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Stephenson and Foglesong Help Launch New Master of Planning in Civic Urbanism
April 30, 2010
At first glance, you may not think that the study of environmental issues and politics have a lot in common. Not so, asserts Rollins'
Bruce Stephenson
, professor of environmental studies and
Richard Foglesong
, professor of politics.
As long-time colleagues and friends, the two found it "serendipitous" that they were able to bring their unique expertise together to help found the new
Master of Planning in Civic Urbanism
program at Rollins College.
"I'm very excited to work with Bruce on this new program and possibly leave a legacy," said Foglesong.
The 26-year veteran professor has taught American and urban politics and policy since 1984. He has also taught in the graduate school of architecture and urban planning at UCLA. And 25 years ago, he published Planning the Capitalist City, which discusses the history of American urban planning. The book is still required reading in most urban planning courses throughout the country.
"My background is predominately as a political scientist," said Foglesong. "So with this new master's program, I've come back full circle to my roots in urban planning."
Stephenson's background is similar: He has been an environmentalist, public planner and consultant. Growing up on Florida's coast in the 1970s, he was inspired to pursue a life of environmental action after witnessing the St. Johns River's devastating drought and subsequent dry burning. One of his first jobs was working with Pinellas County to help protect its water supply, and this became the basis for his book Visions of Eden, analyzing the origins and evolution of city planning in Florida.. For the past five years, he has partnered with the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation on a landscape restoration project for the Genius Reserve, a 50-acre parcel of "Old Florida" located in the heart of Winter Park.
"People are taught the importance of protecting natural space," said Stephenson. "But it's also important to understand the human landscape element to this and how we can live sustainably."
Both men, along with other Rollins professors and urban planners, hope to educate students about the sustainable and political side of civic urbanism.
"It's one thing to draw a sustainable plan, which is very important," added Stephenson, "but there's a whole other angle to learn about the political process involved in getting the plan actually passed."
After an in-depth feasibility study, Foglesong said that local urban business leaders and consultants were very enthusiastic about the new program.
"We learned that Rollins is, indeed, the right place, it's the right time and we have the right approach to provide the knowledge and skills for cutting-edge professionals who will be working in urban planning," added Foglesong.
To learn more about the Master of Planning in Civic Urbanism program visit
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Methods of connecting with prevention and/or intervention programs were/are developed
through both deductive and inductive programming. Seminars, workshops, courses,
and general information sessions prompted curiosity and a shared sense of "we're
in this boat together" in many instances. If needs are indicative of trends, SOS
will modify its programs to include new trends and will reassess old trends to determine
validity of its programming.
The 2013-14 academic year will see the following programs presented by SOS:
Additional topics will be incorporated as need arises.

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Kare kano. Volume one : his and her circumstances
Tsuda, Masami.
Teen Fiction TSUDA
Tsuda, Masami.
Teen Fiction TSUDA
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Walt Disney predictably dominated the animated-feature category with three of the five nominees: "Brave," "Frankenweenie" and "Wreck-It Ralph." Also nominated were "ParaNorman" and "The Pirates! Band of Misfits."
"I'm absolutely blown away," "Wreck-It Ralph" director Rich Moore said. "It is weird at 5:30 in the morning to hear Emma Stone say your name. It's surreal."
Fun stuff to know about Oscar nominations
GOLDEN AGE » At 85 years old, Emmanuelle Riva of "Amour" is now the oldest best actress nominee, while 9-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis of "Beasts of the Southern Wild" is the youngest in that category. The oldest nominee across all acting categories remains Gloria Stuart, who was 87 when she received a supporting actress nod for 1997's "Titanic," and the youngest is Justin Henry, who was 8 when he was nominated as supporting actor for 1979's "Kramer vs. Kramer."
VETERANS DAY » Nine of the nominees, including all of the supporting actor nominees, are previous winners: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones of "Lincoln," Denzel Washington of "Flight," Alan Arkin of "Argo," Robert De Niro of "Silver Linings Playbook," Philip Seymour Hoffman of "The Master," Christoph Waltz of "Django Unchained" and Helen Hunt of "The Sessions." Jessica Chastain, up for "Zero Dark Thirty," is the only acting contender who was nominated last year.
ALL IN THE FAMILY » Thomas Newman's nod for original score for "Skyfall" is his 11th and brings the total for members of the musical Newman family (Alfred, Lionel, Emil, Thomas, David and Randy) to 87, more than any other clan. With his original screenplay nomination for "Moonrise Kingdom," Roman Coppola becomes the sixth member of the Coppola family (Carmine Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola, Talia Shire, Nicolas Cage and Sofia Coppola) to receive a nod, for a family total of 24.
RECORD BREAKERS » Some nominees are smashing records. Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy share the record for the most best picture nominations for individual producers with eight each. With his best picture nod for "Argo," producer George Clooney joins Warren Beatty as the only powerhouses to have nominations for best picture, directing, writing and acting. Michael Kahn is now the most-nominated film editor, having received his eighth nomination this year for "Lincoln."
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR » "Amour," which is nominated in five categories this year, is the fifth film to be nominated in both the best picture and foreign language categories. The others were "Z," which won the foreign language trophy in 1969; "The Emigrants," a foreign language nominee in 1971 and a best picture nominee in 1972; "Life Is Beautiful," which won the foreign language award in 1998; and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," the foreign language winner in 2000.
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"Lincoln" is Spielberg's best awards prospect since his critical peak in the 1990s, when he won best-picture and directing Oscars for "Schindler's List" and a second directing Oscar for "Saving Private Ryan."
Spielberg's latest film could vault him, Day-Lewis and Field to new heights among Hollywood's super-elite of multiple Oscar winners.
A best-picture win for "Lincoln" would be Spielberg's second, while another directing win would be his third, a feat achieved only by Frank Capra and William Wyler, who each earned three directing Oscars, and John Ford, who received four.
"Lincoln" also was the ninth best-picture nominee Spielberg has directed, moving him into a tie for second-place with Ford. Only Wyler directed more best-picture nominees, with 13.
Day-Lewis and Field both have two lead-acting Oscars already, he for "My Left Foot" and "There Will Be Blood" and she for "Norma Rae" and "Places in the Heart." A third Oscar for either would put them in rare company with previous triple winners Ingrid Bergman, Walter Brennan, Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. Katharine Hepburn is the record-holder with four acting Oscars.
An Oscar for Jones would be his second supporting-actor prize; he previously won for "The Fugitive."
"Lincoln" composer John Williams — whose five Oscars include three for the music of three earlier Spielberg films, "Jaws," "E.T. the Extra-terrestrial" and "Schindler's List" — earned his 43rd nomination for best score, extending his all-time record in the category.
The Oscars feature a best-picture field that ranges from five to 10 films depending on a complex formula of ballots from the 5,856 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Nominations in most categories are decided by ballots from members of specific academy branches — such as directors, writers or actors. All members are eligible to vote for best-picture nominees, and the entire academy can vote in every category for the actual Oscars, whose balloting begins Feb. 8.
Winners for the 85th Oscars will be announced Feb. 24 at a ceremony aired live on ABC from Hollywood's Dolby Theatre.
AP entertainment writers Christy Lemire, Sandy Cohen, Anthony McCartney and Derrik Lang in Los Angeles and AP writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.
Complete list of 85th Annual Academy Award nominations:
1. Best Picture » "Amour," "Argo," "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Django Unchained," "Les Miserables," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," "Silver Linings Playbook," "Zero Dark Thirty."
2. Actor » Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"; Hugh Jackman, "Les Miserables"; Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"; Denzel Washington, "Flight."
3. Actress » Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"; Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"; Quvenzhane Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; Naomi Watts, "The Impossible."
4. Supporting Actor » Alan Arkin, "Argo"; Robert De Niro, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"; Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"; Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained."
5. Supporting Actress » Amy Adams, "The Master"; Sally Field, "Lincoln"; Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables"; Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"; Jacki Weaver, "Silver Linings Playbook."
6. Directing » Michael Haneke, "Amour"; Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"; Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"; David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook."
7. Foreign Language Film » "Amour," Austria; "Kon-Tiki," Norway; "No," Chile; "A Royal Affair," Denmark; "War Witch," Canada.
8. Adapted Screenplay » Chris Terrio, "Argo"; Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; David Magee, "Life of Pi"; Tony Kushner, "Lincoln"; David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook."
9. Original Screenplay » Michael Haneke, "Amour"; Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained"; John Gatins, "Flight"; Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, "Moonrise Kingdom"; Mark Boal, "Zero Dark Thirty."
10. Animated Feature Film » "Brave"; "Frankenweenie"; "ParaNorman"; "The Pirates! Band of Misfits"; "Wreck-It Ralph."
11. Production Design » "Anna Karenina," "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "Les Miserables," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln."
12. Cinematography » "Anna Karenina," "Django Unchained," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," "Skyfall."
13. Sound Mixing » "Argo," "Les Miserables," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," "Skyfall."
14. Sound Editing » "Argo," "Django Unchained," "Life of Pi," "Skyfall," "Zero Dark Thirty."
15. Original Score » "Anna Karenina," Dario Marianelli; "Argo," Alexandre Desplat; "Life of Pi," Mychael Danna; "Lincoln," John Williams; "Skyfall," Thomas Newman.
16. Original Song » "Before My Time" from "Chasing Ice," J. Ralph; "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" from "Ted," Walter Murphy and Seth MacFarlane; "Pi's Lullaby" from "Life of Pi," Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayashri; "Skyfall" from "Skyfall," Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth; "Suddenly" from "Les Miserables," Claude-Michel Schonberg, Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil.
17. Costume » "Anna Karenina," "Les Miserables," "Lincoln," "Mirror Mirror," "Snow White and the Huntsman."
18. Documentary Feature » "5 Broken Cameras," "The Gatekeepers," "How to Survive a Plague," "The Invisible War," "Searching for Sugar Man."
19. Documentary (short subject) » "Inocente," "Kings Point," "Mondays at Racine," "Open Heart," "Redemption."
20. Film Editing » "Argo," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," "Silver Linings Playbook," "Zero Dark Thirty."
21. Makeup and Hairstyling » "Hitchcock," "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "Les Miserables."
22. Animated Short Film » "Adam and Dog," "Fresh Guacamole," "Head over Heels," "Maggie Simpson in 'The Longest Daycare,'" "Paperman."
23. Live Action Short Film » "Asad," "Buzkashi Boys," "Curfew," "Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)," "Henry."
24. Visual Effects » "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "Life of Pi," "Marvel's The Avengers," "Prometheus," "Snow White and the Huntsman."
Copyright 2014 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Singapore Seletar Opens New Control Tower as Part of Transformation
A new air traffic control tower opened today at Singapore Seletar Airport as part of an ongoing vision to develop the airfield as a business aviation haven, as well as an aerospace park hub, in the region. The completion of the new control tower comes on the heels of a runway extension completed in September. At present, the airport allows only VFR operations, but the new control tower combined with an ILS that will be installed in 2014 will enable Seletar to handle all-weather flight operations.
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Hi All,
in my application i have to connect a single pipe to hangers in autodesk MEP 2012
Pls suggest.
Thanks in advance
I know there is a tool which could help you on this. Check detail please go to: SupportAndHanger
With pipe hangers (and to a lesser extent duct hangers), you want to make sure you're using the correct type. I'd suggest go to a manufacturer like cooper b-line or anvil, find your hanger(s) that you want to use, and model them --- or you can create them without the manufacturer's dimensions if you just want the rough size and shape of the hanger. Not sure how in depth the application is in terms of adding upper attachments (which you can create as separate families) or accessories like insulation shields or how it handles stacked pipes.
Thanks Sandleaz for your suggestion. We will try to provide inbox hanger as from the manufactory in next version. However, current user could also create their own hanger and use it in current version. And the key value of this tool is to help use auto layout the hanger and manage the connection with the pipe/duct/cable tray or conduit.
Start with some of our most frequented solutions or visit the Installation and Licensing Forum to get help installing your software.


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mark mcnairy no show sock
by ETIQUETTE CLOTHIERS
Founded in New York City in 2011, Etiquette Clothiers is dedicated to perfecting the basics. Etiquette's collections are built with the belief that basics should be as well constructed as your top layers. Two collections showcase the Etiquette goods: The White Label collection provides modern styles and patterns in exceptionally soft combed cotton. The Black Label collection is the epitome of luxury with classic designs, natural pearl buttons and the finest Italian mercerized cotton. Gone are the good old days of everyday dressing to impress? We think not. Etiquette starts with the foundation—for a little bit of civility and ceremony, underneath it all.Back To Product View All From This Designer
Men's Size Chart
Product Details
Etiquette Clothiers socks are crafted from the finest Italian combed cotton yarns and comes in fun patterns and prints. This special collection of bold solid and stripe knit socks is designed in New York City in collaboration with Mark McNairy New Amsterdam. Soft combed cotton no show sock with reinforced heel and toe. Contrast toe detail.
• flat-toe seaming
• 80% cotton, 15% nylon, 5% lycra
• made in Italy


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Solvency II is the new solvency regime for all EU insurers and reinsurers, which also covers the insurance operation of bancassurers. Due to come into effect in 2012, Solvency II aims to implement solvency requirements that better reflect the risks that companies face and deliver a supervisory system that is consistent across all member states.
The challenge of preparing for and implementing Solvency II calls for a multi-disciplinary approach. At Deloitte, we are able to provide the required breadth of service expertise that ensures all aspects of Solvency II requirements and opportunities are considered and can support you through the entire process.
To keep inform or for any questions, please send us an e-mail with your name, first name, company, function and phone number.


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More NBA
Articles from RotoWire's fantasy archives that mention Jamaal Franklin's name.
October 12, 2013
NBA Team Previews: Memphis Grizzlies 2013-14
With a new coach in town that wants to run and added depth, will the Grizzlies' fantasy value thin out or reach new heights?
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NBA Draft Kit: Offseason Moves - Western Conference
Where did all of the free agents and misfit players end up up at the end of the offseason? Let's take a look at the Western Conference offseason moves.
June 28, 2013
NBA Rookie Prospect Report: NBA Draft Winners and Losers
Fred Katz (@FredKatz) rates the winners and losers from Thursday's 2013 NBA Draft.
June 25, 2013
NBA Rookie Prospect Report: Mega Mock Draft (Part 1)
Fred Katz (@FredKatz) mock drafts the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft in serious depth.
May 22, 2013
NBA Rookie Prospect Report: Mock Draft 1.0
Fred Katz (@FredKatz) mock drafts the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft with the lottery results now in.
May 20, 2013
NBA Rookie Prospect Report: Pre-Lottery NBA Mock Draft
Fred Katz (@FredKatz) offers up a pre-lottery mock draft before Tuesday's lottery results gives us a look at how the draft will fall.
May 15, 2013
NBA Rookie Prospect Report: 2013 Draft Prospect Rankings
Our @FredKatz ranks the top 30 prospects in this year's class
April 18, 2013
NBA Rookie Prospect Report: Early Lottery Mock
Perry Missner (@PerryMissner) gives a generalized early look at who we could see getting drafted in the lottery this offseason.
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Families in Hamtramck are being told to be on alert after a 12-year old boy says a stranger grabbed him on Denton near the Hanley International Academy.
Hamtramck police say the boy says the man ran up behind him at about 3:30 Monday afternoon and grabbed the back of his jacket. The boy then broke away and ran.
Police say they want to talk with the man who is described as being white, in his 20's with dirty blond hair. He's approximately 5'8" tall and 175 lbs with gages in his ears and a small goatee.
The man was riding in an older model black Dodge Ram pickup truck.
Police say they are asking parents to be extra vigilant while they investigate. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Hamtramck Police Department.
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The goal for a resident during the Clinical Genetics Service is to become a medical geneticist. This will involve seeing at least 150 patients within an inpatient and outpatient tertiary care setting. These patients will include those with disorders of mendelian genetics, cytogenetics, contiguous gene deletions, dysmorphology, congenital malformations, multifactorial disorders, mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
In addition, the resident will see patients who have questions regarding prenatal diagnosis and teratology. Clinical medical geneticists should be able to:


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WASHINGTON (AP) - The Veterans Affairs Department says two top officials are stepping down at a time when the agency is under fire for making veterans endure poor medical care and long waits for appointments.
In a statement Wednesday, the VA said Will A. Gunn is resigning as general counsel. Also leaving a top post is Dr. Robert L. Jesse, who has been acting undersecretary for health.
The VA statement says the moves are being made to help improve patients' access to health care and to restore trust from the nation's veterans.
Acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson made the moves less than a month after he replaced Eric Shinseki (shin-SEHK'-ee) as head of the agency. Shinseki resigned after apologizing for the agency's problems.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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On such a somber day, Memorial Day, we are honoring Spartan heroes. Two men who gave their lives to maintain the freedom that we enjoy in the United States.
On September 28, 2012, SFC Riley Stephens was killed in action serving his country in Wardak, Afghanistan with the 1/3 Special Forces Group (Airborne) as a senior Medic. One of the last things Riley did before his deployment was run a Spartan Race in South Carolina.
As a tribute, friends and family took on the Spartan Beast in Glen Rose at the end of 2012 as "Team Riley" to honor him and to reconnect. It was a cathartic experience for family and friends and they came together to remember a brother, a son, and a best friend.
At the 2013 Socal Super Spartan, we proudly supported the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation in honor of Spartan
Glen Doherty, who was one of the four Americans killed in a terror attack in Benghazi, Libya on September 12, 2012. According to the Foundation website, The Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation is our way to honor Glen's life and his beliefs. Doherty took part in the Socal Super in 2011 before his tragic death in Benghazi.
In 2012, over 350,000 Spartans crossed our finish line we expect over half a million in 2013. Many of our participants are military or first responders and we are always thankful to have so many experience a Spartan Race. The loss of these two men and so many others are deeply felt.
Men of honor, conviction, and courage, we mourn their passing and are thankful for their service and sacrifice. As you spend your time at BBQ's and out enjoying this holiday, do not lose its significance. Please spend this Memorial Day remembering the bravery of these and so many others that are no longer here to enjoy the freedom they've ensured.
We will never forget.
To learn more about the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation, click HERE.
Tags: Benghazi, Glen Doherty, Memorial Day, spartan race, SPF Riley Stephens, Team Riley


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2006-11-23 / Schools/Sports
Preschoolers visit Hicks Nurseries
Three- and four-year old children who attend St. David's Evangelical Lutheran Church's Christian Preschool were treated to a field trip to Hicks Nurseries in Westbury. The children went through Otto's ghostly spook house, had a hayride and picked out a pumpkin and apples to bring home for their pare
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Brian MacLean
Vice President, Operations, Elizabethtown Gas
AGL Resources
Brian MacLean was named vice president of operations for Elizabethtown Gas, a subsidiary of AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS), in December 2011. He is responsible for day-to-day operations as the gas utility meets the energy needs of more than 277,000 customers including ensuring safety, compliance, operational excellence and financial performance.
With 4.5 million utility customers, AGL Resources is the largest natural-gas only distribution company in the United States by customer count.
With more than 19 years with AGL Resources, MacLean previously served as region manager for Elizabethtown Gas. With a focus on safety, compliance and operational quality, he was responsible for all aspects of local operations including managing distribution, field service and meter reading functions. Prior to that, MacLean served AGL Resources as managing director, Business Process Improvement and Business Systems Support. His team was responsible for identifying and implementing process improvement initiatives designed to decrease operating expenses and increase revenue while improving safety and customer service. Earlier, MacLean served the company as managing director, Operations Management. His team of more than 400 employees and contractors supported the company's utilities in six states in areas such as preventative and corrective maintenance programs for transmission and distribution systems, and the development of safety, risk management and total quality programs. He began his career with the company at Virginia Natural Gas where he served in a number of roles including region manager, Southern Operations.
Active in the community, MacLean is a frequent volunteer at the Saint Francis Inn soup kitchen. He has served on the boards of the Tri-County Red Cross of New Jersey, the Hampton Roads Technology Council and is a graduate of Leadership New Jersey.
He earned his undergraduate degree from University of Prince Edward Island, completed an Electrical Engineering Technology Co-Op program at NASA Langley Research Center and holds multiple professional certifications from NACE, ISA and Microsoft.
MacLean has four children and lives with his wife in Warren, N.J.
October 2013
About Elizabethtown Gas
Elizabethtown Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS), provides natural gas delivery service to approximately 277,000 residential, business and industrial natural gas customers in New Jersey. In operation since 1855, the company serves parts of Union, Middlesex, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Morris and Mercer counties. For more information, visit www.elizabethtowngas.com
About AGL Resources
AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS) is an Atlanta-based energy services holding company with operations in natural gas distribution, retail operations, wholesale services, midstream operations and cargo shipping. AGL Resources serves approximately 4.5 million utility customers through its regulated distribution subsidiaries in seven states. The company also serves approximately 630,000 retail energy customers and approximately 1.2 million customer service contracts through its SouthStar Energy Services joint venture and Pivotal Home Solutions, respectively, which markets natural gas and related home services. Other non-utility businesses include asset management for natural gas wholesale customers through Sequent Energy Management, ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities, and ownership of Tropical Shipping, one of the largest containerized cargo carriers serving the Bahamas and Caribbean region. AGL Resources is a member of the S&P 500 Index. For more information, visit www.aglresources.com.


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Trainers Near You
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ACE Fit Share
Add these shoulder exercises into your regular workout routine and increase your upper body strength, while strengthening and stabilizing your shoulders. From the stability ball dumbbell press to the medicine ball push-up, these exercises are a great way to strengthen your deltoids, rotator cuff and trapezius muscles. Browse through our large collection of detailed tutorials and step-by-step demonstrations from today's leaders in the health fitness industry. For full workout routines featuring these shoulder exercises, visit our Workouts section.
Fit Life Articles
Despite the wide availability of health and fitness information, people continue to struggle with their weight and health-related behaviors. The truth is, you can't have a healthy body without a healthy mind. Here are three tools that can help channel a healthy mindset to...
If you're struggling to meet your health and fitness goals, despite major efforts to clean up your diet and stick to your workouts, it could be that you're eating and training for a body type other than your own. There are three dominant body types—mesomorphs, endomorphs...
Having trouble sticking to you workout routine during the dog days of summer? Rather than finding new excuses for not exercising, download a few of these apps recommended by tech expert Ted Vickey and see if they motivate you to keep working toward your health and fitness...
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At the intersection of entertainment, technology and advertising, Creative Convergence Inc., specializing in business development, content monetization and consumer engagement solutions, consults technology start-ups, advertising agencies, businesses, brands, entertainment companies and content owners.
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text: DOVER, Del. - Delaware State University has suspended all activities of the school's band music groups amid an investigation of alleged hazing. The suspension announced Thursday involves all band performances, including those of the DSU Approaching Storm marching band, the DSU Jazz Ensembles, the concert band and pep bands. A spokesman said roughly 150 students participate in the bands. Officials at the historically black institution said the suspension covers the rest of the semester, including the final home football game Nov. 23. They did not provide details of the alleged hazing but said the university takes such allegations very seriously. A university spokesman said the investigation began more than a week ago, and that enough information had been developed to prompt officials to suspend all band activities until the investigation is concluded.(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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He Relaxes, You Work. WTH?
Notes from a New Mom: I have a question for all the stay-at-home moms out there -- or should I say, all the moms who work their BUTTS off at home: Do your partners/husbands/boyfriends seem to think that while they're off working away from home, you're eating bonbons and watching soap operas, your kids are entertaining themselves, the laundry magically gets folded and put away and the house just mysteriously stays clean?
As a former I can CONFIRM being a SAHM is not real jobs - you operate on your own schedule. And it's not 24/7 - get over that. As for less than 10 minute showers -don't know what you're talkinb about but that doesn't start until you go back to work. Want a longer shower, take one at night when the kids go to bed -then you're up and ready first thing in the morning.
When you choose to not work and stay home the house/kids become your job - so yes, when husband gets home from working his butt off to support you it IS your job to have the house clean, kids under control. If you don't like it, go to a real job and split the house/childcare duties. You can't expect to choose not to work AND not be responsible for the kids/home.
I have worked outside the home and have been a SAHM with my three kids. When I had my first two I stayed home full-time. It was busy, but I was there to take care of my kids and the house. That was my job. I didn't really want my husband to help because he worked 12 hour days and was exhausted - I also wanted us to just play together as a family at night and on weekends. When my third child was born things changed a little because he had many developmental delays and I needed to ask for more help because I spent so many hours a day with only him and my other kids needed homework help in the evenings. I did work full-time some during this time ( he was in expensive therapy) it was incredibly stressful and exhausting. We eventually decided that it was better for our family for me to be home so we could have more relaxing evenings and weekends. I love my job being taking care of my family and I have learned to let some things go.
I try not to do any cleaning (except the kitchen) in the evening or on weekends. I relax with my family and get it done during the day. Sure, the house is a mess on Monday but it is worth the time with my kids and husband and I don't feel like I am working while they get to play.
Yes, you work hard. And yes, this job is 24/7. That's probably the hardest part, that we never get a break. But it is what it is.
Meh. I SAH with our young baby, and I expect my husband to just pick up after himself. Meaning not leaving socks everywhere & magazines on the floor.
Beyond that it is my job. I just shower before my husband leaves for work & he enjoys 30 minutes with the baby. I even manage to put make up on & do my hair.
Then when my husband is at work I do what needs to get done. Often I put my son in a sling & do laundry or whatever.
On weekends & in the evenings we spend time together as a family. If my husband wants to relax so be it. I cant imagine the stress of supporting a family. He deserves time to himself.
I always just use one of my son's naps each day to do what I want: read blogs, call friends, etc.
So yes my husband helps out, but I feel that he has no obligation to do housework at all. {except mow the lawn!}
As a sahm for almost 15 years I hear ya and I sympathize. Is our job hard? Not really. It just takes a little proper time management. Do I have days or weeks where that doesn't happen? Of course. But when I manage my time the right way and can get my household "duties" finished I do have enough time to spend with my kids. And there are of course days where housework falls to the wayside and my kids come first. It's all about balance. I don't ask my husband (who works very long hours, is always on call, and travels extensively) to do any housework ie. laundry, dishes or toilets. If he does it's because he wants to help out. However I do expect a level of partnership when it comes to the kids. Housework is my job but we are both parents. Give the little one a bath in the evening, help our daughter with homework, take Jr. to that college admissions meeting and so on. Because again we are both parents and his involvement with our children not only benefits them but benefits him as well. And it's during those times that he is spending with the kids I may sneak in a little "me time" and my husband is okay with that. I'm happy, he's happy, the kids are happy. It works out. So while some days as a sahm aren't without it's challenges, the benefits and joy far exceed those challenges. A spotless house dims in comparison to the happiness and well being of our children. So take heart my friend, and gently explain to your spouse/significant other the importance his role is to your child/ren. And while he's playing peek-a-boo with your tot, head to Sbux, grab a latte and breath. ;o)
Wait, so Leah thinks because a husband works outside the home he can completely check out of raising his children? Actually working outside the home is not that hard either. If it were, guys would not prefer to do it over raising their kids full time. Why should a mother work 24/7 and not a father?
Taking care of kids is a job. If you hired a nanny/housekeeper, she would go home at the end of the day. If your kids went to a sitter, you'd have them back at the end of the day and none of the housework would be done.
So, yes, you definitely deserve time off at the end of the day and on the weekends, just as much as he does. You're both parents and taking care of the baby is both your responsibility. Also, you will be a much better mother if you have time away from your baby.
Exactly what he does is between the two of you, but he needs to help with household chores and baby care when he's at home. Things like doing the dishes or taking the baby for a while. If you're overwhelmed because the baby is young, he can be in charge of laundry or pick up some groceries. On the weekends, it should absolutely be split down the middle.
New parenting is hard because it takes a while to adjust to the fact that there is so much to do and it won't go away. Check out the book And Baby Makes Three for some tips on how to get along. Also check out Staying Home by Sanders and Bullen for some tips on the changes in your life.
You might want to talk to your husband about how tired you are and how much help you need, not make him feel criticized. He might also understand the argument about a nanny getting to leave at the end of the time. It sounds like maybe he doesn't want you to stay home, so you might want to point out (when you're not mad) that if you did go to work, whoever you hired wouldn't be there 24/7 and he would have to split all the chores with you in the evenings and on the weekend and there would probably be more of them then there are now! If all else fails, point out that new moms who do too much are too tired for sex and see what he says.
You've completely misinterpreted. I say as a SAHM it is our JOB to be fully responsible for a clean house and cared for children. I mean what else is someone staying home ALL day doing? It is not at all difficult and as someone else stated just takes very simple time management.
I never said the husband isn't supposed to participate in the child's life but after he has worked ALL day to support his wife (who is choosing not to work) no, he's not obligated to do the lion's share of housework. It's the SAHM's job. When I stayed home I NEVER cleaned on the weekends because I knew how to manage my time and get my JOB (Housework) done during the week.
ok,I know a lot of SAHM get real defensive on this topic when you in any way deny that they have it rough, but I guess I just can't see it. As a single mother, I just can't see it. My daughters father tries to spend time with her, and help out with things like, watching her a while on my day off so I can get the yard mowed. Nice. I work full time at a very stressful job, with small pay for what it entails. I do this, because where I work I am lucky enough to have a wonderful babysitter who charges me at a rate I can actually pay each month. My house is clean. It sure doesn't shine, but I feel safe having my new crawler picking at the floors. Dishes are done, laundry, I cook atleast one meal a day. I do my own yard work, quite a bit of any maintenance that arises around the house, ETC. I even get to go out 2-3 times a month usually. I sure have some days where I am just pooped out and think about how much I didn't want to tackle the next thing, but I don't feel sorry for myself or think about how "rough" I got it. I just don't see how when you have all fricken day to do the dishes and get those 2 or 3 loads folded and put away is hard? Dishes are an easy chore. It just sucks. Laundry? other than putting the clothes in the machine, it involves nothing but folding, which you can do sitting in front of the T.V. and a 5min. put away. (And don't start in on the kids make it hard to get these simple tasks done, if your job is to clean and raise kids solely, than they should each be helping fold a small portion of laundry and then helping put their share away and things like that) I'm sorry, I just don't get it.
Well said em476. Bless you and all single parents!
I think SAHMs feel the need to make it sound like it's really difficult to stay home and like house work shouldn't be part of their job. I was lucky enough to stay home with my first and NEVER found it difficult. Nor did I expect my husband to do house work since he was WORKING while I got to stay home! I had to go back to work with my second and if SAHMs think they have it rough, imagine having to take care of kids, a house and work full time - that's rough!! My husband and I split the housework now that we both work, but when I was staying home of course he wasn't expected to work AND do house work -that's ridiculous.
I used to tell my husband that I needed a break after staying at home with my children, and he didn't believe me. Now, he is laid off and I am working full timeand going to school full time, and he is staying at home with the kids. Since he has been home, he has admitted that it was harder than he gave me credit for, and that sometimes he just needs a break.
That was wonderful to me that he validated that I wasn't just lazy, but even though he is a "stay at home dad", I still do all the shopping, all the cooking, about half of the cleaning and if it weren't for my 13 year old, prob. all the cleaning (except laundry). So, I can kind of see both sides.
(BTW, I am terrible at time management if I don't have a time clock, so staying at home is SOOO not for me!)
I used to tell my husband that I needed a break after staying at home with my children, and he didn't believe me. Now, he is laid off and I am working full timeand going to school full time, and he is staying at home with the kids. Since he has been home, he has admitted that it was harder than he gave me credit for, and that sometimes he just needs a break.
That was wonderful to me that he validated that I wasn't just lazy, but even though he is a "stay at home dad", I still do all the shopping, all the cooking, about half of the cleaning and if it weren't for my 13 year old, prob. all the cleaning (except laundry). So, I can kind of see both sides.
(BTW, I am terrible at time management if I don't have a time clock, so staying at home is SOOO not for me!)
The reason it is hard for SAHMs to get housework done is that they have babies and small children. Babies need to be fed and changed all the time. Toddlers have to be watched so that they don't kill themselves. Preschoolers help you do housework, but it doesn't really help you get anything done, if you know what I mean. They add to the mess and then you have that to clean up too. On top of all that, babies and kids need to have someone talk to them, play with them, and take them out of the house. Then when the dad comes home, the babies/kids are still there. They need to be fed and played with and put to bed. If they're small, you have to feed them again in the middle of the night.
Leah~ your my girl, I agree. It's your job as a SAHM to do the 24/7 work of being a mom and wife. It does not seem fair and yes your going to be tired. But that's what it is. When you have babies you don't really expect to get any sleep do you? i mean feedings at 2am and so on. Please i work a full time job with 3 kids, and my youngest is 4 months old. Yes i'm beat and it's a great feeling. Find comfort in knowing that you can "do it all baby". You should be on cloud nine. i wish i could stay at home all day with my boys, but to live the life we live i have to work. It's not an easy choice but its the one i made, just like you. So please stop crying about being tired and treated unfairly.
Try working 50 hours a week, and being the person responsible for child care, helping with homework, and all the house work after that! Talk about a 24/7 Job! Those of us that work outside the house have two full-time jobs. We are keeping up what you stay- at-home moms do, and are responsible for paying the bills. (Plus, somehow, the teachers at school seem to call the working mothers, instead of stay at home moms, because we have "skills", to come volunteer in their classroom on our day off, or ask us to take a vacation day to spend with her class.)
Being a mother is just a very difficult full-time job anyway. However, I say, just sit back and enjoy what you have now. Because you are only working one job, others of us are required to balance many of them at once, while finding quality time to spend with our kids. (Which means we never sleep or have personal time of our own.)
Wow. There has been a lot of negativity and "you think YOU have it bad" comments. I'm a SAHM and I have the utmost respect for working moms. You really do have 2 full time jobs, like several people have said before, but that is in fact admitting that staying at home is a full time job in and of itself. Yes you have chosen not to work outside the home and therefore the childcare and house work is your job, but you are, in fact, entitled to some time off. You aren't lazy or an over privileged witch if you ask your husband to help you out with the house or kids and bashing the moms who do want time off as if they aren't good enough is exactly what's wrong with this holier-than-thou attitude of parenting today. However, this article wasn't about which moms do more work. It was about if she has the right to ask her husband for help with the children he helped create and the answer is YES!
Babies and toddlers take 3000% of your time and energy. House work just seems to stack up. To top it all off, you feel like you haven't had an intelligent conversation in weeks and can now quote all Dr. Suess books verbatim. Some times small children have social schedules that would rival the queen of England. You are exhausted both physically and mentally and you have every right to ask your husband to change the baby when he gets home or do the dishes after dinner while you sit down once in a while. You can both relax TOGETHER after the kids are in bed. ADULT bed time is a really good motivator especially if intimacy has gone by the wayside (as is often the case with arguing couples). Let him know that you will have more energy for him later if he helps out with the kids and house now. ;)
If he truly can't understand why you need a break every now and again, ask him to take the kids on a Saturday while you leave the house. Get a friend or family member to invite you out for a pedicure or just convince him to try it once. If he still feels like you have it easy, then you have angels for kids, lol. I'd bet good money he asks you to come home early.
Leah, are you serious????? No one's job should be 24/7! Get over your arrogance! Those kids need to see their dad actively involved in the daily life of the family! Your children and what they need are most important, not the 'prize for being the most slavish mom'. It is especially crucial for boys to see their dads in a supportive, active role at home, because watching those interactions will shape how he develops his relationships later in life.
There are so many valid points here. I am a working mother while my husband is the SAHD to our toddler. I can honestly say that I used to think men had it easy while the women stayed at home & did everything…..not so. It's more than just a 8-5 job. There really is a lot more stress involved knowing that everyone is counting on you. I do have to admit that my husband does A WHOLE LOT. He cooks, cleans,grocery shops & takes care of our child. I get home & pretty much dont do any of those things.
However, I can't stand that my husband seems to think that because he does all of that, I have to completely take over when I get home. WTH? I could understand 50/50….but come on, you were home all day. On top of that, I take my daughter to dance classes 2 nights a week, Bible study on Wednesdays, Gymnastics on Saturdays, Church, and Musical Theatre on Sundays. My husband doesn't do any of that bcuz he feels entitled to having some 'me time'. Mind you, we both attend school full time. I am working on a Masters. Yes he works hard, but I freakin' work harder. No, I don't always pat you on the back for all you do, but you don't pat me on my back for what I do.
Stay at home parents dare not pretend that they don't take any time out to watch TV. I know for a fact my husband does because I Tivo my shows, and many of my shows are interrupted with channel changing & music videos. Any SAHM that says she doesn't watch TV at all during her JOB at home is a liar. I'm a woman….I know how much we like TV. Not that it's not okay….just don't complain when the working parent comes home and wants to watch TV or just RELAX. We deserve it. We've been at work all day working with intolerable adults, bosses, employees, the public. Not time to watch TV…one hour of time to ourselves.
What would I choose? Working 9 hrs a day with people I don't care to spend time with? or my children in the comfort of my own home? Why do you think so many working moms talk about wanting to be SAHMs….bcuz it's easier.
The solution in my home, is to split some of the after hours duties….including weekends. He is bothered that I dont clean…..well, honestly, if you want help…be specific. My brain is fried from a tiresome job….tell me, SPECIFICALLY, what you want done, and I'll do it, just like I do everything else.
Be fair, we both have jobs, but when the clock strikes 5pm, we're both obligagted to our child. But I do expect you to bathe our child too. Fair is Fair!
I couldn't stand being a Sahm. I was going nuts puttering around the house all day bored out of my mind with only toddler/infant to talk to. Sahm used to network, have play dates, help eachother out when you're sick etc. I work full-time plus overtime and I do everything you're saying and earn a paycheck. I care for the kids all day and then go to work and my husband feeds them the dinner I've cooked earlier in the day and puts them to bed and then he's free. I think most men are scared (my husband included) at first and I don't think we expect enough of them in the child rearing dept. He has an amazing relationship with our kids and I don't fear leaving him alone with them and can trust he knows exactly what he's doing. Being a mom is a 24/7 hardest job. I give you that but you signed up for it when you has kids. Asking your husband to take the kids to the playground if there's something you need to do or schedule a moms night out monthly are important for you to keep your own self intact. I ask you… Does your husband take the garbage out, clean the gutters, mow the grass, mulch, and do other "man" jobs. Does he manage the bills and money? Do he kill bugs and lift heavy objects and care for car? If yes, then he's already doing his part of the "housework". I agree with above posters that it sounds like you need to manage your time better and learn to relax on the weekends.
@Working Mom and SAHD - I never watched TV at home when I was on duty, no lying. I decided that if I started watching daytime TV, I would never stop.
I don't know what your husband does, but he could be turning the TV on while he works and watching bits and pieces of it. It sounds like you really wish you could be the one at home and are getting resentful of him. In my experience, it's very easy for a couple to stop appreciating each other and get too resentful. Stopping to spend time together and see each other's point of view really helps and is good for your kids in the long run. Gottman has lots of good books on working conflict out well.


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White House Press Secretary Jay Carney insisted that "there are no unanswered questions" about Susan Rice's series of statements about the terrorist attacks in Benghazi.
Carney insisted that Rice used talking points that were provided to her by the intelligence community, and had no role in diminishing the role of Al-Queda's role in the attacks.
"Those questions have been answered," Carney repeated.
Carney criticized Republicans for their "obsession" over Sec. Rice's Sunday show Benghazi comments asserting that it was "misplaced."
"The focus on – some might say obsession – on comments made on Sunday shows, seems to me and to many to be misplaced," Carney said, reminding reporters that as a U.N. Ambassador Rice had no role in gathering or collecting intelligence.
Carney added that the Sunday talk shows "have exalted status in Washington" but have a limited role in public policy.


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I'm baaaaack!!!
Hello friends. I am sorry for the hideously long delay in updating my blog, but I'm back in the United States now and have a ton of new updates to share with you.
For starters, my blog has been officially moved to my website.
I'd love for you to come take a look. Here are a couple of highlights for you:
- I launched an import business featuring jewelry, handbags, and artwork I discovered during my travels. Here are a few samples of what's available in my store.
- I am authoring my memoir entitled Leap due in 2013. There's a wonderful story about how this opportunity came to me, which you can read about here. This picture, which was taken of me jumping into Devil's Pool on the edge of Victoria Falls, is going to be the cover. It's kinda perfect, don't you think?
- My brothers and I dedicated a permanent exhibit on bats to the Chattahoochee Nature Center in our hometown of Marietta, Georgia to honor our mother's legacy as an educator. You can access the full blog post here.
Thank you all for staying in touch and for all the wonderful words of encouragement and support you've given me along the way. I hope you'll continue to follow my blog at its new home:
Huge hugs and please keep in touch!
Haka Time!
What is up, my friends? Welcome back to New Zealand. I know I've made you wait for it, but at long last we have finally reached what is famed by many, including me, to be the most stunning place in New Zealand….
Drum roll, please…
We arrived late in the evening and knew we had picked the right backpackers when we saw this type of artwork adorning the walls.
Ah, yes, home sweet, twisted home.
So are you ready to see some scenery or what? Without further adieu, I present to you…Queenstown.
Not too shabby, huh? After spending an entire day walking around town with our jaws practically dragging on the ground from all the beauty…and Sauvignon Blanc the previous evening, we pulled ourselves together for a visit to the quaint and charming town of Arrowtown.
Arrowtown has a Fall foliage festival every year, but we were about 2 weeks too early to celebrate officially. I think it's safe to say we weren't disappointed with the views.
Of course no visit to Queenstown is complete without a ride up the Skyline Gondola.
It just wouldn't be right if I didn't share my panoramic pics from the top.
Here are some of Amar's night shots…awesome!
The next day we headed off to do a day hike on the Routeburn Track. It is meant to be spectacular, especially if you do the whole thing, but Amar and I weren't really feeling hiking with all of our gear including food and water for 3 days so we decided to take 'er easy and just bust out a day tramp. I know, I know….weak, lame, unacceptable, blah, blah, but I'm totally OK with it.
The drive to Routeburn is spectacular as you might imagine.
The hike itself was definitely gorgeous with lots of suspension bridges over beautiful streams with the mountains in the distance.
I know it seems kind of lame that the picture above is the only picture I have from Routeburn, but it was more about hiking and being outside than snapping pics. Also, I think the most spectacular scenery requires the full, hiking/camping commitment so I think you'll have to visit google images for more on Routeburn.
After Routeburn it was time to power on to Fox Glacier. The drive there was absolutely breathtaking. I can see why people lose their minds over this part of NZ. It's otherworldly.
I was kind of obsessed with these tall, yellow trees. They are stunning and located all over the south island.
This is Wanaka, which was described to me as the kiwi's Queenstown. As you can see, it's off the charts gorgeous as well. This is Lake Wanaka.
And this is the drive to Lake Hawea. It's starting to feel like the Shire, don't you think?
Lake Hawea, folks.
It was definitely one of the most scenic drives we've had while in NZ. During this journey I've experienced many firsts in the adrenaline category, including sky diving, walking with lions, ultra light gliding, gorilla trekking, swimming with dolphins, etc. These adventures have been limited to the sky and the sea. It seems only fair that I take this adventure to the ground with a little stroll along a glacier.
As you may have gleaned from reading earlier posts, I'm not really a girl who enjoys cold weather. I have to say that the absence of winter for the past 2 years has been absolutely magnificent and I would be quite content to never have to experience winter again except maybe for a long weekend or two here and there for old times sake. That being said, I'm not going to let something like a little cold weather keep me away from breathtaking scenery like this gorgeous glacier.
Before stepping foot on the glacier it was necessary to attach some crampons to the bottom of our boots. This was my first time wearing crampons and I have to admit that I felt like a bit of a badass while I was wearing them. I mean, it's not everyday that one gets to attach spikes to the bottom of her shoes, you know?
We ascended this ice stairway to access the glacier.
It was surprisingly easy to walk on the ice. Within minutes I felt like an old pro.
Btdubs, we were instructed to tuck our socks into our pants. I recognize I've rocked some hideous looks on the road, but this one was mandatory. Whatevs…when on a glacier, right?
Some parts of the glacier were stunning and reminded me of a Georgia O'Keefe painting.
Here are some more scenes from our walk.
My favorite part of our walk was when we descended into this deep crevice in the ice. It was so steep and slippery that we actually had to grab a rope to guide ourselves down the terrain. Rock on!
Needless to say, we were pretty fired up after the glacier and all about the ice. We met this skydiving pro at one of the lookouts outside of Queenstown who told us about this iceberg graveyard within Mt. Cook National Park so you know we immediately added that to the itinerary. I mean, how could we possibly pass up an iceberg graveyard? Obviously we can't.
Before we get to the graveyard, how about some more magnificent scenery from the road?
We had to hike a little bit to get to the graveyard.
Are you ready for it? Are you fired up? Can you stand the anticipation?
OK, here you go.
Do you see those inflatable boats? Folks can shoot around the icebergs by boat or kayak. Kind of awesome, huh?
Yeah, I'm totally chilling in an iceberg graveyard…
And I think it's awesome!!!
The weather was not on our side so we didn't get to see much of Mt. Cook, but the clouds cleared for a second so we could catch a quick glimpse of the peak. Behold, NZ's highest mountain.
Cue the song On the Road Again by Willie Nelson.
Amar and I decided to power on to Littleton, a small town about 30 minutes outside of Christchurch because we thought lodging may be more abundant than in Christchurch, which was at full capacity housing displaced residents and aid workers. As we rolled into Littleton, we quickly discovered that, sadly, it was also devastated by the earthquakes.
The entire town was rubble, literally. We couldn't find a single shop, restaurant, or property that was in tact. It was heartbreaking!
At this point it was about 8:30 PM, which I have learned is the equivalent of midnight in most other countries, meaning everything is closed. We called every property listed in our Lonely Planet guide in an attempt to find a place to lay our heads in Christchurch, but they were all booked solid. We powered on to Christchurch and continued to see no vacancy signs displayed on all the properties. Wow…it seemed like we were going to enjoy yet another evening in the car. At least this time we had our luggage and most importantly for me, my ear plugs! As we were making our way out of town we discovered a property that appeared to have a vacancy. We inquired within and while the price tag was significantly more than we were used to paying in the backpackers, it was better than a night in the car so we jumped on it.
The gentleman at the counter asked where we were coming from and when I mentioned Littleton he looked at me with this strange expression on his face and asked me what exactly I was planning on doing in Littleton. I told him how we had hoped to grab some dinner and spend the night, figuring it would be a better bet than Christchurch. His perplexed expression remained unchanged as he informed me that Littleton was in fact the epicenter of the earthquake. Wow…I felt like a bit of a loser, but at least it was clear I was a foreigner. I can't say the same for my kiwi travel companion who was also clueless about Littleton, but I did all the talking so his kiwi identity was not revealed. You're welcome, Amar!
The gentleman asked me if I'd like an upper or lower room and I opted for the latter so we wouldn't have to lug our bags up the stairs. When we got to the room I was a little taken aback when I saw this…
"Um, if you were me would you choose upstairs or downstairs?" I inquired. "Maybe upstairs is better so we won't get crushed if the upper floor collapses." The gentleman reinforced that the beams were just for support purposes and that we would be fine. In what I can only assume was an attempt to comfort me, he informed me that they hadn't had an aftershock in 3 whole days. Sorry, but that didn't really do much to calm my nerves. Sensing my concern, he continued that this was a new property and it sustained no damage from the earthquake. Evidently these support beams were just an extra precaution. Both Amar and I were a bit sketched out, but after a long day of driving we were beat and starving and decided to just hope for the best. Fingers crossed we aren't crushed to death in the middle of the night.
I'm pleased to say the room held for the evening and Amar and I survived. Yay!!! It was time to power on to Picton and catch the ferry back to the North Island. The drive through the Marlborough region is breathtaking.
Throughout the drive I shared my enthusiasm about sinking my teeth into that spectacular carrot cake from the Picton Village Bakkerij and was devastated to discover that the bakery was closed for all of Easter weekend. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!
We powered over to the ferry to buy our tickets, but the ferry we wanted was sold out so we decided to spend the night in Picton and power on to Wellington in the morning. I guess we were feeling a bit morbid about the night before in Christchurch because we opted to stay at Tombstone Backpackers. Notice the door is a coffin.
It was actually one of the nicest backpackers we had stayed in thus far though so if you are in Picton I'd definitely recommend it.
We arrived in Wellington on Easter Sunday, but had already called ahead and learned that the famous museum, Te Papa, was open. It was a miracle! It seemed like everything was closed all of Easter weekend, but not Te Papa. Sweet! It's a fabulous museum with exceptional information and artifacts about Maori culture as well as NZ history and culture. I have no idea what this freaky deak baby had to do with anything, but it creeped me out enough to make me want to take its picture.
How about an even closer look of this Flowers in the Attic baby?
Some of the other highlights included a room that simulated an earthquake as well as the Colossal Squid display.
As the name suggests, the colossal squid is massive. In fact, it's the largest invertebrate in the world with eyes the size of soccer balls. Crazy! It was definitely impressive and very cool to see one this close.
The next morning, Anzac Day, which is a public holiday in NZ and which Amar and I decided we would commemorate with the famous Anzac cookie,
we fully intended to nerd out big time and do a Lord of the Rings tour. Our new friend, Alexis, from Abel Tasman raved about the tour, getting us all excited to relive the adventures of Frodo in person, but the weather was horrendous with pouring rain and gusty winds so we decided that we'd have to take a pass. As it turns out, Peter Jackson was in town filming The Hobbit so we wouldn't have been able to see the Shire anyway, which was huge on my list. Next time I'm in NZ, it's a definite.
So we blasted out of Wellington with hopes of hiking the Tongariro Alping Crossing, but when I called DOC (Department of Conservation) to inquire about the weather conditions the ranger informed me with an incredulous laugh that it was torrential rain and blustery wind, making it an absolutely horrible idea to even contemplate doing the walk. Wow! There was no ambiguity there. Tongariro was a no go. So instead of stopping there we powered on to the lovely town of Taupo. The weather was kind of crappy so we made a quick trip to Huka Falls and then just walked around the town, which was absolutely adorable.
In the morning we powered on to Rotorua to immerse ourselves in Maori culture. Ever since Rob returned from NZ I have been obsessed with the Haka and now it was finally time for me to see it in person. I could not wait!!! But before we get to the main event, let me introduce you to famous, but extremely elusive kiwi bird.
Sadly, this picture is of a stuffed kiwi, but this bird lived a long and fruitful life, bearing many baby kiwi birds for Kiwi Encounter, NZ's largest kiwi recovery program. This program was exceptionally well run, allowing visitors the opportunity to walk through the incubator and hatchery areas. In the evenings visitors can walk through the outdoor kiwi enclosure, offering a rare opportunity to actually see this highly endangered, nocturnal species. Amar and I had already made plans to attend a hangi (meal prepared in a traditional way) that evening, but we fully intended to see a kiwi on this trip so we'd be back tomorrow evening to see if we could spot this quirky bird in person.
The owner of our backpackers who has lived in Rotorua for more than a decade gushed to us about Mitai Village, claiming it was the one thing that was an absolute must while in town. Obviously with such a glowing recommendation, we had to do it. I was beside myself to see the Haka, but this evening proved to be so much more than just the Haka. The night began with the unveiling of the hangi, which included chicken, lamb, stuffing, potatoes and kumara (sweet potatoes) cooked in a hangi pit.
Yummy!!! It looked and smelled delicious, but we had to wait to gorge ourselves on this tasty feast, allowing the cooks some time to carve the meat and get everything prepared. In the meantime we were taken down to the stream where we were greeted by the traditionally clad warriors in a hand carved waka (war canoe).
It was awesome. From there we were taken through the woods up to the area where the cultural performance would take place.
OMG, it's Haka time, folks. I could barely contain my enthusiasm.
Are you ready?
Are you excited?
OK, game on!
It was everything I wanted it to be and more. When it was over I wanted them to do it all over again. From the crazy eyes and outstretched tongue to the fierce gestures and intimidating shouts, I loved everything about it. If you are unfamiliar with the Haka I urge you to google it ASAP. You will love it, guaranteed!
After the Haka they engaged in other activities like stick games, a weapons display, and poi ball dances, all of which were exceptional and gave us some time to work up an appetite. At long last it was time to taste the delicious hangi. I shoved my face with the delectable meats and veggies, going back for seconds, and I think actually a third serving of the lamb. I know I'm a pig, but I'm telling you it was that good and one serving was insufficient.
After the meal we took a walk through the forest to see some glow worms in their natural setting. Did you know that glow worms are actually a maggot which uses it's luminescent tail to attract insects? When put that way they sound kind of gross, but when you see them illuminated at night they look absolutely beautiful.
What a fabulous evening! As you may recall from my first NZ post, Amar and I were unsuccessful in our quest to visit White Island due to inclement weather. We were hopeful that we'd have better luck the second time around, but when we returned to our backpackers after our evening with the Maori there was a note waiting for us indicating that White Island was closed due to the weather. That was ok though because we had 3 days in Rotorua so we had one more chance for it to work out. Fingers crossed.
The next morning we headed out to the Buried village and as we were getting ready to roll out we noticed this adorable little bird on our windshield.
Let's just say that the Buried Village left a little something to be desired so the only picture I have to share with you is of this waterall on the park grounds.
After the village we took a gondola ride to the top of Mt. Ngongotaha, offering gorgeous panoramic views, but the main attraction for us was the high speed luge ride to the bottom of the mountain. I have been on many luges over the years, but I have to say this one was among the best I've done. It was a long ride, offering lots of twists and turns where you could be cautious and slow down or be a psycho and go full speed ahead. Apparently one of Amar's friends chose the latter on one of their boys weekends in college and actually flew off the tracks. Whoa! He must have been flying to actually shoot off the tracks. Thankfully Amar and I made it down the mountain unscathed.
After the luge we walked around Rainbow Springs National Park, which is home to lots of wildlife including the highly intelligent and mischievous kea bird.
This bird is notorious for destroying people's cars. One of the car companies in NZ actually donated a camper van to one of these birds at the park, which it absolutely decimated. They video taped it and got such a kick out of it that they now sponsor this exhibit at the park. These birds are generally very social, but one bird in the park named Jenny had to be separated from the other birds after she killed her mate. Um, Jenny, you need to take it down a level, sister.
The information outside Jenny's enclosure mentioned that she liked attention, encouraging visitors to speak with Jenny even if she acted like she hated it. Apparently she would sometimes even cry when people left her area even if she ignored them the entire time they were there. Of course I felt compelled to talk to the avian sociopath, speaking to her in many accents including Forest Gump and she totally loved it. She flew down to where I was standing so she could get a better look at me.
We "hung out" like that for several minutes, but when it was time to say goodbye and I walked away, Jenny actually cried. Aww, Jenny, you are breaking my heart. I walked back to her enclosure to say goodbye one last time. Poor disturbed Jenny.
The night was upon us and you know what that means…
That's right, folks, it was time to see if we could spot some kiwis in person. We returned to the Kiwi Encounter and within minutes of entering their enclosure we heard a rustling in the bushes and this adorable and very industrious kiwi quickly walked past us to find the perfect spot to shove his beak in the ground and forage for food. It was absolutely adorable and unlike any other bird I had ever seen before. There were a total of 4 birds in the enclosure and we succeeded in seeing 3 of them. I'd say that was a pretty successful trip.
What else is NZ famous for that I can share with you?
How about the silver fern
And some sheep?
Apparently there are more sheep in NZ than people so let's get all up in their grillz.
I know I didn't get the chance to visit the Shire, but this part of NZ totally reminded me of it. Wouldn't you agree?
After staring at some sheep we decided to kick it subterranean and see some glow worms at the
We descended into the caves and boarded a boat where we silently glided along the water through this labyrinth of limestone caves, stalactites, and stalagmites. The glow worms emit luminous colors making the roof of the cave resemble a star filled sky, but from the depths of the earth. It was so peaceful to silently glide along the water and take in the light show from above. Here's a picture of our local guide gliding back through the caves to pick up her next tour.
After the caves we headed up to Auckland, but only for the evening to do a load of laundry and gather a few additional supplies for our trip up to the Bay of Islands. As with much of NZ, the landscape we passed along the way did not disappoint.
We based ourselves in Paihia, which happens to be the birthplace of NZ, as it's where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed between the Maori chiefs and the British Crown. We arrived into town in the late afternoon and while we could appreciate that it must be a gorgeous place, the torrential rain prevented us from really doing much exploring.
The next morning the weather seemed decent so we decided to explore the quaint town of Russell, a mere 5 km from Paihia and reachable by ferry. The town was absolutely adorable filled with cute shops, gorgeous art galleries, delicious food, and some beautiful beaches.
In addition to a cute town with impressive natural scenery, Russell happens to be home to some of NZ's oldest buildings including its oldest church.
While the town was adorable I think my favorite part of the trip was the discovery of this natural wind tunnel atop a hill. As we were walking along the beach, we discovered this path that led up a grassy hill offering some great panoramic views of the town. Making our way to the top, we noticed the wind was particularly ferocious in this one part and all the landscape there, especially the tall grasses, seemed to grow at an angle. The wind was so ferocious that we could actually stand at an angle and practically have our entire body weight supported by the gusts, but because the temperature was warm, it felt great blowing against your face and body.
I became a little obsessed with the breeze and had to hang out here for about 10 minutes, screaming into the wind and letting it threaten to blow me down the hill. It was so much fun!
Unfortunately the weather went steadily downhill from there, with the rains so bad that they actually caused flooding in much of the north, washing out bridges and closing many of the roads. Since most of the beauty of the Bay of Islands comes from actually spending time outdoors, we decided it best to cut our losses and expenses and head back down to Auckland.
Here are some pics from One Tree Hill, which happens to be about a 5 minute walk from Amar's house, offering stunning views of Auckland. What I loved about this place in addition to the great views and rolling hills was the fact that sheep and cows are grazing on the electric green grass. It's so cool to be right in the middle of Auckland and still have sheep and cattle nearby.
After One Tree Hill we headed to the impressive Sky Tower where we took in more panoramic views of this beautiful city. They had these cool kaleidoscopes with information about the various sights in the distance that made for some interesting pics.
Like the World Financial Center in Shanghai and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Sky Tower has patches of clear glass, showing you just how far up you really are and how much it would suck if you fell from this height.
The beauty of NZ is that it's pretty small, making day trips to towns with vastly different landscapes very doable in the matter of a few hours. One such day trip was to Piha, a rugged beach known for its wild surf.
Another trip was to breathtakingly gorgeous, Waiheke Island, a mere 35 minute ferry ride from the Central Business District of Auckland. When you are there you definitely feel like you are on some beautiful island miles and miles away from the mainland with emerald water, white sand beaches, and a micro-climate that is several degrees warmer than nearby Auckland. As if the scenery isn't enough, you also throw boutique wineries into the mix along with 5 star restaurants serving up mouthwatering fare, making Waiheke a little piece of paradise. I couldn't get enough of this place and would absolutely recommend a visit if you find yourself in the Auckland area.
Stunning isn't it? That is really how I'd sum up NZ as a whole. It offers some of the most magnificent natural scenery I have ever seen as well as friendly people, spectacular wine (Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is my new obsession), amazing wildlife (um, need I remind you of swimming with dolphins in the wild), fascinating glimpses into Maori culture, and delicious food. I really don't know what else I can say except book yourself a ticket ASAP.
A huge thanks to Amar for being such a wonderful host! It's been fabulous meeting up all over the globe to explore exotic lands together and I hope our adventures continue after our respective entries back into the real world. Oh no, not the real world!!!!! Truth be told, I'm actually looking forward to what the next chapter holds and I believe great things are on the horizon. I just have to stay positive and trust that it will all work out. With mom watching over me and guiding my path, I have every confidence that I will be ok…actually, not just ok, but fantastic!
For now, it's back to Thailand for about 10 days to hang with Rob and the rest of my Mae Sot family and then it's back to the US for Rob's graduation, the christening of my new nephew, Bryson, and then back to DC to hang with my crew and think about what comes next. I feel like I'm on the cusp of something great so fingers crossed that it all shakes out that way.
More from the Land of Smiles shortly.


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