Pompe disease, also acid maltase deficiency disease, is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by an inborn lack of the enzyme alpha-1,4 glucosidase (lysosomal glucosidase; acid maltase), which is necessary to break down glycogen, a substance that is a source of energy for the body. This enzyme deficiency causes excess amounts of glycogen to accumulate in the lysosomes, which are structures within cells that break down waste products within the cell. This accumulation of glycogen in certain tissues, especially muscles, impairs their ability to function normally. Glycogen storage disease type 2 is a single disease continuum with variable rates of disease progression. In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the enzyme replacement therapy Myozyme as a treatment for all patients with glycogen storage disease type 2.


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Home > Celebrity > Actresses
Real name Anna Cooke Kendrick
Date of birth August 9, 1985
Occupation Actress
Who is Anna Kendrick husband? Ben Richardson
What is Anna Kendrick relationship status? Dating
What is her sexual orientation? Straight
Anna Kendrick husband and family
Ben Richardson (partner)
Date of birth: September 21, 1975 (45 years)
Zodiac sign: Virgo
Since February 2014, she has been dating English cinematographer Ben Richardson, after their meeting at the Drinking Buddies comedy-drama film production.
Anna Kendrick kids
Anna does not have children as yet.
William Kendrick (father)
Date of birth: December 1, 1946 (74 years)
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
Being a history teacher who surprisingly happened to work in the field of finance, William Kendrick is a wonderful father in addition. When divorcing Anna's mother, he helped his 15-year-old daughter go through that tough period. According to the celebrity, her father taught her that staying together for the sake of kids is a completely wrong approach, which outcomes are usually more horrible than the separation itself. William showed the teenage girl what healthy relations look like, not trying to receive the children custody or sue Anna's mother to divide the assets.
Janice Kendrick (née Cooke) (mother)
Anna's mother managed to develop her daughter's discreet personality even though the girl was a real menace in her teens. Today, Janice's relations with her only daughter are built on strong humor and irony.
Although Janice could not ensure Anna's success in Hollywood, back in 1995, she hopped on a bus with the 10-year-old girl and took a trip to New York in order to give Anna a chance of trying out for a supporting role in her first Broadway performance. After Anna was approved for the role, mother kept travelling with her back and forth from Maine to the Big Apple to let the daughter attend rehearsals.
Anna's role in The Accountant character-study thriller turns out to be either fateful or ironic, considering her mother working as an insurance accountant. For sure, the actress referred to her mother's experience while preparing to play a whip-smart accounting clerk to be more persuasive in her performance.
Michael Cooke Kendrick (brother)
Date of birth: March 2, 1983 (37 years)
Anna is not the only child in Kendrick's family who did not follow the parents' steps in teaching or accounting. Her elder brother by the name of Michael is known for the roles in a drama Looking for an Echo along with Celebrity Ghost Stories and Celebrity Close Calls TV series. Though the man's television appearance is not as proficient and impressive as his sister's, Cookie Monster, as he is nicknamed, keeps trying to make a mark in a filming industry.
Michael seems to share the same humor and playfulness with Anna. They are also known to be within the cutest celebrity siblings in Hollywood, attending most of official events together. His Insta page.
Having begun to develop her professional presence in theater productions, Anna Kendrick showed best of herself in the Broadway musical High Society, which earned her the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical back in 1998. The actress' film debut in the Camp comedy took place a few years later, but it was The Twilight Saga which helped Kendrick raise to prominence. Best known among teenagers for the role of Becca in the Pitch Perfect film series, Anna Cooke is a nominee for more than 60 awards, including Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards, owning 15 trophies in addition. The actress boasts her skills in different film genres: her performance in the comic thriller A Simple Favor and the animated comedy Trolls seems to back up her professionalism.
What is more, Anna is good at singing: she sang some soundtracks for the movies she starred in. Her song Cups became viral, proceeding to be the real hit for years since the moment of release.
Anna's collection of autobiographical essays, gathered in a 2016 memoir Scrappy Little Nobody, caused numerous controversies regarding Kendrick's sense of humor and talent for writing.
Ava Fulmen
Head Editor
2021 afalona.com / All Rights Reserved

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TN high court OKs lethal injection
The Wednesday ruling could allow executions to resume in the state.
TN high court OKs lethal injection The Wednesday ruling could allow executions to resume in the state. Check out this story on Tennessean.com: http://tnne.ws/2nAjCxO
Jamie Satterfield and Stacey Barchenger, The Tennessean Published 10:03 a.m. CT March 29, 2017 | Updated 5:22 p.m. CT March 29, 2017
Tennessee Supreme Court(Photo: Larry McCormack / File / The Tennessean)
The state Supreme Court's message Wednesday to murderers condemned to die was simple: It doesn't have to be pain-free or quick and you don't get a second shot at life if the first attempt doesn't do the job.
"The intended result of an execution is to render the inmate dead," wrote Chief Justice Jeffrey Bivins in an opinion upholding the state's latest procedure to execute the condemned via one shot of pentobarbital.
The decision puts to rest a yearslong battle, led by the federal defenders for Union County killer Stephen Michael West and nearly three dozen more death row inmates, over the way the men should be put to death.
West, who stabbed and raped a teenage girl in front of her mother and then killed the mother, has been on death row since 1987. Billy Ray Irick, a Knox County man who raped and killed a 7-year-old girl, has been awaiting death since 1986. Both have had execution dates set and then delayed. Wednesday's decision will prompt a new date with death for each of the defendants involved in the challenge to lethal injection, but attorneys vowed an appeal, so no executions are on the horizon.
Kelley Henry, a member of the legal team representing the inmates and a supervisory assistant federal public defender in Nashville, said the inmates will seek an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which does not have to accept it.
"Tennessee stands alone in requiring a contract with a pharmacist who must agree to violate state and federal drug laws in order to comply with the protocol," she said. "We will be seeking review of this novel protocol in the United States Supreme Court."
Two inmates involved in the case have already died of natural causes.
West, 54, broke into Wanda Romines' house in the Big Ridge community of Union County in March 1986 just after her husband left for work. She was cooking breakfast for her 16-year-old daughter, Sheila Romines. He and friend were drunk and looking to rape someone. The friend, Ronald David Martin, 17, knew Sheila.
The teenager was repeatedly raped in front of her 51-year-old mother, who watched her daughter being stabbed to death before she herself suffered that fate.
Irick, 58, was supposed to be babysitting Paula Kay Dyer, 7, at her Knox County home while her mother was at work in April 1985. Irick was a neighbor. The mother was desperate for a sitter. He was drunk and high. He raped Paula and then strangled her.
Their convictions have long since been upheld as legally sound, and their executions approved as appropriate punishment for their crimes. So, too, has the method of their deaths been upheld, even by the nation's highest court.
But in 2013, Assistant Federal Defenders Stephen Kissinger and Helen Suzanne Best filed a legal challenge to the state's latest procedure on lethal injection on behalf of West that was soon joined by Irick and the other condemned men.
That court action began in Davidson County Chancery Court. It has proven a mess of legal wrangling and delays, prompting appeals and even two interventions by the Tennessee Supreme Court itself.
Surrounding those courthouses was a public debate on the death penalty, growing numbers of exonerated death row inmates, a few high-profile botched executions and a scandal over how prisons were acquiring lethal drugs. Tennessee had a three-drug protocol. The state eventually switched to a single drug — pentobarbital.
Pentobarbital is a sedative that puts an inmate to sleep and eventually stops the heart — if it is administered correctly and in a high enough dosage.
But the state, like others across the nation, couldn't get the drug in its pure form if it intended to use it for executions. Tennessee, like other states, turned to what's known as a "compounded" form of the drug, essentially a generic version using powdered pentobarbital, water and a few chemicals. No batch is exactly the same.
The inmates' attorneys argued there was no guarantee the condemned men weren't suffering "cruel and unusual" deaths barred by the U.S. and Tennessee constitutions under the state's current lethal injection protocol.
They made an argument already echoed in courtrooms across the country and one that typically angers their victims' survivors: the killers might experience pain if something goes afoul with the drug's administration or if the drug itself is contaminated or out of date, and the killers might not be dead after one dose but still declared so.
Dr. David A. Lubarsky, an anesthesiologist and University of Miami professor, said he studied the executions of eight inmates in Arizona and "a couple" still showed brain activity after being declared dead. But he also admitted the dose used by the Tennessee Department of Correction is high enough to kill with a single shot. Tennessee queues up two shots for each execution, just in case.
The state's high court listed entire sections of the state's 98-page lethal injection protocol designed to ensure no mistakes occur. The injection machine is supposed to be tested once a month with saline to ensure it's not clogged. The drug — the source of which is kept secret from the public by state law — is to be stored properly with labels attesting to expiration dates.
There's no guarantee the Department of Correction won't foul up the process, but the possibility the state's execution team might make mistakes isn't enough to spare the lives of the condemned, the high court ruled.
"We hold that these mere possibilities are not sufficient to satisfy the plaintiffs' burden to establish a substantial risk of severe pain," Bivins wrote.
The court also rejected claims of an unconstitutional "lingering death" because it might take the condemned as much as an hour to die or that they could be revived.
"Respectfully, we decline to hold that a lethal injection protocol that causes unconsciousness within seconds violates the Eighth Amendment because it may take an hour or more for the inmate's heart to cease all electrical activity or because there may be some possibility that the inmate could be resuscitated after being declared dead," Bivins wrote.
The opinion covered little new legal ground. It is replete with passages from similar rulings across the country and by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Executions in Tennessee have been stayed while the legal challenge was pending. The last execution in the state was in 2009.
►Tennessee doesn't have drugs needed to carry out lethal injection protocol
►Tennessee Supreme Court justices hesitant on death penalty issue
►What 2,000 cases show about Tennessee's death penalty
►Nashville judge gives death row inmate new hearing
►Judge: TN lethal injection protocol constitutional
Reach Stacey Barchenger at 615-726-8968 or on Twitter @sbarchenger.
Read or Share this story: http://tnne.ws/2nAjCxO
Lawsuit: Sumner schools failed to protect child sexually assaulted by classmate
Man charged in connection with double-shooting at Gallatin residence
Senate passes anti-LGBT adoption bill
Nashville-to-Atlanta train service? Amtrak pitches Tennessee routes
Which train route out of Nashville do you want?
Five Points post office in downtown Franklin expected to close


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Q: How do I define preprocessor macros in Xcode 4? I have two targets set up for my app (a lite version and a pro version) and I want to integrate some subtle differences in the code for each of them (e.g. the pro version will not show any iAd banners).
I have been looking around and I see the easiest way to do this is through the use of preprocessor macros. The issue I'm facing is how to set them up in Xcode 4. I want to set up a macro called 'PRO_VERSION' in one target & 'LITE_VERSION' in the other.
Below is an example of how I intend to use them:
#ifdef PRO_VERSION
    // Hide ad banners
#else
    // Show ad banners
#endif

A: The build setting you need to change is called 'Preprocessor Macros' and it can be found in the 'Build Settings' tab of the Project Settings pane (use the search box to find it). Select each target in turn in the left-hand side of the Project Settings pane then modify the Preprocessor Macros setting.
The setting is specified as a space-separated list of preprocessor macros in the form 'foo' or 'foo=bar'.

A: I'm not on my mac at the moment, so I can't give full step-by-step directions, but I believe this should be accurate, if not as detailed as I would otherwise be.  Create a new build target.  Go to the configuration screen for this new target.  There should be a tab along the lines of compilation options.  In this tab there should be a row for other compiler flags.  In there, put -DPRO_VERSION.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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https://www.bitpanda.com/en
Web3 Internship – External Communications
Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Bitpanda is on a mission to reinvent the world of finance and bring investing closer to everyone, everywhere. Today's financial ecosystem is complex, exclusive and expensive, and we're here to change this as the #1 investment platform in Europe and beyond. Our platform is rooted in the belief that investing should be safe, easy and accessible to all. With Bitpanda, everyone has the freedom and flexibility to invest in what they believe in - commission-free stocks, cryptocurrencies or even precious metals - starting from as little as $1.
Our story started in 2014 with our founders, Eric Demuth, Paul Klanschek and Christian Trummer. Since then, we've grown to a powerful and diverse team of almost 1,000 people who represent more than 50 nationalities. Headquartered in Vienna, we're proud to be Austria's first unicorn and one of the fastest-growing fintechs in Europe. Our innovative technology serves over 3.5 million users and operates across multiple hub locations. Our products are built by fast-moving, talented, "roll-up-your-sleeves-and-make-it-happen" kind of people. If you're someone who thinks big, moves fast and wants to make an impact right from day one, then get ready to join our industry-changing team. Let's go!
Ready to invest in you? As an intern at Bitpanda, you won't be fetching coffees. Instead, you'll be empowered to grow and make a real impact — right from day one! By being on Team Bitpanda, you'll work with and learn from the best of the best, gaining a full insight into the industry. We also offer team bootcamps for learning more about the agile work environment, task management, blockchain technology and more. So come join us, and together, we'll continue to turn the world of investing upside down!
Start date: 1 May 2022
Working Hours: 40 hours
Your Mission:
You'll become a team member of Bitpanda's Global Communications team which has the clear goal to elevate Bitpanda's communications efforts to new heights. We're moving the needle for Bitpanda through telling insightful news stories, reputation management, thought leadership, while spreading the word about financial literacy.
Support Bitpanda's global communication activities and ensure that press material is up to date and available to both the internal team + external partners such as communications agencies.
Take responsibility for the creation of briefing documents and update the global media list on a regular basis.
Assist with media pitchings (on-time and real-time).
Help with creating and curating Bitpanda content such as the creation of newsworthy PR stories, data-driven stories and supporting with writing materials and translations.
Assist with administrative duties, schedule, coordinate and attend various events and perform research activities.
Motivated, ambitious person with hands-on mentality able to adapt to an fast-paced work environment
Experience with Communications & Public Relations is mandatory
Top-notch writing skills
Creativity regarding storytelling angles
Focused personality and attentive to details
DE or EN fluency preferred
What's in it for you
Flexibility-first approach to work* including:
Unlimited fully-paid Annual Leave
Recharge Breaks
20 weeks gender-neutral Parental Leave
Hybrid Working*:
60 days Work From Anywhere
€500 Work from Home budget
An attractive individual stock option plan* in a high growth company, and a competitive salary
Exclusive premiums when trading on Bitpanda
Occasional company-wide and team events - both in-person and virtually!
Top-notch "tech pack" – your choice between PC or Mac
A brand new, optimised-for-hybrid-working, HQ office located in Vienna's fintech hub (in the second district) as well as local office location hotspots in Berlin, London, Madrid, Barcelona and Milan (to name just a few!)
Bitpanda sustainable merch to keep you swagged out and living the Bitpanda brand
A global Bitpanda team of fast-moving, talented, "roll-up-your-sleeves-and-make-it-happen" kind of people who are united (across cultures and time zones) by our unique way of working
* These benefits do not apply for our internships
And, above all, the opportunity to learn & grow as part of Bitpanda's incredible journey to become Europe's #1 investment platform.
Bitpanda is committed to fostering a fair and equal environment based on trust and mutual respect. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace is paramount to our success and we are committed to building a team that represents a wide variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.


I have to thank the mom of one of my high school client's for coming up with this recipe. This is a nice change-up to the regular protein powder/water or protein powder/milk mix, providing much thicker consistency and taste. Just like a real milkshake from a 50s type diner minus all of the empty calories. A nice healthy snack for your kids, too.
1. 4-6 ounces of water, milk, soy milk or almond milk. I prefer Silk Vanilla Soy Milk, but if you're really watching your calories, use water.
2. 4 or 5 large ice cubes (ice cube tray size, 1″ x 2″).
3. 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese.
4. 1 scoop of whey protein powder (approximately 30g of protein).
5. 1 Tbsp of stevia or splenda for extra sweetness (optional). I prefer to skip this, but if your tooth is extra sweet. throw it in!


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KyleNau had the most liked content!
I've complained before that the mobile HTML5 market is largely overstated and that targeting it has become the entrenched conventional wisdom. I think it's ready to be proven wrong. The challenge is that you need a way to monetize your game despite everything in the HTML5 market being angled for mobile. However, millions of people are monetizing traffic to their websites just fine. There is no technical or market-size reason that you couldn't be successful. Look at how to monetize web traffic, not specifically game players. Then again, if you're already developing in Unity you might as well make a downloadable game where the potential upside is exponentially larger than anything you could make with web games.
My main point - going back to selling a game versus sponsoring - is that there is no one true business model that all HTML5 developers need to follow and I worry that "sponsorship" is the only business model being discussed (and sold) on this board. The success model exists for direct-selling games as well, if you want to check out Lost Decade Games' or Greenheart Games story. In fact, I wish those guys were active on this board just to offer a counter the sponsorship message.
All successes are outliers, in any business or creative endeavor. Developing games is a stupid way to try and make a living, let alone get rich, so the assumption I make is that most of us got into for creative reasons and, if so, I think it's smarter and just as likely to produce success by staying true to that. The difficulty curve is the same regardless.
I think this is a problem of tunnel vision where most HTML5 game developers automatically think in terms of sponsorship for their games. People have been monetizing web content for decades and there are a lot more options for generating revenue. In fact, the more unique and interesting the game the greater the number of options available to you but it changes the approach to development (both what and how) significantly. Licensing is a business-to-business transaction, the audience (for both parties) is pretty much an afterthought but you can always take your game directly to the audience. Examples: Dwarf Fortress is free, ugly and devastatingly hard to learn - but earns over $4,000 a month in Patreon (and was doing so for years before that using regular PayPal donations). John Battagline has a Casual Connect talk about building his business (and going full time indie) with freeplay Solitaire and Mahjong websites. And quality isn't the metric here as much as niche is. It's worth remembering that Minecraft started as a bare bones Java applet posted free to the public. Spelunky was a Gamemaker game, posted for free with its source code. We've all been in the sponsorship game and seen how... resoundingly unimpressive the sponsors are. If you're making something special, something interesting, you would be a fool to trust it to them for the pittance they offer. Had any of the above examples taken a sponsorship (allegedly the Dwarf Fortress devs turned down a six-figure offer) they never would have been the successes they came to be.
Good Ways to Fight Distractions?
I always felt like we shot ourselves in the foot by focusing on mobile-first with HTML5 games. We let the opportunity that the death of Flash presented pass us by We were all so in love with the idea of our games on phones that we targeted the weakest, most fractured platforms to develop our games on (using an unfinished spec)... and then couldn't understand why monetization didn't take off! Given a do-over I think I would have focused first on delivering top quality non-casual games for the desktop browser and then extended that into a mobile presence. Now the implementation of the HTML5 spec has finally caught up on mobile but the market is almost completely unchanged. Apps still rule and there are very few players (almost all small / regional) paying low fees for casual-ish games. Most (all?) of the HTML5 gaming tech startups that were initially shoveling out money to developers have withered and died. For better and worse, not much has changed on the business side. It's still trench warfare to make any money but it's also still wide open for opportunities.
It's important to mention that in the current environment you will still make much more doing contract HTML5 game development than you will licensing games. True Valhalla can correct me on this but I think in his income reports he lumps both contract work and licensing into the same heading of "HTML5 Games" revenue but a good chunk, particularly in the big ~$10,000 months, comes from doing contract development. I was never able to license a game for more than $500 and even that only after months of back and forth e-mails in broken English. Contrast that with $3,000 to $6,000 per game doing contract work locally, so that's the route I went. However contracts are a one-time payout for hours worked and it's hard to build a sustainable small business on that alone. Looking back I wish I had stuck with licensing on the side, because even a small passive income (no extra work required) of $300 to $500 a month can make a real difference in sustainability.
Should i use phaser or limejs?
A bit of a loaded question considering this board is owned by the guy who created Phaser Even still, between Phaser and LimeJS go with Phaser. Just checking LimeJS's github and it hasn't been updated in a year. Their site hasn't been updated since 2013.
If you're looking at web browser based games then you are developing in HTML5. However, Flash (now Animate) claims to let you author HTML5 games through some voodoo with CreateJS. They say it maps 1:1 your AS3 source code with HTML5 Canvas. I can't substantiate that, though. If you are looking for native app or desktop development then just go to Unity. By a wide margin it's the leading game development platform for indies.


text:
Industry & Innovation
Rethink the Rink
Manufacturing Futures Initiative
Bioengineered Organs Initiative
Engineering Research Accelerator
@CMUEngineering
CMUEngineering
For faculty and students seeking to commercialize their technology, or product idea, the following are some resources to explore.
Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship
The Carnegie Mellon Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, established in fall 2012, builds on the strengths of Project Olympus and the Don Jones Center for Entrepreneurship in order to advance university research and ideas. The College of Engineering now plays a major role in the center and encourages participation in center activities and entrepreneurial mentorship. The center works with CMU colleagues to create meaningful and lasting contributions to Carnegie Mellon's entrepreneurial mission, contributions that enhance the innovation ecosystem throughout the campuses, within western Pennsylvania and beyond. The center assists faculty, students, staff, and alumni across the entire community in exploring the commercial potential of their innovations.
The Swartz Center is suited for those with an idea and the drive to form a company or develop an idea toward commercialization.
AlphaLab
AlphaLab, a program of Innovation Works, is a leading startup accelerator that helps innovative technology companies launch quickly and successfully. Companies come from various sectors including web services, mobile, gaming, and physical products, with an emphasis on IT and software companies. Their program runs twice a year for 20 weeks. During this time, up to 10 companies are provided $25,000 in investment capital (in exchange for equity), office space, strategic business support, mentorship, and educational sessions to help them accelerate the launch and growth of their company. At the end of five months, the startups will present their company at AlphaLab Demo Day to investors and press from around the nation.
AlphLab is suited for those with a solid idea and a focus on commercialization.
AlphaLab Gear
Alphalab Gear, a program of Innovation Works, is a hardware and robotic startup accelerator that provides physical product companies with investment, mentorship and connections. They leverage their experience and network to help entrepreneurs make rapid progress through the early stages of product and customer development. AlphaLab Gear uses the same principles and methodologies as AlphaLab, Pittsburgh's nationally-acclaimed startup accelerator, while incorporating unique expertise, education, and mentorship in the areas of industrial and engineering design, advanced manufacturing, mass consumer distribution, and supply chain management. Companies received $25,000 - $50,000 (in exchange for equity), office space, TechShop membership, mentorship, educational sessions and additional benefits.
AlphLab Gear is suited for those with a solid idea and a focus on commercialization.
Innovation Works (IW)
Innovation Works invests capital, business expertise and other resources into high-potential companies with the greatest likelihood for regional (Southwestern PA) economic impact. IW is the single largest investor in seed-stage companies in this region and one of the most active in the country.
IW is suited for well-formed companies and ideas that are ready for commercialization.
CMU Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation (CTTEC)
The Center for Technology Transfer connects Carnegie Mellon inventions with the companies that can successfully introduce them to the public. These creations fall along many stages of the commercialization continuum, from embryonic technologies that, with some work, will fundamentally change an industry, to "off-the-shelf" technology that is ready for a company to bring it to market.
CTTEC is the first place for faculty and others (including graduate students) to disclose technology that is supported by CMU funds, sponsored research and discretionary funds. Students in a class situation generally do not need to contact CTTEC (although they are welcomed to do so).
Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering
©2020 Carnegie Mellon University Legal
"Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself." Andrew Carnegie
"As engineers, we were going to be in a position to change the world — not just study it." Henry Petroski
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." Albert Einstein
"Enlightenments, like accidents, happen only to prepared minds." Herbert A. Simon
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." Ben Franklin
"There is very little success where there is little laughter." Andrew Carnegie
"I think great artists and great engineers are similar, in that they both have a desire to express themselves. " Steve Jobs
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. " Will Durant
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand" Chinese Proverb
"Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." Steve Jobs
"There's nothing I believe in more strongly than getting young people interested in science and engineering, for a better tomorrow, for all humankind." Bill Nye
"At the heart of science is an essential balance between two seemingly contradictory attitudes—an openness to new ideas, no matter how bizarre or counterintuitive they may be, and the most ruthless skeptical scrutiny of all ideas, old and new." Carl Sagan
"Creativity...involves the power to originate, to break away from the existing ways of looking at things, to move freely in the realm of imagination, to create and recreate worlds fully in one's mind—while supervising all this with a critical inner eye." Oliver Sacks
"I just believe that the way that young people's minds develop is fascinating. If you are doing something for a grade or salary or a reward, it doesn't have as much meaning as creating something for yourself and your own life." Steve Wozniak


text:
Brunei Tourism road shows to lure Chinese
By Azaraimy HH in Nanning
"The Chinese see Brunei as an exotic place to visit, a unique destination that offers peace and tranquillity as well as beauty and colour, different from other Asean countries," Mr Songkai, Chairman of Beijing Longway Investment Co Ltd, said.
Some 10 top media personnel and 100 people from China's fast growing travel industry attended a Brunei Tourism Road Show in Guijing Hotel located in the high-street corner of Nanning City yesterday.
The road show is conducted by the Brunei Tourism Development Department together with members of the Brunei Tourism industry and with the assistance of Beijing Longway Investment Co Ltd, the parent company of the Royal Brunei Airlines General Sales Agent in Beijing.
It is part of a series of three road shows in Nanning, Kunming and Chongqing, where Brunei still relatively remains a less known travel destination.
"This is our strategy," said Brunei Tourism chief Sheikh Jamaluddin during the road show. "I am taking advice from travel agents here to fish somewhere that is less known.
"Some people asked me, why do we want to hold a road show in places where Brunei is still relatively unknown to the people. But this is like fishing, you never know what happens until you go fishing in that area," Sheikh Jamaluddin said.
With a growing number of affluent people in China, outbound tourism is on the rise, and Brunei could become a stop for them if only the tourism promotion keeps pace with China's growth.
Mr Songkai said Brunei still needs a lot of effort and it is an ongoing process.
Miss Lu Yeng, a travel journalist from Modern Life Daily, told the Bulletin that she does not know much about Brunei, but she said she knows Brunei as a coastal country, with beautiful beaches, lovely forests and amazing people.
After the road show, she said she would definitely feature Brunei as one of the hot destinations in Asean countries due to its uniqueness and nature. She said Brunei has a niche - its beauty and people.
Mr Songkai said the Sultanate's Empire Hotel & Country Club can be a destination of its own. He said China has a growing number of affluent people, and the Empire Hotel offers both as a beautiful getaway and a very affordable package that could make it as a frequent destination.
The Brunei Tourism said the objective of the road show is to increase awareness about Brunei as a destination and about the RBA flights available from Shanghai and Hong Kong to the Chinese media and travel industry partners at the three second-tier cities in China.
The road shows are expected to attract interest from market areas that are not yet exposed to Brunei.
The format of the road shows, according to the Brunei Tourism, will be the same in each city, and will consist of an evening reception during which a presentation on Brunei and RBA will be made, followed by a networking session between Brunei industry members and their Chinese counterparts, games, animation and prize presentation culminating with a banquet.
Brunei Tourism said the road shows are expected to result in increased sales volumes within a relatively short period of time, probably starting from the 2008 Lunar New Year holiday period.
It is customary for countries to embark on such promotional exercises for their key markets, and with China being Brunei's top market in terms of holiday visits, with some 30,000 tourists from China projected to visit Brunei in 2007, it is timely for Brunei Tourism to woo the market in a more direct way and take the opportunity to begin the road show in Nanning during their participation in the 4th China-Asean Expo.
Kuching-Macau flight for RM39.99 by AirAsia
KUCHING: Budget airline AirAsia is offering a four-month promotional fare of RM39.99 for its Kuching-Macau flight, which will be launched on Nov 15.
The fare excludes airport taxes, fuel surcharges and fees, and is for one-way travel.
The thrice-weekly flight is AirAsia's first international connection from Sarawak.
AirAsia Kuching station manager Shanmugamnathan Suppiah said as Macau was an important gateway to Hong Kong and southern China, the direct service would boost the state's tourism.
Continue reading at: Kuching-Macau flight for RM39.99 by AirAsia
Labels: AirAsia
Service fee sends rural flight fares in Sabah and Sarawak up
MIRI: Rural flight fares have skyrocketed with ticketing agents imposing a compulsory service fee of RM40 for a return trip to all rural sectors in Sabah and Sarawak.
Because of this, the total fare of an air-trip in rural Sarawak has shot up by as much as 50%, putting rural folk in a quandary.
There are about a million people living in rural regions in Sarawak, most of whom depend on flights for quick travel.
A Star check revealed that MASWings, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, had not increased its fares.
It was the ticketing agents who imposed the compulsory service charge for all sectors, regardless of urban or rural.
Continue reading at: Service fee sends rural flight fares in Sabah and Sarawak up
Labels: MASWings
International regatta promotes Baram cultural tourism
MIRI - The Baram Regatta which has been slated to be held in September next year in Marudi, about two hours' express boat ride from here, is expected to boost tourism in the constituency, Baram Member of Parliament Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan said.
He said the regatta should be taken as an opportunity for the people of Baram to showcase their colourful culture to the outside world, eventually drawing more tourists to the area.
"The regatta is an international event, so it should be the time for us to show to the world the unique cultures of the various ethnic groups in the area," he said at the closing of the Baram White Water Rafting Challenge 2007 at Long Apu, about seven hours by road from here.
He said the visitors' focus would not only be on the river activities during the regatta as there would be a World Sape Festival to be organised simultaneously.
At the festival, musicians from other countries will also perform using the sape, a traditional string musical instrument of the Kayan and Kenyah ethnic groups that is similar to the guitar.
Visitors to the festival would also get the chance to see the process of making the sape and other traditional handicrafts of the Baram people, Jacob said. He also wants ethnic groups less known of being traditional riverine settlers in the state to participate in the regatta for more diversity at the event.
Labels: Cultural Tour, Miri, Sarawak Culture
Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort celebrates OKTOBERFEST
Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort (STAR)'s Grand Ballroom was swathed in green, red, white, and yellow, teasing the eye from a main entrance designed to evoke the colours and look of Munich's Hippodrom. For one night, the Grand Ballroom became a small slice of Germany, in the resort's first celebration of Oktoberfest in 15 years.
Oktoberfest is typically celebrated between September and October, and has its origins in a royal Bavarian wedding from the early 1800s. It has since evolved into a fantastic 16-day festival that features all the wonders of hearty German food, plenty of polka music, and, of course, barrels upon barrels of beer.
STAR' one-night only version of the famed fiesta saw the resort's Grand Ballroom transformed into a luxe version of the standard Oktoberfest banquet hall. Over 400 guests sat at long tables, partaking of authentic German goulash, sausage, pretzels, potato salad, the trademark apple strudel and more, served buffet-style at a nearby marquee tent.
Continue reading at: Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort celebrates OKTOBERFEST
Labels: Sabah Resorts, Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort
Miri to host Fruit Festival
By George Francis
Miri will host 'Fruits Festival 2007' come November 3 and 4, featuring an exhibition and sales of Malaysian fruits.
To be held at the City Civic Centre, the exhibition is hoped to help promote and create greater public awareness on the commercial potential and nutritional properties of non-seasonal fruits such as papaya, watermelon, dragon and citrus fruits.
Themed "Towards Greater Commercialisation and Consumption of Quality Local Fruits", an official said the exhibition is also aimed rationalising an incremental consumption of local produce in substitution to the imported ones.
Among the highlights, there will be a launch of clones of several varieties of quality indigenous durian, the king of tropical fruits.
Labels: Miri, Sarawak Fruits
Whitewater kayaking in Kiulu
Follow the bubble line . . . that's the deepest part of the river," Tim the guide shouted as we were paddling down the Kiulu River. We were approaching Sweet Corner, a 50m-long stretch of rapids.
"Paddle hard! Keep your kayak straight. Avoid the rocks!" came the command.
I shot past numerous rocks, negotiating the turbulent water with some clever manoeuvring. After clearing the rocks and entering a calmer stretch, I relaxed, thinking I had these rapids under my belt. But before I knew it, I was swimming in the water!
Tim rowed over and towed my upside down kayak to the side.
"If you had continued rowing hard you would have escaped the cross current which flipped your boat over," Tim told me, with a grin.
The 30m wide river had narrowed to six metres at that bend and the rushing water had hit a solid wall which caused the cross current. That was a lesson well- learnt by this rookie white water kayaker.
Continue reading (incl. pics) at: Whitewater kayaking in Kiulu
Labels: Kiulu, White Water Rafting
American Tourists Eat And Practise Blowpipe In Sarawak
KUCHING -- A group of American tourists currently visiting Sarawak braved the heat and the muddy waters of the Lemanak River to get the unique first-hand experience on how the Iban tribe is adjusting itself to a fast-changing world.
The 12-member group, mainly from New York, is led by Datin Amy Hamidon, the wife of Malaysia's New York-based permanent representative to the United Nations.
This is the second time that Amy has personally organised such a visit by American tourists after last year's highly-publicised visit which included the wives of the British and Russian permanent representatives to the United Nations.
Continue reading (incl. pics) at: American Tourists Eat And Practise Blowpipe In Sarawak
Labels: Kuching, Sarawak Culture
Sabah Ocean Deep
By Anna Vivienne
Sabah is well known for its natural bio-diversity and this not only encompasses the mountains and the rainforests but the sea as well.
The sandy beaches and blue waters are a step towards the wonder of marine life, that divers have the privilege to enjoy.
In fact Sabah has several dive sites that are rated among the top ten best dive sites in the world. Imagine that. One of the islands that offer beautiful diving sites is the Pulau Tiga. This island is located within the Pulau Tiga park which is made up of three islands; mainly Pulau Tiga (!), Kalampunian Damit and Kalampunian Besar.
Pulau Tiga is relatively tranquil as there is only one resort there. The resort offers diving courses and will help novices and the experienced to go to the best sites for diving.
Divers can hope to glimpse bamboo sharks, cuttle fish, marbled stingray and healthy corals, of course.
The sea off Mantanani Island has been hailed as the best location to fish. Tall tales of fish spanning a man's hug that got away usually get told and retold by hobbyists.
Mantanani a group of three isolated island northwest of Kota Belud is populated by a few locals and boast one resort.
The sea off the islands boasts various interesting sights including three wrecks. And of course there are the menageries of marine creatures inhabiting the blue sea.
Divers will be able to see the Lionfish, Scorpion Fish, glassfish as well as various species of stingray when they submerge into the water here.
If you like photographing the small ones, such as seahorses, this is the place to go.
An alternative area is the Lankayan Island; this is located in the Sulu Sea north west of Sandakan.
The island is quite small and well known for its beautiful sunsets and white sandy beaches. Divers will also love the marine population there comprising of leopard sharks, marbled stingray and schools of parrotfish and barracudas.
After enjoying this island, you can hop over to Mataking Island, which is not far away from the well known Sipadan Island. Mataking is located north of Mabul and is about 40 minutes boat ride away from Semporna.
Mataking is ideal for divers who love to take photographs, especially if you love the beautifully coloured coral reefs and the marine life and swarm over them.
Divers will be able to see lobsters and giant clams as well as stingrays and barracudas.
And then of course there is Mabul Island. Although its initial claim to fame is its close proximity to Sipadan Island, this island holds its own where exotic small marine lives are concerned.
The sea teems with eels and frogfish and harlequin shrimps!
And if you want accommodation to dive in Mabul and Sipadan, go to Kapalai Island and check into the resort there. The resort there is akin to a water village, so it can be an experience of a life time. You enjoy the sunsets and the marine life in your compound at the same time for the duration of your stay.
It can't get better than that.
So if you feel like you have seen the mountains, the forests, the waterfalls and the rivers, go to the island and enjoy what the sea have to offer.
Courtesy of: New Sabah Times 'In' Sites - Sabah Travel and Leisure Guide
AirAsia set to fly to Singapore from Kota Kinabalu and Kuching
KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia has been given the green light to operate two daily flights each from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching to Singapore, taking the country a step further towards becoming the region's premier hub for low-cost travel.
Sources said the cabinet agreed yesterday to open the routes to budget airlines from the two countries under a reciprocal arrangement, starting in December or January once the logistics are sorted out.
The new routes will expand AirAsia's connectivity to more than 80 destinations across the continent, and provide additional connections for its sister airline AirAsia X, which is due to fly to Australia's Gold Coast on Nov 2, to Guangzhou, China at the end of the year, and to Melbourne and London next year.
Prices for the Singapore flights are expected to start at RM9.90 for return trips.
Continue reading at: AirAsia set to fly to Singapore from Kota Kinabalu and Kuching
Labels: AirAsia, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching
AirAsia's maiden flight from Kuching to Macau
SEPANG: AirAsia, the highly acclaimed award-winning airline, will soon commence its first international route to Macau from its Kuching hub and prove that the "Best Low Cost Airline in Asia" (Skytrax, 2007) continues to revolutionise air travel since introducing its low fare, no frills concept in December 2001.
The maiden flight from Kuching will take off on November 15, followed with three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Kuching will be the leading and largest low-cost carrier's fifth hub for direct flight to Macau.
AirAsia made history when it launched its maiden service to Macau from its hub in Kuala Lumpur on December 15, 2004 and was the first low-fare airline to do so.
Currently, the Kuching hub serves seven routes, flying to Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Miri, Bintulu and Sibu. Thus, the inclusion of its international network to Macau will not only allow wider connectivity between the fourth largest city in Malaysia and the gateway to Hong Kong and Southern China, but also to other extensive networks which AirAsia operates from.
Continue reading at: AirAsia's maiden flight from Kuching to Macau
Labels: AirAsia, Kuching
More tourists visiting Brunei
By Achong Tanjong
An increasing number of foreign tourists have been coming to the Sultanate in the past few years, according to the statistics recorded at the information counter of the Royal Regalia Building in the capital.
Many foreign tourists come in package group tours.
From January to September 2007, the Royal Regalia Building has recorded 69,623 foreign tourists compared to 84,049 recorded in the whole of 2006.
Some 65,493 visitors were recorded in 2004. The number also increased in 2005, said the information counter officer yesterday. Topping the list of foreign visitors to Brunei Darussalam were visitors from China. They were followed by visitors from Germany, Italy, England, America and from Asean nations.
Every Saturday and Monday, the Royal Regalia Building receives an average of more than 100 foreign visitors compared to other days.
The figure showed the positive trend of Chinese tourists arriving to Brunei.
The highest number recorded was in July this year with 1,577 visitors from China. In January, it recorded 796 Chinese visitors.
Peak months for tourist visits depended on the long holiday season in their countries.
Patrick and wife Elizabeth from Mccormack, New Zealand said they were very impressed with what they saw at the exhibition galleries. The couple, here on a two-day holiday, will be leaving Brunei today.
For the convenience of visitors from Mainland China, the authority has printed the brochure in Chinese and listed all the information available on what they will see in the building.
A must visit destination for tourists, the Royal Regalia Building's design incorporates characteristics of the philosophy of Malay Islamic Monarchy. It has become a landmark of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei.
The building is open to the public from Sunday to Thursday, from 9am to 5pm; Friday, from 9.45am to 11.30am and from 2.30pm to 5pm and on Saturday, it is open from 9.45am to 5pm.
Sweet memories of Mulu National Park
MULU: The six-member Henan (China) TV crew has sweet memories of Mulu National Park after visiting it as part of their four-day, three-night stay at Royal Mulu Resort recently.
They were happy with the international class nature destination that offered the best combination of resort experience, nature and comfort.
Assistant cameraman Wang Ke felt the resort designed in the style of ethnic longhouse was unique.
"I was amazed with the unique concept of the resort when we set foot on it," she said, adding the fact that the resort was located next to the famous Gunung Mulu National Park made the stay all the more fascinating.
Continue reading (incl. pic) at: Sweet memories of Mulu National Park
Labels: Mulu National Park, Royal Mulu Resort
Sabah sees tourism potential in water villages
KOTA KINABALU: The water villagers that dominated some of Sabah's major coastal towns have the potential to be developed as part of a homestay programme but they need to be spruced up first.
Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Karim Bujang said there were plenty of opportunities to turn such villages into a lucrative money-spinner for the tourism industry.
"However, resident and tour operators must work together to clean up and improve these villages to attract tourists."
Continue reading at: Sabah sees tourism potential in water villages
Labels: Sabah Homestay
Bruneians top visitors in Sarawak
KUCHING: Bruneians topped the list of foreign visitors to Sarawak in the first seven months of this year.
According to statistics from the state's Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism, of the 1.317 million foreign arrivals between January and July, Bruneians totalled 802,866 visitors, or 27%.
This represented an increase of 30% from the 619,309 visitors during the same period last year.
Bruneians enter Sarawak via entry points such as Sungai Tujuh in Miri, Tedungan and Pandaruan in Limbang and Mangkalap in Lawas.
Continue reading at: Bruneians top visitors in Sarawak
KK Mayor: We need more budget hotels
KOTA KINABALU: Property owners in the city centre, especially those occupying older buildings like in Sinsuran, were encouraged to turn their units into budget hotels.
This is because, many owners, notably in Sinsuran area, were found to have put up illegal partitions to make rooms to be let out to tenants, said the Mayor, Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim.
As a result, he said most of the units in Sinsuran are badly maintained and with illegal partitions acting as room dividers, which are deemed unsafe.
He said this when officiating the opening of a budget hotel in the city, Hotel Garden at Lorong Dewan (Australian place) near here yesterday.
"The overcrowding of tenants in Sinsuran has contributed to the blocked sewage and heavy grease deposits in drains in the area," he said.
Continue reading at: KK Mayor: We need more budget hotels
Do's, don'ts at an Iban longhouse
IF you are a first-time visitor to an Iban longhouse in Sarawak, knowing the basic do's and don'ts can save you from getting into trouble.
For example, entering a room belonging to a longhouse occupant without permission can cost you dearly.
Considered rude, an offender has to pay a RM200 fine as compensation.
It is also a no no to start a fight with any villagers. A RM300 fine will be imposed.
Longhouse rules and regulations, which are applicable to everyone, including the occupants of the longhouse, are posted outside the tuai rumah or longhouse headman's room.
"The rules were made to ensure peace and harmony among those who live here," said Jimbun anak Gong, the headman of a longhouse along Baleh River, located upstream of Kapit town in central Sarawak.
Continue reading (incl. pics) at: Do's, don'ts at an Iban longhouse
Labels: Iban Longhouse, Sarawak Culture
Brunei for 'Best of Borneo' in London
MIRI - The "Best of Borneo" tourism packages to be unveiled in next month's World Travel Mart in London will comprise products of Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak said CEO of Sarawak Tourism Board Gracie Geikie.
The composition of three territories, she termed as "golden triangle" in producing the packages to the new markets would augur well for tourism development; thus Borneo could potentially become a popular tourist destination.
"At the recent Borneo tourism conference, it was agreed that the Best of Borneo should not just be Sabah and Sarawak, but include Brunei - a country rich in culture and heritage - under its tourism tag - a Kingdom of Unexpected Treasures with which Royal Brunei Airlines flies to most destinations. So Brunei is very important to the Best of Borneo," said Gracie in an interview with Weekend.
In the packages, she said, Sarawak and Sabah would include promoting attractions in both states' rural areas, involving Malaysian Airlines.
"This is especially for a package to Mulu - a world heritage site which for the past one year was badly affected when the AirAsia owned FlyAsian Xpress (FAX) operated the rural air services (RAS) under the government's flight rationalisation exercise."
She said the London promotion is the right time offering packages of the two states' interior destinations with the interlining and connectivity problems solved with the launch of MASWings on Oct 1, a subsidiary of MAS, taking over from FAX.
MASWings under MAS is connected to 200 plus partner airlines and 16,000 travel agents worldwide.
"So with rural air problems solved, we've to synergise our marketing and promotion together. We can't just leave Brunei out. We must now accelerate to diversify our tourism to the world markets," she said.
Labels: AirAsia, Borneo Travel, MASWings
Royal Brunei Airlines resumes flights to Kuching
By Ahmed Shaheeb
Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) announced yesterday it will resume flights to Kuching, Sarawak, starting December 1, 2007.
The three times weekly flights to Kuching on Monday, Friday and Saturday will depart Bandar Seri Begawan at 9.55pm
The new service will allow RBA to make Brunei a key gateway to Borneo and allow passengers from Kuching to connect to RBA's other destinations.
RBA's chief executive officer (CEO) Ray Sayers said, " After A long break from the Kuching market, we are now keen to re-activate our services.
"We foresee great potential in re-establishing the Kuching sector with
the intention of serving the market to and from Brunei Darussalam and beyond."
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) lauded the move.
STB CEO Gracie Geikie said the move would further boost Sarawak's effort in attracting more visitors to the state particularly from all the destinations that RBA flies to.
Geikie also expects frequent travel between Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak, which will also enhance BIMP-EAGA collaboration.
Customers can book flights to Kuching through their travel agents, RBA ticket offices or online at www.bruneiair.com.
Labels: Royal Brunei Airlines
A Taste of Borneo Paradise - A taste of paradise on every page
By Arman Gunsika
KOTA KINABALU - Sabah, with its diverse selection of local delicacies, has the potential to become a tourist haven. Food can become a tourist attraction, as Sabah is rich with various types of local delicacies that are yet to be discovered.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said that with Sabah's 30 ethnic groups, there should be 30 different types of local cuisine that can be offered to tourists from all over the world.
"I believe that with proper ways and channels, we will be able to market Sabah as a food destination," he said at the launching of A Taste of Borneo Paradise, a compilation of 100 recipes.
The book, which collects the recipes of 40 chefs from hotels and resorts, was compiled by commercial producer Nancy Koh.
"People all over the world love to eat, especially food that they have never tried before, and here in Sabah, we have everything that we can offer," he said.
A Taste of Borneo Paradise boasts recipes ranging from appetisers, main courses to desserts.
Nancy described the book as a dream come true. The book was a compilation of many things that she felt strongly about, and that was food, photography and Sabah, she said
The book was to showcase what Sabah had to offer and to tell the world that Sabah was a beautiful and peaceful place to visit, especially with the variety of food available, she added.
Datuk Masidi meanwhile said the book would be useful as an additional reference not only for the locals, but also for tourists to know more about Borneo and the richness of its cuisines.
Labels: Sabah Cuisine
Preserving heritage craft from Sabah
WHERE local pottery is concerned, we all know about labu sayong (water pitcher) from Perak and pottery from Sarawak while local heritage craft scholars and collectors are familiar with the terenang from Pahang and mambong from Kelantan.
What about the lapohan from Sabah? Never heard of it? Not surprising as it's known only to East Sabahans and a handful of "outsiders".
The lapohan is not a vessel for keeping food and water. Instead, it is a traditional stove that's still widely used by the Bajau of Semporna despite the availability of modern gas stoves today. For the nomadic sea gypsies, Pala'u, who live in a lepa (house-boat), the oval-shaped lapohan is an essential kitchen utensil.
In efforts to preserve this unique craft, Kraftangan Malaysia, an agency under the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, has categorised lapohan as a heritage craft under its Heritage Craft Apprenticeship Project.
But lapohan is not the only traditional craft found in the quiet fishing port of Semporna. There are also lepa and lepa-lepa made on a nearby island and gong in a hilly village.
Continue reading (incl. pic) at: Preserving heritage craft from Sabah
Labels: Bajau, Sabah Handicraft, Semporna
E-BORNEO.COM WEBSITE IN MIGRATION PERIOD
To our valued visitors,
Please be informed that the e-borneo.com website is currently undergoing migration to a better server in order to serve you better.
During this migration period, some of our online service/script may not be working properly. Our emails have also been disrupted and as such, we will not be able to receive your email.
We sincerely apologise for this interuption and any inconvenience caused is very much regreted.
If you have a travel inquiry, please feel free to email us at:
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Labels: e-borneo.com
Extreme rafting challenge on Baram River in Sarawak
MIRI: The Ulu Baram Whitewater Rafting Challenge to be held on the Baram River at the end of this month will involve participants tackling Grade Four rapids – the second-most extreme for the adventure sport.
The challenge will cover 16 rapids – most of them having Grade 4 category – along the upper reaches of Sarawak's second-longest river, the organisers said here yesterday.
Advisor to the organising committee Lihan Jok said the organisers want all participating teams to be fully prepared before they embark on this extreme challenge.
Continue reading at: Extreme rafting challenge on Baram River in Sarawak
Labels: White Water Rafting
MASWings receives 3,000 bookings in two weeks
KUCHING: Sarawak has made a headstart in drawing back tourists from long haul destinations with the recent launch of the new airline, MASWings.
MASWings is a subsidiary of national carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS).
MAS area manager for Sarawak Shauqi Ahmad said MASWings had received some 3,000 bookings, including to Mulu National Park, a world heritage site, since its launch two weeks ago.
Continue reading at: MASWings receives 3,000 bookings in two weeks
Labels: MASWings, Sarawak
The unforgettable Bako National Park
KUCHING: Frolicking in the motorboat, swimming in the sea, picking shells on the beach and playing models, that was what the team of Henan (China) TV did at Bako National Park on Wednesday afternoon besides having a whale of a time.
Headed by producer of cultural section, Tian Lei, the other team members, director Geng Nan, reporters, Shi Chun Li and Chen Chen went to Bako to see for themselves the rich natural park Sarawak had to offer.
They were in the State to make a documentary film on Sarawak.
There was already an air of excitement as the four wearing life jackets decided to 'act' out the romancing couple, Jack and Rose in the movie, "The Titanic who stood at the bow of the Titanic with the latter's arms stretched out.
Chen Chen decided to play Rose and asked Geng Nan to play Jack much to the amusement of the boatman and Eastern Times General Manager, Ivy Ngo who escorted the team there.
As the boat was too small to have a bow to stand on, the two decided to do it sitting down.
Continue reading (incl. pic) at: The unforgettable Bako National Park
Labels: Bako National Park, Nature Tour
Ecotourism - the next big thing
By Zowy Costa
Ecological tourism or Ecotourism - for short, is a type of tourism, which appeals to the ecologically and socially conscious. Ecotourism focuses on local culture, jungle adventures, volunteering, personal growth, and learning new ways to live on the planet; typically involving travelling to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. It is considered to be 'green' tourism and environmental-friendly.
Responsible ecotourism includes programmes that minimise the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, an integral part of ecotourism is in the promotion of recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and creation of economic opportunities for the local communities.
Ecotourism aims to give people a first-hand experience of natural environment and to show them the importance of conservation.
Ecotourism is regarded as a sustainable tourism, which can continue without damaging the environment, as well as integrating the local community and involving them in the planning and implementation of tourism development.
Ecotourism is a low density and low impact tourism. Therefore it is considered to be sustainable. On the other hand, mass tourism is the destroyer of environment and considered to be unsustainable. Mass tourism lures in massive numbers of tourists, regardless of age, status, nationality and culture. However, some argued that ecotourism is sometimes regarded as 'egotourism'. With wealthy and snobbish people trying to get closer to the environment and therefore will cause much more damage than mass tourism. Jungle trekkers destroy the natural environment by trampling on the plants and species of the forest.
About 70% of Brunei is still covered with virgin rainforest, especially the areas of Temburong District.
Ecotourism plays an important role in Brunei's tourism industry. Temburong, rich with Brunei's flora & fauna, attracts ecotourists from all over the world. The main attraction is the Ulu Temburong National Park. Not only tourists, but scientists and biologists are also attracted to the flora and fauna of Temburong for their research. The Ulu Temburong National Park, being a forest reserve means that logging is prohibited. It is strictly controlled and managed to maintain the state of virgin forest.
Tourists can spend a few nights at the Ulu Temburong National Park, enjoying the beautiful scenery, witnessing various wildlife species and in addition to that, they can enjoy and experience the indigenous lifestyle of Temburong. Jungle trekking & hiking is one of the activities offered. The main attraction is the canopy walkway, in which tourists can enjoy the picturesque view from hundreds of metres above ground level. Adventure enthusiasts can also enjoy rafting and kayaking along the Belalong River.
Brunei still has room for improvements. Even though Brunei is a small country, it has the potential to develop its tourism industry, particularly in ecotourism. With the success of "Visit Brunei Year 2001", we can do the same thing and improve better for the forthcoming "Visit Brunei Year 2008". We can't deny the fact that tourism is the world's fastest growing industry.
Labels: Eco-Tourism, Visit Brunei
MASwings offers family fares
KUALA LUMPUR: MASwings is introducing Family Fares in Sabah and Sarawak on its Fokker 50 flights from Monday.
The Family Fares represent a 15% discount from full fares and are available for groups of three passengers (in one reservation record).
The group must travel on the same flight and date and must have at least two adults.
Managing director of MASwings Dr Amin Khan, said, "We are offering these special fares to encourage more families to start planning their holiday travel during the forthcoming school vacation.
Continue reading at: MASwings offers family fares
Sibu home to myriad of colourful cultures
SIBU: The largest town in Central Sarawak, Sibu, known for many of its historical sites, natural attractions as well as the flora and fauna, is also home to a myriad of colourful people and cultures.
The Ibans, the largest of the 26 ethnic groups in Sarawak and formerly known as the Sea Dayaks during the colonial era, are one of the indigenous people of Sibu.
Other ethnic groups, including the Melanau, Malay, Kayan, Kenyah, Punan, Kelabit, Saban, Sekapan, Lun Bawang and other smaller groups, which are collectively known as the Orang Ulu, are also found here, exhibiting their own unique identities and cultures.
The Chinese community, who live mostly in the towns, adds to the culture and lifestyle of the people of Sarawak.
Continue reading (incl. pic) at: Sibu home to myriad of colourful cultures
Labels: Sarawak Culture, Sibu
F2000 powerboat race heads for Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: The state capital will be the venue of the Formula 2000 World Cup on Dec 1 and 2. The event, being held for the first time in Sabah, will see 20 of the top powerboat racers competing.
The Malaysian leg of the race would be the last in this year's F2000 circuit. This year's legs include Portugal (March 26 and 27), Latvia (Aug 18 and 19) and Saudi Arabia (Oct 17 and 18).
Organised by Power Sports Events Sdn Bhd, the powerboat race, featuring participants from 11 countries, would be held in the sea area just off downtown Kota Kinabalu.
Continue reading at: F2000 powerboat race heads for Sabah
Labels: Sabah, Sports Tourism
Kota Belud's 'Tamu Besar' promises exciting event this month
KOTA BELUD: A handicraft exhibition,cultural performances and a colourful Bajau horse parade will be part of the "Tamu Besar" celebration here on Oct 27 and 28.
Member of Parliament for Kota Belud,Datuk Seri salleh Said Keruak said the Tamu Besar or Kota Belud's big open-air market celebration would provide the best chance for the public to see and appreciate the unique craft work and culture of the local communities.
"Kota Belud is a district rich in cultural heritage from various ethnic groups in Sabah,besides offering a beautiful panoramic view.
Continue reading (incl. pics) at: Kota Belud's 'Tamu Besar' promises exciting event this month
Labels: Kota Belud, Sabah Tamu
Tale of Three rivers - Garama, Klias and Padas
NAMED after an English governor and internationally famous for its Dutchman and Grade 3 waters... that's Beaufort.
The Dutchman is the Proboscis Monkey, an endangered species nicknamed Orang Belanda (Dutchman) by the locals because of its red face, potbelly, large nose and golden brown fur. It's found in large numbers on the Garama and Klias rivers.
Grade 3 waters refers to the scale for white water rafting offered on the Padas River.
In fact, the district was known as Padas before it was renamed after Leicester P. Beaufort, an English Governor in late 19th Century. Now, it is also known as the Venice of the East for its "off-the-ground shops", a practical way to cope with the annual floods.
The town is located 95km from Kota Kinabalu, a journey that takes 90 minutes by car and two hours by train. Beaufort is one of the major towns along Sabah's only railway line and a transit stop for those boarding the railcar to Tenom or heading to Menumbok to take the ferry to Labuan.
Continue reading (incl. pics) at: Tale of Three rivers - Garama, Klias and Padas
Labels: Beaufort, Padas, Proboscis Monkey, White Water Rafting
MASWings makes inaugural flight from Miri to Mulu
Photo shows the first MASWings Fokker 50 flight
arriving at Mulu Airport. - PHOTO: GEORGE FRANCIS
MULU - MASWings, a new subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines on Oct 1 took to the skies to serve Sabah and Sarawak. Its 30-minute inaugural flight from Miri to Mulu commenced at 9.20am, the first of 451 weekly flights to serve a network of 21 destinations in Sabah and Sarawak.
Deputy Transport Minister Malaysia, Datuk Douglas Uggah, MASWings chairman and Malaysia Airlines managing director/CEO Datuk Idris Jala and MASWings managing director Dr Amin Khan were among the first passengers onboard the Fokker 50 flight to Mulu.
They were later joined by the Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony of the aircraft bound for the next flight, Mulu to Miri was formalised by the Chief Minister who then inspected the interior of the aircraft.
Sarawak deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan and Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, as well Sarawak Tourism Minister Datuk Wong Soon Koh, Land Development Minister Datuk Dr James Masing and assistant minister, including CEO of Sarawak Tourism Board Gracie Geikie were also present at the event.
In Sabah, meanwhile, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman sent off passengers of MASWings' first flight in the state from Kota Kinabalu to Lahad Datu at 10am.
"We're delighted to take to the skies today, offering more frequency, better schedules and connectivity, and affordable fares to the communities in Sabah and Sarawak," Musa said.
Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said the policy of Rural Air Service operated in Sarawak since the era of Borneo Airways, started on Oct 1, 1972 as a cornerstone of air services for Sarawak rural destination that was continued on with the subsidy policy when Borneo Airways and Malaysian Airways were combined.
In conjunction with the launch, MASWings also announced its first community programme "Wings for Children". It is to provide a much-needed support to young patients and their families in rural areas - a free airlift for seriously ill infant and children below 12 years who require immediate medical attention.
Meanwhile, MASWings offers weekly frequencies of 168 Fokker 50 flights and 146 Twin Otter flights in Sarawak while for Sabah, 72 Fokker 50 flights and 9 Twin Otter flights are available. There will be 51 Fokker 50 flights and 5 Twin Otter flights between Sabah and Sarawak.
Borneo's fragile underwater world
The following is a recently published article from UK's Telegraph online by Tim Ecott who feels privileged to dive off the Borneo island of Sipadan, which we hope you will find interesting:
The leopard shark swam straight towards me, dark rosettes dappling its pale yellow flanks. Its high scything tail and sculpted sides, glinting as though sprinkled with gold dust, seemed curiously at odds with its blunt snout and toothless grandpa mouth. It moved lazily over the coral, but the strong current at the northern tip of Sipadan made it impossible to follow and I watched it slip over the edge of the reef into the darkening blue depths of the Celebes Sea.
Divers come to Sipadan, a tiny island an hour by speedboat from Borneo's east coast, to see big fish. Malaysia's only oceanic island, it sits on the edge of a submarine shelf above an abyss more than 2,000 feet deep.
As the current threatened to drag me out into the blue I swam hard for the shelter of an underwater rock canyon, where I found batfish with flattened, spade-like bodies and dopey eyes. Just ahead, a tornado-shaped school of barracuda turned in unison above my head, a silver funnel of 1,000 fish oblivious to the clumsy divers below.
Continue reading (incl. pics) at: Borneo's fragile underwater world
Labels: Borneo, Scuba Diving Vacation, Sipadan Island
Greater heights for tourism in Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: MASWings began its much awaited flight services in Sabah when it took to the skies yesterday bound for Lahad Datu from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) via MH3014.
The flight is amongst the first of what would be 451 weekly flights servicing a network of 21 destinations in Sabah and Sarawak.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman lauded the commencement of MASWings, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, and was confident that it would further boost the state's tourism industry.
He said by taking over the rural air service in Sabah and Sarawak it would improve air connectivity for both international and domestic routes and lure more foreign tourists to Sabah shores.
Continue reading at: Greater heights for tourism in Sabah
Labels: Lahad Datu, MASWings, Sabah Tourism
MASWings' network covers 21 destinations in Sabah and Sarawak
KOTA KINABALU: Fifteen orphans were among the passengers on MASWings' first flight here yesterday to Lahad Datu to mark the rural air service to Sabah and Sarawak.
The inaugural flight, a Fokker 50 bearing flight number MH3014, was among the first few flights of the network covering 21 destinations in Sabah and Sarawak. It has scheduled 451 flights per week.
MASWings takes over from Flyasian Express after 14 months. During that period, many problems such as flight delays and cancellations were reported.
The new company, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, will operate 72 weekly Fokker 50 flights and nine Twin Otter flights within Sabah, and 168 Fokker 50 flights and 146 Twin Otter flights within Sarawak.
Continue reading at: MASWings' network covers 21 destinations in Sabah and Sarawak
Labels: Lahad Datu, MASWings
MASWing takes to the sky today
MIRI - MASWing, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), will today commence its rural air service (RAS) in Sarawak and Sabah, taking over from Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) for a revival of tour industry to the Borneo states' interior attractions.
In conjunction with this inauguration at Mulu Airport, MASWing will also officially unveil its logo to be witnessed by Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
It has been a year since August 2006 when MAS, under the government's domestic flight rationalisation programme, handed over the RAS to budget airline AirAsia, which then subcontracted them to the inexperienced FAX.
The exercise saw a drop in visitors, especially from the west or Europe, as the tourism sectors suffered serious setbacks due to the air connectivity and interlining problems.
Compounding the problems, the airline switch had resulted in about 80 per cent of rural air services bookings with MAS being cancelled.
This is because, unlike in Peninsula Malaysia, the remote settlements and tourist attractions in Sarawak's interior depended on air services. By not being able to secure seats to the rural destinations online, thus the tourists or agents omitted the routes; the most affected is to Sarawak's tourism crown jewel - Mulu National Park - world heritage site.
FAX's reduction in flight frequencies or cancellations of RAS routes in the interior had also disrupted the local commuters' convenience and lifestyles, and that strong criticisms by the industry and people as well as both states had changed the mind of FAX bosses to hand the RAS back to MAS.
MASWing managing director Dr Amin Khan, meanwhile, said the airline would operate more RAS flights weekly and go all out through its agents worldwide in promoting rural destinations in Sarawak and Sabah.
Labels: MASWings, Miri, Mulu National Park
New attraction at Sarawak's Bidayuh longhouse
KUCHING: The Kampung Annah Rais longhouse, a favourite stopover for European tourists to Sarawak, is offering a chance for visitors to learn the Bidayuh traditional dances.
The residents of the 140-door longhouse will teach the dances for a nominal fee of RM20 per person.
To try out the colourful Bidayuh traditional costumes, the visitors need to pay an additional RM10 each.
The Bidayuhs make up the second biggest group of the Dayak community in Sarawak, after the Ibans.
Continue reading (incl. pic) at: New attraction at Sarawak's Bidayuh longhouse
Labels: Bidayuh, Iban Longhouse, Sarawak Culture
Service fee sends rural flight fares in Sabah and ...
International regatta promotes Baram cultural tour...
Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort celebrates OKTOBER...
American Tourists Eat And Practise Blowpipe In Sar...
AirAsia set to fly to Singapore from Kota Kinabalu...
A Taste of Borneo Paradise - A taste of paradise o...
Extreme rafting challenge on Baram River in Sarawa...
Kota Belud's 'Tamu Besar' promises exciting event ...
MASWings' network covers 21 destinations in Sabah ...


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GT Gain Therapeutics SA Announces Funding from the Swiss Innovation Agency Supporting a 3-year Research Collaboration Project with the Institute for Research in Biomedicine and Neurocentro
- Researchers will further develop the Site-directed Enzyme Enhancement Therapy (SEE-Tx)™ technology for the treatment of rare genetic and neurodegenerative diseases
- The collaborative agreement unites resources from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB)-USI; Neurocentro - Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC) & GT GAIN Therapeutics, SA
LUGANO, Switzerland, Dec. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GT Gain Therapeutics SA ("Gain"), a subsidiary of Gain Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on redefining drug discovery by identifying and optimizing allosteric binding sites that have never before been targeted, along with the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB, affiliated to USI Università della Svizzera Italiana) and the Neurocentro announced today that Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, has agreed to support the CHF 1.5M project by funding approximately CHF 850,000 to leverage these world class research organizations and promote continued innovation in the area of CNS diseases. The remaining support will come from Gain to cover the cost of related headcount expenses being dedicated to the project. The award specifically supports further investigation of the mechanisms of action of Gain's proprietary STAR small molecule therapeutic candidates on lysosomal dysfunction and prion-like transmission of toxic forms of protein aggregates associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
"Being recognized as an Innosuisse funded innovation project reinforces the support for our innovative approach and unites us with scientists and researchers as passionate as we are to discover new therapeutic approaches using our SEE-Tx™ target identification platform," said Manolo Bellotto, Ph.D., President and General Manager of Gain. "The specific know-how in protein quality control by Prof. Molinari at the IRB and the expertise in neurosciences of Dr. Paganetti from Neurocentro will certainly contribute to a further understanding of the mechanism of action of our molecules in rare and genetic diseases, thus accelerating their development towards the clinic."
Dr. Maurizio Molinari, group leader of the Protein Folding and Quality Control research team from the IRB added, "We are honored to be collaborating with the Gain team and to evaluate Gain's novel therapeutic candidates as we work to advance new, innovative treatment options for rare lysosomal disorders and neurodegenerative diseases for which there are currently few treatment options. We are grateful to the Swiss Innovation Agency for their support and look forward to initiating this critical research program."
About Gain Therapeutics, Inc.
Gain Therapeutics, Inc. is redefining drug discovery with its SEE-Tx™ target identification platform. By identifying and optimizing allosteric binding sites that have never before been targeted, Gain is unlocking new treatment options for difficult-to-treat disorders characterized by protein misfolding. Gain was originally established in 2017 with the support of its founders and institutional investors such as TiVenture, 3B Future Health Fund (formerly known as Helsinn Investment Fund) and VitaTech. It has been awarded funding support from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) and The Silverstein Foundation for Parkinson's with GBA, as well as from the Eurostars-2 joint program with co-funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and Innosuisse. In July 2020, Gain Therapeutics, Inc. completed a share exchange with GT Gain Therapeutics SA., a Swiss corporation, whereby GT Gain Therapeutics SA became a wholly owned subsidiary of Gain Therapeutics, Inc.
For more information, visit https://www.gaintherapeutics.com/
About the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB)
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine was founded in 2000 with the clear and ambitious goal of advancing the study of human immunology, with particular emphasis on the mechanisms of host defense. The activities of the 13 research groups now extend beyond immunology to include the fields of DNA repair, rare diseases, structural and cell biology. Located in Bellinzona, capital of the Italian-speaking Canton of Ticino, the IRB is an affiliated institute of the USI Faculty of Biomedical Sciences.
For more information, visit : www.irb.usi.ch
About Neurocentro - Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC)
The EOC multisite hospital is organized and managed as a modern company at the service of the patient. It has structures with clear segregations of functions and flexible management systems that foster innovation, accountability and simplification.
Our approach favors a collegial and participatory management style. General management and hospital directors form the EOC Management Coordination Conference, physicians are directly involved in EOC management through the Clinical Coordination Conference. The other professional categories actively participate in the management of the EOC within inter-hospital groups.
For more information, visit www.eoc.ch/en/Centri-specialistici/NSI/NSI.html
Any statements in this release that are not historical facts may be considered to be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially and adversely from the statements contained herein. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Gain Therapeutics, Inc. (Gain) expected use of the proceeds from the Series B financing round; the market opportunity for Gain's product candidates; and the business strategies and development plans of Gain. Some of the potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those predicted include Gain's ability to: make commercially available its products and technologies in a timely manner or at all; enter into other strategic alliances, including arrangements for the development and distribution of its products; obtain intellectual property protection for its assets; accurately estimate its expenses and cash burn and raise additional funds when necessary. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by law, Gain does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date they are made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Gain Therapeutics Investor Contact:
Daniel Ferry
LifeSci Advisors
daniel@lifesciadvisors.com
Gain Therapeutics Media Contact:
LifeSci Communications
cait@lifescicomms.com


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"A NEW WORLD record for throwing a mobile phone was set on Saturday by Petri Valta using a Nokia 5110 handset. The competition took place on Riihisaari Island, near Savonlinna in Finland. The distance covered was 66.72 metres which is around 219 feet using the 'original' style of throwing," reports The Inquirer.


Wemyss Malts is an independent bottler owned by the Wemyss family from Scotland. Since the 1300s, the family seat has been Wemyss Castle in Fife which is now featured on the labels. The Wemyss family have had a longstanding passion for malt whisky and their connections with the industry date back to the turn of the 19th century when John Haig (founder of Haig's) built his first distillery on Wemyss land.
With this passion came the gradual realisation that, even for the knowledgeable consumer, much of the malt whisky terminology can be confusing. The Wemyss range of hand crafted malts was conceived with the aim of making them more accessible and understandable.
Wemyss use the taste and aromas of the individual whiskies to identify each bottling, rather than the distillery, so the consumer can more easily understand the style being purchased.
To many 'blending' in the whisky industry is a dirty word, but with the Wemyss family's premium wine background they believe differently. All premium wines are 'blended', even the best Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, with the best being a blend of the finest different batches of separate wines. Wemyss see no reason why this approach cannot be used in malt whiskies. For these whiskies Wemyss are what the wine industry calls a 'negociant' - choosing and blending a small number of very fine casks.
Up to sixteen different single malt whiskies are expertly blended together before introducing the "signature" malts to create three distinct taste profiles under Charles Maclean's guidance: 'Spicy' (Spice King), 'Peaty' (Peat Chimney) and 'Honeyed'' (The Hive).
For the Spice King, Wemyss signature malt is from the Highlands, to produce a whisky with rich, full and spicy top notes. For The Hive, Wemyss use a signature malt from Speyside, giving vanilla and honeyed top notes and Peat Chimney uses an Islay signature to give top notes of sweet smoke, iodine and peat.
Each cask that is chosen for bottling is representative of the best characteristics of its regional origins and only the best casks are chosen by the Wemyss Nosing Panel, which is chaired by Charlie Maclean. This strict selection process limits the number of casks which are of the exceptional quality required to be elevated into this range.
After the Nosing Panel has selected the casks, they then delve into the flavour profile of these casks to ensure that the name given to each whisky reflects the unique aromas and flavours found within the bottle.
All single cask bottlings come in an individual gift carton, and are presented on a regional basis, reflecting the different taste profiles. Currently, there are five different malts in the range: Speyside, Highland, Islay, Lowland and Campbeltown.
All are bottled at a minimum of 46% but occasionally Wemyss comes across casks of such quality that they dictate bottling at natural cask strength. All of the single cask offerings are non chill-filtered and free of artificial colouring, such as caramel. Perfect when drunk neat, or with water, whatever your taste.
Wemyss Malts have a very strict wood policy, to ensure that they can consistently bottle the highest quality whiskies. They only use 1st fill or 2nd fill casks* to ensure that the wood is still active and can impart as much flavour as possible. Their 1st fill casks are rejuvenated by charring (the process of burning the inside of the cask to remove the old wood) to revitalise the wood before being re-used.
*1st fill casks are those which have previously held Sherry or Bourbon, but are being used for whisky maturation for the first time. 2nd fill casks are those which are being used for whisky maturation for a 2nd time.
Wemyss Malts are dedicated to producing the highest quality of whiskies possible, and so have also introduced a filling programme, in order to ensure quality and sustainability of Wemyss Malts in years to come.


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← Belligerence
Narconovellas →
Mexican Cartels Hiring U.S. Soldiers As Hit Men
Posted on August 2, 2013 by Max West
As the Mexican cartels proceed to take over the entire U.S. drug trade, and the United States as a whole increasingly resembles a Cormac McCarthy novel, I suppose this sort of thing is the logical next step:
Mexican cartels are recruiting hit men from the U.S. military, offering big money to highly-trained soldiers to carry out contract killings and potentially share their skills with gangsters south of the border, according to law enforcement experts.
The involvement of three American soldiers in separate incidents, including a 2009 murder that led to last week's life sentence for a former Army private, underscore a problem the U.S. military has fought hard to address.
"We have seen examples over the past few years where American servicemen are becoming involved in this type of activity," said Fred Burton, vice president for STRATFOR Global Intelligence. "It is quite worrisome to have individuals with specialized military training and combat experience being associated with the cartels."…
Burton said some soldiers become corrupted by gangs after joining, while others are gang members who enlist specifically for the training they can get.
"There has been a persistent gang problem in the military for the past six to eight years," Burton said, adding that cartels greatly value trained soldiers from the U.S., Mexico and Guatemala as sicarios – hit men…
Growing ties between U.S.-based gangs, which have long infiltrated the military, and the Mexican cartels could be making American soldiers even more readily available to the cartels south of the border. The FBI National Gang Intelligence Center reports its concern with gang members with military training poses a unique threat to law enforcement personnel because of their distinctive weapons and combat training skills and ability to transfer these skills to fellow gang members. As of April 2011, the NGIC has identified members of at least 53 gangs whose members have served in or are affiliated with U.S. military.
According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, Hispanic prison gangs along the Southwest border region are strengthening their ties with cartels to acquire wholesale quantities of drugs. There are also strong indications that in exchange for a consistent drug supply, gangs smuggle and distribute drugs, collect drug proceeds, launder money, smuggle weapons, commit kidnappings, and serve as lookouts and enforcers on behalf of the cartels, according to law enforcement sources.
The NDIC has also found that gang-related activity and violence has increased along the Southwest border region, as U.S.-based gangs seek to prove their worth to the drug cartels, compete with other gangs for favor, and act as U.S.-based enforcers for cartels which involves home invasions, robbery, kidnapping and murder.
Former Army Pfc. Michael Apodaca (left) and ex-Lt. Kevin Corley (right), murder-for-hire enlistees.
This entry was posted in Crime, Immigration. Bookmark the permalink.


If you experience repeated drain line backups, slow drains or clogs, a video camera inspection of your sewer line is highly recommended. Using advanced technology, it allows for a real-time visual inspection of sewer lines and other piping to determine the condition inside the pipe and pinpoint the exact location of any obstruction or issue. It allows a unique underground view of your pipes without excavating.
At Green's Plumbing in West Hills, our skilled technicians insert a flexible fiber optic cable with a specially designed high-resolution video camera on its tip that can be maneuvered through sewer pipes, capturing images on a monitor of anything from intruding roots, grease buildup or blockages. All the guesswork is eliminated and it's the most accurate way of quickly diagnosing and resolving issues related to your drain and sewer lines.
We also recommend a video camera line inspection before you purchase a home to ensure that the sewer lines are free of problems that could require expensive repairs after you move in. They can also identify pipe damage and obstructions that inhibit proper flow or create occasional or related backups.
Please Call Green's Plumbing at (818) 880-8847.


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The Cross River State House of Assembly is the legislative chamber of Cross River State in Nigeria.

History
In 2021, the legislative complex was renovated.

In May 2022, the assembly was occupied by protestors.

Functions
The assembly has three main functions.

 Law Making
 Representative Function
 Deliberative Function

References

State legislatures of Nigeria
Politics of Cross River State

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia