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rinnnyxr · 3 years

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About my day | Bold what is also true for you :

I woke up around 8AM.

I woke up without an alarm. I woke up nude.

I woke up and drank water immediately.

I checked my phone right when I woke up. I checked my TikTok notifications.

I checked my Facebook notifications.

I then checked my email.

I then went downstairs. I got dressed to go out.

I was in the passenger seat of the car today.

I wore a hat today.

I put concealer on.

I put foundation on.

I put on powder.

I used a beauty blender.

I didn’t brush my hair today.

I wore ugg boots.

I wore jeans.

I wore a zip-up.

I went out to breakfast.

I had 3 cups of coffee.

I had a glass of ice water.

I had pancakes.

I had a bagel.

^ with cream cheese.

I saw friends today.

I saw my boyfriend today.

I saw my goddaughter today.

I gave someone a hug.

I gave someone a kiss.

I pet a cat today.

I uploaded video.

I took a photo today.

I updated that photo to Instagram.

I’m currently listening to music. I’m currently on my laptop.

I’m currently in PJ’s. I’m currently surprisingly comfortable.

I took a shower.

I took a shower but not alone ;)

I have the heat on currently. I wore a bracelet today.

I wore a ring today.

I listened to the radio.

I listened to music on Apple Music.

I didn’t post a Facebook status today. I checked the fridge and saw nothing appetizing. I washed my face.

I used rose water spray on my face.

I used a face moisturizer.

I googled a celebrity. I had cheese and crackers.

I may take a nap soon.

I saw my mom today. I saw my sister today.

I thought about calling my dad today.

I’m not currently wearing socks.

I’m not alone in the room currently.

It’s windy out today. It hailed out today.

I’m really thirsty.

I’m too lazy to get up and get myself a drink right now.

I paid for something with cash today.

I thought about cleaning my room but didn’t…

I listened to God’s Plan by Drake today.

I didn’t blow-dry my hair today. I’m gonna play video games soon.

I’m going to take some more surveys after this. I drank something out of the carton today.

I’m not leaving the house for the rest of the day.

I can see my pet from where I am currently.

There is a TV to my right.

There are headphones to my left.

It’s Sunday today.

I have work tomorrow.

I got in a small argument today.

I told someone I loved them today.

1. had sex? 2. bought condoms? 3. gotten pregnant? 4. failed a class? 5. kissed a boy? 6. kissed a girl? 7. used a little paper bag for lunch? 8. had a job? 9. slipped on ice? 10. missed the school bus? 11. left the house without my wallet? 12. bullied someone on the internet? 13. sexted? 14. had sex in public? 15. played on a sports team? 16. smoked weed? 17. smoked cigarettes? 18. smoked a cigar? 19. drank alcohol? . 20. watched “The Breakfast Club”? 21. been overweight? 22. been underweight? 23. had an eating disorder? 24. been to a wedding? 25. made fun of someone for being fat? 26. been on the computer for 5 hours straight? 27. watched tv for 5 hours straight? 28. been late for work? 29. been late for school? 30. kissed in the rain? 31. showered with someone else? 32. failed my drivers test? 33. ran a mile in less than 10 minutes? 34. been outside my home country? 35. been on a road trip longer than 5 hours? 36. had lice? 37. gotten my heart broken? 38. had a credit card? 39. been to a professional sports game? 40. broken a bone? 41. been unhappy about my weight? 42. won a trophy? 43. cut myself? 44. had an STD? 45. got engaged? 46. been on a diet? 47. tried out to be on a tv show? 48. rode in a taxi? 49. been to prom? 50. played a drinking game? 51. stayed up for 24 hours or more? 52. been to a concert? 53. had a three-some? 54. had a crush on someone of the same sex? 55. been in a car accident? 56. had braces? 57. learned another language? 58. killed an animal? 59. been at a yard sale? 60. been to a Japanese steakhouse? 61. wore make up? 62. talked to someone via webcam? 63. lost my virginity before I was 16? 64. had my wisdom teeth taken out? 65. kissed someone a different race than myself? 66. snuck out of the house? 67. bought porn? 68. had a virus on my computer? 69. had oral sex? 70. dyed my hair? 71. gone skinny dipping? 72. graduated from college? 73. wore someone else’s clothes? 74. voted in a presidential election? 75. rode in an ambulance? 76. rode in a helicopter? 77. caught the stove on fire? 78. got in a verbal fight? 79. met someone famous? 80. been on vacation? 81. been on a boat? 82. been on an airplane? 83. broken something expensive? 84. had surgery? 85. kissed someone before I was 14? 86. beat a video game? 87. found something valuable on the ground? 88. made a survey? 89. stalked someone on a social network? 90. prank called someone? 91. spent over $100 shopping in one day? 92. been to a library outside of school? 93. cut my hair and hated it? 94. peed outside? 95. went fishing? 96. helped with charity? 97. taken a pregnancy test? 98. been rejected by a crush? 99. been suspended from school? 100.broken a mirror?

2008 was a horrible year for me. Actually, it was the best. I’ve been on a cruise before. I like chemistry more than biology. I like taking surveys more than making them. I absolutely despise the color pink. I don’t have a significant other. I get all four seasons where I live. I only shop when I absolutely have the need to. I have an older brother. I have my driver’s license. I don’t want to have kids someday. I wear more jeans than skirts. I’d rather wear sneakers than high heels. I don’t go to church. I don’t like having my fringe in my face. I’m very much into heavy metal music. I own like, a hundred hoodies. I couldn’t draw to save my life. I’m a very good cook. I always have to look at the keyboard when I type. I’ve had surgery before. I don’t mind getting shots all that much. I’m not afraid of bugs. I love hot, hot weather! I have huge eyes and long lashes. I’m naturally very pale. I’m usually not very picky at all when it comes to food. My parents are divorced. I don’t like doing surveys, but I find myself doing them anyway. I’m addicted to Tumblr. I don’t have a Facebook account. I have perfect vision and don’t need glasses or contacts. I don’t wear makeup when I go out. I hate stores like Forever 21. I’m very much into sports. I don’t see what the big deal about photography is. Or fashion design. I don’t really appreciate art that much. Horror movies are my favorite. I don’t care if people cut in line in front of me. I don’t even remember the last time I put on a piece of jewelry. My hair is naturally straight. I support gay marriage. I have more friends online than I do in real life. My siblings are all older than I am. My significant other is younger than I am. I curse in almost every sentence I speak. I always get straight A’s in exams. I don’t know how to play any instrument. I only know how to speak one language. I don’t have my own personal blog. I’m allergic to something. I’ve been stung by a bee at least once in my life. This is the last survey I’m doing today. I have seen someone propose in public before. And they got rejected, poor bloke. I wonder if I will ever get proposed in public. Heck I don’t even know if I’ll ever get married. I know what a sake bomb is. I’ve tried it before. I’ve watched ‘Paris Hilton’s My New BFF’. ^ Ew, sad much? I think Paris Hilton is a brainless bitch. I celebrate Chinese New Year. I’m not Chinese or a tiny bit Asian at all. I have a step-sibling. I have a weak tolerance of alcohol. Are you kidding me? I can drink all night long! I want a new cell phone. I have my own bathroom. I sleep on a single bed. Nah, I have a King/Queen size bed! I think one night stands are no biggie. ^ Slut ^Prude I’ve been on a helicopter before. I’m actually afraid of heights. My date rented a limo to take me to prom. Pfft, I wish I had a date. I haven’t had my prom yet. I like clicking on advertisements. Pop-up ads are so old school. I recently took a bath. I never bother, I just take showers. My Christmas holidays were the bomb! Ugh, mine sucked like hell. I’d love to go to Japan one day. I’ve seen a ghost before. ^ I’d pee in my pants if I did. ^ No, I’d run and scream. I can write lyrics! I can, but I’m not very good at it. I would like to become a musician one day. I love finding things in sofa cracks. I know someone that’s trying very hard to fit in a stereotype. Every cup of water I drink equals to a trip to the toilet. I recently received my exam results. They were quite good! Nope, failed it all. It’s my boyfriend’s birthday today. He never gives me gifts. He buries me with them. I wish I had a boyfriend that actually spends money on me! I love him very much. The Beatles rock my world. Actually, a lot of classic rock bands rock my world. It takes me a really long while to get to sleep. I’m a personality quiz fiend. I am and have always been a night owl. I love reading Sarah Dessen books. My earphones are in my ears practically 24/7. I am an only child and that’s not because of any death. I hate school and everything else connected to it. I’ve never been in any romantic relationship. I have a lot of favorite names. And I plan to use those names on my kids. I’m reading a comic book right now. I’m listening to music right now. I memorize lyrics really easily. But memorizing stuff for school isn’t easy at all. Math is my worst enemy. I love bolding surveys. Nice and easy. I pick Guitar Hero over Rock Band. I really don’t mind being all alone.

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esthersnippe · 6 years

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In Brussels? Here are my top picks on what to do, see, drink, and eat

I am not going to claim to be an expert, but this winter I will be celebrating my 7th year in Europe’s Captial City—and I adore this city.

I have gone to hundreds of cities, I believe there is nothing quite like Brussels.

But it took me years to get here, and many tourists don’t immediately find it charming. And that’s ok. Because Brussels is small and too many tourists is not super good...and I am only partially joking.

It is a secret city. Non-obvious and full of delights.

Over the years, I have learned one or two things about Brussels, and today I present you with my list of top things to do, see, drink and eat. You can do all of this in 24hours.

My 10 favourite things to do in Brussels

Here we go!

1. Eat a waffle in the Grand Place.

It is best to see the Grand Place at night first, then in the day after.

For my vegan friends: Go to The Sister’s Cafe for vegan waffles WITH vegan ice cream.

For my non-vegan friends: Go to Maison Dandoy—they are simply the best waffles in the city. There are two kinds Brussels (light and airy) and Leige (thick and cakey) so if you are with someone else, get one of each, and if you are alone, choose wisely!

Once, Victor Hugo, who wrote Les Miserables, lived in an apartment in the place. He said it is “a dazzling fantasy dreamed up by a poet, and realized by an architect.”. There is so much history I would love to share with you about it, but I’ll save that for another time. Just go an enjoy it. It is truly spectacular.

2. Walk from Park Royal to Park Cinquantenaire. The whole walk takes about 35 minutes, and you will see three beautiful parks: Park Royal, Park Leopold, and Park Cinquantenaire, as well as the Royal Palace, the European Parliament, and the Triumphal Arch.

Its a much better way to spend your time than going to the Atomium—which will take 2-3 hours minimum and is ok, but really rather touristy.

3. Go and see the Palace of Justice at sunset Or any time, but it is the best at sunset. You can go to the grocery store and buy some drinks and snacks and sit up there to watch the sunset, it is chill and has a great view of the city skyline.

4. Eat chocolate at the Grand Sablon: My top picks are

Frederic Blondeel

Wittamer

Pierre Marcolini

How it works: you buy the chocolate by weight, so choose 2-3 different pieces from each place. 3-4 chocolates should cost between €4-€7. Usually, the people behind the counter are not very helpful, but I still ask for personal favourites and recommendations anyway. Either way, you should always try the “Grand Cru”, this is the best the chocolatier thinks they can do. Yum is usually the result. Plant-based buddies: most of the dark chocolate is vegan! But make sure you double check, because some of the other ingredients might not be, like caramel being made with butter, etc.

5. Go to the European History Museum in Park Leopold

It is free. And amazing. One of the best and most interactive museums I have been to: it has great tech, tons of ways to get involved with the exhibits, and tells a fascinating story.

6. Go see our national monument, the Manneken Pis Also... the Manneken Pis Museum. It is just up the street and guaranteed a right giggle.

7. Sit at the top of Mont des Art. Best in the early evening. then walk through the garden. There is always a lot of animation and things going on, but it is also very relaxed.

Make sure you check out the architecture on Rue Montagne de la Cour, like the Musical Instruments Museum and the Old English Pharmacy.

8. Do some unique shopping/browsing. I am not personally big on buying loads of stuff, but these little streets are jammed packed with the unique and wonderful. Here are my top picks:

Rue de Rollerbeek

Rue du Haute

the Royal Galleries (Actually, I have never bought anything here, but the buildings are amazing.)

9. Eat some fries.

I might be plant-based but I make an exception for the occasional frites treats, because they are the best in the world. There is no contest.

For the sauce: you can go:

Traditional with a dollop of Mayonnaise

Spicy with the Pili-pili (less spicy) or my favourite Samurai (more spicy).

Not spicy, but with a burst of flavour go with the Andalouse (which is kind of mayonnaise with tomato and basil) or Curry Ketchup (which is exactly what it sounds like.)

Aioli is another very popular sauce, but I find it too garlicky (but if you are into garlic, try it out. Just don’t try and kiss me after.)

Vegans + vegetarians: the frites definitely contain animal fat.

My top picks

Fritland right by the Grand Place

Friterie Saint-Josse

Frit Flagey

Which brings me to number 10! They are related.

In Brussels, there is a local phrase which goes “faire du gras” which translates to something like “lay down the fat” and means “eat something heavy”—and is good advice before you start drinking in Brussels. 2 strong beers on an empty stomach is almost a guarantee you will end up tripping on one of our many uneven, cobblestone roads.

10. Drink beer.

Also—the best in the world (Yes Germany, I have tried your beers, and I am sticking to what I said.) God, this needs a whole other post. But you are only here for a short time, so let’s get into it.

First: where to drink.

These are my favourite watering holes and their locations.

Le Coq in front of Beurs: Classic Belgian pub, and very fairly priced. (ie. cheap)

Zebra in St.Gery: This old island is the best spot to drink and people watch after work and on the weekend.

Bar Llanes or Café Charbon on Marche du Charbon in front of the Notre-Dame de Bon Secours. They are beside each other.

Monks in Saint Catharine: a bit overpriced, but great selection and cool ambience.

The Brussels Beer Project Brewery by the canal: They are constantly creating new brews, and you can test out the new flavours, then vote on them, which is fun.

Le Barboteur Bierothèque in St.Josse: Amazing selection and very unpretentious. (But only good if you are in the neighbourhood, because it is pretty far from the city centre.)

Le Verschueren in St.Gilles: Sit with the cool, Belgian artists. Great people and good prices, but also only good if you are in the neighbourhood.)

Café Belga and L'Amère à Boire in Place Flagey: Really different atmospheres, but both are fun, although a little hipstery. Don’t make a special trip out to see them, but if you are in Flagey, they are great.

If you want to see some breathtaking architecture from the turn of the century and drink some rather overpriced beer, visit:

Le Cirio

Cafe Metropole

Mort Subite

There are 1150 Belgian beers, which is an overwhelming number. Even if I had drank a new beer every other day since arriving, I still wouldn’t have tried them all. So don’t feel bad if you don’t know where to start. Here is a quick and dirty guide to some of my favourites. For something heavy that will get you drunk almost immediately, try the Trappist beers. There are only 6 breweries in the world, and the beer is brewed in the traditional style by monks! (Note: Proceed with caution)

Rochefort 10: Hold on to your hats, you are heading to drunk town on a smooth chocolate river.

Westmalle Tripel: This is a very good, bitter, mega strong beer.

Chimay Bleu: A sweet, dark, internationally-known bestseller! Stop at one though, it gives a vicious hangover after you’ve had 3.

For something unique only to Belgium, and is stupidly delicious, like a refreshing beer-lemonade, try the gueuze:

Gueuze Boon: This is my all time favourite drink in Belgium. Possibly the world.

Oud Beersel: Also a hella delicious gueuze, but brewed in the old style, without wheat.

Mort Subite Kriek: a gueuze sweetened with cherries. I can only have one of these at a time because they are intense, but a good occasional treat.

If you are not even sure you like beer, but are in Brussels so what the hell:

Faro Lambic: light and sweet and way too drinkable. Like juice.

Tripel Karmeliet: a delicious, well-balanced crowd pleaser

Chouffe: very light tasting, but watch out! Strong in effect.

Saison Dupont: a very popular, classic Belgian beer.

You are not a fan of stong or heavy beers, and really want a pils (once again Germans, I am looking at you.) we have three very popular pilsner brands that you’ll be able to get just about anywhere.

Jupiler: mildly sweet, and the most popular beer in Belgium (especially with sports fans).

Maes: a little closer to a lager than a pils, but if I am going to drink a pils, I choose this one.

Stella Artois: This is Belgian, not Italian beer! It is a pretty easy drinking beer and also available just about everywhere....including the country you are coming from.

Like Stella Artois, I have a tendency to tell guests to avoid Duvel and Leffe—while they are fine beer brands, they are available around the world, and you will probably be able to find them in your home country, although perhaps for a much higher price.

There is a lot more I could say about Brussels, but I hope this is enough to get you started! See you soon.

Want to read stuff I’ve written about Belgium?

Here are a few other posts about life in Europe’s Capital.

21 Reasons to love Belgium

20 Canadian/British Habits I Lost When I Moved To Brussels

An Adult Tour of the Beaux Art Museum Part 1: The history of Belgium Part 2: Because art is awesome

I am safe: A post about what it felt like to be in Brussels after the Brussels Attacks.

#Brussels #like a local #belgium

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whiskeyandwildfire · 4 years

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Diving off the Mackinaw Bridge at 2am

(Please excuse the tardiness of this entry, I hope the content will serve as an explanation. However, first, I hope you will join me for a little afternoon poetry. If you would like, please listen to this track while reading the following poem aloud at a medium pace)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXvi1-gjI4A&list=PLkLGtfv9wqNKKRIY95QMUZqFwe_cl3orB&index=6

Getting closer to the edge A gust of wind comes off the straights And seems to push and pull you simultaneously.

And if you are the push I am the pull.

Different paths to the same town Square in the middle of nothing Open past nine and closed on Sundays.

And if you are a paddle boat On old Kitchi-Gummi I am a raft floating too far from shore And long past my bedtime.

Crashing waves wake Us at night and no campfire story Or prescription strength anything Will bring us back down before the sun comes up.

And if you are the sun I am the burn that comes later Unexpected, unwanted, and staying for months

Un-welcomed like a cousin from upstate Who borrows and never returns all of your best dress socks.

Or a song overplayed that you change Or try to change before realizing Music’s all the same today And tomorrow, and next week too.

And if you are the oboe concerto Rising and falling like a lost bird in flight I am the sound of a radio played too high

On a passing car swerving to avoid a chipmunk That’s thinking the same thought at that moment As I am, “How the fuck did I get here?”

And where will I be tomorrow, and tomorrow, and next week too?

But if you are mine I am your’s And that’s all there is.

After the push and the pull After the fall After the water wakes And the sun rises The bird takes flight And the song ends.

After tomorrow, and tomorrow.

ENTRY - Part 1

I’m writing this as I sit next to my father, six hours in to an eight hour trip from Michigan to Pennsylvania. He’s only driven a fourth of the way and already seems tired. The road wobbles and waves beneath the car as he changes lanes without signaling. The mirror I’ve reclaimed from my Grandparents house crashes against the wheel well of the back tire. Surely it’s shattered.

We pull off into the closest rest stop to stretch our legs, switch jobs, and check on the cargo.

“Okay son, don’t make me nervous” he says as I adjust the mirrors and seat back from the hunched over locked in position they’re kept in for his short frame. This is also something he comments on when it’s his turn to move them back.

My dad got into a small accident May 4th of 2019 in the car we drive in. I remember the date because it was the day after my 30th birthday. I got the call that he had slid the car into a rock pile about a block from his house. It had been raining and the brakes needed replacing anyway.

The brake pads and rotors had been gone since winter. In Michigan, the road salt eats away at...well, everything. Down to your spirit and definitely through 4 pieces of cheap foam.

The rain on the day of the accident wasn’t any worse than usual, and were it not for the fact that my dad was also drunk when he crashed it probably could have been avoided all together. Honestly though, when I see him sober it’s hard to tell which is better.

All of these mitigating factors aside, as someone who was voted “Worst Driver in High School” there must be some truth to the expressed concern. Three tickets in six months earned me the title and the almost immediate three month suspension of my license backed up the claim. We won’t mention the fact that two of these tickets were thrown out and the only reason that my license was suspended was because no one would listen to what I had to say, in a large part because I didn’t know how to say it. How to defend myself in matters of the law. Looking back, and with his experiences, you would think Dad being in the court room would have helped.

I change lanes and press down on the gas to no avail. The accelerator misses and the engine revs.

“Don’t make me nervous, Son”

You need to know that not only haven’t I driven in the better part of a year, but also that when I do I’m used to driving at least semi new rental cars. Cars with at least basic capability and safety measures.

“This is not a me, problem.” I respond. “You need new brakes. You need a new car” I stop there, he’s already not listening.

The road wobbles. The mirror crashes.

ENTRY - Part 2

I’m in my apartment now. Bags and luggage unpacked, father gone as quickly as possibly; never one for standing still. Mirror scratched, but in tact. Much like everything else. Little scratches that aren’t my stories to tell. Going through boxes that I collected and transported, mostly from my Mom’s. A special deck of cards, a stack of papers from school, and a present perfectly wrapped.

My Grandpa died in 2009. It was a week before my 21st birthday, I remember this because two weeks before he said to me “ If you don’t tell your Grandma I’ll have a beer with you” Of course I had been a pretty regular consumer since I was 15, but I couldn’t stand to break his heart.

Now, yesterday. Over 10 years later. My Grandpa had one last gift to give me. I’m opening it now. The wrapping paper is for a birthday. There’s no words written and no card. There’s a post-it already removed that says my name and that was the same for my brother and sister. I rip open the first layer and the trapped air inside is freed, blown around my entire body by the overhead fan. I can smell him in the wind. This is not just my mind either, I notice bringing the paper closer to my nose. He must have sprayed his Old Spice on the wrappings before sealing it shut. A gift inside a gift. A part of what made him back on the earth if only for a moment. Inside, a toy truck. An army transport of impressive detail. The kind of truck my Grandpa serviced in WW2. The kind of truck he fixed over and over again, under heavy fire, in a foreign country away from his wife so that he could defend all that was coming to him. Fighting for me without even knowing who I am.

Research - Thesis

Carl Jung was a Swiss psychoanalyst who wanted an answer to the question: “Why do seemingly good people do obviously bad things?”

Jung finally devised an answer in the formulation of the shadow self, the dark side – the side that’s hidden from conscious awareness AND the side that’s metaphorically dark.

Jung’s model of the shadow arises from the human subconscious/unconscious.

“Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. If an inferiority is conscious, one always has a chance to correct it. Furthermore, it is constantly in contact with other interests, so that it is continually subjected to modifications. But if it is repressed and isolated from consciousness, it never gets corrected.” – Carl Jung, Psychology and Religion

You see…in childhood, we are socialized to behave a certain way, to follow a certain set of rules.

As a child, you know nothing about the world, so it is the responsibility of your caretakers to teach you about the world and its written and unwritten rules. Following these allow us to “fit in” with society and operate as productive citizens and achieve some standard of worldly success. This is the socialization process.

Some of these rules are actually good because they allow a society to function, for many people to enjoy a good standard of living, and lead reasonable lives.

However, “life happens” and many people in Western society (or even the world at large) have not been trained or socialized to face discomforting things that happen in life.

SOURCE

I began this entry with the two contrasting stories to illustrate this point. In my very basic, beginning stages of trying to understand Shadow Work and the Shadow Self that it is important to recognize what behaviors or actions are that of another person, what thoughts or actions are that of you...and more deeply, it is important to recognize what thoughts or actions are yours that cause you discomfort BECAUSE you see them in others.

Example - I don’t like when my father drinks too much because he becomes dismissive and hard to talk to.

Shadow Talk - I don’t like when I drink too much, because of the same reasons.

Example - I don’t like when my father comments on my bad driving that is really the fault of his broken vehicle, which is the result of his poor decisions and lack of accountability.

Shadow Talk - I don’t like when I don’t deal with problems as they arise.

Example - I don’t like that my father can’t communicate with me.

Shadow Talk - I don’t like that I can’t find a way to connect with him.

I also began this entry to illustrate that there are different “gifts” we can receive from people in our lives. Some positive both in the act and the outward appearance of receiving the gift and the actual gift itself, and some negative in appearance, but possibly positive in an unconsidered way. Example, being so uncomfortable and unhappy in a job that you lose interest, get fired, and only months later find your dream job because you were available to apply to it.

Arts Education - Research and updates

I’ve been picking through a report of collected data to help prove efficacy of the Young Playwrights Lab to potential granters, specifically under the new ESSA (Every Single Student Achieves) Act that explicitly details what funding is available, what types of Arts Education programs are eligible, what kind of research or efficacy you must be able to prove, and how much money is available in that section. There are currently 10 different sections of funding. 6 of those require Title III - Title IV level research proof to apply for funding. Here are the definitions from the report.

 Strong evidence (Tier I) comes from study reports that :

Show statistically significant positive

intervention effects on relevant outcomes (without any statistically significant negative effects);

Meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards without reservations. (What’s this thing?)

Were conducted using a large, multisite sample (i.e., more than 350 students and more than a single school district).

 Moderate evidence (Tier II) comes from study reports that

(a) show statistically significant positive intervention effects on relevant outcomes (without any statistically significant negative effects);

(b) studies that meet WWC evidence standards with reservations;

(c) studies that were conducted using a large, multisite sample (i.e., more than 350 students and more than a single school district). (What’s different between I and II)

 Promising evidence (Tier III) comes from study reports that (a) show statistically significant positive intervention effects on relevant outcomes (without any statistically significant negative effects), and (b) describe correlational studies with statistical controls for selection bias.

 Research-based rationale (Tier IV) evidence comes from study reports that

(a) feature a well specified logic model informed by research or evaluation,

(b) describe interventions that are undergoing additional research regarding their effects

Here is an example from this same report that details an acceptable logic model.

It is my recommendation that for YPL to best take advantage of possible funding opportunities from ESSA that a new logic model should be developed from existing research that is “evidence based” as opposed to “rationale based” (Example, pre and post surveys, attendance statistics of kids participating in YPL, general test scores of those same students V. rationale based research that has more to do with facts we already know but aren’t tracking in the classrooms I.E. Art makes kids happy)

It is also my recommendation that one or more YPL programs for this next school year be chosen as control groups to either follow, or purposefully ignore the current model to test efficacy. Having the contrast to our goal will help illustrate to possible funders the actual impact of the program. This is especially imperative as programs continue online as there might be an opportunity to raise money for a TBD in person set of classes AS WELL as writing for grants to continue the work being done online.

(Thank you for your continued patience and attention during this hefty post)

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blockzone06-blog · 5 years

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Best Things To Do in Quito, Ecuador

If you’re planning a trip to Ecuador to visit the Galapagos Islands, the rainforest, or just passing through on a trip to South America, you’ll definitely find yourself in the capital city of Quito at some point.

Quito is a historic city built on the foundations of an ancient Incan empire. Its colonial center is very well-preserved with many beautiful churches from the 1500 and 1600s.

If you’re wondering how many days to spend in Quito, you’ll definitely want 1-2 days to explore Quito itself, and perhaps 1-2 more for day trips outside of Quito.

Here are our recommendations for the best things to see and do in Quito, plus 2 of the best day trips to take from Quito that you won’t want to miss!

Calle La Ronda

Calle La Ronda is a colorful cobblestone alley with shops, restaurants, and a lively nightlife scene. Don’t miss Chez Tiff, a delicious artesanal chocolate shop on this street! Definitely stop in and get some truffles to try or take for later!!

GPS Location

Loma El Panecillo

The best views of Quito are from Loma El Panecillo. We stopped here on our Live Like a Local tour in Quito with Metropolitan Touring.

GPS Location

At the top of this volcanic hill you’ll find a 100-foot tall statue of the Virgin Mary with wings!

You can take an Uber to the top and walk down back to Quito for great views of the city along the way. I highly recommend Uber in Quito! It is so inexpensive, and the app will tell you exactly how much the price will be before you decide to call it.

Use this link to sign up with Uber to get your first ride free!

Convento De San Francisco

Because of its extremely well preserved historic center, Quito was the first city to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

GPS Location

The Convento De San Francisco was established in 1536 by Franciscan monks. There is a museum in the convent with art from the 16th and 17th centuries. Because we were guests of the Casa Gangotena Hotel and Metropolitan Touring, we had a special tour of the Convento De San Francisco with one of the monks still living there today. Above is a view of the incredible chapel from the choir loft.

The monk took us up to the bell tower of the church for a view of the San Francisco Plaza. To the right you can see the Virgin Mary statue on El Panecillo.

If you’d like to go up in the bell tower, you must be a guest of the Casa Gangotena Hotel. Reservations must be made 24 hours in advance. You can make a reservation at the front desk of Casa Gangotena.

More To Do In Quito

Here are a few other places you definitely shouldn’t miss in Quito!

Church of the Jesuits — One of the most breathtaking churches I have ever seen!! Unfortunately you can’t take pictures inside and I was DYING. It’s SO beautiful! There is SO MUCH gold!! Everything was covered in gold!! Honestly, this is a MUST see in Quito, even if you can’t take pictures!

Independence Square — The main square in the heart of the historic center of Quito.

Casa del Alabado Museum — Museum with a collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and a 100 year old fig tree. Be sure to ask for a demonstration of the whistling bottle!

Cotopaxi National Park is an awesome, easy day trip from Quito. It’s a must-see if you love nature and stunning scenery. The national park is less than 1.5 hours from Quito and is known for the active, snow-capped Cotopaxi Volcano. You can even hike to the top of the volcano!!

Cotopaxi National Park is free to enter (you don’t need a guide), but you will need to register with your passport. If you are driving there, set your GPS for the welcome center. Here you will find bathrooms and a cafe where you can buy water and snacks for the day.

From the welcome center, it’s about a 15 minute drive to the lake. There is a big parking lot and a nice trail around the lake with views of the volcano and wild horses in the area.

You could spend a lovely morning or afternoon here, there are even tables for picnics with a view of the volcano in the background!

However if you’re looking for a bit of a challenge, you can do some hiking on the volcano!! It’s about a 5 mile drive from the parking lot at the lake to the parking lot where the volcano hike starts. We were warned that the road was too rough to take our small, old, beat-up rental car, and that it would be better to hire a guide with a 4×4 to take us to the volcano trailhead parking lot (for $60). However we decided to risk it and go on our own. The gravel road did get pretty rough with lots of rocks and large potholes in some places, but we were able to make it. However definitely go at your own risk if you decide to try it. We could’ve easily popped a tire on that road and that would’ve been a huge hassle.

From the volcano hike parking lot, there are two paths you can take. We took the one on the left, which is a bit longer, but much less steep. Look for the sign with an arrow to the left that says 1500 meters. From here it took us about 40 minutes to get to the refugio (the building you can see from the parking lot).

The refugio is the perfect place to stop for a break with bathrooms and warm up with some hot chocolate!!

After a break at the refugio to catch our breath, we then hiked up to the beginning of the glacier… nearly 17,000 feet in elevation!! It took me about 30 minutes at a very, very slow pace. The trail was so steep and slippery, and the air was so thin from the elevation!

View of Cotopaxi National Park from the Cotopaxi Volcano Glacier!

Tips for Hiking Cotopaxi Volcano

Wear plenty of sunscreen

Wear very good hiking shoes

Dress very warmly! It can be very cold and windy at the top

Be very careful coming down! The trail is very steep and super slippery with sand and rocks

Happy to have made it this far, but seriously exhausted!! I will not judge you if you just want to go to the park and have a picnic by the lake! :)

If you’re going to Ecuador you have to go to the equator line!! Where else can you stand with a foot in each hemisphere, or hop back and forth from the north to the south??

Just outside of Quito is the Mitad del Mundo, a large stone monument right on top of the equator, signifying the “Middle of the World“. You can easily get there and back from Quito by Uber.

There is some discussion on whether the monument is on the 100% accurate REAL equator or not… Or if it’s at a nearby museum, or if it’s in a different place all together!

Either way, this monument is definitely worth visiting if you are in Quito. You can go up in the tower for a 360 degree panoramic view of the mountains around Quito.

From here you can also walk to the Intiñan Solar Museum, a nearby museum with fun equator-related science experience you can try yourself!

On our way to the rainforest, our guide from Metropolitan Touring took us to a different spot altogether that is claimed to be the real equator. He had us perform a few experiments that honestly blew my mind. Try these on on the equator and see what happens!!

Equator Tricks

Hold your arm straight out in front of you and have someone try to push it down. Standing 5-10 feet away from the equator, it is a bit difficult — the person pushing your arm will definitely have some resistance. On the equator your arm can be pushed down very easily!!!

Pinch your index finger and thumb together, and hold them together tightly. Have someone try to pry them apart. Off the equator, it will be difficult. On the equator, they’ll come apart very easily!

Someone please explain these to me!!!!

If you’re looking for the best location to stay in Quito, it’s definitely the historic center so you’re walking distance to everything. Casa Gangotena is a three-story historic mansion turned boutique hotel overlooking Plaza San Francisco right in the heart of the historic center.

This beautiful mansion was voted by Travel + Leisure as one of the Best Hotels of the World. Rooms have air conditioning, free WiFi, and the water pressure in the shower is amazing! The service at Casa Gangotena was outstanding. The staff went above and beyond to make sure all our needs and requests were met.

Casa Gangotena also offers unique, free experiences to all guests. A difference experience is offered every night of the week, from complimentary guided walking tours of the city to chocolate taste-testings!!

Be sure to go up to the Panoramic Terrace for a fabulous view of Plaza San Francisco!

For more help planning your trip to Quito or Ecuador, check out Metropolitan Touring’s Quito tours and packages.

See more posts from Ecuador!

Source: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/quito-ecuador/

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freonsuit52-blog · 5 years

Text

Best Things To Do in Quito, Ecuador

Quito is a historic city built on the foundations of an ancient Incan empire. Its colonial center is very well-preserved with many beautiful churches from the 1500 and 1600s.

If you’re wondering how many days to spend in Quito, you’ll definitely want 1-2 days to explore Quito itself, and perhaps 1-2 more for day trips outside of Quito.

Here are our recommendations for the best things to see and do in Quito, plus 2 of the best day trips to take from Quito that you won’t want to miss!

Calle La Ronda

GPS Location

Loma El Panecillo

The best views of Quito are from Loma El Panecillo. We stopped here on our Live Like a Local tour in Quito with Metropolitan Touring.

GPS Location

At the top of this volcanic hill you’ll find a 100-foot tall statue of the Virgin Mary with wings!

Use this link to sign up with Uber to get your first ride free!

Convento De San Francisco

Because of its extremely well preserved historic center, Quito was the first city to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

GPS Location

The monk took us up to the bell tower of the church for a view of the San Francisco Plaza. To the right you can see the Virgin Mary statue on El Panecillo.

More To Do In Quito

Here are a few other places you definitely shouldn’t miss in Quito!

Independence Square — The main square in the heart of the historic center of Quito.

Casa del Alabado Museum — Museum with a collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and a 100 year old fig tree. Be sure to ask for a demonstration of the whistling bottle!

From the welcome center, it’s about a 15 minute drive to the lake. There is a big parking lot and a nice trail around the lake with views of the volcano and wild horses in the area.

You could spend a lovely morning or afternoon here, there are even tables for picnics with a view of the volcano in the background!

The refugio is the perfect place to stop for a break with bathrooms and warm up with some hot chocolate!!

View of Cotopaxi National Park from the Cotopaxi Volcano Glacier!

Tips for Hiking Cotopaxi Volcano

Wear plenty of sunscreen

Wear very good hiking shoes

Dress very warmly! It can be very cold and windy at the top

Be very careful coming down! The trail is very steep and super slippery with sand and rocks

Happy to have made it this far, but seriously exhausted!! I will not judge you if you just want to go to the park and have a picnic by the lake! :)

If you’re going to Ecuador you have to go to the equator line!! Where else can you stand with a foot in each hemisphere, or hop back and forth from the north to the south??

Just outside of Quito is the Mitad del Mundo, a large stone monument right on top of the equator, signifying the “Middle of the World“. You can easily get there and back from Quito by Uber.

There is some discussion on whether the monument is on the 100% accurate REAL equator or not… Or if it’s at a nearby museum, or if it’s in a different place all together!

Either way, this monument is definitely worth visiting if you are in Quito. You can go up in the tower for a 360 degree panoramic view of the mountains around Quito.

From here you can also walk to the Intiñan Solar Museum, a nearby museum with fun equator-related science experience you can try yourself!

Equator Tricks

Someone please explain these to me!!!!

Be sure to go up to the Panoramic Terrace for a fabulous view of Plaza San Francisco!

For more help planning your trip to Quito or Ecuador, check out Metropolitan Touring’s Quito tours and packages.

See more posts from Ecuador!

Source: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/quito-ecuador/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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yahoonews7 · 5 years

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(Bloomberg) -- When Sebastian Kurz was an aspiring politician barely out of his teens, Austrian establishment grandees offered him some wise words: If you want to make it to the top, remember you’re always in the public eye. He took the advice.“While others were partying until the morning light, Sebastian always knew when it was enough,” said Philipp Depisch, 39, an ally of Kurz from the early 2000s. “When we went to the bar, he organized a round of drinks for everyone and stayed for a while, but at some point he would get up and go to bed.”Such attention to his persona helped put Kurz on a breakneck journey to become Europe’s youngest head of government less than a decade later. Now the next few months will decide whether the 32-year-old can morph from youthful curiosity into a European statesman and affirm his role as the new hope for the continent’s conservative forces.Kurz heads into an election campaign with scrutiny never higher after a scandal involving his far-right coalition partner brought an end to his 18-month stint as Austrian chancellor in May. A solid victory could make him a power broker at home and in the fractious European Union as German Chancellor Angela Merkel prepares to step down.Combining a hard line on uncontrolled immigration with his honed image as the courteous good son of Austria, Kurz contrasts with the nationalist zeal of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Italy’s Matteo Salvini.Kurz has cozy chats with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin while maintaining a frosty rather than confrontational relationship with Merkel. Last year, when her Bavarian allies tested her authority over migration policy, Kurz appeared alongside Merkel’s antagonists and toured German talk shows discussing the need to protect borders.“The guy has demonstrated himself to be a supreme political operator,” said Carsten Nickel, managing director of Teneo, a company in London that advises on political risk. As for the EU, he’s no savior but he also doesn’t want to undermine it, he said. “Kurz clearly hasn’t sided with the euroskeptics, but we see a different approach than Merkel. He’s more of a center-right traditionalist.”Like rebranding the People’s Party with the color turquoise instead of its traditional black, Kurz is about rejuvenating old conservative ideas. His main conviction is distancing himself from the social democrats, who he blames for years of inaction in Austrian government. That led him to form an alliance in 2017 with the Freedom Party, which has links to neo-Nazis.He will go into the Sept. 29 election as Austria’s most popular party leader even after he effectively sank his own government following the revelation of a video of a senior coalition official trying to curry favor with a fake niece of a Russian oligarch.“Public perception can change extremely quickly,” Kurz said in an interview in Vienna last week. “In such a situation, you do not know what is good for you personally or the party.”The appeal at home is drawn from his clean-cut image, the blue-eyed former tennis coach heeding the counsel of the elder statesmen in the People’s Party as he was handpicked to climb the ranks. He names one of them, former Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, among his political heroes.Kurz was told to keep his private life private, so he does. The only child of an engineering father and school teacher mother, he enrolled as a law student in Vienna, though never finished his studies. He lives with his girlfriend, whom he met fresh out of school, in an unassuming apartment building in the modest Meidling neighborhood where he grew up and likes to unwind with the occasional drink in a local cocktail bar.He keeps his posts to his 1 million social media followers strictly business, tweeting about policy initiatives. You’d never catch him sharing what he had for lunch that day, Kurz said at Vienna’s grand Springer Villa, used by the People’s Party for meetings and down the road from where he grew up.That, though, doesn’t make him inscrutable, he said, bristling at the suggestion. All he’s doing is fulfilling what he was told by his mentors.“I always have to laugh if somebody says they don’t know a lot about me, because I don’t know many people who are so present in the media and are asked so many different questions,” Kurz said. “I’m 32 and there are now several books written about me.”The interest in Kurz isn’t surprising given his rapid rise to power, and Depisch said it was always apparent that Kurz had the ambition for something big.In the 2000s, the two would meet in the Sky Bar near Vienna’s opera house and talk strategy as members of the People’s Party’s youth wing. Kurz then became head of the organization in 2009 and was appointed state secretary for integration in 2011 while still in his 20s before taking the post of foreign minister two years later.In spring 2016, Kurz quietly sounded out regional party chiefs armed with polling data suggesting that support for the People’s Party would leap with him at the helm. The effort to challenge then leader Reinhold Mitterlehner led to a confrontation where Kurz demanded breaking up the government with him fronting the campaign in the resulting snap vote. He won.While Kurz is keen to portray himself as the reluctant wunderkind simply trying to drag his tradition-bound country into the modern era, critics say his power grab showed the Machiavellian behind the polished, respectful public facade.“He represents a type of politician who wants power without a clear agenda,” said Mitterlehner, 63. Under Kurz’s government, “we seemed to be moving from a liberal to an authoritarian democracy,” he said.As he bids to return as chancellor, Kurz is continuing to pander to people wary of immigration with promises of preserving Austrian identity in the fight with “political Islam.” But he’s also seeking broader support, talking about the environment, care for the elderly and the future of the EU.He opposed the pick by Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron for the EU’s next chief, complaining of a back-room stitch up. “The EU is more than only two countries,” he said.During his time in office, Kurz hardened the government’s approach to refugees and started an effort to reduce the country’s high tax burden by increasing benefits for working families. He also began tackling Austria’s complex healthcare system and is trying to attract more skilled foreigners.A signature move of his government was a reform of the welfare bureaucracy that shifted power away from labor unions and toward business. His effort to cut child benefits for some EU citizens – particularly those from eastern Europe – put Austria in hot water with the bloc, which said it treats foreign workers as second-class residents.On the campaign trail, Kurz has criss-crossed the Alpine country to meet with firemen, nurses and farmers. After leaving the interview on July 2, he spoke to entrepreneurs near the Hungarian border. Typically, the trip included photo opportunities involving Kurz listening to or chatting with small groups of voters in nursing homes, at outdoor markets and in the countryside.Polls show the effort is paying off as he seeks to turn a political crisis into an opportunity. His party has gained ground and is ahead by at least 10 percentage points.“He definitely has a sense for what’s mainstream and a talent for serving up policies in digestible portions,” said Michael Spindelegger, a mentor who thought Kurz had potential to become party chief when he stepped down in 2014. “His maturation phase isn’t complete yet.”Indeed, it was Kurz who pulled the plug on the coalition and called for a snap election after he watched the video showing Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache and political ally Johann Gudenus on the Spanish island of Ibiza crassly attempting to peddle influence.Strache thought he could save the alliance by resigning, along with Gudenus, but Kurz upped the ante and demanded the head of Interior Minister Herbert Kickl too. The anti-immigration hardliner resisted and the Freedom Party allied with the opposition to back a no-confidence motion and remove Kurz from power.“In these hours, we saw the chancellor with a face that’s very different from the friendly, eternally smiling one we know,” Kickl told the Austrian Parliament. “You say that you’re sorry that the coalition collapsed. I believe rather that you’re sorry your power play didn’t work.”\--With assistance from Rosalind Mathieson.To contact the authors of this story: Boris Groendahl in Vienna at [email protected] Wabl in Vienna at [email protected] Reiter in Berlin at [email protected] contact the editor responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at [email protected], Rodney JeffersonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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#World news

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courtneytincher · 5 years

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Trump’s Young Friend in Europe Looks to Life After Merkel

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines

July 13, 2019 at 12:51PM via IFTTT

#Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines

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yewavenue3-blog · 5 years

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Best Things To Do in Quito, Ecuador

Quito is a historic city built on the foundations of an ancient Incan empire. Its colonial center is very well-preserved with many beautiful churches from the 1500 and 1600s.

If you’re wondering how many days to spend in Quito, you’ll definitely want 1-2 days to explore Quito itself, and perhaps 1-2 more for day trips outside of Quito.

Here are our recommendations for the best things to see and do in Quito, plus 2 of the best day trips to take from Quito that you won’t want to miss!

Calle La Ronda

GPS Location

Loma El Panecillo

The best views of Quito are from Loma El Panecillo. We stopped here on our Live Like a Local tour in Quito with Metropolitan Touring.

GPS Location

At the top of this volcanic hill you’ll find a 100-foot tall statue of the Virgin Mary with wings!

Use this link to sign up with Uber to get your first ride free!

Convento De San Francisco

Because of its extremely well preserved historic center, Quito was the first city to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

GPS Location

The monk took us up to the bell tower of the church for a view of the San Francisco Plaza. To the right you can see the Virgin Mary statue on El Panecillo.

More To Do In Quito

Here are a few other places you definitely shouldn’t miss in Quito!

Independence Square — The main square in the heart of the historic center of Quito.

Casa del Alabado Museum — Museum with a collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and a 100 year old fig tree. Be sure to ask for a demonstration of the whistling bottle!

From the welcome center, it’s about a 15 minute drive to the lake. There is a big parking lot and a nice trail around the lake with views of the volcano and wild horses in the area.

You could spend a lovely morning or afternoon here, there are even tables for picnics with a view of the volcano in the background!

The refugio is the perfect place to stop for a break with bathrooms and warm up with some hot chocolate!!

View of Cotopaxi National Park from the Cotopaxi Volcano Glacier!

Tips for Hiking Cotopaxi Volcano

Wear plenty of sunscreen

Wear very good hiking shoes

Dress very warmly! It can be very cold and windy at the top

Be very careful coming down! The trail is very steep and super slippery with sand and rocks

Happy to have made it this far, but seriously exhausted!! I will not judge you if you just want to go to the park and have a picnic by the lake! :)

If you’re going to Ecuador you have to go to the equator line!! Where else can you stand with a foot in each hemisphere, or hop back and forth from the north to the south??

Just outside of Quito is the Mitad del Mundo, a large stone monument right on top of the equator, signifying the “Middle of the World“. You can easily get there and back from Quito by Uber.

There is some discussion on whether the monument is on the 100% accurate REAL equator or not… Or if it’s at a nearby museum, or if it’s in a different place all together!

Either way, this monument is definitely worth visiting if you are in Quito. You can go up in the tower for a 360 degree panoramic view of the mountains around Quito.

From here you can also walk to the Intiñan Solar Museum, a nearby museum with fun equator-related science experience you can try yourself!

Equator Tricks

Someone please explain these to me!!!!

Be sure to go up to the Panoramic Terrace for a fabulous view of Plaza San Francisco!

For more help planning your trip to Quito or Ecuador, check out Metropolitan Touring’s Quito tours and packages.

See more posts from Ecuador!

Source: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/quito-ecuador/

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photographerguide-blog · 5 years

Text

Top 30 Most Stunning Photos From The National Geographic Instagram Photography Contest

New Post has been published on https://photographyguideto.com/must-see/top-30-most-stunning-photos-from-the-national-geographic-instagram-photography-contest/

Top 30 Most Stunning Photos From The National Geographic Instagram Photography Contest

National Geographic has made a name for themselves with their earth-shattering photographs, so it was no surprise that they made Instagram history as the first brand to reach 100 million followers (those are almost Kim Kardashian numbers). To celebrate in true Nat Geo fashion, they opened up a photography contest across the photo-sharing platform – using the hashtag #natgeo100contest. In the 24-hour contest window, the magazine received more than 94,000 photograph submissions. The photo editors and photographers at Nat Geo went through the entries and narrowed them down to the top 10 most stunning images and then let their 10 million followers vote on who would be the grand prize winner. Below you can view the contest winning photo, the top finalists along with some other gorgeous entries that didn’t make the cut but are still just as mind-blowing. Voting for #natgeo100contest may be over but don’t forget to upvote your favs for Bored Panda!

#1 André Musgrove

Looking down from above, like a satellite orbiting around the earth, my camera’s view finder presses against my mask, this is one of the most memorable views from My World. Pushing through the strong currents, low visibility and rough waves this day was most definitely worth it.

For the grand prize, winner Ketan Khambhatta, won Nat Geo photo safari to Tanzania. While the other top 10 finalists received National Geographic photo books signed by their photographers along with having their winning images posted to @NatGeo throughout the week.

#2 Grand Prize Winner Ketan Khambhatta

In the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, zebras search for crocodiles while wildebeest run across the river. Photographer Muhammed Muheisen: The image is so dynamic, with a powerful depth that keeps me looking. A moment well captured.

#3 Sebastien Nagy

Always prefer the focus on a single tower but yes… there is another one right next

#4 Anuroop Krishnan

A giraffe family at sunrise

#5 Chaitanya Deshpande

‘Here Comes The Sun’

#6 Finalist Adam Kiefer

National Park Ranger Matthieu Shamavu embraces Matabishi, an orphaned juvenile mountain gorilla, at the Senkwekwe Center, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Senkwekwe is the only rehabilitation center for mountain gorillas in the world. Photographer Ami Vitale: The image is sublime because we immediately understand that it’s a metaphor for unspeakable brutality but also great tenderness. This image illustrates our complex bond with the natural world.

#7 Brent Stirton

I was totally privileged to spend time with the world’s best pangolin care-givers at the Tikki Hywood Trust for an upcoming natgeo magazine story. I witnessed an extraordinary relationship unfold as these men helped rescued, traumatized pangolin to find ants and termites to eat and kept them safe from predators and poachers. Pangolins are the world’s most trafficked animal in the illegal wildlife trade and are extraordinarily endangered. The Tikki Hywood Trust undertakes public awareness campaigns, trains law enforcement and judiciary personnel, conducts research, and rehabilitates pangolins that have been confiscated from the illegal trade. They operate with partners across Africa and advise in Asia. A recently opened extension Tikki Hywood Trust Foundation cameroon is doing great work in the epicenter of the illegal pangolin world. Founder Lisa Hywood is seen as a global expert on how to care for Pangolins in captivity and along with partner Ellen Connelly, they represent an extraordinary example of how to care for animals. The trust also engages with other organizations and governments throughout Africa to highlight the plight of pangolins, raising awareness of their conservation status and educating them as to the need for conserving pangolins, as well as implementing conservation actions. Many of their activities are not covered by research grants and they rely on sponsors and donations to continue their work. It is estimated that over a million pangolin have been lost in the last ten years, this is from a population that we have never counted, we have no idea how many remain, and we know it is not possible to breed these animals in captivity. We are losing these extraordinary animals so quickly to the illegal Asian market that they may disappear before we can truly appreciate them

#8 Yuri Choufour

Sashimi anyone?

Black bears enjoy a varied diet, but these omnivores greatly depend on protein rich salmon to build up reserves as they prepare to hibernate in winter.

#9 Finalist Frank Haluska

Great Egrets appear serene and still in wetlands, but they are also vicious hunters, who eat anything they can catch—including this bullfrog, who appears to be fighting hard for survival. Photographer Cory Richards: This moment is so bizarre and confusing that I had to zoom in to make sure another animal’s foot wasn’t sticking straight out of the water to block the distressed frog from certain death.

#10 Finalist Sandra Cattaneo Adorno

On a day when the sea was unusually rough and the undertow dangerously strong, bathers on Ipanema beach, in Rio de Janeiro, appear hesitant to take the plunge. Photographer Michaela Skovranova: A surreal scene—this image highlights an eclectic mix of light, human impact, and the power of the environment. It’s as if the heat of the Earth and the humans is radiating off the sand, creating their own micro climate.

#11 Maxime Israel Collier

Look at those eyes

#12 Nicholas Parker

Following one of the worst winter storms in Hawaii’s recent history, large swells wiped out the beaches of western Maui. The next day, large pieces of coral were scattered throughout the beach.. I picked through the most colorful and beautiful pieces and found this composition of the island of Moloka’i. The wave action reminds me of fingers from the sea coming to reclaim the coral back

#13 Finalist Matt Potenski

Whale sharks have personalities. This one was bold and curious, approaching the boat anytime we came near. Whale sharks are huge, so large they resemble living reefs. No other terrestrial animal can match their size, power, and grace. Photographer Cristina Mittermeier: I have done a lot of swimming with whale sharks, and you never get to see an absolutely beautiful moment like this that exemplifies the abundance of healthy oceans.

#14 Devon Fox

Can you see the sea horse? This photo was taken in Page, AZ during our last road trip. Strange shapes start to appear in the layers carved into these slot canyons

#15 Sebastian Scheichl

Starting my pictures from the Faroes with a sheep, probably the first thing that comes to your mind when thinking about these islands

#16 Majed Sultan Alza’abi

Drinking time

#17 Nicholas Parker

The weather here lately is snow joke. Another day in single digits with howling wind

#18 Finalist Francisco J. Perez

A summer thunderstorm rolls over the Grand Canyon. This image is a combination of three consecutive long exposure photos of the storm. Photographer Charlie Hamilton James: This is an exceptional image of lightning striking the Grand Canyon. It is muddy, dramatic and demonstrates excellent technical ability.

#19 Jacintha Verdegaal

I still have a lot of Thailand photos to share, but this – spending the day with 4 rescued elephants – was definitely one of the highlights of 2019 so far

#20 Finalist Chris O’bryan

Galahs, a species of cockatoo, scour the parched Outback for water in Western Australia. Here, waterholes are the vital source of life. Photographer Wayne Lawrence: Of all of the images of wildlife, this one seems less clichéd and stood out because of the masterly use of color and composition.

#21 Juan Quinteros

One from the “sharks in the sandstorm” series

#22 Finalist Khatia Nikabadze

A pair of lambs stare out a car window at a livestock market in Marneuli, Georgia. Photographer David Guttenfelder: This photograph wasn’t made in the wild, yet the picture, in one moment, tells the seemingly bittersweet story of the young lambs.

#23 Finalist Sara Stein

This image depicts the frantic momentum of wildebeest crossing the Mara River in Tanzania. Photographer Tasneem Alsultan: I enjoy photos that aren’t that obvious. Is it wasps of hair? Or shards of wood? The mass of horns rushing my way seem lethal, and yet the photographer made us see the image from an artistic view.

#24 Andri Laukas

Always looking for new perspectives at these famous places

#25 Ulla Lohmann

Another one of my all time favorite images: Munganau walks home. The erupting Tavurvur volcano has destroyed beautiful Rabaul town. The people showed amazing resilience against the odds of nature and stayed with the hope, that their paradise will one day return. Fingers crossed that the volcano stays quiet! .

#26 Shivam

Madness is somewhere between chaos and having a dream.

#27 Caine Delacy

This is probably my most favorite shot

#28 Ken Geiger

it’s time for breakfast! Backlit by the early morning sun a southern yellow-billed hornbill snags a grasshopper for a snack.

#29 Arvind Patwal

“NAGA “. Believes that the twinkle in her eye may be the reflection off her lost marbles.

#30 Finalist Felice Simon

Families glide on an ice rink in Brooklyn, New York’s Prospect Park on an unseasonably warm January day. Photographer Maggie Steber: This photograph of skaters large and small somehow reminds me of a memory from childhood. The way the pristine light shoots across the ice creating long shadows feels symbolic of how we have to stay the challenging course of raising our children, always being there to catch them if they fall.

Read more: http://www.boredpanda.com/

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carswebsiteuk · 6 years

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Best Car Amplifier for 2018

If you want great, crisp sound in your car then an amplifier is key, whether you opt for aftermarket speakers or remain with factory fitted. Obviously, replacing speakers, head units and adding subwoofers can improve sound, but without an amp you wont have enough power to drive the sound in the first place.

We have reviewed the best car amplifiers for 2018.

Car Audio Amplifier Reviews – Best 5 On The Market

Pioneer GM-D8604 Class FD 4-Channel Bridgeable Amplifier

The new Pioneer amplifier provides extreme efficiencies and clear crisp sound. The new design is compact and allows flexible installation options for the consumer. The improved class D design is 50% smaller in size than the GM-Series Class-AB amplifiers whilst offering a significant enhancement in power output capability. It also features much improved circuit design with a self moderating temperature gauge, thus moderating input in accordance with how hot it is. This in turns means there is more flexibility to add multiple subwoofers should you wish.

There are other technical efficiencies (variable low pass and high pass filter) that provide the option to adjust according to personal listening preferences and subwoofer setting characteristics. You can set the LPF and HPF anywhere from 40 Hz to 500Hz.

Another nice feature of the Pioneer GM-D8604 is that even if you don’t have a Pioneer head unit they don’t punish you for it as with some brands. They have made the speaker level inputs compatible with any OEM unit without having to buy adapters, or any unit without the typical RCA-inputs. That means you can have a Pioneer amp in your car without having to replace all the other equipment, keeping costs down and installation time to a minimum.

“5 stars. Awesome highs and mids, powerful and compact, at a nice price point. Definitely worth the money! Quality on the amp components and I’d recommend it, it sounds amazing! Here’s my audio setup Pioneer AVIC-5200NEX Headunit Pioneer GM-D8604 4 Channel Amplifier 2X JBL GT7-6 6-3/4″ rear speakers 2x JBL GTO529 5-1/4 front speakers.”

PROS:

Big power, small size

Stable, durable circuitry

Can connect to multiple subwoofers

Extreme efficiency and high quality sound

CONS:

One reviewer recommended purchasing alongside a sub for exceptional sound quality

JL Audio JX1000/1D 1000 Watt Class D Car Amplifier

This is one of the most potent car amplifiers, and it has also been voted as one of the best car amplifiers in 2017. It is amazingly compact and can provide different power outputs such as the 5000 rms which is produced at 40 hms and 750 rms at 30 hms.

It is well equipped to drive even the toughest subwoofer loads with crisp sound quality and excellent control. Designed specifically for application with subwoofers.

Other great features found in this amplifier include the soft start turn-on which is great for preventing that annoying clicking and popping when the system turns on, ensuring the sound is even and smooth. The gadget has a variable Bass Boost which ranges from 1 to 12, and it is centred at 45 Hz. with optional remote boost control. JL audio is equipped with an unlimited PMW switching power which ensures efficiency and continuous functioning of the device.

Compatible with a wide range of aftermarket and OEM head units due to the inclusion of dedicated hi-level inputs as well as the traditional low-level RCA inputs.

PROS:

JL amplifier is designed in a small size which makes it easy to fit in small areas. It measures 11x 7 x3/4 x 2 inches.

Very clean sound

CONS:

The amp can not take more than 750 rms.

Alpine PDX-V9 Digital Amplifier

The new PDX series of amplifiers from Alpine have been completely redeveloped for sound, performance and dependability. Developed with the car audio enthusiast in mind they are one of the best car amplifiers on the market and come highly recommended; It is one of the best amplifier brands in the world due to its extreme power density. That said, it is still easy to install the device and comes with a stackable front panel control.

This amplifier has an industry leading frequency range boasting one of the widest ranges on the market, offering it’s consumers a level of sound detail that is a cut above the rest. 5Hz-100kHz for 4ch, 5Hz-400Hz for Mono (+0,-3dB).

With this in mind, they go even further than your typical class D amplifier which are not well known for their high frequency reproduction. The Apline PBX models break the mould by offering exactly that. It delivers crisp clear sound every time with no unwanted background noise or static etc.

The speaker connectors are designed for super easy installation, allowing for up to 10mm2 of cable.

PROS:

Easy to install

Exceptionally wide frequency range

Compact for a small space

CONS:

Runs quite hot

Rockford Fosgate prime 750 Watt Class D Amplifier

Apart from the great price that this gadget is sold at, it can delivery full, rich bass to any system aswell through it’s class D circuitury. It is also optimised for subwoofers with the addition of an infrasonic filter to protect your subwoofer from those inaudible bass notes. For an all singing all dancing Rockford Fosgate sound system, simply pair with a 4- channel stereo amplifier to make any Car Audio Fanatic weak at the knees.

Manufactured by Fosgate, this mono amplifier makes us remember why Fosgate has such a reputation for quality.

If you’re concerned over safety then you need not be with this lovely bit of kit; this is because it is crafted with tri-stage protection that covers the thermal, over current and short circuits hence ensuring there is a continuous flow of current. It is also ideal for the people who are looking for a simple amplifier for their car considering that it only has one channel.

Other great features found on this device include the onboard PEQ which is equipped with 18 dB which provides a boost of up to 45Hv. Rockford also provides a watt output of up to 750 watts. Although this gadget is small, it is one of the best car bass amplifiers on the market.

“I cannot believe how well this little amplifier works. I replaced a generic 2000w with this little 750w. Fosgate is known well for their quality and this amplifier does not dissapoint. I was able to change my 2ohm dvc from 4 ohm to 1ohm. Heat after an hour of driving with this unit is hardly noticeable. Summer heat is hotter than this runs while in use. Output is amazing. So thrilled to change from a huge (nearly 3x the size) amplifier to this small unit and get even better quality bass output. I run a Fosgate T112D2, amp at less than 3 gain, no boost, and on 50 of 62 volume, pull 130db – Not tuned. Yes, I am thrilled.”

PROS:

It is compelling and provides the best and clear bass.

All reviewers cited it didn’t get hot or cut out under any conditions

Out performs most amps three times it’s size

CONS:

One reviewer found the packaging to be damaged on the outside but the inner packaging protected the amp

Had too much power for one p2d2-12 burnt it up in 2 weeks

Pioneer GMA3602 2 Channel Bridgeable car speaker amplifier.

Pioneer is widely known for making the best products and this car amplifier is not an exception. The amp is designed to provide a maximum wattage output of 400. The amps are quite easy to fix, operate and comes with two RCA inputs for your subwoofer. With the frequency response of 10 Hz to 70 KHz, you are guaranteed to get clear and less noisy sounds from the background of your speaker. Note that the amplifier is compatible with a variety of cars hence making it an efficient gadget to buy.

This model can support for 2 Ohm and 4 Ohm speakers and is available as a set combined with the TS-W304R model of subwoofer complete with cables, GXT-3604B-SET, or without cables, GXT-3604B from Amazon.

Easy install. Product Dimensions in Inches (L x W x H): 12 x 9 x 4.5

“Powering a pair of Polk db502s in the soundbar of my 05 Wrangler. I have to keep the gain at low or else my ears will bleed. Its not a straining type of loud but a clean, effortless sound. The tweeters in the speakers really come to life. It does get a little warm but nothing too concerning as long as you have plenty of air space for it to cool. I ran this on a two hour road trip with volume over 50% and it was fine. I also tried wiring an 8in 2ohm DVC sub and it powered that very nicely. The sub is a Skar Audio IX-8 D2 150W RMS – 300W Max. It was the perfect match for this sub wiring in parallel. The instructions said its cant do 1 ohm parallel but I ran with no issues. I have always owned Pioneer decks and speakers but this is the first Pioneer amp I’ve ever owned. The quality of sound is second to none.”

PROS:

The price of the gadget is excellent, and it also has high-quality sounding.

CONS:

The gadget has one output only, therefore not ideal for stereo.

Boss Audio PD5000 5000 W Phantom Class D Monoblock Amplifier

This amp accepts 1 Ohm impedance at it’s lowest producing the maximum possible power and typically used in conjunction with very high spec and very powerful subwoofers.

It is important to purchase a robust electrical system, in particular a low gauge wire compatible with the necessary electrical current.

When switched on this amp glows red due to the multiple LED backlights making everything light up. It also has switchable phase control to ensure all audio signals are working together rather than against each other making it easy to add bass where it is absent from a particular tune.

Product Dimensions in Inches (L x W x H): 22.5 x 12 x 5

Variable Low Pass Crossover, Variable Bass Boost, Variable Subsonic Filter

“When I got this amp I didn’t expect that much from it until I installed it myself which was quite easy to do i was amazed at the quality of sound awesome rich sound and bass.”

PROS:

This is one of the most potent and efficient amplifiers in the world, and the sound quality is just amazing.

CONS:

Conclusion.

If you need the most reliable and easy to install amps in your car, then consider the above five gadgets. They are the best car amplifiers for your money and consist of all great features required in an amplifier.

The post Best Car Amplifier for 2018 appeared first on Cars Website.

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lavolvoreta · 6 years

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Today’s post, it´s a collaboration with Travel Bloggers around the world who speak about a good spot or activities to do in a place. First thing, many thanks to Dubai Travel Adventure, Globejamun, Lyf&Spice, Travelweekli, Ffspls, Travelto5 and me, La Volvoreta.

Here we go…

♣ THINGS TO DO IN DUBAI in 36 hours

Autor: Shedi from DUBAI TRAVEL ADVENTURE

Desert Safari ⇒ Desert Safari Dubai is one of the best feature of Dubai trip. As per my experience desert safari Dubai trip is amazing to get the different perspective of sundown, sand dunes and driving in the wasteland while the dinner is an added thing. Desert Safari certainly brings a unique opportunity to feel the thrill of riding a bike and adventurous moment to spend in a luxurious car with sightseeing activities. Once you experience it you would always want to come back and do it again and again.

Dhow Cruise ⇒ Dhow Cruise is another activity you must do in Dubai. You will have wonderful experience to have dinner on a deck of some well decorated boat. It will surely make e a perfect holiday tour in Dubai.

Burj Khalifa ⇒ I don’t think so anyone would want to miss Burj Khalifa in Dubai trip. You need to make sure you don’t go there during peak times and also make sure you do advanced booking. The lift there is so fast. The views from the top are exquisite and the fountains from the top look magnificent. The building itself is gorgeous and must be a bucket list item for everyone out there! Don’t forget to get that mandate photo with the towering structure!

Downtown from Burj Khalifa

♣ PERHENTIAN ISLANDS, Malaysia

Autor: Aditi Shukla from LYF&SPICE

Out of all the places in Southeast Asia that I have travelled to, Perhentian Islands have always been close to my heart. Having lived in Kota Bharu, Malaysia for over two years, helped me gain exposure to different parts of the island. Their sparkling waters truly make them gems of the ocean. They make for the best scuba dives, and the atmosphere in those islands is surreal – you can relax at Perhentian Besar (the bigger island) or party hard at Perhentian Kecil (the smaller island). There’s something for everyone out here. The fact that they are less than 1.5 hours away from where I stay, helps me magically teleport myself to them every now and then. If you want to see more about this paradise, click here.

Perhentian Islands

♣ SANTA BARBARA – Los Angeles

• Autor: Karishma Kirpalani GLOBEJAMUN

I was studying digital marketing at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles during 2013. LA as we all know has a poor public transport system and then the best way to get around is a car. So I bought myself, a little beauty called Mazda. What memories I have. That car still holds a place in my heart.

I still remember my first road trip. 200 miles north of Los Angeles, enroute San Francisco, there’s a wonderland town called Santa Barbara, a long time ago there was a soap opera based in this town, and named on this town. So what it about Santa Barbara that makes it so very special.

One thing for sure, there’s mountains that overlook the sea, and lush greenery all your round with the perfect California weather. The highs are 19 degrees Celsius and low is never below 9. rPerfect weather all year round to take a dip into the Pacific. There are these amazing sea food restaurants that overlook the beautiful pier. The sunsets here are totally mesmerising. The sky breaks out into multiple colors, and totally blows away your mind.

My 3 most favourite highlights of Santa Barbara:

On every Sunday they have an art fair. Many artists come and showcase their talent. You can pick up, anything hand made right from paintings, cosmetics, jewellery, and even wine holders at very reasonable prices.

Half an hour drive from Santa Barbara there is another town called Lompoc. If you are adrenaline junkie like myself, please go to sky dive Santa Barbara, and take the plunge. They have a 100% success rate, include someone who celebrated their 100th birthday jumping of a plane.

Segway is the most fun way to explore this little town. There’s a lot of tours you can take. It may seem hard to start, but by the end of it, you sure are going to be an expert. Ever since my first experience, I love Segwaye, and wherever possible try to explore a place on it. I actually want to buy one. It’s great exercise for the legs.

The weekend in Santa Barbara is just so beautiful, that in one year, I visited 8 times. Any one who would visit, I will drive them there. Dear readers, I hope someday you too can visit Sunny Santa Barbara!

Segway in Santa Barbara

♣ VIETNAM

• Autor: Daniel Cowen-Rivers from TRAVELWEEKLI

Eva asked me this one question that is write about your favourite place you have ever been. This one of the hardest question to answer. As each country I have been too has been unique in its own way. I can’t pick all of them.

The one that strands out, was my trip to Vietnam in 2015. It was my longest trip I have taken so far. It was 3 weeks long with my brother and our friend. The landscapes was gorgeous and especially the Vietnamese they were always happy and the Lonely Planet says they are the happiest country.

It was full of rich history that made it an interested place to travel around and the people where very helpful and I felt safe when I was in the country. Vietnam is home to the world biggest cave and home to 8 world heritage sites. I went to a few of them and the one that will stick in my mind forever is Halong Bay but I am upset that I did not take any pics when I was there just a video.

I did lots of wonderful things in 3 weeks that made this country my most favoured place o far that I have been to expressly seeing the different coulters and one thing that was I will never forget is going to local club and hearing a DJ remix happy birthday song.

Also we encountered a few problems along the way that that makes this trip even more special. After I came back from my trip it inspired me to start my travel blog and take photography more seriously. You can see more about this trip here: My Vietnam

Postcard from Vietnam

♣ HAWAII, perfect beaches in the big island

• Autor: Ain ul Haq from FFSPLS

Hawaii is the newest addition in The United States of America. This being the youngest and mainly all naturally developed land because of active volcanos; Hawaii Big Island become the main source of attraction to tourists from all around the world. Active volcanos and beach activities are the major attractions of this place.

We gathered the top 5 beaches that you must visit in Hawaii that will give you best beach experiences so you can head to other great activities available at Hawaii Big Island.

1. Kauna’oa (Mauna Kea) Beach: it is located right in front of Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. Mauna Kea Beach definitely is the prettiest of all white sand beaches. A great place for a family visit and provides good facilities for sunbathing and surfing. Even the activities that do not require high surf such as snorkeling can be done.

2. Hāpuna Beach: It’s the best place to take sunbath because it is mostly sunny. When the water is calm Hapuna Beach makes a great place for Snorkeling. The trees and a shaded picnic pavilion to offer shelter if you are planning to have a picnic on the spot. And it’s been voted as the best beaches of the world.

3. Punalu’u Black Sand Beach: The most famous black sand beach also known as just “Black Sand Beach”. One of the unique beauties of nature. It is famous because of its natural black sand plus you also get to view the sight of green turtles and hawksbill turtles basking under the sun on the beach.

4. New Kaimu Black Sand beach: This is one of the top Famous Black Sand Beaches in the world. Lush grove and coconut palms trees all-around the beaches and a serene seaside park lined along its shore. It’s one of the best beaches you don’t want to miss.

5. Green sand beach (Papakōlea): We mentioned the white and the black beaches but this green sand beach is the most unique and one of the two green beaches in the United States. A must-visit place at least once in a lifetime. The unique green color of the sand comes from the Mauna Loa volcano that contains green crystals called Olivines. Looking at little green crystal sand mixed with black lava and white coral makes a breathtaking sight to look at.

Green Sand from Hawaii

♣ SHIRAKAWA-GO, Japan

• Autor: Leticia from TRAVELTO5

When people think about traditional Japan, the image that comes to mind is composed by geishas, samurai, red temples and green forests. It’s a beautiful image, but for this second trip we wanted to explore a bit deeper into what’s made this country so amazingly unique and set foot to the Japanese Alps.

Dividing the island of Honshu, these mountains, with peaks over 3.000 meters high, are home to one of the most impressive Unesco World Heritage sites in Japan (which is, I must admit, a lot to say): the villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. Also known as Ogimachi, Suganuma and Ainokura.

These villages look nothing like a traditional Japanese town. With low two-sided ceilings and surrounded by forests, these family houses were used to grow the silkworms that lead to the silk that made the fabrics of the kimonos. They have stood there for centuries, ignoring the wars and the cultural and industrial revolution of Japan.

Standing there, surrounded by rice fields and green forests, feels worlds apart from Tokyo or Osaka. And, while they don’t grow silkworms anymore, (at least as their main source of income) they still maintain their traditional crafts and relaxed way of living.

Although we rented a car for freedom (we wanted to explore the villages in depth), the villages can be visited with day and half-day tours from Takayama city, which can be reached by train if you are planning to use the JRPass. Our favorite spot? Ainokura, just saying. If you know to see more, click here.

♣ BORDEAUX, France

• Autor: Eva PV from LA VOLVORETA

I love France, is one of my favorite place in the world and for me, is a pleasure go there always if I have a moment. One of my loved places es Bordeaux because have all in one: history, a beautiful river, a lots of street markets and good food and wines; excellent wines. The old town has a many details in all the places, streets and shops; yes, Bordeaux, has a million of different shops: vintage, to foodies, for shopping,… If you love macarons, you need to go to Maison Larnicol and taste his products; but if you want to try a canelé, I am sure that you need to go to Baillardran. Don´t miss the Sunday Market in Chartrons: food, beverages, music,…

You need to walk or rent a bicycle to discover this amazing city and enjoy all their gorgeous spaces: Botanical Garden, Saint Seurin, Porte Cailhau, Place de la Bourse,… I can´t words to describe all its delicate beauty. If you want to see more about this city , click here.

Porte Cailhau – Bordeaux

Well guys, hope you enjoy this big post with amazing places around the world. When in doubt… TRAVEL!

Happy Blogging! Happy Travels!

#IFTTT #WordPress

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thesixweekseeker · 7 years

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Kauai: The Garden Isle (North Shore)

(January 2017)

So we left the fabulous South Shore for the North Shore, and when everyone said we would love that area even more … they were right. It is a completely different vibe up there and beyond chill and laid back (not that Poipu was a raging all-night party, but still).

For our hotel up there, we chose Hanalei Bay Resort (HBR as the locals call it). It’s a beautiful property and the place to be if you’re a tennis player - I think there were at least 10 different courts on the property. They have a great pool with a swim up bar (bar only open on weekends) and the coolest part was the hot tub with a sand bottom. It was a weird funky feeling, and definitely a great idea for an early evening chill session. For an added bonus, HBR shares the same private beach and epic views as The St. Regis, which is a 10-minute beach path walk away. See below for the beach views and the view from our brunch there - view alone is worth the brunch price.

As much as I loved the HBR property and the proximity to The St. Regis amenities, my only complaint was the rooms. They are definitely very dated and the musty smell does match the décor. However, once you sit on your patio and look all around you, all of that matters less and less. The picture below is my completely unfiltered view from our patio there.

Unfortunately the Bali Hai at HBR was still closed, but we heard it was a fantastic restaurant and it’s supposed to open later in 2017. The lounge on the property, Happy Talk Lounge, was good and had a cool bar scene. I also have to give a little shout out to the owner/manager at Happy Talk because he is my hero. On the night we launched The Six Week (woot woot), it was late and raining and we were just going to quickly grab some dinner at the restaurant. However, the Grateful Dead (or two of its members) were randomly playing at the lounge that night, so the kitchen was closed off and the place was packed. That was a little pickle since there are ZERO restaurants on the island that deliver food (I was laughed at when I asked the delivery question), we literally had no food in our room and we had no car/available taxis to take us to town. Luckily, the manager prevented a hanger breakdown by offering the band’s remaining food for the night. That’s right, I was eating the Grateful Dead’s leftovers– no shame in my game. The best part ... all of that food was surprisingly Six Week approved. Insert happy dance.

So let’s back up since I left you hanging in the last blog post. As I mentioned, I was feeling ultra-confident in my surfing skills down in Poipu, and since the weather was perfect (again) we decided to venture into Hanalei Bay to shred the gnar. I caught an awesome long wave (first wave of the day) and was feeling so proud until a little punk of a wave came up out of nowhere. It proceeded to knock me over with my surfboard coming up to say a friendly little hello to my jaw and teeth. I immediately felt the tooth go from full to snaggle and that was it for my surfing that week. Big fist pump to my friend Mark who hooked me up with Dr. Shawn Murphy on the island and he got my chompers back to where they needed to be (ish). The Pacific Ocean has now bruised my jaw and ego, and took my first cell phone, but I’m going to win this battle.

Since I wasn’t cleared to surf, I decided to spend a few days on the paddleboard. The Six Week had officially started so I needed to hit my exercise commitments for those days - and what better ab exercise than this! I found Kayak Hanalei that was located right in town but also right by the Hanalei River – perfect if you don’t have gear and want to take a taxi into town. Look for Dock Dynasty (clever) and two entertaining young surfers, Reef and Devin, and they will hook you right up. One day I did the 2-hour paddle down under the Hanalei Bridge to the Hanalei Wildlife Refuge and on day two I added the extra hour trip out to the beach. Both paddles were amazing but if you can do the 3-hour paddle to see the wildlife refuge and the beach, I definitely would. There were times where I just had to sit down on my board and take it all in. There weren’t a lot of people on the river, it’s completely still and the scenery is just breathtaking.

When you get back from paddling, there are a lot of great food truck choices right by Kayak Hanalei. Since I couldn’t really chew for about 24 hours (scary flashbacks of my mouth surgery creeping up here) I was lucky to stumble upon Wishing Well and their fabulous Acai bowls. They have been around since 1983 and have the best version that I’ve tasted so far: Acai, bananas, organic almond butter, bee pollen, coconut flakes and chia seeds. I vote extra almond butter, hold the papaya – but regardless, you’re Six Week approved and feeling fab with their awesome little food truck experience.

Luckily, once I was feeling better, we tackled some chewing-allowed dining options on the island. My three top favorites were Dolphin Sushi, Bar Acuda and Hanalei Bread Co. By accident, we stumbled upon the best plan for Dolphin Sushi. They open for dinner at 5:30 and there is/will be a line before then that will make the entire dining room full right away. So, if you get hangry and impatient like your Seeker does, beat the system and go to the bar around 4:30. There is a very high energy bartender who will guide you with what to eat and drink, so grab some apps and cocktails and put your dinner order in for 5:30pm sharp. You will avoid the mass rush order and everyone is jelly when yours comes out first – winning.

We were told by practically everyone we asked (locals, tourists and people back home) that Bar Acuda was the best restaurant on the island. Usually with all of the hype I get disappointed, but I will agree with them, best on the island. Everything we had was fantastic (Beef skewers, Scallops, Octopus, Endive Salad, Ahi, olives – legit all fantastic) and the service was extremely fast. No Hawaiian time there. One of my favorite things was the North Shore Honeycomb (goat cheese, honeycomb and apple). They have this listed as an app, but we got it as a dessert and I would recommend saving it for the end. It was super rich, Six Week approved (ish) and the perfect way to finish our last meal on the island.

Well…not quite our last meal. It turns out we made another taxi friend on the island, Kohlohe from Sue’s Taxi, and he was kind enough to drive us back into Hanalei from Princeville on the morning of our flight. We needed to hit up our favorite local spot, Hanalei Bread Co, for one last breakfast meal (because the four meals we had there prior apparently weren’t enough). Since avocados are in season (and are about 3x the size) and their bread is fresh and phenomenal, we again went with the avocado toast + poached egg. I promise, that’s worth the 20-minute detour.

They also introduced us to Laird’s Superfood Creamer which is a quick/healthy add to your coffee without the GMOs, additives, and all of the other usual culprits. It adds a fabulous sweet taste from the coconut oil, and since I’m fully on the BulletProof coffee train, this gave me my fix. For all of my Six Weekers who travel and love their caffeine, I would highly recommend buying a pack. Don’t let yourself fall victim to the hotel or airport packets of creamer – you deserve more.

After we had our last meal, we made our way back to Lihue Airport to wrap up an amazing 10 days in Kauai. Though I HATED to leave, Maui has been a pretty stellar consolation prize so far. I fully plan to go back to Kauai, buy a tiny house, and spend at least a significant chunk of my time living in Hanalei Bay. But as we know, my plans change on the daily and this little global road trip of mine has just begun….

If you have any questions on this blog and/or The Six week, please email me at: [email protected].

Mahalo

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courtneytincher · 5 years

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Europe’s Young Contender Sharpens Brand for Life After Merkel

(Bloomberg) -- When Sebastian Kurz was an aspiring politician barely out of his teens, Austrian establishment grandees offered him some wise words: If you want to make it to the top, remember you’re always in the public eye. He took the advice.“While others were partying until the morning light, Sebastian always knew when it was enough,” said Philipp Depisch, 39, an ally of Kurz from the early 2000s. “When we went to the bar, he organized a round of drinks for everyone and stayed for a while, but at some point he would get up and go to bed.”Such attention to his persona helped put Kurz on a breakneck journey to become Europe’s youngest head of government less than a decade later. Now the next few months will decide whether the 32-year-old can morph from youthful curiosity into a European statesman and affirm his role as the pragmatic new face of the continent’s conservative forces.Kurz heads into an election campaign with scrutiny never higher after a scandal involving his far-right coalition partner brought an end to his 18-month stint as Austrian chancellor in May. A solid victory could make him a power broker at home and in the fractious European Union as German Chancellor Angela Merkel prepares to step down.Combining a hard line on uncontrolled immigration with his honed image as the courteous good son of Austria, Kurz contrasts with the nationalist zeal of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Italy’s Matteo Salvini.Kurz has cozy chats with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin while maintaining a frosty rather than confrontational relationship with Merkel. Last year, when her Bavarian allies tested her authority over migration policy, Kurz appeared alongside Merkel’s antagonists and toured German talk shows discussing the need to protect borders.“The guy has demonstrated himself to be a supreme political operator,” said Carsten Nickel, managing director of Teneo, a company in London that advises on political risk. As for the EU, he’s no savior but he also doesn’t want to undermine it, he said. “Kurz clearly hasn’t sided with the euroskeptics, but we see a different approach than Merkel. He’s more of a center-right traditionalist.”Like rebranding the People’s Party with the color turquoise instead of its traditional black, Kurz is about rejuvenating old conservative ideas. His main conviction is distancing himself from the social democrats, who he blames for years of inaction in Austrian government. That led him to form an alliance in 2017 with the Freedom Party, which has links to neo-Nazis.He will go into the Sept. 29 election as Austria’s most popular party leader even after he effectively sank his own government following the revelation of a video of a senior coalition official trying to curry favor with a fake niece of a Russian oligarch.“Public perception can change extremely quickly,” Kurz said in an interview in Vienna last week. “In such a situation, you do not know what is good for you personally or the party.”The appeal at home is drawn from his clean-cut image, the blue-eyed former tennis coach heeding the counsel of the elder statesmen in the People’s Party as he was handpicked to climb the ranks. He names one of them, former Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, among his political heroes.Kurz was told to keep his private life private, so he does. The only child of an engineering father and school teacher mother, he enrolled as a law student in Vienna, though never finished his studies. He lives with his girlfriend, whom he met fresh out of school, in an unassuming apartment building in the modest Meidling neighborhood where he grew up and likes to unwind with the occasional drink in a local cocktail bar.He keeps his posts to his 1 million social media followers strictly business, tweeting about policy initiatives. You’d never catch him sharing what he had for lunch that day, Kurz said at Vienna’s grand Springer Villa, used by the People’s Party for meetings and down the road from where he grew up.That, though, doesn’t make him inscrutable, he said, bristling at the suggestion. All he’s doing is fulfilling what he was told by his mentors.“I always have to laugh if somebody says they don’t know a lot about me, because I don’t know many people who are so present in the media and are asked so many different questions,” Kurz said. “I’m 32 and there are now several books written about me.”The interest in Kurz isn’t surprising given his rapid rise to power, and Depisch said it was always apparent that Kurz had the ambition for something big.In the 2000s, the two would meet in the Sky Bar near Vienna’s opera house and talk strategy as members of the People’s Party’s youth wing. Kurz then became head of the organization in 2009 and was appointed state secretary for integration in 2011 while still in his 20s before taking the post of foreign minister two years later.In spring 2016, Kurz quietly sounded out regional party chiefs armed with polling data suggesting that support for the People’s Party would leap with him at the helm. The effort to challenge then leader Reinhold Mitterlehner led to a confrontation where Kurz demanded breaking up the government with him fronting the campaign in the resulting snap vote. He won.While Kurz is keen to portray himself as the reluctant wunderkind simply trying to drag his tradition-bound country into the modern era, critics say his power grab showed the Machiavellian behind the polished, respectful public facade.“He represents a type of politician who wants power without a clear agenda,” said Mitterlehner, 63. Under Kurz’s government, “we seemed to be moving from a liberal to an authoritarian democracy,” he said.As he bids to return as chancellor, Kurz is continuing to pander to people wary of immigration with promises of preserving Austrian identity in the fight with “political Islam.” But he’s also catering to the other end of the spectrum, talking about the environment, care for the elderly and the future of the EU.He opposed the pick by Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron for the EU’s next chief, complaining of a back-room stitch up. “The EU is more than only two countries,” he said.During his time in office, Kurz widened tax benefits for working families and started to tackle Austria’s complex healthcare system. He changed policies toward immigrants by making it more difficult for those who are unemployed to access social aid and requiring proof of a certain level of German before their children can join regular schools. At the same time, he loosened labor laws to make it easier for companies to hire highly skilled foreigners.On the campaign trail, Kurz has criss-crossed the Alpine country to meet with firemen, nurses and farmers. After leaving the interview on July 2, he spoke to entrepreneurs near the Hungarian border. Typically, the trip included photo opportunities involving Kurz listening to or chatting with small groups of voters in nursing homes, at outdoor markets and in the countryside.Polls show the effort is paying off as he seeks to turn a political crisis into an opportunity. His party has gained ground and is ahead by at least 10 percentage points.“He definitely has a sense for what’s mainstream and a talent for serving up policies in digestible portions,” said Michael Spindelegger, a mentor who thought Kurz had potential to become party chief when he stepped down in 2014. “His maturation phase isn’t complete yet.”Indeed, it was Kurz who pulled the plug on the coalition and called for a snap election after he watched the video showing Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache and political ally Johann Gudenus on the Spanish island of Ibiza crassly attempting to peddle influence.Strache thought he could save the alliance by resigning, along with Gudenus, but Kurz upped the ante and demanded the head of Interior Minister Herbert Kickl too. The anti-immigration hardliner resisted and the Freedom Party allied with the opposition to back a no-confidence motion and remove Kurz from power.“In these hours, we saw the chancellor with a face that’s very different from the friendly, eternally smiling one we know,” Kickl told the Austrian Parliament. “You say that you’re sorry that the coalition collapsed. I believe rather that you’re sorry your power play didn’t work.”\--With assistance from Rosalind Mathieson.To contact the authors of this story: Boris Groendahl in Vienna at [email protected] Wabl in Vienna at [email protected] Reiter in Berlin at [email protected] contact the editor responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at [email protected], Rodney JeffersonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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(Bloomberg) -- When Sebastian Kurz was an aspiring politician barely out of his teens, Austrian establishment grandees offered him some wise words: If you want to make it to the top, remember you’re always in the public eye. He took the advice.“While others were partying until the morning light, Sebastian always knew when it was enough,” said Philipp Depisch, 39, an ally of Kurz from the early 2000s. “When we went to the bar, he organized a round of drinks for everyone and stayed for a while, but at some point he would get up and go to bed.”Such attention to his persona helped put Kurz on a breakneck journey to become Europe’s youngest head of government less than a decade later. Now the next few months will decide whether the 32-year-old can morph from youthful curiosity into a European statesman and affirm his role as the pragmatic new face of the continent’s conservative forces.Kurz heads into an election campaign with scrutiny never higher after a scandal involving his far-right coalition partner brought an end to his 18-month stint as Austrian chancellor in May. A solid victory could make him a power broker at home and in the fractious European Union as German Chancellor Angela Merkel prepares to step down.Combining a hard line on uncontrolled immigration with his honed image as the courteous good son of Austria, Kurz contrasts with the nationalist zeal of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Italy’s Matteo Salvini.Kurz has cozy chats with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin while maintaining a frosty rather than confrontational relationship with Merkel. Last year, when her Bavarian allies tested her authority over migration policy, Kurz appeared alongside Merkel’s antagonists and toured German talk shows discussing the need to protect borders.“The guy has demonstrated himself to be a supreme political operator,” said Carsten Nickel, managing director of Teneo, a company in London that advises on political risk. As for the EU, he’s no savior but he also doesn’t want to undermine it, he said. “Kurz clearly hasn’t sided with the euroskeptics, but we see a different approach than Merkel. He’s more of a center-right traditionalist.”Like rebranding the People’s Party with the color turquoise instead of its traditional black, Kurz is about rejuvenating old conservative ideas. His main conviction is distancing himself from the social democrats, who he blames for years of inaction in Austrian government. That led him to form an alliance in 2017 with the Freedom Party, which has links to neo-Nazis.He will go into the Sept. 29 election as Austria’s most popular party leader even after he effectively sank his own government following the revelation of a video of a senior coalition official trying to curry favor with a fake niece of a Russian oligarch.“Public perception can change extremely quickly,” Kurz said in an interview in Vienna last week. “In such a situation, you do not know what is good for you personally or the party.”The appeal at home is drawn from his clean-cut image, the blue-eyed former tennis coach heeding the counsel of the elder statesmen in the People’s Party as he was handpicked to climb the ranks. He names one of them, former Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, among his political heroes.Kurz was told to keep his private life private, so he does. The only child of an engineering father and school teacher mother, he enrolled as a law student in Vienna, though never finished his studies. He lives with his girlfriend, whom he met fresh out of school, in an unassuming apartment building in the modest Meidling neighborhood where he grew up and likes to unwind with the occasional drink in a local cocktail bar.He keeps his posts to his 1 million social media followers strictly business, tweeting about policy initiatives. You’d never catch him sharing what he had for lunch that day, Kurz said at Vienna’s grand Springer Villa, used by the People’s Party for meetings and down the road from where he grew up.That, though, doesn’t make him inscrutable, he said, bristling at the suggestion. All he’s doing is fulfilling what he was told by his mentors.“I always have to laugh if somebody says they don’t know a lot about me, because I don’t know many people who are so present in the media and are asked so many different questions,” Kurz said. “I’m 32 and there are now several books written about me.”The interest in Kurz isn’t surprising given his rapid rise to power, and Depisch said it was always apparent that Kurz had the ambition for something big.In the 2000s, the two would meet in the Sky Bar near Vienna’s opera house and talk strategy as members of the People’s Party’s youth wing. Kurz then became head of the organization in 2009 and was appointed state secretary for integration in 2011 while still in his 20s before taking the post of foreign minister two years later.In spring 2016, Kurz quietly sounded out regional party chiefs armed with polling data suggesting that support for the People’s Party would leap with him at the helm. The effort to challenge then leader Reinhold Mitterlehner led to a confrontation where Kurz demanded breaking up the government with him fronting the campaign in the resulting snap vote. He won.While Kurz is keen to portray himself as the reluctant wunderkind simply trying to drag his tradition-bound country into the modern era, critics say his power grab showed the Machiavellian behind the polished, respectful public facade.“He represents a type of politician who wants power without a clear agenda,” said Mitterlehner, 63. Under Kurz’s government, “we seemed to be moving from a liberal to an authoritarian democracy,” he said.As he bids to return as chancellor, Kurz is continuing to pander to people wary of immigration with promises of preserving Austrian identity in the fight with “political Islam.” But he’s also catering to the other end of the spectrum, talking about the environment, care for the elderly and the future of the EU.He opposed the pick by Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron for the EU’s next chief, complaining of a back-room stitch up. “The EU is more than only two countries,” he said.During his time in office, Kurz widened tax benefits for working families and started to tackle Austria’s complex healthcare system. He changed policies toward immigrants by making it more difficult for those who are unemployed to access social aid and requiring proof of a certain level of German before their children can join regular schools. At the same time, he loosened labor laws to make it easier for companies to hire highly skilled foreigners.On the campaign trail, Kurz has criss-crossed the Alpine country to meet with firemen, nurses and farmers. After leaving the interview on July 2, he spoke to entrepreneurs near the Hungarian border. Typically, the trip included photo opportunities involving Kurz listening to or chatting with small groups of voters in nursing homes, at outdoor markets and in the countryside.Polls show the effort is paying off as he seeks to turn a political crisis into an opportunity. His party has gained ground and is ahead by at least 10 percentage points.“He definitely has a sense for what’s mainstream and a talent for serving up policies in digestible portions,” said Michael Spindelegger, a mentor who thought Kurz had potential to become party chief when he stepped down in 2014. “His maturation phase isn’t complete yet.”Indeed, it was Kurz who pulled the plug on the coalition and called for a snap election after he watched the video showing Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache and political ally Johann Gudenus on the Spanish island of Ibiza crassly attempting to peddle influence.Strache thought he could save the alliance by resigning, along with Gudenus, but Kurz upped the ante and demanded the head of Interior Minister Herbert Kickl too. The anti-immigration hardliner resisted and the Freedom Party allied with the opposition to back a no-confidence motion and remove Kurz from power.“In these hours, we saw the chancellor with a face that’s very different from the friendly, eternally smiling one we know,” Kickl told the Austrian Parliament. “You say that you’re sorry that the coalition collapsed. I believe rather that you’re sorry your power play didn’t work.”\--With assistance from Rosalind Mathieson.To contact the authors of this story: Boris Groendahl in Vienna at [email protected] Wabl in Vienna at [email protected] Reiter in Berlin at [email protected] contact the editor responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at [email protected], Rodney JeffersonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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