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Floods kill three, force 75,000 from Calgary homes
Overflowing rivers inundated communities throughout southern Alberta Friday, washing out roads and bridges, soaking homes and turning streets into dirt-brown waterways. (June 21) AP
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — The two rivers that converge on the western Canadian city of Calgary are receding Saturday after floods devastated much of southern Alberta province, causing at least three deaths and forcing thousands to evacuate.
At least three people were killed when floodwaters that devastated much of southern Alberta led authorities to evacuate the western Canadian city of Calgary's entire downtown. Inside the city's hockey arena, the waters reached as high as the 10th row.
Dan Limacher, director of water services for the city, said the Elbow river is expected to recede by about 60 percent over the next two days, while the larger Bow river will recede by about 25 percent.
The improving conditions Saturday morning prompted Calgary's mayor Naheed Nenshi to tweet: "It's morning in Calgary! Sunny, water levels are down, and our spirit remains strong. We're not out of this, but maybe have turned corner."
However, Nenshi said later Saturday that while the city may have turned a corner, there is still a state of emergency in effect.
"Flows on Elbow and Bow (rivers) are dropping slowly. We do believe the peak has passed on the Elbow. However, water levels are still four times higher than 2005 flood levels," he said during a press conference.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday called the level of flooding "stunning" and said officials don't know yet if it will get worse, but said the water has peaked and stabilized and noted that the weather has gotten better.
Overflowing rivers washed out roads and bridges, soaked homes and turned streets into dirt-brown waterways around southern Alberta. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Patricia Neely told reporters three were dead and two bodies were recovered. The two bodies recovered are the two men who had been seen floating lifeless in the Highwood River near High River on Thursday, she said.
Harper, a Calgary resident, said he never imagined there would be a flood of this magnitude in this part of Canada.
"This is incredible. I've seen a little bit of flooding in Calgary before. I don't think any of us have seen anything like this before. The magnitude is just extraordinary," he said.
"We're all very concerned that if gets much more than this it could have real impact on infrastructure and other services longer term, so we're hoping things will subside a bit."
Twenty-five neighborhoods in the city, with an estimated 75,000 people, have already been evacuated due to floodwaters in Calgary, a city of more than a million people that hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics and serves as the center of Canada's oil industry.
Alberta Premier Alison Redford said Medicine Hat, east of Calgary, was under a mandatory evacuation order affecting 10,000 residents. The premier warned that communities downstream of Calgary had not yet felt the full force of the floodwaters.
Redford has warned that communities downstream of Calgary have not yet felt the full force of the floodwaters.
Police were asking residents who were forced to leave the nearby High River area to register at evacuation shelter. The Town of High River remained under a mandatory evacuation order.
High River, southwest of Calgary, was one of the hardest-hit areas and remained under a mandatory evacuation order. Police said they have recovered three bodies in the town.
It is estimated that half the people in the town of 13,000 experienced flooding in their homes. Police cut off access to most of the town and helicopters were circling overhead. Abandoned cars lay submerged in water, while backhoes worked in vain to push water back from houses.
Police asked residents who were forced to leave the High River area to register at an evacuation shelter. By Saturday morning, 485 evacuees had registered at the shelter in Nanton, south of Calgary, and 278 people were on the inquiry list.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Saturday that during rescue and evacuation efforts on Friday in the High River area, approximately 800 people were evacuated by helicopter along with 100-200 people rescued by various water craft.
Ed Mailhot, a volunteer in High River, has been working to build a database of registered evacuees and those who are looking for them. Cellphone service was not restored until late Friday.
"There are a lot of loved ones out there that people can't find, or they don't know where they are," he said. "It's still chaos."
About 350,000 people work in downtown Calgary on a typical day. However, officials said very few people need to be moved out, since many heeded warnings and did not go to work Friday.
A spokesman for Canada's defense minister said 1,300 soldiers from a base in Edmonton were being deployed to the flood zone.
In downtown Calgary, water was inundating homes and businesses in the shadow of skyscrapers. Water has swamped cars and train tracks.
The city said the home rink of the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames flooded and the water inside was 10 rows deep, submerging the dressing rooms.
"I think that really paints a very clear picture of what kinds of volumes of water we are dealing with," said Trevor Daroux, the city's deputy police chief.
At the grounds for the world-famous Calgary Stampede fair, water reached up to the roofs of the chuck wagon barns. The popular rodeo and festival is the city's signature event. Mayor Nenshi said it will occur no matter what.
About 1,500 have gone to emergency shelters while the rest have found shelter with family or friends, Nenshi said.
The flood was forcing emergency plans at the Calgary Zoo, which is situated on an island near where the Elbow and Bow rivers meet. Lions and tigers were being prepared for transfer, if necessary, to prisoner holding cells at the courthouse.
Schools and court trials were canceled Friday and residents urged to avoid downtown. Transit service in the core was shut down.
Residents were left to wander and wade through streets waist-deep in water.
Newlyweds Scott and Marilyn Crowson were ordered out of their central Calgary condominium late Friday as rising waters filled their parking garage and ruptured a nearby gas line. "That's just one building but every building is like this," he said. "For the most part, people are taking it in stride."
Crowson, a kayaker, estimated the Bow River, usually about four feet deep, is running at a depth of 15 feet.
"It's moving very, very fast," he said of the normally placid stream spanned by now-closed bridges. "I've never seen it so big and so high."
It had been a rainy week throughout much of Alberta, but on Thursday the Bow River Basin was battered with up to four inches of rain. Environment Canada's forecast called for more rain in the area, but in much smaller amounts.
Calgary was not alone in its weather-related woes. Flashpoints of chaos spread from towns in the Rockies south to Lethbridge.


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As the presidential election of 2012 gains ever more momentum, the state of Texas is preparing for its own round of early voting wherein voters will decide a series of new constitutional amendments.
Election day is Nov. 8, but citizens who wish to vote early are encouraged to do so due to the convenience that comes with avoiding long lines on election day. Early voting started Oct. 24th and extends through November 4th.
"We would encourage all voters to take advantage of early voting," said Rich Parsons, director of communications for the Texas secretary of state, who oversees Texas elections. "It's much more convenient."
Parsons said although Gov. Rick Perry recently signed Senate Bill 14, which would change election law to require a valid form of photo ID, such changes would not take effect until January.
Critics say the Voter ID law would unfairly affect minorities, rural residents and the elderly and disabled. Supporters said the measure is meant to prevent voter fraud.
The bill is currently at the Justice Department in Washington D.C. as the federal government considers the constitutionality of the bill.
"This election is being administered under current law," Parsons said. "Photo ID is not required in this election."
Parsons was sure to encourage voters to visit www.votexas.org for any information regarding polling locations, registration or voter eligibility.
The site includes links to explanatory statements for the November 8 constitutional amendments and an in-depth analysis by the Texas Legislative Council containing statements of those in support of and against the amendments.
"Votexas.org is an excellent resource for anyone with questions regarding the upcoming election," Parsons said.
–Clay Thorp

subset: commoncrawl


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Gravensteins set pace for extra-early apple season
Benefiting from mild summer weather and a warm spring, apples are rolling in early this summer. Leading the way is a fine crop of heirloom Gravensteins from Sonoma County.
"The crop looks incredible," said farmer Stan Devoto, who grows Gravensteins in Sebastopol. "We've had an almost ideal growing season. We had a lot of warm weather and very, very little rain."
That combination has spurred apples to ripen about two weeks early.
To celebrate the short season of this heirloom apple, The Fruit Guys offers a special Gravenstein Apple Box, available for shipment nationwide. Based in San Francisco, The Fruit Guys supplies fruit and vegetables direct to businesses and homes while working with small farmers to preserve heirloom varieties.
"Why the Gravenstein is so special, it has a long history, particularly in California," said Rebecca North, The Fruit Guy's head buyer. "Typically, it's the first apple of the season and starts the harvest."
"It's a really short window," added Chris Mittelstaedt, The Fruit Guys founder and CEO. "They don't store well. We get them in from the farms and literally deliver them overnight."
Now through Aug. 16, The Fruit Guys offers its special Gravenstein box with a portion of proceeds supporting small Northern California farmers. The special boxes also support the Slow Food Gravenstein Apple Presidium, a project of The Fruit Guys and Slow Food Russian River to encourage farmers to grow more heirloom varieties.
The boxes start at $29 for 16 Gravensteins with free shipping inside California. For more details, go to www.FruitGuys.com or call (877) 378-4863.
This weekend also is the Gravenstein Apple Fair at Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol. For details and directions, click on www.gravensteinapplefair.com.


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Emily Badger
Emily Badger is a former staff writer at CityLab. Her work has previously appeared in Pacific Standard, GOOD, The Christian Science Monitor, and The New York Times. She lives in the Washington, D.C. area.
The city of Longmont, Colo., built its own 17-mile, million dollar fiber-optic loop in the mid-1990s. The infrastructure was paid for by the local city-owned electric utility, though it offered promise for bringing broadband to local businesses, government offices and residents, too.
For years, though, the network has been sitting largely unused. In 2005, Colorado passed a state law preventing local governments from essentially building and operating their own telecommunications infrastructure.
Behind the law was, not surprisingly, the telecom lobby, which has approached the threat of municipal broadband all across the country with deep suspicion and even deeper pockets. Companies like Comcast understandably want to protect their corner on the market from competition with city-run non-profits. What's less understandable is the route their interests have taken: Residents and state legislators from Colorado to North Carolina have been voting away the rights of cities to build their own broadband, with their own money, for the benefit of their own communities.
This battle has largely pitted well-organized corporations against people who aren't quite sure what they're voting on. Such measures have now passed in 19 states. And in 2009, when Longmont put a referendum to the people asking to lift the state restrictions and return the city's authority over its existing fiber loop, 56 percent of them said "no."
"As we've seen elsewhere, in the months after the election, people learned a little bit more about the issue," says Christopher Mitchell, who directs the Telecommunications as Commons Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. "One of the quotes was, 'Why didn't the city tells us more about what was at stake? Because we didn't want to basically vote for Comcast. We didn't know Comcast was behind this ad.'"
In 2009, opponents of the initiative including the Colorado Cable Telecommunications Association, of which Comcast is a major contributor, spent $250,000 – some of which went to ads like the one pictured at right – to suggest that the ballot measure would raise taxes, cost firefighters their jobs and generally drag down the city.
"So people got upset," Mitchell says, "and started to say 'we should vote again.'"
Which brings us to this week. After another bruising campaign – into which the telecom lobby poured another reported $300,000 – the people of Longmont voted again on Tuesday. This time, the city got its message straight, the local newspaper editorialized in favor of the measure, and every candidate also on the ballot for the mayor's office and city council unanimously supported it.
This time the initiative passed, with more than 60 percent of people in favor.
The vote was a major victory for municipal broadband, even if it sounds like a slightly ridiculous one. Longmont didn't vote to build a broadband network, or to raise taxes to one day build a broadband network, or even to undertake a study group to start thinking about building a broadband network. It simply voted that the city should have the right to decide what to do with largely unused infrastructure it built 15 years ago.
"Now they have the authority to make their own decisions," Mitchell says. "It's like they just turned 18 or 21."
The city may opt to do nothing. Or it could provide its own broadband services to locals, directly through the city or a contracted partner. In time, it could also expand the system to reach more residents.
The vote may be a tipping point for advocates of community broadband in other cities who've rallied against the high prices and poor service that can come from having only one or two local providers (96 percent of households in America are served by a broadband duopoly or worse, according to the FCC). Seattle and Portland have expressed an interest in building their own networks. Chattanooga already has one. Until now, in arguing for why more communities should stay away, existing broadband providers have largely benefited from the fact that most people just don't get what all this means.
"As people become more informed on this issue, they become more supportive of the local community at least having the power to invest in this essential infrastructure," Mitchell says. "As time goes on, it's easier to make that case to people because they recognize how incredibly important access to the Internet is."
But what's to say Longmont won't just vote again in another two years and change its mind a third time, under the spell of more telecom advertising?
"If this city council makes dumb decisions and people come to regret that or come to disagree, I would expect them to vote those people out, and new people will come in," Mitchell says. "But I don't think we would see an attempt to no longer be able to make adult decisions. I feel like once they're 18, they're not going to return the opportunity to make their own decisions."
Looking at the population and job growth of large cities proper, rather than their metro areas, uncovers some surprises.
The rash of wildfires now consuming the Amazon rainforest can be blamed on a host of human factors, from climate change to deforestation to Brazilian politics.
Uber drivers in Europe and the U.S. are fighting for access to their personal data. Whoever wins the lawsuit could get to reframe the terms of the gig economy.
Warren Logan, a Bay Area transportation planner, has new ideas about how to truly engage diverse communities in city planning. Hint: It starts with listening.
As a child, I loved the fantastical lands from The Phantom Tollbooth. As a troubled college student, I used them as a roadmap to self-acceptance.


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Denied: DOE nixes Port Valdez export license
Feds tell Port Authority to apply again, application needs more contracts
The Dept. of Energy (DOE) has denied – with prejudice – an LNG export license application submitted by the Alaska Gasline Port Authority that would have been a major step forward in the group's years' long efforts to market and export Alaska's North Slope natural gas reserves through Port of Valdez.
In a dismissal letter dated March 7, the DOE said the Port Authority's July 2012 application for a license to export "an amount up to the equivalent of approximately 2.5 billion cubic feet …per day… of natural gas from a proposed LNG Terminal in Valdez," for 25 years, was incomplete.
The DOE cited three federal license requirements "…which require applicants to identify the "source and security of the natural gas supply to be imported or exported" and "the facilities to be utilized or
constructed." It also required the siting of the liquefaction plant.
Bill Walker, legal council for the Port Authority said the group was undaunted by the denial.
"They invited us to reapply," he said Monday night in a brief telephonic interview.
The DOE denial letter backs up Walker's assertion.
DOE said the group's application failed to meet the same requirements that were met by Yukon Pacific Corporation (YPC) which had licenses and permits to build a natural gas export facility in Anderson Bay. The YPC permits and licenses, which are now owned by the Port Authority, were dependent on a long-defunct natural gas pipeline planned to parallel the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
DOE also said the Port Authority's license application did not meet the requirement that a natural gas transportation mode be in place and said the open season held by AGIA, where the Port Authority and a Japanese consortium had bid enough gas to fill a natural gas export gas pipeline, was not mature enough under DOE requirements to qualify.
"We thought they'd accept how far along AGIA is," Walker said.
Port Valdez has long been considered by TransCanada to be the export terminal of choice for the AGIA backed project once it was forced to abandon its original export plan to build a gasline from Alaska's North Slope to Alberta, Canada.
AGIA, the Palin-era legislation that granted TransCanada an exclusive state license to build a natural gas export gas pipeline, has raked in several hundred million state dollars to study the feasibility of a natural gas line, but its state contract lacks a requirement to build an actual gas pipeline. It has since partnered with ExxonMobile in its study, which is now approaching its seventh year.
In a prepared response to the DOE denial, Dave Cobb, chairman of the Port Authority, expressed disappointment at DOEs denial and expressed disappointment that TransCanada and ExxonMobil had yet to respond to the Port Authority's bid to buy natural gas.
Walker, also in a prepared statement, pointed out that ExxonMobil was not only competing with itself – ExxonMobil and a Qatar-based partner has an LNG application for a Texas based LNG export facility - but indirectly accused state lawmakers of allowing the company to hold Alaska's natural gas hostage by demanding oil-tax concessions.
"We are disappointed that export of Alaska's gas continues to be held off the market by the North Slope producers' demands for oil tax concessions," he said in a prepared statement. "This nearly twenty-year stand-off persists while the producers pursue competing LNG projects targeting the Asian Market. Alaska natural gas goes from a bargaining chip to a contracted project when the State takes control of its asset. "
The Alaska Gasline Port Authority consists of the Fairbanks North Star Borough and the City of Valdez. It was formed in 1999 by voters in Valdez, and the Fairbank North Star and Arctic North Slope Boroughs for the purpose of "building or cause to be built" a large volume gasline from the North Slope south to Port Valdez.
Its LNG development plan is also known as the "MVP" or Maximum Volume Pipeline, which is currently the subject of a large-scale media campaign backed by the City of Valdez in a direct bid to defeat current legislation, specifically HB4, and its lesser volume, liquids-free gasline.


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Tasty Weight Loss Surgery Alternative
May 28, 2012 | 77,681 views
By Dr. Mercola
About one-third of Americans are considered obese, but the latest data shows that when other methods of measuring obesity, such as body fat percentage, are factored in with body-mass index (BMI), that number may be closer to 60%. i
As rates of overweight and obesity continue to climb, so has the use of weight loss surgery, which has increased 10-fold since 2000. ii
In the short-term, weight loss surgeries may produce greater weight loss compared to lifestyle modification alone, but they have many negative long-term health consequences, including a significant risk of premature death.
Now researchers are looking into another type of bariatric surgery, which they say not only helps you lose weight and lowers your risk of obesity-related diseases, but does so with fewer side effects than the more common weight loss surgeries like gastric banding and bypass — but is this really a wise solution?
Is This Hot Pepper Ingredient the Future of Weight Loss?
Capsaicin, the substance that makes chili peppers spicy, was the "secret weapon" used by a team of researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital. Their animal study involved two surgeries:
1. Vagotomy: The surgical cutting of your vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. The vagus nerve is the primary route your gut bacteria use to transmit information to your brain, and it plays a role in appetite stimulating brain hormones like ghrelin.
Past research has shown an average of 18 percent weight loss following the procedure, with few serious side effects.iii However, a commentary in Digestive Diseases and Sciences notes that the procedure may result in "gastric stasis and "dumping" of food from the stomach to the intestine, causing unpleasant sensations, including nausea."iv In the current study, researchers noted the procedure significantly reduced total body fat and visceral abdominal fat.v
2. Vagal de-afferentation: Rather than severing the vagus nerve completely, researchers used capsaicin to selectively destroy nerve fibers that transmit information from the gut to the brain. This procedure reportedly has fewer side effects than vagotomy, but it had a less significant impact on weight loss. That said, researchers still noted that this procedure had a "remarkable" impact on weight.
Researchers concluded: vi
"Truncal vagotomy led to significant reductions in both diet-induced weight gain and visceral abdominal fat deposition. Vagal de-afferentation led to a more modest, but clinically and statistically significant, reduction in visceral abdominal fat. As increased visceral abdominal fat is associated with excess morbidity and mortality, vagal de-afferentation may be a useful adjunct in bariatric surgery."
Should You Destroy Your Vagus Nerve to Lose Weight?
It may sound tempting to opt for a minimally invasive procedure that may help you lose weight, including dangerous visceral fat, but the long-term effects of this procedure are very much unknown. Severing your vagus nerve, or even selectively destroying nerve fibers that transmit signals from your gut to your brain (while leaving those that transmit from your brain to your gut intact), could have serious long-term implications on your health.
Recent research shows that beneficial bacteria in your gut have a direct effect on brain chemistry, transmitting mood- and behavior-regulating signals to your brain via the vagus nerve.
For instance, the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus was found to have a marked effect on GABA levels in certain brain regions and lowered the stress-induced hormone corticosterone, resulting in reduced anxiety- and depression-related behavior … this is but one pathway that might be severed using vagotomy or even vagal de-afferentation, with unknown consequences.
Using capsaicin as a surgical tool to destroy nerve fibers seems like a drastic and potentially dangerous step, particularly when there are so many other weight loss options available – including adding capsaicin to your diet instead.
The Potential of Thermogenic Foods for Weight Loss
It turns out capsaicin may be effective when added to your diet, as opposed to your surgery! Studies have shown the substance may help fight obesity by decreasing calorie intake, shrinking fat tissue, and lowering blood fat levels, as well as fight fat buildup by triggering beneficial protein changes in your body.vii Again, this was when capsaicin was used as a dietary addition … with no surgery required.
Part of the benefit may be due to capsaicin's heat potential, as it is a thermogenic substance that may temporarily increase thermogenesis in your body, where your body burns fuel such as fat to create heat, with beneficial impacts on your metabolism and fat-burning potential. Research suggests that consuming thermogenic ingredients may boost your metabolism by up to 5 percent, and increase fat burning by up to 16 percent.viii It may even help counteract the decrease in metabolic rate that often occurs during weight loss.
Capsaicin is only one example of a thermogenic substance. Others include turmeric (curcumin), caffeine and different teas such as green, white and oolong tea. One study even found that a combination of capsaicin and green tea helped suppress hunger and improved feelings of satiety.ix
Before You Go Under the Knife – Do This First
If you're significantly overweight, you may feel you'd be willing to do anything to get the weight off, even resorting to surgery. But you have to understand that nearly 40 percent of patients who undergo weight loss surgery experience major complications, including loss of limbs, liver failure, malnutrition and even death.
Many weight loss centers will also require that you make lifestyle changes, such as exercise after the surgery, and prior to the surgery that you stop smoking, drinking soda and eating fast food. Many will also require you to lose weight prior to the surgery!
If you can lose weight for that, you can continue on and reach a healthy goal weight without any type of medical intervention whatsoever. Since success depends on your ability to modify your behavior anyway, why not simply modify your behavior without going through the surgical procedure and taking all those health risks? At the very least, before you decide that weight loss surgery is your only option, use this dietary strategy that is remarkably effective for weight loss:
Strictly limit your fructose consumption!
If you are serious about losing weight, you have got to strictly limit the amount of fructose in your diet, as evidence is mounting that excess sugar, and fructose in particular, is the primary driving factor in the obesity epidemic. So cutting soda from your diet is essential, as is limiting fructose found in processed foods, fruit juice, excessive fruit and so-called "healthy" sweeteners like agave.
Ideally you should keep your total fructose consumption below 25 grams per day and this includes fruits. This is especially true if you have insulin resistance and are overweight, have high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol.
In addition to eliminating or severely limiting fructose, it will be vital to eliminate all grains and milk (even raw) in your diet. Milk has a sugar called lactose, which has been shown to increase insulin resistance so it will be wise to avoid it if you are seeking to lose weight.
Refined carbohydrates like breakfast cereals, bagels, waffles, pretzels, and most other processed foods also quickly break down to sugar, increase your insulin levels, and cause insulin resistance, which is the number one underlying factor of nearly every chronic disease and condition known to man, including weight gain.
As you cut these dietary troublemakers from your meals, you need to replace them with healthy substitutes like vegetables and healthy fats (including natural saturated fats!). Your body prefers the carbohydrates in vegetables rather than grains and sugars because it slows the conversion to simple sugars like glucose, and decreases your insulin level. When you cut grains and sugar from your meals, you typically will need to radically increase the amount of vegetables you eat, as well as make sure you are also consuming protein and healthy fats regularly.
I've detailed a step-by-step guide to this type of healthy eating program in my comprehensive nutrition plan, and I urge you to consult this guide if you are trying to lose weight, and especially if you are considering any form of weight loss surgery. The foods you choose to eat will be the driving force behind successfully achieving your weight loss goals — high-intensity, short-burst-type exercises, such as my Peak Fitness Program, two to three times per week, combined with a comprehensive fitness plan, is important too, but be sure you're targeting your diet as a primary weight loss tool.
Do you enjoy a little spice in your life? If you do, chances are you have tried using cayenne in various dishes to give it the "fire" you desperately crave. However, it turns out that cayenne is just not good for heating up your favourite dish, as it also provides many beneficial nutrients. Check out the healing benefits of cayenne.
Cayenne Nutritional Profile
Cayenne is part of the capsicum family that is related to bell peppers, jalapeños, and paprika. They grow no more than 4 feet tall and normally in tropical climates as they require moist and warm soil for best results.
Cayenne is most often consumed in powdered spices and hot sauces, but can be eaten directly. Many herbalists believe it's medicinal effectiveness kicks in at 35,000 – 40,000 heat units, and that can be exponentiated (if you are brave enough) by finding peppers up to 100,000 heat units.
So what can you expect to get from consuming cayenne peppers regularly? Here is a glimpse of its nutritional profile:
- Great source of vitamin A
- Provides nice doses of vitamin B6, C, E, and K
- Contains beneficial amounts of manganese, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron
- Contains capsaicin, which neutralizes a neuropeptide linked to causing inflammation
- Cayenne is also very antibacterial, viral, and fungal.
Healing action of cayenne
Many of the healing benefits of cayenne pepper comes from its heat, and the stimulation that occurs in the body as a result. In fact, there is empirical evidence that many traumatic events have been stopped in their tracks through the use of cayenne, like heart attacks and migraines.
Healing Benefits of Cayenne
April 8, 2014
By Derek Henry
The healing benefits of cayenne include:
Improves circulation.
Helps improve overall cardiovascular function (helps dissolve excessive blood clots).
Provides angina relief.
Provides migraine relief.
Helps prevent stomach ulcers (invigorates cells and kills intrusive bacteria).
Relieves upper abdominal discomfort and indigestion.
Helps maintain insulin levels and creates a reduction in blood glucose levels, which has positive implications for type 2 diabetes.
Relieves skin irritation, itching, and pain (topical cayenne creams or poultice).
Reduces joint pain, shingles, fibromyalgia, and nerve pain.
Helps relieve nasal infections.
Promotes effective assimilation and elimination of ingested substances.
Anti cold and flu, as well as anti-fungal.
Natural detoxifier.
Helps induce apoptosis (cancer cell death).
The healing benefits of cayenne are difficult to ignore!
How to use cayenne in your diet
If you are not a spicy person, your options to use cayenne are likely limited to capsules. However, if you do enjoy a little or a lot of spice, it can be used in a number of different food and beverage applications, including:
Addition to any rice, pasta, or vegetable dish.
Meat based meals, like beef chili, chicken, and fish (choose grass fed, and organic and free rang, and wild caught).
Total body tonic drink.
So work this hot spice into your diet, and note the health improvements along the way.


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Your understanding of compressor controls and how to use them can be an important factor in how well your air system functions and the amount of energy it consumes. Unfortunately, many systems consist of a series of individual unit controls, with no provision for meeting the challenge of getting two or more compressors to operate together efficiently. Once compressors are purchased and installed, attention usually is limited to keeping the machines running — but not necessarily efficiently. Unless the output falls below the minimum acceptable pressure or the equipment fails for one reason or another, the compressor's controls are ignored.
Air compressor basics
Compressors don't make pressure; they pump volume. If a compressor is rated at a given pressure, that means it is constructed to safely contain that pressure. The controls limit the pressure relative to the configuration into which the compressor is pumping. If more volume is pumped into the downstream system than is removed by the users, the pressure rises. If more air volume is removed by users than is pumped into the system, the pressure falls. The job of the controls is to limit the pumped volume partially — or entirely — relative to the pressure set points adjusted on the controls. At full load, the compressor pumps 100% of its volumetric capacity and the controls perform no function.
Whether looking at single or multiple compressors, it is important that each compressor that is running should be optimized — this means pumping the optimum volume at the optimum pressure, or the maximum pounds of gas per minute at whatever pressure is accomplished with the least amount of energy. In addition, controls on compressors protect the equipment. They are usually integrally tied to safety alerts, alarms, or shutdowns. It is to your advantage to know what safety features are in the control system and how they function.
The vast majority of older compressors have few and relatively simple safety features — sometimes only encompassing high pressure and temperature shutdowns. Many newer compressors use microprocessors for controls and safety functions. Their control consoles include many more safety features and complex functions.
Control signals and signal location
Regardless of the type of control on the compressor, there must be a pressure signal to operate the control. The location from which the signal originates is critical to how the unit will function, how much energy it will consume, whether it will function with other compressors, and whether the desired performance will be achieved.
The idea behind control signals is to take a pressure from a location inside or downstream from the compressor and transmit it either pneumatically or electronically to the compressor controller. This signal interfaces with a pressure switch or transducer. In most compressors, the intent is to move air from the compressor air end downstream, to keep the pressure at the signal location at or between an adjustable set point (or set points) preloaded in the compressor controller. Many different potential locations for pressure signals are designated by compressor manufacturers, Figure 1.
Because the location will change the amount of energy the compressor consumes and the performance, the following should be noted:
• Compressor manufacturers have rated their performance based on packaged volume, pressure, and energy upstream of the aftercooler. Signal location is normally not discussed in the product literature. In some cases, performance is stated as "packaged," but this does not indicate what is in the package or where the signal is located.
• Some manufacturers have used signal location A for many years, but recently have begun to use location B.
• Other manufacturers state performance downstream of the aftercooler, interpolating the Dp across the aftercooler in the performance, even though the signal originates upstream of the aftercooler, and
• Many manufacturers use the same flow components in a package frame size to accommodate many capacity sizes - up to twice the size at the top of the frame as at the bottom of the frame. The effect of the components' Dp and the signal location will have a dramatic influence on performance. As the volume displaced in a given frame size increases, the Dp increases as a square function of flow, and the performance decreases.
One of the problems with installing the signal location upstream is that the quality of the air there is poor. The air is saturated with moisture and can be laden with lubricant. Both the water and lubricant will condense in the signal line, fouling the controls or transducer. Another prevalent problem is the effect of accumulating liquids in the control line — this can result in too high a pressure signal. Taking the signal from downstream of the aftercooler, at the separator, will reduce this problem by about 80%, but will still only delay the inevitable. Some manufacturers install signal line blow-outs, so that the lines can be kept clean on a daily basis. However, most have no means of correcting this problem other than disassembling the control lines or using a different signal from a dry, clean source downstream of the cleanup equipment.
Setpoints and deadbands
Compressor controls limit performance and/or displacement volumetrically, normally based on pressure. The controller will attempt to keep the signal pressure between the set points or at the set point. The set points are normally adjusted by the manufacturer's representative, and many operators and plant engineers are unaware of how these controls are set.
Most compressors use two set points. These represent the deadband of the unit controls. The deadband is the differential pressure between the highest pressure at which the compressor pumps the least mass of air and the lowest pressure at which it pumps the most mass of air. These two setpoints also normally represent the unload and load pressure. Adjusting the set points has a significant effect on how the compressor operates. The differential determines how the unit will respond to manage the pressure at the signal location.
A typical set of control points on a pressure switch is shown in Figure 2. A 10-psig differential exists between the control set points. If the controls on this compressor are set to modulate, this implies that each 1-psi increment represents 10% of the capacity within the set points. IThe volume is at pressure. As the displaced capacity of the machine increases, the pressure will also drop. This means that the work energy is increased less than linearly.
Different types of compressors will respond in different ways. Rotary-screw compressors will displace between 40% and 100% of capacity. Thus, in the dead band modulating, 60% of the capacity can be displaced. If the unit were modulating at 50% of the dead band (as indicated in Figure 2), the compressor would be putting out 50% of the top 60%, or 700 cfm at 113 psig. Just before reaching the unload point, the unit will throttle back to 40%, or 400 cfm at 118 psig.
If the machine was in the load-unload operation, Figure 3, it would displace its capacity at variable pressures between the load and unload pressure. If the compressor is a positive-displacement design, the volume will remain constant from the load to the unload pressure at a rising pressure — thereby increasing density at rated mass or work energy available. In the case of recriprocating compressors, some are multi-step. In a two-step unit, the compressor will function at 0% and 100%, such as deadband A in Figure 3. Deadband B in Figure 3 is a three-step control which would displace 0%, 50%, and 100%. This would require either two pressure switches or a control regulator to perform the same function as two pressure switches. Most larger recriprocating compressors are capable of at least three-step operation. Some manufacturers offer five-step compressors, which displace 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%.
If a unit would achieve its optimum mass at a given pressure, setting the unit controls below this point would achieve less than optimum performance. Setting the controls above this point would overload the drive motor. Careful planning of set points can determine how many compressors are necessary to achieve a particular result.
Some compressors, such as centrifugal designs, use a single setpoint controller. Most of these types of controls either attempt to maintain the signal pressure at the set point with modulating inlet and blow-off controls, or they operate load-no load within an adjustable proportional band related to the set point. The objective should be to keep the unit on a natural curve and out of the limiting controls for this type of base load compressor. As the signal pressure approaches the set points, the controls engage and move the operation off the curve and into the limited control range on the throttle line. In load-no load, the signal pressure rides the natural curve of the compressor, Figure 4.
When the demand exceeds the capacity of a compressor, the pressure drops below the lowest set point below the deadband. This condition is called the draw down. This is an important condition to understand, because all compressors that are base loaded on their own controls or with a sequencer must be in draw-down before the next compressor becomes loaded. Figure 5 demonstrates a cascade of three compressors with two units in draw down.
If all of the compressors in Figure 5 were in modulation and the demand reduced, the signal pressure would rise and all compressors would throttle and remain part loaded. If the deadband spreads for each machine had a different Dp, the signal pressure that resulted would be a function of the way the set points were adjusted.
Settling on setpoints
Determining the best differential pressure between the setpoints presents an interesting problem. The wider the setpoints, the farther the system gets from optimum performance. Many service people set the controls at 10 psid or more to reduce potential cycling. The results are considerable pressure fluctuation and poor performance. By increasing the differential, there is less capacity per unit of pressure — which reduces the rate of response. Effectively using control storage will narrow the operating range of the compressor or compressors. Managing the operating range closer to optimum reduces the energy required without causing excessive cycling.
With centrifugal compressors, the market has been attracted to the concept of holding a single control pressure. For this to occur, the unit must be operated in modulation. Also, a misconception exists that this type of compressor does not need storage. Although there is some truth to this statement, there are a few problems associated with no capacity to store air and the use of single setpoint modulation. One is the need to always have more compressor capacity on line, either throttled or blowing off, so that negative event changes in the system can be supported without a significant drop in pressure. On the other hand, if a large demand event exits the system faster than the response speed of the compressor control valves, the compressor can rise to surge without adequate storage. Too frequently, the setpoint adjustment is set low in modulation to compensate. The results can be poor efficiency. Controls should not be used to compensate for poor system design. When the controls are slow to respond, the compressors are either too large for the event or there is insufficient storage.
The ability to accurately hold setpoints in the controller will influence the differential between the load pressures of each compressor. This differential will determine how far into draw down a compressor must go before the next compressor loads or is influenced by the signal. It will also determine the lowest pressure which results in the system at the highest demand volume.
As an example, assume a system has four compressors (each with a 10 psig deadband) and the system's pressure switch drifts up to 3 psig. There would be 10 psi for the first base load unit and at least 3 psi for each additional compressor — more than 16 psi across the entire volumetric capacity of the compressors. Using less than 3 psid between load pressures means that the inherent drift in the controller could cause the compressors to fight each other, Figure 6.
Another consequence of too high a differential between load setpoints is that as more volume is required and the pressure drops, all of the base-loaded compressors will pump their capacity at lower pressures. Depending on where the deadbands are relative to optimum performance, this can mean considerable loss of mass per kilowatt for all units that are on. There have been systems where the setup of the deadbands was so inappropriate that the base load capacity would drop faster than the trim compressors could add capacity. The result was an inability to hold pressure on larger events. In this case, there was enough capacity, but the setup used gave the appearance of insufficient supply.
The accuracy of the pressure signal will also influence the results. Microprocessor controls receive an electronic signal from a pressure transducer. Most manufacturers use 62% accuracy; if the transducer is rated at 0 to 200 psig, there can be a 64 psig error across the range of use. This could cause erratic loading of an additional compressor — or make it difficult to operate a compressor or the whole system.
With centrifugal compressors, the signal problem can cause hunting of the inlet and blow off control valves as well as difficulty with more than one machine. Consequently, the use of more accurate devices is strongly encouraged. In higher pressure compressors, the accuracy of the control signal and receiver becomes more important. Improved accuracy costs more money, but it is insignificant compared to the demand and usage electric charges of operating with an extra compressor.
R. Scot Foss is president of Plant Air Technology, Charlotte, N.C., which specializes in air system auditing and design. This series of articles is based on his book, Compressed Air System Solution Series. To order a copy, click here.


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Amanda Russell-Jones is a scholar focusing on Victorian society, as well as on the issues of slavery and women's relationship to the church in our contemporary world. She is an independant scholar, has been a trustee of an arts training centre, and has preached and spoken at a variety of Christian conferences.
Re-enchanting the Universe: Evangelicals and the Rise of Science
Speaker(s): Amanda Russell-Jones, Bruce Hindmarsh
Date: Fall 2018
Length: 1h26m
Product ID: RGDL4802AZ
Purchase Options:
|MP3 Download - FREE
This is a Interface Lecture Series talk given during the fall of 2018.
The popular idea that Christianity and Science have always been fundamentally in conflict dissolves upon closer historical examination. This is true even for popular Protestant spirituality. The significant evangelical spiritual awakening in the North Atlantic that appeared in the eighteenth century took place among those who were the first generation to accept the basic postulates of Isaac Newton and to embrace the new science. The world of nature was now neither possessed of a transcendent spiritual form (Plato) nor an immanent spiritual form (Aristotle), so how was one to understand the relation of things spiritual and things material? A number of the early evangelicals engaged with this question in a sophisticated way. Jonathan Edwards was a young undergraduate at Yale when Newton's Principia and Opticks were first taken out of their wooden crates and added to the college library collection, and he studied these works exhaustively. So also John Wesley produced one of the most comprehensive compendia of the period of the latest findings of science. To these can be added a number of other figures over the course of the century: devout poets, artists, practicing scientists, and theologians who responded to the rise of science with "wonder, love, and praise."
The lecture was followed by response from Amanda Russell-Jones, a Sessional Lecturer in History and Interdisciplinary Studies at Regent College. She holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Birmingham for a thesis entitled The Voice of the Outcast: Josephine Butler's Biblical Interpretation and Public Theology. Dr. Russell-Jones' courses include "Women, Church, and State," "Slavery and Slavery's Children," and "Technology, Wilderness, and Creation."
Interface offers lectures, articles and other resources that probe and preserve the relationship between theology and scienceu2014working toward healing the breach between these disciplines as they have taken shape in our late modern age.
The John Templeton Foundation
Interface has been made possible through the John Templeton Foundation. The Foundation aims to advance human well-being by supporting research on the Big Questions, and by promoting character development, individual freedom, and free markets. The Foundation takes its vision from its founding benefactor, the late Sir John Templeton, who sought to stimulate what he described as 'spiritual progress.'
Thanks to a generous grant provided by the Templeton Foundation, these lectures are available free of charge until August 2019.
See All Audio by Amanda Russell-Jones Bruce Hindmarsh
Bruce Hindmarsh is the James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College. He also serves as the President of the American Society of Church History. He is author of John Newton and the English Evangelical Tradition: Between the Conversion of Wesley and Wilberforce and The Evangelical Conversion Narrative, and his articles have appeared in Church History and the Journal of Ecclesiastical History.
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ORLANDO, Florida – Following on its successful launch at Prolight + Sound 2011 where it generated widespread interest and excitement, HARMAN Professional is demonstrating its new HiQnet Performance Managerâ"¢ software at InfoComm 2011. HiQnet Performance Manager is a highly refined user interface that facilitates the design of touring and live performance venue sound reinforcement systems. Designed especially for touring and theatrical sound engineering, HiQnet Performance Manager is an application-specific iteration of the category-leading HARMAN HiQnet System Architect 2 connectivity and control software application for professional-grade audio system integration.
"In touring, time is money, and Performance Manager dramatically streamlines the system design, setup and tuning process, allowing a JBL VERTEC A® System Engineer to achieve a higher level of performance with more consistent results on a daily basis from venue to venue,"? explained Paul Bauman, Director of Tour Sound Product Application and Application Engineering, JBL Professional.
HiQnet Performance Manager provides a comprehensive, step-by-step workflow that directly corresponds to real-world system configuration, taking the workflow paradigm introduced in System Architect 2 to a higher level of functionality for any live performance audio application. It is fully integrated with JBL's Line Array Calculator II loudspeaker configuration and acoustic modeling software. The user begins by loading templates of the speaker arrays used in the system, and then runs Line Array Calculator II for each array as part of the initial sound design task of determining how many and which type of loudspeakers are required to cover a given venue. For each array, Performance Manager automatically loads the passive VERTEC or powered VERTEC DrivePackA® DPDA line array configuration into the main application workspace – the first of many automated design processes native to the software application. Loudspeakers can also be manually loaded into the templates if desired.
Once the user defines the required amplifier parameters for the passive loudspeakers within the arrays, Performance Manager automatically loads the correct number of Crown Audio VRACK or other user-determined amplifier racks into the audio system. The software then associates the amplifier outputs with the bandpass crossover inputs for the selected array and programs the amplifiers with the correct JBL preset data, as well as gain shading and JBL Line Array Control Panel equalization parameters that are determined in JBL's Line Array Calculator II as part of the modeling process to optimize sound pressure level and frequency response over the defined audience geometry.
"HiQnet Performance Manager greatly simplifies loudspeaker preset management as well as power amplifier networking, grouping, monitoring and control. It is the ideal complement to the Crown VRACK turnkey power amplifier rack solution for JBL VERTEC line array systems, and the automated generation of pre-configured control panels combined with a tablet-friendly, highly-intuitive user interface will be a huge timesaver for the touring sound engineer,"? added Brian Pickowitz, Market Manager, Crown Audio.
Representations of the bandpass inputs for each loudspeaker section are overlaid onto the arrays, enabling the user to easily visualize the array configuration, whether JBL DrivePack-powered or driven by external Crown power amplifiers. Performance Manager software also significantly simplifies system-networking configuration – the user can simply drag and drop devices discovered on the network onto the pre-configured devices within the Performance Manager workspace to synchronize all addressing and parameter values.
In addition, the Performance Manager graphical interface provides embedded control panels for array calibration, time alignment and system EQ which utilize input section digital signal processing resources available in either Crown I-Tech HD power amplifiers or JBL DrivePack-powered loudspeakers with DPDA digital audio input modules. Input attenuation, equalization, delay settings and bandpass controls are all readily accessible directly within the main application workspace along with flexible grouping and comprehensive solo/mute functionality for system testing.
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) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKGA®, HARMAN KardonA®,, InfinityA®,, JBLA®, LexiconA®, and Mark LevinsonA®,. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.


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I will leave Korea in a few days. After two years of teaching English in a rural mountain town in the middle of the country, I will be setting out for my much beloved Japan, where I will teach English in a rural mountain town in the middle of Kyushu. Same as it ever was, I suppose.
I've been mulling over what these two years have meant to me and I'm stumped. My emotions are not extreme. I'm not collapsed in a corner, crying because I have to go (although I have cried a few times in the last week). I'm not in a rush to leave, either. Korea has been very good to me (although there were many times when I was less than pleased with my host culture). I wish I had something profound to say about my time in Korea—and maybe I will in a year or so after I've had time to process the experience—but for now I will let my mind wander into the recent past and write out the memories that some to the surface.
I remember
my first day of class, all those students smiling and clamoring to get my attention. Some of them are still at school while many are not, having graduated and moved on. I think I will remember my students most of all. They will remain my strongest connection to Korea.
the changing of the seasons reflected in the rice fields around my town: the sparse shoots of spring; the overwhelming lushness and green of high summer; the ripeness of golden fields, ready to be felled; and the sadness of the winter fields, temporarily abandoned.
so much beautiful food. Korea is a food lover's paradise.
the kindnesses of people, both local and foreign. I was lucky enough to land in a wonderful part of Korea (but I'll bet every visiting English teacher says that about where they live) with a caring and supportive group of foreigners that were there whenever I needed them. I will dearly miss the friends I have made.
a beautiful and sad girl that I hope will someday find happiness.
Korea, I am a better person for having lived in your care for two years. I leave on good terms and hope to see you many, many times again. 안녕!
This is the final post for this blog. As I'm starting a new adventure, I thought it was appropriate to start a new blog. You can find me at Bungotaketa.


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Meet Brad Johnson and His '67 Chevelle. Sure it has a big parachute and 'cage; we still think it's street legal.
We flinched a little when the guy came right out and stated that he spent $15,000 on a '67 Chevelle roller he found on the Internet. We felt a little better about it when we discovered the car already had a complete 'cage and tubular frontend and it was only a drivetrain and paint job away from being completed. We also felt good that the guy is determined to drive the car everywhere despite the parachute and monkey-bar interior. Does it need that parachute? On the street?
We were hanging out in front of Famous Dave's BBQ Shack in St. Paul talking with Brad Johnson, the guy responsible for getting the car from a hollowed-out shell to low low 10s at 145 mph. "It will need that 'chute when it goes over 150 mph, and I kind of like the parachute," he said. "But really, this car is about getting it done and seeing it drive rather than having it go to the junkyard."
Brad has built more than 20 cars and feels that at this point, building them himself is the only way to get them to be simple, fast, and just the way he likes them. After owning five '55 Chevys built mostly for cruising, Brad changed the direction of this build after his brother-in-law started racing in 2001. "I wanted to go racing, but I also wanted to be comfortable," he said. "The Chevelle seemed like it could do both."
When we say he built it, we mean he supervised most of the building process and personally performed the fun stuff, like ordering parts and stabbing the engine. He's old enough to know when to farm out the dirty work. The shop that worked on the body and paint allowed him to come over with the Shafiroff crate engine and install it before the car was sent to Bob Fuller at C&F Race Cars in Ramsey, Minnesota. There, the car was finished with a complete fuel system, the chassis was tied to the new engine, and the headers were built.
Brad took the car to the strip and ran a 10.08 at 144 mph in street trim through the mufflers and on the bottle. He then proceeded to drive the wheels off the car to local car shows and even on trips to the city for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. In 2004, the car showed up at the Car Craft Summer Nationals in St. Paul, where it gathered some awards and local praise. We found him in 2006, looked around for the trailer, and found none, which to us is always a good sign. He later explained that he never hangs around the car; instead, he is always looking for ideas for his next big build.
Tech Notes
Who: Brad Johnson
What: It's a '67 Chevrolet Chevelle that made 767 hp and 689 lb-ft of torque on the dyno at the Car Craft Summer Nats.
Where: He's from Oregon, Wisconsin, not the other Oregon, where the Ducks live.
Short-block: Brad has an engine builder, but when he explained what he wanted, his builder sent him to Scot Shafiroff engines for a street version of the 540-inch Sportsman engine with 10:1 compression instead of the usual 13:1. It still uses the same 4.250-inch Callies DragonSlayer crank and 6.385 rods but is built around a GM block with a 4.500 bore instead of the Dart block that is now standard.
Air goes in: The 540 uses the aluminum Dart 345 Pro 1 head with CNC-ported combustion chambers, bowls, and turns with a Dart intake manifold. The 1050 Dominator was prepared by Shafiroff and was included in the combination.
Air goes out: Bob Fuller built the 21/2 -inch primary headers so they can be broken down and taken apart for service.
Transmission: This is a street car, yet it has a TH400 with a reverse-manual valvebody built by Christian Bros. in Belleville, Wisconsin. The converter stalls around 5,800, but Brad convinced us it is fine for the street. "I get into that issue with people all the time," he said. "It's really no problem." It has a transbrake, too.
Suspension: The tube chassis was handmade by C&F Race Cars with a four-link rearend, Wilwood disc brakes, and adjustable coilovers.
Interior: Such that it is, the stock seats and carpet were retained to keep the car feeling comfortable. Everything gave way to the sheetmetal dash and 'cage.
Wheels: The bigs are Weld Alumastars with M/T Sportsman 31×18.50-15 tires, and the littles are 20×7.60-16 M/T Sportsmans.
Nitrous: Get this, Brad didn't think the engine compartment looked full enough, so he sent the manifold to Performance Engine and Machine in Madison, Wisconsin, for an NOS Fogger setup complete with a nitrous timer. With the 250-shot, it runs low 10s spinnin' street tires. Off the bottle with slicks, it runs 10.30 at 130 mph with a 1.55 60-foot time.


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Boom! Tetris for Jeff!
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We are a non-profit long-term care home with 350 residents.
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At The Eye Bank, we're lucky to hear from the individuals who have benefitted from donated eye tissue. With permission, we've shared a few of their experiences:


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BestPrint Presentation Media for Laser Printers & Copiers
by Chartpak
Self adhesive paper for color copiers and laser printers/copiers are perfect for labels, mockups and comps. Available in clear matte. Durable and easy to apply. Use in package design, labels, signage, etc. Pack of 10, 8.5 in. x 11 in. sheets. For use in most laser printers and copiers.
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Aboriginal Culture
Reserve your tickets for the two-night Ngaran Ngaran Gulaga Creation Tour near Narooma on the NSW South Coast. Drive from Sydney to Narooma in less than five hours or fly from Sydney to Moruya and rent a car for a shorter drive to Narooma.
Explore Port Stephens on the North Coast with Sand Dunes Adventures. Travel by train and bus to Brewarrina, in far northwest NSW, where you'll find one of the world's oldest man-made structures: fish traps made more than 40,000 years ago.
Dreamtime stories in Sydney and NSW
The ancestral stories of Aboriginal people explain their deep spiritual connection with the land, animals, sea and sky. On guided tours led by indigenous people you'll learn of the world's oldest continuous culture and stories of the Dreamtime.
When the First Fleet arrived in Sydney in 1788 to establish a penal colony, more than 200 distinct Aboriginal languages were spoken across Australia. In Sydney, the Tribal Warrior Cruise on Sydney Harbour explores the world of the original inhabitants of the harbour foreshore.
On the Rocks Dreaming Aboriginal Heritage Tour you'll learn about the origin of Dreamtime stories. The Royal Botanic Garden's Aboriginal Heritage Tour reveals how native plants are used for medicinal purposes. You'll also get to sample some tasty bush tucker. Rare artefacts, including deadly weapons, are among 20,000 items in the Australian Museum's indigenous collection.
Visit the Art Gallery of NSW to see Uta Uta Tjangala's 1979 masterpiece, Untitled (Jupiter Well to Tjukula). Painted on a vast canvas, it depicts ancestral ceremonies in the Western Desert. The gallery has many significant works by leading Aboriginal artists.
The Aboriginal Blue Mountains Walkabout visits sacred sites in the mountains, a World Heritage area near Sydney's west. Or combine the thrill of riding a quad bike with learning about Aboriginal culture and heritage with Sand Dune Adventures at Port Stephens, a 2 h 30 min drive north of Sydney.


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Fiordland - Adventures Off The Beaten Track
For those willing to explore away from the main sights Fiordland will reward with pristine wilderness, utter tranquillity and superb wildlife.
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Explore the first Fiord sited by Captain Cook, hike a superb sub-alpine track profuse with birdsong, jetboat a wild river to the sea or take a cruise on a small private cruise with just yourselves or two-three other couples staying overnight on Doubtful Sound.
Fiordland Expeditions run small boat overnight cruises on Doubtful Sound. The boat takes up to just 10 people in several small ensuite cabins plus an upstairs bunk room with private bathroom facilities. Enjoy good food (crayfish is a given) and the company of a small or exclusive group. Your hosts are at your command, so kayak, relax, fishing, swim (icy cold!) and enjoy an overnight stay completely away from it all. If you are lucky you will see seals and dolphins. Multi-day trips and helicopter combos also available.
Fiordland Helicopters fly to Milford Sound, but their Ata Whenua Dusky and Doubtful Sound Helicopter Experience will give you an amazing overview of the grand scale of Fiordland National Park. Dusky Sound is one of the largest Fiords and an important breeding ground for Fiordland penguins. There is no road in to this sound and remains a magnificent and well kept secret.
The Humpridge Track is a three-day hiking trail tucked down in the very southernmost reaches of Fiordland National Park. Trek from the shore up through magnificent old growth forest to your private lodge high above the subalpine zone of the forest. One the second day you descend to a remote and historic bay with dolphins frequently on show. Enjoy rich native birdlife, wood pigeons, tui and bellbird. Options to fly in to one or both huts, have packs air-lifted on the first day and choose from guided or unguided hiking.
The Wairauahiri Jetboat trip has been described as New Zealand's best great wilderness jetboat adventure. Travel into the heart of an utterly remote and prehistoric forest landscape of lakes and wild rivers. You arrive at the ocean where you can take in the incredible beauty of scenery very few have seen before returning on your exhilerating journey. Full day trip from either Te Anau (1 hour's drive away) or Tuatapere. Participate in birdlife protection with the Humpridge's active predator trapping program.