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Think with Google
ShowHide project info
Think with Google is an annual one-day conference, offering insight and research into the future of Search Marketing from the world leaders in the field. This year's flagship event was held at Victoria House in London, with 250 guests attending a series of talks, workshops and demos from some of the top names in the search and tech.
Working with Amplify and a number of production partners, we developed an overarching look-and-feel for the event, from a logo lock-up through to final graphic application in the event space itself. This included animated screen content, wayfinding signage, print collateral, and email comms leading up to the conference. We also created a bespoke version of Google's Roboto font to add a unique flavour to the space.
Lead agency: Amplify
Production: Emote Studios | Rule One Productions


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Bygningspræmiering / Copenhagen Building Award 2019/
Since 1902 the city of Copenhagen has made an annual award for the best architecture of the year.
Finalists for 2019 have been selected and the overall winner will be announced at the city hall on 10 April.
There are now four categories under which designs are considered for the award.
New buildings and extensions of residential, commercial and cultural institutions.
Restoration, reconstruction, renewal and conversion of listed buildings and buildings worthy of preservation, renewal and transformation of cultural or architecturally valuable urban areas and conversion of other urban areas.
Refurbishment of apartments established in buildings that previously served other purposes.
Urban environments, such as squares, parks and facilities and gable decorations, signage and furnishings.

subset: commoncrawl


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When Saskatchewan Polytechnic developed its Aboriginal Student Achievement Plan in 2008, the institution set out ambitious goals for increasing Aboriginal student success. Today, provost and vice-president Dr. Anne Neufeld feels confident saying that the polytechnic is now a national leader in this area – while acknowledging that there is always more to do to eliminate barriers and support students.
From its campuses in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon, the polytechnic provides post-secondary education and skills training to more Aboriginal students than any other post-secondary institution in the province. In 2014-15, there were 3,500 Aboriginal students enrolled in Sask Polytech programs, representing just over 18 per cent of the student population.
That number has stayed consistent over the past few years, says Dr. Neufeld, reflecting the institution's success when it comes to recruiting Aboriginal students. What has changed are the numbers relating to student retention and graduation.
In 2014-15 the retention rate of Aboriginal students in multi-year programs increased 13 per cent
over the previous year.
There has also been an increase in the number of Aboriginal students finding employment in a related field after graduation, rising from 82 per cent in 2011-12 to 88 per cent in 2014-15.
Importantly, the differential between the graduate employment rate of Aboriginal students and the student population as a whole is shrinking: in 2012-2013, Aboriginal students lagged their peers by 12 percentage points, but in 2014-15, that had shrunk to six percentage points.
These successes are the result of a combined effort on the part of Saskatchewan Polytechnic's leaders to examine every aspect of the school and seek ways to make it more inclusive.
Far-reaching initiatives have included establishing an Aboriginal Student Achievement Plan Steering Committee, creating welcoming environments for Elders and students at Aboriginal Activity Centres, incorporating pipe and smudging ceremonies, hiring a director of Aboriginal strategy, raising the prominence of Aboriginal student advisors on campus and doubling the emergency bursary fund.
Next up on Dr. Neufeld's action list is implementing a new academic model that "indigenizes the curriculum." This will look different from program to program, but the ultimate goal is to ensure that all students are more culturally aware and sensitive to Aboriginal and Metis culture and traditions in the province.
She says that there are still many barriers specific to Aboriginal students, and she hopes that by collecting even more granular data the polytechnic will be in an even better position to target its support and interventions.
"It's getting the whole institute behind the students – whether it's an academic issue where we can offer additional support or if it has to do with childcare, transportation or housing. We want to help minimize these and other barriers that prevent our students from achieving their goals."
For more related to this story visit globeandmail.com


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Buy Latest Building Materials
Home >> Buy Latest Building Materials
Shanghai Katalor has 20 year experience of steel products manufacturing and exporting. Our cooperated customers come from countries and areas like South America, North America, Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. We sincerely service every customer. Whether you cooperate with us or not, we will provide the high-quality steel solutions for you.
Katalor unchangeable concept not only guides the development of every employee but also instruct our behavior. "Customers are always right, and we need to constantly improve ourselves." This motto inspires every Katalor member constantly innovating !
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Breath, voice, and self-compassion
I have spent the better part of this week thinking about what I want to share with you... I had high hopes for branching out into video, or recording a chant, or sharing one of the many messages I have embodied this fall... but every attempt has resulted in technology breakdown, procrastination, and inner critic yammering. So instead, I'm going to share with you this... It's ok.
It's ok that moving forward sometimes feels sticky and hard.
It's ok that best-laid plans wither and fumble.
It's ok that the universe seems to work against all your efforts sometimes.
It's ok that the obnoxious voice of "you're not enough" or "no one will like you" takes up residence inside your head some days.
It's ok that days go by when you find yourself lurking on Facebook for hours instead of completing the endless list of to-dos.
It's ok because you're human.
It's ok because reality happens and, as spiritual teacher Byron Katie writes, "when you argue with reality you lose, but only 100 percent of the time".
It's ok because to not accept that it's ok is to self-judge, self-shame, and stay stuck.
Surrendering to and accepting what is, whatever that might be, is the simplest (though not necessarily the easiest) way to move through it.
And it's ok because self-compassion allows the body to relax, the voice to release, and the spirit to soar.
So think of something you've been struggling with lately.
Let yourself fully inhabit the situation and speak aloud about it.
Notice your body, breath, and voice.
Then close your eyes and breathe deeply.
Inhale. I accept. Exhale. I surrender.
Inhale. I surrender. Exhale. I accept.
Inhale. It's ok. Exhale. I'm ok.
Repeat as needed.
Notice how your body, breath, and voice have shifted, and perhaps even your perception of the situation.
Then let me know what you noticed in the comments below!


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Nick cheers Colliers to victory
Nick Dunn, who endured a four-year ordeal in an Indian jail on weapons charges before being acquitted and returning home to Ashington in December, was at Ashington FC's match against Whitley Bay last weekend.
Sunday, 25th February 2018, 10:55 am
Updated Friday, 23rd February 2018, 20:15 pm
He and his family were invited to Woodhorn Lane as guests of the club and cheered the Colliers to a 3-2 win.
Nick said: "It was a tremendous victory for Ashington. They've been on a poor run this year but I honestly believed I would bring them joy and they would win.
"I'm definitely going to return to watch them. It's been a good day for my family and myself."
His sister Lisa, who campaigned tirelessly for his release, said: "A massive thank-you to all at Ashington FC for the invite.
"It's been a lovely day and it just reinforces all of the support the community have had for Nick, so we can't thank the club enough."


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A series of exciting events are being held in Stockton in celebration of Black History Month.
Stockton Council is working in partnership with Cultures Community Interest Company (CIC) and ARC to host a range of events in October celebrating the contributions and achievements of Black, African and Caribbean communities.
From Monday 13 October, Stockton Central Library will be running a programme of activities and exhibitions to commemorate the contributions of black communities to the First World War:
- Monday 13 to Saturday 18 October
Enjoy this film and picture exhibition about contributions of Africans and others to the First World War
- Wednesday 15 October
10am to 12pm Visitors will have the opportunity to learn to play the traditional African game, Oware
1pm to 3pm An afternoon of storytelling, drumming and poetry by Hilaire Agnama
- Thursday 16 October
1pm to 2pm Osun Arts Foundation present their African-themed show using traditional forms of African dance, acrobatics and costumes
The exhibition is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and has been coordinated by young people across the Tees Valley.
Stockton High Street will be also brought to life with traditional African performances on Thursday 16 October. 'A Taste of Africa' will take place on Stockton High Street from 12pm to 2pm and will continue at ARC on Dovecot Street from 6pm to 9pm, where there will be an evening of traditional performances, a fashion show, food, poetry and dance.
All events are free of charge. For more information please contact Tracey at Cultures CIC on 01642 605838.


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Back when I was in graduate school some colleagues and I were funded to conduct a survey of bicyclists residing in Jefferson County, Alabama (Birmingham) and Travis County, Texas (Austin). Rich data was collected on how, where, and why people ride in two areas with very different cycling cultures. I was able to write two of my dissertation papers using these data, and they were turned into manuscripts that have both been published.
The first, titled "Perceived Social and Built Environment Correlates of Transportation and Recreation-Only Bicycling Among Adults" was published in the CDC journal Preventing Chronic Disease. In this paper, we explored the association between perceived social and built environment factors, such as residential density, traffic safety, destination, connectivity, safety from crime, aesthetics, and bicycle infrastructure, with total, transportation, and recreation bicycling. We found that bicycling for transportation is associated with different perceived environmental factors than is recreation-only bicycling, with some significant modification by sex. The full paper, which is available via open access, can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/PCD/issues/2018/18_0060.htm
The second, titled "Bikeability: Assessing the Objectively Measured Environment in Relation to Recreation and Transportation Bicycling" was published in the journal Environment & Behavior. For this paper, we examined the actual rather than perceived environment in relation to domain specific bicycling. Specifically, we examined the association between objectively measured environmental variables and transportation and recreation bicycling frequency, and to develop transportation and recreation bikeability indices. We found that no objectively measured environmental variables were associated with recreation bicycling, but many were for transportation bicycling. The final transportation bikeability index included the combined effect of bicycle lanes, residential density, population density, ozone level, distance to transit, parks, and tree canopy coverage, and was found to have a significant direct association with any past-year transportation bicycling and transportation bicycling frequency. This paper requires a subscription to access, but can be found here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0013916518825289


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Songs we sang on Sunday:
- He is Our God,
- God Undefeatable,
- This is Amazing Grace,
- All Glory be to Christ, and
- On Jordan's Stormy Banks.
Scripture and Prayer:
Matthew 21:5, 8-11
"Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting,
"Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."
O Lord Christ, as you once entered Jerusalem, enter our hearts this day afresh.
As you once set your face toward death on a cross, help us this day to walk with you to victory.
As the people once cried "Hosanna" to bless you, enable us to confess you openly as Lord and Savior.
Grant us your presence by the power of your Spirit, that our worship and our lives may truly honor you.
We open our eyes to see your glory.
We open our ears to hear your wisdom.
We open our hands to offer you gifts.
We open our mouths to sing your praise.
We open our hearts to offer you our love.
Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!


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The work of our team concern messengers of receptors involved in tumor progression: growth factors of the family of EGF and neuropeptide VIP family. The four receptor tyrosine kinase family EGFR / ErbB activated in response to extracellular signals, cytoplasmic signaling pathways (MAPK, PI3K) regulating gene expression involved in the development, proliferation and cell differentiation. Overexpression of these receptors or their ligands, or the appearance of mutations in the kinase domain are involved in the development and progression of many types of human cancers (breast, colon, prostate ..).
Neuropeptides are molecules usually released by neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems and act as hormones, growth factors, neurotransmitters or neuromodulators. They bind to 3 membrane receptors of the family of receptors coupled to G proteins, called VPAC1, VPAC2 and PAC1. These receptors and / or their ligands (VIP / PACAP) are expressed in many types of cancer (lung, prostate, colon, astrocytoma, glioblastoma) where they participate in tumor progression. Receptors for VIP and those of the ErbB family, are known to be localized to the plasma membrane. Thus they constitute preferred therapeutic targets, and numerous anticancer strategies aimed at inactivating these receptors by blocking activation by ligand in the extracellular domains and / or inhibiting the associated signaling pathways. However, resistance mechanisms have been identified and could involve nuclear forms of these receptors. The four ErbB receptors have been observed at the nuclear level, either in whole form or in a truncated form, and this in many tumor models (colon, prostate). In the case of VIP receptors, some studies have shown the presence in their nuclei or nuclear membrane in lymphocytes but also in breast cancer and adenocarcinomas of the colon.
Our research team works on :
1) Gliomas, ErbB family receptor and VIP-receptor system: The EGF receptor (EGFR) is mutated or overexpressed in 20 to 50% of glioblastoma (GBM). The VIP-receptor system regulates the expression and EGFR transactivation different in cancers of the prostate, breast and lung. We study this regulation in GBM, and we focus more specifically on nuclear forms of the ErbB3 receptor and VIP receptors.
2) Prostate cancer, ErbB3, VIP receptor system and tumor progression: Nuclear ErB3 expression is associated with the progression of prostate cancer (CaP) but the mechanisms underlying this process are not known. Similarly, the VIP-receptor system has an oncogenic role found in cancers of the prostate in which it takes part in the invasion. We analyze the transactivation of ErbB3 ways by the VIP-receptor system and its relationship with tumor progression.
3) Comparative analysis of regulation by the VIP-receptor system of cell migration in PCa and GBM. In CaP, VIP-receptors induces migration system while it inhibits in cells of GBM. By transcriptome analysis we are looking for the expression of genes involved in these opposing responses.
4) Prodrugs targeting and isolation of new molecules with anti-cancer potential from natural products


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Browsing by Author "Aye Aye Khaing"
Now showing items 1-3 of 3
Impact of rapid Industrialization of Mandalay on Dokhtawady River Toe Toe Khaing; Myat Lay Nwe; Aye Aye Khaing; Tin Kyaw Oo; Thida Tin (Mandalay University Research Journal, 2015)Analysis of water quality is required for pollution control, the assessment of environmental impacts for human beings. In this paper, it is pointed out that how the effect of industrialization of Mandalay Industrial Zone ...
Investigation on the Enzyme activity of Taung- Thaman Lake soil Treated with water Hyacinth Fertilizer Aye Aye Khaing (Universities Research Journal, 2014)In this research paper, Taung-thaman Lake soil sample was collected from the place that is situated near Owe-bo village, Amarapura Township, Mandalay Region. Water hyacinth fertilizer was prepared with EM (Effective ...


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HighlightsAntananarivo | Andasibe Reserve | Lemur Island | Antsirabe | Lake Tritriva | Ambositra | Craft workshops | Enjoy some folk dancing and a traditional meal | Ranomafana National Park | Fianarantsoa | Isalo National Park | Mahafaly Tombs | Toliara | Nosy Ve Island | Lemur Park |
Description of Madagascar holidays, The lost continentMadagascar is one of the planets most unique island landscapes, with a thrilling level of biodiversity. Join an exciting 16-day small group tour of Madagascar that explores a range of beautiful national parks and other natural scenery.
From the capital, Antananarivo, youll drive to the nearby Andasibe Reserve where no fewer than nine species of lemur are found, their calls echoing through the forest. Keep an eye out for shy chameleons as well. Afterwards, in the spa town of Antsirabe, enjoy the cool climate that made it a favourite of colonialists and missionaries, perhaps taking a sightseeing ride in a pousse-pousse rickshaw.
The volcanic Lake Tritiva is surrounded by small villages where youll see rural Madagascan lifestyles first-hand, as well some traditional folk dancing. If you happened to pack any educational supplies, this is a great place to distribute them.
Learn about the devastating impact of deforestation on lemur populations as you hike around Ranomafana National Park, and admire the unique sandstone rock formations of Isalo National Park as well as one of the islands stand-out natural landmarks, the Grand Canyon. And when we say it's a stand-out, remember this is Madagascar we're talking about, so it's going to be pretty darned impressive.
Before flying back to the capital, there will be time for some swimming and snorkeling on the sacred island of Nosy Ve, over tropical reefs swirling with marine wildlife.
The landscapes of Madagascar are a riot of colours and sensations, and best-explored with a knowledgeable guide so you know exactly what you are seeing, hearing and smelling. For those interested in thoroughly exploring a true island paradise, this holiday is a must.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? firstname.lastname@example.com
Check dates, prices & availability
The leaders are not guides theyre not there to shepherd you around. Instead, theyll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food without running the risk of travellers tummy. Theyll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.
We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds and organised travel without the coaches. And its cheaper than a tailor made tour. Its sits somewhere in the middle and we think its just about right.
Have big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.
Make the most of your holiday time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!
Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.
If you dont have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels so you can squeeze more into your holiday.
Solo travellers whod like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those travelling alone. Single supplements are usually available providing privacy if you want it.
Less confident travellers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.
Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travellers their own room.
There wont be any free time
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.
The accommodation will be basic
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations wont have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.
I wont like the other travellers!
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic age, families, activity levels... Chances are, youll even make new friends.
Will we be following an umbrella?
Responsible tourism
Madagascar holidays, The lost continent
Carbon reduction
Your holiday will help support local people and conservation. We must also reduce CO2. Learn about the CO2 emissions of this holiday and how to reduce them.
During our journey through Madagascar we stay in predominantly locally-owned accommodation and employ the services of local guides within the parks we visit. The tour leaders are Malagasy, offering in depth insight into the local culture, great knowledge of wildlife and an understanding of the people which they will be happy to share with you.
In addition, the park fees we pay are used by the Malagasy authorities to fund and benefit the protected areas we visit. On one night of the tour we stay at a development centre close to the town of Ambositra in the highlands. The centre is part of the FJKM (Fiangonariny Jesosy Kristy eto Madagascar) church, established in 1973, and aims to educate the local population in practical topics from sex education to farming skills.
As well as financial support from our stay, there is the opportunity during our time at the centre to interact and learn more about the everyday lives of the local people. We limit the group size on this tour to 16 to assist in reducing both the potential negative cultural and environmental impact of our visit.
In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be Responsible in everything we do. Education is key and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. Were members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe its important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
As a company we support Cool Earth. Protecting rainforest is one of the most effective actions to tackle climate breakdown. Cool Earth work with indigenous communities empowering them to conserve their forest; keeping CO2 locked in.
8 Reviews of Madagascar holidays, The lost continent
Reviewed on 09 Sep 2019 by Eileen Massey
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I thought the whole holiday was really good - I suppose being lucky enough to see so many varieties of Lemur was the real exciting part.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared - as you said it is Full On - travelling a lot requires comfy clothes and patience on the sometimes slow routes and bumps.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Unfortunately I did not feel that - the only place which we knew to have a direct imput was at the Voteta Bungalows where we saw traditional dancing and made our donations for the children. We had hoped to meet the children or visit the school. However, I definitely did not enjoy the dormitory/lack of personal facilities and along with some of the other single ladies thought that we could have done the trip during the day and had, say lunch, visited the school and seen the dancing without staying there. Some of us thought making a separate donation and staying in an hotel would have been much better. The couple were given a private facility but still had to venture outside for the toilet and shower which they did not enjoy.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. Claude was excellent as was Michel and his assistant ?Sewa? Claude's knowledge and passion for his country and its flora and fauna etc. was outstanding. All the local guides were excellent. And being only 6 on the trip we got to see things a larger group probably wouldn't have done. The journeys were easier with less people and shorter stops for conveniences etc. Some of the hotels were excellent and some just ok - but all made us welcome and they were clean and comfortable. The food was interesting and normally good. Lots of lovely fish at Anakao.
Reviewed on 03 Oct 2018 by Margaret Lawlor
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I enjoyed the whole tour so it is difficult to identify any one memorable part. Walking the different environments (rainforest, mountains, national parks) and getting close to the animals in their natural environment, for example lemurs, birds, frogs, stick insects and chameleons. Travelling on a zebu cart to embark on a boat to Safari Vezo Lodge at fisherman village Anakao.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Would help to know a bit of French to be better able to communicate with the local people more easierly.
Most of the journeys are over long distances with some rough road so bring a cushion for extra padding to the seats.
There can be some powercuts occasionally so bring a torch which you will probably need walking out in the evenings anyway. I found my walking stick essential to help with some of the terrain.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We had opportunitites to engage with local people, rice farmers, cattle men and children and share items from our back packs/lunches such as sun cream, fresh water, food etc which was gratefully received.
There were limited opportunities to shop in the local busy markets due to the tight timetable, but entrance fees for the national parks etc went directly towards maintaining the parks and monitoring the wildlife. Money/taxes also went to towards the upkeep of the local communities.
There were opportunities to watch traditional crafts being made such as marketry and purchase items if wished.
As not all meals were included in tour so money was spend in various places throughout Madgascar on lunches/dinners and snacks. Presumably this benefited people being employed by those various facilities.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Great experience. Great and thoughtful guide Heri. Experienced driver Henri and Gaetan ensured we arrived at our destinations safely with all our luggage intact.
Reviewed on 19 Nov 2018 by Caroline Gibson
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
So many memorable and exciting experiences! Top of the list must be crashing through thick jungle to see the rare golden bamboo lemur and the greater bamboo lemur - at close quarters. And seeing the bizarre giraffe necked weevil! The guide at Ranamofana National Park (Theo) was quite outstanding - he could identify (and imitate) over 100 of the 120 species of bird. His local knowledge of the forest and its inhabitants was incredible, and meeting him will stay as one of the highlights of the trip. A close second is perching on the edge of a zebu cart heading into the water so we could board our boat to the beach hotel! The stay there was paradise after 10 days of non stop travel and activities. A wonderful way to unwind and reflect on what wed seen and experienced. Another exciting day was in Isalo National Park - a wonderful natural swimming pool and a very hot but worthwhile trek to see Madagascars version of the Grand Canyon. The saphire town of Sakaraha was unexpected - the local river full of people, young and old, sieving the soil from the near sapphire mines - backbreaking work for a meagre pay. Meanwhile those who had made it rich drove around in large 4x4 vehicles...
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Come prepared to see some amazing wild and bird life - and insects! The deforestation is heartbreaking as is the poverty, but the people are friendly and inquisitive. A strong bartering tactic is needed when visiting Lake Tritriva - the local vendors are persistent! Be prepared for some very early starts and long days on the road. The roads are better than expected though, and the traffic light - apart from Tana! The accommodation was also much better than expected. It ranged from basic dormitory to some very comfortable hotels. My favourite place was Safari Vezo hotel on the beach at Anako, an hour by boat from the nearest town. No running water and electricity only available from 6 - 10pm, but who needs modern comforts when you are in such a location!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
It benefited the locals in as far as they were being employed as guides, hotel staff and drivers. We did get some very interesting comments from a local guide about the real impact the National Parks have had on the local population, not as rosy as is made out, many promises broken or not fulfilled.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent. Our guide Hery was perfect, just the right mix of information on a daily basis, a sense of humour and the ability to be guide/accountant/doctor/personal shopper and general multi-tasker! Our group of 16 gelled well and we had many laughs together. I would though repeat past reviewers in commenting that it was quite cramped on the minibus (only one narrow overhead shelf for day bags, water etc) and a group of 10 would possibly have fared more comfortably on the long road journeys (sometimes 10-12 hours). Also the group of 16 had to be split into 2 groups for the National Park walks.
Reviewed on 24 Nov 2013 by Garry Crompton
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Visiting the rain forests! Breath taking in the early morning mist, the haunting lament of the Indri echoing across the hill side. The ever smiling children and vibrant colours at the local market places.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
It is not an 'easy' tour, lots of very early starts, long hauls over less than smooth roads and you will get a funny tummy!
But it's worth every dawn wake up and trip to the WC!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, I believe it did!
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A once in a lifetime experience to a country of extremes that will change rapidly and much of the wildlife and unique plants is about to disappear for good! Go while it's still there!
Reviewed on 23 Nov 2013 by Janka LACKOVA
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing lemurs, chameleons, birds, other creatures, the landscape - rainforest /though I didn't do walkings because of my broken foot/, desert, rice terraces, daily life of the malagasses,
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
I highly recommend Madagascar as a holiday destination, perhaps include some national parks in the north and west of the country
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, I think it did.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Because of my broken foot I couldn't see the highlights of the trip so is difficult for me to give any rate.
Reviewed on 25 Sep 2012 by Linda Brightwell
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing a lemur defecate on my husband whilst he was standing under it to take a photo - he had been warned. Otherwise, just the whole experience. The leader was fantastic, an enthusiastic, knowledgeable man with great people skills. He had a love of his country that shone through. I have been on many holidays both with this operator and other companies. I am convinced - as is my husband, that Rivo is quite the best we have met by far. He is simply outstanding.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The first 3 days are chilly and wet in the rainforest so bring waterproofs and something warm. The rest of the holiday was hot. Bring walking stick or poles as very useful where some paths are a bit difficult. Be tolerant of those begging, but don't give to them. Contributing to the local economy by buying local goods, even if you later give them away - they are very, very cheap by our standards - helps far more.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. The leader was very much in favour of education for local people and showed how tourisim, when not intrusive, was a very good way of getting across that there were other ways to make money than by cutting down the forest.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was educational and I enjoyed it very much. Whilst Rivo was the best leader we have ever had we did find local guides also excellent. The driver and his assistant were also friendly and very helpful. We had a different leader for 2 days towards the end of the holiday. He was also very good, though as we had bonded with Rivo we were very glad when he was able to rejoin us for the last day or so.
Reviewed on 02 Dec 2011 by Gill Ash
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing the lemurs and all the other wildlife and swimming in the natural rock pool. The speedboat ride to Anakao. Having a rescued lemur jump on my shoulder and lick my nose-such beautiful gentle creatures and so many more. The Malagasy guide Claude and Fi Fi and Damar the drivers couldn't have been more friendly, knowledgeable and hard working.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take plenty of suncream and deet. Some of the terrain was bit tricky in the heat and some of the older members of the group struggled at times-perhaps the activity level should be moved up one star.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I hope so. Our tips kitty was a good idea as the tips were allocate by Claude, so the porters, local guides and hotel staff all received a reasonable amount. I believe the tour operator supports the local community where we had our homestay.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I had a great time. The guide and drivers were fantastic and the group great. The accommodation was superb, much better than I expected.
Reviewed on 14 Nov 2011 by Roslina Rahim
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Crossing the High Atlas, walking in the valley of the Todra Gorge, the souqs of Fes Medina, the Djemma-El-Fna in Marrakesh's Medina, dawn camel ride in Erg Chebbi and watching the sun set on the ramparts of Essaouria.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Arrive a day early in Casablanca to visit the Hassan II Mosque.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Both our tour leader Ali and driver Ahmed were locals (they were both excellent) and we visited various local cooperatives/workshops and ate in local restaurants, so yes, I would say that the holiday benefited the Maghrebians. Our impact on the environment was possibly the least possible, considering that it wasn't possible to use public transport due to the distances we covered and the amount of time we did it in.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
The holiday was excellent. Maghreb is a beautiful country and there were some magnificent views on our travels. I had glimpses of the local culture as we walked in the various medinas and towns; and our tour leader was a fount of information on everything Maghrebi.
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Giving glory to God for what he has done in one's life means being absolutely honest about one's sins and failures, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.
"The practice of remembering our histories is not very common. We forget things; we live in the moment," the pope said Oct. 7 during his morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae where he lives.
"Each one of us has a story: a story of grace, a story of sin, a story of journey, many things," he said. "And it's good to pray with our story," to recognize our failures and how, despite our sin and infidelity, God continues to seek us out, call us back and offer his grace.
According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis focused his remarks on the example of St. Paul in the day's reading from Galatians 1:13-24. The apostle asks, "Why were we chosen? Why — he asked — am I Christian and that person, who has not ever heard of Jesus Christ, isn't?"
Paul's response, he said, is "it's a grace," "a grace of love." In the day's reading, Paul is honest about the fact that he had once persecuted Christians. The pope said he proclaims the greatness of God by honestly describing what that grace had to overcome.
"Remembering the sins that the Lord saved us from is to give glory to God," Pope Francis said. "We cannot pray each day as if we did not have a history. Everyone has one."
A Christian's relationship with God "does not begin on the day of baptism. That is when it was sealed," he said, urging those at the Mass to remember that God chose them and how they have responded — sometimes well, sometimes not so well.
He suggested people pray using the first verse of the day's responsorial psalm (Ps 139): "O Lord, you have probed me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize."
"This is prayer," he said. "To pray is to remember our history before God because our history is the story of his love for us."
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Upper : Black-winged Stilt (黑翅長腳鷸) ; Lower : Painted Stork (彩鸛)
Thailand (1997)
22nd August, 2009. Samsennai, Bangkok
Thailand (1997)
22nd August, 2009. Samsennai, Bangkok
Thanks Terdsak for this mail, the stamps on the cover issued more than 10 years ago and I collected them in block of 4 and mini-sheet after the issue day. The post office issued many beautiful bird stamps in the past 30 years include ducks, parrots and hornbills, unfortunately it hasn't continuous to issue bird stamps after 2001 and latest issue is Green Peafowl (綠孔雀), which issued on 2008.
This stamp set illustrates 4 species quite common to be found in wetland of Thailand. They also like appear on field and waterfront. Stamps shown the Black-winged Stilt in field and Painted Stork in wetland.


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|This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers or for which we receive a referral bonus. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Referral, Affiliate, and Advertising Policy
The Starter Series
This is the very first post in our starter series. This series of seven posts is meant to provide you with the basic knowledge and resources you need to understand what effective travel hacking means and requires. While we link to a ton of content in these posts (both ours and other sources), we recommend you still plan to move sequentially through the posts.
In this post, we provide a very brief introduction to "travel hacking" before explaining why Disney travelers should care about travel hacking, why Disney travelers actually have a leg up on other travel hackers, and why you shouldn't believe some common misconceptions about travel hacking.
In The Starter SeriesIntroduction to Travel Hacking Disney
Credit Cards, Credit Scores, & Credit Concerns
The Basics of Points and Miles
Signup Bonuses and How to Earn Them
Don't Panic Over Annual Fees
Some Rules You Need To Know
Your First Step To Travel Hacking
What is travel hacking?
As we use the term, "travel hacking" comprises the set of techniques that allow you to travel (by plane, train, automobile, or any other method), stay at hotels, and have tourist experiences at discounted rates, including for free.
In general, travel hacking can be broken into two sets of strategies. First, there are "points and miles" strategies that require you to earn and use points and miles for free (or discounted) flights, hotels, and experiences. This first group is what most people think of when they think of travel hacking, and it includes things like:
Second, there is everything else you can do to save on travel. We think this second group is incredibly important as well. And, more importantly, these techniques are available to people who may be nervous about using points and miles. In it, we include things like:
We cover both types of travel hacking on this site.
Why should Disney travelers care about travel hacking?
"When you are earning flights or miles, the first thing you should do is have a specific travel goal in mind," -Brian Karimzad, Director of Milecards.com
Disney travelers actually have a leg up on many new travel hackers because they already have a destination in mind. Whether it is getting a family of four to Disney World, or flying first class to Aulani for four nights, Disney travelers know what they want and can tailor their travel hacking to that goal. Effective travel hacking requires planning and effort. Planning is made much easier when you have a specific goal to plan for. And effort is so much more rewarding when you know what you're working toward.
What's more, Disney vacations always cost a premium over similar experiences (as if there are similar experiences). Travel hacking allows you to do Disney for less and gives you more flexibility with how you want to spend your money. For example, using basic travel hacking, you can choose between either just getting a free night at Disney or upgrading your room to club level, getting a free night, and spending the same as your original budget.
Some Quick Thoughts About Ways to Save
In our next post, we talk about some legitimate concerns you might have regarding points and miles, but throughout this series, keep one thing in mind: just because you can't use points and miles today doesn't mean you should abandon travel hacking.
For the most part, our starter series is only concerned with the points and miles aspect of travel hacking. While we think all readers should continue through this series, if you're looking only for discounts/deals content, we suggest starting with either our Walt Disney World Budget Planning Guide or our 53 Ways to Save On Your Next Disney Vacation.
Moreover, knowledge is power. In this case, knowledge is money and knowledge is travel. So take some time to learn. Even if you're certain you won't be using points and miles today, having a working understanding of the concepts can prepare you greatly for a future where you might be ready to take the leap.
Misconceptions About Travel Hacking
Here are many misconceptions that get in people's way and keep them from realizing the amazing (you might even say it's "Magical") world of travel hacking. We want to cover some of these in detail here.
Misconception: Travel Hacking Is "Scammy"
We didn't popularize the term "travel hacking," and we don't love it. "Mouse Hacking" is itself a silly-sounding name, we admit. But just because the term "hacking" is involved doesn't mean there's anything wrong here.
Let's get this out of the way – some people definitely push ethical or even legal boundaries in travel hacking. We don't advocate any of that. We never advocate anything illegal, and we always disclose any ethical concerns we have about tips and tricks. We don't use any tips or tricks we have ethical concerns about, but we let you know about them every so often.
The entire purpose of Mouse Hacking is to enable ordinary people to use points, miles, discounts and deals to get to Disney destinations through straightforward ethical strategies relying on careful financial planning. You're not going to have to put on a disguise and try and buy a money order at Walmart using your credit card.
Our advocated process for earning lots of points relies on using your ordinary spending to earn signup bonuses at a reasonable frequency. No, you're probably not going to get a million points this year using our strategies, but you also don't need a million points to take a great trip!
Misconception: I need To Fly A Ton For This All To Work
A while ago, when we had just started travel hacking, a friend of mine asked if I had any tips for getting to Hawaii, and I sent him a very doable travel hack for flying roundtrip to Hawaii in first class on points. His response was "I don't fly enough for that stuff." I let it go, but I shouldn't have.
So many people make this mistake, don't be one of them. You don't need to travel a lot to travel hack. In fact, travel hacking can be made easier by traveling less frequently. Let's go over a quick example.
Bad Ways To Earn Enough Points for a Roundtrip Domestic Flights
A roundtrip domestic ticket in the U.S. costs 25,000 miles in most situations. Here are some ways you could earn 25,000 United MileagePlus miles to get such a ticket:
Spend $12,500 on travel or dining on a Chase Sapphire Preferred
Spend $8,333 on those categories on a Chase Sapphire Reserve
Spend $5,000 on United flights
Fly roundtrip from US to Asia twice on a United partner airline
Wow. None of these are particularly appealing just for one roundtrip domestic ticket in economy. If you have a family of four, you'd need to multiply those numbers by four. But none of these is the best way to earn miles!!
Better Way: Spend $4000 to Earn Two Roundtrip Domestic Flights
The best way to earn United MileagePlus miles is through signup bonuses (covered in more depth in a later starter post). With a signup bonus, you get a new card and spend a certain amount within a certain time (usually 3 months or 90 days of opening your card) and you get a bonus amount of points. Here are our referral links (Updated Jan 22. 2018) for some relevant signup bonuses:
Chase Sapphire Reserve - 50,000 Ultimate Rewards Points for spending $4000 in 3 Months
United MileagePlus Explorer - 40,000 United Miles for spending $2000 in 3 months
Chase Sapphire Preferred - 50,000 Ultimate Rewards Points for spending $4000 in 3 Months
Both the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These can be transferred to partner airlines, like United. In our example, the bonuses for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve are enough for two roundtrip domestic tickets. Best of all, the Chase Sapphire Preferred's annual fee is waived the first year, so you really just get these points for free for spending the required amount!
Earning signup bonuses actually gets harder the more you travel hack. Depending on the exact card, you usually can't get a signup bonus if you have the card or have gotten a bonus for it within the last two years. And sometimes you can only get the bonus once in your life!
Other Misconceptions About Travel Hacking
Here are just a few other misconceptions about travel hacking (links are to our posts about them):
Credit card companies are stupid if they let this happen
Let's close by talking about this last misconception, because it's important for you to understand it before moving on to the rest of our starter series.
Misconception: Credit Card Companies Would Have to Be Stupid If This Works
Credit card companies are not stupid. Credit card companies enable travel hacking for a few very simple reasons. First of all, there are blogs and sites like this. Every person who successfully uses points and miles to their advantage is free marketing for the credit card companies. On balance, credit card companies probably lose money on us as customers in our current financial situation, but they get free marketing. We have no relationship with these companies except that we are their customers, enjoy their products, and receive referral bonuses for cards where disclosed in this blog.
Second, credit card companies know that not everyone who tries to travel hack will succeed. If you fail to earn a signup bonus, the credit card company risks very little in you as a customer. If you hold a card and pay an annual fee without getting sufficient value, the credit card company makes money on you. If you ever carry a balance on a card and pay interest, the credit card company makes money on you. Even if you earn a signup bonus, but you don't pay off the balance you ran up earning it, the credit card company probably makes money on you. If you redeem your points for cash back, statement credits, gift cards, domestic flights, or travel booked through the credit card company, the credit card company is...probably breaking about even.
Finally, no one knows what the future holds. Credit card companies might not make any money off of us as customers now, but what about when we have a child? Or when one of us has an emergency and needs to put a crazy amount on a card? Or if we lose our jobs? They might not make much off of us now, but if financial strain hits, they're going to be really happy we carry their cards and not someone else's.
This is all to say that if you understand what a credit card company is expecting to get out of this, you're less likely to make mistakes.
What's Next?
Hopefully this post has you interested in travel hacking and in saving on your Disney vacation. Next up, we have "Credit Cards, Credit Scores, and Credit Concerns" where we cover how travel hacking can impact your credit and how to decide whether to start using points and miles.


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Judging by the weather Venice was blessed with last weekend #octobersummer, it's hard to imagine that we are already in the midst of autumn. We're in for change ..
By now, you can see the first leaves of vite americana (Virginia creeper vine) in Venice turn red, a sure sign that temperature changes in the morning, with the cold breeze meeting the warmth stored during the summer months in the shallow water of the Venetian canals. Above you can see what I see, when I step out from the house and walk thirty steps, towards Rio de l'Osmarin. I took this image in the afternoon, when the sun had disappeared behind the buildings, leaving behind the warmth of a perfect summer noon.
Yet, the change in season is clearly visible at the markets in Venice as well, and of course, in the garden! We can now harvest the last of the lavender, while thyme, mint, and rucola are in bloom.
Autumn has always been nonna's favorite, she just loves the calm weather and the harvesting season! Ever since, for farmers in the Veneto, in rural parts and in the Lagoon, on the first day of November, a new year starts in the farming and agricultural cycles. In Venice, we live with the seasons, getting ready for this change by harvesting and drying herbs, as you can see above.
The autumn varieties of antipasti in the Venetian bacari and osterie take the culinary stage. It's so colorful around the bacari right now, so we just have to present to you two favorite cicheti (antipasti = starters) made from pumpkins. Recipes that usually don't make it into cook books.
Those colorful reds and glowing orange comes from the pumpkins, abounding at the markets and in the dishes served in Venice these days. Pumpkins have always been a favorite autumn vegetable growing south of Chioggia and the province of Rovigo. Seasonal produce now reflects the red leaves of the vite americana (Virgina creeper), which you can find so often in Venice. Below, you can see a nice one, growing on Campo San Polo
Image by Simone Granata, shared on Facebook.
As the herbs still look lush in the kitchen garden, we'll use plenty of them to enrich autumn dishes in a colorful way! For example, Venetians love cibo al cartoccio, baking fish, herbs, vegetables, and even fruit, in the oven. I added parsley, cicoria (chicory leaves), sweet potatoes, and a selection of mild spices whose effect it is to enhance the sweet-sour flavor of the pumpkin slices and the chicory. By the way, did you know that patate americane, as sweet potatoes are called here, grow in the Veneto near Vicenza?
So here's a favorite dish, made from ingredients from our garden kitchen that reflect the colors of the season.


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Higham Lane School Partnership comprises 11 partner schools across both primary and secondary phases. We offer both School Direct training and salaried programmes in collaboration with The University of Warwick, a Russell Group University rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted for both primary and secondary phases.
Higham Lane School is our lead school, a non-selective secondary in the top 5% of schools in the country. We are a close partnership both in terms of location and our approach to the training provision. Our partnership has an experienced team of mentors to support trainees and provide excellent in-school experience in a range of contexts.
All our schools are happy, caring and purposeful environments. Mutual respect and very clear expectations regarding effort, progress and behaviour are key to our success. Students get on exceptionally well with each other and with the staff. Achievement in all forms: artistic, academic, social, cultural, sporting and intellectual are equally valued.
Our partnership is more than just a place to work - it is a thriving community, proud of its past and confident in its future.
Secondary subjects include English, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, computing, geography, history, physical education, modern foreign languages, music and religious education.
A PGCE programme with QTS and Master's level credits with our HEI partner, The University of Warwick.
A training programme including sessions at university, Higham Lane School (Birchwood Primary, Polesworth for Primary trainees) as well as your placement schools.
On-the-job training approach working alongside experienced teachers to plan, deliver and evaluate lessons from the start of the academic year.
Expert and experienced subject and professional mentors to support and guide you through your training year.
Opportunities to work alongside other trainees to share ideas and experiences.
Teaching experience at 2 local schools with different educational settings.
Apply on the UCAS website. You'll need to register before you can apply.
For primary places the training provider is the CATS Teaching School training provider code 17B and the training location code is M Higham Lane School. The Primary schools offering training places are Milby Primary School, St. Nicolas Church of England Academy (this school is offering SD salaried as well as training) and Arden Forest Infant School.
For secondary places the training provider code is 2KZ for Higham Lane School Partnership.
The training programme code and relevant training location code for both primary and secondary can be found in the description of the course on the UCAS site and on our vacancies list.
Training vacancies: Secondary
Programme: School Direct Salaried
Programme Code: 39RS
Available from: 1 Partner School locations
Training vacancies: Secondary
Programme: School Direct Training
Programme Code: 39RJ
Available from: 2 Partner School locations
Training vacancies: Secondary
Programme: School Direct Salaried
Programme Code: 39RH
Available from: 1 Partner School location
Training vacancies: Secondary
Programme: School Direct Training
Programme Code: 39RL
Available from: 2 Partner School locations
If you are passionate about teaching, ambitious with excellent communication skills and a desire to influence and transform young people's lives then we hope you will apply for one of our programmes. Applications are via UCAS at www.ucas.com to see link above 'view all vacancies' for course codes and locations.
For more information contact Vanessa Domigan at firstname.lastname@example.com or telephone 02476 388123.


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This week on BTL, how shocked were you actually to hear that Joe Biden is the latest male politician to be inappropriately touching women? Like, on a scale of 1-I've seen 1000 pictures of him doing this? Plus, a shocking turn in the shocking story of a shocking decision to shockingly defund a program everybody basically likes for disabled people. And also a shocking story about polls. DRAMA AHEAD!
BTL #306 - Favorite Back Tattoo - 1/28/19
This week on the pod - good news, guys! We didn't need a border wall anyway! Plus, there is just so much about Roger Stone you didn't know, like how much he and his favorite back tattoo have in common! And we've got the 2020 updates you didn't hear about because, well, if a tree falls… P.S. Puerto Rico is still a place that exists to everybody that isn't Donald Trump. It's a place that needs our help. All this plus tons more on this weeks BTL!
BTL #304 - Peaches The Friendly Wall - 1/14/19
BTL #300 - Politicon 2018 / The Stress Is Getting To Us - 10/22/18
This week on the podcast, we celebrate a major milestone and we do it AT POLITICON. That's right, our 300th episode coincided with our favorite yearly gathering of shouting policy wonks and talking heads. Our thoughts on that, plus some polls and political shenanigans from the week in this very caffeinated special episode of BTL! Also Inside: our Cal Props Voter Guide.
BTL #294 - Brent's Back - 8/6/18
This week on BTL, Brent makes his triumphant return. (Remember him?!) We give the play-by-play of who's claiming they know the play-by-play of Don Jr.'s meeting with Russian officials, discuss the Kirstjen Nielsen "triumphant" trip to Puerto Rico to thank everybody for definitely not bungling the recovery efforts, and go deep into the Netroots-fueled 2020 speculation-mania! Plus there are primaries Tuesday, and don't worry, John Kelly's given up completely so his facial expressions will be around for years to come.
BTL #273 - Lizard Blizzard - 1/10/18
This week on BTL...we're back after a long winter break, during which we had time to relax, then speed-read Fire and Fury and obsess over every last detail. We bring all that directly to your ears! Plus, 2012 is back! Bachmann, Romney, Kucinich (okay, wrong year) oh my! All that plus destructive men and their destructive buttons, Lizard Blizzards, and more!
BTL #268 - You Don't Know What You Do Know - 11/13/17
BTL #266 - Un-Fat Media Children - 10/31/17
This week on BTL, giggle attacks try to thwart us from talking indictment, but we persevere! Plus, an update on the GOP budget situation, a look at some surprise turns for 2018, new sexual assault allegations abound, and we take a very important look at Donald Trump interacting with some kids in costume. Also: Puerto Rico has no power. Still.


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In political science, the first peaceful transition of power is a defining moment for a new democracy — it lends legitimacy to what was previously just the policy of a ruling party. The moment a new leader respects the status quo, democracy is solidified.
The same could be said for government programs transitioning to a new administration.
When President Barack Obama left office, there was some handwringing over what might befall his signature innovation initiatives in tech and science. And while the jury is still out on some (What, for example, is happening at the Office of Science and Technology Policy?), others are cruising right along.


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25 Sep EmPower Spotlight – Kayla Shively
Meet Kayla! We are featuring her for our EmPower Spotlight this week. Kayla has a fun, bubbly personality and she is awesome at everything beauty-related since she is a professional hair and makeup artist on the weekends! Keep reading to find out more about her!
How long have you worked at EmPower?
7 months last week! Though it feels so much longer. 🙈
What is your favorite thing to do when you aren't at work?
You can find me beautifying my beautiful clients and brides to be! Professional hair and makeup artist in the EmPower house! 🙌🏽💁🏻 Aside from my passion work…. I love spontaneous trips, usually to the mountains or the ocean. So thankful to have both so close to me.
What do you love about Portland?
Ironically what I love most about my city can only be felt, no words can describe it for me…
If you're a creator, lover, under dog and or a dreamer…. You know this place has magic ✨
Where can you be found on a Friday night in Portland?
Home prepping my kit for an early morning wedding on Mt Hood or off in 🍷country…
Where is somewhere you want to go but have never been?
I want to go ✈ EVERYWHERE. Traveling is my life's ambition… but I would love to start with tracking back to my family in Spain and Southern Mexico… family is everything and knowing where I come from would be truly humbling and grounding.
You have a week off from work and other responsibilities…where would we find you?
Whisked away in a cozy cabin with the warmest fireplace, the raddest collection of records to play, the whitest snow, a stack of books, endless amounts of cocoa and the most perfect view of Mt Hood…
I live a busy life with no days off, I crave to have time to disconnect to reconnect. 🙏🏽
Coke or Pepsi?
Favorite part of your job?
My crazy inspiring team… team work makes the dream work! 💪🏽
Favorite quote?
I have pages of favorites.
But what I live by daily, simply….


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It was the second day of the 2017 Round Lake Bow Camp. I was enjoying a cup of coffee and getting my gear ready for the days hunt when I heard Bill enthusiastically say, "Todays the day". I smiled, agreed, and stepped out of the cozy cabin to be greeted by the frosty morning air. Fresh snow had dropped the temp's over-night and it was a perfect day to be in the woods with the Deer Rut in full swing. Promise hung in the air like a snow laden pine bough.
The trusty Jeep jumped to a start and Bill backed out of the garage. I took a quick glance over the quiet lake and loaded up my bow and day pack. Before long, icy swirls of air reached around the wind-shield and into the open cab, reminding me it was late October. About a mile drive down the gravel cabin road Bill rolled to a stop at my drop-off, I picked up my gear, wished my hunting partner well, and listened to the five-speed work through the gears as the head-lights disappeared down the trail.
As I step into the deer woods the first few minutes are a spiritual pause for me. I take time to give thanks, worship, pray for my family, friends, and ask the Father's blessing on the day. It is humbling as well, knowing that my ultimate-goal is to take the life of a magnificent Whitetail. My eyes adjust to the blackness and I head up a path we call Ruby's Road.
A stand of Norway Pines I often hunt loomed up on my left, tall shadows against the first glimmer of light. I recall yesterday's still-hunt after my young buck encounter. I was slipping between these ancient guardians when I spotted a Doe moving through the trees to my left. I stopped, she paused to look my way for a moment and continued. Shielded behind the old-growth I pulled up to full draw in anticipation of the Doe breaking out to my right. I caught a glimpse of her gliding through the brush but she had angled well out of range. I released tension on my bow and stood for some time. My heart returned to its normal cadence. Another amazing close encounter.
I decided to walk past the silent towers and strike for the log I watched the Fork-Horn buck from the day before. I followed my tracks and was set up with plenty of time to witness the forest come alive with first light. After sitting for an hour, I decided to move to the opposite side of the clearing where another inviting downfall offered a view to the north. This proved to be a mistake. Another hour passed and my heart quickened when I heard the unmistakable sound of deer meandering through the woods. I strained my senses. Waited for an appearance. But to my disappointment the deer circled behind. Their presence faded West into Ruby's slough. I scolded myself knowing that I would have seen the deer if I had not relocated.
After pouting for awhile I checked my phone. Bill had a buck down! I collected my gear and struck out for the customary rendezvous and lend a helping hand. Another text came with a picture. Holy Crap!!! It was a big ole Swamp Buck!!! Bill's prophetic words from the morning deer-camp had been fulfilled, "Today's the day".
I was so happy for my hunting buddy. It was his first deer after a many year sabbatical from bow-hunting. When I came out to the road Bill was all smiles, waiting in the Willy's to spare me the mile walk to his downed deer.
Bill had made it to his stand in time for the sunrise as well. The Doe and yearling he had watched all season had not shown. It was a quiet start at the Hundred Acre Slough.
About the same time deer snuck in behind me, Bill noticed movement over his left shoulder. He cautiously turned to see a massive ten-point working a scrape line. The buck was fifty yards out but on the move towards his tree stand. At twenty-five yards the old warrior stopped and stretched up to sniff a scent wick hanging from a branch. This was the time. Bill knew he had to draw or the animal would soon be hidden in thicker cover and out of range. The old buck was quartered away hard, but there was a shot available. Instinct took over. The arrow was sent. Found its mark. The broad-head sliced through the liver, lungs, and heart. After running thirty yards the elegant creature fell on the logging trail. It was a beautiful animal that had seen many winters.
We had navigated the pot-holes and deep puddles of the logging trail back to the kill site. Bill backed the Willy's right up to the buck and commented with a grin that he planned it that way, after the nine-point I shot last year he and his brother helped retrieve over land and water a mile back in swamp country. (After that amazing, near-death experience, I vowed to quarter any deep-woods buck I kill and pack-em out on my back).
Bill had a way with words and some-how I found myself field-dressing the animal after his long absence from deer hunting, and a wry claim he was a little out of practice. But I didn't mind. I was so excited and having such a blast I jumped right into the task after we re-lived the thrill of 'Bloody Bill's' fine shooting.
After the dirty-work was done we lugged the trophy into the back of the Willy's and made the slow ride over the Swamp Road back to deer camp. It had been a good morning.
Bow hunting with friends is a rare opportunity. Words fail to capture the emotion, satisfaction and deep abiding joy of the adventure. It is a privilege we all hold dear to our hearts. Lets be thankful for the rich public wilderness lands we have, cherish the hunting moments, and thank God for the friends we share them with. It is a treasure few experience.


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Highlights and Inclusions
- Explore four UNESCO world heritage sites of the Golden Temple Dambulla, sacred city of Kandy, Sigiriya and the old town Galle Fort
- Experience superb scenery, shimmering paddy fields, rubber and spice plantations, verdant tea estates, swaying coconut groves, and exotic wildlife
- Guided tour of the 5th-century Royal Palace and Citadel at Sigiriya Rock plus a guided climb of the rock
- Visit Kandy and see the Temple of the Tooth, said to house Buddha's tooth, plus visit the stunning Royal Botanical Gardens
- Guided tour of the local tea-growing areas in Nuwara Eliya with a Ceylon tea tasting
- Visit feeding time at the Elephant Transit Home, where elephant orphans are looked after, before being re-introduced to the wild as endorsed by the Born Free Foundation
- Enjoy a 4x4 drive in Yala National Park, famed for its wildlife
- Relax with two days on one of Sri Lanka's idyllic tropical beaches
- A welcome dinner on the first night to get to know your travelling companions
- Services of our experienced tour manager
- Return travel from the UK with transfers to and from the hotel included
- Hand-picked three and four-star accommodation including all local taxes
- Daily breakfast and dinner for 2019 departures
- Daily breakfast and 8 dinners for 2020 departures
- Departures up to October 2019 & January to October 2020
- The price of this holiday is per person, based on one person in a double/twin room for sole occupancy. Price includes scheduled flights to Colombo, eleven nights' accommodation at three and four-star hotels, all transfers, eleven meals, all local accommodation taxes and all flight taxes, all touring as mentioned, hotel porterage of one item of luggage per person and the services of a Riviera Travel tour manager.
- Included excursions are guided visits to the Elephant Transit Home, Sigiriya Rock, Dambulla cave temples, Kandy city tour and Botanical Gardens, Kandyan dancing, visit to a tea estate and spice garden and 4x4 jeep drive in Yala National Park, Galle city tour
- Not included: Sri Lankan visa
You will be met at the airport by a member of the team before your flight to Colombo.
We will arrive around lunchtime and transfer to our excellent hotel, the four star Jetwing Lagoon. We will have plenty of time to freshen up, relax and use the hotel's facilities this afternoon before our Welcome Dinner at the hotel where we will get a chance to chat with fellow travellers and our tour manager.
Today our adventures truly begin as we head through the lush countryside to the amazing 2000-year-old cave temples of Dambulla. Incredibly preserved frescoes and scores of serene Buddhist statues will give a genuine sense of awe. We continue to Habarana where we will stay for two nights at the four-star Habarana Village Hotel by Cinnamon.


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Members can select a time by clicking next to the Clock Icon, and selecting from available times (as allowable based on configuration). To select a location for delivery, Members will tap next to the Location icon, and enter location (ie - Pool), and then will click Done when finished.
The Notifications section allows Members to decide how they would like to be notified when their order is ready. Members may choose not to receive a notification (None), to receive an SMS (Text Message), or an Email notification. Member's contact information will automatically populate into these fields based on Member Profile in Office, however, may be edited if desired by tapping on the information to edit. When finished, Member will select Place Order.


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Harvard University Accepts SymNet
Cambridge, MA (May 30, 2006)--In one of the primary lecture halls at the JFK School of Government at Harvard University, a recent audio system upgrade is making it easier for everyone to participate. Adtech Systems, a Wayland, Massachusetts, AV systems integrator, installed a new zoned, mix-minus microphone/loudspeaker system that improves the ability of everyone in the classroom to both speak and be clearly heard. The project was headed by Adtech's design engineer, Michael Merrill.
While a similar system had been in use since the hall was last upgraded in 1990, it was not sophisticated and often malfunctioned. The existing loudspeakers and microphones were no longer performing well, and the school's directors decided a new sound system was a high priority. Their goal was to ensure that students would be able to focus their full attention on the dialogue and discussion processes, rather than constantly dealing with the mechanics of audio technology.
The focal point of the hall's new audio system architecture is a SymNet DSP Audio Matrix from Symetrix. The digital signal processing, mixing and routing system manages the complex task of distributing audio from 52 microphones to some 120 loudspeakers. The mix-minus configuration allows a speaker's voice to be routed from the microphone to all speakers in the hall, with the exception of those in the speaker's immediate vicinity.
Employing two SymNet 8x8 units, four Break-in 12 devices and two Break-out 12s, Merrill was able to configure a solution that established 27 loudspeaker zones, and the ability to route microphone audio to the appropriate zones.
"SymNet was the only cost-effective way to juggle that many inputs and outputs. It was the best choice to create a large matrix, mix-minus system that eliminated the possibility of feedback to the speaker's vicinity, but allowed voice to be sent to the other 26 of the 27 zones in the hall," said Michael Merrill, the Adtech engineer who designed the solution. Using SymNet, Adtech was able to replace a mechanical, analog system in the hall that employed no zoning, but rather doorbell-style relay buttons that could be pushed by the speaker to activate the microphone and mute the loudspeakers in his or her vicinity.
SymNet's internal architecture was essential to deploying a system that could handle such a large number of inputs and outputs, Merrill said. "One of SymNet's most helpful features in this application was having the proprietary SymNet buses that could be assigned to either send or receive," he says. "We needed a lot more than the 32 inputs that a CobraNet configuration would allow. Using SymNet's SymLink communications feature we can have up to 64 buses of any combination."
In addition to routing audio from microphones to the loudspeaker zones in the tiered, theatre-style seating lecture hall, SymNet also is configured to send audio to recording devices. With the new SymNet-based system, up to one-hundred students can now have much quicker and easier exchanges, without having to worry about the possibility of feedback or managing a clunky microphone-muting system.
Other equipment used in the renovation were Tang W3-594S three-inch shielded loudspeakers, Audio Technica U891R boundary microphones with a push to talk switches, and Shure MX418C gooseneck mics. And while all of this gear was an essential part of the audio system upgrade, SymNet was the link in configuring the system to meet the lecture hall's unique demands.
Noted Merrill, "From a programming standpoint, SymNet was easy to work with. It's drag and drop GUI is very easy to program. We were pleasantly surprised. But the real advantage was that SymNet helped produce great sound quality in the hall."


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The Ooni of Ife will be visiting the Michael and Cecilia foundation Agbarha-Otor, Delta State, on the 7th and 8th of May, 2018.
Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, will on this visit commission the Michael and Cecilia Foundation Demonstration Schools, Michael and Cecilia Foundation College of Education and Michael and Cecilia Ibru University structures. Among the structures to be commissioned are the MCFDS administrative building, new road, classrooms and laboratory. He will also be commissioning the MCIU radio station, hostels, Power of Faith Building, NIIT building and MCIU JAMB centre.
The Ooni is the traditional ruler of Ile-Ife, a town which is seen as the cradle of the Yoruba people. This dynasty goes back hundreds of years and all Ooni are traced to Oduduwa, who is the ancestral father of the Yoruba people. The present Ooni his Imperial Majesty Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, is at 44 years old the youngest Ooni ever. He was born on the 17th day of October 1974 to the family of Oluropo and Wuraola Ogunwusi of the Giesi Royal House, his father – Prince Ropo is a radio and television presenter and anchor.
The Ooni, attended the Loyola college, Ibadan and later St. Peters Secondary School, Ile-Ife. He then proceeded to The Polytechnic, Ibadan where he bagged his Higher National Diploma in Accounting. A member of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), The Institute of directors among other bodies, the Ooni is also an entrepreneur and philanthropist. The Ooni is a director on the board of Directors of Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Limited and The Chancellor at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The Ooni is loved and highly respected by the people of Ile-Ife.
The Ooni will lay a wreath for the late Olorogun Michael Ibru,OFR.


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Lot is a little bit of a 'rattle-brain', but this can be very handy indeed! Because she's hollow, you can store little thingies inside her. She will guard them with her life!
Lot is made of terry cloth and cotton.
Brothers and sisters of Lot can be found in any colour.


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Kowalah Kids Review - KidZania London
In today's post we continue our Kowalah Kids Review blog series. In this series we get a kid's eye view of the best of the Cotswolds' activities and provide advice and suggestions along the way.
This week our mini-reviewers visited KidZania London - not strictly a Cotswold destination, but definitely within striking distance for a day trip, and definitely worth the journey as we'll find out.
Our reviewers today are Matilda (10), Monty (8), Herbie (8) and Dixie (6). They were chaperoned by their parents.
What is KidZania?
KidZania is an indoor city, run by kids aged between 4 and 14. Imagine a world where every job is performed by children rather than adults! Whether it is the hospital, the fire service, the estate agents or the courier service - every role exists as its own activity that a group of between 4 and 15 kids can engage in for around 20 minutes. Your visit lasts 4 hours, and with a bit of food and wandering around you'll expect to complete around 5-7 activities during your stay in the City.
What happened when you arrived?
"There was a massive aeroplane sticking out of the wall!" says Matilda. "We had to go underneath it and then go up loads of escalators to go to a check in area."
"A man gave us a watch thingy," adds Dixie. "We all had one on our arm which meant if we got lost our family would know where we are. It wasn't heavy."
"We also got given a hairnet," says Monty "which was for if we did any cooking. Oh and we got 50 Kidzos which is the money they use in the city. We could earn more Kidzos doing jobs and we could spend it in the shop at the end. If you get 75 Kidzos then you can go to the bank and open a bank account."
What activities did you do?
The four kids were left to their own devices to start with and headed off as a four. After 10 minutes though it was decided there was too much choice and they couldn't decide what to do all together and so they split up into girls and boys.
Dixie dives right in, "My favourite was the Smoothies!" This was an Innocent Drinks sponsored smoothy store where kids can get involved in how smoothies get made. "We turned a wheel and tested a smoothy!"
The boys headed over to a Renault sponsored racing car garage. "We learned about different engines," says Monty. "We learned about ICE cars [internal combustion engine!] and electric cars. Electric cars need to charge over night. I liked that I could do the activity with my brother as we didn't know the others."
"Then we went to the racing car," continues Herbie. "We could take the wheel off and put a new one on. It was cool!"
They moved onto the Pokemon animation studio where they spent 20 minutes learning how to create their own stop motion animation film in a mini-studio. "We had this man, and a rock and Pikachu ran up the rock to the man and the man ran away." says Monty. "It was my favourite activity"
Meanwhile the girls were earning money at the hotel, "We went into a hotel room with a lady, it was us two and another two girls" says Matilda. "We had to memorise where everything was in the room, and then we went out and she messed everything up, she threw everything around, the bedsheets were on the floor and we had to count to 20. Then we go in and have to try and remember where everything had to go. We earned 6 Kidzos."
As the day progressed the mini-reviewers signed up for jobs that sent them all over the city. First the boys took a job at the bank vault - and were provided with a list of three shops to head off to to deliver cash reserves. You can imagine them dressed up like a Securitas delivery person with stab vests! "We had to go to Hamptons, H&M and the bank" says Herbie "We had gold bars to give to the shopkeepers and they signed our paper."
"We did window cleaning" adds Dixie, "We earned 12 Kidzos which is the most you can earn. It was quite easy though."
The reviewers came together for their last activity of the day "We did a courier service," says Matilda. "We had to deliver boxes to different shops. Dixie pushed the trolley and I asked people to sign the form. We had to go to the newspaper, then to the K-Mart, and finally to H&M recycling. The boys had to pick up human blood from the children's hospital!"
In the video below Dixie heads off on her delivery round....
Would you like to go again?
"Yes! I didn't get to make chocolate" says Herbie who missed out on the Cadbury's shop. "I want to do the fire engines and the climbing!" adds Monty, "the queues were too long for them."
The collective reviewers called out drumming, being a pilot, dance academy, and the theatre as activities to do next time.
Any advice for other kids?
"I would go with one of my friends!" says Matilda. "I think it would be easy deciding what to do with my friend because they could choose one and then I could choose one. With siblings you fight over what you want to do, but with friends you can make an order."
We started our booking at 11.30 which meant that hangriness (hungry + angry) kicked in around 13.00 so we stopped for some lunch at a pizza and pasta shop in the city after which normal service resumed. "We should have started earlier," says Monty. "Then we could have carried on doing activities and had a proper lunch afterwards."
The details for parents
KidZania was a hit - we had high expectations on arrival but even they were totally exceeded within 90 seconds of being in the building.
You book online at the KidZania website. Depending on the date and time kids tickets are around £25 and accompanying adults £16 each. We said numerous times as we went round that £25 per child was extremely good value for the 4 hours of activity they get.
KidZania is situated in the Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush, easy to get to via either the M4 or M40 and with loads of cheap parking - a full day for £8. In addition, if your kids are over 8 and are happy, you can put them into KidZania solo and spend the time shopping and just pick them up at the end. We'd only recommend this on a second or third visit as you'll want to experience the magic yourself at least once!
The earliest slot you can get is 09.30 - if you can bear the early start in the car we'd recommend getting in for that 09.30 or 10.00 slot as you'll have less queues towards the end of your session.
The biggest queues were for the most visible activities - British Airways pilots academy, the fire station and the climbing wall. If you get in early do these first and get them out the way before it gets busy.
That said, our reviewers had most fun with activities they initially dismissed - they loved the courier service and the bank vault as it gave them responsibility to head off on their own.
Our one negative was the build up to spending their Kidzos at the end. The kids are advised that they earn their money and at the end they can spend them in the shop - there were only two items available when we visited - a wooden necklace and a colouring book. We opted to bring our Kidzos home and use them next time to open a bank account.
You can plan your visit early by reviewing the online map. With so many activities this is a day out you could definitely repeat two or three times.
We hope you enjoyed this Kowalah Kids Review. If you've been somewhere great recently, or run a great kids activity and would like a kid's eye review let us know!
About Kowalah
Kowalah is a mobile app delivering On Demand Childcare across the Cotswolds by connecting parents with local babysitters and providers of childcare. Parents are connected with up to 5 available Kowalahs in 15 minutes giving them speed and flexibility. All Kowalahs have been interviewed and referenced providing parents with peace of mind.


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Inspiring Women Making their Mark on The Tech World
Tech-focused jobs have become ever more of a focus in our dynamically changing economy. From people who write code to people who work on the customer service end of tech companies, the jobs are wide-ranging and diverse, with appeal for people with any number of skills.
But what tech has always struggled with is attracting women to its fold. Part of that is historic: For decades, if not centuries, certain fields—and even working in general—was prohibited by women. But leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math fields—commonly referred to as STEM—have made strides in integrating women into essential roles in those fields.
The number of women in tech fields varies by job, of course, as well as regionality. But what many people are realizing is that providing young women with a set of mentors and role models is a great way to help them imagine what a career in tech might look like.
Author Name: Reanna Miranda
Bio: Reanna is the Senior Manager of Digital Strategy & Demand Generation at AppDynamics. She is a marketing professional with over eight years of experience executing marketing strategy and demand generation initiatives for fast-growth/start-up B2B technology companies.
@SheCanCodeHQ are building a product to empower women to navigate their careers in tech. What would you value most? #riseandshine17— SheCanCode (@SheCanCodeHQ) 2 November 2017