text:
It was late evening when we reached the border and once again we had to spend the night at the border post. As time went by we realised that it was a good idea to cross the border early in the morning. The guards were usually quite cheerful early in the morning and hadn't had time to get drunk or have their day ruined by someone pouring diesel over them. Camping at border posts, where possible, was also quite safe and quiet. The guards will often ask any hawkers to leave and bandits are usually deterred by the proximity of AK47s. At this border for instance there was a thriving little market selling food and other goods.
Nigeria is officially an English speaking country and this made our lives a lot easier. The border crossing was easy, although lengthy as the guards would engage us in conversation. "What is your country like? Tell me something special about your country". "The Kiwi, it is a small flightless bird", I pointed to the cartoon kiwi on the side of the truck.
"Do you have one for us to remember your country by". "Er, Kiwi's are a protected species and we can't take them out of the country...". Then we realised they wanted gifts. We gave away a few ballpoint pens and they were happy. The health officer also wanted something to remember us by. As usual we offered cigarettes. He was horrified and pointed to some press cuttings on the wall. Smoking is banned in public places in Nigeria with impressive looking jail sentences as penalties. We explained that we didn't in fact smoke and had only brought cigarettes as gifts for people. He in fact wanted tins of food to remember us by. We gave him some coloured felt tip pens, for his children, and continued on our way.
Our initial delays and return to England had left us with only a week to get into Cameroun, the next country, before our visas ran out. We had also been told some terrifying stories about how unsafe Lagos was and that there was nowhere to stay. We later found out that the stories were largely exaggerated and there was a beautiful campsite on an island which most of the travellers stay at. Instead we chose a direct route to the border through Kano.
Kano is a fairly large town and, like most places in Nigeria, is extremely busy. Nobody moves slowly in Nigeria and people were rushing madly everywhere. By this time I was fairly used to driving on the unfamiliar right hand side of the road. I had, after all, negotiated such legendary traps for the unwary as the Paris Peripherique and the Madrid ring road. These are simple tests for novices when compared to driving around Kano. There was a feeling that there may have been road rules once in Nigerian history, and maybe there will be again some time in the future, but now they are just stories to scare the children (and if you aren't a good boy you will have to stop at the red traffic lights).
Africa on a Shoestring
I had been worried about finding out the local road rules for each country in advance to ensure that I didn't infringe any traffic regulations. This was really not a concern. There are only two kinds of drivers here, the quick and the dented! You have to make your own gaps and (if you are in a right hand drive vehicle) have several extra eyes on stalks. In my case these were Fiona's. Through this melee we had to find our way to the one and only campsite. We were relying on the map in our trusty reference book "Africa on a Shoestring". After half an hour of aimless driving we realised that the map was wrong. The ubiquitous "Africa on a Shoestring", like all the Lonely Planet guides, is an essential item for the third world traveller. Almost everyone we met had a copy of this book, except people who had done the trip before, complete idiots, or Germans (who had an equivalent book in their own language). Everyone came to roughly the same conclusion. The book is essential but should not be trusted! Several times I felt like burning it. Many of the maps were hopelessly wrong, some of the information was almost dangerously out of date and there are directions like "follow the road 15 km out of town, turn left and in 20 km there is an amazing camp site". This has little meaning when there are twelve roads leading from town. The job of keeping a book of this scope up to date is almost impossible. Africa changes so rapidly that as soon as a new edition is complete it is already out of date. Sometimes it may have been hard to live with this book but it would have been even worse to try and live without it. Other travellers will refer to it by page number and when you meet other travellers you can update your copy based on their experiences. At this point in our travels we believed every word to be true and were annoyed that the map was wrong. Several times we stopped to ask for directions, which were even less reliable than the map. Almost by accident we eventually came close to the campsite and two local characters appeared on a (small) motorbike. They were waving to as and indicating that we should follow. In the back of our minds was a vision of tourists lured to their fates by people such as these. At the very least they would expect a 'gift'. Throwing caution to the wind we followed them around the corner to the government run campsite. The two locals were Mohammed and Hussein and surprisingly they didn't expect a tip. They were in fact campsite employees whose job was to help tourists. This meant that they were the official campsite hawkers and would be happy to help us. If there was anything we needed they would find it for us. For a small fee of course.
That evening we were persuaded (by Hussein) to take a tour of Kano with some people from an overland tour truck. In the end there was some confusion and instead we were taken to see the Dhurba which was a special festival to herald the end of Ramadan (and the restaurants opening again). The drive to the square was a minor adventure in its own right and gave us several clues to the road rules as interpreted by the locals. At one point the minibus driver got bored with the right hand side of the road, as it was blocked with traffic, and swapped onto the left side. He then proceeded to drive straight towards the oncoming traffic! Amazingly we arrived in one piece and as foreign tourists (albeit scruffy ones) we were led to best position at the front of the crowd.
Celebrating Ramadan in Style
At the Dhurba representatives of each of the local tribes etc. parade and reaffirm their allegiance to the Emir. Everyone wore their best tribal costume and looked very spectacular. Some were throwing machetes in the air, others had small dead animals on sticks and a large group were charging around on horse back. They would start at one corner of the and charge to the other corner and any spectators in their way had to move fast. It was easy to see where the Nigerian driving style had evolved from.
That evening we went in search of a restaurant. Along the sides of the roads there were huge storm drains like the ones in Singapore. The drain crossings here looked a little more precarious than the ones in Singapore so we trod very carefully, thankful that this wasn't the rainy season. With no breeze to disturb it the hot, humid air had gained a physical presence. There was no doubt that we had reached the tropics. My meal was cassava ( Yam root ), something loosely defined as meat and some rather nice local beer. At the next table was a rather miserable looking ex-patriot sitting alone with his beer. He invited us over to join him. He was doing aerial surveys of Nigeria for some aid organisation or other and hating every minute of it. The image of the ex-pat lifestyle is one of high pay, little work and lots of time relaxing in tropical paradise with tall iced drinks. He painted a bleak picture of a lonely man, far from home, fighting a losing battle against broken air conditioning, defective or non existent equipment and worthless employees. The only thing in common with the Gin and Tonic lifestyle seemed to be the ridiculously high wages. He was so glad of chance to talk to someone that he even paid for our meal.
The next day Hussein asked us if we needed any spare parts for our vehicle. I laughed and pointed rather hopelessly at the broken windscreen. Before leaving the U.K. we had been warned 'don't smash your windscreen as they cost 500 GBP in Africa, if you can get one that is'. He wandered off and came back a short while later with a price. The price was 1500 Naires which turns out to be 88 Pounds! Not much different to the U.K. Price. It came in a plastic bag marked genuine Landrover Part (which they kept!) and even had the correct brand etched into it. My only gripe was that our old one had been tinted. If we'd waited long enough I am sure we could have got one. He also managed to organise some more 'insurance' for the countries not covered by our current documents. This insurance was extremely dubious in nature and I had no doubt at all that our 'premium' would not cover us in the event of an accident. With luck it would probably fool the average border guard, which was really what we needed it for. I feel certain that a cleverly formulated piece of paper with official looking letterhead, lots of countries listed and the words Insurance and Assurance in large letters would have served us just as well (except in the more sophisticated countries like Algeria or Zimbabwe for instance). Such a document would have been trivial to produce in a few minutes using the average desktop publisher and laser printer. Of course I would never suggest that anyone attempt home forgery and accept no responsibility for the consequences of such an action...
The campsite at Kano was well organised with showers and flush 'sit down' toilets. There was even running water. At least there was dribbling water for a few hours in the morning and a few in the evening. This meant that for most of the day you could not use the shower or flush the toilet (assuming that you had chosen one that worked). We tried to use the toilet only when the water was running. However our bowel functions had not yet recovered from the water we had drunk on the Algerian ferry and it was difficult to be that controlled. By mid morning a trip to the toilet revealed that we were not the only ones in this situation. We never managed to use the shower as people staying in the 'rooms' were always forewarned and got there first. Instead we rigged up our 'solar shower' (a large plastic bag with a shower nozzle) and constructed a makeshift shower curtain using a groundsheet and the open truck door. All the while desperately hoping a gust of wind didn't blow away the sheet or slam the door shut.
The next day we head off towards the Yankari Game reserve and our first chance to see wild animals. As we turn along the road to the game reserve I noticed some funny black ring marks in the road. The significance of these markings was lost on us for the moment.
Yankari Game reserve was our first taste of an African Game park. Our vision of a game park was of buildings with cool shady verandas where we would sit, sipping cocktails as we watch the sun set over the plain. The distant trumpeting of the elephant, the roar of the lion... Twenty years ago it might have fulfilled our expectations but now Yankari is a little run down, a shadow of its former self. The campsite was really the car park. There were no separate toilet facilities, only the public ones. It was now becoming obvious that toilet maintenance is rapidly becoming a lost tradition in Africa. There was a bar, with a veranda, but no shade. There was a view over some bush, but no animals in sight (apart from the ubiquitous baboons) and the seats were made of faded plastic. There were some individual 'luxury' huts, these were dark and cool with working air conditioning. We met an American student who was staying in one of these and she was quite comfortable.
The locals were friendly and the beer was cold. Wild baboons wandered around the campsite freely, looking for food left by careless tourists. The baboon is a large animal, an adult male being about the same size as a person but more stocky and with very large pointy teeth. They inhabit the ecological niche so recently vacated by we humans and show all the features one would expect from a creature living as our ancestors did. They are cunning, intelligent, fearless and will eat anything. They can open car doors (if not completely closed), fridges and trailers. They will happily take food from the table in front of you if you're not careful. Having animals wander around the campsite does however add a more natural feel to the game park experience.
Yankari Safari
Our first 'safari' was early the next morning on an old Bedford truck with wooden benches in the back and ageing suspension. The guide stood in the back with us and scanned the bush with a trained eye. He would see animals where we would only have seen bush. Whenever he spotted something he would bang on the top of the cab. The driver would then screech to a halt throwing us forwards and stirring up a cloud of fine dust all around. With luck, when the dust cleared, the animal would still be there, although often all we saw was a tail disappearing in the distance. He banged the cab gently and said "elephant. At first we could see nothing and then slowly began to see a glimpse of a tusk or an eye in the bush. They were so close yet these huge big grey, beasts were almost completely hidden by the trees. We also saw amazing vivid blue hornbills, with their distinctive curved beaks, lots of small bucky things and a huge monitor lizard (we only saw two of these in the whole of Africa). We hadn't expected to see many game animals until we reached the more famous parks in East Africa. We were pleasantly surprised to see so much, especially the elephants, and the variety of game at Yankari rivals some the Kenyan parks.
Another highlight of Yankari is the thermal pool with soothing warm waters, surrounded by tropical birds and trees. Behind the pool is a wall decorated with animals. Rhino, lion, baboon, tiger... hang on there is something wrong here.
Fearless Baboons
While relaxing in this pool that we discovered that baboons like to look cool and sophisticated. Some locals shouted to us (with great amusement). "The baboons - they have your property!". They had sorted through my clothes to find their prize. A pair of Oakley sunglasses with blue iridium coated mirror lenses and were now climbing up the hillside taunting me with them.
Some deep primeval urge was called from dark depths within me. I lunged up the hill in pursuit. Clad only in dayglo orange swimming trunks, modern man barefoot against the pretender to his niche. A primordial struggle ensued. Ignoring the pain of sharp thorns whipping against my legs I chased the baboons deep into their territory. But hey this was our jungle once. Another ancient racial memory surfaced, I picked up a bone fragment and a rock, hefting it in my hand, it felt good, solid. I threw it at the big male baboon, which just moved away. By this time my mate, I mean Fiona, was at the top of the hill (having sensibly taken the steps) and throwing stones down at the baboon. Eventually, after scoring a couple of very near misses, the baboon dropped the sunglasses and loped away. I would like to say this was in fear of the superiority of the humans, but I think it was bored with the game! I got my sunglasses back, With an enormous scratch across the lenses and tooth marks on the frames. Neither I, nor the baboon, would ever wear them again.
A hollow victory, but necessary to restore the primeval status quo. The baboons are getting a bit too confident. It won't be long before they start going round the corner and selling the stolen goods back to other tourists! Remember where you heard it first.
We decided to go on the evening game viewing trip with the American girl. While we were waiting I checked over the truck. Whenever we stopped for more than half a day I would find myself checking, tightening and generally pretending I knew what I was doing. By the end of the trip some of the pretence had gone. This time I could smell diesel and noticed the fuel tank seams were damp. I had a tin of fibreglass body filler and started to mix some up. I had mixed two part fibre glass resin many times before in England. In 40 degree heat it went solid almost instantly, before I could get any of it in the seam. I tried again using an incredibly small amount of hardener and just about managed to finish before it was solid this time. This repair held for over a year and got us out of Africa before the tank, its inner skin riddled with rust holes, finally collapsed pouring diesel all over our garden.
It was a public holiday in Nigeria celebrating the end of Ramadan and lots of locals arrived for the evening game drive. The men forced themselves onto the first truck, casting aside the women and children. The overloaded truck drove off with the passengers pointing, shouting and generally scaring all the game they were supposed to be looking at. A second truck was produced, which we got onto along with the women and children. All the game was well and truly scared away by that time. The second truck had been found in a hurry and no one had thought to look at the fuel gauge. Half way around the game drive the truck ran out of diesel. We had to wait for about an hour by a naturally carbonated mineral spring (Perrier roll over) which, with some trepidation, we drank from. It tasted OK! It was starting to get dark and ominous carnivorous animal noises began filling the evening air. By the time some spare diesel had arrived it was almost fully dark and most animals which weren't currently searching for stranded tourists to eat were asleep somewhere in the bush. Altogether a different evenings game viewing to what we had expected.
For breakfast we bought some fresh local pineapple from a local fruitseller. This was the most wonderful tasting pineapple I had ever tasted, fresh and crisp and juicy. We also bought some watermelon and cut through the outer shell to reveal pink juicy flesh. After placing it on the table we sat for a moment and contemplated the delights of such tropical fruits. Before we had a chance to take a single bite of perhaps the nicest watermelon in Africa a baboon sneaked up from behind us and stole it. The baboon sat, just out of stones reach, spitting watermelon pips at us and my opinion of these animals reached an all time low.
This baboon opened the car door and was looking for food. In a few years time we expect they will be stealing cars and going for joy rides.
As we drove away from Yankari we pondered again on the dark ring markings on the road. They were about the size of truck tyres and looked almost like someone had... no surely not.
Whenever you stop in Africa it isn't long before a crowd of curious people surrounds you. This can be quite annoying, especially when you are settling down for the night. We would usually try and find a nice hidden spot to camp for the night. In this part of Nigeria the villages were too close together and there were no places out of site from prying eyes. We ended up camping for the night in the courtyard of a 'hotel' (we didn't like the look of the 'rooms') which didn't look like it had received guests since 1921. As we primed up the paraffin stove and prepared our evening meal the people who lived there sat around us and watched our every move with great enthusiasm. It was however marginally better than having the entire village watching us.
Our visas for Cameroun stated that we must enter the country within three months of obtaining the visa. The three months was up in two days time. This meant we had to leave Nigeria straight away, which was a shame as the local people were cheerful, friendly and always seemed to be busy doing something. The view was staggering with huge rounded granite boulders balanced precariously in tall piles as though by design. There were more species of brightly coloured lizards to spot and some amazing blue coloured hornbills which we never had a chance to see again or photograph.
Nigerian Village next to massive balancing boulders
It should only have been a couple of hours drive to the border but the road was extremely badly potholed so we decided to take a shortcut. The Michelin map showed a solid yellow road (all weather road, 1 surfaced lane) which would cut a long distance off our day's journey. We found the road easily enough and it was even tar sealed. We asked some locals if this was the road.
"Yes, but it is very bad, you should go round", they said.
We felt confident that a Landrover was up to the job and it looked perfectly adequate to us.
"This man he is going to the village, he can show you the way, or you will be lost".
"OK", we said and headed off with our pathfinder. The road had a lovely smooth surface with very few potholes, for about 5 km that is. Then it reverted to a narrow and bouncy dirt track. The road got steadily worse as we got closer to his village. The jungle on either side now tight against the edge of the road. We took several turnings and I think the man had decided to go to a different village while he had the opportunity. Eventually we dropped him off at the village he was going to. After giving him a lift all that distance we might have expected him to say thank you. Instead he said, "Give me one thing". "What! Just tell us the way to Ogoja", Fiona replied. "It is easy, just go very straight, very straight".
As I drove off it dawned on me that we were now a long way from the road without a guide. The road was very windy and would often branch into two roads with no indication as to which route to follow. The only thing to do was to ask everyone we saw if this was the way to Ogoja. They would always reply, "Yes, just go very straight". We were slowly beginning to learn about Africans. The African nature is a very cheerful and good natured one. They do not wish to disappoint you and so, if you ask if this is the way, the will always say "Yes" (just go very straight). If there were two equal possibilities they would wait to see which they thought you favoured before answering. "That road, just go very straight". By now we were well and truly lost when we came across a roadblock. There was a very well constructed and counterbalanced pole blocking the road. As a large group of men appeared from the dense jungle around us, we began to wonder if anyone would ever know what happened to us. They stared at us in utter disbelief, in all probability no tourist had ever been down this road before. Then they laughed, lifted the barrier and waved us through. As we drove through we asked once again if this was the road to Ogoja. They laughed again and said "Yes, just go very straight".
We were now very lost and beginning to get a little concerned. There were two African ladies walking along the road with baskets balanced precariously on their heads. "Which way is Ogoja?", we asked desperately. "That way, our village is near...". We offered them a lift. "Are the baskets heavy", I asked, paranoid as ever about overloading. A Landrover can carry a lot of weight, it does however have limits. We were at, or more probably beyond, those limits. The lady said "No, they are light". Perhaps she didn't want to disappoint me but more probably these were light load by her standards. I am no weight lifter but by now I was quite adept at throwing full 20 Kg Jerry cans around. I could barely lift the baskets into the back of the truck. When you see picture of an African woman carrying a load delicately on her head, make no mistake, it is a very heavy load.
We dropped them off at their village and the main road was still nowhere in sight. "Just go very straight" they said and smiled. This time within 10 km we were at the main road. The road was worn out and full of holes a moon could be proud of. We were very glad to find it again. We never did find Ogoja.
The border between Nigeria and Cameroun was a bridge. As we arrived we were greeted with our first real tropical downpour. For a few minutes you could hardly see the other side of the bridge. The rain was warm and as soon as it stopped your clothes were already dry. The border formalities were becoming familiar, the passport, the visas, the vehicle search, the Carnet stamp, the worrying conversations with border guards in international sign language, the AK47s. We would usually go into the offices together, especially in the Francophone countries as I didn't have the faintest clue what was being said. This time Fiona was not allowed inside the office. Cameroun was technically bi-lingual, which meant there were two official languages, English and French. This was however no guarantee that a local could speak either of them. The fat official seemed to have difficulty with either language. We got to a really difficult question. "Occupation". Once again I tried the difficult international sign language for 'computer programmer'. After about five minutes of intense mime we made some headway. In a desperate attempt to save time I pointed to Fiona, and did the sign language for 'She's a programmer too'. The official looked at me and said, with a much greater grasp of English than he had previously alluded to. "She is your wife?". I thought it best to agree. "Then she is Housewife!". At this point he wrote down "Housewife". I decided a discussion of a century of women's suffrage was inappropriate at this time. From then on we were married and Fiona was no longer a computer professional. In time we also gained two fictional children who were with their grandparents. It was beyond the comprehension of many Africans that we were both obviously over seventeen and had no children. This little fiction made our lives much easier.
On the other side of the border the road became a narrow winding track closely bounded by dense impenetrable jungle on either side. The locals drove very fast around the blind bends without any thought for oncoming traffic. It was now getting dark (in these latitudes it would be fully dark by 19:00hrs) and there was absolutely nowhere to pull off the road. Stopping in the road would have been inviting some mad local driver to smash into us in the middle of the night. We had no choice but to continue along the road, now full of leaping frogs, eyes flashing in the headlights, until we reached Mamfe.
There is a special kind of darkness reserved for night time in an African town. Street lights are of course a thing of the past, or possibly the future. The glow of cooking fires or the dim light of a coveted electric bulb, grudgingly radiating through torn blinds, lend form to the town. According to 'Shoestring' there was a Hotel here. In the day we may have had an even chance, but at night we had no hope. Eventually the vague shape of a church formed in the darkness. We stopped and asked for directions. The priest's son took us to the nearest hotel and didn't ask for, nor expect, a gift. The rooms were clean and well maintained with a working shower and clean toilet with toilet paper supplied.
I had another well deserved beer and we talked to some locals in the bar. There were vague rumours of trouble in the South of the country. The Spanish robbers were probably listening eagerly to the BBC world service news and well informed about the situation ahead. We however, were only mildly concerned as we settled down to another humid nights sleep in the tropics.
Map More Desert anyone? Africa in unrest Equipment home


text:
Rideshare Driver Picks Up Suspected Gunman Fleeing From A Crime Scene
By: CNN Wire
PORTAGE, Ind. — A routine pickup for a Northwest Indiana Lyft driver took an unexpected and dangerous turn Tuesday.
The driver, who does not want his name used, picked up 20-year-old Issa Amer Ishtawi in Portage's Camelot Manor mobile home park that afternoon.
"I've picked him up in the past, and we've talked, and there's never been any kind of, you know, nothing wrong really," he said.
What he didn't know was this time, police say, Ishtawi had just opened fire two blocks away, leaving behind bullet holes in homes and narrowly missing an older woman.
"Another subject inside the trailer was laying on the couch, was struck in the foot by one of the rounds," said Portage Police Chief Troy Williams.
Williams said officers flooded the area just before the suspect's getaway Lyft arrived.
Ishtawi got in the back.
"I even asked him. I said, 'Hey, you have any idea why all these police are out here? You heard anything?' He was like, 'no man,'" the driver said.
And the Lyft driver slowly pulled away.
"And just kind of drove by slow by the officers, which allowed Officer Howard to see inside the back of the vehicle and could see the suspect," said Williams.
The officer followed and demanded Ishtawi get out of the Ford Focus. He was arrested, and then authorities found a Glock under the front passenger seat.
"Not that I can really forget about that part, because that's where my danger came in at," said the Lyft driver. "He could have pointed at me and said, 'Hey, keep driving.' Or, you know, he could have shot me."
"There was a high potential for danger in this entire call," said Williams.
"My mom wants me to quit, but I like driving. I like driving for Lyft and Uber," said the driver.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


When Nancy Lurie finally got around to opening the large shopping bag filled with packets of letters that had come from her mother's attic, she assumed they held no more than she already knew about her family and their hometown, Milwaukee. Yet, she felt she should read the letters before disposing of them. Spanning the years 1915-1922, they turned out to be historically enlightening and entertaining far beyong the concerns of a particular family.
To begin with, there were more than 500 letters from Lurie's father, also a Milwaukeean, to her mother when he began work in Canton, Ohio, until their marriage in 1921. Beneath these letters were a number of letters from an earlier beaux, high school girlfriends, and her mother's mother who wrote on family business stationary. Lurie's mother's dianries (1918-1921) and other family memorabilia and oral tradition fill out the general context and missing details as the letters provide on the scene and often unexpected reactions and responses to the transition from horse to auto, the end of the gaslight era, World War 1- The Great War- at home and overseas, the Spanish Flue epidemic, news from the Russian Revolution, post war labor unrest, courtship customs, domestic life, Prohibition, women's suffrage, and much more.


text:
package org.openregistry.core.web;

import org.openregistry.core.repository.ReferenceRepository;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
import org.springframework.binding.convert.converters.StringToObject;

/**
 * @version $Revision$ $Date$
 * @since 0.1
 */
public abstract class AbstractConverter extends StringToObject {

    private final ReferenceRepository referenceRepository;

    protected Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());

    protected AbstractConverter(final Class converterClass, final ReferenceRepository referenceRepository) {
        super(converterClass);
        this.referenceRepository = referenceRepository;
    }

    protected final ReferenceRepository getReferenceRepository() {
        return this.referenceRepository;
    }

    @Override
    protected final String toString(final Object o) throws Exception {
        return o == null ? " " : getToStringInternal(o);
    }

    /**
     * Returns the object as a String.
     * @param o the object.  CANNOT be NULL.
     * @return the string.
     */
    protected abstract String getToStringInternal(Object o);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


My baby is two so you know what that means – PARTY time!
Since we did the big first birthday party, we decided to scale back this year and just celebrate with a few close family members. But, just because it is a small party doesn't mean it doesn't need a festive theme and cute decorative touches! I decided to hit up Target (one of my favorite spots) for all of the birthday decor and as usual I found more than enough goodies.
Normally I go all out and hand-make or order invites on Shutterfly/TinyPrints, but since this was simple party, I decided to pick up some cute 'fill-in-the-details' invites I found at Target! It was a piece of cake to fill out, and it turned out adorable; talk about time and money saver! Of course I didn't stop there, with the help of decorative tape and twine I was able to dress up the invite! The little touches go a long way.
I decided to go with a colorful touch and bring out all of the springy colors of the season; lots of pink, purple and mint. I was also able to use some leftover decorations from Paisley's Ice Cream Sundae Party, Win-Win!
Party Trick: Instead of using plates, get creative! We served the desserts in these adorable paper treat cups, which also double as decor. They look good and they help keep your kiddos and the floor clean! When your little guests grab their dessert, you don't have to worry about the dessert sliding off of their plate! *Click HERE to find a similar option.
I found this fabulous light box at TJ Maxx and thought it would be the perfect addition to the dessert table and it carried the 'She's TWO Fancy' theme in perfectly!
*Here is another adorable and affordable Light Box.
Hobby Lobby sells the best standing easel chalkboard that is double-sided. We have had it for years and I use it for every big milestone moment such as birthdays, parties and the first day of school. I love chalking up a cute sign to have by the front door to welcome our guests.
*If you don't have a Hobby Lobby near you, here is a similar Rustic A-Frame Chalkboard.
Balloons are always a great added touch for any party, especially for kids. If you can't get helium-blown up balloons from the store, grab a package of balloons and blow them up and let the kids play with them, or tape them together and create a hanging design.
I found these gold balloons at Target and love the metallic touch they brought to the party! #BDAY!
Payton is my little dessert and sweets lover so we went with an assortment display of mini cupcakes and cake pops!
We ordered cupcakes from our favorite local cupcake shop, GiGi's Cupcakes, where we were able to pick an assortment of our favorite cupcake flavors in mini, bite-sized goodness. I have found that mini cupcakes are a better option at parties because it allows your guests the opportunity to try multiple flavors. Also, if you are going to have a lot of littles at your party this is a great dessert.
…And of course since Payton shrieks for cake-pops every time we drive-thru or walk into a Starbucks, so we decided to pick up all of her favorite flavors to share! Cake-pops are another great dessert. They are the perfect size of yumminess for your guests to enjoy, and not to mention they look great on display!
*I found this fabulous two-tier platter at Home Goods, but HERE is another dessert platter I love!
I filled up a wide mouth quart sized mason jar with sprinkles to display my selection of cake pops. Cute, colorful and right on par with the theme.
Every little girl's dream… Barbie Microphone!
I hope these ideas inspire you to get creative with your next party! Remember… no matter how big or small your party is, have fun with the decor and especially the dessert table!
CLICK HERE to see more Birthday Fun! She's TWO CUTE!!!
I received some of these items in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase through my link, I will make a small commission for it. This doesn't cost you anything additional. These commissions help to keep the rest of my content free. Thank you!
That's a wrap… Drop the Mic!
Hahaha – I love this! That was my inspiration!
this is the cutest theme ever! great job with everything! Now I'm craving those cupcakes lol!
Thank you Chanel, I love this darn little cupcakes!
TWO adorable! Well done mama!
She's 'TWO' Fancy is the cutest theme ever! It looks like she had a great time!
Yes! Thank you Stephanie! It was so much fun!


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Foreign Policy Hamas Israel Middle East Middle East Peace Plans
Obama's Two-State Fantasy
August 12, 2009 March 13, 2014 Mark Silverberg	0 Comments	Fantasy, Hamas, Israel, Middle East, Palestinians, Peace, Two-State
According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, National Security Advisor General Jim Jones was quoted in a classified foreign ministry cable as having told a European foreign minister that unlike the Bush administration, Obama will be 'forceful' with Israel. Jones is quoted as saying: "The new administration will convince Israel to compromise on the Palestinian question" – meaning Israel will be forced into an expedited agreement on a Palestinian state.
This was not a simple off-the-cuff remark. At the AIPAC Policy Conference in May, Vice President Joe Biden advised Israel to commit to a two-state solution in order to broker a "peace" with the Palestinians, and in Britain, Foreign Secretary David Miliband declared that "Palestinian statelessness is the biggest recruiting sergeant for Islamic extremism around the world" while Tony Blair announced that by the fall, the US, EU, UN and Russia would unveil a new framework for establishing a Palestinian state.
The problem with this insistence on a "two-state solution for two peoples" is that a Palestinian peace partner doesn't exist and has never existed and no amount of rhetoric, Israeli concessions or pandering to Arab demands can make it so. The Palestinians cannot co-exist with each other let alone with Israel and refuse to forego violence or accept Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state in their midst – all part of the Islamic political ideology of supremacy over non-Muslims, the principles of which are embedded in Sharia law. Refusing to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, they continue to see Jews as dhimmis, or second class religious subjects, as opposed to a national group exercising legitimate national rights. They propagate the myth that no Jewish kingdom ever existed in the land they call "Palestine", and that there was never a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem – that is – the Jews are merely European invaders – foreign colonialists with no historical ties whatsoever to the land. (1) They have consistently used this myth as the basis for rejecting the concept of a Jewish state in the Middle East. "We do not recognize the State of Israel or its right to control any of the land of Palestine", said Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar. "Palestine is holy Islamic land. Our national problem is not related only to the West Bank, Gaza, and al-Quds (Jerusalem)…but to Palestine, all [the territory of] Palestine." By that he meant Israel proper or what he calls "the Zionist entity." So far as Hamas is concerned, the war against the Jews will continue until Israel as an independent Jewish state is vanquished. As Alan Dershowitz writes: "The people of Gaza really believe that the Holocaust never occurred. They really believe that firing rockets at school children is God's command. They really believe that Jews are a combination of the devil, monkeys, pigs and vermin. They really believe that Israel doesn't want peace and seeks to destroy the Islamic world and its holy places. It is difficult to build an enduring peace on such a structure of lies."
Nor is "moderate" Fatah any different. In March, Muhammad Dahlan, a former chief of the PA's secret police organizations defended Fatah from the charge, made by Hamas, that it had previously recognized Israel's right to exist. "For the 1,000th time", Dahlan said, "I want to reaffirm that we are not asking Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist. Rather we are asking Hamas not to do so, because Fatah never recognized Israel's right to exist." Abu Mazen himself expressed similar sentiments in 2006. In furtherance of this, as Palestinian Media Watch has documented on numerous occasions, the Palestinian Authority educational system continues to ignore American and Israeli demands that it halt anti-Israel propaganda and incitement. It continues to teach children that all of Israel belongs to Arabs. As part of that strategy, in 1964, the Arabs created a fiction they called the "Palestinians" and blanketed the world successfully with the mantra that they were the Palestinians and Palestine (read "Israel") was theirs. PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein explained the strategy to the Dutch newspaper Trouw: "The Palestinian people do not exist," he said. "The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel. In reality, there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak about the existence of a Palestinian people since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct 'Palestinian people' to oppose Zionism."
Winston Churchill once wrote that regardless of how brilliant the strategy, we should occasionally look at the results. For nineteen years, between 1948 and 1967, Arab countries ruled Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, and during all that time no one established a Palestinian state and no one talked of a Palestinian state. They could easily have set up a Palestinian homeland in those areas. They did not. It is not as if the Palestinians have never before been offered statehood. The history of the 20th century is strewn with such opportunities – from the Arab rejection of the 1936-1937 Peel Commission Report on partition; to Haj Amin al-Husseini's choice of war rather than a two-state solution in 1947; to the 1967 Six-Day War when Israel offered to exchange land in return for a permanent peace with its neighbors leading to the three No's of the 1967 Khartoum Declaration – no negotiation, no recognition, no peace; to the Israeli withdrawals from southern Lebanon (2000) and Gaza (2005) that left genocidal terrorists on Israel's northern and southern borders; to former Prime Minister Ehud Barak's offer in 2000 of virtually everything the Arabs claimed they sought – a sovereign state with its capital in East Jerusalem, 97% of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and tens of billions of dollars in "compensation" for the plight of Palestinian refugees – all of which was rejected by Arafat who then brought on the Oslo War (also known as the Second Intifada) and the murder of over a thousand Israelis; to the covenant of Hamas declaring endless war not only against "the Zionist entity" but against Jews everywhere; to polls conducted recently by a reputable Norwegian polling institute showing conclusively that a majority of Palestinians are not against a two-state solution provided both states are Muslim; to the Palestinian media and Palestinian textbooks that continue to promote a culture of martyrdom and hatred of Israel and Jews; to Palestinian "moderates" like Mahmoud Abbas who recently rejected any possibility that the Jews could or should be considered one of the "two peoples" in any proposed two-state solution and who also rejected Netanyahu's predecessor, Ehud Olmert's offer in December 2008 of 97% of the West Bank for a Palestinian state, plus 'the right of return' and large-scale Palestinian immigration into Israel ……… all of which leads to the question how, in the face of such hatred and rejectionism, anyone could possibly believe that peace in the Middle East can be attained through the creation of a Palestinian state that even the Palestinians don't want unless it is an Arab/Muslim state replacing Israel?
One would think after all this, that the European Union and the US would have concluded that the concept of a two-state solution for two peoples is part of a larger Arab strategy designed to destroy Israel as a Jewish state incrementally rather than the panacea for an over-all Middle East "peace". Yet, pressure for a "two-state solution" is precisely what Prime Minister Netanyahu encountered in his May 18th meeting with President Obama.
The current administration misunderstands the nature of the problem in the Middle East. It is not that the Israelis don't understand Obama. They understand him very well. Obama's problem is that they don't buy what he's selling. Palestinians define their identity in terms of the absence of Israel as a Jewish state. Palestinian nationalism seeks to replace Israel not co-exist with it. For that reason, there is no Palestinian leader with any following that accepts Israel, so it is pointless to discuss a Palestinian state unless Palestinian society itself is fundamentally changed. Time and again, a two-state solution for two peoples has been proposed and time and again, the Arabs have rejected it. It is not simply that they have never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity (which, by the way, they have) but they remain more intent on annihilating the Jewish presence in Israel than fulfilling the responsibilities of statehood in their own separate state. It is, in its very essence, a religious war wrapped in the garb of a territorial dispute. Even if Israel removed every security barrier eliminated all its West Bank checkpoints, agreed to return to the pre-1967 borders, removed every Israeli city, town and village from the West Bank (as it did in Gaza), offered a generous refugee "compensation package", and acceded to Palestinian demands that sections of Jerusalem be internationalized, does any sentient person actually believe that this would end the Arab-Israeli conflict? So why pressure Israel into what can only be described as a suicide pact with those committed to its destruction? The unfortunate truth is that the willingness of Arabs to make peace with Israel is a direct function of their perception of Israel's invincibility.
Joseph Puder said as much in a recent article in FrontPageMagazine: "A widening majority of Israelis have come to realize that a paper agreement with the Palestinians is worthless, and that once Israel has withdrawn from the West Bank and the attacks against Israel renew, the world – including the US – will find excuses for Palestinian bad behavior. The Palestinians are certain to renege on key provisions of any agreement as they did under the Oslo Accords, and the Obama administration, intent on keeping the Arab and Muslim world happy, is unlikely to give Israel a green light to reoccupy the West Bank. One has to be a fool to believe that Mahmoud Abbas or any other Palestinian-Arab chieftain would settle for a demilitarized West Bank, or would seriously consider uprooting the terrorist infrastructure." On the Palestinian street, the preference is for a one-state solution in place of Israel. The two-state solution in its current formula is actually just a placebo for those who'd like to believe that peace will come when there are two states living side by side. Absent real acceptance of Israel by the Arabs, this isn't likely to occur.
Furthermore, the linkage between the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza and "progress" on the Iranian nuclear threat as suggested by US foreign policy officials is preposterous. Even a tacit acceptance by America and Israel of a nuclear-armed Iran will not be enough to persuade Tehran to accept a two-state solution that would allow Israel to exist as a Jewish state. The mullahs have built their reputations as radical Islamists in part on their anti-Americanism and in part on their insistence that no Jewish state should exist in "the heart of the Muslim world", so why abandon their raison d'etre when the only nation capable of threatening their power, the U.S., continues to dither through dialogue and ineffective economic sanctions? Even the Iranians mock these efforts as symptomatic of American decline and weakness.
Does the current administration actually believe that after years of deception, billions spent on developing a covert nuclear weapons program and threats to "wipe Israel off the map", the Iranian mullahs are suddenly going to evolve into rational actors, accept American-led global liberalization, become less apocalyptic and less messianic by ending their efforts to bring on the hidden imam, Shi'ite Islam's "end of times" figure of retribution, less inclined to establish their caliphate throughout the Middle East, and more prepared to turn their swords into plowshares once a Palestinian state has been established?
Does the current administration not see that if the Iranian regime continues to advance its nuclear program, it risks Iranian domination of the oil-rich Persian Gulf, threats to U.S.-allied Arab regimes, the emboldening of Muslim jihadists in the region, the creation of an existential threat to Israel, the destabilization of Iraq, the shutdown of the Israel-Palestinian peace process, and a regional nuclear-arms race? The Arabs know it and the Israelis know it, but the Obama administration continues to plough ahead with its failed policies, oblivious to the facts on the ground.
Does the current administration actually believe that the moment a Palestinian state is created in Gaza and the West Bank, Syria will cease transferring terrorists to Iraq, cease its concealed chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs, reduce its ties with Iran and Korea, or cease meddling in Lebanese affairs? As Barry Rubin writes in the Jerusalem Post: "There are huge benefits Syria derives from its alliance with Iran including Islamist legitimacy, protection against being attacked or pressured, money, weapons, cooperation in anti-Israel terrorism and spreading both countries' influence among the Palestinians, Lebanese and Iraqis. Once Iran gets nuclear weapons, which is on the horizon, the alliance's value for Syria will rise dramatically."
Does the current administration actually believe that stopping an Israeli family from building an addition to their home to accommodate their children in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, Ma'aleh Adumim, Efrat or Ariel is more important than stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons or demanding that the Arabs stop inciting hatred of Jews and Israel in their schools, marketplaces, mosques and media, start dismantling their terrorist infrastructures, and recognize Irael's right to exist as a Jewish state in the Middle East?
Does the current administration not recognize that the settlement and natural growth issues are peripheral matters with little relevance either to the Palestinians' quality of life or to the ultimate disposition of territory in the West Bank? The fracas over this issue is not only undermining U.S.-Israeli relations, but the credibility of the Obama administration which is now seen by the vast majority of Israelis and a growing number of Americans as forcing Israel into making dangerous security and land concessions while pandering to Israel's (and America's) enemies. If Obama wants to retain the Jewish support he received in the last election, and restore a sense of trust among the Israeli people, then he had best understand the reasons why the Israelis have shifted away from the "land for peace" concept. By forcing Israel to accept another terrorist state on its borders, he will not only fail to build his Arab coalition against Iran, but he will be fulfilling Iran's mission in the Middle East.
History tells us that making nice with genocidal fanatics will not convert them into apostles of peace, but that does not seem to phase this administration whose Middle East foreign policy appears to be ideologically inflexible and based more on wishful thinking than reality – the myth that all terrorists want is to be appeased, accepted and respected. Consequently, it is immune to rational argument and appears unmoved by objective facts that prove otherwise (such as the recent Fatah conference in Bethlehem that categorically rejected any accommodation with Israel), and expose as folly its single-minded devotion to the idea that Israel is responsible for the absence of peace in the Middle East.
The reality Obama refuses to accept is that peace has never been up to the Israelis. It has always been up to Israel's enemies. John Podhoretz notes in Commentary: "The goal of American foreign policy in the Middle East is now the creation of a Palestinian state. Very little will be expected of the Palestinians in the creation of that state; Hamas should renounce terror and recognize Israel, but a failure to do so will not kill the deal. Violence should be foresworn, but even that is of secondary importance to the state itself….A great deal, however, is expected of Israel." Obama's insistence that the U.S. has the only solution to the conflict will never reassure the Israeli people on the right or the left that his policies are intended to benefit them.
The 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project found that 77% of Palestinians do not believe they can live side-by-side with Israel as a Jewish state. That being the case, so long as fewer than two in ten Palestinians believe in Israel's right to exist as a nation with a Jewish majority, there can be no successful peace based on a two-state solution. Israel cannot afford to take existential risks posed by a terror-based Palestinian state, all of whose leaders refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland, former head of Israel's National Security Council, made much the same point recently when he declared "…the maximum that any government of Israel will be ready to offer the Palestinians and still survive politically is much less than the minimum that any Palestinian leader can accept."
President Obama told Jewish leaders in a July meeting that Israel needs to "engage in serious self-reflection." His idea that Israelis need to reconsider their policies and change their attitude is more than arrogance. It is incredibly naive, historically wrong and inherently dangerous. The truth is that President Obama's whole Middle East strategy is in the process of imploding. He had best re-evaluate his policies rather than advise the Israelis to re-evaluate theirs.
For a more detailed analysis, see Steven Plaut, "The 14 Lies Blocking Peace in the Middle East," FrontPageMagazine.com, August 14, 2009
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British Michelin-Starred Chefs Prepare Croatian Dishes in London
By Vedran Pavlic 21 November 2018
The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) and Great British Chefs (GBC), the leading culinary organization gathering over 200 of the UK's top chefs, organized an interactive event in London to promote the potential of Croatian cuisine and wine and dine scene as an important part of the Croatian tourist offer. The event featured some of the British Michelin-starred chefs, reports Večernji List on November 21, 2018.
"This is a continuation of excellent cooperation with Great British Chefs, which aims to promote the Croatian gastronomy on the large and important British market. It is also an opportunity for British colleagues to see for themselves the knowledge and skills of Croatian chefs, but also the quality of our local ingredients and top quality wines. The fact that Croatia has a great potential and a good image in this market was confirmed by the response of many leading media outlets who covered the event, including Mail on Sunday, Sunday Times, Independent, Financial Times, Telegraph, The Guardian, BBC and ITV," said HTZ director Kristjan Staničić, adding that this year there has been more than 852,000 arrivals and 4.4 million overnight stays from the British market so far, which is 8% more than the last year.
The event, featuring the cuisine of central Dalmatia, was held at the well-known London restaurant "Radici". As part of the programme, one of the best Croatian chefs, Rudolf Štefan, the owner of the Michelin-starred "Pelegrini" restaurant in Šibenik, was introduced to the British media.
"This event is a great opportunity to demonstrate what we have learned in collaboration with GBC and the fantastic chefs. I am glad that the HTZ has decided to support this project which further proves that Croatia is not just a country known for its cultural and natural beauties, but also a country of excellent food and great hosts," explained Štefan.
The programme also featured stars of the British culinary scene, Francesco Mazzei and Tom Aikens, who recently stayed in Croatia where they were introduced to the local gastronomy traditions. The British duo prepared dishes inspired by the culinary journey during which they discovered authentic Dalmatian culinary traditions of Split, Šolta and Šibenik.
"I am delighted to be able to take part in this event to present our knowledge and experience of the Croatian gastronomy, for now in London, and soon in the whole world," said Mazzei, while Aikens praised the work of Croatian chef Štefan. "A lot of countries have a passion for gastronomy, but the way Rudi represents Croatian cuisine is unique," concluded Aikens.
The comments by the British guests showed that the event was a success. Chris Leadbeater of Daily Telegraph emphasized that Croatia was already recognized worldwide by its excellent restaurants and chefs, but that Rudi's approach to food was an invitation for further exploration of Croatian gastronomy. Natalie Bloxham of ITV said that during the event she had gained insight into another part of the Croatian story and that she would soon visit our country.
Positive impressions have also been confirmed by Ollie Lloyd of Great British Chefs. "We have succeeded in achieving what we wanted to do with this event, which is to have two top British chefs use Croatian ingredients and thus show what they have learned about Croatian gastronomy. All this would not have been possible without good cooperation with one of the best Croatian chefs," said Lloyd, adding that Francesco Mazzei is a significant player in the London restaurant industry and also a TV star with frequent appearances on BBC and ITV television shows. Tom Aikens is the youngest chef with two Michelin stars and the owner of a restaurant empire that spans several continents.
For more on Croatian cuisine, click here.
Tagged under: croatia cooking croatia uk htz
Croatian Festive Tourism Results Give Hope as Zagreb Continues to Lead
Croatian Festive Tourism Numbers Allows for Dose of Optimism


The main thing I look forward to in a day of fishing is to go out and have a fun productive day. In the thirty + years I have been fishing I have made a lot of friends and I plan on making a lot more throughout my journey. My goal is to take my tournament fishing to the next level. This will include turning my tournament fishing into a business relationship with potential sponsors who have the same passion as I do when it comes to spending a day on the water. Alot of people ask me why i like to fish so much, the answer to that is very simple. I love being in the outdoors and the challenge of being able to figure out what those little green fish are doing, sometimes they get the best of me, but thats what it's all about. Every since i can remember i've had a fishing pole in my hand, It's one of the fondest memories i have of both my mom 'Janeo' and my Grandfather 'Grampy'! I am very fortunate to have a supportive wife and daughter that allows me to be part of what i love to do. I am also very competitive, every tournament i fish is approached with the "nobody remembers second" attitude. It doesn't always work out, but again that's what it's all about!


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Updated 24 June, 2018 - 18:59 valdar
Ancient Indian Sages Who Held Advanced Knowledge on Science and Technology
Many modern-day scientists see themselves as the first to create all the technological advancements we use today. Yet many of the so-called discoveries are nothing more than re-inventions created by examining the knowledge of the ancients. Many things related to science and invention have their origins in the thoughts and imagination of the sages of Ancient India.
The Law of Gravitational Force and Bhaskaracharya
Bhaskaracharya, or Bhaskara the Second, was an Indian astronomer and mathematician who was born in the year 1114 and died around the year 1185. He was born in the village Vijjadit in Mharastra. His surviving mathematical works are called "Bijaganita" and "Lilavati". These have no equal in the scientific world. In addition, the mathematician also wrote the treatise entitled "Siddhant Shiromani". In this treatise, he describes astronomical equipment, mathematical techniques, eclipses, and planetary positions.
Bhaskara the Second was an Indian astronomer and mathematician who was born in the year 1114. ( ASI-POEC)
This Indian mathematician and astronomer discovered gravitational force thousands of years ago. In his text "Surya Siddhant", the sage describes gravitational force as follows: "Objects fall on earth due to a force of attraction by the earth. Therefore, the earth, planets, constellations, moon, and sun are held in orbit due to this attraction."
Speakers at Science Congress says ancient India mastered advanced space flight thousands of years ago
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The Origin of Snakes and Ladders: A Moral Guide of Vice and Virtue
The Airplanes and Flying Objects of Maharshi Bhardwaj
The achievements of the sage Maharshi Bhardwaj are described in the texts called "Purana". He was one of the Seven Great Sages or Rishi. His wisdom is recognized up to the present day. In the distant past, in the Mahabharata and in the Ramayana, aeronautic inventions were used - a domain which was highly advanced at that time.
Maharshi Bhardwaj. (Vinay691/ CC BY SA 4.0 )
Maharshi Bharwaj discovered and wrote about the way in which airplanes or space ships appeared and disappeared and the way in which they traveled from one planet to another.
Garga Muni, a Sage of Stars
Garga Muni was the chief astrologer to King Prithu. This king was thought to be the earthly incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.
Prithu chasing Prithvi, who is in the form of a cow. ( Public Domain )
Few things are known about Garga Muni, but it is known that he was a sage who was very passionate about the study of stars. In his work entitled "Garga Samhita," he included 60% of all the astrological science known today. This sage described the detailed rules of astrology in his work. (Please note that the line between astrology and astronomy was not as defined in the ancient past.)
Vishwamitra – The Inventor of Missiles
Vishwamitra was first a king and then a sage. He ended up becoming one of the most venerated and appreciated sages of India. He is a Rishi in the third book of the Rigveda. Thousands of years ago he discovered missiles. He was also a strong warrior, so he taught Rama the way missiles work and function.
Vishwamitra and Menaka (1890) by Raja Ravi Varma. ( Public Domain )
The missiles described by this sage were of many types. Some had fire, others had smoke. In addition, there were also missiles like the moon and sun.
Sushruta and Surgery
Sushruta was an Indian surgeon who wrote the treatise entitled "Sushruta Samhita." In India he is considered to be "the founding father of surgery." Apart from this, his treatise is considered the best scientific commentary pertaining to the domain of surgery.
This is Plate 2 of four plates published in the 1907 book, 'An English Translation of the Sushruta Samhita in Three Volumes', (Volume 1). ( Public Domain )
Sushruta was a doctor who worked in Varanasi. It is said that he lived sometime between the years 1200 and 600 BC. Mythological texts claim that this sage had learned surgery from Dhanvantari, the Hindu god of medicine, himself.
The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple: Secret Cellars Create the Richest Hindu Temple in India
Incredible Megaliths of India: Star Maps and Headless Goddesses – Part I
Hippalos: Early Navigation of Deep Sea Routes Between India and Egypt – Part I
The Father of Atomic Theory – Acharya Kanad
John Dalton is often said to be the inventor of the atomic theory, but this is not true. The concept of the atom and atomic theory appeared 2600 years ago, being invented by the sage Acharya Kanad. He was the first man in history to describe atoms and molecules. He explained that: "every object of creation is made of atoms which in turn connect with each other to form molecules."
Two pages from John Dalton's 1808 book 'A New System of Chemical Philosophy' in which he proposed his version of atomic theory based on scientific experimentation. ( Public Domain )
Chanakya and Political Science
Chanakya was a sage and the teacher of Emperor Chandragupta. Archaeological discoveries have indicated that this emperor was the first man in history to have ruled over the entire Indian sub-continent. Chanakya wrote a treatise on political science entitled "Arthasastra" and he is still recognized as a political and economic thinker even today.
Artistic depiction of Chanakya. ( Public Domain )
Top Image: Sunset behind Buddha Image at Wat Phasornkaew ( Chatchai ROMBIX / flickr )
By Valda Roric
Valda Roric – "From History to Mystery"
Valda Roric – "Wonders of History and Mythology"
George M. Williams – "Handbook of Hindu Mythology"
Devutt Pattanaik – "Indian Mythology"
Wendy Doniger – "Hindu Myths"
Vishvamitra
Chanakya
Sushruta
Bhaskara
Maharshi Bhardwaj
Garga Muni
Valda Roric
Author of "Loki – The Trickster Unleashed" and "Supernatural in the Land of Count Dracula", Valda Roric has always been fascinated by the supernatural. Interested in the topic, she has studied many aspects of the enigmatic. Always attempting to find... Read More
Omkar Chunekar wrote on 15 December, 2018 - 11:10
Dear viewers, its a simple logic that the discoveries or innovations by ancient India or any other old civilizations are dating a long time back, even when any form or type of papers were not invented.
So, the people who discovered or invented anything would share the knowledge with the people around them for them to know what it is or what's the logic behind a particular thing.
After papers were invented, these ideas were brought into written format, stating the names of the ones who discovered or invented it.
However, sharing knowledge wasn't a part of business in that time, especially for Ancient India, and the knowledge was free for everyone. Things like patenting, etc. came into being quiet a long years later.
So, there might not be much proofs for those inventions or discoveries, except for the books or holy books for instance, which contained all the information about the authors.
So, whether you believe or not, if some discovery or invention, if said that it's from India, its chance of being from India is the most.
Seff wrote on 30 July, 2018 - 11:35
The autor is a "trickster", the history AS a science will not exist if tricks will be the integral part of the thought processes. My guess this site desperately needs a serious moderator )
Vijayakumar Sanasy wrote on 4 July, 2018 - 08:47
All inventions started as thoughts and ideas through the ages of man's civilization. The basis for such thoughts and ideas may never be known and they may be way ahead of their time but, that does not mean that they did not serve as an inspiration for some latter day scientist or inventor. The universe is so amazing that man will always dream dreams that make no sense now and which someone centuries later will say "Bah, humbug".
Benny Kurian wrote on 25 June, 2018 - 14:37
Now a days it is quite common in many countries that they are trying to glorify their past with out any proper scientific explanations. Hope articles in Ancient origins trying to regulate such unscientific articles . It may attract certain readers, but will not be appreciated as an authentic journal
Guillaumé wrote on 25 June, 2018 - 10:38
The title of this article attracted me and the article content relative to the heading, left me flat.
4 October, 2021 - 23:01 Sahir
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22 September, 2021 - 01:57 Marie D. Jones ...
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1 November, 2020 - 17:51 Mark A. Carpenter
Forbidden Zone of The Grand Canyon: Legends, Landmarks & Lies
In the last decade or so, controversies and wild speculations have swirled online around Grand Canyon National Park and a newspaper article published by the Arizona Gazette on April, 5 th 1909. The...
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Susanna Reid defends 'love god' Alex Beresford after Piers Morgan comments on Good Morning Britain
The light-hearted claim was made during a debate over papooses
Abbie BrayRegional TV and celebrity reporter
Andrew McQuarrieSenior reporter
FIND OUT WHAT'S ON NEAR YOU WITH OUR NEWSLETTER
Weatherman Alex Beresford has been jokingly described as a "love god" by Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid.
The comment was made on the ITV show this morning as the Bristol-born weather expert and Pier Morgan renewed their bantering, reports Devon Live.
After Piers mocked Alex for his approach to fathering duties, Susanna leapt to Alex's defence.
She said: "Alex in a papoose is most women's idea of a love god."
Embarrassing moment for Martin Lewis on This Morning
The exchanges came two days after Piers and Alex produced an awkward TV moment as they clashed over the weather.
This time, however, the trigger for debate was an item of clothing - namely, a bag used to carry babies.
Piers, 54, claimed that no man who wore a baby carrier would "ever have sex again" as the 38-year-old weatherman revealed that he was a fan.
The ITV breakfast show's floor manager was modelling a new take on the papoose when Piers kicked off his rant, moaning: "You would never have sex with a man again if he showed up wearing one of these.
Alex Beresford (Image: ITV)
Family's heartbreaking tribute to stabbed dad
"Dads should just do what I did, which is carry them with your own arms or your own shoulders - be a man.
"What is happening to the men of the world? It makes them look utterly ridiculous.
"I have a theory that once you wear one of these ridiculous papooses no man ever gets laid again."
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Top hack for getting mould off tiles
How to beat cold symptoms in 24 hours
Susanna then turned to the only other father in the line-up, asking if he had ever worn a papoose.
Alex, who is dad to eight-year-old Cruz, replied: "I did wear a papoose, I love it.
Surgeon sacked by North Bristol NHS Trust
"I was a modern man. I used to wear the papoose and do some housework and help out."
Turning to Piers, he added: "Some stuff you would never have done."
Things to do in Bristol This Week
Piers hit back: "You are absolutely right. There is the prime example of what I am talking about.
"If this is the future of mankind then we are dead."
It was at this point that Susanna made her eyebrow-raising comment.


I noticed a similar topic about this, but it was not refering to the plant extract of DMT that is smoked, it was talking about the DMT that is produced naturally in the pineal gland. Which is the perfect place to start my topic, does smoking DMT lead to more powerful and vivid dreams? And it really does. You see I'm a real hip-hop head, and I began to seriously contemplate this whole idea when I heard the arist Jay Electronica say the verse "DMT make a man dream". Jay elec is no average rap artist either, everything he says is pretty much true and usually mind opening on top of that. So when he said this, I wondered is it possible? Then I read a book I reccomend anyone interested in DMT read called: DMT the Spirit Molecule by Rick Strassman, M.D. And in this book, he discusses his government funded research experiment he performed where he personally administers DMT to many vulenteers. The book has detailed reports of the vulenteers "trips" and what they experienced in the days after. And guess what? Many of the vulenteers experience more vivid meaningful and powerful dreams! But I still wasn't completely convinced, Intill I tried DMT myself. And the next few nights gave me some the most amazing powerful dreams ever. So as Jay Electronica said "DMT make a man dream"
From what i heard is that when you sleep you produce a to some molecule of dmt… or something of it, they actract it now from some kind of root and it will chance your thinking degree to 360.. From my friend experience its like you see thinks like the first time to, he told me to he won't use it again since he didnt liked it.
Dreamer25 wrote: From what i heard is that when you sleep you produce a to some molecule of dmt… or something of it, they actract it now from some kind of root and it will chance your thinking degree to 360.. From my friend experience its like you see thinks like the first time to, he told me to he won't use it again since he didnt liked it.
Yes plants and humans produce DMT in the pineal gland. The natural produced DMT is released in large amounts during dreams, near death experiences, and when the spirit enters the fetus and proably other times as well. But when DMT is smoked, it is extracted from the plants it's produced naturally in and then dried and smoked. And I see why your friend did not like the experience. Smoking DMT can be very intense, as it basicly takes you to a different world. It's quite the life changing experience!
but i'd like to make something clear: as far as i know we're not 100% sure whether DMT is produced in the pineal gland or not.
but then, i haven't read the book yet (which i'm planning to do), does rick strassman talk about it as a fact?
tea wrote: nice input, lucidlink!


FLUENT users want to be able to obtain the reports of standard deviation, average value, minimum and maximum value of a field variable on a list of surfaces, using only TUI commands, in a batch run using a journal file.
(1) This Solution can be used only with Single Phase cases in FLUENT 6.1.18 or later versions of FLUENT.
(2) The Scheme file is enclosed below the line. Please be careful when you copy and paste this into a file to remove the end-of-line characters that will appear due to copy and paste - it is essential to be able to have the function work properly. In case you run into problems with this, please ask your consulting engineer for the file.
please ask your consulting engineer for the file.
;;; H2O mass fraction on the surfaces named "plane-22"


text:
AdventHealth offering rapid COVID tests at Orlando airport
Gaylord into sports — in a big way
By dewayne bevil |
Two gigantic screens, which can be subdivided into different configurations, dominate Wreckers, a new sports bar at Gaylord Palms. (GAYLORD PALMS)
Walking into Wreckers, the new sports bar at Gaylord Palms resort, can be mesmerizing. As a college basketball junkie, I was thunderstruck last week by the number of NCAA Tournament games shown and the enormity of Wreckers' main screens.
Picture it: A screen 33 feet wide and 10 feet tall. Above that is a foot-high ticker with scores. And then, above that, yet another 33-by-10 screen.
That's a lot to absorb, especially when both jumbo screens are divided into five subsections of basketball action.
Down on ground level, there are dozens of easy chairs — not recliners, but comfy nonetheless — looking up at the screens and, even farther up, a dramatic light fixture. A cathedral came to mind, until I realized that there's a private skybox up there, too.
The two-story, 24,300-square-foot establishment is new construction at Gaylord, positioned between the hotel and its convention center. It has three terraces, two of which overlook the new South Beach Pool and one that is adjacent to the Coquina Lawn, a grassy event area that was once the site of the main pool of the Kissimmee resort.
But Wreckers? If you've seen its billboards while idling in I-4 traffic, you may have defaulted into thinking its name was tow-truck related. I mean, it couldn't be a home-wrecker reference.
Nope, it's a reference to the Florida Keys of the late 1700s, when shipwrecks were common among the sand bars. Salvagers would loot the vessels and sell their treasures in the Keys.
"They would go to the bars and spend their money on whiskey and liquor," says Jeff Abbaticchio, Gaylord's director of public relations.
The Key West theme is spread liberally throughout the decor of Wreckers, which opened in January. Vintage postcards, maps and photos (Ernest Hemingway alert) are framed in the staircase, fishing nets and buoys flank a chandelier, oyster-harvesting sticks and fishing rods are mounted on walls, Cruzan Rum barrels are a repeated design touch and an overturned canoe hangs from the ceiling.
An upstairs wall is devoted to mounted sea life — swordfish and such — all painted white. A fun-looking downstairs wall is plastered with more than 300 license plates left by travelers, or so the story goes.
Beyond the easy chairs, there are restaurant tables and high-tops upstairs and downstairs. There are bars on both floors, too. It might be hard for nonbelievers to escape the on-screen action: There are more than 50 high-definition televisions, ranging from 32 to 60 inches installed. Hate hoops? Retreat to the patio (and turn your back to the screens out there).
The Wreckers menu is classic sports-bar fare, including burgers, sliders, wings, ribs and appetizers — with a little conch chowder (more Key West) thrown in. There are 22 beers, including eight craft beers.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to midnight, and the bar operates until 2 a.m.
There's no cover charge, and if you spend $25, you receive free self-parking, which normally runs $15 a day.
Although it's a sports bar, special events may also be broadcast to Wreckers crowd. For example, Gaylord threw an Academy Awards party there. The entire bar can be rented out, perhaps to a convention held at the resort. One group reserved all of Wreckers for the NBA All-Star Game in February.
It's worth a call ahead before going to make sure all are welcome. And soon, that information will be available on the Gaylord Palms website, Abbaticchio said.
Kissimmee isn't as far away as Key West, but it might feel like it if you're turned away from Wreckers.
dbevil@tribune.com or 407-420-5477
What: Sports bar at Gaylord Palms resort
Where: 6000 W. Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee
When: Restaurant open 11 a.m.-midnight daily, bar open until 2 a.m.
Cost: No cover
Online: GaylordPalms.com/Wreckers
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament


This is just a list of ideas for what to work on. It will fluctuate over time.
[ ]         - Start playing with graphics?
[ ]     * ASM/C on Nintendo 64?
[ ]         - Get Turbo Pascal running. Requires a DOS environment.
[ ]         - Get a Turbo Pascal program building.
[ ]         - Look into getting Turbo Pascal running on Linux?
[ ]         - Get Turbo C running. Requires a DOS environment.
[ ]         - Get a Turbo C program building.
[ ]         - Select aspect ratio and then scale to fit actual display.
[-]           * eg.: If program's internal res is 1920x1080 and display is 1366x768, then both have an aspect ratio of 16:9 so we simply scale both dimensions by ~0.711.  If the aspect is different then we can either do a zoom, or render black bars to compensate.
[ ]     * Pico8 program to plot points onto a canvas.
[ ]     * Pico8 program to support Bezier curves with an arbitrary number of control points.
[ ]     * Pico8 program with NURBS curves.
[ ]     * Pico8 program for NURBS curves with interactive control point editor.
[ ] - SDL versions of the above Pico8 programs.
[ ] - Custom memory allocator the way HandmadeHero does it.
[ ]     * Custom ASM program for Linux.
[ ]     * Custom ASM program for Linux that uses the C runtime library.
[ ]     * Calling OS functions in ASM on Windows is awesome. Can you do that in Linux, too?
[ ] - Virtual machine that interprets custom bytecodes.
[ ]     * Compiler frontend. Generate LLVM intermediate code.
[ ]       - Current Impl estimates assuming perfect saturation at each level. Est. high based on AVL rebalancing.


Welcome! Youth Ministry at St. David's seeks to serve Christ in every student we encounter. Our ministry with youth grades 6th-12th encourages them to engage with their faith at a personal level by building authentic relationships with others of all ages and life circumstances.
We meet Sunday mornings, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings for regularly scheduled programing. We also meet at least one Saturday and one Sunday a month for volunteer work and fellowship. Sunday mornings @ 10:15am, Middle and High School youth gather together for fellowship and conversation in Youth Formation. High School EYC, or Episcopal Youth Community, meets Tuesday evenings, 6-8pm at the church. Middle School youth meets weekly for EYC on Wednesdays 5:30-7pm.
Youth Ministry also handles our yearly Mission trip, Acolyting, and Youth Confirmation (grades 10th and up). For more information, peruse these pages or email Director of Youth Jenny Campbell.
The Youth Committee, formed in June 2015, is an advisory body comprised of youth and adults alike, with membership confirmed by the Vestry. The Youth Committee exists to provide consultation and support for the St. David's youth ministry. Members support the youth ministry program by providing input, communicating to the congregation the status of youth ministry programs, encouraging congregational and community involvement with the youth ministry program, and undertaking any other functions that support the ministry in the fulfillment of the pastoral goals of the program.
St. David's Youth Group is looking for adult volunteers! Are you over 18 and interested in being a second adult at formation, EYC, or any other youth event? Are you safe guarding certified or interested in becoming certified? For more information, email Jenny Campbell. We would love to have you on board.


Through our 1Thing initiative, we are committed to our green pledges. Country music's own Garth Brooks and other celebrities such as Ed Sheeran, Tegan and Sara, and Jay Pharoah, all share 1Thing in common. Recycling! It may be the most fun you'll have all week according to Sheeran.
Watch below to find out how these musicians are pledging to help the environment.


vbs.tv — Sulu'ape Steve Looney comes to the great tradition of tattooing through his teacher, Suluape Petelo, a descendant of one of the original families tattooing in Samoa.
There are a couple of ways you can look at traditional tattooing. If you're Japanese, you might think of the large koi fish or dragons that typically adorn the bodies of your local crime syndicate. Or you could imagine the tats seen on sailors in old cartoons, where most of the images comprise of ships, anchors, and sea faring motifs. But the most traditional might actually be the black Polynesian patterned work from the Samoan and Marquesan Islands. Besides pre-dating both American and Japanese traditional-style work, the word tattoo itself comes from the Polynesian word "tatau". Suluape Steve Looney comes from the great tradition of Samoan tattooing through his teacher, Suluape Petelo, who can trace his ancestry back to one of the original families tattooing in Samoa. Although Steve uses tattoo machines, as opposed to traditional hand tools, he still has the knowledge and reverence that make him an excellent person to talk to about the subject of Samoan style tattoos.


A week back on #InternationalWomenDay, I decided it is time to write a tribute to the person that matters most in my life. My best friend, my partner in crime - my wife Natalya.
It's time for me to say a massive thank you to Natalya Walker. Natalya is my wife, my best friend and she pushed both of us to found and create our boat sharing company Boataffair. We are having the most amazing journey together. On and off the yachts. Natalya is strong when I am not. She challenges me when I go off-piste. She is my proverbial anchor. I should be so lucky to be on this startup rollercoaster, indeed the rollercoaster that is life, with her. We are fortunate enough to be able to work together in our startup. So what is our story and what is it I value so immensly?
We did our MBA together at Imperial College London. We shared the reasons for doing an MBA, the similar backgrounds (corporate and successful careers, yet we wanted something different) and the shared values. These were the key things that brought us together. Looking back this makes sense: you finally find a person who truly understands what you want to change and why in your professional life. With your colleagues, friends and even partners that's not always the case. When you quit your job and go for a full-time MBA forgoing income but looking excitedly to the future, some people may not get you. That happened to both of us a lot. People in your circle may admire your courage but they may never truly get it (unless they went through that experience themselves). Then you meet a person that gets it and best part yet – shares exactly the same values and passions as you do.
We ended up being in few working groups together over the course, but not all. We did, however, study a lot together, brainstormed case studies we discussed in class and prepared for exams. Challenging each other was always fun and since we had different backgrounds (Natalya in Project Management and Business Development and Adrian in Finance and Consulting) – it was really fascinating to see how the other one thinks or looks at the problem. When you are doing an MBA with all its intensity that nobody can really prepare you for (our Programme Director during induction week did tell us – prepare as from next week you will feel like as if the information is coming at you as from the fire hydrant) – many people on the outside would not understand. So, having a person going through all that with you and for the same reasons and being on the same intellectual level is a very beautiful and bonding experience.
When we don't work (YES; we still do have a bit of free time!!) we love to laugh together, go for walks, enjoy the mountains in Switzerland and we love to spend every free minute we can with our son who turns 6 very soon! When I can't are simply not able to, Natalya looks after the family and she is so strong for all of us. I know that this is a one in a million find - and I know & cherish it!
So, here is to an amazing female leader, the journey that matters and my best friend. My love.


Morning. Loving these last mornings in August with a fresh breeze welcoming a new season. It reminds me of the breeze that blew through the house last Friday, when you enjoyed it with me.
Where are you now? So many tubes and machines seem to be keeping you alive and the staff that monitors you refuses to allow us the pleasure of hope. Strange, isn't it?
I remember sitting with Tara sipping coffee, playing with the ends of my cold waffle and Ami's call interrupted us with news that your eyes were opened and he was sure you were watching him. I raced out leaving Tara happy to take care of the check.
A short ride to the hospital, I had to observe traffic lights, speed limits. I couldn't get to you fast enough. I stood next to your bed and with your soft gray/blue eyes open you were back with us. Those eyes that I first loved when you were once a stranger to me. It was enough to just see them even if I wasn't sure you saw me, you were looking. Enough for me for that moment.
But the staff wanted more and you weren't giving them more. Couldn't they feel our pleasure and not need more at the moment? For them you were in a vegetative state, still unable to squeeze a hand or respond to commands..
Understood. We understood. But hey why could't they just relish the fact that your eyes opened and you were coming back to us, maybe?
I'm so curious. What would you be thinking, Dr. Rosenberg about this procedure if you were the doctor, not the patient?
They didn't keep you awake long. You were starting to feel discomfort. Maybe you were waking up too soon, so they put you back under with a mild sedative and I immediately missed those eyes I've loved for 20 years.
I took a break and met up with Sharon and took a walk in Ridgewood, walking where we walked so often. You were missed as we stopped at the Daily Treat for lunch. I devoured a hamburger. Not the usual fare for me, I know. But I'm setting my usual discipline on the side, for tastebud comforts, just for now.
It was good to be with Sharon, who courageously joined me in the unit to see you and hear what the staff had to say. She was listening with an extra set of ears as we finally met the neurologist who did offer a bit of optimism, reminding me that for her this was a first visit, that it was DAY ONE! I liked her. She was engaged, not just going through the motions. She was called in to deal with abnormal brain waves observed on your EEG and ordered medication that began working immediately, making it easier for you to continue the road ahead.
Family joined me at the end of the day. It was just another occasion that you would have loved to participate in. We ate together at our Charley Brown, one of our first dining haunts, remember? The place felt old, tired with the meat attractions now not the modern attraction of the day. Healthy fish dished pushed their way to the top of the menu and I, in healthy mode opted for salmon. Remember what great steaks we shared there?
Okay so, day one ended with a thud. It's 5:30. Time for light, time for DAY 2.
Are you still with us T?
This entry was posted in Letters to TUvia and tagged #Letters to Tuvia. Bookmark the permalink.
My thoughts and prayers are with you both. Your letters are reminders of the love that has sustained you both for so long.
I jumped right to your post today on TWT wanting so badly to see those eyes open. I'm holding onto that little thread of hope for you. Blessings.
Spend as much time with Tuvia as you can. Talk to him and hare your love. I know from personal experience that he will know. Also play the Goldberg Variations for him. It is very restorative to the brain.
What a gift to be able to write during a difficult time. Love today's pic of Tuvia. Sending love and hope,my friend!
Keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers, Bonnie.
Thoughts of you and Tuvia filled my day yesterday and when I awoke this am, too, Bonnie. I'm glad you have so many with you.
Bonnie, you and Tuvia are in my thoughts and prayers. There is always hope. It is what keeps us going. Glad you have family and friends with you.
You words carry so much love. It's so sad and beautiful to read your letters. The words tug the heart. Keeping you in my thoughts.
So much love, such tenderness. I'm holding you in my heart, praying for the best. Love to you.
Your words help you sort out the confusion of your world now. Your voice has touched many hearts. Continuing to pray for you and Tuvia.
Words can help us survive. Your words are filled with love. Love can restore. Thinking of you both!
Beautiful, hopeful, longing words. May hope and love sustain you.
Oh Bonnie. I'm so sorry Tuvia is no longer with us. (I just read your status update on Facebook and shed tears knowing he has passed away.) I'm sorry he won't get to hear you read this letter to him by your side. But I am a believer in heaven and I'm confident that if you read it aloud he will hear you up there.
I'm so terribly sorry for your loss, Bonnie.
May Tuvia's memory be a blessing.
Was the kind I'd like to be.
And it was pure. You know the kind.
That more than what they seem, they are.
I am so sorry for your loss. Your letters to Truvia are beautiful. May you cherish his memory and find comfort in your family and friends. We are all thinking of you.
Wishing your family peace and lots of love and memories right now.
Bonnie, Margaret just let me know about your loss. She posted your video to your dear husband that recognized all that he was and all that he will continue to be in your heart. May your family be filled with his memory and live in the bonds of family unity.


Considering the slimming pills and other weight loss programs on offer it can be tempting to think that there is no all-natural approach to lose belly fat. This couldn't be more mistaken. The only lasting solution to toning up is through adopting a healthy and balanced eating and physical exercise program. Everything else from bariatric surgery to quick fad diets is a waste of your energy.
Apart from performing sit ups, loose belly fat by being mindful with what you consume. You should consume little and often making an effort to have up to 6 modest meals a day. This will attain a number of things such as avoiding trapped wind and cravings, two things that can put off even the most motivated dieter. Clearly you cannot eat candy bars or cakes but will have to adhere to a well balanced diet program.
Take some time to enjoy your food rather than getting a quick TV dinner to save time. Cooking your own food instead of counting on highly processed foods will aid you to lose pounds. Taking some time and experiencing every single mouthful will aid you to reduce weight as well as you are far more prone to stop eating when you are full instead of simply polishing off what is on your plate.
Drink plenty of water as our brains often confuse hunger with being thirsty. If you have recently eaten yet still experience hunger try sipping a glass of non carbonated filtered water. You will sometimes find that the "the urge to eat" disappear altogether when you satisfy your thirst. Don't drink a lot with your meals though since the water will dilute the digestive juices, delaying the entire digestion process and causing waste retention which can cause gas and bloated tummy.
Stay away from empty calories when attempting to lose tummy fat. Most of these can be found in alcohol and fizzy drinks. They have no nutritional value and will wreak havoc with your plan for firm ab muscles. Possessing some self discipline and figuring out to say no to some of your favorite foods will allow you to get rid of stomach fat. We can all slip in bad habits such as having cookies each time we have a cup of coffee. Reducing these small snacks will help to decrease your total calorie intake and therefore make it easier to drop pounds.
But the suggestions above is pointless if you don't begin increasing the level of physical exercise you do. You need to take up weight training exercise so that you can firm up those abs. You have to increase the level of aerobic exercises also to improve your overall fitness level but also to help you out tone up your entire body and not merely the stomach area. Talk to the personal trainer in your neighborhood fitness center about the regions of your body that you particularly desire to improve and he will help you to create a workout to focus on these. With some time and persistence you will discover that the all-natural method to loose belly fat is the most effective albeit it will not be the speediest.
Do you want to eliminate belly fat fast and get a six pack? Discover the honest truth on how long does it take to get a six pack.


text:
Rudra:

 Rudra — род аранеоморфных пауков из подсемейства Dendryphantinae в семействе пауков-скакунов.
 Rudra — сингапурская группа, играющая в стиле блэк-метал с элементами традиционной индийской карнатической музыки.

См. также
 Рудра (значения)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Greetings all beautiful Beings of the Light! I send you my Love and abiding protection.
These are intricate and delicate times, dear Ones, times of decision of focus. The amount of Light and observance of the Light within you and without will be the tipping point to your journey to Oneness.
Hello, my dear Ones, dear Ascending Souls that you are! I greet you with such love and gratitude for the work you are doing to transmute the energies within yourselves and the planet. You are such precious and brave Beings, fulfilling your purpose and mission so gracefully and fully.


Positive (+10): For being there when I needed help !
Positive (+10): For being a very naughty man !!
Positive (+8): no shame in a steak bake or sausage roll!
Positive (+1): For keeping me on the right path !
Positive (+1): Thanks Hovis. Nice to know it's not just me!