text:
Friday, December 15, 2006
Ko Libong, Hat Yao
Most of this page was written after my first visit in March/April 07. I've added UPDATE DEC 08 sections after my revisit this month.
Umm - my Dec 08 shot is not quite as aristic as opening pic. Note the swing is actually in front of Le Dugong Resort which is adjacent to Libong Beach Resort.
I've seen several reports saying the Trang mainland coast has some really nice beaches and places to stay, so after Ko Ngai, I decided to check out Hat Yao, which reads up pretty well in LP.
I decided to stay at SINCHAI'S CHAOMAI RESORT which is a few hundred meters short of Ban Chao Mai. The minibus packed with locals actually detoured off the main road and bounced down the bumpy dirt track for about 400 meters to drop me at Sinchai's entrance. Not bad service. Note that Sinchai's beach is actually Hat Chao Mai - proper Hat Yao starts just north of the cape Sinchai's is nestled against and runs for 5 km further north.
Sinchai's has a great location, set in a partly treed area between the beach and the 100m+ karst cliffs of the Cape. In many respects it is like a mini Railay.
Sinchai's from the Lipe - Phi Phi Tigerline ferry. You can see my beachfront bungalow furthest left abt 35% across shot. They don't come much more beachfront than this. Railay-like karst headland extends maybe 800m north with a couple of nice coves. Looooong Hat Yao beach, part of the mainland National Park, starts the other side.
People are always asking for a laid back bungalow right on the beach, something not all that common in the popular holiday spots. Well, you have it here folks - the front steps of my Sinchai bungalow were 2m from the water at high tide. The adjacent bungalow had the water lapping the steps, even a few sandbags as protection. As the tide drops, a lovely sand spit gets exposed which widens to about 100m at lowest tide. This beach area continues south in a gentle blind curve for about 600m to the Ban (village). In the north it ends up against the rocks of the Cape just past the bungalows. Despite the wide beach at low tide, I didn't have to go too far out for water deep enough to swim laps. The sea was very clean here. There was a fair bit of longtail traffic going around the Cape, but the noise didn't bug me too much.
If you wade around those rocks of the Cape at low tide (knee deep the day I did it) you reach after about 400m a lovely "hidden beach" called Hat Apo cut into the Cape and backed by towering limestone cliffs. This is about 200m long and has some small caves in back. At high tide you would need to be a good swimmer (there is a bit of a tidal current running around the Cape) or use a longtail, and there would only be a small amount of sand at the back of the beach above water. Note there is a smaller beach before you come to Apo.
My beachfront bungalow at Sinchai's was a typical wooden job with verandah looking out towards the rugged hills of KO LIBONG, about 5 km offshore. It wasn't huge, but had enough room for two and their gear, a pretty comfy bed with rather flat but okay pillows, the usual separate bathroom etc. The place was clean. Price was a bit contentious - Sinchai's missus wouldn't budge from 500 baht. Okay, this bungalow was the equivalent of 300 baht jobs elsewhere, but what price do you put on absolute beachfront location? Hard to say - my Ko Chang (Andaman) bungalow was beachside (but not as close to the water), was nicer and was 250 baht. But it had more competition - the only other place in the Yao/Chao Mai area is HAT YAO NATURE RESORT with fairly big and very closely spaced aircon bungalows for 800, right in the Ban. The Ban is daggy.
Sinchai also had some 300 baht bungalows back from the beach, but these were dark unscreened boxes.
UPDATE Jan08 - I recently read that Sinchai has put in a few aircon bungalows.
UPDATE DEC 08 - a Canadian guy I talked to on Libong stayed with Sinchai a few days in one of the newer "apartment" rooms - which he bargained down to 250. This was shoulder season late Nov.
Sinchai's restaurant is the usual open-sided job with sea views. LP raves about the food and I reckon it was pretty good But I find the stuff at Thai roadside food-stops been stewing there since Paris Hilton broke into videos is pretty good, so what do I know? Prices were towards the lower end - curries at 60, American brekka at 60 and large Changs not quite so good on 80. Service was friendly - note they wait for you to go ask for the menu and to put in your order.
Sinchai offers some pretty good long tail daytrips - 500 per person to Muk including the fabulous Emerald Cave and nearby snorkeling islets. I think it even included Ko Kradan. It's a fair haul to the north to Muk and Kradan is further to the west. 2 Brits returned late my first day from the trip and said it was fabulous.
Note this couple and a German guy looked like he'd been staying there the past 10 years were the only westerners I saw at Hat and Ban Chao Mai.
UPDATE FEB09 - unsubstantiatedmusings was less impressed with Sinchai's than me. Women travelling alone particularly should check her detailed input near the foot of this page.
UPSDATE AUG09 - I just stumbled across this report from Hans Meier who seems less gruntled with Sinchai's too.
Michael Weitzman who runs and adventure company out of the Ao Nang area and the Ko Laoliang Resort tells me Hat Yao may soon have some CLIMBING...."i have spent a bit of time at Sinchai's. In fact, we have brought up the idea of putting up some climbing routes near his place sometime in the near future (which he seemed very excited about)".
I had a wander around Ban Chao Mai, and frankly it is dire, way worse than the average fishing village with even more discarded boat and vehicle junk scattered around, heaps of household rubbish, used fuel cans, old fishing nets, dirty mud flats at low tide and hot and dusty away from the beach because it wasn't catching the sea breeze enjoyed by Sinchai's over near the Cape. There were a few small eats joints/stores plus Hat Yao Nature Resort which had a nice enough dining area out over the water on stilts with pleasant views of the sea and Libong in one direction and the crummy fishing village in the other. They sure do nice banana shakes. A short distance to the north was the new pier which is used by the National Parks boats and a big charter ferry which does daytrips out to Kradan. The long tail taxis to Libong leave from the beach on the village side of Nature Resort.
The ferry is tied up to Hat Yao Nature Resort's rather nice deck area over the water at Ban Chao Mai. The Libong public longtails leave just to the left. Note the karst landscape which is almost Railay like across near Sinchai's (image trangsea.com)
Somehow I was a bit less than whelmed with Hat Yao/Chao Mai. The area immediately around Sinchai's was very nice and Sinchai's itself was a pretty good place apart from the bungalow price. But once I had checked the beach and Cape I got a bit bored. I've seen Muk/Emerald Cave and certainly had no wish to spend time hanging around the Ban. No problems - plenty of places I stay are pretty quiet in themselves but okay as a base to explore a bigger area, so I decided to spend my last 2 days in Thailand bicycling the coast to the north, much of which is National Park. Bad news - Sinchai's bicycles had been broken by tourists (what's new - what do you guys do to them? I got 2 bikes at home do several thousand km a year and they are in great shape). Sinchai had motorcycles for hire, but Honda step-thrus don't particularly arate my exhil. On the other hand that big rugged island out there was beginning to look more and more interesting. So I packed my stuff and headed for the Ban and a boat to Ko Libong.
LATEST UPDATE - wonderingstar2 stayed at Sinchai's and had a real good look around the Hat Yao area in early 2011. ww2 was less than impressed with Sinchai's place and has some good info about alternative accommodation, eats in the area. Info, pix and maps HERE.
Easiest access seems to be via Trang - the same minibus station that handles arrivals from Pak Meng, the main pier for Ko Ngai also has the public minibuses for Hat Yao. Most local trips around Trang are done by minibuses - there are several minibus stations depending on the destination. If you are coming from downtown Trang it is about 2 km from the station area on the main road north to Krabi - a short cheap motorcycle taxi ride from the railway station (although apparenty the minibuses will call in at the travel agencies opposite the railway station if they ring to say they have customers).
The minibus station is a very short motorcyle taxi trip from the Trang bus station - easily walked if you have a map of Trang.
The actual destination for the minibus is Ban Chao Mai which is a few hundred meters south of the Cape. This fishing village is the departure point for Ko Libong.
There doesn't seem to be any public transport directly along the 30 odd km of coast between Pak Meng and Hat Yao, thus the need to go via Trang (although see Tigerline below). The minibus fare from Trang to Ban Chao Mai was 100 baht in 2011 and the trip takes around 50 to 60 minutes.
I'm not sure about airport arrivals. The four times I've used the minibus it didn't go near the airport. There are travel agents there who will give you best info, but it may be a case of going into Trang.
If you are coming from Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi, Lanta, Ko Ngai, Ko Kradan*, Ko Laoliang, Ko Lipe, Ko Andang a good option would be Tigerline ferry which uses the pier at Ban Chao Mai as a staging point to swap ferries from the northern islands to those south. See link at the foot of the page.* Wally from Paradise Lost at Kradan told me Tigerline sometimes by-passes Kradan.
Image - trangsea.com - Ko Libong Beach Resort and Le Dugong are just north of that TRIANGLE for Langhow Village bottom left of map. There is one continuous beach stretching from adjacent to the tip of the ARROW, right around to the bottom STAR representing Libong Nature Beach Resort.
Ko Libong is the biggest of the Trang islands, and along with Ko Sukorn, the least touristy. There are only 3 resorts, spread along a nice beach approximately 3km towards the southern end of the west coast. Ko Libong Beach Resort and adjacent Le Dugong are towards the northern end and Ko Libong Nature Resort is around the curve of the beach past the fishing village at the far southern end. This is a place you come to to swim, lie on the beach, snorkel, maybe take a walk along a rainforest lined road or thru a fishing village - and just relax. There are no tourist restaurants or bars outside the resorts. The resorts can arrange trips to adjacent Trang islands, nature excursions and diving.
Libong has a big advantage over Ngai, Kradan and Muk of frequent public longtails to the island rather than a once or twice a day expensive longtail from the resort (Muk also has a few public ferries to the town pier). The Libong longtails tend to leave when there are sufficient passengers, which means you may wait for up to an hour, but it's nice to know you can lob anytime in daylight and early evening and get to the island cheaply. We are talking 50baht (DEC 08 - still 50), and the trip takes 20 to 30 minutes. Motorcycle taxis around to the resorts on the west coast take around 15 minutes and are another 70 baht (DEC 08 - 100).
There was no public boat about to leave when I wandered around from Sinchai's, but a couple of guys were loading water and booze onto a longtail. I asked them if they were going to Libong, and if so anywhere near Ko Libong Beach Resort. Hell, one of the guys OWNED the resort. They took me across for 100baht which saved me a bit of dough, a lot of time and allowed me to see the north-west and much of the west coast of the island from the water, which the public boats heading for the main pier miss.
The western half of Ko Libong is mountainous, covered with rainforest and has some really nice beaches. LIBONG BEACH RESORT has one of these all to itself (UPDATE DEC 08 - not any more, Le Dugong is right next door and I found Ko Libong Nature Resort's location is actually right down the south end around the curve of the beach past the village, about 2km away), facing north-westward with excellent sunsets and views of Kos Nok Rok, Kradan, Muk, Ngai, and even mountainous Lanta way up to the north.
That popular guidebook describes this as a mid range resort, and the elevated beachfront 1000 and 1200 bungalows (fan v aircon) looked very nice indeed.
UPDATE DEC 08 - all the elevated seaview bungalows are now fan. Posted price 1000 but asking 800 in early Dec 08. This is a pretty good deal - they are very nice bungalows and seemed to have just about 100% occupancy even though it was shoulder season.
Up the back, across a small creek in a nice garden setting they have some really great value 300 baht A frame chalet style bungalows with attached cement and tile bathrooms (and a separate bathroom block behind). I think these were built for Thai families because they have TWO double beds and SQUAT TOILETS. The latter may be a turnoff to some, but I know it does not faze lots of budget travelers, particularly if the price is right, and this was very right.
The bungalow itself was in good condition, clean, had a nice verandah , plenty of room for two people and their gear - even four western people and their stuff would not be too sqeeezy.
It came with 2 towels, soap, toilet paper, comp. water, a broom, a big mirror in the sleeping area but none in the bathroom. The bathroom shower was a gusher, which is great after the trickle you get from many cheaper places. There were not a lot of hooks, lines or shelves to put stuff, although the mirror was set in one of those small modular vanity tables.
Elcheapo A frames - 300 f0r me March 07 - posted price in reception early DEC O8 700, asking price 500 - but a young German couple I mentioned these to on the longtail-taxi coming across to the island managed to get one for 300! Totally excellent deal - shot my outside-bathroom Le Dugong 400 baht place to pieces.
They also showed me their 500 baht fan bungalows - these were set in kind of duplex 50s motel -style block, twin beds, western toilets, closer to the restaurant and beach (but the 300s were only 100m from each) - but frankly there was no comparison value-wise.
UPDATE DEC 08 - the motel-like block of 500 cheapies has been converted into these flash aircom family jobs foreground and new family and aircon-twins behind - posted rates at reception 2500 and 2000 - and asking 2500 and 1500 before bargaining early Dec shoulder.
The open plan style restaurant was set up near the beach, but the profusion of trees cut down the views a fair bit (UPDATE DEC 08 - seemed better). Food was good in quality and variety of choice, the service quick and friendly and the prices mostly towards the lower end of all the bungalows I visited. A large Chang was 70, soft drinks 15 and the curries in the 70 range before rice.
Grounds were spotless as was the beachfront. There was a good selection of hammocks and beach furniture under the beachfront trees. It was possible to swim in most places along the beach even a lowest tide and at highest tide there was still a good strip of sand left. UPDATE DEC 08 - this visit coincided with a full moon's lowest low-tide which exposed a lot of rocky seabed for an hour or so in front of and to the south of the resort. Water was deeper to the north. Higher tide levels - no problems anywhere.
There seemed to be okay lumps of coral off the beach which were keeping snorkellers interested for extended periods, but this is a bit controversial - see below*.
Beach in front of Beach Resort. Le Dugong Resort's beach starts abt 100m past longtail.
There is a dive school, snorkeling trips to Kradan, Muk and the wonderful Emerald Cave are offered, you can hire motorcycles, but frankly, this is the perfect place to just sit back, relax, swim, tan and shade it out.
The dive shop at Libong Beach Resort (image libongbeachresort.com)
Thankfully for the peace and quiet, those jet skis Travelfish mentions looked like they had been out of use for quite some time. BTW, longtail boat noise, the bane of many resorts, is not an issue - there is a small fishing village about 500 m to the south around the corner of the beach, but shallow water between it and the resort forces those noisy things out around a small islet so that they are a long way offshore when passing.
This is my favourite Trang island place after Paradise Lost on Kradan. Compared to Ko Muk Resort (good value), Ko Hai Resort (pretty nice), I thought Libong Resort consididerably better.
One other consideration is ease of access - you can get hourly minibuses down from Trang to Hat Yao, catch one of the frequent water taxis out to the main island village, and a motorcylce taxi across to the resort just about anytime during daylight, which beats the expensive one boat a day to some other islands.
In my value for money ratings I give the 300 bungalows 8.5/10, food 8.5, location 8.5, staff 8 and grounds/landscaping 8. The overall impression was so nice I rate it overall closer to 9."
UPDATE DEC 08 - I always like to try a new place when I revisit and had seen some good things about LE DUGONG RESORT including the pix below - so I made my way there after coming in from Laoliang. I was thinking it would be on another beach so imagine my surprise to find it was right next door to Libong Beach Resort. But this is a nice uncrowded and quite long beach which can easily support 2 resorts.
The beach at Le Dugong Resort, a newer Libong place which has attracted good reports (image Panoramio-John Foreman)
Le Dugong only has 10 bungalows. 8 bigger flashpacker types with bathrooms which you can see here (900 high season web rate) and 2 smaller outside toilet ones which are far left.
The grounds were nicely manicured with hammocks, picnic tables, sitting cabanas - the beach clean, kayaks, snorkelling gear for hire.
Open bifold doors showed the interior of the bigger places looked a step-up in quality from the normal beach bungalow - although the web price is a step-up too. Bet I could have got this for 500 bargaining.
Pole-framed, thatched roof, bamboo furniture - the restaurant wasn't beachfront but pretty close. That's my elcheapo bungalow far right.
Food prices just a little more than average budget bungalows, service good, cooking a bit slow (but for most of my stay I was the only guest and I suppose they were cooking a lot from scratch), meal quality fine. A small number of Beach Resort guests wandered the 200m down here to have a meal or two - Beach Resort's restaurant seemed slightly more expensive again (but still good value).
That's the beachside bar cabana in the background - the guys worked hard on this 2nd afternoon I was there, mounting speakers etc - had some real nice twinkly lights and good music going after dinner with just the family celebrating the opening - I went down to Beach Resort and brought back some people I'd met on the taxi-longtail and pretty soon we had a small party with 5 farangs and 4 family members going. Not a bad opening night of the season for a place with one guest. Small point - this bar is situated a fair distance from the dearer bungalows and the music was never LOUD - so I don't think it would prove a hassle to people in those bungalows.
Behind the restaurant on piers over a creek was a computer room, rates reasonable - this attracted guests from Beach Resort which doesn't have computer access.
My elcheapo bungalow at Le Dugong.
Actually not all that cheap at 400 for an outside bathroom job. But that was the web-rate and unusually for me, this is one I'd booked in advance. Thing is, I wanted to stay at Le Dugong, I knew they only had 2 bungalows in my price range and I was afraid that if I did my usual walk-in routine they might both be taken. Actually the other cheapie was taken on my first night.
This was in effect just a box with a veranda. Just enough room for 2 and their gear. Double mattress firm but comfy, ditto pillows. Mozzie net had 100 repairs and another 50 small flaws but I had no problems. No doormat or bin but soap+towel+toilet paper supplied. Good lights. Clean, in good condition although some veranda timber already showing weathering after only 18 months or less (Le Dugong didn't exits when I stayed next door in March 07). Very quiet at night.
Veranda nice place to sit for sea views when not covered with washing - when I came in from the pier on the motorbike-taxi it absolutely poured rain and everything got real wet.
Outside bathroom immediately behind was also the restaurant bathroom. Twin showers, twin squat toilets, 2 urinals, 2 showers with good water pressure, 2 big basins ideal for washing but bring your own mulit-fit plug, 2 huge mirrors. Clean.
LIBONG NATURE RESORT: In my planning for the trip I saw several posts slamming Libong Nature Resort for high prices, poor food and pushing their dugong discovery cruises etc too hard. UPDATE Jan08 - however there have been no negative posts** of late, the latest guidebooks are positive and the website talks of new management.
UPDATE DEC 08 - I walked south around the curve of Dugon's/Beach Resort's beach - past the fishing village - for about 15 minutes to Nature Resort which is against the southern headland. This place looked quite attractive with nice bungalows at what seemed reasonable prices before bargaining (shoulder season beachront incl TV-aircon 1000 2nd row 800 others 600) but a guy staying there who had come down to Le Dugong for a meal told me the food was very dear - I checked the menu and yep - twice the prices of the other resorts).**UPDATE JAN 09 - if you are considering Libong Nature Resort it might be a good idea to check jw's comment at the foot of this page and the Resident Manager's response. AUGUST 09 - it might also be worth reading Hans Meier's account of Libong Nature Resort too - plus his other stuff on Libong.
Attractive bungalows at Libong Nature Resort. The beach here was pretty nice but much rockier, both big and small, than Le Dugong/Beach Resort.
Libong is a lot easier to access by public transport than the typical Trang island - public longtail ferries leave from Ban Chao Mai when full - roughly hourly. See details of GETTING TO HAT YAO/BAN CHAO MAI up-page.
If you arrive at Ban Chao Mai on the minibus from Trang the driver will point out the departure point for the public longtail ferry - it was down on the beach last time I went thru, not at the flash pier 2 minutes south which is used by Tigerline and Trang Island daytrip boats. There should be a bunch of people (mainly locals) waiting - when they have enough passengers (I've never waited more than a half hour) away you go.
Note they will offer you a charter longtail when you arrive - smile and shake head unless you can afford heaps/in a big hurry.
The cost of the public longtail was 50baht according to people who did it in 2011. The trip takes 20 minutes tops.
When you get to the pier at Libong there will be a bunch of motorcycle taxi guys waiting. It's about a 15 minute trip to Libong Beach Resort/Le Dugong. 2011 price 100baht - you may be able to bargain less.
UPDATE OCT 2011 - wonderingstar called by Libong earlier in the year and has some comprehensive updates on his site including a new budget resort Libong Sunset Resort.
* I know I should always check the snorkeling if I'm gonna write these reports, but I gave it a miss on Libong and just swam laps off the beach. My view through the plastic lens swimming goggles was of a sandy bottom with frequent small clumps of coral. But goggles like this are not really clear enough to show if the coral was good quality and if there were a lot of those colourful small fish etc hanging around. Certainly the area seemed to keep the handful of snorkellers each day entertained for lengthy periods. But if you come from some non-aquatic region, even the flat sandy bottom just off the beach of Hat Rin seems to do this.
UPDATE DEC 08 - I felt duty bound to do a snorkel. Yep, the coral is pretty ordinary in front of Beach Resort/Le Dugong. Gets better towards the north headland but in no way can compare to say Kradan.
I don't want to sound elitist, but I'm a bit blasé about snorkeling. This is partly because the best coral in Thailand (SIMILAN ISLANDS) is 2nd rate and partly because I snorkel at home most days in a spectacular place. I go after lobsters and abalone in the small rocky bay behind my house - it has underwater caves, canyons and crevasses, heaps of fish, eels etc plus lots of long seaweed swaying in the swell. And this place often picks up big swell - just getting in and out off the rocks can be exciting.
One time I was hauling myself out in a really nasty swell one-handed, with a fishing-line ensnared gull in the other and got smashed by a big wave. Gulls often swoop on fishing baits and get hooked - this fisherman cut the line off long and that bird got itself bound up better than Barbie The Bondage Bitch at Barry's Bad Boys' Barn in backstreet Byron Bay. Ol' Jonathon Livingston was being blown towards the rocks and certain oblivion. I was sinking the usual 5pm 2 to 5 glasses of elcheapo red with Lady Tezza in the sunroom checking the gnarly Pacific - she suggested it might be worthwhile to go down and haul the dumbass bird out. So there I was on a blustery winter day, no time to put a protective wetsuit on, getting dragged across the rocks by the swash and then sucked back into the water by the backwash, all the time holding the gull up so it didn't get mashed. Real exciting.
But Lady T was right - it was worth it. The seagull stew was great.
The bay behind my joint.
Lady T: Hey Tezza, is that another seagull in trouble?
Tezza: Not unless it's called Moby.
Snakes alive! There's Jake! The things you see when you are looking for seagulls in distress and whales on a frolic.
Yep, definitely not gulls.
Hey, there's Jake's mate ..........
........ Kate!
FERRY - BAN CHAO MAI TO KO LIPE/LANTA/PHI PHI. Tigerline is running ferries from Phi Phi/Lanta to Lipe, via the pier at Hat Yao south of Trang. This very fast ferry (not a speedboat) goes on to Langkawi. Details can be seen on their website At the time of writing Lanta-Lipe was 1400 baht - 4.5 hours. Trang Yao-Lipe 750. Lipe-Langkawi 950. It calls in at places along the way including Muk and Ngai and Lao Liang.
For high season 08/09 services begin Nov 24.
Note Trang has the nearest airport and also two sleeper trains from Bangkok daily. Details of trains/plains and buses to Trang can be found here.billp recently indicated that the morning Nok Air flight into Trang is met by reps from these travel agents who will transport you into town and arrange bookings/transport.
A reliable Trang travel agent for booking and transport into all Trang and Satun area islands - good on transfers/accommodation to/for Lanta and further north too - KK Travel in the parallel street directly opposite the railway station tel 075-211198, 223664, 081-8945955
If you visit Libong/Hat Yao you might also be interested in nearby:
KO LOA LIANG (closest)
If you have any questions or comments could you please publish them on THE FORUM rather than below. I don't get a chance to check all island pages daily, but unless I'm travelling I'll try to monitor THE FORUM regularly.
19 comments:
- CHARIS said...
Hi Tezza, thanks so much for your detailed review on Ko Libong. I printed off your blog page as my guide and recently headed to Ko Libong with my bestfriend. Here is my report: http://chariscrumbs.blogspot.com/2008/06/libong-escapade-part-i.html
- July 19, 2008 at 8:17 PM
- tezza said...
Hey Charis, seems like you had a good visit despite being low season and deserted. Thanks for the report.
- December 24, 2008 at 10:33 PM
- jwmlee said...
Beware dishonest operator / construction / firearms!
We had a very poor experience with Ko Libong Nature Reserve Resort.
We recommend you opt for the well run and even better priced Ko Libong Beach or La Dugong Resorts. Much higher standards, more reasonable prices and most importantly, honest, ethical management.
Problems included:
• Construction / earth moving equipment adjacent to the site
• Dishonest management
• Extortionate over pricing
• Small arms fire (I kid you not!)
• Poor cleanliness
• Poorly maintained facilities
• No English spoken on site
We were initially told there was a Christmas special offer on the huts at 600 / 800 / 1000 baht. We heard these were their standard prices. When we arrived at Hat Yao we were told the huts would be 1000 but after some discussion (and a phone call) we were told we could have the mid range price. Once we booked (and paid) we were told that it would cost a further 1200 baht to take a longtail to the island. We told the receptionist, who spoke excellent English that we were looking forward to some peace and quite after Bangkok.
We opted to talk the ferry across to the island (200 baht) but as my partners was uneasy about taking a motorcycle taxi on island we paid the 1200 baht for the long tail.
To our (intense) disappointment, there was heaving earth moving equipment operating right next to the resort – the whole bay boomed to the sound of a large bulldozer and two tip trucks – all within about 20m of our hut! We tried to speak the staff who spoke not English at all. Their were signs up to say if you have any problems ask to speak to Mr Lawrence (one of the so called professors who set the place up) who speaks excellent English. When I asked to speak to him, I just got blank stares. In the end we called to the receptionist / manager at Hat Yao at managed, after some discussion to be moved to a hut further back. We requested some compensation saying we clearly stated that we wanted peace and quiet – to this we were told the work had only stared today (half the hillside had been excavated – at least 2 weeks work!) and she would contact the owner. We moved our stuff and resigned ourselves to putting up with the noise. The concrete block hut was adequate if not a little shabby lacking any charm.
After unpacking we took a stroll on the beach which is just gorgeous – beautiful little emerald bay fringed by jungle. Whist sitting on the beach under a shady tree we were started by the sound of a small bore rifle with the bullets ricocheting into the air above us! Someone was shooting at the wildlife….a nature resort? Fearing for our safety (the bullets were whizzing up into the air above us. We hurriedly moved down onto the beach.
In the evening we ate at the main reception area – a someone what run down open veranda style restaurant café space. All dinner options were 220 baht (not cheap option) with rice bumping the meal up to 250 baht. Drinks were also very expensive by Thai standards. The food was ok but not great – very basic. Water (small bottles) was 50 Baht – on the mainland 1 litre bottles were 12 baht). Loos for the area looked like they hadn't been cleaned in months – leaves, dirt, insects etc. Trips to see the Dugong were 1500 baht and mask and snorkel hire was 200 baht – again very expensive by Thai standards.
There is lots of material around – signs / leaflets etc saying how Ko Libong Nature Resort is a eco resort and that it is a non profit organisation set up to help local sea gypsies. However, we didn't see any evidence of this work and got the impression it was a front for a pretty shabby operation.
The following day we walked around the coast to the other two resorts. What a contrast. Beautiful little rattan / wooden stilt beach huts, cheap superb food, large water bottles at 20 baht, reasonably priced trips and tours. Friendly and profession management.
Needless to say we moved to the Beach Resort after spending our two nights at the Nature Resort. We saw Dugong (400 baht trip refunded in part (100 baht) due to a windy day!), hired a moped for (300 baht) for the day. Ate well and just relaxed. Nothing was too much trouble for the management and staff. Sea front huts look over a little strip of tropical gardens with mature trees and palms out to the sea. We slept with the front ranch sliders open – could hear the lapping ocean on one side and frogs and crickets on the other. Just wonderful.
Ko Libong is a wonderful, undeveloped paradise but we recommend you avoid the Ko Libong Nature Resort and book with the Ko Libong Beach Resort or adjacent Le Dugong Beach Resort.
- January 2, 2009 at 10:20 PM
- tezza said...
Wow, looks like Libong Nature Resort has reverted to its bad old ways! Thanks for the report jw - I'm sure it will prove helpful to other intending visitors. I'll put an ALERT in the main body of text above directing readers to your comments.
That Canadian traveller I mentioned complaining about food prices also moved down to Beach Resort, even though Nature Resort refused to refund him for unused days. I thought at the time there must be more to it than high food costs.
- January 5, 2009 at 9:57 PM
- LibongNatureResort said...
About Tezza's Blog, and reviews made by others on Tripadvisor
Hello. I am the current resident manager of the Libong Nature Beach Resort
and I must say, the comments made on your blog are very one-sided, and for
those who have actually stayed at our resort and didn't like it, perhaps it
was unfortunate for you that we didn't actually meet so I could explain
the situation to you.
As you know, our resorts are managed by the Lifelong Learning Foundation which
our main goals are to support community development and educational programs in
Thailand. If you are looking for proof of this, you can click on our foundation's
website http://www.lifelong-learning.org to see what community projects we are
involved in.
Tours and Transfers
Pertaining to the cost of our boat tours and transfers, you must realize that our
resort does not even own a boat, as such we select only the local fisherman boats,
and 70 percent of the cost that you pay goes to the local fisherman directly.
You may ask where the remaining 30 % goes. As you know, being a Legally Registered
Foundation, we must abide by all the laws that are required of us. We are a
legally licensed registered tour operator, under the Tourism Authority of Thailand
and are legally bound by all our actions. This means, an insurance policy which
benefits guests who face misfortune on any of our tours or boat charters.
Then how does the Resort make money to finance these community projects? Well,
we rent our our kayaks, snorkelling equipments, lifejackets, meals, etc. plus
we have to pay the staff to prepare and support the boatman. Don't forget, we
have to feed the boatman and the guide as well, and provide to administrative
support ie. information about tours etc. and that has a cost as well. I think
that that is enough to justify the 30 %. We provide INSURANCE and all farangs
know that Insurance is not free, there is always a cost involved. If there us
a problem, we have to be responsible, other people can always runaway but not
Cost of Food
Some say that our food is expensive, that is until they see the portions we give,
our portions can feed at least 3 thai people. You just haven't given us a chance
yet, and take us at face value.
Most of our food supplies are from the village, unlike most resorts who buy their
supplies from Superstores such as Makro with low prices, our food actually costs
more because we buy it from the local village, therefore supporting their small
We have also compared our prices to the other resorts and to say that we a double
the price is an unfair statement. One such comparison is their American Breakfast
which costs 80 baht, but consists of 1 fried egg and 2 slices of toast.
our American Breakfast costs 200 baht but you get 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of toast,
some fried seafood, several slices of fresh fruit, a glass of orange juice, and
coffee/tea. So please, don't take everything at face value but look into detail.
Other Community Services
To promote the usage of bicycles on the island, our foundation has donated over
a dozen bicycles to the children in the village nearby, plus we have ensured that
all the staff at the resort uses bicycles in their daily activities by sponsoring
the bicycles.
We have also had community workshop trainings to train the local rural people in
the art of batik painting, so that during the low season when they are not tapping
rubber, they can have a source of income during that time.
Our resort also grows a number of organic vegetables such as morning glory, lemon
grass, basil, chilis, and we have never sold it to the village people. If they
ask, they can have it, and in return for our kindness, we are blessed with
fresh fruit or vegetables from their own garden. Kindness is not forced, but
Respect and support for the Local Community.
Our resort is based on an island where the population is 100 % muslim, therefore
we do not serve pork or cook pork in our restaurant. I cannot say the same for
other resorts around. Also we do not have any dogs in our resort, although we do
have alot of cats. As you know dog saliva is taboo for muslims. Also note that
all the staff at the resort are natives from the island, the only person except
Nature Preservation.
When we send back our glass bottles back to Trang for recycling using the boats
the guests charter to and from the island, it should not be a crime. Guests should
not complain when we are sending supplies over, we are not overcrowding the boat,
it is an everyday occurence. If you say the resort should pay for the extra space
that we use for the boat, please note that we already pay the boatman EXTRA so
that he can LOAD and UNLOAD the boat as well, and that is not included in the
boat price the guests have to pay.
People say we're crazy to send our bottles back to the mainland for recycling,
in fact I've been to several islands where they just pile the bottles up and it
is disgusting, even in some of the resorts. People laugh when I carry bags of
broken glass back to the mainland, even at our campsite in Koh Mook.
If you go to Koh Mook and ask whether there is a crazy guy carrying sacks of
broken glass and the ferry boat, they would point to me.
I'm not a fanatic, but I do what I think is best, for the resort and the environment
and is most people appreciate it, that the battle is won. I am rather dissappointed
and sorry that some of the comments made on Tezzas website and other travel websites
have been very harsh. Hopefully we can meet in person one of these days at either
Haadyao Nature Resort or Libong Nature Beach Resort.
But I must admit, our staff is not the greatest at english, however this is how
wars are started, because of the language barrier, you cannot blame someone if
they do not know what is going. And sometimes, it is just plain bad luck if someone
is bulldozing land somewhere nearby, which is an extremely rare one time occurence.
If there are any queries or questions, you can always email me at
The Resident Manager
(Whoever is Volunteering at this time) So I shall remain nameless
Libong Nature Beach Resort
- January 13, 2009 at 1:47 AM
- LibongNatureResort said...
Just a quick note to add that we were not the people doing the construction next door, and they had only started on that day.
We had tried to contact the owner of the land and made several attempts keep them quiet.
The so-called firearms, were firecrackers, our management has tried our best to rectify the situation by moving the guests to a different bungalow as well. I would say that the guest was quite unfair in his statements.
Also to compare our Dugong Safari Tours with the other resort is also not right, the other resorts tour is only for 3 hours, just sitting on the longtail boat, our tour is much different taking as much as 8 hours of the day, utiliziing kayaks, snorkelling gear etc. going to other places such as the wildlife sanctuary, bird island, and some good snorkelling sites. If you haven't been on our tour, you should not comment.
The Resident Manager
Libong Nature Beach Resort
- January 13, 2009 at 2:30 PM
- tezza said...
Whoa, claim and counter-claim! It's real nice to see both sides of the debate.
Looks like next trip I'll be spending a few days at Libong Nature Resort to make up my own mind.
Mind you, I'll be making my own way to the island. A boat guy at Hat Yao recently offered a charter to deliver me to my resort of choice for 500baht - and the other resorts charge 700 for the trip. Um.....+30% don't compute.
And I reckon resident mangager should fire his restaurant researcher - I've had American brekkas at both the other resorts and they don't meet the description given above. Listen, Im a weapons-grade fang-merchant - relatives run a book on how many main courses and deserts I can hoover at Christmas dinner - and I haven't found any of the portions at the other places' restaurants skinny.
Anyway, I always try to stay at a new place when I revisit - so til next time .......
- January 18, 2009 at 8:16 PM
- LibongNatureResort said...
I am extremely delighted that you and I may actually meet up one of these days,
also I am surprised that you were able to charter a boat for 500 baht, which is
impossible unless it was 7 years ago. Perhaps you were able to get a boat which
was returning back to the resorts / or Langkow village after sending supplies
back to Haadyao. Because the price here is 800 baht now, even though petrol
prices have been drastically reduced.
Our resort which is managed by the foundation raises funds by hiring out their
lifejackets or other marine equipment to guests for 50 baht each, also, our
resort has the proper license and insurance for the guests, and also government
tax. Therefore the 30% extra is not very much, but for guests travel safety
and insurance claims.
Other resorts, like the Anantara (was amari) charged 10 times more, or even
at Charlie's in Koh Mook, or Sivalai. I think we are still pretty reasonable,
all you need is someone to explain why we charge what we do.
You can also read our guest reviews at libongnatureresort.blogspot.com or see what
our foundation has done so far at lifelong-learning.org. Of course there are still
alot of community projects which we are still listing on the website for those
who demand proof as there are some non-believers.
If you ever drop by around the area, you should talk to the professor who is now
currently residing at the Haadyao Nature Resort, and get his views, that you can
decide for yourself. As with all professional journalists like yourself, you should
always hear both sides of the story and then decide for yourself.
But when you do arrive, you should drop of an email before you arrive so I can be
there to greet you at the resort, because sometimes I do go to trang for a break
and get my daily dose of KFC. After all... man cannot live on fish alone!
our Email is firstname.lastname@example.com, or you can call us at 081-8946936
Hope to see you soon.
The Management
Libong Nature Beach Resort
- January 20, 2009 at 2:05 AM
- tezza said...
Jeez, I'm not a professional journalist. Sure, I've had a couple of newspaper travel-stories published, but that was just for fun. This blog was started so I didn't have to constantly write the same detailed answers on travel websites. I do earn some money if people click Google advertisments on my pages - last couple of months I've averaged 73cents per day. Whoopee! I've got the ads partly as a thank-you to Google who gives this site for free, and partly because it is a way to get a view-counter for each page - like any writer it's nice to see how many people are reading my stuff.
I don't give warning of arrival - hate to think any special treatment might clould my reports.
See you sometime.
- January 22, 2009 at 9:41 PM
- unsubstantiatedmusings said...
Re: Sinchai's Chao Mai Beach Resort
Hi Tezza
Firstly, thanks for your site. I read it for hours before my month in Thailand in Dec/Jan.
I hope anyone thinking of heading to Sinchai's "resort" will get to read this, buried as it will be under the Libong diatribe!
I agree with what you say about the over-pricing, but not the quality of the place. I was the ONLY guest but was charged 500 in December 08 for a bungalow that really needed a good clean, cracked sink and shower that sprayed water every where but on my body!
I arrived at night, so ended up staying for two nights as I wouldn't have had the chance to explore otherwise.
As a woman on her own, I found Sinchai really really creepy. He
seemed to make excuses to keep coming over to my bungalow and then started with all this cr*p about "Why don't you marry Sinchai and work here?" Sometimes that kind of talk is funny if you have had a good rapport with a local, but we didn't and he said it 6-7 times in one morning!
The food was OK, nothing special and I was waiting for almost 2 hours for someone to return so I could order breakfast. I don't expect them to hang around for one guest, but it would have been nice to have been told in advance when I could eat. I was also out of water and the fridge was bolted shut (the nearest place for water was about 700m away).
Also, and I can't be 100% sure of this, but I think Sinchai was trying to diddle me out of 1000 Baht. I'd paid for the first night
the evening I arrived with a 1000 note and received a 500 as change.
The following afternoon, he said that I had given him a fake note and could I change it for another.
I almost fell for it as you know how locals will sometimes not accept a real note just because it has a small tear etc but he forced my brain into gear by saying "Krabi money changer on street no good. Show me your other notes."
I remembered that I had changed all my money in a bank and the other seven 1000s I had on me were nothing like the one he said I'd given (wafer thin and no silver mark even!) He was saying "Sinchai go to market. Shop say Sinchai's money no good!"
Now, seeing as I read a few days later about the fake 1000s in circulation, would a guest house manager really not know a fake one when given it? Practically everyone else I handed a 1000 to checked it thoroughly before accepting it.
He was still pressuring me to change it (and it didn't help that I had just shown him I had 7000B on me!) but i just showed him the bank exchange receipt and said "It wasn't from me!" He then muttered something about maybe another guest and then "Pay for tonight" - I gave him a 500 this time!
The other problem for me was the dogs. I'm not a fan of them at the best of times, but the one chained up in the kitchen barked and growled for about 15 minutes whilst I was trying to eat and three others (unchained) barked and ran up to me every time I tried to walk from the bungalow to the kitchen/leave the resort. One even nipped at my ankle. Pretty scary.
I checked out the visitors' book and 2008 took up three pages, the
same as January alone in 2000! I guess they are scaling down so don't care any more.
It was a real shame. I really enjoyed the peace, reading on the balcony, watching the tide go in and out and wading round to the other small beaches. The beaches were nothing much, but there was some wildlife and the cliffs were impressive.
Sinchai's would be great.....
....without Sinchai!
- February 14, 2009 at 9:28 PM
- tezza said...
That's very useful information for similar travellers to yourself. Thanks. I'll post a note up in the main text where Sinchai's is featured allerting readers to your input down here.
- April 23, 2009 at 3:25 PM
- sissel said...
I just spent 10 days at Libong Beach Resort, from january 1 to january 10. We were planning on going to Koh Kradan, but the places we were interested in were fully booked, so we went to Libong instead.
We stayed at the 50s style motel bungalows that had been converted into big family bungalows. They had initially been two separate rooms w. bathrooms, but the wall between the two rooms had been torn down, making the bungalow twice the size of a regular bungalow. As we stayed there for a while, we really appreciated the extra space.
We had a beachfront bungalow (which is a must for me) with two porches and huge glass doors facing the ocean for 1200 baht (you had to pay 200 extra per night to turn on the aircon, but we never use aircon so didn't bother). The second row ones were 1000 baht. As it was peak season and the resort was fully booked, bargaining was not an option ;-)
Staff was very friendly. Even though both Libong Beach Resort and Le Dugong were fully booked, the beach was not anywhere near crowded. We're talking maybe fifteen people on the beach along both resorts being "crowded".
There were many families at Beach Resort whereas Le Dugong tended to be single travellers, young couples and friends.
The food at Le Dugong was not very interesting. Libong Beach Resort food was fine. We also tried the food at Nature Beach Resort once. The food was okay, but the atmosphere at the place was a bit weird. The staff seemed kind of indifferent and bored, there weren't that many people. But hey, we were only there for lunch, so can't really comment on the place in general.
But the best food was found at a brand new place right next to Nature Beach Resort called Sunset Beach. A young man and a middle aged woman from Bangkok had just opened the place. The food was excellent, the standard much higher than the average resort restaurant. Prices were the same as Libong Beach Resort. Very friendly staff, great atmosphere. Highly recommended. They had basic, small huts without toilet and shower for 350 baht (peak season) and some other, more flash bungalows for around 1000-1500 baht I think the guy said. They don't have a website yet, but will soon.
I have to say, regarding your comment on no longtail noise Tezza - that has changed (or maybe it's a peak season thing). We were woken up about every other night by extremely loud longtail noise. They were fixing engines and taking the boats out at high tide etc., in the middle of the night. There was also quite a lot of longtail traffic during the day, both at Libong Beach Resort and Le Dugong (although probably not much compared to the touristy islands). Also, I would not recommend staying in the second row family bungalows, as a very noisy generator was situated right behind these.
But, all in all, a very pleasant stay at a very laid back island.
- January 22, 2011 at 9:05 PM
- tezza said...
Thanks for the update sissel. Useful info. I just added a link to wonderingstar2's recent report on Libong and saw your stuff. Which shows how seldom I scroll down to the bottom of pages.
Wonderingstar was also impressed with the new Libong Sunset Resort. Jeez, another one I have to check!
- October 11, 2011 at 4:07 PM
- Jacinthe said...
I really loved the post so I used my Digg account to digg it.. It's hard to find knowledgeable individuals on this matter.
Jac@Perlengkapan Bayi
- May 15, 2012 at 7:20 PM
- Gerrardz said...
Thanks for taking this opportunity to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and I take pleasure in learning about this topic.
Jakarta Hotel
- May 16, 2012 at 11:54 AM
- Hellmut said...
Looooong Hat Yao beach, part of the mainland National Park, starts the ... abeachhat.blogspot.com
- September 11, 2014 at 12:31 AM
- Alexandra Kate said...
I know where I'm going and l know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.Thankyou i really love it.....
- August 10, 2015 at 9:20 AM
- Adeline Niesha said...
I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.Thankyou i really love it
2016 free download latest version
- November 8, 2015 at 8:30 PM
- atifabushra said...
- March 15, 2016 at 7:13 PM


text:
Apple's buying spree obviously didn't stop with chip wizards Intrisity -- they've snapped up voice-powered personal assistant Siri as well.
The Siri iPhone app is currently still available in the US App Store [free - iTunes link]. No guarantees on how long that will last. What makes Siri so interesting is how they integrate a number of API together, combine Nuance's voice recognition technology, and provide a way to easily input and process a number of highly useful requests. As Robert Scoble puts it, you can talk to it and have it do everything from get you a taxi buy you movie tickets.
Apple included VoiceControl for phone dialing, music playing, and general accessibility with iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3.0, but Google has raised the bar with ubiquitous OS integration starting with the Nexus One.
System-wide Siri might not just close that gap, but leapfrog it.
[FTC via Scobleizer, thanks Fassy for the tip]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Peace talks between the warring parties in Syria's civil war hit an impasse Monday after the government failed to allow a 12-truck aid convoy into the besieged old city of Homs and the opposition rejected a government statement on the aims of the conference.
Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations special representative on Syria, said "there is no decision yet" from the government on the convoy, which the political opposition has called a top humanitarian priority. Brahimi said the government's proposal to evacuate women and children from the besieged old town also was on hold, due to a discussion of "all sorts of" security problems.
The veteran Algerian negotiator did not mask his disappointment. "The humanitarian discussions haven't produced much, unfortunately," he said.
"I am still begging, asking that something be done" about Homs and a half-dozen other towns under siege, including at least two beset by armed opposition forces, he said. But he summed up: "You know, we never expected miracles."
Sign Up and Save
Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee
The formal talks, which opened Friday at the U.N.'s European headquarters, moved into the political realm Monday and immediately hit a wall, with the opposition rejecting the government's proposed set of principles to guide the discussions.
Brahimi said most of the principles in the government statement were already in the Geneva declaration, the 2012 document that formed the basis for the current round of negotiations. One important principle was missing, however: the communique's call for appointing a "transitional governing body" with "full executive powers" whose membership either side could veto.
The United States and the opposition claim that that provision would exclude Syrian President Bashar Assad from participation in the transitional authority, because the opposition would never agree to his involvement. Opposition spokesman Louay Safi called omission of the transitional authority a "tactic to divert us from the real purpose" of the talks: discussion of an executive power that would replace Assad.
The Syrian government said the opposition's response revealed its lack of experience and its reliance on others outside the meeting room to make its decisions.
Omran al Zoubi, the Syrian information minister, said Syria's statement of principles contained no reference, positive or negative, to Assad or the office of the presidency and only called for respect for Syrian sovereignty, territorial integrity, national unity and fighting terrorism.
"What's amazing is that they rejected this communique in less than two minutes," he said. "One of them made a phone call, then came back to whisper in the ear" of chief negotiator Hadi al Bahra "to say that they reject this statement, part and parcel."
The initial skirmishing may turn into a footnote when the bigger issues come up Tuesday: the actual content of the June 2012 "action plan."
Brahimi was asked how he'd get around the contradiction between the opposition's demand that Assad go and the government's insistence that he stay. "If you have any ideas, I'll take them with pleasure," Brahimi quipped.
Western diplomats said an aid convoy to Homs, which has been under siege for 18 months, was still possible. They noted that the plan to provide aid to an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 people trapped in the old city quarter had been discussed in detail with Russia, Assad's principal foreign backer, during the week before the conference opened.
But the standoff over the convoy and the proposed evacuation of women and children from the besieged quarter underscored the different objectives of the two sides.
The Syrian government objects to any possibility that aid would go to the rebels who occupy the quarter, while the opposition fears that removing the women and children would give the government free rein to crush the rebels there.
Safi called government policy in Homs a "crime against humanity" and said removing women, children – or anyone – from Homs would change the demographics of the city.
"The regime has not delivered the food and medicines to people who are starving. The regime is using starvation tactics to force people to submit to its will," he said.
There was an element of confusion over exactly what had been agreed to Sunday. Brahimi said the Syrian government had agreed to the evacuation of women and children, and he appealed to the government to let the convoy through. A short time later, Syria's deputy foreign minister, Faisal Maqdad, said his government was ready for a shipment of food and aid into Homs, though he emphasized that the evacuation was, in the government's view, more important.
Neither he nor Brahimi explained the linkage between the two humanitarian aid moves. But it appeared that the sequence held the key, for the opposition insists that the food and medicines go in first and regime apparently wants to do it in reverse order.
The United States said Monday that the Assad government "must approve the convoys" because "the situation is desperate and the people are starving."
State Department spokesman Edgar Vasquez called an evacuation of women and children from the old city "not sufficient."
Civilians, he said, "must not be forced to leave their homes and split up their families before receiving much-needed food and other aid."


text:
The Year is...
BROOKE CLOUDBUSTER of Boy on Film
JAMES HENRY of Rants of a Diva
JS C of He Thinks He's A God
NICK DAVIS of Nick's Flick Picks
yours truly, STINKYLULU.
(Each Smackdowner's comments are arranged according to ascending levels of love. Click on the nominee's name/film to see StinkyLulu's Supporting Actress Sunday review.)
JAMES HENRYBlanchett's definitely startling and exciting, but not necessarily in a good way. She's so mannered and exaggerated that, with the way she tacked on "man" to the end of every sentence, for awhile I thought Jeff Bridges in full-on Dude mode had also been hired to play Dylan. It wasn't until her final scene, where she drops all the mannerisms and pretense and offers that enigmatic smile, that I finally saw a real human being.
JS C A swell inhabitation of the Dylan persona she is chosen to work with, Technical Cate once again displays her tremendous ability to create interest though not always emotional attachment (fondness maybe) in a showcase role. Also, that last smile? A great touch of "thank you for watching."
STINKYLULU It's often fascinating to observe Blanchett sculpt the humanoid contours of this enthralling, startling and infuriating creature. A technically spectacular performance that remains an expert, but curiously soulless, concoction.
NICK I see Stinky's point in his earlier post that this performance could have used some richer emotional chords, even taking into account the jackass/cipher traits of the role. Still, Blanchett is playful, smart, subtle, and technically exquisite—not just as a mimic, but as the architect of an uncanny and insinuating character that's very much her own.
BROOKE CLOUDBUSTER Effortlessly funny and ultimately unique performance. Blanchett goes far past the genderbending baity aspects that the role might provide and dives into the nitty-gritty of this character; s/he becomes a force to be reckoned with on the screen.
ADAM Only Blanchett or Streep could have elevated this beyond a caricature or gimmick. Her gait, voice, and demeanor don't just express masculinity, they implore it. Rather than impersonating, she's explores the psyche of a supremely egotistical Dylan circa Don't Look Back that's an enigmatic, charismatic tour de force.
JS CSLAP! That's all. The rest? Quite adequate.
ADAMShe's going to slap the hell out of me, but Dee, with her unbelievably limited screentime, is left standing after Denzel's two vanity projects fell flat. Still, she surely wonders how a slap and a hug got her this far. Mama Lucas appears like an unfinished sketch--or with those expressions, why not say cartoon?
NICKMy eye went right to her, and she did more with her scenes than she needed to: I love the slightly foggy air in which she hides her skepticism and disappointment—until, at last, she doesn't. But, simply, this isn't major work.
JAMES HENRYI have to concede that the bitch slap heard 'round the world is quite fantastic, but this is one of those blink-and-you'll-miss-them roles which nothing can really be done with and is only elevated by Dee's legendary status.
STINKYLULUBrief but brilliant. Dee's efficiently crafted character arc – a mother's proud devotion curdling into despairing disappointment – goes far to provide the only emotional mooring for this lumbering film. (And while the slap might be more memorable, that first scene about the bedroom set remains proof that this is real, substantial actressing.)
BROOKE CLOUDBUSTER A very small performance that leaves a large impact when you leave the film. Dee's natural gravitas and acting talent impresses, even if we really wanted more of it.
ADAMGarai and Redgrave give considerably better performances and that's because they're evolving from Ronan, who's limited to her deadpan stare and shrill, wavering voice. Only 13 years old, any nuance escapes Ronan who stoops to playing the spoiled child... and nothing more.
BROOKE CLOUDBUSTERRonan makes the unwise choice of playing the character like an adult would play it; not as the child actually Briony actually is. On top of that, the performance is too fussy and bland for the gravitas this role demands.
NICKI find her very well cast in terms of "type" but also very directed, frequently rigid, and in ways that obscure or flatten Briony as often as they reveal her. Better than lots of kids would have done, sure. But where oh where is Bonita Granville? (Or what's-her-name, also in These Three, whom everyone on this blog revered so intensely. [ed's note: That would be Marcia Mae Jones.)
STINKYLULUI admire Ronan's ability to score the cracks in Briony's self-insulating certitude, how that work routes the paths followed by the subsequent (more exhilarating) Brionys. A deftly directed performance by an exceptionally talented young actor.
JS C Precocious control of her physical self. Those subtle facial adjustments in an otherwise powdered glacial front conveys unimaginable change and turmoil. The next Tilda Swinton? Possibly. Yeah, I wrote it.
JAMES HENRY While I fear that, vocally, many other child actors could have done this role with just as much conviction as Ronan, what sets her apart in my mind is her commitment to detail in every other aspect of the character: the 90 degree turns while walking, whacking to grass with her stick, the rehearsal scene with her cousins.
JS CYou can tell she must have been having a ball with that accent and, while she tries to blend – then break through – the visual ugly of the movie, the performance reaches a point of over-reliance on said technique. You can't tell whether she really chooses to play it this two-dimensionally or whether that really was just the role.
NICK A Mike Leigh performance—lived-in, vivid, mannered, and a little unpredictable—but with a coarser director at the helm, and an actress with a less sure sense of how much might be too much for the intimate camera and the giant screen. Oscillates between tough insights and garish speculation.
JAMES HENRY With a character as ugly as Helene McCready, it would have been easy for Ryan to try and soften her up a bit, make her a little more human. Instead, much to her credit and actorly instincts, she shoves Helene's flaws right in our face and makes this monster mother more memorable.
STINKYLULU Ryan's Helene is a perfectly hideous narcissist. A monstrous phantom crafted with clarity, ease and a wicked Boston accent – vivid, haunting, effective.
BROOKE CLOUDBUSTER Ryan completely makes the film her own. She nails the emotional core of the character within the histrionics, an incredible accomplishment in itself. Special note must be given to her line-readings; each dripping with the sheer essence of this character.
ADAM As a white trash crack whore single mother, Ryan has (to say the least) an intensely unlikable character. However, she alternates between self-serving bitch to loving mom with fluidity and depth. In a morally ambiguous film, Ryan's the piece that makes it nearly impossible to decide where your sympathies lie.
ADAMSwinton benefits most from the absurd final scene that all of Michael Clayton builds up to, but even then she's in bad form, channeling too much into every glance and movement. It's nice to see her finally recognized by Oscar. Too bad it's for the least distinctive performance of her career.
JS C What is it about Tilda Swinton's body that her voice only seems to be a bonus in the performance? This melting conduit of Michael Clayton's staid urban fairytale perfectly reflects what it means to be living in such a world: a beautifully constructed creature in ill-fitting corporate (& corpse) skin with a voice that cannot convincingly be distinguished between façade and emotion.
BROOKE CLOUDBUSTER The best performance in this category for some time. Without any fluff; this is a masterclass. Swinton makes Karen into so much more than she is on the page; getting into the character's each flaw and quality perfectly.
JAMES HENRY Swinton could have copped out with this performance since it seems that the character was thrown in as an afterthought, but instead she nailed it, showing the vulnerable and twitchy side of a corporate ball-buster with those daring sweat stains, the bewitching rehearsal scenes and her utter horror at the lack of control in the final scene.
STINKYLULU Where most actresses would have mined the workaholic Karen Crowder for her humanizing idiosyncrasies, Swinton dives to the piteous depths of the corporate automaton's depleted soul. Technically pristine work, with a frighteningly human edge – some of the best work the category's seen in years.
NICK Knows exactly (unlike Ryan) how much the camera will catch, makes rigidity work as an essential character point (unlike Ronan), lingers in more of the movie than she's actually in (unlike Dee), and suffuses emotional thrums of sorrow, striving, and anxiety throughout an otherwise technical performance (more fully than Blanchett does). Superior in every respect, and also in specific ways to all four of the competing performances.
The SMACKDOWNERs are clear:
But we must be content
to wait until later this evening
to discover Oscar's Choice...
And lo - behold - OSCAR agrees!
Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton is
The Best Supporting Actress of 2007!
For their part, the Smackdowners
were/are divided in their predictions.
Nick and JS C think it'll go to Tilda. Nick observes that Michael Clayton is "the most admired movie...and more people seem to have 'discovered' the performance as awards season has trundled onward" while JS C notes that Tilda's "the only strong Clayton nominee in any category and the Academy must recognize Clooney." Adam and Brooke, on the other hand, are calling the race for Cate. While Adam claims Cate's win with the passion of a true believer ("Though the Weinstein Company took a sure thing this season and let it morph into the most unpredictable category, I think -- and pray -- Cate Blanchett will win") Brooke's a little more resigned to the statistical inevitability of Blanchett snagging at least one trophy tonight ("Few double nominees go home with nothing. It's the sad truth, and not even the respect for Dee or the critic's praise of Ryan can change that"). For his part, James Henry is going with the "sentimental vote" and calling the race for Ruby. As for me, I don't have a clue. I suspect Cate'll snag it (they almost had it engraved for her six months ago), though Ruby might just upset things. I somehow don't think it's Tilda's to take but I'd love to see it happen. All in all, I'm just giddy that my beloved category -- after a couple bouts of inevitability -- is actually a wide open race. So, I'll just go out on a limb and predict Saoirse to win. Wouldn't that grab some attention for our beloved actresses at the edges of 2007?!
Share your thoughts, opinions and predictions
below in comments.
(And do vote in today's pre-show polls at right.)


text:
Hagel Defense Nomination Stalls
Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked, at least temporarily, Chuck Hagel's nomination to be defense secretary, leaving him damaged and offering the latest example of how fierce the partisan divide has become in Congress. Sara Murray reports on Lunch Break. Photo: AP.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... it's a bit like fifteen two thousand thirteen we live in the last chicken on easing the New York today on WS J LunchBreak videogame makers reaching out to a more ... high brow crowd would achieve our games designed account your imagination and ... not just your trigger finger plus mealy comes a new past time to well ... past time super high-end mechanical watches will be showing us you and ... what kind of mansion can you get in two hundred and twenty eight square feet ... we will take you inside one snowboarders ... Castle welcome to the show I'm Wendy downs ... stock cables nomination for defense secretary temporarily blocked after I finally unusual Senate vote ... what happens next heir marry is here to report Sarah welcome to the show ... takes place for us non Washington insiders hear exactly what this procedural vote was in white potentially so damaging to Hazel ... Charlotte were worried that Congress is getting more part of daily active didn't look at yesterday's that kind of freedom your suspicions ... basically what this than they did is they made chock a goal reached sixty ValMark to kind of move on to become the next ... defense secretary instead of the letter which is you know fifty one ... this is all part of Republican tactics to delay and check Cable nomination and kind of bloody him up a little bit ... but it's really rare mean usually senators defer to the president he's a lad his cabinet ... and if you wanna be up on one of the nominees a little bit utility and a confirmation hearing in Manhattan up or down vote on the nominee in the vault Former against at ... this time it added another layer of bureaucratic stress ... to an end of that happening at the fell one vote shy of what he needed for his nomination to move on ... to recap and a second installed period for at least another week what is in prison Obama his response to this so far ... on the maybe not for me I have railed against this any accidentally Republicans in the Senate ... day in and this is another example of extra obstructionists them and they've taken with the ETF will need sixty votes to get anything done too far ... he's an email today that scene in check a company when he was really talking about is how difficult it get anything done ... in the the the the stated how the minority Republicans are really exerting any tools they have ... added make life a little bit more difficult for the president's priorities and their high Democratic County ... so it's not over for chock a goal though certainly more difficult at this point I'm not what happens next answer if he were to be confirmed his ... all of this and its surrounding all of this controversy on the onthe this latest about what this taint his ability to be an effective defense secretary ... like it the question about whether there's any lasting damage to Chuck a go after this you know people generally believe he still did they get confirmed ... but he's got to work with Congress to enact the touch of any found lot of difficult decisions it becomes the next defense secretary in terms of Lee wants to come ... what happens next they think the soaker and very bloody partisan political battle ... actually they said in a case ... that the little that over a week and they're expected to the anti Qihoo nomination when there ... are a Sara Murray and Washington will continue on that think semester being with this


text:
Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts Council is offering a special Making Music Try-It Workshop program on Thursday night, April 8 at Indian Hill Music from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Daisy, Brownie, & Junior Scouts may register, along with Juliette Scouts in grades K-5.
Connect with Maestro Bruce Hangen and the Orchestra of Indian Hill for a fun-filled, educational evening to include: exploration of musical instruments, introduction to famous composers and the stories behind their music, discovery of musical patterns and rhythms, and listen to a live orchestra rehearsal.
Brownies and Juniors will complete their Making Music Try-It or Badge.
Pizza dinner included.
NOTE: This is an early release day for Framingham Public Schools.
Troops and Individual Scout may register. Individual Scouts must attend with an adult.
Event # 4708
Registration cost is $7 per Scout and $7 per leader/adult.
Registration will end on April 1st or when 40 Scouts have registered.
Contact Deb Krebsra at 978-486-9524 x115 or e-mail Deb email@example.com.


text:
Farrell hails Winter's Tale romance
Hollywood star Colin Farrell heated up a cold evening at the London premiere of his film A New York Winter's Tale.
The 37-year-old stars in the fantasy romance alongside former Downton Abbey actress Jessica Brown Findlay, who joined him on the red carpet at Kensington's Odeon.
Farrell, who appeared in action films Total Recall and In Bruges, explained why he had chosen the role.
"I hadn't done it before and I just loved the script - it was so unabashedly romantic and sentimental and I hadn't read anything ever that wore its heart on its sleeve with such pride as this film did," he said.
"I just loved this film, the characters and the time period it was set in."
A New York Winter's Tale follows Farrell as a thief, Peter Lake, who ends up falling in love with dying Beverly Penn (Brown Findlay) whose home he burgles.
But when he is saved from a violent gang, Peter realises he has the gift of reincarnation and sets out to save the woman he loves in a romantic tale that spans generations up to the present day.
Farrell said of his co-star: "Jessica Brown Findlay made the experience for me, it was a dream working with her.
"A film like this that's a love story, your ability to flesh the story out in any kind of beautiful way is contingent on having a dance partner that you trust and appreciate. She was amazing."
Brown Findlay, who stars in her first major film role since leaving the hit ITV period drama, said working with Farrell and the rest of the cast which also includes Russell Crowe, Will Smith and Jennifer Connelly, was a "pinch-yourself moment".
She said: "Wonderful, it was amazing. When it comes down to it, there were some real pinch-yourself moments, but when you start working you've just got to work and enjoy it, I suppose, and have fun."
Joining the pair at the premiere was the film's director, Akiva Goldsman, while JJ Abrams was among the guests.
A New York Winter's Tale is released in cinemas on February 21.


text:
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Federal government health advisories for drinking water contaminated with C8 may be far too weak, according to a new Harvard University study that attempts to set new recommended exposure guidance for the toxic chemical.
The study examined immune suppression in exposed children and found potential reactions from C8 at levels far below those used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set its health advisories.
"When converted to approximate exposure limits for drinking water, current limits appear to be several hundred fold too high," said the study, authored by Harvard adjunct professor Dr. Philippe Grandjean and published April 19 in the journal Environmental Health.
The study concluded that EPA's numbers "need to be reconsidered in light of the observed immunotoxicity associated with" chemical exposure.
Dr. Alan Ducatman, a West Virginia University researcher who has studied C8, said the new paper has several limitations, including its focus on a small sample of children.
Grandjean examined C8 impacts on kids in the Faeroe Islands, a fishing community in the Norwegian Sea. The area's marine food diet is associated with intake of C8 and other perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs, and the government-run health-care system there provides a wealth of detailed data making such studies easier to conduct.
But Ducatman also said the new paper adds to previous research that drew similar conclusions about the potential problems with the EPA's C8 advisories.
"This exposure model adds formality to possible implications for water regulations," Ducatman said last week.
C8 is another name for perfluorooctanoate acid, or PFOA. In West Virginia, DuPont has used C8 since the 1950s at its Washington Works plant south of Parkersburg as a processing agent to make Teflon and other nonstick products, oil-resistant paper packaging and stain-resistant textiles.
DuPont and other companies have reduced their emissions and agreed on a voluntary phase-out of the chemical, but researchers are still concerned about a growing list of possible health effects and about the chemical's presence in consumer products, as well as continued pollution from waste disposal practices.
Despite years of study and many promises of action, EPA has never set formal regulatory limits for the amount of C8 that can be discharged into the air or water.
In January 2009, just as the Bush administration was leaving office, EPA issued a nationwide "provisional health advisory" that urged Americans to reduce consumption of any water that contains more than 0.4 parts per billion of C8. And then in March 2009, EPA toughened a legal settlement with DuPont, requiring the company to provide replacement water supplies for anyone in the Parkersburg area whose drinking water contains more than 0.4 parts per billion of C8. Originally, DuPont was required to replace water supplies if C8 was higher than 150 parts per billion. That figure was tightened to 0.5 parts per billion in 2006.
In a 2009 paper, researchers from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Rutgers University concluded that the EPA's C8 advisory was not strong enough and did not consider some adverse health effects that could occur at very low exposure levels.
Many researchers are concerned about studies that have found C8 associated with adverse health impacts at levels below those currently found in the general U.S. population. Much of the exposure to C8 could be coming from consumer products, some researchers believe, but it's not clear how the chemical could also be coming from water supplies around the country.
In an email response to the Gazette-Mail, EPA regional spokeswoman Terri White defended the agency's actions so far related to C8.
"The provisional health advisory remains the best available action level for PFOA at this time," White said. "EPA is developing a revised health advisory that will likely be available within the next year.
DuPont spokeswoman Janet Smith said that her company is aware that EPA "is finishing a health advisory" for C8 in drinking water and is "confident that they will include all relevant data in their assessment."
But Cincinnati lawyer Rob Bilott, who has for years urged EPA to set enforceable water pollution limits for C8, said that the new Harvard paper "highlights the urgent need for regulatory agencies to consider the most recent human health and toxicology data to set appropriate safety limits for chronic, long-term exposures to PFOA in drinking water.
"The current EPA guidelines were released years before much of this important new data came to light and are designed to address only short-term exposures — not situations where people are drinking contaminated water over many years," Bilott said.


text: I've been to a marvellous party. 29 August 2011 21 October 2011Blogadam ant, arts and crafts, clare conville, conville and walsh, dbc pierre, gavin turk, glen matlock, kirsty lang, louis de berniere, misha glenny, richard long, richard strange, sex pistols, simon finch, voewood festival, voewood house, wade graham It felt as if all the stars in the universe aligned at Voewood this weekend. And I don't...Continue reading →


text:
Press Release
Media Contacts:
Jennifer Erickson
Judy Campbell
Colleen Roy
For Media Requests:
send email
phone: 410.293.2292
Naval Academy Announces New Museum Lecture Series
Posted on: September 27, 2013 08:00 EDT
Press Release #: 048-13
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The U.S. Naval Academy Museum announces their new Vice Adm. Ralph L. and Frances Shifley lecture series beginning Oct. 11 at noon.
Each 30 minute lecture will be delivered at noon by a selected author with 10 to 15 minutes for questions and answers following the presentation. There will be five lecturers for each academic semester and each will be held in the second floor theatre of Preble Hall.
The authors, topics, and dates for fall semester are as following:
- Oct. 11: CDR Youssef Aboul-Enein, USN - Militant Islamist Ideology
- Oct. 23: Andrew Jampoler - U.S. Navy River Expeditions in the 19th Century
- Nov. 1: John Gordon - Fighting for McArthur
- Nov. 14: Taylor Kiland - Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton
- Dec. 2: RDML Terry McKnight, USN (Ret.) - Pirate Alley
This lecture series is funded by the Class of 1950 Museum Endowment in recognition of the significant contribution made by the Shifley Trust. Frances Shifley established the trust following the death of her husband, Vice Adm. Ralph L. Shifley. Shifley was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 1933, as well as a highly decorated, fearless naval aviator who had an outstanding career in the U.S. Navy.
Cdr. Youssef Aboul-Enein is a subject matter expert and senior advisor on violent Islamist groups at DIA's Defense Combating Terrorism Center. He previously served under Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as Director for North Africa and Egypt, and Assistant Country Director for Arabian Gulf Affairs at the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy from 2002 to 2006. His first book, "Militant Islamist Ideology: Understanding the Global Threat," published by the Naval Institute Press was named among the top 150 most influential books on terrorism.
Andrew Jampoler retired from the U.S. Navy in the 1980's, after twenty-four years of service as a naval aviator. In retirement, Jampoler began writing about maritime history full time. His fifth and sixth non-fiction books, "Congo" and "Black Rock and Blue Water," were published by the Naval Institute Press this year.
Dr. John Gordon is currently a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation following a 20-year career in the U.S. Army. Dr. Gordon has authored and co-authored several RAND studies on counterinsurgency and irregular warfare. He has authored numerous articles on military subjects in a variety of professional journals and in the World War II history book, "Fighting for MacArthur, the Navy and Marine Corps' Desperate Defense of the Philippines."
Taylor Kiland is a management consultant with a large strategy and consulting firm in Washington, D.C. She is the author and co-author of four books including: "Open Doors: Vietnam POWs Thirty Years Later" (Potomac Books, Inc., 2005); "The U.S. Navy & Military Careers" (Enslow Publishers, 2006); "A Walk in the Yard: A Self-Guided Walking Tour of the U.S. Naval Academy" (Naval Institute Press, 2007); and "Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton: Six Characteristics of High-Performance Teams" (Naval Institute Press, 2013).
Rear Adm. Terence E. McKnight graduated from the U.S. Army War College in 1994 and served as the first Commander of Task Force 151 for counter-piracy operations in January 2009. In 2012, he authored his first book, "Pirate Alley: Commanding Task Force 151 off Somalia" and has written several articles on maritime security that have appeared in a variety of international and domestic newspapers and magazines.
For more information about the Naval Academy Museum, please visit http://www.usna.edu/Museum/ or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/usnamuseum.
For more information about the Naval Academy, please see www.usna.edu or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USNavalAcademy.


text:
JAM Paper® 9 x 12 Open End Catalog Envelopes, Baby Blue, 50/pack (1532565i)
Item #: 901-24135523
Model #: 1532565I
Brand: Jam Paper
Not yet rated.Be the first to Write a Review!
$40.99 Pack
Delivery Date:
Enter Zip CodeParcel
JAM Paper® original Colored Open End Catalog Envelopes are a great alternative compared to the same old white or manila catalog envelopes. These envelopes are made from 28lb sturdy paper, measure 9 x 12 inches, and have a moisture activated gummed flap closure. They are great to use for organizing documents, distributing marketing materials, mailing or filing. Flap is on the shorter side of the envelope. Available in multiple colors: Red, Red Base, Dark Red, Green, Dark Green, Light Green, Light Green Base, Olive, Blue, Presidential Blue, Navy Blue, Light Blue, Aqua Blue, Teal, Orange, Dark Orange, Mandarin Orange, Yellow, Light Yellow, Canary Yellow, Gold, Purple, Light Pink, White Translucent, Black, Gray, Chocolate Brown, Kraft Brown, Tan, Map, and Chartreuse.
- Color: Baby Blue
- Size: 9 x 12 inches
- Quantity: 50 envelopes per box
- Made from smooth 28 lb. paper, includes moisture activated gummed straight flap closure
- Great envelopes to use for organizing or mailing items at home, school, the office, or on the go
|Color Family : Blue
|Pack Qty : 50 per Pack
|Envelope Pack Size : 50 per Pack
|True Color : Baby Blue
|Post Consumer Content (%) : 0
|Material of Item : Paper
|Height in Inches : 12+
|Length in Inches : 9
|Paper Weight in Pounds : 28
|Envelope Closure : Open End
|Envelope Flap Style : Open End
|Recycled Content (%) : 0
|Brand : Jam Paper
|Customizable : No
|Weight : 2.00 lbs. per Pack


text:
speakerguy needed a new banner ad design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 2 designs submitted by 1 freelance designers.
We need a media kit to give to potential advertisers showing why our website is the best place to advertise.
SpeakerMatch is an website that helps professional speakers find speaking engagements. Currently, we have only a few ads on our site. However, in the coming months we hope to attract advertisers to our site.
We need a media kit that we can give to potential advertisers. This media kit will include information about our company, including information about our site's traffic and the audience demographics.
We are looking for someone to come up with a template design for our media kit. We will fill in all the information once we have a template to fit it in.
- a very professional looking design
- there must be a cover page and then a layout for the pages inside (we are either looking for different page designs or a consistent template that can be applied to all pages
- preferably the colors match the colors of our current logo
- a similar design to the media kit found at entrepreneur.com
- the final project to be in an editable Microsoft Publisher file
- the final project must also be 8 1/2 x 11 inches
- an exact replica of the example
- a non professional looking design


text:
As Paul mentioned in Part 1 of this post, we've really focused on making your everyday browsing experience better. In addition to the useful changes he talked about, we've made IE8 even more useful with integrated services so that you can easily accomplish the common things you do on the web – search for a product, check the weather, map an address, and more)
In Beta 1, we showed how IE8 could be better with services with features like Accelerators and Web Slices (BTW, Accelerators are the same as the Beta 1 Activities with an updated name and icon). For Beta 2 we have even more features that help you use your favorite sites in new ways. Check out these features as you explore the product!
Search Box Suggestions
New to IE8 beta 2 are Search (text) Suggestions and Visual Search Suggestions which are wired into the Search box. As you type in the Search box, the selected search provider can offer query suggestions and display search results right in place! Not only can the search provider provide text suggestions, they can include images as well. This way you can dynamically narrow down your search results quickly and get single-click access to the web page without having to leave the Search box. Also, check out our new Quick Pick menu which puts your search providers at your fingertips.
To make it easier to take advantage of the enhanced Search box, we automatically update many of your existing search providers to versions that support suggestions. If you want more providers use the IE8 Gallery.
Copy-navigate-paste is old. Accelerators are services that you access directly from the webpage in the context of what you're doing, letting you bookmark, define, email, map and more with a simple selection. Even your search providers are available as Accelerators. Some Accelerators provide previews so that you can view the result without having to leave the current webpage. Clicking on an Accelerator opens a new tab with the full result.
We've given you more control in IE8 beta 2 by adding custom categories to an Accelerator so that you can control how your Accelerators are organized. Just select an Accelerator from the Manage Add-ons dialog.
Find out if your favorite site has an Accelerator available from the IE8 Gallery.
Web Slices
As we showed in Beta 1, Web Slices give you updates directly from the Favorites bar, helping you keep track of your important information. A Web Slice is a subscription to part of a web page; when an update is available, IE8 bolds the title of the Web Slice so you know there's something new to see. I have several Web Slices that make it easy to keep track of my favorites – the weather, friend updates on Facebook, popular links from Digg, and current auction items on eBay. When there's something new to see, you can preview the update and click through to the full web page for more details. We've also added a refresh button from the preview for Beta 2 so that you can get the latest content without having to navigate.
When a site supports Web Slices a Web Slice icon appears in the command bar. Try out Web Slices with eBay, Digg, Live Search (type in your city + weather like "Seattle weather"), and more from the IE8 Gallery.
Feeds on the Favorites bar
In IE7 we added feed reading to the browser. For the IE8 Beta 2 release, we've made it even easier to reach your feeds by allowing them to be added to the Favorites bar. You'll get updates just like you did before where unread headlines are marked in bold. Selecting a headline opens the full web page.
Feeds are available for most websites today – select the feed icon in the command bar and use the new add button on the Favorites bar.
Suggested Sites
It's easy to get stuck in a bit of a rut, browsing the same sites all the time. In IE8 we make it easier to find sites you might like. Once you turn on Suggested Sites, IE looks at what sites you visit and then offers recommendations of other similar or related sites, right from the Favorites Bar.
If you don't have Suggested Sites on already, try it out by going to the Favorites Center and clicking on the "Turn on Suggested Sites" button at the bottom of the menu.
These features give you quick access to your services without having to leave the current webpage, making it faster and easier to browse the web. We'll be blogging about the details of these features as well as how sites can enable these services in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, we hope you try out Beta 2 and check out the IE8 Gallery to customize your browser with the services you use all of the time.
Jane Kim
Program Manager


text:
Port Arthur school district leader on hiatus while legal fees rise
Although Port Arthur Independent School District attorney Melody Chappell said Superintendent Johnny Brown is missed around the district, she refused to comment on why the $200,000-plus contract employee has been missing in action for over two weeks.
"I anticipate this matter will be resolved shortly," Chappell said after a Nov. 13 meeting where the superintendent was conspicuously absent after more than two weeks of no-shows to the district administration office. "We are all missing Dr. Brown. He is available to the administration, and I think things are running smoothly."
According to district assistant superintendent Mark Porterie, Brown has been out of the office since October and a return date has not been set.
"He's taking care of something, but I'm not sure what it is," Porterie said of his boss's absence. Porterie has been taking over the duties of the superintendent while Brown is on hiatus.
Also in Brown's absence, legal fees have mounted. Chappell's firm and a California-based law firm have billed PAISD nearly $60,000 for litigation preparation over the past couple months. Included in the fees were thousands of dollars allotted to defending wrongful termination cases, canvassing the failed bond election, and research related to the superintendent's job duties and responsibilities.
Brown did not answer calls made to his office and cell phone. Attorney Chappell offered no comment on the allegations made against the district superintendent claiming the threat of multiple sexual harassment cases is what's keeping Brown from his school office.


text:
Camping In Europe
Popular Countries
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Channel Islands
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- Northern Ireland
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serbia
- Scotland
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Wales
With a huge selection of campsites in Europe to choose from, there's a destination to inspire you no matter what your travel tastes. At Alan Rogers, we've made compiling your holiday shortlist easy. Simply search for campsites in Europe by country or theme by clicking any of the above options to refine your search.
Our listings include campsites that have been inspected and selected for our guides as well as a range of alternatives in each area. Simply click the 'view details' button for more information and images of each site, or head to the campsites official website. Don't forget, many of the sites listed are available to book online.


text:
81st Texas Legislature, Senate Concurrent Resolutions 59
Description: Proclamation issued by Governor Rick Perry vetoing a concurrent resolution passed by the Texas Senate and House of Representatives relating to granting MBP Corporation permission to sue the Board of Trustees of the Galveston Wharves.
Date: June 19, 2009
Creator: Texas. Governor (2000- : Perry)
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department


text:
Stories by Elen [7] Series by Elen [0] Reviews by Elen [14] Challenges by Elen [0] Favorite Series [0] Elen's Favorites [21]Series
Stories by Elen
|The authors own nothing. Joss, UPN, WB, etc. own Buffy, the show, the characters, the places, and the backstory. The authors own any original plots.


text:
DRC home :: Events :: Feedback :: Wallpaper :: Advanced Search
SALEM, Ore. --
Bailey, who races a blown alcohol dragster in the Pacific Northwest is excited to race and promote Capitol Auto Group for yet another year. "Capitol has been a great partner and I'm excited to have the opportunity to represent them for another season both on and off the track" Bailey said.
In addition to Capitol, Bailey enjoys associate sponsor backing from Royal Purple Synthetic Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, Image Actionwear, KYKN, Walery's Pizza, Competition Printing, SS Specialties, King Engine Bearings, Supervinyl Signs and Banners, Clear Signal, Adams Rib BBQ Sauce, Marsh Canby Transmission and MV Mobile Detail.


text:
Help your four legged friend live a happy and comfortable life with Pet Supplies and Dog Accessories from Sportsman's Guide. Choose from a wide variety of all the essentials like dog Kennels & Beds, Collars, Leashes & Leads, and Pet Gates, Ramps & Steps. Find what you need for your favorite pet at Sportsman's Guide and save BIG! Don't forget to check out essential Pet Accessories for your pet!
Item is currently on backorder
Item is currently on backorder
Shop now to find all your favorite pet brands like Precision Pet, K&H Pet Products, Solvit, Carolina Pet Co., Pet Gear and more. Find exactly what you need for the guaranteed lowest prices.
Browse articles from The Guide Outdoors for tips and tricks to caring for your four legged companions. Find useful guidance from our experts.
Training Equipment Essentials For Training Your Hunting Dog
Purchasing A Gun Dog Puppy
Waterfowl Training While Fishing
Owning More Than One Dog


text:
We have extensive experience helping people get into the South African oil industry. We are not a recruitment agency and it is not possible to guarantee employment, however if you follow our comprehensive recommendations and advice, you will maximise your employment prospects.
We have been assisting people for eight years to get into the oil industry, and we offer expert guidance detailing the best way for you to get a job. We assess your background, your work experience, your working preferences and location, and from this determine the best way for you to get a job.
There are many reasons to work in the oil industry:
- Excellent money – oil industry workers easily earn one of the highest average salaries around
- Great work rosters – offshore workers work in rotations, meaning that you spend much of the year on holiday
- Challenging work – if you are tired of the 9-5 routine or want a complete change in career, the oil industry offers a demanding environment to work in, with huge earning opportunities, and also career progression
- International job opportunities – if you want to work abroad there are a large number of these roles available. And employers will cover your transports costs from your hometown, to the rig and back
If you are serious about wanting to get into the oil industry, it is essential you do it the right way so you don't jeopardise your future employment.
We look forward to helping you get a job in the oil industry
The team at Oil Rig Job
Fill in the form to get started.
For your convenience we can be contacted at the following address:
Postnet Suite 1
Private Bag X75