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Sri Lankans win temporary reprieve from Australia
SYDNEY (AP) — Australia's government promised Tuesday not to hand over a group of asylum seekers to the Sri Lankan government without three days' notice amid a court challenge and uproar from human rights groups.
The government's pledge came during a High Court hearing held one day after Australia's immigration minister confirmed that another boatload of asylum seekers had been intercepted by Australian border patrol and handed to Sri Lankan authorities in a transfer at sea last month. Refugee advocates and human rights agencies argued that the asylum seekers could face persecution in their home country.
Lawyers representing some of the Sri Lankan asylum seekers on the latest intercepted boat went to the High Court to stop the 153 people on board from also being returned to their home country. They are currently being held on an Australian customs vessel.
High Court Justice Susan Crennan, who issued a temporary injunction late Monday night halting any further transfers, adjourned the matter until a later date following Tuesday's hearing. In the meantime, the government's lawyer, Justin Gleeson, said no asylum seekers would be transferred without 72 hours' written notice.
The issue erupted Monday after Immigration Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that Australian border patrol had intercepted a boat carrying 41 Sri Lankans off the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean in late June and handed them over to the Sri Lankan government on Sunday.
Tuesday's court hearing marked the first time the government acknowledged the second boat's existence, and Morrison — who is due to arrive in Sri Lanka on Wednesday for talks with Sri Lankan officials — still has yet to comment on where or when that boat was intercepted.
The hearing has no impact on the 41 Sri Lankans who have already been returned to their home country.
A Sri Lankan court on Tuesday detained five alleged people smugglers who were among the 41 aboard the boat. Twenty-seven other adults were accused of illegally leaving the country and were released on bail, while nine children were discharged. Most of those who were aboard the boat looked worn out.
Damith Kaldera, 48, said he acted as the spokesman for the asylum seekers with Australian officials because he speaks good English.
He said the group set out from Batticaloa, a city on Sri Lanka's east coast, with the intention of going to New Zealand. Each asylum seeker paid 150,000 rupees ($1,150) to people smugglers, with the promise of paying another 450,000 rupees ($3,460) after finding a job in New Zealand, Kaldera said.
The attorneys representing some of the asylum seekers on the latest boat argue that their clients could face persecution in Sri Lanka, which emerged in 2009 from a brutal civil war between government troops and the now-defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. Refugee advocates say ethnic Tamils still face violence at the hands of the military.
The temporary reprieve granted Tuesday was trumpeted as a win by one of the asylum seekers' lawyers, George Newhouse, who said "a group of vulnerable men, women and children will not be sent back to their persecutors in Sri Lanka."
Sri Lanka has arrested at least 4,300 people trying to migrate to Australia since 2009, according to the Sri Lankan navy.
Facing a surge of asylum seekers trying to reach Australian shores, the nation's conservative government implemented a tough policy of turning back their boats. Until now, the vessels have been returned to Indonesia, where asylum seekers from across the world pay people smugglers to ferry them to Australia aboard rickety boats prone to sinking. Monday marked the first time the government confirmed it had screened asylum seekers at sea and returned them directly to their home country.
The seemingly quick process by which Australia rejected the refugee claims is also facing scrutiny. Rather than bringing the asylum seekers to Australia's processing centers on the Pacific island nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea, the claims were assessed on board an Australian vessel.
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, issued a statement Tuesday saying it was "deeply concerned" by the decision to hand the asylum seekers back to Sri Lanka, and about the fate of those aboard the second boat.
The agency questioned the at-sea assessment process, saying that without further details from the government it cannot say whether Australia is violating its international obligations to refugees.
"UNHCR's experience over the years with shipboard processing has generally not been positive," it said in a statement. "Such an environment would rarely afford an appropriate venue for a fair procedure."
Gleeson, the government's lawyer, said the asylum seekers were intercepted outside Australia's territorial waters and therefore not subject to any obligations under the nation's Migration Act, which sets guidelines on how asylum seekers are processed.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government's tough asylum seeker policies were, in fact, an act of compassion.
"As long as the boats keep coming, we will keep having deaths at sea," Abbott told Australia's Channel 7. "So the most decent, humane and compassionate thing you can do is to stop the boats."
Associated Press writer Jayampathi Palipane in Galle, Sri Lanka, contributed to this report.


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David O. Russell's Abscam-inspired con story, "American Hustle," was named best film of 2013 on Tuesday by the New York Film Critics Circle. The film, which opens Dec. 13, also won awards for supporting actress Jennifer Lawrence and screenplay writers Russell and Eric Singer.
The unflinching historical drama "12 Years a Slave," which was considered a favorite, received one award: best director for Steve McQueen.
Robert Redford was named best actor for his role as a man adrift on a disabled boat in "All Is Lost," and Cate Blanchett was selected best actress for her performance as a mentally unbalanced widow in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine."
PHOTOS: Movie scenes from 'American Hustle'
Jared Leto received supporting actor honors for "Dallas Buyers Club" as a transsexual suffering from AIDS.
Hayao Miyazaki's "The Wind Rises" was selected as best animated film.
France's "Blue Is the Warmest Color," directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, was named best foreign film.
Ryan Coogler's "Fruitvale Station" was named best first film. The Sundance Film Festival favorite also was a big winner Monday evening at the Gotham Awards, earning the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award for Coogler and the Breakthrough Actor honor for Michael B. Jordan.
Also at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Sarah Polley's "Stories We Tell" was named best nonfiction film and Bruno Delbonnel received best cinematographer for "Inside Llewyn Davis."
PHOTOS: Holiday movie sneaks 2013
Documentarian Frederick Wiseman ("High School," "Ballet") was the recipient of a special award.
Founded in 1935, the New York Film Critics Circle is made up of critics from daily and weekly newspapers, magazines and qualifying online sites.
The critics and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences generally don't agree on its picks. In fact, the NYFCC state on its website that the organization's awards are "a principled alternative to the Oscars honoring aesthetic merit in a forum that is immune to commercial and political pressures."
Last year, the critics chose "Zero Dark Thirty" as best film. "Zero Dark Thirty" also won for director (Kathryn Bigelow) and cinematography. The academy selected "Argo" as best film and Ang Lee as best director for "Life of Pi."
The NYFCC awards will be handed out Jan. 6 at the Edison Room.
The Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. is scheduled to announce its selections Sunday.
Paul Walker: A fan's admiration, then a journalist's
'Frozen' and 'The Croods' are among nominees for Annie Awards
'Nebraska's' small-town beginnings
PHOTOS: Faces to watch 2014 | Movies
ENVELOPE: The latest awards buzz
DOCUMENTARIES: 10 best of 2013, and a new crop in 2014

subset: commoncrawl


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YARMOUTH, Maine—Santa Monica, Calif.-based Ascent Media Corporation announced Dec. 17 it had bought Monitronics International, one of the largest third party monitoring companies in the U.S. with more than 650,000 accounts, in a deal worth $1.2 billion.
While many of the finer details of the deal are as yet unrevealed, industry observers have come forward to discuss the information made publicly available in a Dec. 20 Ascent investor call.
SANTA MONICA, Calif.—Ascent Media Corporation, a holding company based here, announced on Dec. 17 that it had agreed to purchase Monitronics International in a deal valued at $1.2 billion.
Prior to an Ascent investor call on Monday, Dec. 20, Monitronics president and CEO Mike Haislip told Security Systems News in an exclusive interview why he felt the acquisition was a sign of good things to come.
"We're really excited about this because it brings a lot of stability having someone like Ascent behind us. It's their first foray into security, but we think it's a very good fit."
© 2019 United Publications Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


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PO Box 17035 KhaldiyaKuwait, Kuwait
6-8: 366
9-12: 447
Total: 1602
Learn about this school's current job vacancies, salaries, benefits, hiring policies, school demographics, even the typical annual savings, and much more. Become a registered and active candidate with Search Associates to access our comprehensive database and to connect with international schools worldwide. Get Started today!
Get Started…
Did You Know…?
Senior Associate Ralph Jahr has worked in Japan, Belgium, Liberia, the Philippines, Kuwait, Pakistan, and the Dominican Republic.


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Madonna: M.I.A. Apologized for Middle Finger Stunt
Madonna says rapper M.I.A. has apologized for sticking up her middle finger during their Super Bowl halftime show.
"I know she feels bad … I accept her apology, but you know, I think she still has her head in the sand right now. I'm not sure," the 53-year-old entertainer told Carson Daly on AMP 97.1.
Though Madonna previously said she was disappointed about the debacle, she still supports M.I.A. as a fellow artist.
"I like her and, you know, I believe in people having individuality and I like her punk rock attitude," she added. "Actually I think she's really cool and that's why I asked her to be in my show and be on my record [MDNA]. But I didn't think that was the time or the place for it, to tell you the truth."


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A resident and his dog are evacuated on Tuesday from a neighborhood in Little Ferry, N.J., one day after Hurricane Sandy slammed the East Coast: http://huff.to/X1CaUz
Photo Credit: Getty Images
alley cats
Instead of donating $5,000 to the Red Cross, Romney spent $5,000 staging his own charitable event for a photo op with canned goods. Red Cross doesn't want canned food or photo-ops. It needs cash. Text "redcross" to 90999 & give $10.
From the NJSPCA: Patrick and the Scavelli's did fine during the storm just another new adventure for Patrick. looks like at least 10 days before power is restored here at a minimum. Sorry for the disruption of information. We were hit pretty hard. Please contact your local shelters and see what help they need. NJSPCA is working with many hard hit shelters. Capt is dreaming of a hot shower sometime in the future…
"Hurricane Capt" will strike NJ next week dealing with any and all shelters that refused to accept people with their animal companions. Seriously there are still shelters that will not allow animal companions ?? New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told people to keep their animal companions with them as they headed to shelters. Shelters that allow animals are comforting for all involved including children and the elderly. If anyone is refused entry into a shelter here in NJ because of an animal companion Capt wants to hear from you. Take your companions with you and do not accept being turned away. Stay safe and again do not be intimidated into separating from your animal family. Capt
I've lived in Jersey most of my life and have NEVER seen such devastation. I have close friends who lost everything they own including their home. Food is scarce and gasoline is a 2.5 hour wait if you can find it. Yet through all this NJSPCA agents and officers are fighting the destruction to help save lost/missing pets – starting with the hardest hit, the Jersey Shore. These animals need food, blankets, crates, towels, cleaning supplies, etc. Donations are urgently needed. NJSPCA will transport and distribute the supplies to animals and shelters in need. Monetary donations can be made at njspca.org hurricane chipin. Thank you for your help! Tiffi
If you want to give / donate for pets, give to local rescues and no kill shelters such as our friends who have helped Patrick, at the NJSPCA,
- 1119 Livingston Ave.
- New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
|(800) 582-5979
Please DO NOT donate to ASPCA nor Humane Society of USA nor PETA. They do NOT help animals/pets. More info at : http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=10899
Friendly Fire…
Blog Hop time…thanks to Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume… grab the blog hop code


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Well, it's happening again. We're getting all hunkered down for Winter Storm Pax or whatever they're calling it. Like the rest of our area of the country, we've gotten hit with the Storm of the Century, although we're pretty sure we just had another Storm of the Century like two weeks ago or something. At this point, we've spent more days on the trainer than we care to admit. As much as we love the focused and intense workouts that you get on a trainer, sometimes it's just good to get outside. Which we did, and we felt all kinds of tough too. It's not often you get to ride in the snow in North Carolina.
But if you're like us, you're probably about ready to get outside too. Well, don't let the weather keep you in, because with the right clothes and some smarts, you can get out and enjoy some outdoor riding in any temperatures. For more ideas on how to prep your bike for the weather, check out this article we did a while back.
1. Layer Up:
Dressing in layers can help you effectively control your body temperature, manage moisture buildup, and stay warmer. Up top, start with a base layer, then a jersey, then a jacket. For colder weather, you can try adding a second baselayer. On the legs, try using tights that don't have a chamois, so you can wear them over your favorite shorts for an extra insulating layer. You can also wear knee warmers under tights on extra cold days.
What we wear (30-20 degrees): Sleeveless baselayer, heavy-weight long sleeve base layer, soft shell jacket, bib shorts, Windstopper bib tights, wool socks, shoes, overshoes, neck gator, winter hat, heavy insulated gloves, thin liner gloves
2. Mind the Fingers and Toes:
Nothing ruins a long ride quicker than cold fingers and toes, or worse, sodden layers. Try wearing thin liner gloves inside your insulated gloves, and wearing thinner socks with overshoes. Liner gloves will provide an extra insulating layer and help absorb sweat. Thinner socks will help keep the blood circulating to your toes in cold weather, while the overshoes provide the main insulating layer. If it's really cold, as one of our readers suggested, try wearing toe covers underneath your overshoes, or layering your overshoes for more warmth. If you're out on the road though and find your feet are getting too cold, try stopping at the next gas station or fast food place you pass and ask if they have any tinfoil. In a pinch you can use it wrap your toes for some extra warmth.
3. Keep Dry:
No matter how cold it is outside, you're going to sweat when you ride. Try carrying a spare baselayer, gloves (or glove liners), and hat in your pocket. You can change them when you stop to use the bathroom or top up your bottles, so you'll be able to get back on the bike feeling warm and dry. And always, always, ALWAYS carry a packable wind/rain jacket. If the weather takes a turn for the worse, it can save you a lot of misery.
4. Hot Bidon:
If you've got some insulated water bottles, try filling them with a warm drink, like herbal tea or Skratch Labs Hot Apple and Cinnamon mix. Sometimes a warm drink is just what the doctor ordered.
5. Eat Up:
When you ride in cold weather, your body is not only burning calories through exercise, but also to keep warm. This means you'll probably need to eat more than you normally would to keep up with demand. Make sure you bring plenty of energy dense food with you.
6. Take Breaks:
Even the hardest of hard men need to get out of the cold sometimes (see Milan-San Remo 2013). It's important to take regular pit stops to get out of the cold and warm up for a bit. You'd be surprised at the difference a cup of coffee and ten minutes in a gas station can make.
So how about it? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.


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The couple will join royalty from around the world this evening as the guests attend a pre-wedding dinner, which will take place at Stockholm's Grand Hotel.
The stylish countess will then attend Saturday's ceremony with husband Prince Edward, on behalf of her majesty The Queen.
Sophie and Edward have represented Britain on many royal weddings, attending Monaco's Prince Albert's wedding to Charlene Wittstock and most recently Luxembourg's wedding of Prince Guillaume to Belgian Countess Stephanie de Lannoy.
Princess Madeleine will marry Christopher O'Neill in a lavish ceremony at Stockholm's Royal Palace
Madeleine recently revealed her excitement gushing: 'Time flies when your having fun' as she discussed wedding preparations.
The ceremony will be attended from royalty around the world with Denmark's Crown Prince Fredrik and wife Mary confirmed to attend the event.
Many fashion onlookers will be keen to see the Countess of Wessex's style choice, who earlier this year become the first patron of London College of Fashion.
At the time, London College of Fashion's Professor said: 'We are very proud to have The Countess of Wessex's support and look forward to working with her."
Yesterday, The Countess of Wessex attended the Queen's third garden party of the summer where she chatted to actor Benedict Cumberbatch.


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Steelers cover
This Ravens game is really getting me pumped up, let's kick some arse today guys!
2 Keys to the game today ....
- Get in Rivers grill early and often .... Pressure on QB won't allow Rivers to expose our fledgling corners .....
- Establish the run .....
If we can do these 2 things ..... we will win. If not .... it will be a long week.
"The most interesting man on SA ... stay thirsty my friends"
Cincinnati just went into OT, but Baltimore lost big. So good so far for week ten.
if we can win today we'll be good, it's a short week so we better take care of business today and get a lead in the division that we can build on.
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External code can be loaded into a running Scheme 48 process
and C object-file bindings can be dereferenced at runtime and
their values called
(although not all versions of Unix support all of this).
The required Scheme functions are in the structure
Dynamic-load loads the named file into the current
process, raising an exception if the file cannot be found or if dynamic
loading is not supported by the operating system.
The file must have been compiled and linked appropriately.
For Linux, the following commands compile
foo.c into a
foo.so that can be loaded dynamically.
% gcc -c -o foo.o foo.c % ld -shared -o foo.so foo.o
(get-external string) -> external
(external? x) -> boolean
(external-name external) -> string
(external-value external) -> byte-vector
Get-external returns an external object that contains the
value of
name, raising an exception if there is no such
value in the current process.
External? is the predicate for externals, and
external-name and
external-value return the name and
value of an external.
The value is returned as byte vector of length four (on 32-bit
The value is that which was extant when
get-external was
The following two functions can be used to update the values of
Lookup-external updates the value of
external by looking up its
name in the current process, returning
#t if the name is bound
#f if it is not.
Lookup-all-externals calls
lookup-external on all extant
externals, returning
#f any are unbound.
the section on calling C functions from Scheme
for more information.
In some versions of Unix retrieving a value from the current process may require a non-trivial amount of computation. We recommend that a dynamically-loaded file contain a single initialization procedure that creates shared bindings for the values exported by the file.
Previous: Adding external modules to the Makefile | Next: Compatibility


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A Better Ford 6.0 Powerstroke TurboPosted in How To on March 1, 2010
The Ford 6.0 Powerstroke is one of those "as long as" engines. What's an "as long as" engine? It's one you have to make excuses for. There are at least four sentences that could begin with "the 6.0 Powerstroke is a great engine as long as (insert flaw and solution here)." We won't go through the full "as long as" list here. Instead, we'll address one item. Here goes: the 6.0 Powerstroke is a great engine as long as you replace the turbo with an ATS Aurora turbo.
Ford's 6.0 Powerstroke comes from the factory with a variable geometry turbo, or VGT turbo. The concept is a good one: the exhaust impeller's vanes can be turned to different angles on the fly to maximize turbo response and minimize turbo lag. This is a great concept, and it makes the 6.0 quicker off the line than the 7.3 Powerstroke it replaced. The bummer is that the VGT turbo is famous for its vanes sticking in one position. When the vanes stick, the turbo's performance evaporates. Enter ATS and its Aurora turbo for the 6.0.
ATS Diesel Performance offers a complete kit to replace the stock VGT turbo with a non-VGT model. This simplification means the turbo vanes will be fixed in one position and can never stick. It also means that the potential benefits of the VGT system aren't there, either. Those who still want a VGT turbo can still turn to ATS for their product needs, as ATS also offers its own VGT turbo.
We headed to Diesel Tech in San Jacinto, California, to watch an ATS turbo being installed on Diesel Tech owner Loren Taylor's '03 Super Duty, which is factory-saddled with the 6.0 Power Stroke. We had every confidence that the ATS turbo would be reliable, so our big question was whether or not the non-VGT ATS turbo would perform as well as a functional factory VGT turbo.
We're not going to give up the results just yet. You'll have to find them in the photo captions. We'll just say that as long as you've got ATS and Diesel Tech on your side, your 6.0 can live up to its potential.
Here's a slice of reality:
The complete kit retails for about double the cost of a stock replacement turbocharger. We've replaced the turbocharger three times on our cursed '03 STD Super Duty. When you add up parts and labor to replace the stock turbo three times it doesn't take a genius to see that we'd be way ahead if we'd gone with an ATS 3000 kit in the first place. Reality has been known to bite.


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With their headquarters in Hong Kong, AXLE is well known in the Asia Pacific region and they have distributors all across the world in many countries such as Germany and Malaysia, to name a couple. They are not very known in North America but are really trying to change that.
About AXLE 3D:
AXLE International Holding Limited being NV Card Manufacturer, insist to provide the best to its customers, not only for the products but also the service. The only belief is quality maintains the survival of the company.
Established in 1988, over 20 years grew and developed under keen competition, AXLE found its own way ~ service & quality. Today, we have our factory with over 600 workforce in Mainland China with capacity of 190k per month.
Headquarter in Hong Kong, sales offices in Germany, Dubai and China, AXLE products are distributed all over the world, such as in Asia, Middle East, Russia, Eastern and Western Europe. Sales turnover exceeds US$45 million in the past financial year. Since 2000, AXLE became one of the biggest NV Card manufacturer in Asia Pacific region. This provides the most accurate information and cost advantage to AXLE.
As for the high standard of product quality & management, AXLE gained ISO9001 certified. It is also the indicator for the standard of the VGA cards in market.
In order to broaden our product line, AXLE also carried design utilizing chip sets from other vendors. Most recent products are 3D VGA cards, motherboards & power supply. Besides marketing our own products, AXLE is also very active in OEM business which account for about 30% of total sales turnover.
Besides, AXLE has introduced the brand "AXLE" into the market since 1999. It was a great success. "AXLE" is now well known in Korea, Russia, Middle East and European Markets. "AXLE" represents "Quality", in both product quality and after sales service quality. AXLE ensures you with both punctual delivery and technical support.
Here we have the AXLE GeForce GT 430, aimed at entry level and mainstream users who are on a budget or are just looking to build an HTPC system with light gaming. I mean light gaming as in using resolutions of 1280x1024 and lower with maybe a game or two above those resolutions. AXLE classifies this as their CLASSIC Edition which sticks to the reference designs of NVIDIA. While I can't find it on sale anywhere on Google, The GT 430 series in general has a price point around $79, which I cannot say this is far from that and should carry a warranty of one year.
Looking at the specs, it is clear that the GeForce GT 430 is replacing the GT 240, which essentially replaced the 9600 GSO and all have very similar specs. Today's review will put the AXLE GeForce GT 430 against the ASUS GeForce 9600 GSO with 512MB of memory. One thing to note is this particular GT 430 has its memory speed clocked down to 700 MHz when the normal specs for the GT 430 are 800-900MHz.


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Lamu- Kenya (PANA) -- A top Islamic scholar has launched an appeal to US and German governments over valuable art objects which he said were taken out of Kenya to those countries decades ago.
Ghafour El Busaidy of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SPUKEM) said that an economic depression that hit the Kenyan coast in the 1950s forced many people to sell their valuable art collections in order to survive.
"We are talking of precious ornaments, religious books and similar items.
These are items that cannot be easily replaced and I am appealing to America and Germany to help us recover them," Busaidy said during a cultural festival.
Busaidy made the appeal in the presence of US deputy chief of mission William Brencick who was attending the festival.
Lamu Town was listed by UNESCO as a world heritage centre for its efforts to preserve culture.
Lamu Museum curator Joseph Cheruiyot said that by the listing, Lamu has joined an elite group of only two other such sites in Africa.
Parts of Lamu town are national monuments and nobody can do any renovations on a house without the authority of the National Museums of Kenya.
With its narrow streets, Lamu is one of the leading tourist attractions in Kenya.
It is a historical town founded around 1350 by Persian and Arab sailors.
It has a rich Islamic culture and is credited with being the cradle of the Kiswahili language, widely spoken in East Africa and the Great Lakes states.
Local citizens pool resources to host a cultural weekend each year.
Featuring dances, donkey racing, dhow racing and swimming competition, the cultural event draws hundreds of visitors to the town, 900 km south of Nairobi.
Lamu Cultural Promotion Group patron Najib Balala said they were out to preserve culture and hoped the event would be enlarged with the Kenyan government's support.
"We are very happy and we hope that in a society where traditional values are fast discarded, the event will serve to teach the youth about their past so that they can hold on to it," Balala, who is also the chairman of the local district chapter of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said.
This year's event was marked with pomp and pageantry as the normally quiet town came to life with lively activities sponsored by German and US embassies.
Brencick pledged his government's continued support for the event, saying it offered the best opportunity for partnership between his country and the people of the Coast.
The diplomat showered praises on Islam, saying it had greatly influenced the American way of life as one of the fastest growing religions in that country.
It was perhaps befitting that Americans were fully involved in the Lamu event.
After the deadly 1998 attack on the US embassy in Nairobi, which killed more than 245 Kenyans and Americans and injured thousands, investigations concentrated mostly on the Coast where there is a strong Muslim presence.
As a result, many people were arrested, giving rise to anti-US feelings among the population.
To many observers, the US involvement at the Lamu festival was part of a deliberate fence mending exercise on the part of Washington.


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Greece Bailout Short by $14 Billion ... but Maybe More
Greece's international bailout faces a shortfall of around $14.59 billion by the end of 2015 and this shortfall could be even bigger if the fund's outlook turns out to be optimistic. Global economics expert Charles Forelle joins MoneyBeat. Photo: AP.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... ay ay mm mm ... an international bailout a shortfall around fourteen point five nine billion ... rounded off their perch people in five hundred but he added twenty fifteen and the shortfall could be even bigger if the fines up outlook turned out to be optimism of the IMF that ... our global economics expert Charles Forelle joins us now from our bureau in London ... trials of a shock to find out that that things are going swimmingly with Greece ... good morning yes on a day another problem if any action is been awhile since we had the pleasure takin agrees no proof that meant no news is generally good news on the news today is not very good ... I did the problem is that European authorities and the potential of the IMF I don't have to come up with more money for Greece and this is really essentially ... reckoning with the problem they've known has existed for a long time and in coming to grips a bit insane ... I know something is gonna get some unease in a need to get these guys more money they are not to be able to borrow it from private markets ... and ... I ... who can come up with the Money Charles ... that's given me the Europeans of the mind that I'm the IMF is quite clear in its language that it doesn't anticipate ... you know it's stand being a rolling over or doing other things are among the more ABBV insists that the European partners as they're called ... I'm just us to come up with the Dow ... this does not sit very well the Germans and German elections are coming up this fall ... I in in the day really gets to question the so the hard a lot of these bailouts which is that ... the assumption was that these countries Portugal Ireland Greece and goings and dad back on private markets that within a relatively short period time and that is not coming true ... certainly the commission agrees right he mentioned the term elections Merkel and Angela Merkel face an election in September ... does that mean that what we're talking about right now is just going to be delayed until after the election ... it probably did the trick is that the IMF doesn't like to ... say give money out unless it has a good strategy for getting it back ... I'm in the IMF tends to accelerate these said these discussions while the Europeans like to delay them you may recall that back way back when to go back to two thousand eleven I think it was ... under the reign of Dominique Strauss Kahn the IMF actually accelerated quite dramatically ... discussions of bed Greece's second bailout to push the Europeans into giving them more money so ... that it might not hear that everybody's gonna wanted to be delayed until after the German elections ... I'm DEL probably find a way to do it that the IMF is can be pushing for it to be addressed at all ... well I've trials Pearl good stuff as always thanks alot ... my pleasure


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Even though it is a week away, I am looking forward to covering Coffee with Carver at the George Washington Carver National Monument.
Even though it is a week away, I am looking forward to covering Coffee with Carver at the George Washington Carver National Monument.
The program is titled "Usefulness of All Things," at 10 a.m. on Jan. 17. The program is free and open to the public over the age of 18 and will be held inside the visitor's center. No reservations are required.
This is the second year for the monument to host this unique event, where a park ranger will talk to the group about the subject and then park volunteers will either do hands on activities or they will show the group some original documents or artifacts on display.
In a previous interview, park ranger Diane Eilenstein said, "(we) are talking about Carver's ability to find a new use for items that may have been typically discarded or thrown away. He found a lot of value in everything. He would make beautiful pieces of artwork, all sorts of items that you and I might throw away. We are going to see some of his needlework, artwork, and just learn about why he was like this. And how he used that throughout his life. We are going to conclude Jan. 17, with making cornhusk dolls. One of our volunteers is going to lead a session showing everyone how to do it. We will have the supplies there and everyone should be able to take home a cornhusk creation of their own."
There will be freshly brewed coffee as well during the program. The program will last about an hour and two more will follow –on the third Thursday of February and March. Call 325-4151 for more details.
Ever since I was a young kid, I have always enjoyed going to the monument. Carver has always been an interesting person to learn about.
If you have the opportunity to attend the program, I highly suggest it. It is educational for everyone who will attend.
Todd G. Higdon is a staff writer and writes a weekly column for the Neosho Daily News. He can be reached at email@example.com


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I have just been reading the Cardinal Martini interview in the original Italian. You can find it here. There are various English reports on the web about the substance of the interview, but all of them seem to focus on the headline-grabbing nature of the cardinal's words, particularly his assertion that the Church is 200 years behind the times. But they miss what to me is the nub of what the cardinal has to say.
The cardinal starts off by lamenting the fact that churches and religious houses are empty. Well, we are all agreed on that – no one agrees more than Benedict XVI. This is not a good state of affairs. The cardinal then goes on to suggest three things that need to be done, and here too there is nothing particularly exceptional in what he has to say: we need to reform our sexual teaching, return to the Bible and return to the sacraments. The first of these may seem radical, but there is general agreement on this too. The sexual teaching of the Church is not getting across to the faithful, let alone to the population at large. It needs reform; but please let us remember that reform is not to be confused with abolition. Reform means a return to the roots, a reformulation of the eternal verities in a new and compelling way.
The cardinal mentions the plight of the divorced and remarried. Again, this is a problem that all recognise. But I would say, from my own perspective, that the problem is far deeper than that. Many of the children I encounter pastorally are children not of divorced and remarried parents, but of parents who have never been married. And that is a rather different thing. It is not people getting divorced that is the fundamental problem. Rather, it is people not wanting to get married in the first place.
But here is what the cardinal says, which we all need to hear:
Dove sono le singole persone piene di generosità come il buon samaritano? Che hanno fede come il centurione romano? Che sono entusiaste come Giovanni Battista? Che osano il nuovo come Paolo? Che sono fedeli come Maria di Magdala? Io consiglio al Papa e ai vescovi di cercare dodici persone fuori dalle righe per i posti direzionali. Uomini che siano vicini ai più poveri e che siano circondati da giovani e che sperimentino cose nuove. Abbiamo bisogno del confronto con uomini che ardono in modo che lo spirito possa diffondersi ovunque.
("Where are the individuals full of generosity like the Good Samaritan? That have faith like the Roman centurion? That are enthusiastic like John the Baptist? That dare something new like Paul? That are faithful like Mary of Magdala? I advise the Pope and bishops to look for twelve persons out of the usual run of people for management posts. Men that might be close to the very poorest and that might be surrounded by young people and who might try something new. We need comparison with men who are ardent in such a way so that the Spirit can be poured out everywhere.")
But what does this mean? I think it is a call to a radical religious revival, and it reminds me of the key scene in Franco Zeffirelli's Brother Sun, Sister Moon, where St Francis arrives at the papal court in the Lateran Basilica to ask recognition for his order. A cardinal leans over to the Pope, whose magnificence contrasts so strongly with the humility and poverty of Francis, and says something along the lines of: "This is the man who will lead the common people back to God."
To say that we need a new St Francis, or a new Don Bosco, or a new Francis de Sales, is to get to the heart of the problem. But – and it is a huge but – we do have such people in the Church already, people who have led us back to basics and who have initiated strong currents of renewal.
As for the great ones of yesteryear, they are still with us, too. We need to rediscover our roots. The era of St Francis was a pretty dire one for the Church, but let us remember Pope Innocent III's dream: he saw the Lateran Basilica, his cathedral, and the mother church of all churches in the world, tottering, and a little friar holding it up (as painted by Giotto). My guess is that this was Cardinal Martini's dream as well, as well as that of Benedict XVI, and indeed of all of us who long for the renewal of the Church.


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Investigate how you can work out what day of the week your birthday will be on next year, and the year after...
Many numbers can be expressed as the sum of two or more consecutive integers. For example, 15=7+8 and 10=1+2+3+4. Can you say which numbers can be expressed in this way?
Arrange the numbers 1 to 16 into a 4 by 4 array. Choose a number.
Cross out the numbers on the same row and column. Repeat this
process. Add up you four numbers. Why do they always add up to 34?


text:
Vest: Narciso rodriguez
Shorts: Old Navy denim shorts
Heels: 3.1 Phillip Lim high heels
Lipstick: L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick, Volcanic
In keeping with my more "grown up" outfits, here is a concept featuring am item that I've been really into lately... the tuxedo vest! In keeping with my "new clothes resolution", I'm keen to "DIY" one. I'll just add it to my ever growing "DIY to-do" list..... aarrgh if only I could stay home and "DIY" all day........
And just in case you were sick of these shoes.... here they are again hahaha. Again, kind of sorry but kind of not. I just LOVE the oh-so-barely-there style of sandal (I think its a nice break from the ol' platform which, while it will always be close to my heart, has had it's fair go) and I really think that this is the best one out there at the moment. If you find some other "barely there" shoes that you love, share them with me!


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Human-Computer Interaction Design
Our program is designed to change the way you think.
Human-computer interaction (HCI) has traditionally been the domain of engineering and psychology. Here, we approach it from the perspective of design. Our focus goes beyond simply using technology to solve a problem. It is about creating a technology experience that will be functional, intuitive, and even delightful for the people who use it.
The goal of the human-computer interaction design (HCI/d) program is to teach you to think like a designer. Our approach is research-based, but never rigid. Though students follow a highly structured curriculum that prepares them for a professional career, there is plenty of room to pursue individual interests.
During your time here, you will refine your personal design philosophy through course work that:
- Teaches you the key history, literature, and research of HCI design (HCI/d)
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- Explores the socioeconomic consequences of implementing technologies in different cultures
Our students come from many backgrounds, from computer science to the liberal arts. Because you take the same classes and work together frequently on projects, you quickly become part of a close-knit, highly collaborative, and imaginative group—building relationships that will continue long after you graduate.
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MarketWatch Week Ahead: Fed Meets Next Week
The Fed meets again next week, and corporate earnings continues with reports from Caterpillar, Amazon, Yahoo and Exxon Mobil, Polya Lesova reports on Markets Hub. Photo: AP.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... it'll be here before you know you need to be prepared who's going to get you prepared ... MarketWatch's Polya Lesova with you look at next week the week ahead All the hell he and Grace and Kate went down with the bigger the next one may think fit into the super ball is snapped ... it is ... I got to be a market moving event ... super Bowl indicator Canadian Lenovo in them and I'll teach ... you and I I admire and that the company season is still continuing so we will continue to get the points from some fairly big companies ... noting that Caterpillar and was on the on call ExxonMobil so companies from Apple from a wide range of interest is de Copel wail ... of construction equipment so ... aam and those those openings for prone to continue this trend we've been seeing ... of of fairly ok bid for it to go learn I let my remains a big area no expectation right ... earnings growth is only about three to three percent right now I mean you cannot ... not break to write a ... day ... what else is ... sold I've had or have the Fed bill instead of making ... it ... there's one of the year was one of the yet and I aam and his routine will have us why she different composition of the abdomen to appoint a committee this year ... aam and one of the people to watch I it's probably best to enjoy the two of the new voters who has renewed rumors they would go into great detail and soul Esther George ... Kansas and he said ... aam my expectations are that she may continue baseball she may be sent to incur both What's waken to knackered and ... aam ... last year ... I'm so so this'll be one of the new Congress right into the Bay Hall she's been very much of wildcat ... regains his own open ended QE to the promptings of danger that we really helps get right to shoot one but overall the balance between thousand calls from the Committee will hold its way back when they are done via size for an ... hour or else we looking ... at it and that will get a lot of economic data is no will get to aam are the first estimate for what the GDP for the US ... aam that's when failings tailwind yet and that expectation is for one percent anyways ... I knew is open so that will be a pretty significant slowdown from the one that ... we have the talent thirty percent ... hiding the third quarter aam in addition to GDP will get going for him AOL's got a ways to make ... a piece of the monthly rent on my and so insane you leave the expectation is for the rest of the three hundred and sixty thousand campaign also souring the cognac there and am again a continuation of the smartest and engine of growth in the unemployment rate will likely stay to say and do the same as to how some point ... and that's a packed week ... I didn't really hurt that weekend I didn't even mention the ISN consumer confidence durable goods sold off of of ... Suleiman pieces are a good stuff on here so thank you appreciate it ... that is if rust


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|2011-04-18, 04:26
|Link #1
Lets be reality
Join Date: May 2007
Rurouni Kenshin 2011 - Shin Kyoto-Hen (OAV)
Reuploaded pic thanks to rrw.
Wonder what this could be.. an FMA Brotherhood type production that cuts the fat out an animates the final arc would be ideal, but also not practical.. but who knows. Hopefully the next issue of Jump Square keys us in...
Last edited by Westlo; 2011-04-18 at 10:12.
|2011-04-18, 05:01
|Link #3
Che! Che! Che!
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Brazil
Age: 29
Anyway, we'll see. A well produced series in 2011 would be amazing, RuroKen was and still remains as one of my favourite shounen manga of all time, and it has one of the most likeable cast of characters out there, so it's a pretty big responsibility depending on what they want to do. Better not screw it up, guys!
Last edited by Blue-kun; 2011-04-18 at 05:23.
|2011-04-18, 05:41
|Link #8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Best news ever. Omg.
I love the original series BUT it wasn't very fairthful to the manga. However, the first arcs were AMAZING.
If they follow the manga it's going to be amazing. I wish they'd keep the original seiyuu, character design and soundtrack.
I am so excited.
|2011-04-18, 06:01
|Link #11
Che! Che! Che!
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Brazil
Age: 29
|2011-04-18, 07:38
|Link #14
~Night of Gales~
Join Date: Dec 2005
This is rather interesting. There's essentially 3 routes available for a new Rurouni Kenshin.
Classic TV-Series Kenshin = 1 : 1 remake of the TV series/manga, adapting the Jinchuu arc primarily. Retains all the old style of the original Kenshin series.
OVA Kenshin : Kenshin + grimdark. Watsuki was never a big fan of it, but it was definitely a definitive adaption of Kenshin's past that struck cord due to its extremely different atmosphere and storytelling.
Kenshin TV-Series with Kanzenban Reimaginations : Now this one is a bit whacky.Watsuki's design nuances and drawing style has become a little more... for the lack of proper words, jagged, chiseled, sharp, and perhaps a little bit more outspoken compared to his Kenshin days ( which weren't lacking in wackiness, mind you. He just amplified it further ). I'm not sure if it can be taken too seriously, but for any of you who ever had the opportunity to flip/buy the Kanzenban version of Kenshin manga... Watsuki's redesigns for some characters are just down right insane.
|2011-04-18, 08:26
|Link #16
Ahou ga
Join Date: Feb 2009
Age: 42
My body was not ready for this announcement. I will dare to hope for a full reboot akin to FMA: Brotherhood, but I will nonetheless gladly look forward to whatever this new project turns out to be.
|2011-04-18, 08:57
|Link #19
Ahou ga
Join Date: Feb 2009
Age: 42
I know for a fact that Mayo Suzukaze voiced Kenshin for the PV for the recent PSP game, so my guess is she also did his voice for the game. Her involvement with the anime is likely a foregone conclusion.
The real questions are:
1) Who're they going to get to voice Saitou? Hirotaka Suzuoki died in 2006.
2) Could any other roles be up for grabs? I wouldn't mind seeing an actress with a bit more talent taking up Kaoru, personally.
3) Could they possibly use the more "up to date" character designs that Watsuki-sensei came up with for the characters? If anyone's wondering what I'm talking about, Watsuki drew up some newer designs for the characters as if he were doing Rurouni Kenshin currently instead of 15 years ago. The results are...interesting. To say the least. Go look around for them, they're not hard to find.
|2011-04-18, 09:11
|Link #20
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
1) IMO Ken Narita or Jouji Nakata would be good choices.
2) Same here. She was definitely my main (and probably only real) gripe in the original cast. I also wouldn't mind a new seiyu for Aoshi, as even though I didn't mind the original I thought they could do better and he already sounded a little too old for him then, so now 15 years later it'd be even more so. But the rest I definitely want to reprise their roles and after hearing them in the PSP game, I'm sure the main ones will. Sano isn't Sano without Yuji Ueda, for example.
3) I doubt it. If it's a complete reboot of the series and not just Jinchu I think I wouldn't mind too much, as it'd help make the series feel fresher, but if it is just Jinchu I'd definitely want them to stick to the originals. The new designs were pretty interesting and I did like a few of them better, but overall the classic look is still where it's at.
|action, historical, shounen
|Thread Tools


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Samsung seems all set to extend its tally of tablets with the Galaxy Note 8.0. A big ad of the 8″ slate was already spotted at the MWC grounds in Barcelona, but the device was now spotted publicly ahead of the announcement.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 was caught on camera near the entrance of the Mobile World Congress venue, while a group of Samsung PR girls were busy showing off the tablet in a photo-shoot.
The official specifications of the tablet are yet to be known but as the name suggests, the device will sport an 8″ display. Galaxy Note 8.0 is rumored to feature a 1.6 GHz quad-core Exynos processor and is expected to be powered by the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
The lucky by-standing fellow journalists managed to capture the whole thing on a video, too:
We are already in Barcelona and we will be covering all the announcement live. Stay tuned for more updates from the Mobile World Congress.


text:
This edition features chapters on operations productivity, forecasting, managing quality, capacity planning, work measurement, inventory management, maintenance and reliability, and more.Jay Heizer is the author of 'Principles of Operations Management (7th Edition)', published 2008 under ISBN 9780132343282 and ISBN 0132343282.[read more]
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Purchase products related to this category, Health & Diet Foods, online here.
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Search entire category for Health & Diet Foods
Health and Diet Foods, in Leonard, refer to synthetically prepared supplements, foods and shakes designed specifically to help people manage weight issues in obesity or anorexia. They are usually low on calories, but the medical fraternity in Leonard is divided on the use of such controversial food products.


text:
In comments filed over the last few days with the Federal Communications Commission, scores of consumers have voiced clear opposition to AT&Ts planned $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA.
Ninety nine out of 100 comments most recently posted on the FCCs electronic filing system expressed opposition to AT&Ts pending acquisition of T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom, claiming that the controversial merger would lead to higher prices and less competition.
Several consumers contended the merger would create a duopoly in the wireless industry between AT&T and Verizon Wireless, and some commentators suggested that regulatory approval of the controversial transaction would lead to further consolidation, namely a Sprint Nextel/Verizon combination.
Honestly lets face it as soon as these two corporations merge than the consumer will pretty much have the choice of either AT&T or Verizon, because Sprint would either have to close down shop or make some kind of similar deal with Verizon in order to stay afloat," wrote Fahad Rahman.
The FCC has received more than 4,100 comments thus far on the merger through its electronic filing system; Channel Partners reviewed the last 100 comments that were posted today and received over the last few days.
I believe this [merger] will create a monopoly and affect my cellular service in a negative way," wrote Chris Alexander. As a loyal Tmobile customer for over 10 years I would be disappointed to have a large corporation that is as irresponsible as AT&T take over my cellular service. Competition is the only thing keeping this market realistic. Remove that and things will go down hill fast."
Sarah Mitroff alleged the merger would harm consumers by forcing them to choose from a small number of companies that will have the power to gouge prices as much as they see fit."
Several commentators used the word monopoly" to describe the fallout from the union of AT&T and T-Mobile USA.
Michael Holly contended the merger would limit competition move AT&T into a near monopoly position, and will defiantly put them in a position to abuse the pricing of cellular service."
Another consumer, John Shabanowitz, indicated that previous consolidation in the wireless industry has not benefited people.
The merger will result in reduced customer care quality and higher plan prices," he wrote. In my experience with large wireless mergers, including AT&T/Cingular, Sprint/Nextel an Verizon/Alltel, the merged company generally takes on the pricing and customer service policies of its larger parent."
One person named Hello" expressed support for AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile USA.
If T-Mobile was acquired by AT&T, T-Mobile customers can have access to faster 4G on their mobile devices," this person wrote.
The commentator also appeared to challenge concerns that the merger would lead to fewer choices, stating that AT&T and T-Mobile USA offer similar prices and only slight differences in monthly data plans.
Also AT&T would still face competition from Verizon, Sprint, and other minor network carriers, such as MetroPCS," this person wrote. The chances of a monopoly are very slim."
But of the 100 comments reviewed, Hello" was clearly in the minority and U.S. regulators are facing increasing pressure to closely scrutinize a merger that would eliminate the nations fourth-largest mobile operator and leave the majority of wireless subscribers under the control of AT&T and Verizon Wireless.
Asked one commentator, Jeffrey Quisenberry: Why does the FCC exist if not to prevent this kind of market-distorting aggregation?"
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My blog used to be called Nappy Valley. But now I've moved to the dizzy heights of Crystal Palace (via a spell as an expat on Long Island, New York). And my Littleboys are long out of nappies.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Music practice - where do you start?
I have to say, week 1 did not go well, at least from Littleboy 1's point of view. It was probably my fault; we were in the middle of the Move, so I picked him up from school, rushed him down to the New House (which we were in the process of moving into) then off to the lesson. So he was both tired and overexcited - a devilish combination with him - and spent most of the first lesson banging on the piano and not listening to the teacher whatsoever. I was mortified, even though the nice East European teacher insisted she was 'used to it'.
The next week, I bribed him with a cookie from the bakery afterwards if he behaved - and he was much better. It's gradually improved; in fact last week he made huge progress, and is now able to bash out a little tune and even draw a treble clef. (Little digression: did you know that in America, they don't talk about crotchets, quavers, minims and the rest? It's all half notes, quarter notes etc. I had assumed this musical terminology was universal, but apparently it's just British).
Littleboy 2 was the keener of the two to play, and his first lesson went well - he listened, did what he was asked and by the end of the half hour was able to identify Middle C. Since then, he's also made some progress - but has also decided that practicing is really not for him. He tends to announce "I'm tired," and put his thumb in his mouth when they idea is mooted (despite having been running around two seconds earlier).
Herein lies the problem - when to find time for piano practice, and how to get them in the right mood? Now I am no Tiger Mother, and distinctly have memories myself of trying to get out of piano practice (and particularly 'cello practice - I played until the age of 16, not particularly well). In fact I even recall taping myself playing for 10 minutes, then sitting reading a comic while the tape played for another 10 minutes, craftily adding up to my 20 minutes allotted practice time. But even I appreciate that they are not going to get very far with playing an instrument if they don't practice - and The Doctor, who is a good musician, says we just have to make time somehow.
It's hard. Littleboy 1 has homework and reading every day now, and if we do another activity after school, it's supper time and homework time before you know it. When we have a free afternoon, it's either a playdate or I just tend to let them play for a bit before homework/suppertime starts- you can't force two lively small boys to come straight in from the schoolbus and start practising the piano. I also know that if you force children to do something they're not in the mood for, they are really going to hate it - and who wants that? We want them to enjoy music, not resent it. When we do have enough time, (for example, yesterday when they had no school due to Columbus Day), the practice went much better - but fitting it in around the normal week is more difficult.
So, I'd appreciate any tips on piano/instrument practice for smaller kids. What time of day works best? Do you have to bribe them (and if so with what?). Do you make them do it every day, or less often - maybe just at the weekend? And how do you strike the balance between being disciplined and making it fun?
22 comments:
- PantsWithNames said...
No idea. Adam keeps hinting he'd like piano lessons and I'm in denial - for precisely this reason - I have no idea how we'd fit the practice in around everything else. intrigued to know what you come up with!
- 11 October 2011 at 15:04
- Conuly said...
It depends on the kid. Some families find that slotting in 15 minutes of practice works best in the morning when everybody is bright eyed and bushy tailed (and you can maneuver the day slightly by, say, putting him to bed in his school clothes instead of his PJs to save time in the morning, or having him eat a breakfast on the go some days).
Others find it's best before playtime.
Me, I find the nieces do everything better if they take a break in between school and work. Which sometimes means homework gets done after dinner.
Sadly, we can't give advice for everybody because every kid is different.
Try playing around with different times until you find the one that's best for each kid.
- 11 October 2011 at 15:45
- Tanya (Bump2Basics) said...
I played violin until 16 and not particularly well either! I really didn't practice enough, and when I took private lessons they were a bit wasted on me because of this.
I have no idea of the solution but maybe it has something to do with them actually enjoying it enough to want to practice, even for 10 mins a day? Then they might consider it more of a treat than a chore...
- 11 October 2011 at 17:47
- Iota said...
Little and often. Or even just little! Five minutes or ten minutes at their ages is fine. They can build up in time. If you insist on 20 minutes, then it won't happen.
How about just before the whole bathtime-bedtime routine starts? Or are they very wound up at that time? How about bath, then piano, then stories, then bed?
I must admit I don't have a fixed time. I just fit it in where I can, and I very much go with the "it won't be fun if it becomes a chore" mentality. Better to make slow progress than to start hating it and give up.
I think the key is to find a really fun teacher.
Laughing at you taping your practice and sitting reading a comic instead!
- 11 October 2011 at 19:38
- MsCaroline said...
I'm not a fan of doing homework right after school, either (and I'm a teacher); I think kids need some 'down' time after they get home from school.
My boys always did their practicing as part of general homework time (first with piano and later with violin, cello, and trumpet...violin was sooooo painful!)When they were smaller, I sat with them at the piano and we worked together - they seemed to enjoy the one-on-one time with me. You could also consider doing a sticker chart or a reward system. When they get more proficient, practice time can also be an impromptu concert...my kids always loved performing for an audience...oh, and I've never heard of crotchets, quavers or minims, either! New vocabulary for the day!
- 11 October 2011 at 19:39
- Expat mum said...
Like Iota, we don't really have a set time, and it it's not every day I don't wig out either. ONe thing I do know from having the teens do violin - if they don't want to practice, it may be because they're not that into it. The 8 year old is taking piano and LOVES it. He practices even when I don't remind him, and rarely complains. Contrast that with the other two who had to be cajoled, bribed and threatened - threatened with me stopping the lessons, and they were the ones who didn't want to stop. (I think it was guilt though.)
My 16 year old has been playing guitar for three years now. First thing he does when he comes in from school is go straight up to his room and play guitar. That's when you know they're really into it.
I suppose what I'm saying is if it's a big battle, why bother? They might come round in a few years.
- 11 October 2011 at 20:20
- Muddling Along said...
Depending on how nuts your morning routine is first thing worked well for us when I was small - gets it out of the way before the day starts and avoids post school fights
- 12 October 2011 at 07:44
- Jenny said...
10-15 minutes a day either after breakfast or after bath time. That's what works best for us!
- 12 October 2011 at 08:26
- Anonymous said...
We used to do 10 minutes or so in the morning before school but then that was working on English school times.
Interesting comment about the names of notes, I too assumed they were universal terms.
- 12 October 2011 at 13:41
- Bush Mummy said...
Where is your piano/keyboard? Ours is in the kitchen so they see it pretty much all the time and do tend to gravitate towards it for a few minutes each day. I tend not to force it as like you say don't want to make it a chore.
Or find another friend to do practise with?
But as someone else has said, maybe don't push it if they aren't showing great interest? My eldest is just ready at seven and a half but there is no way the five year old would play!
Good luck!
BM x
- 13 October 2011 at 04:20
- Kit said...
I was also surprised to discover the new identity of crotchets and quavers over here in SA too.
My daughter only started the piano at 10 and she tends to practise with just the occasional reminder for about 10 minutes most days. But she has chosen to play and enjoys it, so it's easy enough. Perhaps just have the piano open and in a space where you are anyway so they will gravitate towards it for five minutes or so while you are cooking or something, as Bush Mummy suggested?
- 13 October 2011 at 11:03
- Anonymous said...
One of my 8 year old twin boys is learning piano.He has an amazing teacher(we're in the UK).She uses the Tunes for Ten Fingers books(very easy tunes,pictures) and he's addicted.He has a keyboard in his bedroom(complete with whizzy buttons) and he plays 2 or 3 times a day without me ever telling him too.He loves the books and the keyboard.Have promised to buy him the easy Beatles piano book(and a piano) if he keeps it up. Making it fun and accessible is the key imvho. .Lot's of praise re the 'music' they're creating too
- 13 October 2011 at 13:12
- Circles in the Sand said...
Oh I'm laughing at you taping your cello practice! That's hilarious! I remember being 'sacked' by a flute teacher who told my mum I wasn't interested enough and she didn't want to teach me anymore! My mum was so cross with me! But it was on Saturday mornings when all I wanted to do was hang out at the tennis club with my mates looking at all the hot coaches! Love your blog makeover, looks fab!
- 13 October 2011 at 16:03
- Home Office Mum said...
no idea. I would love, love, love for my boys to learn music - and they do violin at school (badly) but just getting them to read Biff and Chip books is a nightmare so I can't imagine getting them to practice an instrument.
- 13 October 2011 at 16:51
- nappy valley girl said...
Wow, lots of fabulous tips here - and different ideas of when to practice. I think we are going to go with before bath time for the moment and see how it goes. Having said that, Littleboy 1 surprised me by coming home from school the other day and announcing he wanted to practice! (He was still too manic in the lesson, though. Can't have everything).
- 14 October 2011 at 08:54
- Knackered Mother said...
Oh man, this makes me feel guilty. We're hopeless at practicing at home...think little and often is the answer. Will start new regime on Monday!
- 14 October 2011 at 16:14
- angelsandurchinsblog said...
Half notes, etc, don't sound nearly as poetic, though I suspect they'll be harder to learn. We're doing piano lessons too, and while older boy is loving the lessons (teacher gives stickers...) practice is harder. Our piano is on the first floor so I try and build in a practice, however short, on the way to bath each evening. I get the other children to clap, and he sometimes enjoys making a performance out of it. At other times he really doesn't. Good luck.
- 16 October 2011 at 10:48
- Potty Mummy said...
We have the same problem with Boy #1 and guitar. He enjoys the lessons, but getting him to practice is a battle. If we manage 3 x a week (only 10 minutes a time), then I think we're winning... Good luck with working out your own compromise!
- 17 October 2011 at 02:21
- Michelloui | The American Resident said...
Wish I had the magic advice. My daughter played cello for about 6 years and enjoyed it, but found practice difficult because it was so much effort just to get the instrument ready. Now she plays piano and will just wander into the room with the piano and start playing at any sort of time in the evening or on weekends and will play for up to an hour. I think that is partly because it's just there waiting to be played, partly because she is older and has caught on quicker (using fun and recognisable tunes helps too), and partly because there's several musicians in the family that enjoy playing or singing (I'm not one of them).
- 17 October 2011 at 18:07
- Jo Beaufoix said...
We have it a little easier as Miss E (11) is in Cantamus Training Choir so her instrument is her voice - therefore she can take it anywhere. It's still hard to find 'time' though. I love all the advice here. A little is definitely better than nothing. I was forced into piano lessons and grew to hate them. But then my piano teacher was a witch with a snoring dog. Honest.
- 20 October 2011 at 18:57
- Anonymous said...
My son's wonderful piano teacher told me that she paid her kids to practice in the early years. Her point was that in the beginning, your child is learning music because you want her/him to learn. She didn't pay a lot, but enough to make practice rewarding when it wasn't really fun or musical yet. We never paid for report cards in our family, but I did pay for music practice. I'm sure it's not everyone's answer, but it seemed like a reasonable one for us.
- 2 November 2011 at 01:19
- Millie said...
Hi! I know I'm commenting on a post that's several months old, so forgive me if this comment is unnecessary, but I've really enjoyed looking through your blog, and this is the first one I can really comment on, so here goes!
I've played the piano since I was 8 years old, and while I'm an adult now and practice everyday (sometimes even for several hours), when I was younger my parents were lucky to see me practice more than once a week, let alone every day. But, they practically had to drag me away from the piano when it was a piece I enjoyed playing! Thankfully, I'm more disciplined now, but maybe it would help if your kids practiced songs they know and like, at least at first. Like if they enjoy singing Christmas carols (easy ones, like Jingle Bells or something), even though Christmas has passed, then maybe you could ask their teacher to show them how to play them on the piano.
- 18 January 2012 at 17:05


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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – MIT outscored Springfield College, 30-10, in the second half en route to a 53-28 win in a NEWMAC women's basketball game on Saturday afternoon. The 25-point margin of victory is the largest for the Engineers against the Pride (2-12, 0-8 NEWMAC) and helped them improve to 7-7 on the year and 3-5 in conference action. Freshman Maya Ramachandran (Fremont, Calif.) and sophomore Mari Kordell (Ijamsville, Md.) both registered a game-high 12 points for MIT as Ramachandran added 12 rebounds, six blocks, and two assists.
Junior Rachel Hunt (Arlington Heights, Ill.) posted six points, four rebounds, and three blocks as sophomore Michelle Battipaglia (Katonah, N.Y.) collected five rebounds, two steals, and a block for the Cardinal and Gray. Senior Lauren Sascha Burton (Seattle, Wash.) notched four rebounds, four assists, and two steals while freshman Durva Bhandare (North Brunswick, N.J.) chipped in seven points. As a team, MIT shot 48 percent for the day while holding Springfield to a shooting performance of 19 percent and out-rebounded the Pride, 39-28.
A layup by Hunt and then a three-pointer from junior Tamara Pena (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) gave the Engineers an early lead, but Springfield replied with an 8-1 spurt which put it in front, 8-6, after five minutes expired. MIT responded with a 17-4 run that put it ahead for good and established a 23-12 advantage with 2:20 left in half. The Pride countered by generating six straight points to enter the intermission trailing, 23-18.
The hosts carried the momentum into the second stanza as two free throws on their opening possession brought them within three. On the Engineers' ensuing trip down the court Kordell buried a three-pointer, igniting a 25-3 run that was capped by sophomore Osheiza Otori's (Metairie, La.) trifecta which resulted in a 48-23 lead with 5:43 on the clock. After being held scoreless for eight minutes, Springfield produced the next five points. MIT then finished off the game at the charity stripe with Ramachandran converting both of her attempts and Bhandare going 3-of-4 at the line.
Next up for MIT will be a road trip to NEWMAC foe Wheaton College on Wednesday, January 16.


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I thought a Zombie Yin-Yang would be a nice way to represent the debate between which is worse…or better, slow-moving or fast-moving zombies. I guess Yin zombies would be the classic slow moving, can't figure out a doorknob type of zombies that you can just walk around to avoid. Yang zombies would be the more modern type that can sprint, leap, climb stuff and will probably end up eating your face off no matter what you do. I prefer watching the quick ones, but when they actually start showing up around town I really hope they're the slacker zombies I can kill with a spork.
Made with Adobe Illustrator CS5.


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Items where Author is "Valyi Nagy, I."
Group by: Item Type | No Grouping
Jump to: Article
Number of items: 1.
Kis, Z. and Pállinger, Éva and Endrész, Valéria and Burián, Katalin and Jelinek, Ivett and Gönczöl, Éva and Valyi Nagy, I. (2004) The interactions between human dendritic cells and microbes; possible clinical applications of dendritic cells. Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.], 53 (9). pp. 413-423. ISSN 1420-908X


text:
A few weeks ago I received an email from Laurel O'Boyle, a 7th grade English teacher in Michigan who said the class was reading Alex Van Helsing-- and that several of the students had become really enthusiastic, and did I mind getting some student letters, and would I answer them?
I said I would love to get student letters, and I'd make a valiant effort to answer them. So herein are the letters from Ms. O'Boyle's 7th Grade English class.
What they wanted to know surprised me-- why vampires, they'd ask over and over. And why do the vampires wear white? And most of all, why do vampires on a college campus wear T-shirts that say "Meat is Murder." Yes. The most constant question was why vampires would wear an old The Smiths t-shirt.
I loved these letters and I'm very thankful.
Thanks guys for making my week!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the following letters. I thought it would be easier to send them all to you. I am pleased with the questions and predictions some of my students made. I hope you enjoy them as well.
I had them do two things in their letters, write a prediction of what the next book will be about (they know there are more books, but they haven't looked at them yet) and ask you any questions about Vampire Rising that they had.
Dear Mr. Jason Henderson
This book was very interesting. It kept me thinking through the whole book. I predict that in the next book the whole Van Helsing family will start vampire hunting, I predict this because in the book it said that "the Van Helsings use to hunt vampires."
I have a few questions. Why is everything at the vampire school white? Why do their shirts say "meat is murder"? Why did you choose vampires and not skeletons, zombies, or something? Why didn't you say anything more about Alex's family?
Garrett Bowen
Thanks Garrett! Well, you're right about one thing—Alex's family will be seen more in Book 2 and beyond. In Book 2 his parents actually show up, while in Book 3 his sister Ronnie helps out a lot, although she does it by remote, through Skype, basically. Ronnie has her own comic book, by the way: Sword of Dracula. And now I'm pitching some new novels starring Ronnie.
The vampires who have shirts that say "meat is murder" wear them as a joke—the vampires just think it's funny. That's actually a T-shirt you used to see on campuses a lot.
As for what kind of monsters—basically, in this universe we can have any kind of monster, but the vampires are the most dangerous, because they're the smartest.
Dear Mr. Henderson
I really liked how you took the time to write these books for people to read. I liked how much action you put in this book. You added a lot of missions for Alex to do, and you had Mr. Sangster help him through most of it.
Now I have a few questions for you. Why were the vampires wearing white at the school but the guards were wearing red? How did you come up with all the cool characters and scenes in this book?
In the next book I think Alex and Sangster will find Claire, and they will melt Icemaker; I further predict that Alex, and Sangster will get in a fight with Icemaker and kill him. I predict this because Sangster and Alex don't like Lord Byron, so they won't have to see him and fight with him anymore.
Ashley Albert
Saranac Community Schools
Hi Ashley!
I had the vampires wear white because in many cultures it's the color of death. Also I just thought it would look cool.
How did I come up with these characters? Any time I start a book, I try to think of what characters would work well, what's missing? For instance, Alex needed some friends, and then I just thought of what kind of guys would be fun for him to hang out with, and Paul and Sid were born.
Your predictions have a lot to do with Book 3, actually, hint hint…
Dear Mr. Jason Henderson
From reading the first novel to your books Alex Van Helsing, I have made some predictions about your next book. In my mind, I can see Claire rising, and becoming the leader of Scholomance, making other vampires rise from the dead. I believe that Paul and Sid will embark on the journey with Alex to save more captives in the Scholomance.
Some questions I have about Vampires Rising are: Why do the vampires wear all white? And is Icemaker really frozen or is it a trick?.
Sammy Eyestone
Sammy! Excellent predictions, but no comment. These answers will be given, though! And yes: Icemaker is truly frozen—but will he stay that way?
Dear Mr. Jason Henderson,
I've really never written a letter to an author before. You must take my word for it, you do a dang good job at making a vampire book. I kind of bet, your book was better than Twilight. Your book has a lot of details about the characters. I must say I really loved your book. If I had to rate it, I would rate it a 10/10. It was a real adventure about vampires. Some parts of the book got me to the edge of my seat.
I am predicting after the book that the Blob that Mr. Sangster was talking about will appear at Glenarvon Academy and work with Icemaker when he will be thawed. I believe Alex's family will appear.
My questions are: why are the vampires dressed in white? Why are they wearing "Meat Is Murder" t-shirts? Where did you get the idea for Icemaker? Why did you choose Lake Geneva for the setting of this story?
Oh, that's so kind! Thanks Maverick! My gosh, I am thrilled to be compared in any sense with Twilight. Okay: I have no plans yet for The Blob (but you should check out that awesome movie with Steve McQueen), but your other guesses aren't far from wrong. See above for comments on their white clothes and ironic t-shirts.
I chose Lake Geneva for the very reason Sangster is lecturing on it—Lake Geneva is where the great Romantic writers gathered to start Frankenstein and the early vampire novels. Since Alex Van Helsing is in a world where books really matter, Lake Geneva was a really important place to be.
Dear Mr. Henderson,
I like your book Vampire Rising. It was very interesting because it had a lot of action and I like to read books like that.
I think that in the next book the Scholomance is going to attack and try to get Icemaker back.
I was wondering why there were shirts that said "Meat is Murder" on them. It confused me because vampires drink blood and that kills.
I hope to read another Alex Van Helsing book.
Thank you Caitlynn! And I promise you, I think the later books are even better at balancing story and action adventure. At least I tried to do that! And yes, see above: the Meat Is Murder t-shirts are ironic.
Dear Mr. Henderson,
I liked the book; it was very good with detail. I liked all of the action about the vampires.
I think in the next book there will be more people, like Alex's mom, and Icemaker will be thawed by the vampires.
A couple of questions I have are: Why did Alex go in the cave by himself? Why did Mr. Sangster not tell Alex why it takes so short to heal his leg?
Hi Blake! Stay tuned for more hints about Sangster. But why did Alex go in alone? Because he thought it was the only way to get his friends back, and that's what heroes do. Without that there wouldn't be a book!
But to let you in on a secret, in an early version, Alex went in with Agent Armstrong.
Dear Mr. Henderson,
I loved your book Vampire Rising. I hope there are more books about Alex. Your book is the best I've read this year.
I predict that the next book is going to be about vampires and more about Alex's family. I also think that Icemaker will get unfrozen in the next book.
My questions are why do the vampires wear white and how did you come up with the characters?
Autum, so far there are two more books, and with any luck more to come!
Dear Mr. Henderson,
You are a great book writer. I enjoyed your book.
I think what will happen in the next book is: Alex and Mr. Sangster will go on another adventure. It will have to do with Claire and Icemaker. Claire is a skeleton and becomes a vampire person. Icemaker is going to unfreeze. Icemaker and Claire are going to hunt Alex down. Alex gets caught. His friends Paul, Sid, and Minhi get Mr. Sangster and try to save Alex. Those are my ideas for the next book.
My questions for you are: Where did your ideas come from for writing this book? Is the ice dog (revenant tracker) going to be in the next book? Is Mr. Sangster a part of Alex's family, like his uncle? Why were different vampires wearing read and white?
Mykal Palmer
Wow, thanks Mykal! Your guesses are strong—in the very next book, we dive more into Alex learning to be a spy. But the heaviest stuff about Icemaker, Claire and more comes in Book 3!
Sangster is not part of Alex's family, though—he's what we call a mentor, someone who helps you and in many ways can become like family. Thanks!
Dear Mr. Henderson,
I loved your book and its action.
I predict in the next book, Icemaker will come back and kill Sangster because Sangster was the one who helped keep Icemaker from resurrecting Claire again and from killing Alex.
Why doesn't Minhi fall in love with Alex in the book? Why did you choose to start with action instead of Alex waking up in his bed?
Sincerely, your biggest fan,
Christian Laney
Christian, Hm. Why doesn't Minhi fall for Alex? I'll bet Alex asks that question every day. And in Book 3 he kind of asks it out loud.
Dear Mr. Henderson,
Your book was very interesting. I really enjoyed reading this book. Where did you get inspired to write a book about vampires? Also, I liked how creative you were in this story. Where did you come up with all this? Like, did you make it up, or did you read it somewhere?
I liked how you left it a mystery what will happen in the next book. I predict that Icemaker will return in the next book. Will Claire rise in the next book? Will Sid, Minhi, and Paul become agents like Alex?
Sara, thanks so much for your kind words—I just really wanted to create a whole world of action and mystery that was similar to adventure stories I read and loved when I was young. So this world is really our world, just with a lot of monster literature underneath it.
Dear Mr. Henderson,
I love your book. I have a few questions about Vampire Rising. Where did you get your inspiration? Why is the grass white in the Scholomance? Why is the book based in Europe? Did you base it there because of your own interest in Lord Byron? My prediction for the next book is that Alex will be back and this time, there will be a zombie apocalypse.
Stan, I actually have a proposal for a zombie apocalypse book with Ronnie Van Helsing, so who knows!
The grass is white at the Scholomance because everything down there is plum wrong.
Dear Mr. Henderson,
I like the book Vampire Rising. It was a very action filled adventure. I would definitely like to read the second book. I predict the second book will be about demon werewolves.
Why did you choose to write about vampires? Why is the Scholomance under water?
Nick, thanks so much! The Scholomance is under water because it's a great place to hide!
Dear Mr. Henderson,
I think Alex is going to take out the Scholomance and beat the new vampire leader in the next book. I think the next book will be good. I like the creativity in the book. My question is, why do the vampires wear "meat is murder" shirts? Did you plan on Sangster being a vampire since he healed so fast?
The book was great. Thank you.
Lucas Holtforth
Lucas, see above about the shirts—but Sangster has his own secrets. By all means read on!
Dear Mr. Henderson,
I loved your book Vampire Rising. It was a good book to read and I don't like to read very many books.
I predict the next book will have Icemaker's followers find where Icemaker is frozen and unfreeze him by breaking into where he is at. They will kill everyone in there guarding Icemaker, except one to tell Alex what happened. Alex will be a full agent and he will be training Paul to be an agent. Minhi will get bit and turn into a vampire. Alex will get his butt kicked by Minhi with her moves. In the end Minhi will be turned back into a human.
How did you come up with the characters Minhi, Sangster, Alex, Sid and Paul? Why did you pick vampires for Alex's enemies? How do you like your book?
Ashley Dulyea
Ashley, ooh, your questions about Icemaker lend me to say, just get to Book 3… thanks so much!
Dear Mr. Henderson,
I think Alex is going to destroy the Scholomance and the new vampire leader. I also think Alex, Minhi, Sid, and Paul are going to find Claire.
I didn't understand why the vampires wore white and not red and black, because in most books they wear red and black. Why did you have them dress like that?
Taven Haskins
Taven, thank you so much! And I had them wear white because it is the color of ghosts and death.
Thanks everyone!


text: Congress heard arguments yesterday from 11 witnesses discussing the pros and cons of government funded abstinence-only education. Late last year, a non-partisan group determined that abstinence only education doesn't work, and so the House's Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is reassessing funding for those programs. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Several witnesses emphasized that despite 11 years of federally funded abstinence programs, at a cost of more than $1.3 billion, teens are still having sex and becoming infected with sexually transmitted diseases. Those who support comprehensive plans said teens should get the information they need to protect themselves." WORD. [LAT]


text:
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This listing is courtesy of the BoatWizard MLS and may be centrally listed with another broker. It is offered as a convenience by this broker/dealer to its clients and is not intended to convey representation of a particular vessel.


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Petra, the fabled "rose red city, half as old as time", is a well known ancient Nabataean city in the south of Jordan. Due to its breathtaking grandeur and fabulous ruins, Petra was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
Petra was the impressive capital of the Nabataean kingdom from around the 6th century BC. The kingdom was absorbed into the Roman Empire in AD 106 and the Romans continued to expand the city. An important center for trade and commerce, Petra continued to flourish until a catastrophic earthquake destroyed buildings and crippled vital water management systems around AD 663. After Saladin's conquest of the Middle East in 1189, Petra was abandoned and the memory of it was lost to the West.
The ruins remained hidden to most of the world until the Swiss explorer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, disguised as an Arab scholar, infiltrated the Bedouin-occupied city in 1812. Burckhardt's accounts of his travels inspired other Western explorers and historians to discover the ancient city further. The most famous of these was David Roberts, a Scottish artist who created a number of accurate and detailed illustrations of the city in 1839.
The first real excavations of the site were in 1929 after the forming of Trans-Jordan. Since that time, Petra has become by far Jordan's largest tourist attraction, partially due to the exposure by the Steven Spielberg movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, in 1989. Due to the fantastic engineering accomplishments and well-preserved dimension of Petra, the archaeological site was chosen in July 2007 as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Get in
By bus
JETT buses, both ordinary and all-inclusive guided tour, connect to Amman and Aqaba. Other tourists come with organized groups, including daily trips from Eilat. Tours to Petra from Taba, Sinai and Sharm el Sheikh are also gaining popularity with charter tourism.
By minibus
The minibus from Wadi Rum costs 3 Jordanian Dinars (JD) each. It takes 1.5 hours to get to Petra. Have the Rum Guesthouse or your tour operator call the bus owner the day before to arrange an exact time for pick up. The bus usually leaves from Wadi Rum at 8:30 in the morning, but may be delayed due to weather or tour groups coming the other way.
There are also minibuses from Amman departing from the Wadabat bus station - these leave when full, and tourists are almost always charged 3 JD to get on. DO NOT allow the drivers to charge you for your luggage, as they might sometimes try to do, considering you're already paying more than the locals (who pay 2-2.5JD).
By taxi
Taxi is also a viable option. For 75 JD or less (depending on how much you haggle) you may be able to get a private taxi from Amman to Petra and back, including the driver waiting around for 6 hours. It would cost 24 JD for the two to travel by JETT bus, and allow you to see almost the entire site in an (exhausting) day trip.
Get around
Petra is an archaeological park, so the entrance fees are considered fairly steep compared to other Jordanian attractions. Visitors can purchase tickets at the Visitor's Center for 21 JD for a single entry and 26 and 30 JD for a 2 or 3 day pass respectively. A 3 day pass will get you a 4th day for free. A valid student ID card used to allow entrance for 11.5 JD, however this offer has been discontinued, it is not sure if it will become available again. Do not attempt to purchase tickets from dubious scalpers around town! Time permitting, the two-day pass is recommended, as there is much to see and do in Petra.
Guides can be hired from about 10 JD and up (depending on what you want to see) at the Visitors Center. You may want to take advantage of the knowledge of the Bedouins who work in Petra. Many of them were born and raised in Petra, and will gladly share their knowledge with you for the price of a camel or donkey ride. Alternatively, major hotels can rent you a portable Easyguide [5] audio guide (JD 10/day) for commentary in English, Arabic, French and Spanish. Easyguide is also available as a mobile phone service on all Jordanian mobile phone networks, a map [6] is needed to use this service.
For the terminally energetic, there are a number of popular hikes around Petra:
Eat & Drink
There is only one restaurant in all Petra at the far end of the Roman Highway, which does a roaring trade despite steep pricing. It also has the valley's monopoly on beer.
For drinks hot and cold, there are a number of stalls and vendors scattered throughout the area.
Shade is sparse in Petra, and on a hot summer day you can expect to go through at least 4 litres of water (and more if you can afford to carry it). The need for water in the winter months is much less essential.
In Wadi Musa, there are many more eating options. Of particular note, is Al-Wadi Restaurant on Shaheed roundabout in the center of town. Reasonably priced, and the servers are extremely friendly. Also great food that you will be unlikely to finish. Expect to pay JD2-JD4 for a main dish.
There is a bevy of accommodation in Wadi Musa, ranging from cheap backpacker guesthouses to five-star hotels. It is possible to get a night for 5-10 JD at a decent backpacker guesthouse.
Be aware : if you get a servees - bus - from Amman (or elsewhere), many bus drivers have deals with the local hotel owners and will phone ahead with numbers and details of any prospective guests. Don't feel pressured into taking these people up on their offers. Also note; many hotels offer 'cheap' rooms and harass residents (some more subtly than others) into taking 'their' tours and eating in their hotels. Unless you feel a strong affinity or trust hoteliers, book tours through another point and eat outside of your hotel as the food is often cheaper and of better quality.
A note of caution - all visitors are strongly advised to avoid the Valentine Inn. The owners are unfriendly and the prices are misleading. Additionally, there is a curfew at 11pm when they lock the doors. There are many other places which offer a better atmosphere and time for travellers.
Traditional Bedouin Style
There is another way of visiting Petra, and that is searching for accomodation in one of the Bedouin tents that stand permanently around the area. The price is a bit more expensive that the budget hotels, but they offer a taste of the ancient Bedouin lifestyle and meals.
Stay healthy
Get out