational barriers rooted in U.S. immigration and social policies. A better way to narrow the achievement gap in California is to focus on providing remedial education to adult immigrants and better schools to younger ones, said Steve Boilard, the director of the Center for California Studies at California State University in Sacramento.
"Maybe we need more adult education to teach basic skills," said Boilard, previously higher-education chief for California's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. "The answer isn't necessarily to bring in foreign universities. Our public universities have an obligation to serve the population."
Barring that, however, at least some Mexican schools appear set on expanding their U.S. operations.
"It's a huge opportunity for us," said Jake Pacheco, a spokesman for the nearly 70-year-old San Antonio campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, which he said was in the process of getting its U.S. accreditation with an eye toward vastly expanding its offerings from language classes to full-blown academic courses that would cater to the enormous market of Mexican immigrants who need higher education.
Applying to college can be difficult under any circumstances, but language barriers and unfamiliarity with the American higher-education system compound those problems for Mexican-born applicants, said Yunuen Valenzuela, a Tucson, Ariz., doctor who moved to the United States from Mexico 25 years ago, when he was 13.
"A lot of my peers didn't feel they could go to school," he said, noting the voluminous, confusing paperwork involved in the admissions grind. "They felt like that whole process was too daunting. If (Mexican universities) advertise enough and target that population, I think a fair number of people would be interested."


text: AOSIS OpenJournalshttp://email@example.com://www.koedoe.co.za1683-75842071-078XThe determinants of visitor length of stay at the Kruger National ParkThis study analysed the determinants of tourists' length of stay at one of South Africa's oldest and largest national parks, the Kruger National Park. It took the different regions of this Park into account and analysed visitors to the northern and southern regions separately to distinguish the different determinants of length of stay. The results showed clear differences between the determinants of length of stay for the two regions, indicating that for a destination with the size and scope of the Kruger Park, a regional approach should be followed to improve management and encourage visitors to stay longer.Conservation implications: The northern and southern regions of the Kruger National Park differ significantly in terms of ecosystems, rainfall, climate and wildlife. From a tourism perspective, these regions should be managed separately taking the distinct differences of the two regions into consideration. Different variables influence visitors' length of stay in these two regions. Conservation practitioners can use the results of this study to manage visitors to these areas.Martinette Kruger11Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society, North-West University, Potchefstroom campus, South AfricaMelville Saayman11Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society, North-West University, Potchefstroom campus, South AfricaMartinette firstname.lastname@example.com Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa 111456210.4102/koedoe.v56i2.111421 Sept. 201203 Dec. 201324 June 2014Kruger, M. & Saayman, M., 2014, 'The determinants of visitor length of stay at the Kruger National Park', Koedoe 56(2), Art. #1114, 11 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v56i2.1114© 2014. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS OpenJournals. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.IntroductionThis study looked at what determines the length of time tourists stay at one of South Africa's oldest and largest national parks, the Kruger National Park. Menezes, Moniz and Vieira (2008:205) state that 'the overall impact of tourists in a given economy hinges on length of stay'. Length of stay is of fundamental importance for tourist destinations, because the tourist product adapts itself to the amount of time the tourist has available at the destination and promotional campaigns must also be adjusted to the tourist's decisions in this regard (Martinez-Garcia & Raya 2008:1064). Thrane and Farstad (2009:2) and Barros, Butler and Correia (2010:13) agree that length of stay is of major importance to any tourism destination, because longer stays are positively associated with the total earnings from tourist activities and with higher bed-occupancy rates. Barros and Machado (2010) posit that: tourist destinations should aim to attract tourists who wish to stay longer, particularly during off-peak seasons, since tourists who visit only for short periods tend to stay centrally and visit only the major tourist attractions. (p. 2) Longer-stay tourists, on the other hand, visit a wider range of attractions, explore more peripheral regions and generate more diverse economic, social and environmental impacts. Alegre and Pou (2006) point out that: length of stay at a holiday destination, a basic characteristic of the holiday, has important repercussions for the tourist destination since it affects occupancy rates and final income derived from tourists (in other words, the economic impact and value of tourists). (p. 1352) Identifying the factors that make tourists stay longer is therefore extremely beneficial to any destination seeking to increase visitor spending (Peypoch et al. 2011:1). Given that the topic is so important, there were several strong motives for researching length of stay and for choosing the Kruger National Park as a case study. Firstly, Alegre and Pou (2006) claim that most studies on tourism demand fail to pay attention to length of stay, at least at a micro-economic level, where the researcher can control for individual heterogeneous behaviour. In addition, even though most tourism economists and managers agree that length of stay has a direct impact on spending (see Cannon & Ford 2002; Jang, Bai & O'Leary 2004; Kozak, Gokovali & Bahar 2008; Mules 1998; Seaton & Palmer 1997; Spotts & Mahoney 1991; Taylor, Fletcher & Clabaugh 1993, amongst others), little attention has been paid to this important topic (Decrop & Snelders 2004; Gokovali, Bahar & Kozak 2007:737). Secondly, the topic of tourists visiting a South African nature-based destination has not attracted more research thus far, despite the essential role these destinations play in tourism and conservation (Holden 2008:180; South African National Parks [SANParks] 2009:31). Thirdly, the huge numbers of visitors to the Kruger Park make it South Africa's most profitable national park (SANParks 2009:19). As an all-inclusive holiday destination that provides a unique nature and leisure experience, the Kruger Park is a magnet for tourists, both domestic and international. It is a major export earner and constitutes an important part of the South African tourism industry (Cook, Yale & Marqua 2010:212; Saayman & Saayman 2008; Uysal, McDonald & Martin 1994:18). The Park attracts over one million visitors per annum and is one of the top five international tourist destinations in the country (SANParks 2009; Van der Merwe & Saayman 2008:154). Currently, 80% of SANParks revenue comes from Kruger Park accommodation and admission fees (Mabunda & Wilson 2009:118). The findings of this study, a contribution to the still small literature on the topic, will be valuable in helping to sustain this growth and ensure long-term sustainability and competitiveness.Finally, the size of the Kruger Park also makes it an ideal subject for this research, as it allows for comparison, within one park, of different tourist motives for length of stay. This is one of the largest game reserves in the world, covering approximately 20 000 km2, and extending 350 km from north to south and 60 km from east to west; an area larger than, for example, Israel, Wales or the Netherlands. The Kruger Park includes two climatic transitional zones, namely the tropical and subtropical north and the temperate south; each with a clear rainfall gradient (lower rainfall in the south compared to the north) (Mabunda, Pienaar & Verhoff 2003:16). From an ecological point of view, it is divided into four regions, namely the far northern and northern (Shingwedzi, Pafuri and Punda Maria), central (Mopani, Satara, Orpen and Letaba) and southern (Berg-en-Dal, Crocodile Bridge, Pretoriuskop, Biyamiti, Malelane and Lower Sabie) (see Figure 1), each with its diverse ecosystem, vegetation and wildlife. From a tourism perspective, it is divided into northern and southern regions and tourists are attracted to these regions for different reasons, depending on what they want to see and do. Notable differences between the two regions include the number of rest camps and accommodation available (e.g. the southern region has more rest camps), accessibility (e.g. certain parts of the northern region are only accessible by 4×4s and there are fewer entry gates to this region), as well as wildlife and vegetation found (e.g. owing to a higher vegetative biomass to game ratio, the central and southern regions have more game and are known for sightings of the Big Five, whilst the northern region is more known for its large hippo, elephant and wild dog populations) (SA Venues 2013; Smit, Grant & Whyte 2007:227; Tinker & Tinker 2011:4). Tourists' length of stay in the Kruger Park, and consequently the determinants thereof, will therefore depend on their specific choices. Taking this into consideration, this study analysed the northern and southern tourists separately so as to distinguish between the different determinants. The results of the analysis made it possible to propose strategies to increase the amount of time tourists spend in the Kruger Park.Literature reviewHow long to spend on a visit is one of the main considerations in peoples' decision-making processes when making holiday plans, so destination managers need to know how to intervene in this process so as to encourage them to stay longer and thus spend more (Alegre & Pou 2006; Peypoch et al. 2011). Tourists weigh up the benefits of different holiday destinations, assessing the cost of each and the length of stay they can afford, financially and time-wise (Alegre & Pou 2006:1343). The chosen length of stay may reflect the attractiveness of a destination, but several other factors may come into play, as Gokovali et al. (2007) indicate: the amount of free time the tourist has available, the availability of flexible package tour deals, the level of prices, the number of people in the party, and familiarity with the destination, to name but a few. (p. 737) The length of a holiday, like the decision to take a trip or the choice of a particular destination, may therefore be explained by a combination of internal and external factors, as shown in Figure 2. Internal factors may be personal and family characteristics, as well as economic factors such as the tourist's level of income (Alegre & Pou 2006; Machado 2010). External variables may include destination-specific (in this case park-specific) attributes such as destination image, type of destination, activities and amenities on offer or the price of the holiday (Saayman & Saayman 1997; Machado 2010; Kruger et al. 2012). Once the combination of factors that influence length of stay have been determined, marketing strategies can be planned that will encourage longer stays at a destination so that economic benefits can be maximised (Barros & Machado 2010:2; Gokovali et al. 2007:737; Menezes et al. 2008:206). Menezes et al. (2008) state that: uncovering the determinants of length of stay is critical to the design of marketing policies that promote longer stays, associated with higher occupancy rates and revenue streams: an enterprise ever more valuable given the increasingly pervasive pattern of shorter length of stays. (p. 207) Length of stay can also be an indicator of the profile of tourists visiting a particular destination and their propensity to spend whilst on holiday; information regarding their length of stay can consequently be used to increase tourist spending (Davies 2002; Gokovali et al. 2007; Legohérel 1998; Mok & Iverson 2000).Taking the length of stay into account can help in the effective management and planning of tourism destinations (Barros & Machado 2010; Ritchie & Crouch 2003). Visitors who stay longer experience more and the destination earns more as they are more likely to become aware of and use facilities and services at the location where they are staying and in surrounding regions (Gokovali et al. 2007; Kozak 2001). Saarinen (2005) points out that identifying the determinants of length of stay is important for research on sustainable tourism because: they are useful in forecasting tourists' on-site time and, concomitantly, the stress on local resources caused by tourism activity; an important issue for analysing carrying capacity, especially at nature-based tourism destinations such as the Kruger Park. (p. 35) However, despite the numerous benefits associated with identifying the determinants of length of stay, studies of this variable in tourism are rare (Barros & Machado 2010:3), especially within a nature-based context. Those available are mainly descriptive – mostly of popular 'sea-and-sun' destinations – and they analyse the way different tourist profiles or types of trip affect the length of stay (see Alegre & Pou 2006; Barros & Machado 2010; Barros et al. 2010; Gokovali et al. 2007; Menezes et al. 2008; Martinez-Garcia & Raya 2008; Oppermann 1995, 1997; Seaton & Palmer 1997; Sung et al. 2001). With regard to socio-demographic determinants, collectively these studies found that older, male and married tourists tend to stay longer at a destination than tourists with a higher level of education and a high-income profession (Alegre & Pou 2006:1349–1352; Alegre, Mateo & Pou 2011; Barros & Machado 2010:10–13; Barros et al. 2010:18–20; Gokovali et al. 2007:742–744; Martinez-Garcia & Raya 2008:1070–1073; Menezes et al. 2008:214–218; Peypoch et al. 2011). Some specific findings were that visitors aged 25–34 years had a lower probability of long stays than those aged 35–44 years (Gokovali et al. 2007:742–744) and that as the size of the party and daily expenditure increased, the probability of staying longer decreased (Alegre & Pou 2006:1349–1352). Based on this, the following hypothesis was formulated: Hypothesis 1 (socio-demographic characteristics): The length of stay is determined by individual socio-demographic characteristics such as home language, marital status, level of education, annual gross income and province of origin. With regard to behavioural determinants, studies show that tourists who travel shorter distances stay a shorter time than those who travel longer distances. Travel motives (leisure, visiting friends or relatives, business and others), repeat visits and an increased number of tourist attractions visited all increased the expected length of stay (Menezes & Moniz 2006:10–12; Menezes et al. 2008:214–218). Gokovali et al. (2007:742–744) found that tourists who choose an 'all-inclusive' type of holiday tend to have a lower probability of a long stay than those who choose a 'half-board' type of accommodation and that as the number of previous visits to the destination increases, the probability of a long stay increases; however, as the daily expenditure increases, the probability of a long stay decreases. When it comes to a destination's image, Machado (2010) reveals that tourists visiting destinations with a better reputation tend to stay longer. Other determinants, such as nationality, type of flight, environmental initiatives, repeat visits, word-of-mouth recommendations, as well as quality and hospitality also tend to encourage longer stays (Alegre & Pou 2006: 1349–1352, 2011; Barros & Machado 2010:10–13; Gokovali et al. 2007:742–744; Menezes & Moniz 2006:10–12; Menezes et al. 2008:214–218; Peypoch et al. 2011). Based on this, the second hypothesis was formulated: Hypothesis 2 (behavioural characteristics): The length of stay is determined by individual behavioural characteristics such as mode of transport and travel motives. The findings of the abovementioned studies show collectively that determinants of length of stay are destination specific, but that tourists' socio-demographic characteristics and economic factors are also significant determinants. Furthermore, it is important to note that tourists cannot be considered homogeneous in terms of the effects of different factors on how long they decide to stay. Given the size of the Kruger Park and the variety of its offerings, the determinants could differ for tourists visiting the northern and southern regions. This led to the third hypothesis: Hypothesis 3 (destination characteristics): The length of stay is determined by the destination characteristics (northern and southern region of the Park – for example, seeing certain types of animals found in each region) experienced and valued by the tourist. Research method and designThe questionnaireThe questionnaire used during the two surveys (north and south) consisted of three sections: Section A captured the respondents' demographic details, including language, gender, age, race, and marital status, country of residence, province, highest qualification and occupation, whilst Section B captured economic information such as size of travel group, number of people paid for, the type of accommodation used, the number of nights spent at the Park, the number of visits over the last 3 years and spending dynamics. The spending questions were detailed by spending category, including entrance and conservation fee, accommodation, food and beverages, shopping, recreation and transport. Section C captured the respondents' reasons for visiting the Park, where 12 items were listed and respondents were asked to rate the importance of each item on a five-point Likert scale of importance: 1 = not at all important, 2 = slightly important, 3 = important, 4 = very important and 5 = extremely important (cf. Kruger, Saayman & Manners 2012). This section also captured respondents' perception of the value of the Big Five (i.e. the five most difficult African animals to hunt on foot: lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros). For the purpose of this research, the information from all three sections was included in the analyses. Sampling method and surveyThe survey sample consisted of respondents to this questionnaire, which was distributed to visitors staying in the Kruger Park from 24 June 2011 to 02 July 2011 (northern region, winter survey) and from 27 December 2011 to 04 January 2012 (southern region, summer survey). The rest camps surveyed for the northern region were Olifants, Letaba, Mopani and Punda Maria and for the southern region Satara, Skukuza, Lower Sabie and Berg-en-Dal. Fieldworkers distributed questionnaires in the evenings and collected the questionnaires later during the same evening or early the next morning. A convenience sampling method was followed and questionnaires were therefore distributed to available overnight visitors (camping and chalet). Only one questionnaire per group was allowed and only adults (18 years and above) were allowed to complete the questionnaire. The latest available SANParks statistics for 2009 were used to calculate the proportion of responses that would constitute a representative sample. According to these statistics, 384 249 (N) tourists stayed for at least one night in the Park in 2009 (Stevens 2010). Furthermore, Du Plessis, Saayman and Erasmus (2010) state that the average travelling group of tourists to the Park was 3.4 persons. The total population (N) was divided by 3.4 and this resulted in 112 132 tourist groups (N). The minimum number of completed questionnaires sufficient for this study would be 399 (Israel 2009). Of the total of 853 questionnaires collected in the two surveys, 410 had been fully completed, 175 from the northern region and 235 from the southern region. Only fully completed questionnaires were used in the analysis to ensure that the important socio-economic and behavioural variables were all included.Statistical analysisMicrosoft Excel was used to capture the data and IBM SPSS Statistics 20 and R 2.14.1 to analyse it. The analysis was conducted in two stages. Firstly, data were captured in Microsoft Excel and analysed using SPSS (2013). Factor analyses were conducted to determine respondents' motives for travelling to the northern and southern regions of the Kruger National Park. To determine whether a factor analysis could have been conducted on the motivational data variables, the Barlett's test of spehricity and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy was performed on both the expectations, as well as the experience scales. According to Barlett (1954), a factor analysis is appropriate when the result of the Barlett test for sphericity indicates significance, in other words p < 0.05. In agreement, Kaiser (1970, 1974) explains that the minimum value of the KMO (the measure of sampling adequacy) for a factor analysis to be performed should be 0.6. In order to determine the smallest number of factors from the respective data variables, the pattern matrix of the principle component factoring extraction technique was applied. The Kaiser normalisation (eigenvalues above 1.0 or more) guided the decision on the amount of facto rs retained. To name the factors, according to Dancey and Reidy (2004:431), a decision should be made on how strong the factor loadings must be to be included in a factor, but this tends to be arbitrary and varies amongst authors. All items with a factor loading above 0.4 were considered as contributing to a factor and all with loadings lower than 0.4 as not correlating significantly with this factor (Steyn 2000). In addition, any item that cross-loaded onto two factors, with factor loadings greater than 0.4, was categorised in the factor where interpretability was best. The internal consistency of each factor was also calculated by means of the reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha). Only reliability coefficients above 0.6 were considered as acceptable for the study because a reliability coefficient below 0.6 indicates that the scale has poor reliability and unsatisfactory internal consistency (Malhotra 2007:285; Zikmund et al. 2010:306). Additionally the inter-item correlations were also calculated as another reliability measure, which, as recommended by Briggs and Cheek (1986), should be between 0.2 and 0.4. Secondly, the dependent (predicted) variable was understood to be length of stay, defined as the number of days at the Park; accordingly, it is a non-negative count variable. A Poisson regression was applied to identify the determinants of length of stay for both the northern and southern region. The link function for a Poisson regression model is the log link function and the model (with a log link) used in this research is as follows: logμ = α + βx [Eqn 1] The mean satisfies the exponential relationship: μ = exp(α + βx) = eα(eβ)x [Eqn 2] Where: a one-unit increase in x has a multiplicative impact of eβ on μ. The mean of Y at x + 1 equals the mean of Y at x multiplied by eβ. If β = 0, then eβ = e0 = 1 and the multiplicative factor is 1. Then, the mean of Y does not change as x changes. If β > 0, then eβ > 1, and the mean of Y increases as x increases. If β < 0, the mean decreases as x increases. (Agresti 2007:75) A Poisson regression model was also used to find the determinants of length of stay for the southern region; however, the over-dispersion parameter was 2.45. A negative binomial regression was used because this model takes this over-dispersion into account. According to Agresti (2007:81), the negative binomial is another distribution that is concentrated on the non-negative integers. Unlike the Poisson, it has an additional parameter such that the variance can exceed the mean. The negative binomial distribution has: E(Y) = μ, Var(Y) = μ + Dμ2 [Eqn 3]The index D, which is non-negative, is called a dispersion parameter. The negative binomial distribution occurs as a type of mixture of Poisson distributions. Greater heterogeneity in the Poisson means results in a larger value of D. As D → 0, Var(Y) → μ and the negative binomial distribution converges to the Poisson distribution. The further D falls above 0, the greater the over-dispersion relative to Poisson variability (Agresti 2007:81).Results This section presents the profile of respondents as well as the results of the factor analysis (travel motives), the Poisson regression analysis (northern region) and the negative binomial regression analysis (southern region).Profile of respondentsTable 1 shows the profile of the respondents in each of the two regions surveyed in 2011–2012. There are notable similarities between the northern and southern region tourists, especially in terms of home language, average age, marital status, level of education, mode of transport, length of stay and being holders of a Wild Card (a loyalty card that can be used at all 22 national parks in South Africa and offers the benefits of discounted entrance fees and a contribution to conservation). The main differences between the two profiles are in terms of province of origin, average spending and financial responsibility, with the northern region attracting more visitors from the Western Cape, who are financially responsible for more people during their trip and, consequently, have a higher average spending than tourists who visit the southern region. Factor analysisThe pattern matrix of the principal component factor analyses using an Oblimin rotation with Kaiser normalisation identified four motivational factors each for the northern and the southern regions. These were labelled according to similar component items (Table 2). These factors accounted for 58% and 64% of the total variance for north and south, respectively. The average of all items contributing to a specific factor revealed factor scores that interpret the factor to the original five-point Likert scale. All factors indicated very good convergent validity with Cronbach alphas above 0.6 and inter-item correlations of between 0.31 and 0.63.In the case of the northern region, 'to photograph animals and plants' was not included in the factor analysis, because it did not have a loading greater than 0.4. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy of, respectively, 0.70 and 0.75 indicated that patterns of correlation were relatively compact and yielded distinct and reliable factors (Field 2005:640). In both cases, Bartlett's test of sphericity also reached statistical significance (p < 0.001), supporting the factorability of the correlation matrix (Pallant 2007:197).As Table 2 shows, the following reasons for visiting the northern region of the Park were identified: 'Escape' (Factor 1), 'Exploration' (Factor 2), 'Education' (Factor 3) and 'Value and amenities' (Factor 4). With a mean value of 4.391, 'Education' was found to be the most important motive for travelling to the northern region, followed by 'Exploration' (3.509) and 'Escape' (3.293). 'Value and amenities' (2.860) was rated the least important motive. For the southern region, the motives and the grouping of the items and their importance were different. 'Escape' (Factor 1), 'Group togetherness and exploration' (Factor 2), 'Photography and spiritual fulfilment' (Factor 3) and 'Value and amenities' (Factor 4) were identified as the reasons for travelling to this part of the Park. 'Photography and spiritual fulfilment' (4.027) was rated as the most important motive, followed by 'Value and amenities' (3.506), 'Escape' (3.420) and 'Group togetherness and exploration' (3.177). It is clear from these results that the tourists in this sample visited the two areas of the Park for somewhat different reasons and that the characteristics of the two areas influence these motives. Poisson and negative binomial regression analysesAs Table 3 shows, the dummy variables (socio-demographic and behavioural variables, as well as the travel motives indicated in Table 2) for both the northern and southern regions were coded 1 and 0 to be included in the Poisson regression and the negative binomial regression analyses.Northern regionA Poisson regression model was performed with all the independent variables indicated in Table 3, after which a stepwise selection procedure was carried out to decrease the number of variables. The null hypothesis was that the Poisson regression model provided an adequate fit to the data. The residual deviance is a measure of how much the data deviates from the model, so the larger the residual deviance is, the worse the fit. The residual deviance here was 176.55, to be compared with a chi-square distribution with 166 degrees of freedom. The p-value was 0.274, which was large enough that the null hypothesis did not have to be rejected. The model therefore appeared to be adequate. As shown in Table 4, Gauteng as a province of origin (p = 0.023), total spending (p = 0.002), decision to visit made long in advance (p = 0.042), being a Wild Card holder (p = 0.004), lion and leopard as 'must-see' Big Five animals (respectively p = 0.010 and p = 0.034) and donating money for conservation (p = 0.010) had a statistical significant influence on length of stay. With regard to socio-demographic determinants, based on the signs of the coefficients, a person coming from Gauteng would have a predicted stay at the Park 0.866 times shorter than that of the person not coming from this province. Therefore, coming from Gauteng decreased the length of stay when controlling for the other variables. The reason for this could be that, for the tourists travelling from this province, the Park is close and they can therefore travel to the Park more often and, consequently, do not have to stay long in the Park. Tourists with a higher average spending per trip tended to have a longer length of stay. These tourists would have a predicted stay at the Park 1.000 times longer than those with a lower spending per trip. These results validated Hypothesis 1 that stated that the length of stay is determined by individual socio-demographic characteristics.With regard to behavioural determinants, tourists who made their decision to travel to the Park well in advance would have a predicted stay 1.191 times longer than that of the person who made a spontaneous decision. In addition, tourists who had a Wild Card would have a predicted stay at the Park 1.711 times longer than that of a person who did not have a Wild Card. Having a loyalty card therefore increased the length of stay when controlling for other variables, validating Hypothesis 2 that individual behavioural characteristics influence length of stay.With regard to the popularity of the Big Five, tourists who most wanted to see lion and leopard would have predicted stays 1.314 and 1.240 times longer, respectively, than those who did not want to see these animals. This could be because the Park is synonymous with the lion, its image being visible in the Park's logo and used extensively in marketing and branding. Leopards are rarely sighted – this is the Big Five animal that most often eludes visitors. This makes them sought-after and visitors perhaps stay longer to increase their chances of seeing one. Another reason may be that June and July (the winter months) are the prime game-viewing time in the Park. Visitors who donated money for conservation causes tended to stay fewer days at the Park and would have a predicted stay 0.832 shorter than that of a person who did not support these causes. Therefore, making the decision to travel well in advance and wanting to see lion and leopard increased the length of stay at the Park when controlling for other variables, whilst donating money for conservation decreased the length of stay. Regarding the Big Five as important to extremely important (p = 0.114) was not statistically significant. This determinant did, however, still have an important effect on length of stay. Tourists who considered seeing the Big Five to be very important would have a predicted stay 1.103 times longer than those for whom this was less important. These results supported Hypothesis 3 that destination characteristics also influenced length of stay.Southern regionHere the residual deviance was 218.89, to be compared with a chi-square distribution with 222 degrees of freedom. The p-value was 0.546, which was large enough that the null hypothesis did not have to be rejected. The model therefore appeared to be adequate. As Table 5 shows, Afrikaans as home language (p = 0.036), number of people paying for (p = 0.004), decision to visit made long in advance (p = 0.006), sedan as mode of transport (p = 0.004), total spending (p = 0.000), being a Wild Card holder (p = 0.000) and being motivated by 'Escape' (p = 0.043) had a statistically significant influence on length of stay. With regard to socio-demographic determinants, Afrikaans-speaking tourists and those who used a sedan to travel to the Park would have a predicted stay respectively 0.840 and 0.755 times shorter than that of either English-speaking or foreign language tourists and tourists who used other modes of transport to travel to the Park, validating Hypothesis 1. With regard to behavioural determinants, travelling with a larger group had a negative influence on length of stay and visitors who travelled in larger groups to the Park would have a predicted stay 0.932 shorter than that of tourists who travelled in smaller groups. Here, the result was similar to that obtained for the northern region: making the decision to travel to the Park well in advance had a positive influence on length of stay and these tourists would have a predicted stay 1.275 longer than that of the tourists who made a spontaneous decision. Tourists motivated more by the motive 'Escape' also tended to stay longer at the Park (1.088 times longer). In addition, those with a higher total average spending and who were Wild Card holders tended to stay longer at the Park (respectively 1.000 and 2.048 times longer). These results confirmed Hypothesis 2.The other variables did not have a statistically significant influence on length of stay; however, tourists who were local residents from South Africa tended to stay 1.276 times longer than tourists travelling from outside the borders of the country. Like the tourists who travelled with a sedan to the Park, those who used a 4×4 to travel tended to have a shorter length of stay (0.872 times shorter than that of visitors who used other modes of transport). Contradicting the results obtained for the northern region, wanting to see a lion or leopard had a negative influence on length of stay (respectively 0.877 and 0.892 shorter than the stay of tourists who did not particularly want to see them), rejecting Hypothesis 3 that destination characteristics influenced length of stay. TrustworthinessThe following steps, as proposed by Field (2003) as well as Zikmund et al. (2010) were followed to design and validate the questionnaire as well as the results: Content validity: an in-depth literature analysis was performed to identify the relevant motivational factors for travelling to the Kruger National Park. The questionnaire was based on Van der Merwe and Saayman (2008), Saayman and Saayman (2009) and Kruger and Saayman (2010). Face validity: statistical consultation services advised on the formulation of the statements as well as the measuring scales used. The park manager also gave their opinion on the included items and whether it captured the essence of the study. Construct validity: factor analyses were performed on the motivational factors for travelling to the northern and southern region of the park in order to determine the degree to which the statements measures what it claims, or purports, to be measuring (please see the 'Statistical analysis' and 'Factor analysis' sections for more detail). Reliability: to test the reliability of the identified factors, reliability coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) and inter-item correlations were calculated (please also see the 'Statistical analysis' and 'Factor analysis' sections for more detail). DiscussionThis article identified the determinants of length of stay for tourists at a nature-based destination in South Africa, namely the Kruger National Park. The size, nature and characteristics of this Park made it possible for the first time to differentiate between determinants of length of stay for different regions, namely the northern and southern regions of the Kruger Park. The results revealed clear differences between the determinants of length of stay for the two regions. The general conclusion was that tourists travelling to the northern region with a higher total average spending, who made their decision to visit the Kruger Park long in advance, who were Wild Card holders and who were keen to see lion and leopard whilst on holiday were likely to stay longer in this region of the Park. A different set of determinants were found to affect the length of stay in the southern region: here, Afrikaans-speaking tourists who travelled in smaller groups, with a higher total average spending, who made their decision to travel to the Park long in advance, who were Wild Card holders and who were motivated by the need to escape, were likely to stay longer. This study corroborates the finding by Alegre and Pou (2006) that travelling in larger groups has an inverse influence on length of stay: the larger the group, the shorter the stay. In addition, the results support the finding by Gokovali et al. (2007) that tourists who spend more stay longer. However, it contradicts the findings by Menezes and Moniz (2006) and Menezes et al. (2008) that tourists who travel shorter distances stay longer than those who travel further.The results supported all three of the study's hypotheses. Firstly, for both the northern and southern regions of the Park, tourists' individual socio-demographic characteristics (total spending, province of origin, group size and home language) influenced the length of stay, validating Hypothesis 1. The socio-demographic determinants were, however, different for the two regions. Secondly, behavioural variables (decision-making, mode of transport, being loyalty members, desire to see the Big Five and not donating to conservation causes) explained the length of stay, validating Hypothesis 2. Here again the determinants for the two regions were different; however, behavioural characteristics seemed to have a stronger influence on length of stay in both regions than socio-demographic characteristics. Thirdly, the length of stay was also determined by the characteristics of the two regions (the two destinations), such as the different likelihood of seeing the Big Five, validating Hypothesis 3. It was clear from the results that the length of stay was specific to each of the two tourism destinations, supporting previous research by Alegre and Pou (2006), Alegre, Mateo and Pou (2011), Barros and Machado (2010), Barros et al. (2010), Gokovali et al. (2007), Martinez-Garcia and Raya (2008), Menezes and Moniz (2006), Menezes et al. (2008) and Peypoch et al. (2011). The determinants of length of stay are also more internal rather than external factors (see Figure 2). However, the study makes a further contribution: on the basis of its findings for the two regions, it cautions marketers to approach the Park from a regional perspective (i.e. making a distinction between two different parts of the same national park) rather as a whole. This might also apply to other destinations in the world that consist of regions offering different products. Limitations One apparent limitation was that the survey was conducted separately during the winter (northern region) and summer (southern region). The type of visitor differs during these months and future research should perhaps consider conducting a survey in both regions at the same time either during the winter or summer in order to accurately compare results.RecommendationsThe results of this study provide a clear, focused view of the reasons for tourists' length of stay at the nature-based destination analysed. This method furthermore takes into account that the characteristics of the different regions themselves may influence length of stay. From a methodological point of view, a regional approach is therefore suitable for analysing a destination with multifaceted characteristics, such as the Kruger National Park, where tourists also resemble homogeneous tendencies. As it enables a concise comparison of the effect on length of stay of the same variables in different regions, it should prove valuable to destination marketers, planners and managers, as well as academics. Findings produced by this method will enable them to differentiate between and compare different regions and plan their strategies accordingly to encourage visitors to stay longer.It is, of course, not possible to control all the determinants influencing length of stay in the Kruger Park. However, it is possible to concentrate on the important ones and to highlight them in advertising and promoting the different regions of the Park. On the basis of the findings of this study, a diversified strategy is recommended. If the Park is to increase tourists' length of stay in the northern region, its marketing campaigns should focus on the Big Five, especially lion and leopard. More information about these animals, their behaviour and preferred terrain should be made available to tourists at the different rest camps and in the game drives and guided walks. This might help to attract longer-staying visitors. To increase length of stay in the southern region, marketing campaigns should focus on people's desire to escape from the routine of their daily lives and emphasise that the Park is the ideal relaxing and breakaway holiday destination. The benefits of the current loyalty card (the Wild Card) should also be marketed more intensively, because this will encourage tourists to stay longer irrespective of which of the two regions they visit. ConclusionIn summary, because a combination of socio-demographic and behavioural determinants influences length of stay, and length of stay may differ for different regions of a destination, at a nature-based destination like the Kruger Park a regional analysis is advisable and a diversified marketing strategy will be more likely to increase the average length of stay than an undifferentiated mass strategy. As more research is needed to confirm these findings, it is recommended that a similar method be applied to other nature-based destinations, as well as 'sea-and-sun' destinations.AcknowledgementsCompeting interestsThe authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article. Authors' contributionsM.K. 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Mabunda, D.M., Pienaar, D.J. & Verhoff, J., 2003, 'The Kruger National Park: A century of management and research', in J.T. du Toit, K.H. Rogers & H.C. Biggs (eds.), The Kruger experience: Ecology and management of savanna heterogeneity, pp. 3–21, Island Press, Washington, DC. 32. Mabunda, D.M. & Wilson, D., 2009, 'Commercialisation of national parks: South Africa's Kruger National Park as an example', in J. Saarinen, F. Becker, H. Manwa & D. Wilson (eds.), Sustainable tourism in southern Africa, pp. 116–133, Channel View Publications, Bristol. 33. Machado, L.P., 2010, 'Does destination image influence the length of stay in a tourism destination', Tourism Economics 16(2), 443–456. http://dx.doi.org/10.5367/000000010791305554 34. Malhotra, N.K., 2007, Marketing research: An applied orientation, 5th edn., Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River. 35. Martinez-Garcia, E. & Raya, J.M., 2008, 'Length of stay for low-cost tourism', Tourism Management 29(1), 1064–1075. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2008.02.011 36. Mehmetoglu, M., 2007, 'Nature-based tourists: The relationship between their trip expenditures and activities', Journal of Sustainable Tourism 15(2), 200–215. http://dx.doi.org/10.2167/jost642.0 37. Menezes, A.G. & Moniz, A., 2006, 'Determinants of length of stay: A parametric survival analysis', working paper no. 19/2006, Centro de Estudos de Economia Aplica do Atlântico, viewed 25 March 2014, from https://repositorio.uac.pt/handle/10400.3/1152 38. Menezes, A.G., Moniz, A. & Viera, J.C., 2008, 'The determinants of length of stay of tourists in the Azores', Tourism Economics 14, 205–222. 39. Mok, C. & Iverson, T.J., 2000, 'Expenditure-based segmentation: Taiwanese tourists to Guam', Journal of Travel Research 16(1), 1–4. 40. Mules, T., 1998, 'Decomposition of Australian tourist expenditure', Tourism Management 19(30), 267–271. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(98)00014-4 41. Oppermann, M., 1995, 'Travel life cycle', Annals of Tourism Research 22(3), 535–552. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(95)00004-P 42. Oppermann, M., 1997, 'First-time and repeat visitors to New Zealand', Tourism Management 18(1), 177–181. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(96)00119-7 43. Pallant, J., 2007, SPSS survival manual: A step-by-step guide to data analysis using SPSS version 15, McGraw-Hill, New York. 44. Peypoch, N., Randriamboarison, R., Rasoamananjara, F. & Solonandrasana, B., 2011, 'The length of stay of tourists in Madagascar', Tourism Management 1(1), 1–6. 45. Ritchie, J.R.B. & Crouch, G.I., 2003, The competitive destination, CABI Publishing, Cambridge. 46. Saarinen, J., 2005, 'Tourism in the northern wildernesses: Wilderness discourses and the development of nature-based tourism in northern Finland', in C.M. Hall & S. Boyd (eds.), Nature-based tourism in peripheral areas: Development or disaster?, pp. 36–49, Channel View Publications, Clevedon. 47. Saayman, M. & Saayman, A., 2008, 'Estimating the economic contribution of visitor spending in the Kruger National Park to the regional economy', Journal of Sustainable Tourism 14(1), 67–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669580608668592 48. Saayman, A. & Saayman, M., 1997, 'Die ekonomiese impak van toerisme op die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie', South African Journal of Economic Management Sciences 21, 162–174. 49. Saayman, M. & Saayman, A., 2009, 'Why travel motivation and socio-demographics matter in managing a national park', Koedoe 51(1), 9 pages. 50. SA Venues, 2013, Kruger National Park, viewed 07 August 2013, from http://www.sa-venues.com/game-reserves/mpl_kruger.htm 51. Seaton, A.V. & Palmer, C., 1997, 'Understanding VFR tourism behaviour: The first five years of the United Kingdom tourism survey', Tourism Management 1(6), 345–355. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(97)00033-2 52. Smit, I.P.J., Grant, C.C. & Whyte, I.J., 2007, 'Landscape-scale sexual segregation in the dry season distribution and resource utilisation of elephant in Kruger National Park, South Africa', Diversity and Distributions 13, 225–236. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4642.2007.00318.x 53. South African National Parks, 2009, Annual report 2008–2009, viewed 15 February 2010, from http://www.sanparks.org/about/annual/2009.pdf 54. Spotts, D.M. & Mahoney, E.M., 1991, 'Segmenting visitors in a destination region based on the volume of their expenditure', Journal of Travel Research 29(4), 24–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/004728759102900405 55. SPSS version 20, 2013, computer software, IBM, Chicago. 56. Stevens, J., 2010, 'Number of visitors to SANParks', 12 April, email@example.com 57. Steyn, H.S., 2000, 'Practical significance of the difference in means', South African Journal of Industrial Psychology 26(3), 1–3. 58. Sung, H.H., Morrison, A.M., Hong, G.S. & O'Leary, J.T., 2001, 'The effects of household and trip characteristics on trip types: A consumer behavioural approach for segmenting the US domestic leisure travel market', Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research 25(1), 46–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/109634800102500105 59. Taylor, D.T., Fletcher, R.R. & Clabaugh, T., 1993, 'A comparison of characteristics, regional expenditures and economic impact of visitors to historical sites with other recreational visitors', Journal of Travel Research 32(1), 30–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/004728759303200105 60. Thrane, C. & Farstad, E., 2009, 'Domestic tourism expenditures: The non-linear effects of length of stay and travel party size', Tourism Management 1(1), 1–7. 61. Tinker, A. & Tinker, L., 2011, 'Kruger National Park: Guide and map', Andy Tinker Photography, Witrivier, Mpumalanga. 62. Van Der Merwe, P. & Saayman, M., 2008, 'Travel motivations of tourists visiting Kruger National Park', Koedoe 50(1), 154–159. 63. Van Der Merwe, P., Saayman, M. & Krugell, W., 2007, 'The determinants of spending by biltong hunters', South African Journal of Economics and Management Science 10(2), 184–194. 64. Uysal, Y., McDonald, C.D. & Martin, B.S., 1994, 'Australian visitors to US National Parks and natural areas', International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 6(3), 18–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09596119410059209 65. Zikmund, W.G., Babin, B.J., Carr, J.C. & Griffin, M., 2010, Business research methods, 8th edn., South Western Cencage Learning, Mason.


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The ANDI - Black Leopard
Our Signature ANDI is designed and crafted to be an ideal carrying companion for the plane, the weekend or a full day with necessary accoutrements. It is sized to fit a laptop computer + change of shoes and clothes + additional accessories.
Includes metallic stripe crossbody strap.
Model in video is 5'9"
- Ergonomic: Virtually weightless industrial-strength material designed to stay-on-your shoulder in tote form or in hands-free form as a cross-body companion.
- Backpack: transforms easily and comfortably
- Yogi: attach your mat
- Smart Pockets: 1 on the outside and 2 on the inside
- Weatherproof: Water-resistant and temperature adaptive
- Machine-Washable: cold with like colors, air dry
- View Transformations
- 20.5" x 12" x 5"
- Handles: 1.5" wide with 11.5" drop length
- Material: Water-Resistant Nylon
- Hardware: Zinc metal alloy with gunmetal finish
- This product is 100% Vegan (no animal products have been used).
- Detachable cross-body strap included
All orders are shipped from our New York distribution center on business days. Orders received prior to 1:30 PM ET are shipped the same day. It can take up to 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) to receive a tracking number for your order. Because we strive to ship your order as quickly as possible, we cannot cancel or change an order as processing begins immediately.
We are unable to ship to PO boxes.
United States (Contiguous)
Enjoy free shipping within the Contiguous United States with UPS Mail Innovations or UPS Ground. Estimated delivery times are provided by UPS (excludes weekends and public holidays):
1-2 days: CT, DE, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV
2-3 days: AL, AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, KS, KY, MO, WI
3-4 days: LA, MN, MS, ND, NE, OK, SD
4-5 days: AZ, CA, CO, MT, NM, NV, TX, UT, WA, WY
5-6 days: ID, OR
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Enjoy free shipping with UPS 2nd Day Air on orders over $175.
Enjoy free shipping with DHL Express Worldwide on orders over $200. Transit times vary depending on the destination country. Orders generally take between 3 to 8 business days. It can take up to 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) to receive a tracking number for your order. Import duties, taxes, and other charges are not included in product prices or shipping costs and will be collected by your local carrier or customs office. These charges are the recipient's responsibility. You may check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs may be.
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What fits: An illustration of what fits in this ANDI with a bit of room to spare…
- 15" Macbook
- Sneakers
- Large glasses case
- 11" Notebook
- Large beach towel
- Filled ANDI pocket set
- Cap


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XL Long 24"X36" *approx size Washable Pad - White
* size is approximate, size is stated as a pre-washed size. Sizing can shrink up to 8% during laundering processes. Due to the manufacturing process the width and/or length can vary by 1.5 in each direction of the pre-washed Lennypad product. See waranty page
Product Code: 2436LP
Availability: In Stock
Availability: In Stock


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Tell Me What You Want, What You Really Really Want
Sometimes when a cake makes no sense, it's helpful to ask yourself, "What do you suppose the customer asked for?"
"Look, I just want what every girl wants for her birthday: a big- a$$ cake!"
Sometimes you just want a sugary baked good for no reason at all. And yet, without an inscription, what can Wreckerators wreck? That's why they're so adamant that your cake say something.
And that's also why we get Wrecks like these:Jen B., Stephanie W., Autumn R., & Sara G., one "Ho Thing Special," comin' up.
- Related Wreckage: Dial-A-Wreck


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I hope you can join me on December 16 at 1 PM Eastern for my live/free Webinar: Around the World with Nik and Rick.
In the one-hour webinar, I will show you how I apply some of my favorite Nik Software effects to some of my favorite photographs.
Above: I used the Detail Extractor in Color Efex Pro to create the image from the photograph below.
I'll show you how I use Nik's Silver Efex Pro to create a dramatic black-and-white image.
Above is my Silver Efex Pro image, below is my original image.
I'll touch on Nik's iPad and iPhone app: Snapseed.
I used Snapeed to crate the image above from the image below.
And.... much more - or at least as much as time will allow.
I hope to see you on the Webinar. Sign up today. Space is limited.
You can save 15% on all Nik plug-ins by using this code - RSAMMON - upon check out from the Nik site.
Explore the light,


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You are hereHome >
Ban Bee-Killing Pesticides
A SMALL POLLINATOR, A BIG PROBLEM — Millions of bees are dying off every year, and scientists point to a widely used class of pesticides as one of the main causes.
Our Food Supply Relies On Bees
We have to stop the bee die-off and help this vitally important species recover, for the sake of our food, the environment and our economy.
Bees are dying in the United States and around the world, and it's a major problem. We rely on bees to pollinate 71 of the 100 crops that provide 90 percent of the world's food. In the U.S. alone, honey bees pollinate an estimated $15 billion worth of crops every year.
We rely on bees to pollinate everything from strawberries to broccoli to the alfalfa used to feed dairy cows. Imagine no almonds, less coffee and chocolate, fewer apples and strawberries, less ice cream and milk … the list goes on.
The bottom line: without bees, we don't have food.
10,000 Times More Toxic To Bees Than DDT
Scientists point to pesticides as one of the main factors causing bees to die off in alarming numbers, in particular a class of bee-killing insecticides known as neonicotinoids (or neonics).
When seeds are treated with neonics, the chemicals work their way into the pollen and nectar of the plants — which, of course, is bad news for bees and other pollinators.
Worse, neonics are at least 5,000-10,000 times more toxic to bees than DDT.
Just one example: After a nearby farm planted corn seeds coated with neonics in 2013, farmer Dave Schuit lost 37 million of his bees. "Once the corn started to get planted, our bees died by the millions," said Schuit.
We Can Eliminate These Pesticides
Given the consequences for our farms and our food, you'd think we'd be doing all we can to protect bees and other pollinators from neonics.
Scientists say that we don't even need to spray these chemicals, since we have commonsense alternatives like altering the time of planting and watering, and planting more native species.
Yet big agrichemical companies like Monsanto, Dow Chemical, Bayer and Syngenta are fighting to prevent bans. Syngenta has even asked federal regulators for permission to use even larger quantities of these pesticides — as much as 400 times more than currently allowed.
Alarmed by the role these chemicals are playing in the decline of bee populations, the European Union has banned several of them; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has committed to phasing them out on the public lands they manage; and cities like Seattle and states like Maryland have taken action as well.
Still, even with evidence showing that neonics need to be banned, we continue to spray about 46 million pounds of these pesticides on our homes, gardens and public spaces every year.
It's Time For States To Take Action
For the past several years, PIRG and other groups have asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban these pesticides nationwide, and they have failed to do so. We're not waiting on the EPA any longer. Now, to protect bees and our food supply, we're calling on states to act.
In order to restore bee populations to health and save our food supply, we need states to ban the sale of bee-killing pesticides for our homes, parks and gardens and ensure that they are not used on state property.
If enough states take action, we will eliminate the use of more than 40 percent of insecticides used in this country. That's a lot of bees that we can save — bees that will pollinate our food.
That kind of collective action will be a strong signal to large chemical companies and the federal government that we want them to stop poisoning our parks, homes and food with these products.
Right now, we're spraying chemicals that are known to kill bees just as we're in the midst of an unsustainable die-off in bee populations. That has to change — now.
Join us in calling on your state to take action to protect bees and our food.
Issue updates
In a big win for keeping antibiotics effective, Chick-fil-A announced today that it has officially met its 2014 goal of eliminating chicken raised with antibiotics from its supply chain and now serves No Antibiotics Ever(NAE) chicken in all 2,400+ of its U.S. restaurants.
With "back to school" in full swing this week, Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund today are offering a free toolkit to Get the Lead Out of schools' drinking water.
Statement: Proposal to take flavored vaping products off market a crucial tactic to stop youth epidemic
In response to growing concerns about the health threats of vaping and its skyrocketing use among youth, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that the Food and Drug Administration is preparing to finalize guidance to prohibit the sale of all flavored e-cigarette products other than tobacco flavored.
Most of us expect that the products we buy in stores are safe to use. It turns out that's not always the case with Amazon.
Warning comes as recent incidents highlight potential dangers of vaping.
Public Health | U.S. PIRG
Get the lead out
The kids are back at school. How do we make sure their water is safe to drink?
Public Health | U.S. PIRG
Ban Roundup
Rather than require warning labels for Roundup, the Trump administration is moving to prohibit them.
Public Health | U.S. PIRG
This could be great, but what about e-cigarettes and vaping?
As federal officials consider bold action to warn the public about the health risks of cigarette smoking, we're highlighting that it's also time for the FDA to take similarly bold action to address the youth vaping epidemic.
Public Health | U.S. PIRG
Ban Roundup
Rather than require warning labels for Roundup, the Trump administration is moving to prohibit them.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Lipscomb Lady Bisons track and field team will compete for the final time this season as a team at the Atlantic Sun Conference Track and Field Championships. The meet takes place Friday and Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla.
The event sets up as a way to get more individuals the times and marks needed to reach the NCAA National Preliminary Round.
"Usually we are trying to score every point we can and place higher every year but with our women's team, especially with our distance squad, it sets up a little differently," Bill Taylor, director of cross country and track and field, said. "We are trying to get people into the preliminary rounds. We haven't gotten times that we are looking for. Some of our focus on the women's program has shifted on to what is best for the program long term as opposed to what is best in this specific conference championship."
The Lady Bisons welcome back Dani Walker after injury derailed her outstanding season due to a stress fracture. Although she has had a lengthy layoff, Taylor believes the junior will pick up where she left off at.
"Her recovery has been going very well. Her cross-training has been going extremely well. Dani is a competitor and is going to do great. We have big goals and she won't miss a beat. She has invested too much – both before and since the injury."
Walker enters the championships highly ranked in numerous events. She has the top time in the steeplechase, second in the 1,500-meter run and third in the 800-meter run. Throughout the season, Walker picked up three-straight athlete of the week awards and was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the A-Sun Indoor Championships.
Kendra Lobley enters the meet as the defending champion in two events. However, she will look to defend her title in just one event, the 5,000-meter run.
"Kendra is a little beat up and won't look to repeat as champion in the steeplechase," Taylor said. "She will run the 5,000 and face pretty tough competition from within her own team. I won't consider it a success or not a success with her if she wins or doesn't win."
Instead Taylor is looking for goals and certain marks to consider a success.
"We are looking for things other than that to evaluate her success on. She has other goals and is looking to accomplish those and that isn't dependent upon winning the conference championship."
Lobley enters the championship with the top time in the 5,000-meter run but the Lady Bisons hold seven of the top-10 spots. Madelin Talbert, Tessa Hoefle and Minna Fields each hold the following 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions, respectively.
Looking to repeat as an all-conference performer in the javelin, Taylor Mason enters the weekend with the second-best time this year. She posted a toss of 38.93 meters at the Vanderbilt Black and Gold Invite.
The Lady Bisons have several others who are highly ranked in the A-Sun this season including Katie Bunker who has the second-best time in the 1,500-meter run and the fourth-best in the 800-meter run.
Alex Newby owns the top-time in the 10,000-meter run. Her time of 37:42.92 was set at the Raleigh Relays. Teammates Renee Menzie and Missy Dowd are ranked third and fifth, respectively.
In the throws, April Terry is ranked second in the shot put with a toss of 13.5 meters and ranks fifth in the hammer throw with a throw of 47.53 meters.
"We have a great team environment," Taylor said. "People rally and we are known for our support for each other. No matter how we go about the conference meet, we want to score as many points as possible. We want to go to that next level – being aware of your position, getting another spot and gaining another second."
Events begin Friday at 8 a.m. with the women's heptathlon. The final event on Friday is at 7:55 p.m. with the men's 10,000-meter run. Saturday kicks off at 8 .m. with the men's decathlon and finishes up at 8:45 p.m. with the women's 4X400 relay.


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Hi All,
Posted below is an email I sent to City Council in Feb, 2005. To date nothing has been done to address the problems at the city licensed Venus Porn Theatre. Tomorrow I will post an email I received from a gentleman who attends the Venus and he lays out the problems--Jamie Lee.
February 26, 2005
Via Email
Councilor Tim Stevenson
Councilor Ellen Woodsworth
This is Jamie Lee Hamilton and I am officially writing to you regarding the mistreatment, abuse and violence occuring to drug addicted sex trade workers at the city licensed Venus Porn Theater located on Main street.
This issue of harm directed at the drug addicted girls who frequent the Venus theater was brought to the publics attention six months ago in a featured story of the Vancouver Courier paper. To date, nothing has been done and the women who use the Venus continue to be mistreated and harmed. What is distressing and disturbing is that the gay community who also use the theater for their public sex needs have taken to hurling abuse and making derogatory statements against the women on their gay message board--Squirt.org--which is owned by Pink Triangle Press. In fact, one of the most recent comments attributes drug addicted female sex workers with spreading Aids.
I also draw your attention to the following. The city has undertaken a campaign to close businesses in the Downtown Eastside for selling single cigarettes, stolen make-up and a couple of DVD players. In fact, eight (8) businesses in the Downtown Eastside since January, 2005, have had their business licenses revoked. In all of theses cases, considerable police and city resources were used to gather evidence. Yet it seems the city and police department are turning a blind eye to the goings on at the Venus, even though numbers of complaints have been registered.
It seems that class issues are at play in Vancouver. This is the most probable conclusion since the women at the Venus are drug addicted and engaged in the survival sex trade. While violence at the Venus Theater seems to be accepted and not spoken about, this raises very troubling concerns.
I had really hoped that the city and police had learned from the mistakes of the past involving the missing women's cases a number of years back, however, this seems not to be the case. One can only speculate as to why the city is throwing all its police and city resources into closing businesses which sell single cigarettes, yet can't seem to properly address the growing violence of females at a city licensed porn theater.
It should also be noted Councilors Woodsworth and Stevenson, that the escalating attacks appearing on local gay message boards against those involved in the survival sex trade and at the Venus theater is not acceptable. By not addressing these types of what can best be described as hate issues, one questions whether an escalation of this violence will happen as it did similar to the countless murders and victimization of sex trade workers in the downtown eastside.
This issue of anonymous assaults, victimization and violence needs to be made a number one priority of council and the mayor. Just asking for a report back is not satisfactory. Action needs to be undertaken now to ensure women in the survival sex trade at the Venus Porn theater are kept out of harm's way.
I await your response.
Jamie Lee Hamilton


text: Although Chayote squash are available during the entire year, the best time to find them is September through December when they have been freshly harvested. When selecting, choose those that are about 4 to 6 inches long and weigh no more than 4 ounces, with smooth skins that do not have blemishes or soft spots. The white variety of the Chayote is typically a little sweeter and contains slightly less moisture than the green Chayote. This squash will keep for 3 to 4 days when wrapped in plastic and stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.