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The Master first exposured her to BDSM. He releases her from her bondage and they move into sexy position and she pushes her bottom into his hip as fuck. They finish in missionary as The Master hold her legs open wide until he cums on her stomach.
- manicamaia
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|Hernan Cunico <hcun...@gmail.com>
|Re: Geronimo & Hibernate
|Wed, 13 Sep 2006 15:21:54 GMT
Hi Brian, this article, although for Geronimo v1.0, may give you some pointers http://cwiki.apache.org/GMOxDOC10/jboss-to-geronimo-hibernate-migration.html HTH Cheers! Hernan Brian Martinez wrote: > I hope you folks don't mind me asking a question regarding an old, old > post made to geronimo-dev back in 2004. > > See, I've recently been tasked with installing a number of > Java/Java-related components as I am the (relatively new) Systems > Administrator for our department. I simply cannot wrap my head around > how complex some of this stuff seems. > > Anyway, long(er) story short I've been asked to "add Hibernate to > Geronimo." I have a Geronimo installation up and running, and our > developers have added a couple of *.war files to the deploy directory, > so things are working good. I just have no idea how to add Hibernate to > Geronimo! Hibernate's documentation is not very clear. Google searches > of various sorts (integrating Hibernate with Geronimo, Installing > Hibernate and Geronimo, Hibernate AND Geronimo, etc.) have been less > than fruitful for me. That is until I came across this post: > > http://email@example.com%3E > > > A germinate.jar file is mentioned. Can I make use of this to "add > Hibernate to Geronimo?" I tried looking at the base webpage that is > linked the jar file to, but it was Forbidden to view. I also tried > looking at the site www.coredevelopers.net, but that didn't help me much > either. Can you help point me in the right direction? Am I even making > sense? > > I appreciate your time and any response. Thanks! > ./brm
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subset: commoncrawl


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guest post by Roisin
Spend a holiday to remember on the Mediterranean Sea in Ibiza and Barcelona!
If you are dreaming of hot sun, stunning beaches and fabulous opportunities for entertainment, come to Ibiza, one of the largest islands of the Balearic Islands. This outstanding summer resort is a real peace of heaven where there is something for everyone. From the interesting landmarks and cultural highlights, to the terrific towns and villages set just on the coastline, you will fall in love with Ibiza from the first glance.
Santa Eulalia is among the most attractive and popular resorts on the island that has everything for a fabulous holiday on the Mediterranean. It is well known for its gastronomical specialties and abundance of cultural events that will enrich your vacation. The picturesque beaches are truly memorable and relaxing. Whether you enjoy your leisure time sunbaking with an exotic cocktail or you prefer more active water sports, you will not be disappointed!
Hotel Es Canar lies just beside the outstanding Es Canar beach with miles of exquisite fine sand gently washed by the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. The panoramic views from the hotel will take your breath away! The quality of service and the abundance of amenities will make you want to stay here forever. There are 240 rooms, stylishly furnished and fully equipped with television, air-conditioning, bathroom, balcony, telephone, ceiling fan and safe. A restaurant, children's playgrounds, swimming pools and internet are only a few of the benefits the hotel offers for its guests.
Barcelona is one of the biggest and most attractive cities on the Mediterranean that has a lot to offer for a marvellous summer holiday. It has a distinctive and a captivating appearance that makes it one of Europe's most popular and sought destinations. The awe-inspiring architecture of the city, its rich Catalan history and superb natural beauty are a few of the treasures that make for the charismatic charm of Barcelona. It is a magnet for sightseers as well as for football fans that come here to support their favorite team. Barcelona hostels are a better alternative to the hotels if you have a limited budget but still want to relax in accommodation with a wide variety of facilities and amenities.
Options include the Centric Point Hostel, located in the shopping and cultural centre of Barcelona, the Gothic Point Hostel, set near the historical heart of the city or the Gothic Square or Sea Point Hostel, both near Barcelona's sundrenched beach. Rooms feature internet access, TV, music, Wii football and free breakfast. Hostels dispense excellent travel advice keeping the visitor up to date with everything happening in the city.
So whether you choose the sun-soaked beaches and nightspots of Ibiza or prefer the cultural capital of Spain, Barcelona, you are able to enjoy the holiday of a lifetime on the Spanish Mediterranean.
Photo Credits: Ibiza, Santa Eulalia, Es Canar, Sagrada Familia, football
Monday, May 31, 2010
Exploring the Spanish Mediterranean
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Experience the Majestic Himalayas (India)
guest post by Shakti Himalaya
No other mountain range in the world can match the sheer majesty of the Himalayas. It's often called the "Roof of the World," and with good reason. We've all heard of Asia's famous peaks: Everest, Annapurna, K2 and others.
They're the stuff of legend and home to the mythical Shangri-La; many cultures throughout history have seen the Himalayas as sacred places, the homes of gods, even as embodiments of the gods themselves. These peaks have been the focus of movies and books, and they've been the crowning achievements in the career of many an explorer or mountaineer.
The Himalayas deserve their fame, though. They not only contain the world's highest peak, they tower above the rest of the world's mountains with room to spare. To get a bit of perspective, know that Aconcagua, the tallest mountain outside of Asia, is 6,962 metres tall. It's located in the South American Andes, the only range that could even begin to give the Himalayas a bit of competition. At 8,848 metres, Mount Everest is taller by almost thirty percent. Also, the Himalayan system contains over 100 peaks higher than 7,200 metres. And by all indications, the Himalayas are a young range and still growing.
Young by geological standards, that is. The Himalayas are still far older than even the most distant of mankind's ancestors and have had profound effects on human culture for as long as our species has existed. They're not easily skirted and are even more difficult to cross; the Himalayas have long served as a barrier between the Indian subcontinent and the rest of Asia. Who knows what might have been if the armies of Genghis Khan had been able to cross this forbidding hurdle? Even with twentieth century equipment, the region's higher peaks can still claim the lives of unprepared mountaineers.
There is much more to the Himalayas than dangerous expeditions and unattainable summits, however. Almost all of Asia's major rivers have their origins in the "Abode of Snow," rivers that have long sustained the surrounding civilizations. The glaciers and eternal snows of the Himalayas contain such a large portion of the planet's fresh water that only the polar ice caps hold more.
Between the Indus, the Ganges, the Yellow and other rivers, almost a third of the Earth's population depends on water from the Himalayas. It should come as no surprise that the Himalayas and surrounding areas are home to cultures both rich and diverse.
You'll find tiny monasteries clinging to a Nepalese mountainside and remote alpine villages nestled in valleys in Sikkim.
You'll see shrines and natural wonders sacred to Buddhist and Hindu.
With a little luck and perhaps a touch of meditation, you'll find the Himalayas to be sacred to any of Earth's occupants.
Photo Credits: Mt Everest, Climbers on Mt Everest, Mt Everest and Glacier, Children, Monks
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Sea of Ice (Chamonix, France): Part One
Chamonix is the heart of the French Alps. Sitting below the towering peak of western Europe's highest mountain, Mont Blanc, serrated saw-edged mountains and sweeping glaciers dominate the mind-blowing alpine scenery. Two wonderful half day journeys (both requiring good weather) help experience the wondrous alpine splendour and extraordinary panoramas without having to strap on a ski or snowboard. While for many, the Chamonix highlight is Mont Blanc, the first article explores the sweeping glacier field of Le Mer de Glace.
Contrasting to the little yellow train (which carves its way through the Pyrenees), a little red train steers its way to the Alp's second largest glacier. Challenging the engineering skills of over 100 years ago, this narrow rack railway labouriously climbs 800 vertical metres from Chamonix to a stunning glacier. Over 14 kilometres long, almost two kilometres wide and between 200 metres and 400 metres deep, the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) is a vast frozen river of crevasses and ice as it snakes its way between the picturesque French Alps from Mont Blanc itself. The edges of the glacier are a dirty grey detritus of rocks and dirt gouged from the mountains and spat to the side of the sweeping tide of ice.
Signs indicate that the glacier moves at one centimetre (1/2-inch) every hour or ninety metres per year (slower at the edges), moved by the sheer weight of snow and ice along with the natural terrain.
Tiny ants across the glacier are actually intrepid trekkers (look carefully in the right centre of the photo to the right), roped together for safety in a human train, carefully negotiating their path across the icy wasteland. It reveals the huge scale of the glacier and the massive cracks that mean that one faulty step could result in falling many metres into a frozen abyss.
A series of ancient metal ladders, very cold to touch despite the pleasant outdoor temperature, lead a precarious descent to the edge of the glacier. There is an almost magnetic attraction to clamber down the ladder sequence and take a few tentative steps across the icy river. While not being overly adventurous, the creaking and groaning of the huge tongue of ice as it meanders down the valley is a powerful indicator of nature's power, crevasses being created at whim. The backdrop is a superb mountain vista, the razor sharp Alps reaching for the sky.
Nearby is the entrance to an eerie blue mystery of an ice cave. Carefully cut into the glacier each year to help visitors experience the interior of the glacier, this blue tinged tunnel leads to a wonderland filled with creatively lit and carved ice sculptures. The subtle lighting makes for a truly unusual frosty art gallery. Despite the clever lighting, the sub-freezing temperatures filter quickly through the layers of clothing quickly sending a reminder that the gallery is set inside a glacier. Highlighting the movement of the glacier, the entrance to last year's cave can be seen some point further down the mountain, requiring a complete rebuild of the cave and its decorations every year.
Three other small museums worth a brief stroll highlight the geology and rocks of the area, the alpine wildlife and the history of the area.
The quaint red Montenvers mountain train provides immediate access to a glacier in all its living glory. All the senses are sparked in experiencing the grandeur, raw power and regal beauty of one of Europe's largest glaciers.
Check out the second journey visiting Mont Blanc.
Photo Credit: red train
Monday, May 24, 2010
Top 5 Places to Visit in Turkey
guest post by travelsupermarket.com
Turkey is a vast and varied nation filled with plenty to explore – from the striking beaches of the Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines to the mountainous regions around Mt Ararat in the far east of the country. Scanning the highlights of the country, we've selected our opinion of five of the best travel-wonders in Turkey.
The volcanic rock formations at Cappadocia are located within the Goreme National Park and are a popular tourist attraction in the region. Around 4,000 years ago, people started carving cave dwellings into the bizarrely shaped mounds of volcanic rock that were deposited by now extinct volcanoes. What remains is a remarkable and unique network of caves and tunnels, such as those at Derinkuyu, that stretch over 11 floors to a depth of around 85 metres.
Today you can still explore part of the Derinkuyu cave complex for a fascinating and truly unique glimpse into history. It's also possible to take a hot air balloon ride above the Cappadocia area to view the rock formations from an alternative angle.
Hierapolis and Pamukkale
Around a 3 hours drive east from the popular holiday resort of Kusadisi or 4 hours drive north of Antalya, you will find the ancient city of Hierapolis. Founded in the 2nd century B.C. Hierapolis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose name translates as "Sacred City" and is a beautiful and unreal landscape. A trip to Hierapolis rewards tourists with a selection of historic remains of the city, including the amphitheatre (top photo), the tombs of the Necropolis and the remains at the Temple of Apollo (the Greek God of the Sun).
The area is also famous for the Pamukkale hot springs, which appear white, due to the calcium deposited by the waters. Visitors to the springs can bathe in the warm waters which were once believed to have healing properties. Entrance to the springs and Hierapolis costs 20 Turkish Lira (approximately £9)*.
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, and the only city in the world that sits on two continents, Asia and Europe. Istanbul has a rich history that can be seen all over the city. Sightseeing opportunities are everywhere - from the majestic Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace (centre of the Ottoman Empire for more than 4 centuries) in Istanbul's old city, to the thousands of shops and stalls at the Grand Bazaar, the worlds largest covered market.
Located just a short 25 minute drive north of Kusadisi, the ancient city of Ephesus houses the largest collection of Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean region and was once home to the Temple of Artemis – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus dates from the 13th century B.C. and was once a major port city with a large population. But when the port silted up, most of the citizens left, abandoning the city in a short space of time. Today many of the ruins still stand in surprisingly good condition. Visitors can still see the remains of the amphitheatre and library, along with many other ruins and relics. The Ephesus site will take a full day to see properly and entrance costs 20 Turkish Lira (approximately £9 or US$12.50)*.
Sumela Monastery
Sumela Monastery in the Trabzon province of North East Turkey is an amazing sight. The monastery is built in the most impressive, impossible and inaccessible location, in a hollow of a sheer cliff face a thousand feet above the valley floor, and it seems a miracle that the building manages to cling on to the rock. The monastery dates back to the 4th century when it was founded by a Greek monk known as blessed Barnabas. For those wanting to visit Sumela monastery and take a look around inside to see the monks living quarters and various relics and frescoes left behind, a 40 minute hike through thick woodland is necessary and an entrance fee of 8 Turkish Lira (about £3.50 or US$5)* is payable, but it is certainly worth the effort.
* Note: Prices correct at time of publication
Written and photographed by the Turkey holidays team at travelsupermarket.com
Friday, May 21, 2010
Look No Further Than the Cote d'Azur (France)
guest post
Imagine a place of breathtaking beauty where the sun shines for 300 days out of each year. 115 kilometers (or 71 miles) of sparkling beaches and coastline are available for your walking and swimming pleasure. You can golf at any of 18 courses, ski at 14 resorts, and sample sumptuous meals at any of over 3000 restaurants. Does this sound too amazing to be believed? Without a doubt, it exists and it is waiting for you: the French Riviera, also known as the Cote d'Azur.
If it is history as well as relaxation and beauty that you seek, the Cote d'Azur has a past that is as rich and interesting as that of any location. As the 18th century came to a close, British gentry began to travel to the Riviera to leave their cares behind and attend to their health in the warm Mediterranean sun. After the railroad was built in the mid-19th century, the Cote d'Azur became the playground of choice not only for British royalty like Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, but also for Russian aristocrats and wealthy Americans such as the Rothschild family. The first half of the 20th century saw the Riviera become home to famous artists including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Edith Wharton, and Aldous Huxley. More recently, celebrities Elton John and Brigitte Bardot have purchased homes there. You can experience the same by renting a Cote d'Azur villas and see how the rich and famous spend their summer.
In just a little over five hours, you can take a train from Paris to Nice, the largest city in this resort region. While there, you can sample the entertainment on the beautiful seafront promenade or spend hours strolling through the many world-class museums. Your options seem virtually as endless as the white sands stretching before you. If working on your tan is a priority, you have found one of the world's favorite places to be heliocentric. Although much of the somewhat pebbly beach is public, a great deal is private and requires that you rent a spot. In and of itself, Nice has enough charm and tourist attractions to make it a stand-alone tourist destination.
You might, however, want to take a break from the ordinary and sample some of the local cultural fare. Depending on the time of year, you might choose to kick up your heels at the Carnival in Nice held in January. Or, for flower-lovers, try attending the violet festival in March in Tourrettes-sur-Loup or the city of Grasse's Rose and Jasmine Festivals which occur in May and July respectively. Aficionados of the silver screen can see firsthand the world-renown Cannes Film Festival, also in May. Toward the end of July, Nice features a lively jazz festival. Clearly, there is no shortage of organized events to enjoy in this culturally vibrant region.
For over two hundred years, the Cote d'Azur has been the gold standard of vacation destinations, and it is no wonder. With its chic reputation, its history of celebrity visits and residences, and its cultural diversity, the French Riviera outshines virtually every other resort area in the world. Trip packages will enable you to take advantage of whatever specific interest you may have, from the most physically challenging to the ultimate in lazy relaxation. Each year, thousands of visitors make it a point to return to the Riviera. Don't miss out on your chance to see what all the fuss is about!
Photo Credits: Night Panorama, Boats, Beach, Rose Festival, Tourettes-sur-Loup
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Free Travel Secrets eBooks for a Great Cause
Initiated by the folks at Tripbase.com, over 200 travel bloggers (including several of the most popular and well-known ones) have written up three travel secrets on their blogs over the past six months. Some wrote of special places in their home city (Travel Wonders wrote about the travel secrets of Sydney), some contributed general travel tips and others introduced secrets to great food or drink delights.
These have been published in seven excellent and free travel secrets e-books covering different aspects of travel. The seven topics are beaches, food, family travel, general travel tips and three destination books covering Italy, USA and the rest of the world. Learn how to avoid queueing for entry to the art galleries of Florence or St Marks in Venice. Find some great places to volunteer or some secret outstanding hotels, museums or camping spots. Everyone should learn something about travel from this excellent series.
Even better is that each e-book downloaded results in Tripbase donating $1 to the outstanding cause Charity: Water. The target of this campaign is to provide four freshwater wells for a school ensuring a long-term supply of healthy safe drinking water. Just $1 gives a source of clean water for one person for one year. So please download the travel secrets e-books to learn some great secrets about travelling and helping those less fortunate than ourselves.
So get some travel hints while benefitting a great cause.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Skiing in Mayrhofen (Austria)
guest post by Nick Lewis
Mayrhofen in Austria sits at the base of the Zillertal Valley skiing area and has built up a great reputation for being one of the top ski resorts in Austria. It sits between the Penken and Horn mountains and is near the Hitertux glacier, which means that skiing is available all year round in the region.
The local skiing takes place on the Penken and Horn plateaux. Both are superbly well groomed and well covered by the spraying snow cannons. Penken is the larger of the two and features the famous 'Devil's Run' linked to the Horborg mountain – one for advanced skiers only. By contrast, Ahorn is fantastic for beginners due to its ample nursery slopes, while the shape of the slopes offers plenty of opportunity for intermediates to explore.
Connected to the Zillertal skiing region, Mayrhofen offers access to an immense 625km of skiing, alongside the local skiing on the Penken and Ahorn plateaux which offer 146km between them. Not only that but the area lift pass provides access to the neighbouring resorts of Zell am Ziller, Gerlos, Koningsleiten and the Hintertux glacier; all in all, a tremendous variety of ski terrain to entertain even the most die-hard skier.
It's not just skiing in Mayrhofen , as it is home to the Burton board park which is located right in the centre of the resort. It's full of kickers and rails as well as featuring an excellent half-pipe. Although this should provide plenty of entertainment for the snowboarder in you, Kaltenbach is only a short hop away and is something of a secret – so if you do go, you'll likely find yourself boarding on untracked snow.
What is often said about Mayrhofen is that it has some of the best apres ski you can find. The village has a lively atmosphere and is filled with bars, clubs and restaurants. If you go during April, you might find yourself lucky enough to catch the Snowbombing Music Festival which features world-class headlining acts and takes place right in the mountains, providing stunning scenery and the opportunity to go skiing when you tire of the music.
Although there is a bustling apres scene, if you're out on a family ski holiday it is easy enough to avoid the noise and Mayrhofen offers fantastic children's amenities such as highly regarded kindergartens, a fun pool and a special children's area.
Austria is justifiably famous for its skiing, and Mayrhofen is one of its premier resorts. It's a traditional Tyrolean village that still retain its charm despite having expanded into a fully fledged resort that offers excellent skiing for all levels of ability. And with some of the best apres available, there's plenty to do besides indulging in your favourite winter sports. There really are few better places to go on a group ski holiday.
Nick Lewis is a skiing enthusiast who wrote this post on behalf of Eclipse Ski - group ski holidays.
Photo Credits: mountain view, ski area, ski lift, backflip, carve
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Wildlife of Ballestas Islands (Paracas, Peru)
Around 250 kilometres south of Lima is the wonderful nature reserve of the Ballestas Islands. Thousands of seabirds fight for their tiny piece of real estate on the off-shore islands. Protected for conservation reasons, visitors cannot disembark on the islands and the only access is an inexpensive and excellent organised boat tour.
On the way is the unusual and perplexing giant rock formation of the Candelabra. More like a cactus in Arizona than a candlestick, this mysterious and unexplained shape has been etched into the hillside and is dated to 200 BC. Almost 200 metres high and visible from 20 kilometres at sea, theories abound to its significance including a giant road sign, a religious symbol and even the efforts of adventurous pirates. Most likely is that it is totally unrelated to the Nazca Lines and is more likely attributable to the ancient Paracas culture.
It is a moody place with sea birds swooping overhead and the ocean pounding into the shoreline of the Candelabra.
The boat speeds on chopping comfortably through the rough and churning sea, water spraying in the gusty winds. After a short time, the reddish rocks of the islands start to appear protruding from the ocean. The violent ocean has scarred and carved these rocky protrusions, gouging arches and sea caves leaving distinctive striped patterns. Indeed, the islands take their name from ballesta meaning the bow of an archer.
Approaching near the islands, the natural red rock is stained with the thick white chalky coating of guano. Years of birds dropping have built the islands up, for many years providing a rich source of fertiliser for the Europeans and a successful industry for the Peruvians. Tiny active Humboldt penguins compete with the dignified red-footed Guanay cormorants and the haphazard Peruvian boobies for valuable nesting and landing sites, every square inch of the island consumed with birds. The squawking noise even downs out the waves beating against the rocky islands and the constant frantic aerial activity makes the busiest of airports seem tame.
The boat moved close to the islands leaving the various birds closely visible. More exciting, the waters are teeming with sealions circling the boat and playfully diving near and under the boat like a kindergarten of excited children. Others rest, sunning themselves on the steep rockfaces of the islands.
For the next hour, the boat wove among the islands and near the rock arches as the birds and sealions put on a wonderful wildlife show. While wild claims of it being the Peruvian Galapagos are well overstated, the Ballestas Islands provide a paradise for wildlife lovers and an excellent couple of hours exploring the southern coastline of Peru.
Other Peru Posts
The Andean Sistine Chapel (Andahuaylillas)
Exploring the Incan Wonderland (Machu Picchu)
Trekking to the Lost City (Inca Trail)
Potatoes with your Guinea Pig, Sir?
Flight of the Condor (Colca Canyon)
Living in Reeds (Lake Titicaca)
Top Ten Travel Wonders of South America
Sunday, May 9, 2010
The Oldest Bridge in Australia (Richmond, Tasmania)
Just north of Hobart in Tasmania is the elegant sandstone Richmond Bridge. Built by convict labour between 1823 and 1825, it is Australia's oldest existing bridge. The tiny village of Richmond is a treasure trove of early-1800s buildings including Australia's oldest gaol (which housed the convicts who built the bridge) and Australia's oldest catholic church.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Jewel In The Crown Of Cyprian Luxury
guest post by Elegant Resorts
The jewel in the crown of luxury hotels is the aptly named Anassa Hotel in Cyprus. Anassa means 'Queen' in ancient Greek, and certainly the Anassa Hotel is fit for any royalty. Perhaps more than this, because it overlooks the Baths of Aphrodite and is just a short trip from Paphos Harbour, the mythical birthplace of the Goddess of Love herself.
What do you look for when choosing between luxury hotels? Classic architecture? Seclusion? Fabulous, natural countryside? One of the finest beaches in the world? Luxurious and spacious suites with panoramic views of the ocean, private plunge pools and terraces? Gourmet restaurants so outstanding even the menus are enough to make the mouth water? If so, then the Anassa Hotel is likely to exceed your expectations.
The Anassa Hotel was always bound to be a cut above the rest, with one of the most idyllic and picturesque locations in Cyprus. Situated in the area of Latsi, the region is completely unspoiled, and provides stunning views in all directions. The white, sandy shore is just a stone's throw from your private balcony or terrace, quite literally.
Each dawn you are provided with utter seclusion and unrivalled luxury from the moment you open the curtains and watch the sun rise, hear the Mediterranean gulls call lazily to each other, and listen to the gentle sound of the waves rolling in for another day's splashing about doing whatever it is waves do once they reach the shore.
The fact that the Anassa Hotel is one of the elite luxury hotels in Cyprus which boasts five stars simply doesn't do it justice. Sadly they'd have had to invent an extra star to include everything that's been provided in order to make any stay more than just a holiday experience. From the two waterfalls cascading into the depths of two separate swimming pools to the seemingly endless sandy shores just yards from your private villa, and from the award winning Spa to the four outstanding gourmet restaurants, the Anassa Hotel certainly lives up to its regal name.
The Anassa Hotel is open all year round, and whatever the season there are facilities to cater to your every wish. With both an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, a range of award winning spa treatments and therapies, a contemporary gym, and a wide range of sports activities including tennis and scuba diving, time spent here will be time well spent, whatever the time or season.
Whichever of the spacious 177 rooms and suites you choose you'll benefit from panoramic sea views and outstanding comfort. Tear yourself away from the view for a while and take a stroll down the coast towards the Akamas peninsula, or explore the grounds where wild herbs and flowers create the most astonishing scents in the evening.
When you're ready to eat after all that walking and admiring the views, not to mention the invigorating sea air, one of the most difficult decisions will be which restaurant to dine in each day. The Amphora is the main buffet restaurant, Pelagos provides an al fresco dining experience by the pool, Helios provides a mouth-watering a la carte menu and for gourmet enthusiasts the Basiliko offers a dining experience fit for royalty.
Certainly the Anassa Hotel is one of the most regal luxury hotels in Cyprus, and a stay here will make you feel like royalty every day.
Photo Credits: sunset, water view, walkway, pools, scuba
Monday, May 3, 2010
Unforgettable Mallorca (Spain)
guest post by Teodora
There are not many places on the planet that deserve the saying "born holiday destinations". The Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea are among the most beautiful and unforgettable pieces of land that you can ever see. Mallorca is one of the islands of the archipelago that is world renowned for its magnificent and stunning beaches and great summer resorts that provide high quality services and abundance of opportunities for amusement. Visitors of all ages will have a great time on the island.
Picturesque areas for hiking, installations for extreme and water sports, playgrounds for children and many more await you in Mallorca. Fans of scuba diving and snorkeling find the island as a real paradise. If you love spending your time exploring interesting landmarks and buildings of the local reality, Mallorca has a lot to offer to you.
The little fishing villages set along the coastline provide the perfect conditions for leisure walks and picnics in beautiful surroundings. The capital of Mallorca, Palma, is renowned for its boiling nightlife and the abundance of concerts and celebrations happening during the tourist season.
The landscape of Mallorca is endowed with a great diversity, varying from its remarkable stunning beaches to the impressive mountain Sierra Tramuntana. The mountain lies in the area between Cabo Formentor (top photo) and Isla Dragonera and protects the island from the north winds.
One of the best ways to explore this wonderful land on your own is to use car hire Mallorca for your holiday and choose your own route. By driving around the island you can pick the most interesting places for you and enjoy everything Mallorca has to offer.
Here you will also find an impressive variety of accommodation types for every budget and preferences. The island is a popular destination for holidays with children. If you are planning your family vacation and you insist on the best comfort and homelike environment and coziness, you should book an apartment in Mallorca that will meet your expectations. The great benefit of this type of lodging is the independence you will have during your stay, not attached to tourist groups. Apartments are set in different parts of the island, so you can pick the most attractive area for you and book an apartment there.
The local cuisine is rich and delicious with a variety of meals from the Spanish gastronomy and seafood specialties. When you choose to stay in an apartment in Mallorca, you will have the opportunity to dine out as well as to cook a homemade meal in the en-suite kitchens. Mallorca is a famous summer resort, blessed with pleasant weather all around the year, so don't miss the opportunity to visit the island in any season.
Photo Credits: Formentor, anenome, Dragonera, paella


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Patti LaBelle's New Attitude About Diabetes
When award-winning singer, actress, Dancing With The Stars contestant and so much more, Patti LaBelle learned she had diabetes after passing out onstage 15 years ago, the legendary singer said she thought that meant no more fun. No more fun with life. No more fun exercising whenever she wanted. And definitely no more fun in the kitchen where she loved to cook.
"The past few years, I've been paying attention to my health," says singer Patti LaBelle. "I can live with this thing called diabetes. I sure can."
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InformationThis article describes a limitation of the Migration to PVC 4.x feature announced with the POA 5.2 Update 04. For more information about this feature, refer to the following articles:
#112259 Upgrading PVC 3.x nodes to PVC 4.6 registered in POA
#111809 POA 5.2 Update 04 (KB111809)
- The direct upgrade from PVC 3.0 for Linux to version 4.7 is not supported. Refer to article #112388 for more details.
- All PVC nodes should be upgraded at the same time. It is not possible to provide services on the newly upgraded nodes until the last node is synchronized in POA. Before the PVC upgrade, all service templates that use PVC 3.x for service provisioning should be disabled to avoid service provisioning on nodes that are not synchronized.
To complete PVC for Windows synchronization, POA 5.2 Update 07 must be installed. This update contains a fix for the issue "POA-63172 Connection fail on VzWin HW node when synchronizing POA with Vz after Vz 3 to 4 upgrade."
#112282 POA 5.2 Update 07
- Container backups made before the upgrade will not be available in the POA interface. If you need to restore an old backup of the container, you must restore the container using PVC utilities. It is strongly recommended to create backups for containers after the synchronization of all nodes in POA is completed. Only new backups made after the upgrade will be available in the POA interface.


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Protecting Consumers and Businesses in Significant Debt Collection Matters
Dealing with creditors and debt collectors can be stressful and intimidating, whether you're an individual struggling with large credit card balances and medical bills or a business facing cash flow challenges. For an individual balancing debts with living expenses, judgments, wage garnishments, and other collection activity can be the final straw. For a business owner fighting to get the company through a rough patch, aggressive debt collection efforts can harm the company's reputation and derail operations.
Representing Consumers Throughout New York, Including NYC, Westchester, and Long Island
We recognize that not everyone facing a financial crisis is insolvent and that bankruptcy is not always the right answer. We help those who are facing significant debts due to divorce, family illness, prior business failure, co-signing for a family member, or other temporary difficulties, but are prepared to fight to regain control of their finances and prosper again.
We understand the impact debt collection can have on your life or business and have extensive experience in defending against large debt collection actions and forcing debt collectors to comply with the law or pay the price.
We Focus on Litigation, Leveraging Consumer Protection and Other Violations
While many collection disputes are ultimately resolved through settlement, our years of experience have revealed that the best way to achieve great outcomes in most collection defense matters is to zealously advance our client's position through litigation. Time and again, we have seen that marshaling arguments and evidence put our clients in a better position to achieve a great result, whether that be a dismissal of the case or a settlement on favorable terms. Unfortunately, many collection defense or general practice firms skip straight to pressing for settlement, missing opportunities to advocate for the client and achieve a better result.
Moreover, our extensive experience litigating consumer protection violations allows us to identify and assert defenses, counter-claims and other leverage that many general practitioners miss. This experience includes extensive practice in the areas of:
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) violations
- Truth in Lending Act (TILA) violations
- Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) violations
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) violations
- Violations of Usury law
- False Advertising
Consumer Debt Collection Matters
We represent consumers in a wide range of large debt collection matters, including:
- High credit card balance collection cases
- Large medical debt
- Automobile repossessions and deficiency claims
- Foreclosure and home equity line of credit (HELOC) cases
- Student loan collections
- Collection actions against co-signers
Our representation includes negotiating with creditors and fighting the collection action in court, but doesn't end there. Both state and federal law provide powerful protections for consumers in debt collection actions. Schlanger Law Group LLP assesses every collection case for violations of consumer protection law, and regularly pursues class action and individual consumer protection claims against creditors, debt collectors, and debt buyers who violate these laws.
Consumer Debt Collection Defense Attorneys
If you are facing collection efforts on a large consumer debt, such as high-balance credit cards, large medical debt, or mortgage foreclosure, it is in your best interest to talk to an attorney experienced in both debt collection defense and consumer financial protection actions. While many attorneys defend debtors in collection actions, the debtor may lose valuable opportunities if the attorney does not have the knowledge, experience, and motivation required to assess the case for consumer financial protection violations and pursue any available claims on the debtor's behalf.
Schlanger Law Group LLP is committed to putting every available protection to work for consumers in large debt collection matters. If you're facing one or more large collection actions, contact us to learn more about how we can help.
Business Debt Collection Defense Lawyers
Businesses facing debt collection actions do not have the same statutory protections as consumers. However, that doesn't mean the debtor business or guarantor is defenseless. We assist business debtors with a wide range of debt collection defense matters, including:
- Business loans
- Debts to vendors and suppliers
- Personal guarantees of business loans
In business debt collection cases, we focus on:
- Scrutinizing the contract for provisions that protect you
- Leveraging legal protections that apply to businesses
- Hold the creditor to its burden of proof in litigation
- Examine the case for counter-claims
Many creditors and debt collectors are simply unprepared for significant, skilled "push back," and do not know how to respond effectively when experienced debt collection defense attorneys challenge the existence of a personal guarantee, leverage a creditor's failure to obtain relevant licensure or register its business in New York, challenge a debt buyer's ownership of the debt in question, move to strike "evidence" that is not properly presented, or otherwise set forth a reasoned and evidence-based defense. That often means a significant advantage for the debtor who is represented by an experienced and aggressive collection defense firm like Schlanger Law Group LLP.
Whether you are facing collection action as an individual or a business, Schlanger Law Group can reduce your stress, fight the claims against you, negotiate on your behalf, and identify and pursue any claims you may have against the creditor. Give yourself the advantage of having experienced debt collection defense attorneys on your side. Contact us for a consultation.


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Sue-Lane Wood, 206.285.3500, email@example.com.
Seattle, July 5, 2007−PATH, as part of a consortium of partners, has been awarded one of seven coveted "prime contractor" positions under the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) AIDS Support and Technical Assistance Resources Sector I (AIDSTAR) program. This award opens the door for PATH to work on new projects to address HIV and AIDS in some of the poorest countries of the world.
As a prime AIDSTAR contractor, PATH will be able to apply for competitively awarded task orders from the US government up to a shared ceiling of US$500 million.
"PATH has been working on innovative HIV and AIDS programs for nearly 20 years. We look forward to working with our partner organizations on new work under the AIDSTAR program," said Dr. Christopher J. Elias, president of PATH.
"Through vehicles such as AIDSTAR and other awarded USAID global agreements, PATH can assist the US government in its efforts to meet the HIV-related needs and priorities of the poorest countries," said Dr. Julie Pulerwitz, project director and director of the HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis Global Program at PATH. "It is our hope, that through our work and in collaboration with our partners, we can significantly contribute to the overall knowledge base about the most effective HIV-related programs and practices."
Partner organizations in the consortium with PATH include: Chemonics International, Dimagi, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Health and Development Africa, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, the International Rescue Committee, International Relief & Development, International Training and Education Center on HIV at the University of Washington, MIDEGO, Westat, and World Relief.


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For anyone still not convinced that Build America Bonds are transforming state and local government finance, behold a municipal bond mutual fund that has filed a prospectus in French.
This month, a Toronto-based firm called Connor, Clark & Lunn Capital Markets launched a Canadian mutual fund dedicated to Build America Bonds — or, as they are known in French, "Les obligations Build America."
The fund raised C$31.8 million ($30.6 million U.S.), in its initial public offering — far less than the C$125 million ($120.1 million) in shares the firm made available.
Still, the launch was the most concrete illustration yet of the foreign investors who reportedly have emerged to buy BABs.
"It makes perfect sense for a Canadian investor," said Darren Cabral, vice president at Connor, Clark & Lunn, citing U.S. municipal default rates well below those on comparably rated corporate bonds and a "fairly attractive yield."
Because of the legal structure of mutual fund trusts in Canada, the monthly dividends paid on the fund will mostly be tax-exempt, according to the Canadian law firm McCarthy Tetrault LLP, which was counsel on the initial public offering.
Cabral attributes the small amount of money the fund raised to Canadians' unfamiliarity with U.S. municipal bonds.
As the BAB program seasons, Cabral said he foresees Canadians becoming more comfortable with U.S. municipal issuers. More offerings like this one are definitely on the radar, he said.
According to the Federal Reserve, foreign investors owned $53.5 billion in municipal debt at the end of the third quarter. That was the highest total ever, and at 1.93% represented the greatest share of the overall municipal debt market in foreign hands in history.
The fund that launched this month — the complete name of which is the Build America Investment Grade Bond Fund — is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and invests most of its assets in high-grade BABs.
The fund has employed Nuveen Investments as sub-adviser. The Chicago-based company, which manages $68.8 billion in municipals, will use its staff of analysts to find undervalued BABs.
In the prospectus — the one filed in English — the fund states that Nuveen believes the scale and intricacy of the BAB market leads to pricing anomalies and inefficiencies that can be exploited with the right trading strategies.
While the fund has yet to publish its holdings, Nuveen constructed an "indicator portfolio" in December comprising the BABs it would have bought had the fund been capitalized at the time.
The indicator portfolio included 43 bonds from issuers like California, Phoenix, the Utah Transit Authority, the New York City Municipal Water Authority, and the Florida Board of Education.
The bonds carried an average yield to maturity of around 6.5% and an average rating of double-A minus from Standard & Poor's.
The fund expects to pay a monthly dividend of 11.98 Canadian cents, representing a 5.75% yield on the IPO price. The fund will terminate on Feb. 27, 2015, liquidating its assets and distributing the proceeds to shareholders, unless they elect to extend it.
A Canadian fund investing in U.S. state and local government securities faces a risk unfamiliar to many American municipal portfolio managers: currency risk.
The fund plans to hedge "substantially all" of the risk that a strengthening of the Canadian dollar will render coupon payments in U.S. dollars less valuable. The fund also may use derivatives to hedge the risk of a spike in interest rates.
Among the numerous differences between Canadian and American mutual funds, Canadian funds are able to employ leverage. American mutual funds cannot utilize leverage because they need to redeem shares upon request.
The Canadian fund also has to redeem shares, but it employs a structure vastly different from the typical U.S. mutual fund. The fund does not actually own the securities. The securities are placed in a trust, which is sold to an affiliate. The fund then buys a forward contract from the affiliate, and the dividends are generated by the returns on the forward contract.
The forward contract can be adjusted to magnify returns or losses on the trust, which is how the fund implements leverage. The fund expects to begin with leverage of 25%. The maximum leverage will be 33%.
The fund differs from the typical U.S. municipal fund in one other key respect. Most U.S. funds do not begin the announcement trumpeting their launch with: "Not for distribution to United States newswire services or dissemination in the United States."
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Find the local staff portal for your department or division.
Do you need information on who to contact or how to find the researcher with the latest knowledge within your field? AU Business Liaison Office can help.
Learn more about frameworks and contracts involved when collaborating with the university's researchers.
Collaborative projects, internships and relevant student jobs build bridges between students and businesses to the benefit of both.
Patents, licences and commercialisation at AU
Creates innovative solutions in the fields of culture, language, education and media in collaboration with organisations from the private and public sectors.
Collaborates with the business community on research, recruitment and degree programmes within the business and social science disciplines.
Health's research and educational environments develop solutions to health-related challenges in close collaboration and partnership with the outside world.
High-tech facilities and research-based knowledge form the basis for collaborative projects in the fields of natural sciences and technology.


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|Posted by straw prophet on February 10, 2012 at 3:15 AM
from a tumblr post
i'm sitting in front of my keyboard right now trying to think of what to say. i have a lot to say, but i'm not sure how much you're ready to hear. i'm not sure how to phrase it so you will understand. i'm not even sure who you are. i can be sure of a few things about you though. you have needs. i'm sure you have wants, too. there's probably some nice shiny item that you're working towards right now, and that's ok, but for now let's focus on those needs.
our needs go unmet… biologically, psychologically, and socially. we have the technical capacity to meet these needs, in fact evidence shows that most of these needs are non-material and would be met with a healthier social order. the needs that are material? they can be met easily without requiring anyone to exchange their labor for survival, all at a much higher standard of quality than we enjoy now. really, it's kid stuff.
when you deprive a flower of sunlight, does it grow stronger? when you abuse a dog, does its demeanor improve? how then do we expect those who are deprived of necessary mental, social and material resources to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and contribute more to society than society has given them? we live in a society where it is expected that adults will go out, find a job, and "earn" their keep, but it is the structure of that very same society that prevents this from even being a possibility for everyone… and as douglas rushkoff points out, "do we all really want jobs?"
no. if we're honest with ourselves, we will admit that we do not want a "job". we do not want to give our limited time on this beautiful and mysterious planet to a private dictatorship. we humans are capable of creating a world where such negative social arrangements are a thing of the past, and where all people spend all of their time how they wish. we can create a global culture of abundance and sustainability, and concern ourselves with understanding our vast cosmos and our place in it - and like i said, it's not the lack of technology that's holding us back. it's our culture.
i love the phrase "we are the 99%", because it captures the potential of the situation so well. it is absolutely true that 99% of the world has great interest in changing our system and it's true that they're being screwed by a few powerful people who could change things if they wanted to. my only problem with the phrase is that we're not just 99% against 1%, we're 100% suffering from culture lag. yes, the 1% suffers too, from their own ignorance and inaction. how much more technological advancement would they enjoy in a world where information is open source and all people are well educated? how much more free time would they have? how much less stress? how about real security (meaning we've grown out of all the needless violence our system currently perpetuates)? whether or not we all understand it, we all suffer in this social system together, our environment too. we are one planet.
as i watch the protesters at wall street, and i listen to their demands, i can't help but hear my own concerns in them. some are worried and want their student loans erased, some are angry and want bankers jailed, some empathically want to assert a new level of "human rights". although they may not have a coherent solution, the protesters are saying, "there's definitely a problem! let's talk about it!"
the protesters are trying to wake you up. they're saying our social order needs challenging. i agree. it's outmoded methods are failing as we head towards something new. maybe it's about time for revolution, maybe it's about time for evolution.
i don't think we need to physically occupy space to change people's minds, but i'm glad people are doing it and i do see minds changing. in this, the real occupation that has been ongoing since our birth is ending, the occupation of outdated culture in our thoughts.
i'm ready to talk about what is next. are you?
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A Change is Gonna Come
2015 is going to be a year of great change and growth
A Change is Gonna Come is a famous song by Sam Cooke, and when it comes to appliances, flooring, and more, Arizona Wholesale Supply is definitely going to be singing about changing and growing in 2015.
Let's start with the new products being shown during the 2015 Design and Construction Week in Las Vegas Jan 21-23. For the first time, five separate industry shows will all be exhibiting in Las Vegas at the same time. It's going to be a BIG show!
- IBS – International Builders' Show
- KBIS – Kitchen and Bath Industry Show
- Surfaces – The International Surface Event
- International Window Coverings Expo
- Las Vegas Market – home décor, furnishings, accessories, and gifts
Exhibitors will be showing their new products and designs at three separate venues in Las Vegas. So, there are going to be thousands of people moving to and from show locations. We'll see manufacturers demonstrating new, innovative products, and we're also sure to see more "connected" home products than ever before.
We'll be able to operate smart appliances by smart phone or tablet. In turn, your appliances will also be able to communicate with you, warning you when a refrigerator door is left open, notifying your when your oven has finished pre-heating, or when it's time to replace a refrigerator water filter. And that's just the beginning.
Check this blog and our facebook and twitter pages often from Jan. 21 – Jan. 23, for live bulletins from Design and Construction Week.
The really big news in the appliance industry was actually announced in 2014 when Electrolux announced it was acquiring GE's Appliance division. Now, in 2015 we'll get to see some changes as Electrolux takes control of GE appliances, and along the way may become the largest appliance company in the World. More to come…for sure. As Sam Cooke wrote: A Change is Gonna Come.
For more information call or visit the experts at Arizona Wholesale Supply .
Appliances, floor coverings, window treatments, and more
Phoenix 602 258-7901, Scottsdale 480 596-0092, Tucson 520 795-4663


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Give techs the tools and information they need to stay productive. Cut out distractions so they can do more work.
Mobile applications for Android and Apple smartphones and tablets give technicians all the job and customer info they need.
Techs shouldn't go in blind. All the customer information they need is in the palm of their hand.
Time talking to the office is time not spent working. GPS time tracking updates the office, holds techs accountable, and logs time spent on every job.
Paperwork and scribbled notes are unprofessional and waste time. Take pictures, record audio notes, digitize paperwork, and capture the customer signature for streamlined operations.
Field technicians and sales staff that need to quickly create a quote and receive approval can create quotes in the field using our tablet web application. This permission-based feature can easily be turned on or off for any user.
Accurately invoicing customers is challenging. Create price lists so techs can build precise invoices and capture electronic customer signature.
There will be no question about what work was delivered. Your customers will sign off on work electronically.
Downtime kills profitability. Summarize clock time and activity to better understand tech productivity.


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Stow, OH (PRWEB) December 03, 2013
Audio-Technica, a leading professional audio innovator for over 50 years, has made available online the "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) sessions the company recently hosted at the 135th AES Convention in New York, NY. Sessions took place on Friday, October 18, and Saturday, October 19, at A-T's exhibition booth on the convention floor.
The archived sessions, available on Audio-Technica.com, include discussions on pro audio equipment, industry insights and more with Joel Singer, GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer/mixer, co-founder and chief engineer of Music Mix Mobile; Jackie Green, VP R&D/Engineering at Audio-Technica; Frank Filipetti, GRAMMY® Award-winning music producer, engineer and mixer; Richie Castellano, musician and YouTube sensation; Richard Chycki, mixer, engineer and producer; Carl Tatz, TEC Award-nominated recording studio designer; Frank Wells, President of AES; and Jimmy Douglass, GRAMMY® Award-winning recording engineer/record producer.
"Ask Me Anything" questions were submitted by individuals present at AES booth 2723, online at LiveStream.com, and by Twitter #ATliveAES – and then fed to the presenters through a moderator during the 30-minute Q&A session on pro audio.
"We were extremely happy with the AMA sessions in the A-T booth at the AES show this year," stated Gary Boss, Audio-Technica Marketing Director. "Not only was this a unique opportunity for both attendees at the show and those at home to ask insightful questions, but the content will be archived for a whole new audience to benefit from all of our presenters' wisdom and insights. There were laughs, thought provoking answers and a few uncomfortable moments. Exactly the kind of scenario where we get to see the true genius behind our guests and understand why they are at the tops of their respective fields."
Watch professional audio innovator, Audio-Technica, "Ask Me Anything" sessions at http://www.audio-technica.com/aes2013.
About Audio-Technica:
Celebrating over 50 years of audio excellence worldwide, Audio-Technica is a leading innovator in transducer technology, renowned for the design and manufacture of microphones, wireless microphones, headphones, mixers, and electronics for the audio industry.
For more information on the complete range of Audio-Technica products, contact:
Karen Emerson, Audio-Technica U.S., Inc., 1221 Commerce Drive, Stow, OH 44224.
Tel: (330) 686-2600; Fax: (330) 688-3752; Web: http://www.audio-technica.com


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Media & Community Reactions
We Too Sing America was honored with a 2016 American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation. Watch the ceremony on CSPAN here.
What's We Too Sing America about and how are people responding to the stories and themes in it?
- Eboo Patel reviews the book in The Washington Post (Nov 22, 2015) in Immigrants Under Watchful Eyes: "In her powerful book We Too Sing America, Iyer links government programs like NSEERS to the overt Islamophobia of mosque protests and the massacre at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., creating a broader narrative about the experience of South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh immigrant communities in post-9/11 America…Iyer is an ideal chronicler of this experience…Her ability to travel comfortably between wonky policy circles and the front lines of activism shines through in her book."
- Booklist, a magazine of the American Librarians Association, named We Too Sing America to its top 10 list of multicultural nonfiction books in February 2016! Take a look at the list which includes the powerful voices of Ta-Nehisi Coates, Janice Nimura and Sandra Cisneros.
- Library Journal: "[A] riveting book … A welcome addition to the growing literature of race, ethnicity, and religion from the perspectives of immigrant groups within the United States. Both the general public and policymakers will benefit."
- Publisher's Weekly: "While this book could simply be a catalogue of injustices, Iyer's study reaches into the complexities of the many cultures that make up South Asia."
Testimonials from Community Members, Educators, Students
- "Deepa Iyer's book, We Too Sing America is the best book for better, comprehensive, and more nuanced understandings underscored by important solid qualitative and quantitative data, on South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh immigrants and how these great American populations must be included in our thoughts, policies, actions, and empathies if we are to achieve American aspirations such as equality, equity, freedom, and truly value the greatness of these individuals and cultures to our own professional, community, and personal lives." – Jennifer Stollman, Academic Director, William Winter Institute
- "A smart and accessible take on South Asian / AMEMSA racial justice, from pre-9/11 through 2042. It pulls together so many threads from the last decade, and it's a starting point for lots of conversations. Super-recommended. It's short, jargon-free, and heavily footnoted — and my copy is now full of (digital) highlighting." – Anirvan Chatterji, Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour
- "We Too Sing America is a necessary, important, and passionate work that records the hymns, blues, and joyous songs of a post 9/11 America…But Iyer's book aims higher: it reflects hope for America's pluralistic future where these 'others' ultimately emerge as the protagonists of not only their own narratives but of a new, vibrant America as well." – Wajahat Ali, Author of The Domestic Chronicles
In The News
July 2017 Taking a Stand Against Islamophobia School Libraries Journal
June 2017 Living in a Climate of Fear: South Asian, Muslim, Arab, and Sikh groups under siege in the US American Libraries Magazine
June 2017 Being South Asian in Trump's America The Leonard Lopate Show WNYC
March 2017 Trump's condemnation of hate crimes doesn't go nearly far enough CNN
January 2017 First Impressions #101: Deepa Iyer on Shaping a Multiracial Future in the U.S. Marginalia
December 2016 Civil Rights Activist Deepa Iyer Receives 2016 American Book Award News India Times
November 2016 We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh immigrants shape our multiracial future The International Examiner
October 2016 Deepa Iyer discusses race, inclusion in post-9/11 America The Tufts Daily
June 2016 Talking About Race: Confronting The New Islamophobia The Marc Steiner Show
January 2016 Why South Asians Must Stand In Solidarity With Black Rights Movements The Establishment


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Peppa Pig Tickets
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Peppa Pig and friends are back in the brand new live show Peppa Pig's Adventure!
Join Peppa as she gets ready to go on an exciting camping trip to the woods with George and her school friends, including Pedro Pony, Suzy Sheep and Gerald Giraffe. With lunch-boxes packed and Daddy Pig driving the bus, Peppa and friends are excited about their outdoor adventure, full of games, laughter and live music!
The happy campers soon settle down to sleep and listen to the gentle pitter patter of rain. Safe and warm inside their tents the excited group can look forward to morning time, when there will be lots of muddy puddles to play in!
Last updated: July, 2017


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A super PAC working to defeat President Barack Obama is preparing an ad campaign highlighting Obama's ties to his controversial former pastor.
A Republican strategist involved in the planning said conservative billionaire Joe Ricketts wants to bankroll an effort publicizing the racially incendiary sermons delivered by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright at a Chicago church Obama once attended. The sermons drew considerable attention and presented a hurdle for Obama in 2008 as he sought the Democratic presidential nomination.
The Republican spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private strategy sessions.
The plan would involve at least $10 million in advertising. News of the campaign was first reported by The New York Times.
Republican Mitt Romney refused to answer questions about the effort as he boarded a plane Thursday in Miami.


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(KMOV) -- A 10-year-old Lincoln County girl who went missing Friday morning was found safe later that afternoon after apparently hiding in the woods.
News 4's Marc Cox spotted the missing girl in the woods Friday afternoon. After pointing her out, she ran home. "One of my neighbors thought they saw her run into a field and didn't think much of it until they came back and saw police."Wilkerson told News 4's Vickie Newton before the girl was found that there have been two sightings since and he thinks his adopted daughter was just scared."I don't think she has been grabbed. She left on her own accord with the dog I don't think there is any foul play unless someone picked her up while she was out there." Once back at home, Rachel said her dog was chasing after a squirrel and got away. Rachel then walked around the woods for miles, and eventually stopped to take a nap. Wilkerson said that he and his wife adopted Rachel and her brothers three years ago. Rachel has challenges related to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and he feels her actions may have been related to her condition.At first, Tom Wilkerson says he thought that Rachel might be hiding, possibly upset that her brother had ridden her new pony."We were looking for her down in the woods, we have four acres, and we thought she was playing a joke on her brothers," Wilkerson said. "When the dog came home without her that is when I got really scared and called police."
Search teams were concentrated on Gravens Road and Highway 47 just outside of Moscow Mills.


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Cubs Prospects Getting Defensive Love: Javier Baez and Christian Villanueva
Although we frequently hear about the Chicago Cubs' elite prospect talent on the positional side, the focus of that praise tends to be the positional players' bats. Of course, we know that there's a necessary additional part of a position player's game: the glove. Albert Almora gets a ton of love for his defense in center, but, beyond him, we don't hear too much about the Cubs having great defensive prospects.
Well, Baseball Prospectus continues its top tools series (we previously discussed power), now looking at the top defensive infielders among the prospect ranks. When specifically discussing the top infield arms, the Cubs' top prospect, Javier Baez, gets a mention in the "also considered" category, behind the top arm, Joey Gallo. Now that Junior Lake is in the big leagues (and in the outfield), you didn't hear too much about the Cubs having a cannon-armed infielder, but there is Baez, considered among the best in the game. BP says he's consistently giving a plus-plus grade for his arm, which is just another feather in his increasingly crowded cap.
It's great to hear that about Baez, but the real pleasant surprise comes in the "top infield defense" category, where third base prospect Christian Villanueva is one of just three prospects who even get a mention. Indians shortstop prospect Francisco Lindor naturally takes the top spot, and Dodgers shortstop prospect Miguel Rojas is the other player mentioned. On Villanueva, BP says, "Villanueva might not play the toughest defensive position on the infield, but that hasn't stopped him from drawing ample praise from scouts. He has hands that can rival those of Francisco Lindor and he moves well for the position, making every play necessary at the hot corner."
I don't want to do too much extrapolating here, but, given that Villanueva was the only third base prospect to make the three-man list, it sounds like BP is saying that he currently offers the best defense at third base in all of the minors right now. Cubs VP of Scouting and Player Development Jason McLeod said at the Cubs Convention that Villanueva is the best defensive third baseman in the Cubs' system, but maybe he was actually underselling Villanueva.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's easy to lose Villanueva in the shuffle with guys like Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Mike Olt, Arismendy Alcantara, and Jeimer Candelario getting the bulk of the infield love. But don't sleep on him. He was quietly great with the bat at AA last year, he turned 22 mid-season, and he is apparently one of the top defensive prospects in all of baseball. Villanueva is expected to be the primary third baseman at AAA this year, and he remains a guy to watch.


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Having had to decline previous invitations to judge in Russia we were pleased that on this occasion we were able to accept. Little did we realise that within a matter of days we would receive a call from Hong Kong inviting us to judge for them a week later.
We decided that this was just too good an opportunity to miss and the best way to tackle it was to fly onto HK from Moscow. Of course fate almost took over! During the week leading up to our departure the snow came to the UK and numerous flights out of Heathrow were cancelled which could have easily scuppered our plans. Fortunately the Moscow flight took off without a hitch and we arrived to temperatures of -12 to -15 degrees and wondering what all the fuss had been about back home! There was so much more snow and ice in Moscow yet everything seemed to be running smoothly. Traffic volumes are a real problem there and one never quite knows how long even a short journey might take. The warm welcome and kind hospitality more than compensated for the outdoor temperatures.
Sabaneev Show
There was a panel of 27 judges from around the world, most had around 100 dogs to judge under FCI rules meaning grading and a critique for every dog. The panel was very knowledgeable and although judging did not commence until noon all judges managed to finish in the allotted time. It was an excellent show and we judged some quality dogs. The majority of dogs were shown in good clean hard condition and we could not help but be impressed by the exhibitor's friendliness towards each other and politeness to us. Vince Hogan and Joanne Blackburn-Bennett have already written of the principal winners. (More in OUR DOGS March 8th issue).
As first time visitors to Russia we were shown the sights including Red Square and the delights of the Kremlin with its distinctive onion shaped topped buildings, awesome indeed. On the last evening a surprise visit to the Bolshoi ballet had generously been arranged and one could not help but be impressed by the grandeur of the building and that was before the dancers took to the stage – a spellbinding performance and an experience never to be forgotten. That evening we had expected to be dropped off at the entrance and picked up later in the same manner. It took a while to gather our party together for a group photo and we really regretted leaving the winter wear back at the hotel, again Vince did not waste anytime getting those pictures onto Facebook! (We've seen them…brrrrrr - Ed)
Hotting Up In Hong Kong
Less than 24 hours later found us on the flight to Hong Kong and arriving to a very welcome 24 degrees and even warmer welcome from the folks there. With a total entry of 162 dogs they had arranged not back to back but side by side shows! We both judged all the dogs completely independently from breed classes right through to BIS. The venue was an excellent conference centre not unlike NEC and laid out with two huge rings running alongside one another. The public interest was most interesting with numerous spectators 4 or 5 deep all-round, we were too busy to be able to see what each other were doing. Stuart's BIS was a stunning top winning Siberian Husky from China with a B&W Pointer RBIS. Rod's BIS was a US Grand Champion Keeshond and a previous dog of the year winner in HK whilst RBIS went to a recent UK exported Palacegarden Pekingese. We both finished up with similar winners most noticeably the Baby Puppy which was the most enchanting Pomeranian, 4 months old and totally self assured, compact with the neatest ears and sweetest of expressions. On the move it just never put a foot wrong and a real treat to watch it step out so accurately.
Once again the exhibitors were polite and very friendly to each other and many of the handlers reappeared in our rings with several different dogs of varying breeds who seemed totally unfazed by it all. When one considers that 94% of the population lives in apartments, bombproof temperaments are a definite must. Since the two shows were going on at the same time and handlers were busy in both rings it was a miracle – or good planning – that everything ran so smoothly with no hold ups.
Various trips had been arranged for us including the must see 'Hong Kong by night' experience. Keen to explore a bit on our own we even ventured onto the metro. A masterpiece in modern engineering and so clean as was the entire island.
Two great shows with such keen dog folk, long may it continue.
Stuart Mallard & Rodney Oldham


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Mr. Black is a partner in West Wood Realty which is an independent commercial real estate brokerage and development company. Mr. Black has a Bachelors degree in Finance from the Anderson School of Business at UNM and a CSM degree from the International Council of Shopping Centers. During his career, he had developed over 750,000 square feet of commercial retail and office buildings, and has master planned and zoned over 9,000 acres of mixed use projects in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho.
Mr. Black worked for the State of New Mexico, Don Chalmers, numerous partnerships, and his family real estate holdings. He planned, zoned, and sold the 95 acre tract of land for the Simon Group who built the existing 1.2 million square foot Cottonwood Regional Mall as one of his featured developments.
Tim Maland has a broad background in the hospitality industry. He has worked in senior roles at the corporate and property levels in several companies including Hilton, Sheraton, Ramada, Trump and Caesars Entertainment. Much of his past experience was in international hotel operations and development in Europe and Asia. Recent work was primarily operational in Northern Nevada and development work in Massachusetts. He has served on numerous boards in his past including the Reno Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. He has been married for 29 years and has one son.
Tom Aro recently retired from an extensive career of more then forty years in the hospitality and gaming industry during which time he held executive positions in finance, development and operations. Positions included serving on the Finance Committee of the Del Webb Corporation, general management responsibilities for operations at several gaming and non-gaming properties, and senior operations director during the development of major gaming projects in Reno, Atlantic City, Mississippi and New York.
Since his retirement, Mr. Aro has remained active in his community serving on several boards including the alumni board of the Mesabi Range CC, Care Partners, a local non-profit organization assisting cancer victims and their families, president of a condominium board in Sanibel, Florida, and holding the elected position of Township Supervisor for his home community.
Mr. Aro holds a B.S. degree from the University of Arizona and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Don Power is former Chairman and Chief Operating Officer at Jaynes Corporation. Mr. Power began his career at Jaynes Corporation in 1969 and over the years worked his way up to laborer, concrete estimator, vice-president, and, finally, president. He serves on numerous boards including the UNM Anderson School of Management Foundation Board, the ABQ Core Chapter 1 Advisory Group for the UNM Alumni Association, Albuquerque Economic Development, American Marketing Association, Economic Forum, Executive Growth Council, Kirtland Partnership, United Way of Central New Mexico, the New Mexico Bowl, Central New Mexico Community College Foundation, and National Association of Industrial and Office Parks.
Shyla Sheppard was raised on the Fort Berthold reservation in North Dakota and is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes. She earned her economics degree from Stanford University and completed Oxford University's Said School of Business Impact Investing Executive Program. In 2005, she joined the founding team of New Mexico Community Capital ("NMCC"), an Albuquerque-based venture capital firm, where she was involved in all aspects of development and fund management, including fundraising, deal sourcing, due diligence, deal structuring, investing and post-investment oversight and governance. In that time, Shyla invested in early and expansion-stage companies across a variety of industries including energy, water, agriculture, safety/security, and aerospace.
Shyla also led NMCC's investment effort in Indian Country to promote business development and expansion by Tribes and Native American entrepreneurs. Her investment in a reservation-based, Native American, woman-owned oilfield services company was nominated for the Native American Finance Officers Association's Deal of the Year in 2012. In 2011, she was recognized by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development as one of Indian Country's 40 under Forty outstanding young leaders and in 2012 by the New Mexico Business Weekly as one of New Mexico's 40 under Forty. Shyla's community involvement includes serving on the boards of First Nations Development Institute, First Nations Oweesta Corporation and on the Three Affiliated Tribes Investment Committee.
After nearly a decade of venture capital experience and a great deal of thought, Shyla elected to leave her position with the investment fund to pursue her own entrepreneurial endeavor currently under development.
Ryan Riley is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna (NM) and has served Native American communities in various capacities for over 22 years. Currently, he is a professional consultant for Native Community Development Associates in New Mexico, where he provides training and mentoring to Tribes across the United States in the areas of strategic planning, policy development, federal contract negotiation, environmental/land use planning and business/economic development.
Prior to Ryan's consulting work, he served as the Deputy Director for the United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs - Southwest Regional Office in New Mexico. His former Deputy Director position included working directly with Tribal Nations and their leadership to promote tribal community programs and business-oriented opportunities in areas such as economic development, gaming/retail enterprises, housing, real estate services, human services, and land management as examples. In addition, Ryan had the honor to serve 8 years on the Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Council where he was active in budget, finance, economic development, education and government liaison activities for the Pueblo.
Ryan's diverse work experience and academic career includes several years of scientific research involving tribal natural resources, economic development as well as leading a small-business firm. Notably, Ryan has extensive executive leadership experience in the areas of tribal government, project management, finance/investments, education, federal regulatory compliance, and human resource/employment laws, to name a few. Ryan holds degrees in Business Administration and Wildlife Science, a Master's in Public Administration and is presently pursuing a Doctorate in Psychology with an emphasis in industrial and organizational psychology.
Mr. Jerald "Jerry" D. Smith is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Laguna Development Corporation (LDC) of Albuquerque, New Mexico. LDC is a wholly-owned Section 17 (U.S.C. 477) corporation of the Pueblo of Laguna.Mr. Smith has more than twenty-five years of executive and economic development experience with expertise in Native American business and community improvement. He has developed and managed for-profit tribal operations, tribal administrative operations and facilitated advancement of housing opportunities for tribal communities through federal, state and tribal programs. As the President and CEO of LDC, Mr. Smith has helped foster an aggressive growth path for the company currently managing all gaming and retail businesses for the corporation. Presently LDC consists of three casino locations including Route 66 Casino Hotel, Dancing Eagle Casino and Casino Express. The company operates two major travel centers/truck stops along Interstate 40 with locations in Casa Blanca and Rio Puerco, New Mexico. LDC also manages Dancing Eagle Supermarket, Dancing Eagle RV Park and two convenience stores in the Pueblo of Laguna. Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from New Mexico State University. He serves on a number of boards and commissions including the Cibola County School District Board of Education. He is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and has served three terms on the Laguna Tribal Council.
Mr. Greer became Chief Financial Officer of the Business Operations in 2004. Mr. Greer has over 20 years of accounting and finance experience in the hospitality industry. Prior to his tenure at the Casino, Mr. Greer was Senior Director of Finance at the Belterra Casino Resort in Florence, Indiana. Mr. Greer also served as Chief Financial Officer for ten years at the Cypress Bayou Casino in Charenton, Louisiana, a tribal casino. Mr. Greer holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio.
Ms. Gorospe serves as Legal Counsel and Chief of Government Relations for LDC and is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna. Ms. Gorospe has been practicing law for over 15 years with previous employment at the Nordhaus Law Firm in Washington, D.C. and as Director of the American Indian Environmental Office with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ms Gorospe is a member of the New Mexico Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association and the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Indian Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Gorospe holds a B.S. in American Studies from Oregon State University and a J.D. from Williamette University College of Law.
Mr. Funchess has over eleven years of accounting and finance experience related to the gaming industry. Mr. Funchess worked for the national public accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP, where he specialized in gaming industry audits, prior to joining LDC. Mr. Funchess holds a Bachelor of Accountancy from New Mexico State University.
Mr. Sayre has over twenty-five years of senior executive level management experience in sales and marketing in casino, resort and entertainment industries. Mr. Sayre majored in journalism at California State University at Long Beach and completed the executive education program in marketing management at Stanford University.
Mr. Brasil has over twenty-five years of management experience. Prior to working at LDC, Mr. Brasil worked at Grand Casino Mille Lacs where he was Vice President of Food & Beverage Operations. Jorge's passion for working in the hospitality industry began with the start of his own catering company Bon Vivant in 1986.
Mr. Cardenas graduated from Cooper High School and attended college at Texas Tech University. He worked twenty-three years at Furr's Supermarkets starting at the line level and worked himself up to the Risk Manager position. During this time he gained extensive experience investigating, interviewing and interrogating employee theft and other risk management issues. Mr. Cardenas has been with LDC for over ten years as the Director of Risk Management.
Mr. Chovanec received a Bachelor of Arts from Albion College, majoring in Economics/Accounting. He earned his J.D. from Wake Forest School of Law in 1987. He has worked in Senior Human Resources management for the better part of two decades, including the last four years in Indian Gaming. In addition, Steve has also held his S.P.H.R. designation since 1993.
Mr. Khader has been an employee of Laguna Development Corporation since 2002, and is currently the Chief Information Officer. He has over 20 years of experience and has overseen the growth of the technology environment at LDC from just a single server to over 250 servers and 300 virtual desktops. Under Mr. Khader's leadership, LDC has been among the first and largest deployments in New Mexico of VoIP, synchronous multi-site storage redundancy, network micro-segmentation, large-scale server and desktop virtualization, IP-based hotel TV system, cross-site Bingo simulcast, and network security spanning layer 2 through layer 7. LDC's regulatory agency recently engaged an expert security firm to perform an internal penetration test. Their conclusion remarked, "The network security at the Route 66 and Dancing Eagle Casinos is amongst the best of the 150+ casinos GLI has visited."
Mr. Mason has over thirty-four years of diverse experience in construction of new structures, remodels and maintenance of existing projects of all sizes. This includes management of design, development, construction and maintenance of buildings and grounds. Mr. Mason holds three Associates Degrees in Computer Science, Accounting, and Architectural Drafting.
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Yulu (ID 39104319), is a 2-year-old brown Tabby — a delightful girl with a silly habit of sticking out her tongue to all she meets. But only in fun!
Yulu is a very pretty young cat with almond-shaped green eyes. She loves to explore and check out the world around her. This girl still has the playful spirit of an adolescent but will also enjoy affection and relaxing with her new family. Cute, loving, and an all-round great cat, Yulu is more than ready to go home!
Adopt Yulu (ID 39104319) at Pinellas County Animal Services on Ulmerton Rd., Largo. She'll come vaccinated, neutered, microchipped and more from Pinellas County Animal Services on Ulmerton Rd. in Largo: PinellasCounty.org/AnimalServices. Find them on Facebook @PinellasCountyAnimalServices.
Listen to Morning Trivia with Ann Kelly starting at 7:10 a.m. for your chance to win...
A pair of tickets to see Michael Bolton: Symphony Sessions happening Friday, February 15th at the Capitol Theatre!
Call (888) 723-9388
Oprah Winfrey purchased a 43-acre estate on Orcas Island in Washington for $8.275 million.
When it comes to diabetes, the numbers are staggering -- 30 million Americans are estimated to be living with the disease, 1.4 million new cases are diagnosed annually in the United States and about 25 percent of those patients don't know they have the disease.
Those numbers caught the attention of some Harvard students who came up with an easy way for people to track their blood sugar levels.
It's an app called Checkmate Diabetes.
Harvard graduate student Michael Heisterkamp is part of the team developing the app and is also a diabetes patient.
"You need to check 4-5 times a day, up to eight times a day, depending on what your doctor recommends, and that can be a bit of a grind," Heisterkamp said.
All those tests are essential for a person with diabetes because they need to make sure they're in a safe range.
Dr. Jason Sloane, an endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, said 'the biggest problem is, once complications hit, it's very hard to reverse them."
Harvard senior Emi Gonzales got the idea for the app when there was a guest speaker in a class.
"He had lost his leg and was about to lose his other leg," Gonzales said. "And I talked to some more people with diabetes and this just seemed like a situation that needed fixing."
The app makes a game out of tracking blood sugar levels, creating competitions within a person's network.
"If you have a scoring system and someone is doing better than you, pushing you, you know you want to get to first right," Gonzales said.
Checkmate Diabetes also offers the ability to connect with other patients.
Soon, they'll start adding prizes.
Sloan, who has consulted with the budding entrepreneurs, said gamification has been shown to work for health care.
He believes this approach can get people to pay attention to diabetes earlier.
"It has the potential to change things dramatically," Sloan said. "Convincing young people, from my experience, has been very difficult. Even from a personal perspective, one of the last things I wanted to pay attention to was my blood sugar."
Dr. Sloan said earlier interventions can reduce serious complications like kidney failure, amputations, and heart disease later in life.
Checkmate Diabetes is free to download.
Want to live in Lance Armstrong's old house?
>> See a video slideshow of the home here
The cyclist's former home in west Austin, Texas, is on the market for $7.5 million. According to CultureMap, it was originally listed two years ago for $8.25 million.
>> On Austin360.com: See a photo gallery of the home
The six-bedroom, 7.5-bathroom home across the street from Pease Park was built in 1924 and has since been remodeled. The 8,158-square-foot home has a pool with a fountain, a pool house with a full bathroom and kitchenette and a covered outdoor living area.
In the market for a whimsical $550,000 home with carpeted ceilings, vintage cars and statues lurking around every corner? No? You'll still want to check out the now-viral listing for Detroit's Lion Gate Estate. Trust us.
In the market for a whimsical $550,000 home with carpeted ceilings, vintage cars and statues lurking around every corner?
You'll still want to check out the now-viral listing for Detroit's Lion Gate Estate. Trust us.
>> PHOTO GALLERY: Inside $550K Lion Gate Estate
"Unique barely begins to describe this one of a kind Grixdale Farms estate," reads the listing by Real Estate One's Alex Lauer. "Every aspect of 'Lion Gate Estate' has been articulated with painstaking attention to detail and mind blowing decorative flair. Too many custom features to list!"
And he's not kidding. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, owned by a former automotive designer, is the definition of "extra," with a "Liberace-inspired living room" and "museum-like" interior, Curbed reports.
The listing continues: "Highlights include heated swimming pool with outdoor shower and cabana. Custom two car garage with hand painted automotive murals. Finished basement with billiard room and entertainment area. Fenced in yard with fountains and statuary. Sale includes full contents of the house, including Kohler Campbell baby grand player piano, mint condition Frigidaire kitchen appliances c. 1950. One of a kind custom built 1966 Cadillac Fleetwood Sedan, One of a kind custom built 1974 Lincoln Mark IV Coupe, Custom pool table, countless automotive relics and artifacts. Once in a lifetime offering."
But if you want to take a tour, you'd better check the weather forecast first. "Only shown on sunny days," the listing warns.
>> Click here or scroll down to check out some photos of the home
Forget about "Snakes on a Plane"; we're more concerned with snakes in the yard. Even though snakes are nowhere near as prevalent as our irrational fears would have us think (assuming you don't live smack dab in the middle of rattlesnake territory), if you're a homeowner with a bit of landscape or yard under your direction, you may encounter snakes on occasion.
>> Daredevil squirrel makes Olympic dash onto ski slope, snowboarder misses it by inches
That should be no biggie, according to experts at the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
"As a general rule, snakes are just as frightened of you as possibly you are of them and often they move as quickly as possible in the other direction," the extension noted. Venomous snake bites are rare and you can readily take steps to treat them. If you're an avid gardener, you may even want snakes in your slice of the great outdoors, since they dine on rodents and insects and can actually help protect you from garden pests.
Not buying it? You can try to keep snakes out of your home life. Just understand that even the best measures are not 100 percent foolproof, according to America's Wetland Resources, which is based in the South.
"There are no magic or absolute solutions," AWR asserted. "There are no poisons or repellents that work, though some new 'breakthrough' is occasionally advertised. Horsehair ropes and trails of mothballs have consistently tested negative, and pest control operators have no answers."
But there are still plenty of valid ways to limit, or possibly eliminate, a slithery presence in your yard, garden or home. Here are five tips from the pros on how to keep snakes out of your yard:
1. Seal crevices. Closer to your home, seal the openings where snakes like to set up house. "Check the clearance of door bottoms, weep holes, openings where pipes enter, cracks and spaces under eaves," AWR recommended. "Don't neglect storerooms and sheds."
AWR added that sealing enough openings to make a difference is much more difficult if you own a raised wooden home.
2. Tidy up the yard. Snakes might choose to live on your property or simply travel through, according to AWR. You want to make your property as inhospitable as possible, so concentrate on ridding it of any places snakes would consider good spots to hide. Remove debris, from piles of boards, tin, sticks and leaves to flat boats on the ground and piles of bricks or stone, AWR advised, and keep vegetation cut back.
3. Stop serving the snake's preferred menu. It's a win-win. When you take away potential hiding places for snakes, the spots where rat and mice families like to congregate are also eliminated. But take this one step further, AWR advised, and take further steps to get rid of the rodents that snakes like to snack on. You may want to involve a pest control agent, but you definitely want to practice anti-rodent hygiene, including not leaving pet food out for more than an hour or so, closing trash cans tightly and securing compost in a sealed container.
4. Combat the climbers. If limbs from a neighbor's yard hang over your fence, snakes may use them as an entry to your place. Consider working with your neighbor to get them trimmed.
5. Consider the snake-proof fence. If you live in an area where one or more venomous snakes are common, you may want to invest in a snake-proof fence, according to NCSU. "Small areas where children play can be protected from all poisonous and most harmless snakes with a snake-proof fence," it noted. "However, the cost of the fence may make it impractical to protect an entire yard."
Make a fence by burying 1/4-inch mesh wire screening 6 inches underground and building it up 30 inches, instructed NCSU.
"It should slant outward at a 30-degree angle from bottom to top. The supporting stakes must be inside the fence and any gates must fit tightly. Tall vegetation must be removed along the fence, both inside and outside."
It's costly, but you can snake-proof the entire yard with a concrete chain wall that extends six inches or so below the surface, noted AWR.
"If you already have a wooden fence and the boards are very close together, a good solution is to snake-proof the bottom."
>> Drinking this type of tea could ruin your teeth, study says
One fairly cheap way is to use 1/4-inch hardware cloth cut in strips wide enough to overlap the bottom of the fence so it can be tacked securely and extend down into a narrow trench six inches deep.
AWR added another word of caution for either snake-proof fence design. (Spoiler alert: It's nightmare inducing.) "Many snakes climb by looping over objects and the above described design may virtually eliminate their entry," it noted. "Others, however, can crawl up vertical surfaces if they are rough, such as the trunk of a tree or a brick wall (including the side of a house)."
To overcome this creepy climbing capability, you can place a foot-wide ledge made of wood or metal flashing along the outer side at the top. "This structure makes the snakes lean out away from the wall and it will lose its grip and fall."
After all this snake talk, AWR does have one bit of great news. "Snakes are rarely abundant in any one location."
And if all your efforts fail and snakes do make their way into your yard, AWR recommended the ultimate fail-safe.
"The best thing you can do for yourself and family is to teach everyone to respect snakes and to be on the lookout for them," according to the AWR website. "Remember, don't touch it with your hands. Use a shovel to place the snake in a deep bucket with a cover. The chances of your encountering a venomous species is remote, but possible enough to always by careful!"