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This is the first of two stories. Read the second here.
Ireland Webb thought she was going to be raped. It was Aug. 12, 2016, and a male student from Thomas College in Waterville, where she was starting as a freshman, had asked her to wear a dress. It was their first date and first time meeting after talking online, and he had told her he wanted the date to be a surprise. But when he picked her up at the college, he didn't have a plan, Webb said. After driving to a couple places, including Walmart, where he bought frosted animal crackers with sprinkles, he took her to his family's home in a nearby town.
She was OK kissing him, but when he felt under and over her clothes, and tried to get her to do sexual things, she repeatedly told him no and moved his hands away, she said. She told him he was pressuring her and started to cry, and he got angry. He tried to take off her clothes, so she grabbed his wrists and attempted to push him off her, but he resorted to pulling at her dress with his teeth, she said.
He continued to try to have sex with her, asking what the difference was between having sex then or later, telling her to let him prove to her that she would like it, and guilting her by saying he had put his trust in her, she said. A couple times he bit and flicked her nipples over her clothes.
One time, when he physically put her hand on his genitals, she told him she didn't want to touch him. "He said, 'Wow, you have a lot of respect for yourself,' as if I shouldn't have a lot of respect for myself,'" Webb said. "I told him to stop so many times both physically with my hands and my words." At the same time, she didn't want to upset him. He was her ride home. All the while, "I thought I was going to get raped," she said. After several hours, he let her go.
Rape on college campuses has drawn a considerable amount of attention in recent years, but there are many other forms of sexual misconduct, such as unwanted sexual touching and sexual harassment, that are even more prevalent. Many schools struggle with how to respond.
At Thomas College, four current female students, including Webb, described experiencing unwanted sexual contact and were surprised when administrators didn't take initiative to investigate their complaints, instead leaving it up to the women to decide how to proceed.
Each of the women expected a swift, clear response that would include an investigation and possible consequences for the male students. Instead, they came away disenchanted, fearful and depressed after reporting the misconduct.
Webb, it turned out, would report a total of five male students' unwanted sexual conduct to the school. But even though she pushed for an investigation in one of the cases, the outcome appeared to be the same.
The women's experiences show how a range of sexual misconduct can make victims fear for their safety and interfere with their education. They also raise legal questions about one college's normally confidential handling of cases.
When students do come forward, the U.S. Department of Education, under the federal gender anti-discrimination law Title IX, mandates that colleges "must take immediate and appropriate steps to investigate or otherwise determine what occurred." The department did not respond to questions.
The women who spoke to the Bangor Daily News, however, said Thomas College did not conduct investigations unless they specifically requested one. The school put the burden of its campus judicial response on their shoulders at a vulnerable time in their lives, they said, and they were unsure of what to do.
Laurie Lachance, the president of Thomas College, said that unless the reported offense is "so egregious" that school officials need to protect the campus as a whole or protect the reporting student from major harm, "we would allow the student to pick the course of action that they want to take in the time that they want to take it."
That's because "it can often retraumatize them if we try to force them in one direction or another with a speed that they might regret upon further inspection," she said. Lachance does not personally get involved in Title IX cases. She said the college complies with all legal obligations to address and respond to sexual misconduct.
Asked if a report of rape would trigger an investigation, Lachance said, "The person would be given on-campus options for resolution, including no action, informal or formal review. There is no timeline for the person to decide on the course of action that is right for them, and the person can change their mind later." A formal review results in an investigation and hearing.
It appears that few students choose the formal process, pursuing it in just 9 percent of sexual misconduct cases reported to the school over the last three years.
Outside of the disciplinary process, Thomas College offers alleged victims what they need to heal, Lachance said, such as counselors or academic support. Administrators also make sure students know of their right to go to police and will arrange that connection if students want, she said.
In addition to Webb, the BDN spoke to three other female students who all reported that the same male student had groped them and were outraged at the lack of repercussions for him.
One of the three women, who got a court-ordered protection from abuse order against the male student, questioned why obtaining it didn't automatically trigger a school investigation.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to choose. All I know is I want him to stop, and I don't want anyone else to be victimized," said the woman, who agreed to go by her middle name, Alexis. The BDN is not naming her because she still attends school with the alleged offender. "If a rule is alleged to be violated you should do some investigating to see if it was, how it was and why. You don't put this burden of evidence and burden of proof on the victim. I felt it was all pushed onto my plate."
Outside attorneys familiar with Title IX said schools should look into reports of misconduct.
"The standards that govern whether something constitutes sexual harassment, you can only determine whether something meets that standard once you've investigated. Schools can't just assume that harassment won't meet that standard without launching any kind of investigation," said Emma Roth, an attorney with the Women's Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Schools shouldn't force alleged victims to participate in an investigation, said Colby Bruno, the senior legal counsel at the Victim Rights Law Center, which provides free legal help to sexual assault victims in Massachusetts and Oregon. But, "the school does have to evaluate whether or not it's still safe for other people on campus," she said.
If she were the general counsel for Thomas College, she said she would "100 percent" tell the school to investigate. That's because, if an alleged offender escalates his behavior, "the school is going to have been on notice that he's a problem. Whoever brings a civil lawsuit who gets raped by the person is going to have a very good civil lawsuit," she said.
A school's internal investigation to determine if a student violated the student conduct code may take place at the same time as a police investigation, but the two are different. Under Title IX, if a school's investigation reveals that sexual harassment created a hostile environment, the school is required to "take prompt and effective steps" to end the harassment, and prevent it from happening again.
Schools use a lower bar of evidence in adjudicating cases than a criminal court, which gives them greater leeway to punish offenders, such as through suspension or expulsion, to protect other students' right to an education. Just as workplaces can fire someone for conduct that doesn't rise to the level of a crime, schools can remove students for bad behavior.
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The students who spoke to the BDN, most of whom are majoring in criminal justice, were familiar with the school's definition of consent and Title IX before coming forward. That's because Thomas College requires students to learn about the issues through an online training, a session during orientation and at a full campus meeting. It also weaves the issues of Title IX and sexual misconduct into a required first-year seminar.
But none of the women said they were told what the Title IX process specifically entailed or that they would have to decide whether the school should investigate. Instead, they all remembered conversations about consent — that a lack of a no doesn't mean a yes — and being told who they should talk to in the Title IX office if they needed help.
Given all the attention on sexual misconduct on campus, the women said they expected the school to automatically take action on their reports, rather than leave the decision up to them.
'I was scared'
A few days after the evening with the male student in 2016, Webb decided to message him on Facebook to say she didn't want to get together with him again. She shared their exchange with the BDN, which is not naming the male student because he wasn't charged with a crime. He didn't respond to a request for comment.
"I told you to stop and you continued trying to do more sexual acts with me," she wrote.
He wrote back, "That's fair. I'm really messed up right now Ireland, and I'm sorry."
That didn't mean everything was OK, she said. "What you did the other night is a form of sexual assault," she wrote. "Being messed up isn't an excuse to hurt women, or anyone for that matter, in any form."
He told her he was genuinely interested in her and was trying to "rebuild" himself after struggling with his mental health.
"I'm not and will not be a victim of your self destructive life," she replied.
Even as she tried to take control of the situation, she felt different. She started to distrust people. She found it harder to concentrate. Always the "front-row center nerd," she said, her grades began to slip.
Webb emailed a professor Sept. 11, 2016, to apologize for her academics, saying she had been sexually assaulted. He reported the incident to the school's office responsible for handling sexual misconduct complaints under Title IX. Hannah Gladstone, the Title IX deputy coordinator, met with Webb on Sept. 16.
Gladstone handed Webb the school's sexual misconduct policy and circled one of the page numbers, 11, where local resources were listed, said Webb, who still has the pages in a binder. Then she circled another page number, 16, where her three options began.
Webb's first option was to take no action. Her second option was to pursue an "informal" route where a school official could meet with the male student to "discuss the concern." Her third option was the "formal" route where there could be an investigation and hearing before a panel of trained faculty and staff.
If the school had investigated, it may have seen the messages between Webb and the male student or additional messages between Webb and one of her friends in which she described what had happened. It's possible the panel would have determined that it was more likely than not that the male student had violated the student conduct code and punished him in some way, such as with a warning, probation or suspension.
"I wanted something to be done," Webb said, but she got the impression that Gladstone didn't. "She said, 'So, this didn't happen on campus,' and things like that, making it sound like it wasn't her problem," Webb said. "I just figured an informal approach was the only way. I was afraid to hurt his reputation, and I was scared."
Webb emailed Gladstone Sept. 20 to say she would take the informal approach. It took more than two months to reach a resolution. On Nov. 22, Vice President for Student Affairs Lisa Desautels-Poliquin followed up to say she'd met with the male student.
Lachance couldn't comment on individual cases but said Gladstone had experienced a family emergency in the fall of 2016 and was unexpectedly called out of state for several weeks. Now, the school has revised its procedures to make sure cases get handed off to other staff members quickly when someone is away.
"We did learn from that. We'd never had that happen before," Lachance said.
She also said that it's not the role of Title IX staff members to push students to pursue a particular course of action. "We empower our students and work to provide them with the support they need to make the decision that is right for them," Lachance said.
Webb wanted to know how the male student had responded, but Desautels-Poliquin told her she couldn't elaborate. She could only say that, as part of the informal process, "we make sure that the person has our Sexual Misconduct Policy and understands the definitions outlined," she told Webb in an email.
Webb didn't understand how he was allowed to harm her, and then they were supposed to continue attending the same college together, with his only consequence being a reminder that sexual misconduct was prohibited, she said.
Looking back, Webb said she had been too afraid to push for an investigation that might get the male student in trouble, especially since she often saw him on the small campus. It's unfair to put the responsibility on victims, who may blame themselves and not want to be a burden, she said.
She fell into despair. She found it difficult to concentrate in class and avoided the library in case the male student showed up there, she said. She altered the time she left for one of her classes because his schedule overlapped with hers. She avoided events she knew his friends would attend. For a while she couldn't explain what had happened without crying. Now a third-year student, she plans to graduate early, in December, "so I don't have to deal with any more trauma here," she said.
She realized later she wanted to take action, in part for her own mental health, and in March 2017 reported the unwanted sexual touching to the Waterville Police Department, who gave her case to the Maine State Police. To her surprise, they made her feel reassured, she said.
A detective had her call the male student to see if she could elicit a confession, but the male student didn't admit what happened. According to an email from the detective, there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute.
It is difficult to judge from the outside how a school handles reports of sexual misconduct because the process is confidential. But experts say it's a positive sign when the number of sexual misconduct reports increase because it usually means more students are OK coming forward, as opposed to actual rates of sexual violence increasing.
But at Thomas College, the number of reports has decreased over the last three school years.
Because the college is private, it did not have to release the total number of sexual misconduct cases it deals with, but it agreed to share those statistics for this story. The numbers were not broken out by type of incident, but they include any potential Title IX or sexual misconduct incident brought to the school's attention, including reports by third parties who were not involved.
Of the 57 reports over those years, five cases resulted in the school taking formal action under Title IX, which involves an investigation and hearing. Of those five cases, three — or, 5 percent of the total reports — resulted in a student being found responsible for the violation.
The vast majority of reports, 41, resulted in no action. In 11 cases, students wanted to pursue the informal process, which involves an administrator speaking to the alleged offender but doesn't result in an official finding of fault or exoneration.
Federal law requires schools to publish statistics on some specific reported sexual offenses. (They do not include sexual harassment.) Thomas College had one report of rape and one report of fondling in 2015, and zero reports of either offense in 2016 and 2017, according to its public campus safety report.
Zero is not necessarily a positive sign. "Any time you have a zero, I think you have a problem," said Bruno, with the Victim Rights Law Center. "Because it's not zero. It's not."
Misconduct is more likely to happen in places that are perceived to not hold offenders accountable, according to research. A meta-analysis that combined data from 41 studies found perception of organizational tolerance to be the strongest predictor of sexual harassment in workplaces.
One current female student at Thomas College didn't report her alleged attack because she didn't believe the school would take action.
The woman said a male student, whom she didn't know well, grabbed her so hard it left bruises, pushed her against a closed door in a dorm hallway, and kissed her without her permission in September 2017. When she mentioned potentially going to Title IX officials, she said an upperclassman dissuaded her by telling her it was unlikely to make a difference.
'They were so random'
Most students will never report sexual misconduct to their college's Title IX officer once, let alone multiple times, but Webb did.
On Nov. 28, 2017, Webb sat in a classroom where someone had taped brown paper over the windows where there weren't curtains. A secretary took people's phones and backpacks, according to Webb and another student who was present. She was going to have to make her case to a panel that she had been sexually harassed, this time by her resident assistant.
Starting around July 25, 2017, and continuing into the school year, she estimated the resident assistant had sent her about 10 photos over Snapchat that showed him in his boxers with an erection. Resident assistants are live-in student staff members on residence hall floors who are compensated, and they are supposed to be role models for other students.
"I didn't ask for them at all. They were so random," she said of the photos.
The male student declined to comment.
Snapchat photos disappear, but she kept copies of his text messages, which consisted of eggplant and peach emojis, common sexual innuendo, and shared them with the BDN. She didn't tell him to stop sending the messages, she said, and she continued to be courteous to him, but they made her uncomfortable. As a resident assistant, he had authority over her, and she lived near him, she said. She didn't want a confrontation.
She described how he became more physical. Once, knowing she was coming over after he invited her, he opened the door in his boxer briefs. A couple times, she said he wanted to cuddle, something she described as awkward. After one time, he said, "'Now I'm done [cuddling]. You ever get that feeling where you just need to hold someone?'" she recalled.
She was so uncomfortable that she stopped going to a club because he would be there, she said, and decided to move residence halls, which she did on Oct. 9, 2017. She told a different resident assistant what had happened, and that woman told the Title IX office, which reached out to Webb on Oct. 11, 2017. Webb dreaded returning to Title IX, she said, but she didn't think she should let the male student's behavior continue because he was technically a staff member.
Faced again with the decision of whether the school should investigate, she decided to go a different route and pursue the formal process.
She didn't think he should be suspended or expelled, she said. She just thought he shouldn't be a resident assistant any more. Resident assistants are instructed to conduct themselves "in a professional manner at all times" and to "avoid intimate relationships with students who live in the same hall," according to a school description of the role.
The school's sexual misconduct policy defines sexual harassment as "subjecting an individual to unwelcome sexual conduct/behavior," which may occur electronically.
During the hearing on Nov. 28, 2017, the resident assistant admitted to all his behavior, according to the school's decision letter.
But the school said it wasn't clear that Webb didn't want his apparent advances.
Based on a preponderance of the evidence, the incidents "did not appear to be unwanted by either party," according to the decision letter.
Webb said she was dumbfounded because she understood that consent must be active. Many schools, including Thomas College, now only consider sexual acts consensual if students "freely and actively" indicate they want sexual contact. "Silence, in and of itself, cannot be interpreted as consent," states Thomas College's sexual misconduct policy.
While Lachance couldn't comment on Webb's specific case, citing privacy law, she said it's possible for incidents to also be handled through human resources, which would be confidential.
"The RAs are employees of the college and thus are treated like every other employee through the HR office through appropriate processes," Lachance said.
If the male student was punished in some way through separate proceedings, Webb never heard about it, she said. All she knew was that the Title IX process had failed her again. It's particularly important for alleged victims to know the outcome of cases, she said, so they can regain feelings of safety.
That same fall she reported three other male students to Title IX. She did it because, at the very least, telling someone else would help her in her healing process.
"Oftentimes people ignore the fact that something happened to them, and it eats them inside. By speaking up and speaking out, it helps you realize what happened to you, and it's just a way of closure," she said.
One man she didn't know summoned her over and asked if she was a virgin in front of his friends. "I was just wondering what you were looking for," she recalled him saying. Another called her nearly 20 times in a two-week period, even though she told him to stop; she still has the phone records. A third felt her butt.
After the man touched her, Webb ran into a study room where her friends were. "She didn't want to do anything but stand in a corner behind all of us, put the three of us between her and the door," one of her friends recalled.
At the time she wanted the school to focus on the case involving the resident assistant and agreed to an informal resolution with the three men.
But even though none of her cases resulted in a finding of responsibility, she was determined to not let the matter end. In October 2018 she met with the Title IX staff to suggest ways they could improve.
Lachance said that the school has made improvements "when appropriate" in response to student recommendations on handling reports of sexual misconduct. She is "open to convening a broader conversation about how we deal with it," she said, "and how we can get better at it."
Staff should receive further training on how to speak to victims, Webb said, so they can ask questions that are not violating or blaming. They should stay up to date on technology, so students don't have to explain to them how apps work, and so they know that blocking someone online can delete important information, such as photographic evidence, threats and confessions.
They should make themselves seen around campus, so students recognize them and feel more comfortable talking to them, she said, and she recommended putting a criminal justice professor on the sexual misconduct hearing panel. In addition, the school should have mandatory refresher meetings for students about what counts as sexual misconduct — it's not just rape, she said — beyond the first month of freshman year. Otherwise, it seemed they were liable to forget.
Maine Focus is a journalism and community engagement initiative at the Bangor Daily News. Questions? Ideas? Write to email@example.com.
If you or someone you know needs resources or support related to sexual violence, contact the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault's 24/7 hotline at 800-871-7741.


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This unique property sits on 3.71 acres in West Bay Ridge, which overlooks the South shore of Roatan. Nestled in the lush tropical jungle of Roatan, this location offers peace and tranquility. Enjoy stunning ocean views and year round trade winds from this island style home. The main home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, and a lower 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. New windows have been installed in the main house upstairs and it's now ready for AC. There is also a jungle hut a short walk down the hill. This large property would be ideal for a B&B or small resort as there is lots of room for expansion. Located just off the main highway, you are minutes away from West Bay Beach, West End and all of their amenities.
The main house is approximately 2979 sq ft.
There are two onsite cisterns, 5700 gallons and 3300 gallons, additional rain water cisterns for the gardens
Onsite Honda 2000 elect. Generator.
Parking area – 4 + cars, off street parking deck w/ motion detector security lighting.
400 + feet of cement and stone decorated walking paths w/ 2 bridges over the ravines connecting same.
2 separate lighted entrances. Main house and side entrance for apt. down stairs.
The jungle hut could be converted to an additional rental
The 2 bedroom apartment is currently being rented out long term
There are a number of fruit trees on the property; mangos, guava, avocados, limes and two (2) banana plantations. Large one down the S.E. coner and a smaller one right behind the house.

subset: commoncrawl


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One of the best things about being a member of CAP UCLA is connecting with like-minded arts philanthropists. Our members gather often throughout the season for special In Conversation events, intimate salon performances, afterparties, fundraisers and more.
It's a great way to share experiences, learn more about the artists on our program and support CAP UCLA artists.
If you're already a member you're on our invite list for such events. And you can check this space often for details on upcoming events as they emerge.
If you're not yet a member, don't miss out! Join us.
For thoughts and stories about and from our members, check our blog often!
We hope to see you soon!


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2014 / Director. Viic Armstrong.
Review by Glenn Cochrane.
This review is written from an atheist's point of view and I find it hilarious that I feel compelled to make such a disclaimer when the same respect is rarely afforded in return. Nevertheless I appreciate that people hold a multitude of beliefs and I have no interest in upsetting anyone for no reason. LEFT BEHIND is based on a series of Christian novels, which have previously been adapted into a direct-to-video franchise starring Kirk Cameron. Nicholas Cage is on the record stating that he refuses to discuss religion to the media as he doesn't want it to obscure his work. So what in the name of God is he doing in this LEFT BEHIND reboot? He has truly sunk to an all new low, which is astonishing when you consider the shit he has churned out over the past decade. The story is about the Rapture and Cage plays a pilot en-route to London from New York when the Rapture hits. People (presumedly those pure of heart) simply vanish into thin air. The entire planet has been struck and multiples of million of people are gone. Left behind are those not worthy enough to ascend to heaven and they're left to endure seven years of darkness. Ignoring the Christian context of the film is easy enough... heck, cinema is all about fantasy and what greater fantasy than the Bible? But LEFT BEHIND is so poorly made that I wonder how many Christians would also be offended by it? Is the film made for believers or nonbelievers because it sure as Hell won't convert anyone and the characters of faith are portrayed as crazy nutters. So not only is the story and its message conflicted but everything else about it is terrible. The performances are hammy and half-arsed and the set design is cheap and flimsy. I felt like I was watching a cross between an Asylum movie and a Hallmark film of the week. Nicolas Cage spends the majority of the film sitting in a cockpit that looks as though it were built in someone's garage with a green screen behind it. Watching him trying to act amongst so much shoddiness made me wonder how bad his personal finances really were? Why on Earth did he sign on for this? The film's female lead (Ashley Tisdale) spends most of the film refuting religion. She asks the regular Atheist questions such as what sort of God would create such a horrible world? What kind of God would let Children die of starvation and famine... and so on. And yet her questions go unanswered and the resolution is as simple as "God is great" and despite half of humanity ascending to the heavens, she DOES end up believing in God but she doesn't think any more highly of him. Look, I don't mind that Christian films exist. It's all fantasy to me but if I were religious then I would be rightfully pissed off that films made for people like myself were consistently terrible. --- SPOILER ALERT. HIGHLIGHT BLANK TEXT TO REVEAL --- There is one saving grace, however, which involves a midget being thrown from the place. Boy can those little guys bounce!!!
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September 2022


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Grinnell, IA – March 5, 2020 – UnityPoint Health® – Grinnell Regional Medical Center (GRMC) places the care and safety of our patients, families, guests and team members as top priority. As a result, GRMC is carefully monitoring the COVID-19, also known as novel coronavirus, and making preparations to care for patients if needed.
"As with any global health emergency, we take the threat of COVID-19 very seriously," says Jennifer Havens, CEO of GRMC. "While this is a new disease, the processes required to ensure patients are treated appropriately while protecting our staff and the public are not unfamiliar to us. It's important to remember our hospitals and clinics effectively care for individuals with contagious illnesses every day, and our staff is well-trained."
UnityPoint Health has convened a team of leaders and subject matter experts focused on providing consistent direction and information across all UnityPoint Health sites, including GRMC. The team is meeting regularly and partnering closely with state departments of public health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the most up-to-date information and guidance related to COVID-19.
GRMC's medical staff and infection prevention leaders are working with the UnityPoint Health team and following the latest guidelines issued by the CDC for screening, testing and infection control among patients suspected of COVID-19 infection.
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), here are some important reminders:
- It is important to understand the risk of influenza is much higher than the risk of COVID-19 in Iowa right now.
- Prevention of COVID-19 is the same as that for other respiratory illnesses (like flu):
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper arm/elbow
- Clean your hands frequently with soap and water
- Contain germs by staying home when ill
- If you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19 and have symptoms, please consider calling your doctor, clinic or the ER before arriving. They may be able to assess your symptoms over the phone and then instruct you on what to do next. This may help to prevent the potential spread of disease.
The IDPH and CDC are closely monitoring COVID-19 and will provide updated information as it becomes available. For the most up-to-date information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.


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Internet Wifi and Ethernet Setup
Whether you need a new WiFi/Wireless set up or you just want to upgrade, or if you need devices networked, you can call on us as most Pearland residents have done. If you have not already purchased the devices, you can reach us for consultation. If you have already purchased devices, we will work with you and suggest the best placement for maximum efficiency and optimized locations.
If you cannot access the internet or have a problem connecting to a printer or other computer, We will help you connect. If you have multiple desktops that need to be connected to the internet at the same time and share data we can help you with that too.
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New member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 77
- Reaction score
- 2
So I received in the mail from my Nephew his flat stanley project. Flat Stanley is a 10 inch laminated cut out of a guy who I assume my Nephew made. I am supposed to take him (flat stanley) around and take pictures of alaska. My brothers kid is from Northern California so I decided it would be good to show some true alaska in my oppinion. I went snowmobiling and found some ptarmigan and was lucky enough to get 5 with my 10/22. The birds were very spooked and getting to withing 100 yards was really hard. I dont know if they will allow a picture of dead birds and Flat Stanley with a rifle but we will see. It is California after all.


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Holidays are coming and they are bringing the traditional Christmas beers with them. Every year, the American webzine Paste takes the opportunity to do a blind tasting of a hundred characteristic beers. For the second year in a row, Bush de Noël is at the top of the ranking.
Paste Magazine, an American webzine with over 11 million monthly hits, has released its annual ranking of Christmas beers. To determine the best beverage, specialists from the world of beer (journalists, brewers, brewery owners, …) do a blind tasting of a hundred Christmas beers. Their ranking is mainly determined by the question "After drinking one, which of these beers would I like to continue drinking? ".
During this little test, our Bush de Noël seems to convince our friends across the Channel. For the second year in a row, the beer has been voted as the best Christmas beer. An outstanding reward in a ranking where Belgian beverages are not left behind
The jury was pleased by its balance and especially the intensity and character of the beer: "You cannot take a sip of Bush de Noël without mentally and emotionally being transmitted into the holiday season … The beer strongly affirms its number one status in our ranking of Christmas beers."
Bush de Noël has aromas of yellow fruit, caramel and dried fruit. During a tasting, it releases a certain bitterness, with aromas of caramel, chocolate and a touch of hazelnut. The beer is perfect for your holiday celebrations and can, for example, be served with a soft cheese (such as Mont d'Or), blue cheese (Stichelton) or cheese with a white crust (Chaource).


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Essential biological psychology.
Martin, G. Neil (2003) Essential biological psychology. Hodder Arnold. ISBN 9780340808979. [Book]
Essential Biological Psychology is an accessible, well-illustrated and well-written account of the study of the role of the body in behaviour and the effect of behaviour on the working of the body. The book describes the major topics within biopsychology, and evaluates the moset up-to-date findings, particularly within neuroscience and neuroimaging research. The Essential Psychology Series bridges the gap between simple introductiory texts aimed at pre-university students and higher level textbooks for upper level undergraduates. Each volume in the series is designed to provide concise yet up-to-date descriptions of the major areas of psychology for first year undergraduates or students taking psychology as a supplement to other courses of study. The authors, who are acknowledged experts in their field, explain the basics carefully and engagingly without the over-simplificiation often found in introductiory textbooks, at the same time providing the reader with insights into current thinking.
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|A. > School of Science and Technology > Psychology
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|Ms Jyoti Zade
|Date Deposited:
|07 Jun 2010 05:34
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|13 Oct 2016 14:20
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text: The latest release in the 100 Greatest series arrives on April 27th with a collection of World Cinema Themes spanning 86 years. From the modern day horror of Let The Right One In to the silent era of terror from the still chilling Nosferatu, this is a compendium of wonderful cinematic music. Features the work of some of the greatest international film composers of the 20th century including Nino Rota, Michel Legrand, Francis Lai, Ennio Morricone and many more. Highlights include music from all three Clint Eastwood/Sergio Leone films, a selection of original Godzilla themes and James Bernard new score for the 1922 Nosferatu.


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Nature Speaks: Art and Poetry for the Earth Art and Book Exhibition of Deborah Kennedy San Jose City College Art Gallery Exhibition
Check out Deborah Kennedy's talking about her art exhibit and Nature Speaks featured at the San Jose City College! This exhibition featured thirty ink illustrations from Nature Speaks: Art and Poetry for the Earth, as well as other paintings and an eco installation, Changed Clim
Denise Kester on JPR
Check out Denise Kester's interview on JPR. Listen Here And be sure to stop by Bloomsbury Books on Monday, April 2nd at 7pm to hear Denise talk about her book, Drawing on the Dream. Buy the book
Children's Book Reading Splashes the Magic of Puddle Moon into the World
Looking for a way to reconnect you and your family with a world of dreams and imagination? Join Mari Gayatri Stein at the Medford Barnes & Noble Bookstore on Sunday December 17th, at 1 PM for a delightful adventure as she reads from her book Puddle Moon. Puddle Moon is the story o
"Twists and Turns in this Feminist Moment"
"Firmly planted in this last category [those who work within existing systems and fields] are the contributors to Faithfully Feminist: Jewish, Christian, & Muslim Feminists on Why We Stay (White Cloud Press, $17.95). Edited by Gina Messina-Dysert, Jennifer Zobair and Amy Lev
The secret to engaging employees is right outside your window
"Paul Hawken is credited with saying, "There is no unemployment in nature." Every living thing plays a role, does its part, is involved in their ecosystem. Every organism has an opportunity to do what it does best each day. Organisms live in ecosystems that foster th
Live Your Wild Soul Story with Mary Reynolds Thompson
In this experiential evening, award-winning writer Mary Reynolds Thompson will guide us through five Earth archetypes—deserts, forests, oceans and rivers, mountains, and grasslands––that hold the key to living our wild soul stories, deeply rooted in the world and our own true nature.
Deborah Kennedy's Interview with SVTAGS
Deborah Kennedy interviews with Heather Durham of SVTAGs. Kennedy discusses her life as an artists, what got her into writing poetry, how she developed her new book Nature Speaks (10 years in the making), and what she hopes to accomplish with this stunning, full color art and poetry b
Ashland Teacher Publishes Children's Book
Matt Damon set out to write the great American novel. It didn't happen, but the longtime Ashland educator's ambitious attempt did produce some valuable fruit. Talking fruit, actually. And vegetables. And pastries. And a nasty, war-mongering custard. Read the full article in the Ashlan
Robin Sol Lieberman on Good Day DC
Watch Robin Sol Lieberman, with the hosts of Good Day DC, discuss her new book The Charisma Code. Robin covers why charisma is important cross-culturally, and even designates a charisma type to President Barack Obama, and presidential nominees Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Dona


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By Jennifer Gendron, Health & Wellness Coach
There are many well-known benefits to being physically active but there are also many that don't get as much air time such as supporting our lymphatic system! The lymphatic system may not be one of the body's systems that we talk about much but, it plays a very important role in our overall health.
Comprised of miles and miles of vessels throughout the body, the lymphatic system is responsible for removing cellular waste, keeping the fluid levels balanced in the body and transporting much needed nutrients throughout the body.
Exercise is one of the important ways we support this system as the pumping action of muscles gets the lymph flowing throughout the body. When we are inactive, this system gets slowed down – this is one of the reasons that we get swelling in our feet and ankles after sitting for long periods of time. To keep this important bodily system healthy and happy, be sure to engage in regular physical activity and be sure to get up and move around at regular intervals if you have a sedentary job that has you sitting in one place for long periods of time.
Another cool way that you can jump start your lymphatic system is using hydrotherapy. If you have ever been to a Nordic spa where they use hot and cold water contrasts, you have been supporting your lymphatic system without even knowing it! Those quick changes from a warm sauna or shower to immersing yourself in cold water, get the lymph flowing in the body. And you can even use this technique at home. To have a "contrast shower", follow these steps:
• Get in to your shower and turn on the hot water – spend 2 minutes under the hot water
• After 2 minutes, switch to cold water and stay with this for 30 seconds.
• Repeat twice.
This technique can take a little getting used to as it is quite a shock to the system but can have big benefits as the switching back and forth causes the blood vessels to relax and then constrict, pumping lymph throughout the body. Besides being just generally good for us, this technique has been shown to reduce the soreness we sometimes feel after a tough workout known as "delayed onset muscle soreness" as it helps clear away waste products and stimulate the tissues.
Supporting your lymphatic system is just one more reason to keep regular physical activity a part of your routine – and maybe throw a cold shower in there too!
RESOURCES: Alive Academy: Natural Health Fundamentals


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Copyright ©2017 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Nikon D810| Nikkor 105mm| Hoodman Digital Film| PS CC 2018
more to come…
"A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away." ― Eudora Welty
Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
I spent the week-end in Morro Bay, CA. and of course couldn't help but notice a door or two. 🙂
The first door I encountered that I loved were the built-in sliding blind doors that covered our sliding glass doors in our room at Embarcadero Inn. I liked them so much I'm going to have them put on our sliding glass door when we replace the 5 doors we didn't do in the remodel last year. That will be after we finish the new retaining walls, and planting in the backyard which is happening this week.
Anyway, here's what those blinds look like. We had a view of the Harbor, but not Morro Rock.
Nº 495- I liked the waves etched in the glass on this door.
Nº 830- Sun~n~Buns Bakery's side door +1- there were delicious odors wafting from this door. It was with great will-power that we walked by it without going in. We were saving our appetites for dinner.
Nº 1185- The Portal Window and flag drew me to this door, the menu drew us in for dinner. Great American Fish Co. We both had the Mesquite Grilled Talipia. It was so tender, and good I ate the whole filet!
I couldn't pass up the doors on two boats docked in the harbor. Could you? 🙂
This first one I liked how weathered the door was, and I saw an abstract image in it. I wish I had my longer lens with me just then!
Papagallo II the yacht's door struct me as being clean, classic, and the oak gave me the impression that it was sturdy and strong. Is she a yacht? I don't know boats very well, but I know what I like! 🙂
There were two unusual homes that I came across while keeping an eye out for doors, although one is only a partial door I hope Norm, and the Door Purist forgive me for this entry, but I couldn't resist.
The Windmill House: Was the home of Gladys Walton the silent film star. She added on the Windmill late in her life. She also built a Lighthouse house in Morro Bay, but I missed that one! She died in Morro Bay at the age of 90. You see, I could only see part of the upper door on the balcony, and the back door due to the fence.
Nº 1270- The Pueblo House- I thought this house was really out of place here at the coast, but perhaps not being California. While I was taking photos of the doors, and house the owner or resident came home. Thankfully, he was really nice and thought it was cool that I was taking photos of his doors. PHEW!
Nº1270 image 2, front of the house
This post is part of Norm 2.0's Thursday Doors. If you love doors and would like to see the doors others are posting, or post doors you've photographed and join other door lovers from around the world click here.
At the end of Norm's latest Thursday Door post is a little Blue Link-up/View button click it to be taken to a page with all the links, or add your own.
Nikon Df| Nikkor 24-70mm| Delkin Digital Film| PS CC 2015
More to come…
Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
A black and white version of Morro Rock in Morro Bay, CA.
This image is part of Leanne Cole's Monochrome Madness 2.
To see all the images posted for this week's MM2 challenge click here.
Nikon Df| Nikkor 24-70mm| Delkin Digital Film| PS CC 2015 & Silver Efex Pro
More to come…
Copyright © 2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
I hope everyone had a lovely Holiday week-end. Our's was really nice.
This was our sunset Saturday evening in Morro Bay, CA. That's Morro Rock a 581ft Volcanic Plug at the entrance to Morro Bay Harbor.
A volcanic plug is a remnant volcanic neck. There are 13 volcanic intrusive units that form these plugs,lava domes, and sheetlike intrusions from Morro Rock to Islay Hill 18 miles southeast. Wikipedia has more information about the rock here. It sure is pretty in the evening with good light and color.
Thanks everyone for the lovely comments, and well wishes for our Anniversary! We appreciate everyone of them.
I'm beginning to get caught up with emails, and blogs.
Nikon Df| Nikkor 24-70mm| Delkin Digital Film| Tripod| PS CC 2015 & On1 Photo 10
More to come…
Copyright ©2015 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
My contribution to Leanne Cole's Monochrome Madness 2 this week is an image I made a month ago or so. There wasn't much happening bird wise so, I switched lenses, and my mind-set to Landscape imaging. I always carry a wide angle lens for this reason. I was packing light this week and carried my 24mm f/2.8 af-d Nikkor lens which fits in the palm of my hand. I love how small and light-weight it is, it's just not as sharp in the corners as I wish it to be. The new lens that replaces this lens is bigger, and heavier so, I've not jumped on it. I just don't want to carry the weight.
I am thinking about the new 20mm f/1.8 lens though! I may splurge on it. Time will tell. 🙂 Do any of you have this lens yet? What do you think?
There are some really talented photographer's contributing to Leanne's Monochrome Madness 2 each week. You can check it out here!
Nikon Df| AF-D Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 lens| Tripod| Hoodman STEEL Ultra High Speed Digital Film| Developed in Photoshop CS6 & Nik Silver Efex Pro


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Bucking Senate, Obama Appoints Consumer Chief
SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — President Obama touched off a fierce election-year confrontation with Congressional Republicans on Wednesday, defying their deep opposition to appoint Richard Cordray as director of a new consumer protection agency and fill three labor board vacancies.
The decision to install the four nominees without Senate approval under the constitutional provision for making appointments when lawmakers are in recess was a provocative opening salvo in Mr. Obama's re-election strategy of demonizing Congress. It threatened to ignite a legal challenge and left Republicans fuming that the president was abusing the recess privilege.
Mr. Obama, announcing his decision before a political rally-like crowd of 1,300 at a high school here in a suburb Mr. Cordray's hometown of Cleveland, seemed to welcome a contentious second session of the 112th Congress, in which any attempts at bipartisan compromise appear in danger of being lost in all-out election-year war.
"I refuse to take 'no' for an answer," Mr. Obama said, adding, "I am not going to stand by while a minority in the Senate puts party ideology ahead of the people we were elected to serve."
Building on efforts to cast himself as a protector of the middle class, the president portrayed Mr. Cordray as his hand-picked protector of consumers in his role as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He wasted no time in painting Republican opposition to Mr. Cordray as another sign of the party putting the interests of Wall Street above the concerns of ordinary Americans.
Putting Mr. Cordray in place grants the agency the standing to move ahead with new regulation of varied financial entities, authority it has lacked in the absence of a director since its creation in July 2010.
With the three appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, Mr. Obama moved to ensure that the board, which has five seats, would not become paralyzed. The board shrank to two members when the term of a previous Democratic recess appointee expired on Tuesday, and under a Supreme Court ruling, it is not allowed to make decisions with fewer than three members.
As if making appointments while members were out of town was not enough to enrage Republicans, the fact that Mr. Obama made them to two entities that have been top targets of the party amplified the angry response.
Republicans, who began attacking the administration's move hours before Mr. Obama officially announced it, argued that it was unconstitutional and called it a brazen attempt to undercut the role of the Senate to advise and consent the executive branch on appointments.
"This is an extraordinary and entirely unprecedented power grab by President Obama that defies centuries of practice and the legal advice of his own Justice Department," the House speaker, John A. Boehner, said in a prepared statement. "The precedent that would be set by this cavalier action would have a devastating effect on the checks and balances that are enshrined in our Constitution."
Republicans had attempted to block the president from installing nominees they opposed over the long break by holding "pro forma" sessions over the holidays, in which members of both chambers — usually those who live in states close to the Capitol — gavel in for minutes or even seconds before gaveling out to try to meet the definition of holding a Congressional meeting. Senate Democrats had taken similar steps to block President George W. Bush from making what are known as recess appointments, which can last up to two years. Until Wednesday, the tactic had prevented two administrations from putting their choices in place without Senate confirmation.
The action by Mr. Obama immediately sparked questions of what constitutes an actual Congressional recess, the legality of Mr. Obama's move and the future of the Congressional confirmation process.
"The legislative branch exists as a check and a balance on the executive," Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah, said in a statement. "By opening this door, the White House is saying it can appoint any person at any time to any position it chooses without the advice and consent of the Senate. This is not how our republic was designed to function."
But following an internal review, the administration legal team decided that Congress was effectively in recess even though it was holding the pro forma sessions at which no business was conducted.
"Can the Senate, through form, render a constitutional power of the executive obsolete? Our view is that the answer to that question is clearly no," Kathryn Ruemmler, Mr. Obama's White House counsel, said in an interview.
By blocking Mr. Cordray's appointment after he received majority support in the Senate — he was impeded by a filibuster after being nominated in July — Congressional Republicans may have handed Mr. Obama another cudgel to hit them with this year, and the White House tried to pick an opportune time to wield it. The recess appointments seemed deliberately timed, coming a day after the Iowa caucus vote and seemed intended to rile the Republicans.
There had been debate over whether Mr. Obama could have avoided a constitutional challenge by making the appointment on Tuesday in the short window between the end of the first and beginning of the second session of the 112th Congress. By moving ahead after the new session started, the president may have provided Republicans a chance to argue that, technically, the recess appointment was invalid.
Some legal specialists said it was likely that the Supreme Court would eventually have an opportunity to review whether it was lawful for Mr. Obama to grant the recess appointments despite the fact that the Senate was technically in session: after the consumer agency starts issuing regulations, someone who does not want to obey one of them could file a lawsuit that would turn on whether Mr. Cordray's appointment was valid.
Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said White House lawyers were confident Mr. Obama had the authority to make the appointment. "When pro forma sessions are simply used as an attempt to stop the president from making an appointment," he said, then the president is within his rights to move ahead.
The White House and other Democrats also repeatedly pointed out that Republicans had said they had no objections to Mr. Cordray himself and found him qualified, but they wanted to use his nomination as leverage to win significant changes in the agency he was to head before confirming him.
Mr. Cordray, a former Ohio attorney general, accompanied the president Wednesday. He looked slightly shell-shocked when he got off Marine One to board Air Force One for the flight to Cleveland, clutching his brown folder to his chest as he walked to the plane.
But he sounded ready for battle once the plane landed and reporters cornered him under the wing, issuing a not-so-veiled warning to Wall Street.
"We're going to begin working to expand our program to nonbanks, which is an area we haven't been able to touch before now," he said.


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Got Neiman Marcus tastes but a Target budget? This holiday season, you'll be able to satisfy both at once, thanks to a new collaboration between the luxury department store and the big-box retailer (plus a slew of your favorite CFDA designers)...
According to WWD, the retailers "jointly corralled 24 CFDA designers to create items for a limited-edition holiday collection...the Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection will be sold beginning Dec. 1 at all 1,763 Target stores and the 42 Neiman Marcus stores, as well as online at target.com and neimanmarcus.com. The collection ranges from $7.99 to $499.99, with most items less than $60. Designers who created pieces for the collection include Carolina Herrera, Derek Lam, Diane von Furstenberg, Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta and Tory Burch." (In the WWD photo of participating designers, we also spy Prabal Gurung, Eddie Borgo, the boys from Rag & Bone and Proenza Schouler, Lela Rose, and Thom Browne!).
You can expect everything from men's, women's and children's clothing to sporting goods and pet accessories, with each designer creating one to three items. While there's no set time for the products to be in stores, a Target executive did say that the limited-edition collection means it's likely that, "Target and Neiman's will run out of product in a matter of several days, or at most two to three weeks." To cap off the whole project, Target and Neiman Marcus are collectively donating $1 million to the CFDA.
There are no photos of the products yet, but we can't wait to see (and promise we'll share 'em as soon as we can! Meanwhile, you can keep up with the news as it breaks at ABullsEyeView.com). With major names like these involved with the project, we're guessing this will make your holiday shopping a heck of a lot easier. What do you think of this unusual partnership, ladies? Are you a Neiman Marcus shopper? A Target shopper? Will you now be both? Discuss!
PLUS...more designer collaboration news:
Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein at Macy's: Your new work wardrobe is here


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Check out some of the most popular Broilmaster gas grills sold by Fine's Gas. Broilmaster Premium gas grills have been around for over 50 years and are made here in the USA. Quality is what this manufacturer was founded on and, still today, they demonstrate a strong presence in the barbecue and gas grill industry because of their craftsmanship and true lifetime warranties.
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- Lifetime manufacturer warranty (see Broilmaster Grill Warranty)
- Bowtie burner system for an evenly heated cooking surface
Have other questions about Broilmaster gas grills?
Contact Fine's Gas and talk to one of our industry experts about which Broilmaster gas grill models or features are the perfect fit for your deck, patio or outdoor kitchen. Fine's Gas also stocks a variety of Broilmaster gas grill accessories.


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Exploring the legacy of the rationalist Rishonim (medieval Torah scholars), and various other notes, by Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkin, director of The Biblical Museum of Natural History in Beit Shemesh. The views expressed here are those of the author, not the institution.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
The Shofar Mistake
My youngest child came home from gan with the following picture:
My eldest child, aged nine, pointed out a glaring mistake (I am so proud of her!) Can you spot it? I'm amazed at how many people I meet who have this misconception! (UPDATE: I am not referring to the fact that the head looks like that of a deer rather than a ram!)
24 comments:
LOLLL... My daughter came home with a bull and said, "Look! An איל!"ReplyDelete
I was like... facepalm... until I realized that it was for bikkurim, and she had just confused the two lessons of the day.
I wasn't referring to a mistake about the species of animal! I just updated the post.ReplyDelete
- Yaakov MayerhoffSeptember 10, 2012 at 8:05 PM
Aren't those horns on backwards? Wider part connects to the head...ReplyDelete
The wrong end is attached to the head!ReplyDelete
The shofars are growing upside down on the animal's headReplyDelete
Ram's horns are not antlers. They curve around from the top of the head toward the back of the head and then around under the ears.ReplyDelete
Goodness. Have these people never seen horns on an animal before?ReplyDelete
The horns are upside down.ReplyDelete
Then again, it's for kids who might not recognize the "shofar" in the horns if they were right side up.
The wrong end is coming out of the head?ReplyDelete
I think the two mistakes go together... Attached upside down, the shofar's outline might be taken as as (rather odd) antler...ReplyDelete
I totally misunderstood. Clearly your daughter thought the animal was a rainbow-colored tachash!ReplyDelete
Looks fine to me. I always gore other creatures with the wide part of my horns and have the sharp side dig into the head. Its very practical.ReplyDelete
Iyov had a daughter named קרן הפוךReplyDelete
- CommentatorSeptember 10, 2012 at 10:47 PM
Some years back I taught the Akeida -- trying to work out the rather puzzled look on a couple of faces (12-yr olds), it slowly became clear that several students thought that Avraham sacrificed a piece of hardware instead of his son ("How did that work?")ReplyDelete
Your child in gan is not the one in error, I'm afraid--your child simply pasted the shofars on the outline of the shofar that is part of the picture. The artist is at fault.ReplyDelete
- David MeirSeptember 11, 2012 at 11:02 AM
OF COURSE the wide part of the horn is facing outward. How else is the ram supposed to honk!ReplyDelete
@Yehudah P: My feelings exactly.ReplyDelete
Clearly, the "artist" here has never seen an actual ram. Such mistakes were excusable in the middle ages (e.g. in famous works of art where lions look like lambs because nobody had seen a real lion) but are inexcusable today when anybody can visit a nearby zoo and see real live animals.
Your child in gan is not the one in error, I'm afraid--your child simply pasted the shofars on the outline of the shofar that is part of the picture. The artist is at fault.ReplyDelete
look more closely, you will observer that the "artist" coloured within the lines.
Shofot only come from Rams?ReplyDelete
Those are not shofars. They are speakers like you find on old phonographs.ReplyDelete
Which Rav gave the haskamah for the text?ReplyDelete
ram's horns are spiral-shaped, not straight...ReplyDelete
oh, and the shofar is the wrong way round: the bit you blow into is far from the head, not near the head...ReplyDelete
- peretz mannSeptember 24, 2014 at 3:39 PM
Rabbi, this is a recycled post. But that`s okay, because those drawings are recycled alsoReplyDelete
A shanah tovah to all. Health, happiness and some parnassah, too.
Comments for this blog are moderated. Please see this post about the comments policy for details. ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE POSTED - please use either your real name or a pseudonym.
Tzedakah: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
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It's not easy to admit, but Sunday morning we didn't feel enthused about driving to Karcag for Gary to preach. We both felt tired, and neither of us felt like getting out and going, but we had agreed to serve…and we do love the people. Most of all we wanted to be obedient to what God had for us that day. As we drove down the road, we also reminded each other how so often in the past negative feelings have tried to pull us down as we prepared to go to ministry events — and how many times these ended up being times when great spiritual impact and blessing took place! (We call this "coffeehouse syndrome" since we experienced this feeling of oppression pretty regularly before a particularly wonderful evening of gospel sharing at the outreach coffeehouse we had for many years.) We have an enemy that would love for us to stay home…for ministry to go by the wayside….for blessings to be missed.
Looking back on the day, we can say – once again in all honesty – that we are so thankful we went in obedient service rather than giving in to feelings. The message that Gary shared was impactful for us as much as for the people there that morning (Scripture has a way of doing that!) During the service several people got up and shared encouraging testimonies, and a small group of us lingered in the building talking afterward.
- Pray for the Karcag church, that they will be encouraged, will grow, and that more leaders will be raised up to help in the ministries and mission points they are involved in.
- Some really difficult and tragic things were shared with us. Pray for the people and their families, that God will give them wisdom, would provide for their needs, and bring them through life's trials.
- Pray for us and other Christian workers, for health, strength, and encouragement when times are hard.
- Praise God that He gives strength to go on serving even when feelings/emotions tell us to give in!
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 (NIV)


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MONDO CANNIBAL: Cannibal Leftovers, Sans Brains, For Breakfast
Bruno Mattei's genre cash-ins are amongst the sleaziest ripoffs in exploitation film history but you must give him credit for one thing: he kept the faith long after the rest of his fellow Italian exploiteers threw in the towel and went to work in television. Mattei hung in there as the budgets and opportunities shrank, switching to cheap video to pump out his sleazeball fare. A noteworthy example of his latter work is Mondo Cannibal, a shameless Cannibal Holocaust ripoff than transforms its inspiration's gut-wrenching shocks into low-road camp.
Like Cannibal Holocaust, Mondo Cannibal begins with some unscrupulous media types plotting to exploit the "myth" of cannibalism to boost their television ratings. The leader of the pack is Grace Forsyte (Helena Wagner) who ropes ex-war correspondent Bob Manson (Claudio Morales) and a crew of techs into prowling through the jungle for cannibal atrocities to film. They use vicious tactics to get the footage they want, including destroying a village, and receive their just desserts when they overplay their hand with the wrong tribe.
Simply put, Mondo Cannibal steals everything that isn't nailed down from Cannibal Holocaust. The film often reenacts entire scenes from the original article: in addition to the aforementioned village inferno, there's also the murder of a pregnant native, a gang-rape filmed by the camera team, the "I wonder who the real cannibals are" line and some real-life animal cruelty. However, the results come off more tacky than disturbing thanks to the way it's made: the glossy video strips away the veneer of danger that the grainy film achieved in Cannibal Holocaust and Mattei's goofy direction gives it the vibe of a backyard film made by low-I.Q. horror fans.
There's also a dash of the demented accidental humor one often sees in Mattei's work. For example, you'll here plenty of bizarre dialogue, like when Grace refers to the execs who want to fire her as "snot fanciers," and Bob suddenly shifts from a socially conscious type to a brutal exploiteer for reasons that are never explained. Performances range from somnambulistic to scenery-devouring, with Wagner taking top honors with a nostril-flaring turn as the main media villain.
In short, Mondo Cannibal is best left to those who can stomach the cheapest rotgut that Italian exploitation cinema has to offer. That said, those who answer to the singular call of such odd pleasures will get their fill of lunacy – and everyone else will get an object lesson in how the way one handles intense material determines whether it induces chills or laughs.
DVD Notes: This title was recently released on DVD in the U.S. by the InterVision Picture Corp sublabel of Severin Films. It presents a faithful representation of the film's video cinematography and cheap dubbing. The one extra is a trailer for the film that is as daft as the full-length version.


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ARUN PADAKI writes: The Supreme Court judgment has come. As I repeatedly keep listening to the song Dreamer from Ozzy Osbourne, I slip into a trance. But suddenly I realize that there is something and everything from this song that applies to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the present day.
All seems fine as of now as the reservoir at Krishna Raja Sagar presents a spectacular view with gushing waters. The Supreme Court order though a shade better than the interim one brings no cheer as Karnataka's claim and clamor has found no takers.
Let us keep the Courts, the protestors, the farmers, the cities, the industries and the dirty politics apart for a while. Let politicians of both states sit together and ponder over the past century that has led to bickering with many lives lost and properties destroyed.
As Kaveri flows down the cool green Western Ghats, she swells in size as tiny rivulets and streams join her and the incessant monsoon rains hitting hard on the Ghats convert her into a potent force, a force that is the lifeline for crores and crores of people downstream, till the point she slips into the Bay of Bengal before passing over the hot plains of Tamil Nadu.
Every year when the rains continue, the entire journey of Kaveri is turned into a verdant landscape. The milling crowds downstream are so satisfied and often times have no concern to conserve this liquid gold for some tomorrow that could give rise to another conflict for the dearth of this gold.
Let us ask a very simple question: why can't both the states with ingenuity chalk out a conservation charter that goes a long way in securing Kaveri for a long long time to come?
It should not matter to Tamil Nadu if they are investing crores to safeguard the forest and the bio diversity of Karnataka state, a state that speaks Kannada and whose denizens are called Kannadigas.
It should not matter to Karnataka if Tamil Nadu has a say in conserving the ecological balance in the Western Ghats or if they cultivate the Kuruvai.
One of the bio-diversity hotspots on the face of the earth, the Western Ghats is crucial for the survival of Deccan Plateau. It is time now to decide if more of logging, hydel projects, tea gardens, mines or highways cutting across the slopes of the Ghats are needed.
The coffee prices that fell during the start of the century led to logging in the estates of debt-laden planters, the vanishing timber to accommodate tea gardens and the hydel projects that inundate hundreds of acres of forests have impacted the rainfall leading to unpredictable monsoons. Also poaching of tiger that is on top of water security should stop right now.
Any commercial or 'developmental' activity that tampers with the forest will have to be paid a heavy price. As the song goes—Wondering if mother Earth will survive, hoping that mankind will stop abusing her, sometime—shouldn't we be saying enough is enough and it is cul-de-sac to all these, sing the conservation anthem and work towards it.
After all, no Court order can save the day for TN if there are no rains, while Karnataka continues to burn at times of distress.
Well, let HDK and MK not plug on to Ozzy to solve our problems, but more forethought and a resolve to address the core issue would be wise rather than going through the hefty laws and paying fancy fees to the Attorneys and at the same time foster continued unrest in both the states.
If future wars are fought for waters, the victory cannot be achieved by firing more missiles, but by securing the water sources. And for that we need our forests to remain forests. Else the rain shadow region of ours will see no rains.


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Overview of Verbier Ski Resort
When you take a Verbier ski holiday you're in one of the world's best known ski resorts, like Chamonix, famous for its extreme terrain, but also offering ski runs suitable for all. It is an attractive resort of chalet-style buildings located on what is popularly described as a 'sunny balcony' above the valley below, although it is a bit of a sloping balcony as the resort is built on a gentle hillside.
Like other famous resorts such as Courchevel and St Moritz, Verbier has a reputation for attracting celebrity guests, in its case the Beckhams are among those reputed to own a chalet here and Richard Branson even owns a luxury chalet, The Lodge, which is rented out to house parties for up to £100,000 a week.
This attraction to the well heeled means that Verbier has a reputation for luxury living, with some designer shops and gourmet restaurants, although perhaps less than in Crans Montana or St Moritz. Prices are typically higher than at less famous resorts too, although as always you can usually shop around to find more affordable shops and restaurants.
Your Verbier ski holiday will be based at one end of the giant 4 Valleys ski area, a linked network of nearly 90 lifts connecting the ski runs above more than half-a-dozen ski villages.
The ski area has nearly 2,200 vertical metres between the highest lifts up on the former summer ski destination of the Mont Fort glacier, and the lowest runs. Although there's no marked piste, in exceptionally snowy winters some of the world's longest vertical descents of nearly 2,500 vertical metres are possible down to the valley floor below the village. A quarter of the domain's runs are above Verbier itself, the largest single sector in the region.


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At Presquile Provincial Park, July has lived up to its reputation as the slowest month of the year for finding exciting birds. Even mid-winter, while having a much lower number and variety of birds, often has more genuine surprises for those who are willing to brave the elements. The only refreshing aspect of the last week of July is that a few southbound migrants have begun to appear.
An AMERICAN BLACK DUCK was at Gull Island on Monday, and a RED-BREASTED MERGANSER on Sunday, both species that have not been much in evidence this summer. Two GREEN HERONS were seen on two different days. A TURKEY VULTURE and an OSPREY were both perched on the beach (on different days). Shorebird numbers have not yet built up, the only migrant species being SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, and LEAST SANDPIPER, all in small numbers. Among gulls, there was a BONAPARTES GULL with a mostly black head and an immature GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL.
A flock of about 15 ROCK PIGEONS flew past the lighthouse yesterday. Two PILEATED WOODPECKERS were at the beach 2 parking lot this morning. PURPLE MARTINS have been replaced by BARN SWALLOWS as the most abundant swallow species in the Park this week. A BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER was seen and heard this morning, likely a newly returned migrant. More warbler species will be arriving shortly. Both male and female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK have been at the lighthouse.
To reach Presqu'ile Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton. Locations within the Park are shown on a map at the back of a tabloid that is available at the Park gate. Access to the offshore islands is restricted at this time of year to prevent disturbance to the colonial nesting birds there.
Birders are encouraged to record their observations on the bird sightings board provided near the campground office by The Friends of Presqu'ile Park and to fill out a rare bird report for species not listed there.
Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be directed to: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Fred Helleiner


text: The bottom line is that from a personal perspective -- as a parent of a current Oakcliff student, member of the Oakcliff PTA, and friend to many other Oakcliff parents and students -- I don't want to see any changes to Oakcliff. Dr. Paschall and her staff and teachers do an excellent job, and the school district should do everything they can to retain, empower, and promote them. But if Oakcliff enrollment is projected to decline significantly, evaluating the options becomes much harder given the big-picture goal of reducing overcrowding for as many students as possible.


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My dad was a good man, but we did NOT get along when I was young.
He only had an 8th grade education and worked for the city for much of his life.
He started at the lowest rung and worked his way up through the system to a pretty good life for his family.
He was all about his children going to college, getting a good job, and working hard up the ladder just like he had done.
When I dropped out from college, he pretty much flipped.
When I bounced from job to job, he wondered what was wrong with me.
Back before I started online, I had a pile of credit cards debts. And there were debt collectors who didn't have an ethical bone in their bodies. They once contacted my dad to tell him they would send me to jail if I didn't pay them soon.
Yes, they seriously did that.
He was heartbroken.
As you can imagine, starting an online business was not in his plans for me.
Of course he didn't think it would amount to anything.
And I'm sure he probably thought the same about me by then.
The day I discovered the Internet was the day things started to change for me.
It didn't happen overnight, but I could finally see light at the end of the tunnel.
I've never been 'normal.'
Being an employee didn't agree with me. Jobs kept spitting me back out.
Hopefully you've never been as far down as I have.
Maybe you've even been able to fit in.
But I'll bet you have that itch…that there is something better.
You don't have to fit yourself inside that limited little box you're stuck in as an employee.
You don't have to live by other people's rules…making your superiors rich while they take all the credit for your hard work.
You can choose a different path…a better path.
You can make a difference while making a great living doing it.
Other may not understand when you strike out on a new road like this. How can you leave the safe little box everyone else fits into?
There are people out there right now waiting for the message you have to share with them.
The Internet led to my Freedom.
My dad saw what I had built before he passed away a few years ago.
A couple of his friends mentioned to me at his funeral how he had bragged about my online business to them…and that I did things on the Internet he didn't even understand.
Little old me…the pizza delivery driver…has made a difference in lives of thousands of people.
The world is waiting to see your story.
Join me and others just like you who are carving a new path in the Monthly Mentor Club.
If you've got a dream for something better, and you're willing to do what it takes to get there…then we're ready to help you make it happen:


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Terrence Malick has landed a strong quartet for the revolutionaries that will surround Benicio Del Toro in "Che," the Che Guevara biopic that will shoot this summer.
Malick has set Ryan Gosling, Javier Bardem, Benjamin Bratt and Franka Potente to play Guevara's closest confidantes in the revolution.
The film is fully financed by Bill Pohlad's River Toad and VIP/Rising Star, entities that are producing with Morena Films, Laura Bickford, Steven Soderbergh and Del Toro. Pohlad controls domestic rights.
Since gaining notice in HBO's "True Believer," Gosling has had roles in "The United States of Leland," upcoming New Line pic "The Notebook" and the Marc Forster-directed "Stay."
Bratt recently wrapped "Catwoman" opposite Halle Berry; Bardem just completed the Michael Mann-directed "Collateral" with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx; and Potente, discovered by Hollywood in "Run Lola Run," next stars in "The Bourne Identity" sequel "The Bourne Supremacy."


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Light-changers are idiots
A year ago I had to slam on my brakes to avoid being slammed into by a car that I believed "jumped a light" at Santa Rosa and Foothill. Our green light had apparently changed to yellow in less than five seconds, snarling traffic. Now I know what happened. It was some fool wielding a light signal-changer, courtesy of the "Internet for Idiots."
If you know one of these moronic scofflaws and believe me, these guys are bragging about their cool toys and how brilliant they are please turn him in before he kills somebody, like your mother. Contact the SLOPD at 781-7317. And by the way, they are costing all of us thousands of dollars in wasted city resources and reprogramming/replacement costs. Thanks a lot, doofuses.
Duane Wall
Let's work on real problems
No matter how you look at it, Daniel Pipes is exploiting Americans' unreasonable fear of international terrorists ("Campus speaker draws protesters," March 8). He is hate mongering at a time when we need to be rational.
The chance of being injured or killed by international terrorists is 1 percent as likely as being hit by a meteor or asteroid.
Yes, 9/11 was a tragedy, but in the five years since, there have been no others as bad. A new "security" industry benefits from promoting irrational fear of terrorists.
Anyone falling for this hate propaganda would do more good worrying about the number of our troops getting injured and killed in their futile role in Iraq, the way our government is mistreating our maimed veterans, and the number of people killed daily on our highways. Those are real problems that need to be worked on. Not imagined ones, like the threat to them from international terrorists.
Roy Berger
Arroyo Grande
Women should be extremely concerned
The information provided by Daniel Pipes about radical Islam is a necessity right now ("Campus speaker draws protesters," March 8). People must know that out of 1 billion Muslims throughout the world, at least 10 percent wish America to live under sharia law.
Women, especially those protesting Daniel Pipes at Cal Poly, should be extremely concerned about this. Ten million radical Muslims, willing to blow themselves up to collapse western culture and establish a total theocracy, is scary. Radical Muslims are using our own laws to protect their hate for the west. I urge everyone to watch the documentary Obsession, Radical Islam's War Against the West.
Greg Larson
San Luis Obispo
Sorry you missed out, Mark
My sympathies to Mark Hanson ("The Housing Doctrine," March 8). He has missed the housing market on the Central Coast. When we bought our house in 1999 in SLO for just under $200,000, people were complaining then that the prices were too high. Well, we took a chance because we wanted to live here, not because we wanted to get in on the appreciations.
How come affordable housing is always limited to houses? We lived in an apartment for our first five years here and would have stayed if the students hadn't taken over. Mark should lobby to have local governments use their housing funds to build suitable family apartments. They will get more affordable housing per acre. The amount of monies that a builder pays per house is nominal and they will charge what the market will bear even if all municipal charges were dropped.
Mark, your commentary was a good start but don't let it stop there. Stay involved and take action!
Terry Mohan
San Luis Obispo
Housing writer needs to get his facts straight
Mark Hanson's "facts," which formed the basis of his opinion ("The Housing Doctrine," March 8), were flawed, and, therefore, in some respects so was his opinion.
What struck me was the bald assertion that "[l]arge urban areas, like the L.A. basin and the San Francisco peninsula, are already built out to their limits, literally from the mountains to the sea."
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Los Angeles is now approximately 3.84 million. Its land area is 469 square land miles, for a density of approximately 8,200 people per square mile. New York City's population density is approximately three times higher, or about 26,000 per square mile. This contrast flatly refutes Mr. Hanson's "fact" about the growth potential of the L.A. basin, and, therefore, the necessity of further growth in our area or other ecologically sensitive areas.
Furthermore, the point of these numbers is to suggest that the high population areas of California need to grow smarter, not just further. Higher population density can be achieved by creative suburban infill and renewal. What is most confusing about this is Mr. Hanson goes on to decry the "various city mayors and councils" refusing to develop more "dense, affordable housing." If that weren't a problem, L.A. and the Bay Area could add people without adding area.
It is easy and convenient to blame environmentalist bogeymen for keeping good Americans out of their houses because "animals are more valued than the average American citizen." In fact, careful and vigorous preservation of biological diversity is essential to such citizens' survival. It is not merely the pursuit of the tie-dye clad "politically extreme." It is as much a matter of national security as maintaining military strength, in that a failure to preserve our biological resources will endanger our food supply, something more fundamental to our survival than housing.
This is not to suggest that there aren't self-interested, unjust, or otherwise terrible reasons why there isn't more affordable housing in this county. Many folks spring into action to resist "affordable" housing being placed near them. Finally, in the midst of all of this kind of finger-pointing about housing prices, we never stop to wonder why local wages are so low instead of why the housing is so relatively expensive.
J.E. Storm
San Luis Obispo
Walter Reed could be an example of great care
We have been hearing a great deal lately about the deplorable conditions at the Walter Reed Army Hospital. Every person who has heard about this was and should have been deeply offended. We should be providing only the very best first-class treatment for our courageous warriors. How could this condition occur? The answer is simple. Tragic, but simple.
Walter Reed Hospital is a federal government-run hospital. However, if you compare Walter Reed Hospital to those enlightened countries with their "healthcare for all" e.g. Cuba the care at Walter Reed will appear outstanding. Everything any federal government does is done poorly.
We now have politicians asking for your vote and promising universal healthcare, which is a misnomer for a government-run program in which healthcare is degraded so that all get the same care i.e., very poor (except, of course, for the very politicians promising universal healthcare). If the federal government can't provide adequate healthcare for its own valiant fighting men, how do you think it will handle universal healthcare for the ordinary citizen? If we had universal healthcare, we would have people streaming to Canada (the center of medical excellence). Will those people pass the Canadians streaming to the U.S. for medical care?
Yes, Walter Reed Hospital would be an example of superlative care compared to what an ordinary citizen, without political connections, would get. Think about this before you vote for a candidate whose goal is universal healthcare.
Arthur Cullati
Santa Maria
Union action sets dangerous precedents
The California Correctional Peace Officers' union sued Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger because he sent more than 400 prisoners to out-of-state prisons because of overcrowding. The union claimed that removing the prisoners from California violated the union members' civil service protections. Liberal Superior Court Judge Gail Ohanesian agreed.
The guards shamelessly claimed they have a constitutional right not to lose any income because the prisoners left California. This claim means teachers can demand that their students cannot leave the state because the teachers might lose income. In fact, Santa Cruz County is currently charging parents $36 per day for children who miss school for a vacation. Similarly, the claim means that businesses cannot move out of state either because union members might lose some money. In essence, the union claims that its members have a constitutional right to their income and jobs even if the jobs disappear.
The second real danger of the union's self-serving argument is that its members have some kind of a legal income right to people. Unbelievably, the union has brought back the property rights claim to people. This was called slavery. However, slavery was overturned by the 13th Amendment back in 1865.
Matt Kokkonen
San Luis Obispo
Join us in this sad task
I have had a sad chore lately. I have been making prayer flags to honor all of the American soldiers who have died in Iraq. On each flag is the person's name, their age, and the date of their death. We have made more than 3,190 flags so far, one each for every soldier who died.
The sad part is that we cannot keep up. Every day there are two or three or sometimes seven or eight more soldiers who have died. Every single day. Most of them are young men in their 20s. Lives totally lost, gone forever. We wish they were heroes, fighting for democracy, but now we know they are victims of our president's lies.
The fourth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War is coming up soon. We are going to honor those 3,190 soldiers (or more, by now) who have died there by carrying these prayer flags in San Luis Obispo on Saturday, March 17. If you want to join us, we start at Mitchell Park at 11 a.m. It is a sad chore, but one we must do, because we will not accept the lies anymore.
Mark Tomes
Santa Margarita
It's time to vote with our feet
"Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now.... The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours." (Martin Luther King)
As the war in Iraq approaches its fourth anniversary, we must act to stop the madness. 3,190-plus U.S. troops dead and more than 32,000 injured. Fifty-seven-thousand-plus Iraqi civilians killed in a conflict they wanted nothing to do with. How many more widows and orphans do we need to make before we understand that our insane policies are creating nothing but more hatred?
Last November, the electorate clearly voted for change: An overwhelming majority of Americans want us out of Iraq. The government has spent a staggering $378 billion on the war at a time when the U.S. economy is leaving record numbers of Americans in severe poverty with California leading the way. Where are our priorities?
The politicians have not listened to our words, so it's time for us to vote with our feet.
I urge every person with a conscience to forego any moronic St. Patrick's Day drunkenness and join with CodePink in a solemn march in San Luis Obispo on March 17 to honor the U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq. I have to think that St. Patrick would prefer to see people standing for justice instead of passing out from drunkenness. The march begins in Mitchell Park. Please sign up at www.slocodepink.org.
Please support the troops. Support them so much that you want them to live!
Eric Parkinson
San Luis Obispo


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Belize is a tiny Central American country on the Caribbean side, so that usually means amazing turquoise waters, white sand beaches, and Spanish-speaking people. Because I have wanted to go to Belize for about 10 years, I could hardly wait, but to be honest, it was a tremendous disappointment.
Belize does not have those beautiful white sand beaches and turquoise water. Most of the beaches are walled in with wild water banging against rock or cement walls. As an English-speaking country, it definitely was easier to communicate in English, rather than Spanish, but the only place we found the turquoise waters was on Caye Caulker, an island off the coast of Belize, not far out into the Atlantic Ocean.
It's not that Belize is without charm. It certainly holds many reasons one would want to visit, but if you're looking for the amazing blue-green waters associated with most Caribbean countries, you won't find much of it.
From Chetumal, Mexico, we crossed the border into Belize. We had made the necessary pre-arrangements with the rental car agency to take the car into Belize. We had also been warned repeatedly about the hassles and scams getting over the border: demands for a $20 Exit Fee or beer or pop, confiscation of your passport until you pay, expensive gas so fill up in Chetumal, Mexico. Much to our surprise it was easy-peasy. Yes, we had to pay a $10 fee to a guy who politely guided us from building to building through the whole process, and a $5 fee to a Porter to lug around our suitcases, both of which were well worth every penny. It was smooth as it could be and only took 20-30 minutes. We would never have managed on our own – there were specific steps to follow, going back and forth between buildings, and our Guide stayed by our side through it all. Keep in mind this is including taking a rental car over the border, so there was paperwork regarding that as well.
In 1782, Britain and Spain obtained rights to log the mahogany that grew abundantly in Belize.
We saw many logging trucks as we travelled through Belize.
The Mayan people were opposed and many were dislocated from their settlements. When Belize became British Honduras (a colony of Britain 1862), the large landowners were given firm titles to their vast estates, but did not allow the Maya to own land. As in many British colonies, the indigenous people, in this case the Maya, could only rent land or live on reservations.
The Maya Indians had an incredibly advanced civilization. They had their own writing (glyphs) and their own calendar. The Mayas were skilled mathematicians and great architects. They built massive temples, cities, and palaces. They were also skilled astronomers who studied the stars and could predict the rainy season. Belize sought and finally achieved independence in 1981, only less than 40 years ago.
Even as recently as 2012, millions of dollars of mahogany and cedar have been illegally logged and sold in the U. S. from the Chiquibul National Forest (Breaking News Belize). Shameful, really.
Our first stop was Corozol, a small city of 10,000 on a nice bay.
We stayed at a Mayan Hotel right on the water, Hok Ol K'in (Hok Ol K'in), which had the whitest sheets, towells and walls we have ever seen. Very clean, $60 US a night, and it had it's own restaurant and bar. Lucy and Erin were excellent hosts as well.
But soon you see that the whole town has a rock wall around the malecon, and there is no beach. For me, in particular, this was a major disappointment. It's not that the town isn't pretty, or the water nice to look at, but I melt at the sight of white sand and turquoise water.
Next, we back-tracked up North up the coast about 7 miles to look at the quiet community of Consejo Shores, with 1/4 acres lots, a popular spot on the Bay of Chetumal for Belizean retirees and a few expats, but one look at the water, and we knew this was not the place for us.
We attempted to head out to Orchid Bay as well, but a very rough pot-holed road was discouraging, and we turned back.
We trekked – well drove – up and down Belize and went inland too.
In Hopkins, which only got modern conveniences in 1990, there were the black Garifuna people which are descendants of West and Central African, Island Caribbean, and South American Arawak Indians. The Garifuna are famous for their drumming.
As we drove into Hopkins, it looked quite nice. At first.
We stayed at the Hopkins Inn that had a gorgeous white sand beach and nice little beach houses.
But the blue water was rough, and the Hopkins Inn was a bit isolated. They also charged a hefty price for meals, only available at very specific times.
It was there that we were both eaten alive with No-Seeums, those tiny black flies that bite and itch for days. You have no idea when there biting you; they are too tiny to see and you don't feel any bites. Our legs were covered with red welts. The bites drove us crazy, itching constantly, and keeping us awake all night. Days later we found a pharmacy that sold Cortizone Cream, the only thing that eased, not stopped, that infernal itching. That was pretty much the final straw for Belize.
Belize is not a well-developed country. As we drove further and further South, there were more and more unpaved rough roads in town and country.
And there were many shacks interspersed with the occasional nicer home.
I absolutely love this photo… what do you think?
Hopkins is as far South as we went, so we cannot comment on Placentia or Punta Gorda further South towards the Guatamala border.
The foliage in Belize is rich and tropical, and it is a country in a beautiful natural state. Instead of beaches, you have sugar cane fields; instead of big cities, you have villages and farms; instead of luxury resorts, you have tropical forests, mahogany trees, sugarcane fields and fruit orchards.
As we often say, we like to travel to off-the-beaten-path, little known places, but we are neither back-packers nor touristy resort-seekers. Unique places, beautiful scenery, gorgeous beaches, warm friendly people with no tourist buses, no No-Seeums (smile), small towns, and clean, small inns – that's our style.
Things did improve as we travelled inland and to the islands. There were two places that were the absolute highlights of our trip to Belize, and we would highly recommend them. Stay tuned to hear the scoop on our Lamanai River Boat adventure in Orange Walk and charming Caye Caulker, in the next few posts.
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Originally posted 2015-09-23 07:35:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter


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Book now Best price guarantee
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Accommodation type: Resort
Price: Book Now From 70 €
Number of Rooms: 8
Nearest Surf Spot: Ribeira d'Ilha, Cove, Reef
Internet: WiFi is available in public areas and is FREE of charge
Room Type: studio, lodge, barrel-style room
Food & Beverage: bar
Parking: free private parking is possible on site
Services/Activities: there are surf schools in the surrounding area
Remarks: the nearest Airport is located in Lisbon 45 km away.
Some guest reviews written after their stay:
"Swimming in the pool every day was lovely. Good location - short walk to local beaches. We didnt need a car. Easy to get local buses. Very calm and tranquil oasis amid local houses."
"The natural rainwater-filled pool, complete with waterlillies, frogs, & plants, is the focal point of this attractive and quirky haven, although it looks very different to your average bright blue pool The lodge was perfect for a family of 2+2, although there were rows about taking turns in the hammock. The large games room suited the teenagers (wifi & pool table) Jorge was very helpful in arranging surfing lessons. It would be a great place for a group of friends/families to go on holiday together"
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