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Kleefeld on Comics
Land Of Confusion
By Sean Kleefeld | Saturday, July 07, 2012 Leave a Comment
I'm a big fan of Genesis from way back. It was originally because the front man for the band when I first discovered them was also the drummer, Phil Collins. As a budding drummer myself, I really appreciated that. I was thrilled to soon discover they paid tribute to Winsor McCay with the song "Scenes from a Night's Dream."
But one of their songs that caught my (and popular) attention was "Land of Confusion" from their 1986 album Invisible Touch. It did well on the charts (#4 in the US and #14 in the UK). It spoke to a lot of the concerns and fears I know I had in the mid-1980s, but one thing that struck me was the Superman reference in the lyrics...
Superman, where are you now?
When everything's gone wrong somehow
The men of steel, the men of power
Are losing control by the hour
This was emphasized in the video as the Ronald Reagan character dons a Superman style suit and races off to the save the day... only to get distracted by the television.
(As an interesting aside, the visuals pay tribute to another Superman reference in a song by a different artist. Jim Croce's "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" includes the line "You don't step on Superman's cape!" Which is precisely how Reagan is halted in the "Land of Confusion" video.)
Seemingly to reinforce the comic connection of the song, the metal band Disturbed did a cover of "Land of Confusion" in 2006 and hired Todd McFarlane to create the video. McFarlane's visuals were decidedly less comedic and much darker, despite using many of the same visual ideas. In this version, the protagonist is based off "The Guy" mascot of the band's previous albums and given super powers, including super strength, flight and an energy punch. Despite this, however, the Superman reference in the lyrics is largely dismissed -- a scrap of paper with an "S" flies across The Guy's chest during the lyric and he quickly discards it.
The Guy's original character design was by David Finch, and the cover art for Ten Thousand Fists that was used as the basis for the video was by Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo. McFarlane talked about the development of the video in a short making-of documentary.
One more comic connection for the song. It was even more recently covered again by Katzenjammer, a Norwegian band whose name is directly a tribute to the Katzenjammer Kids, who they felt they resembled. While their video is primarily live action shots of them playing, it also features cartoony animations and some classic visual idioms from comics. Including (most of) the iconic "S" shield.
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Copyright © 2014 Sean Kleefeld


We launch an input signal into two versions of an SMF-28 fiber. In the top branch of the topology, SBS is included in the model. In the bottom branch, it is not. All other fiber parameters are identical, including the length of 20 km. This setup allows us to determine at what fiber launch power SBS begins to have an effect.
By comparing the results, we see that at a launch power of approximately 14 dBm, the output of the fiber begins to be depleted relative to that of the non-SBS fiber. Beyond 14 dBm, the output is clearly reduced by the SBS effect.


PNHP national board member Dr. Adam Gaffney appeared on "The Real News" on Jan. 18, 2017, to discuss the nomination of Tom Price to head the Dept. of Health and Human Services. He advocated for a single-payer national health program to alleviate the persistent problems of lack of coverage, high out-of-pocket costs, and pharmaceutical price gouging.


RTN to Go is a mobile branch brings the Credit Union right to members at the workplace. Instead of having to go to a Credit Union branch, members can make many non-cash account transactions, get access to information on financial education and get one-on-one consultative services through RTN to Go at their workplace location.
You can make many of the same transactions at RTN to Go workplace banking, as you can at a branch. You can request a check, get a money order, purchase Traveler's Checks, VISA Gift Cards and AMEX Gift Cheques. Just click on one of the links listed below, complete the form, and click submit. You can pick up your requested item at a RTN to Go branch two (2) business days after we receive your request. All requests received after 3 pm will be processed the next business day.
Click on the RTN to Go calendar to find the location at which you can pick up your item—look for the day, time and location scheduled two days after we have received your request. You must show a valid government-issued picture identification before you can receive your item.
If you do not pick up your item at the scheduled RTN to Go branch, we will contact you. If we are unable to contact you, we can redeposit the funds used to purchase your check into the RTN account you have designated.
You must have available funds in the RTN account you have selected for your transaction to be processed via mobile banking.


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https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Stamford-High-senior-wins-congressional-art-13848074.php
Stamford High senior's art to hang in US Capitol
By Sophie Vaughan
Updated 4:46 pm EDT, Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Stamford High School Senior Ivy Zingone won first place in the 2019 4th Congressional District Art Competition.
Photo: Contributed / Contributed Photo
STAMFORD — Stamford High School senior Ivy Zingone won first place in the 4th congressional district art competition.
Zingone's winning work, "Counting Screens," is made with graphite and colored pencil and depicts a phone mobile above a baby's crib. The piece will hang in the corridor leading to the U.S. Capitol building for the next year.
"Every year, I am excited to see entries from talented young artists from across the district. Congratulations to Ivy and the winning participants in this year's Congressional Art Competition," said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn.
The competition drew a record 80 entries from across the district. Ridgefield High School student Angela Lin won second place and Moli Ma of St. Luke's School in New Canaan took third.
The competition was judged by an independent panel of artists, including Bridgeport-based artist and storyteller Shanna Melton, Norwalk-based artist, gallery owner and arts educator Rene Soto and Bridgeport-based mixed media artist Lee Walther.
svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-964-2265; @SophieCVaughan1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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New Mexico man found squatting in vacated PSC dorm
A New Mexico man was caught wearing a female student athlete's clothing when he was discovered last week inside a Pensacola State College dormitory, which had been vacant since March 16.
An investigation found evidence that the man had been showering and using the microwave in at least one other dorm room.
Ryan Wilson, 31, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was arrested Wednesday and charged with four counts of theft, three counts of burglary and one count of trespassing.
He was discovered when a student returned to campus April 8 to pack up her belongings. The student had been told her mail would be waiting outside of her room, but it was missing
When PSC police were called to investigate, they found one dorm room locked from the inside via a chain lock. Once inside, they found Wilson standing inside the bathroom.
Wilson told police he was a catcher on the PSC baseball team. Police found no record of Wilson ever having been enrolled as a PSC student.
Police searched Wilson's backpack and found multiple identification cards belonging to people other than him, a lost set of keys belonging to a custodial supervisor for a PSC dormitory and an envelope addressed to the student who had reported her mail missing.
School records indicated that the custodian's keys went missing sometime between 1:30 p.m. April 7 and 8 a.m. April 8.
A student athlete on campus told investigators that she recognized the Auburn T-shirt and tennis shoes that Wilson wore at the time of his arrest as belonging to a female athlete.
Another student said she found a pair of shoes and a Tyson chicken bag in her room's trash can that had not been there the last time that she had been in the room.
Police found chicken nugget crumbs in the oven, and a "shower was wet as if someone had recently taken a shower," the report stated. "It should also be noted that dorm rooms have been vacant since spring break."
Wilson was booked into the Escambia County Jail with a $50,000 bond, and county records indicated that he remained in custody as of Monday.


The subject of Diane Haeger's latest historical novel is "pretty, witty" Nell Gwynn, the low-born actress who became a mistress of King Charles II, and outlasted many others.
Born in poverty, and raised in a brothel by an alcoholic mother, Nell catches the king's eye while working in the theatre selling oranges. It is only a year since the terrible fire in London, and only two since the plague, so life is precarious for the young Nell. One of the King's ambitious advisors, wishing to displace Charles' powerful mistress, seeks Nell out and tutors her in courtly ways. Gifted with a merry disposition and a quick wit, Nell becomes the perfect companion for an easily distracted king: She shows no jealousy, she remains perpetually jolly, and she accepts with humility all the king offers. Ms. Haeger depicts Nell as a girl fully in love with the monarch, even though he keeps other women, abandons Nell for months at a time, and gives honors to his highborn mistresses that he doesn't offer her—until she finally presses him to do so. Yet Charles is characterized as the kind of man a girl could love in spite of his kingly ways, for when he's with Nell, he is fully "with" Nell, and thinks of no other.
Brava to Ms. Haeger for a rousing depiction of Restoration England, and for bringing to life a plucky young woman who through wit and tempered ambition rises far above her station.


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Jeff Koons to Create New BMW Art Car
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Munich/New York. Internationally acclaimed artist Jeff Koons will create the 17th BMW Art Car in the 35th anniversary year of the program.
Koons and Jim O'Donnell, President of BMW North America jointly made the announcement today at an event held at Koons' New York City studio. "I always thought it would be an honor to work on a BMW Art Car," said Jeff Koons. "I look forward to participate in a tradition set forth by such great artists as Calder, Lichtenstein, Stella, and Warhol."
"The entire BMW Group is looking forward to this celebration of contemporary art by Jeff Koons, one of the greatest artists of our time," said O'Donnell in making the announcement.
Koons will join an illustrious group of artists that include Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, Robert Rauschenberg, and Alexander Calder – each of whom has made a unique artistic statement about the appearance and meaning of cars.
The Koons BMW Art Car will be revealed later in the year. Details of the model and preliminary design will be announced in due course.
Koons and BMW
The germination of the idea began in 2003, when Koons expressed his desire to create a BMW Art Car. His relationship with BMW started over two decades ago when he drove a BMW while residing in Munich, home to the BMW Group headquarters. Koons is known for his heartfelt appreciation of cars. Earlier this year he was even recognized by music icon Bono of U2 as the one of the ideal artists to design a car that would make the world fall in love with automobiles again.
"We are enormously pleased about Jeff Koons' eagerly anticipated contribution to the BMW Art Car series, celebrating its 35th anniversary," said Frank-Peter Arndt, member of the Board of Management for the BMW AG and responsible for BMW Group's international cultural formats. "Art Cars are part of the DNA of BMW's cultural engagement. As manifested in Koons' latest sculptural work, what unites us is the belief that nothing is impossible. Our company and Jeff Koons are drawn to permanent innovation and cutting-edge technology."
BMW Art Cars
Since 1975, artists from throughout the world have turned BMW automobiles into art signifying a particular period through the Art Car program. In 2007, the latest installment was revealed with Olafur Eliasson's "Your Mobile Expectations: BMW H2R project." Many of these have been exhibited in renowned museums throughout the world including the Louvre, the Guggenheim Museums, and the Shanghai Art Museum. They have been displayed at the BMW Museum in Munich, between 2006 and 2010 and many went on a world tour throughout Asia, Russia, Africa, India, the United States and Mexico.
With over 100 major projects worldwide, BMW Group cultural programs have been an integral part of the company's contributions to society for almost 40 years. Besides contemporary art, architecture and design, classical music and jazz are key components of this engagement.
For a link to photos and more information please visit: http://www.bmwusanews.com/artsandculture
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The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 24 production facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
The BMW Group achieved a global sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles and over 87,000 motorcycles for the 2009 financial year. Revenues for 2009 totalled euro 50.68 billion. At 31 December 2009, the company employed a global workforce of approximately 96,000 associates.
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Despacito 2: the end of the world Windows game
Despacito 2: the end of the world
starcatcher | Released 2018
DESPACITO2 GAME by MileLopata DESPACITO GAME is finally here, get a free copy only on Indie DB!! 3 months into making, finally the game you have been waiting for! Powered by unity, sound by Luis Fonsi, designed by nasa, produced by starcatcher studio. Special thanks to Elon Musk, markiplier and Gaben?!.1
To promote Despacito 2: the end of the world and grow its popularity (top games), use the embed code provided on your homepage, blog, forums and elsewhere you desire. Or try our widget.

Despacito 2: the end of the world game - Mod DB

Despacito II : The End Of The World
Jul 27 2018 Full Version
DESPACITO GAME IS HERE !! DESPACITO 2 tested by nasa. confirmed by elon musk made by mile lopata produced by starcatcher studio powered by unity sound...
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Vambrace: Cold Soul
Jan 18 2018 Released 2019 Adventure
The Shade King has cursed the great city of Icenaire. Now cast under a permanent blight of frost fall, its former residents have returned from the dead...
Might & Magic VII: For Blood and Honor
May 25 2016 Released 1999 Adventure
Made on the same engine only with improved performance, Might and Magic 7 is essentially MAM 6 with a new non linear story and a few new classes and features...
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the...
Feb 10 2015 Released 2009 Adventure
In the era of Venetica, Death walks among the living as a flesh & blood being, carrying out the deeds of an ancient council known by a few as Corpus...
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Aug 13 2022 Released Sep 2021 Adventure
Kena, a young Spirit Guide, travels to an abandoned village in search of the sacred mountain shrine. She struggles to uncover the secrets of this forgotten...
American McGee's Alice
Aug 5 2015 Released 2000 Adventure
Step into the dark world of American McGee's twisted retelling of Alice in Wonderland.
starcatcher


The separators we placed today will make space by gently pushing your back teeth apart slightly. At your next visit, we will be placing metal bands around those teeth. The separators will allow us to fit the bands comfortably and correctly.
Check them daily to make sure they are all still there. Call us if you lose any.
Don't worry if you swallow one — it won't hurt you.
Floss all of your teeth once a day except where there are separators. Flossing can pull them out.
Don't eat anything sticky or chewy. Do not chew gum.
Expect your teeth to be sore for a few days; this is normal! Take Tylenol® or Advil® if needed.


Background: Thinning in the temporoparietal cortex, hippocampal atrophy, and a lower regional blood perfusion is connected with prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Of note, an increase of electroencephalography (EEG) upper/low alpha frequency power ratio has also been associated with these major landmarks of prodromal AD.
Methods: Clinical and neuropsychological assessment, EEG recording, and high-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging were done in 74 grown up subjects with mild cognitive impairment. This information was gathered and has been assessed 3 years postliminary. EEG recording and perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography assessment was done in 27 subjects. Alpha3/alpha2 frequency power ratio, including cortical thickness, was figured for every subject. Contrasts in cortical thickness among the groups were assessed. Pearson's r relationship coefficient was utilized to evaluate the quality of the relationship between cortical thinning, brain perfusion, and EEG markers.
Results: The higher alpha3/alpha2 frequency power ratio group corresponded with more prominent cortical decay and a lower perfusional rate in the temporoparietal cortex. In a subsequent meetup after 3 years, these patients had AD.
Conclusion: High EEG upper/low alpha power ratio was connected with cortical diminishing and lower perfusion in the temporoparietal brain area. The increase in EEG upper/low alpha frequency power ratio could be helpful in recognizing people in danger of conversion to AD dementia and this may be quality information in connection with clinical assessment.


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January 14, 2021 by Eddie
Happy New Year to you all, we hope you keep safe and well throughout 2021.
A new year brings new hope. However given the present COVID situation and the many challenges it brings, we are left with no option but to postpone our planned Spring / Summer 2021 tours. Whilst the past number of weeks have been positive on the vaccine front, the reality is we are only three months away from our Spring Tours. As long as there is uncertainty with airport testing, quarantine restrictions, vaccine roll out timeframes etc. .. we are simply left with no choice but to postpone. Tour participants were notified in December / early January of postponements. This will come as a major disappointment to all, however we have to put all our health and safety interest first.
We are happy to confirm we have a full tour schedule for Autumn '21, with limited places still available. Thrilled to announce that Kevin Crawford will be joining Colin Farrell and Dave Curley for their October tour. We also have our Spring '22 tour dates and music leads all confirmed. Please see details below.
In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy and looking forward to meeting you on a 'Wild Atlantic Music Tour' journey ….
October 2nd to 9th , 2021 … Kevin Burke
October 9th to 16th , 2021 … Colin Farrell, Dave Curley and Kevin Crawford
October 23rd to 30th , 2021 … Socks in the Frying Pan
October 30th to November 6th, 2021 … John Williams and Eoin O'Neill
March 26th to April 2nd, 2022 … John Whelan
April 2nd to 9th , 2022 … Kevin Crawford
April 9th to 16th , 2022 … Socks in the Frying Pan
April 16th to 23rd, 2022 … Eileen Ivers
June 2022 … Dates TBC … Eileen Ivers
September 2022 … Dates TBC … Ennis Sisters
www.WildAtlanticMusicTours.com
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat – May the road rise to meet you…..
Categories Music Tours Tags Best Irish Music Tours, Irish Music, Irish Music Pubs, Irish Music Tour, Irish Traditional Music, Irish vacations, Wild Atlantic Music Tours, Wild Atlantic Way
July 9, 2020 March 12, 2020 by Eddie
July 2020. Customer safety is extremely important to Wild Atlantic Music Tours and we aim to ensure maximum health and safety when you travel with us. However, it is understandable that you will have concerns regarding the health risks associated with the outbreak of COVID-19.
July 2020 Tour Updates :
Socks In The Frying Pan April tour postponed and all participants contacted individually on March 13 with various options.
Eileen Ivers April tour postponed, consequently all participants contacted individually on March 13 with various options.
Kevin Crawford April tour postponed, consequently all participants contacted individually on March 17 with various options.
John Whelan May tour postponed, consequently all participants contacted individually on March 16 with various options.
Eileen Ivers June tour postponed, consequently all participants contacted individually on March 20 with various options.
Kevin Burke October tour postponed, consequently all participants contacted individually on June 30 with various options.
Colin Farrell October tour postponed, consequently all participants contacted individually on July 1 with various options.
Socks October tour postponed, consequently all participants contacted individually on July 9 with various options.
John Williams & Eoin O'Neill Nov. tour postponed, consequently all participants contacted individually on July 9 with various options.
As of today .. the situation and facts are as follows :
We are monitoring the situation very closely and following the advice of the WHO, Irish Government and Irish Heath Authorities.
We are following all the guidelines issued by our Government : ( www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/c36c85-covid-19-coronavirus/ )
A '5 phase' roadmap for reopening society and business published on May 3. Revisions announced on June 5.
All visitors to Ireland still required to self-isolate for 14 days and social distancing recommendations (currently 2 meters) remain in place.
Please consult your respective USA or Canadian Government Agencies for all travel advice.
The total number of confirmed cases in Ireland is now 25,552 and total deaths are now 1,736.
We will continue to monitor the situation and provide regular updates.
Go n'eiri an bóthar leat
Categories Music Tours
Wild Atlantic Music Tours takes great pleasure in welcoming The Ennis Sisters to the team. The award-winning musicians will lead our May 2021 tour. Besides the music, we visit counties Sligo, Mayo, Galway and the home of Traditional Music, Clare.
Join The Ennis Sisters and a host of friends and experience Irish music at its best during an unforgettable trip throughout these counties along the Wild Atlantic Way. Meet some of the region's best-known musicians as they join The Ennis Sisters for 'Ceol agus Craic' each evening.
The tour is a 7 night cultural, sightseeing & musical experience … and more importantly, it will be great craic. Enjoy the spectacular scenery the West Coast of Ireland has to offer and visit world famous locations such as Cliffs of Moher and The Burren. We limit the time on the coach as we visit locations steeped in Irish Music such as Sligo,Doolin, Ennis & Galway. Experience a warm Irish welcome in luxury hotels on the Wild Atlantic Way.
All our tour groups are accompanied by professional Irish musicians. One of the highlights of each day is the 'mini-concert' held each evening which is dedicated to the group. These sessions will feature local musicians who will share music and stories in an informal and intimate environment. For further information on tours, please contact info@wamt.ie or visit our website at www.WildAtlanticMusicTours.com .
Categories Music Tours Tags Burren, Clare, cliffs of moher, Ennis, galway, Home of Trad Music, Ireland, Irish music tours, Irish Traditional Music, The Ennis Sisters, Wild Atlantic Music Tours, Wild Atlantic Way
September 11, 2019 by Eddie
Wild Atlantic Music Tours takes great pleasure in welcoming Colin Farrell to the team. The award-winning musician will lead our tour October 2020 tour. We will visit counties Cork, Kerry, Galway and the home of Traditional Music, Clare. Colin, born in Manchester, England, into a very musical family to parents from Galway and Cavan, started playing the fiddle and tin whistle from an early age and won numerous titles at the Fleadh Cheoil. Since then, Colin has made a name for himself performing and recording with an array of great musicians in Europe and the US. Currently Colin is playing with the Ashley Davis Band and Lunasa.
Join Colin and a host of friends and experience Irish music at its best during an unforgettable trip throughout these counties along the Wild Atlantic Way. Meet some of the region's best-known musicians as they join Colin for 'Ceol agus Craic' each evening.
The tour is a 6 night cultural, sightseeing & musical experience … and more importantly, it will be great craic. We limit the time on the coach as we visit locations steeped in Irish Music such as Clonakilty, Dingle, Doolin & Galway. Enjoy the spectacular scenery the West Coast of Ireland has to offer and visit world famous locations such as The Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher and The Burren. Experience a warm Irish welcome in luxury hotels on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Categories Music Tours Tags Best Irish Music Tours, cliffs of moher, Colin Farrell, Irish Music, Irish Music Tour, Irish Traditional Music, killarney, Lunasa
September 8, 2019 September 6, 2019 by Eddie
Wild Atlantic Music Tours takes great pleasure in welcoming John Williams and Eoin O'Neill to the team. The multi-award winning musicians will lead the November 1-7, 2020 'Wild Atlantic Way Tour'. Both John and Eoin have a huge attachment to The Wild Atlantic Way and in particular County Clare. Traditional music hotspots such as Doolin and Ennis have instilled in them a sense of musical and cultural appreciation of the region, one which they are eager to showcase.
Join John, Eoin and a host of friends and experience Irish music at its best during an unforgettable and unique trip. Meet some of the region's best known musicians as they join the lads for private music sessions each evening.
The 'Wild Atlantic Way Tour' is a 6 night musical, cultural and sightseeing journey around Clare, Sligo and Galway. The tour will kick off in Sligo. We will spend 2 nights in an authentic historic Irish Castle where John, Eoin and friends will treat the group to unique sessions. Day 3 we stop off in Galway , 'The City of the tribes'. Then we head to County Clare for 4 nights during which we visit places such as Doolin, Ennis, The Cliffs of Moher, The Burren & Bunratty Castle.
John Williams & Eoin O'Neill
John Williams is based in Chicago, USA, with a strong Irish family background in Doolin. He is an award winning multi-instrumentalist and The Irish Musicians Association of America have presented John and his father Brendan with the Musicians of the Year award. He is also an All Ireland Champion on the concertina, an instrument played by his father and grandfather at rural house dances in Doolin, County Clare dating back to the late1800's.
Eoin O'Neill , award winning musician and radio presenter has lived in Clare for the past 40 years. He has been an integral part of the traditional music landscape in the county. "I arrived in Doolin on December 28, 1979. I thought I was coming for an afternoon and I'm still here," he says of his arrival. In 2015 Eoin was the winner of the MÓRglór award for Outstanding Contribution to Traditional Music in County Clare.
All our tour groups are accompanied by professional Irish musicians. The highlight of the day is the 'mini concert' dedicated to the group. These sessions will feature local musicians who will share music and stories in an informal and intimate environment. For further information on tours, please contact info@wamt.ie or visit our website at www.WildAtlanticMusicTours.com .
Categories Music Tours Tags Clare, cliffs of moher, Doolin, Eoin O'Neill, galway, Group Vacations, Home of Trad Music, Ireland, Irish Music, Irish Music Tour, Irish Traditional Music, Irish vacations, John Williams, sligo
Kevin Burke & Wild Atlantic Music Tours
It is with great pleasure we announce that Kevin Burke will lead our October 4-10, 2020 tour. The internationally acclaimed virtuoso fiddle player will lead our 'Wild Atlantic Way' tour. Kevin, formerly of The Bothy Band and Patrick Street, has established himself as one of the finest exponents of the Irish fiddle in the world today.
Based in Oregon, USA, with a strong Irish family background in Sligo, Kevin is really excited to show off Sligo and the Wild Atlantic Way to his fans. In addition to the tourist hotspots, Kevin is also keen to visit the not so well known parts of Sligo. Join Kevin and a host of friends and experience traditional music at its best during an unforgettable trip along the Wild Atlantic Way. Meet some of the region's best known trad musicians as they join Kevin for dedicated intimate and informal sessions each evening.
The 'Wild Atlantic Way Tour' is a 6 night musical cultural and sightseeing journey around Sligo, Clare, Galway and Mayo. The tour will kick off in Sligo, a town with a strong traditional music history. In addition to world famous locations such as Ben Bulben and Mullaghmore Head, Kevin will take us to all music hotspots. Day trips to Galway, 'The City of the tribes' and Westport will feature. Then we head to County Clare for 3 nights during which we visit The Cliffs of Moher, The Burren , Doolin and The Aran Islands.
Enjoy the spectacular scenery the West Coast Of Ireland has to offer. Experience a warm Irish welcome in luxury hotels in Sligo & Clare. Places are limited to 30-40 people.
The Wild Atlantic Way is a tourism trail on the West Coast of Ireland. The stunning 2,500km of coastline offers breathtaking scenery, invigorating sea swells, gastronomic gems and a warm welcoming atmosphere. The WAW is a haven for traditional Irish musicians. Trad sessions are informal and often impromptu, making the Wild Atlantic Way a little piece of music heaven
Eileen Ivers, April 2020 'Wild Atlantic Way Tour'
May 10, 2019 by Eddie
We are thrilled to announce that Eileen Ivers will lead our April 12 – 18 , 2020 tour. The Grammy awarded, Emmy nominated, virtuoso fiddle player will lead our 'Wild Atlantic Way' tour. Eileen has established herself as the pre-eminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today. A native of New York, with a strong Irish family background and second home in Mayo , Eileen is really excited to show off the West Coast of Ireland to her fans. In addition to the tourist hotspots, Eileen is also keen to visit the not so well known parts of Mayo. Join Eileen and a host of friends and experience traditional music at its best during an unforgettable trip along the Wild Atlantic Way. Meet some of the region's best known trad musicians as they join Eileen for dedicated intimate and informal sessions each evening.
The 'Wild Atlantic Way Tour' is a 6 night musical and cultural journey around Mayo, Galway and Clare. The first 3 nights will be based in Westport, a town with a strong traditional music history. Westport will be the base for visits to Achill Island, Dún Briste and Connemara . Then it's on to Galway, 'The City of the tribes' for a night. The final 2 nights will be based in County Clare, the 'Spiritual Home of Irish Trad Music' during which we visit Doolin, The Burren and The Cliffs of Moher. Enjoy the spectacular scenery the West Coast Of Ireland has to offer. Visit world famous locations such as The Cliffs of Moher, Achill Island & The Burren. Experience a warm Irish welcome in luxury hotels in Mayo, Galway & Clare. Places limited to 30 – 40 people.
The Wild Atlantic Way is a tourism trail on the West Coast of Ireland. The stunning 2,500km of coastline offers breathtaking scenery, invigorating sea swells, gastronomic gems and a warm welcoming atmosphere. The WAW is a haven for traditional Irish musicians. Sessions are informal and often impromptu, making the Wild Atlantic Way a little piece of music heaven
All our tour groups are accompanied by professional Irish musicians. The highlight is the daily 'mini concert' dedicated to the group. These sessions will feature local musicians who will share music and stories in an informal and intimate environment. For further information on tours, please contact info@wamt.ie or visit our website at www.WildAtlanticMusicTours.com .
Categories Music Tours Tags Best Irish Music Tours, Eileen Ivers, Group Vacations, Ireland, Irish Music, Irish Music Tour, Irish music tours, Irish Traditional Music, Irish vacations, Wild Atlantic Music Tours, Wild Atlantic Way
Kevin Crawford , April 2020 ' Wild Atlantic Way Tour'
March 6, 2019 by Eddie
Wild Atlantic Music Tours takes great pleasure in announcing that Kevin Crawford will lead the April 26 – May 2, 2020 tour. The internationally acclaimed flute & whistle maestro will lead our 'Wild Atlantic Way Tour'. The virtuoso flute player travels the world as frontman for Ireland's cutting-edge traditional band, Lúnasa. Kevin has also recorded several solo albums including Carrying The Tune and his most recent, The Drunken Gaugers.
Join Kevin and a host of friends and experience traditional music at its best during an unforgettable trip along the Wild Atlantic Way. Meet some of the region's best known trad musicians as they join Kevin for dedicated intimate and informal sessions each evening.
The 'Wild Atlantic Way Tour' is a 6 night tour around Clare, Leitrim, Sligo and Galway. The first 2 nights will be based in Carrick-On-Shannon which will be a nostalgic trip down memory lane for Kevin. Ten years ago Lúnasa released ' The Leitrim Equation' album after an 18 month residency in Leitrim. Once again, Kevin will meet up, share music and stories with some of the local musicians who made this project a success. Then it's on to County Clare, the 'Spiritual Home of Irish Trad Music' during which we visit Ennis, Doolin , Milltown Malbay and a host of other famous trad locations. Trips to the musical and cultural hotspots of Galway and Sligo will also feature.
Enjoy the spectacular scenery the West Coast Of Ireland has to offer. Visit world famous locations such as The Cliffs of Moher & The Burren. Experience a warm Irish welcome in luxury hotels in Clare & Leitrim. Places are limited to 30 people.
The Wild Atlantic Way is a tourism trail on the West Coast of Ireland. The stunning 2,500km of coastline offers breathtaking scenery, invigorating sea swells, gastronomic gems and a warm welcoming atmosphere. The WAW is a haven for traditional Irish musicians. In every town, village and remote townland dotted along the Western Coast, there is a wealth of traditional Irish music sessions to be enjoyed. These sessions are informal and often impromptu, making the Wild Atlantic Way a little piece of music heaven.
Socks In The Frying Pan : April 5 – 11, 2020
February 18, 2019 February 18, 2019 by Eddie
Wild Atlantic Music Tours takes great pleasure in welcoming Socks In The Frying Pan to the team. The multi-award winning trio will lead the April 2020 'Clare Tour'. The Irish band consists of the Hayes brothers, Shane and Fiachra, on accordion and fiddle and Aodán Coyne on guitar. Growing up in County Clare instilled in them a sense of musical and cultural appreciation of the region, one which they are eager to showcase.
Join Socks In The Frying Pan and experience Irish music at its best during an unforgettable trip throughout their native County Clare. Meet some of the region's best known musicians as they join The Socks for music sessions each evening.
The 'Clare Tour' is a 6 night cultural, sightseeing & musical experience. More importantly, it will be great craic. We visits locations steeped in Irish Music such as Ennis, Doolin & Milltown Malbay. Enjoy the spectacular scenery the West Coast Of Ireland has to offer as we visit world famous locations including The Cliffs of Moher, The Burren & Bunratty Castle. Experience a warm Irish welcome in luxury 4* hotels on the Wild Atlantic Way.
The Wild Atlantic Way is a tourism trail on the West Coast of Ireland. The stunning 2,500km of coastline offers breathtaking scenery, invigorating sea swells, gastronomic gems and a warm welcoming atmosphere. The WAW is a haven for traditional Irish musicians and sessions. These sessions are informal and often impromptu.
All our tour groups are accompanied by professional Irish musicians. One of the highlights of each day is the 'mini-concert' held each evening. These sessions will feature local musicians who will share music and stories in an informal environment. For further information on tours, please contact info@wamt.ie or visit our website at www.WildAtlanticMusicTours.com .


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Wedding Photo Found in 9/11 Debris Will Be Returned 13 Years Later
By Brie Schwartz Published: Sep 15, 2014
Every year on #911 I post this photo hoping 2 return 2 owner. Found at #groundzero #WTC in 2001. Pls RT pic.twitter.com/mZ9LdQqE7x
— Prof. Keefe (@ProfKeefe) September 12, 2014
In today's heartwarming news, a weathered wedding photo found in the rubble of the World Trade Center days after 9/11 will finally make it back to its owner.
For the past 13 September 11ths, Elizabeth Stringer Keefe posted the faded picture that a friend passed along to her on social media in hopes that someone could help identify the couple.
"9/11 was a traumatic event for everyone, but there's no description for the horrors that the people who worked in the World Trade Center and the area experienced," Keefe told Today. "If the photo was connected, I wanted to do just one small thing to bring some comfort."
Her search led nowhere, until this year, when her tweet went viral—with a little help from country star Blake Shelton's retweet—and sure enough, Fred Mahe, the man on the left side of the picture, responded.
Mahe worked in the second tower of the World Trade Center, where he had the photo from his college friends' wedding pinned up on his cubicle wall. He was on his way to the office at the time of the attacks, and says that everyone in the picture is alive and well.
"[It's a] great memento of resilience," bride Christine Loredo told ABC. "I think it's nice to know that people out there care so much for strangers. It gives me confidence in humanity."
Mahe and Keefe will meet in person today so that she can give him the picture she's been protecting for so long.
"On 9/11 I saw the worst of humanity, [but] on 9/12 I saw the best of humanity," Mahe told ABC News. "Elizabeth [Stringer Keefe] is 100 percent 9/12."
[Via ABC News
The Children of 9/11: A Legacy of Hope
Meet the Last Surviving Ground Zero Search Dog
7 Breathtaking Photos of a Wedding During a Natural Disaster
Celebrity Couples You Didn't Know Met Online
The Biggest Celeb Breakups the Year You Were Born
Tips For Keeping Your Relationship Alive
Celebrity Couples With a Major Height Difference
Beautiful Photos of Real Couples At Weddings
How Dating for Millennials Differs from Boomers
What Interracial and Interethnic Dating Can Teach
Long Distance Relationship Tips
Photos of Same-Sex Couples That Give You The Feels
47 Ways to Keep Romance Alive
Why People Ghost and What You Can Do About It
Three Couples Get Real About Interracial Marriage


Since I began the 'Blog of the Week' feature I've learned an awful lot about how and why people write about their Filofaxes. The variety of approaches is very wide and I love them all.
This week, Renate introduces us to Filo-Manie.
On April the first in 2012..
I´ve been looking and reading around so many blogs concerning Filofax-topics for many weeks. I´ve profitted so much from all the people sharing their ideas. That´s why I started to share my ideas or questions.
The post about my Mini Malden, Addition to the Family.
It´s surprising and exciting to see, how many people round the whole world not just use their organisers, but live in it!
It´s mostly about my obsession with Filofax and a little bit about other obsessions, e.g. reading.
Just post about what´s on your mind concerning your Filofax, what your ideas are, what your questions are... share everything about your Filofax-life!
My thanks to Renate for participating.


Interesting list. I only recoginized Potok. Maybe you remember we had to read one of his books in high school but I thought it was a different one than the one you listed.
I was a little surprised not to see either Leon Uris or James Mitchner on your list. We both used to enjoy their work. In fact, I distinctly remember trading books and authors back and forth with you on several occasions. You're the one who turned me on to Uris, who is now my all time favorite author. I've read something like seven or eight of them, a few of them several times. What makes him so great for me is his character development. I was just telling Annabelle about that quality of his work this week. She's decided to be an author and what she's written so far is fantastic, but I was encouraging her to read really good authors to learn how to improve her own work.
We were supposed to read The Chosen by Potok in high school. I did the same thing as with My Antonia. I paid attention to what the teacher said was important and passed the test with ease without doing the reading. I really didn't enjoy reading when I was told to back then. I was too busy reading those Uris novels. I had some hang up about class assignments. Probably my tiny little rebellion or something. Anyway, I've since read The Chosen, as well as its sequel The Promise, and they are both very good. I'd highly recommend them.
If I do a follow up list in the future, I might include James Michener's The Journey. One of the characters in the book reads some classic love poems, and it was the first time I was interested in poetry. So that was a pretty big deal for me. My interest in Uris has waned since high school. I gave him another go a few years back and tried The Angry Hills (one I didn't read in high school) and it left a bad taste in my mouth. He definitely was my favorite back in high school. I guess my tastes have changed quite a bit.


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← 10 Human Universals that Should be Fully Embraced (… or Appreciating the Flip Side of Diversity)
Modeling Recent Human Genetic Adaptation →
Let the dead bury the dead?
Posted on February 19, 2014 by Bo Winegard
Many years ago, I was watching one treacly movie or another about a grieving widow. It wasn't good, but it was embarrassingly effective. I was moved. As I am wont to do, I quickly dissipated my sadness by contemplating a (superficially simple) question: Why do we, as humans, grieve at all. I had, at this point, thoroughly imbibed the evolutionary psychology literature and I approached human behavior from a relentlessly Darwinian perspective. Grieving, I thought, is costly and it is not so obvious what return a griever could expect from his or her anguish. Putting the question this way may seem unduly callous and excessively analytical. Grief is a powerful human experience. Why kill it so we can perform an autopsy on the lifeless cadaver? Putting aside a suite of powerful rationalizations, I will simply confess that the subject piqued my curiosity. I wanted to understand why we might possess a capacity to grieve.
Many years later, my colleagues (Tania Reynolds, Roy Baumeister, Ben Winegard, and Jon Maner) and I believe we may have discovered one possible solution to the puzzle of grief.
We begin by noting that grief is indeed puzzling:
"A bereaved wife every weekend walks one mile to place flowers on her deceased husband's cemetery stone. Neither rain nor snow prevents her from making this trip, one she has been making for 2 years. However poignant the scene, and however high our temptation to exclude it from the cold logic of scientific scrutiny, it presents researchers with a perplexing puzzle that demands reflection. The deceased husband, despite all of his widow's solicitude, cannot return to repay his wife's devotion. Why waste time, energy, effort, resources—why, in other words, grieve for a social bond that can no longer compensate such dedication?"
Although this is a poignant tableau, the real costs of grief might be much more severe:
"It may require significant interruption of a person's ability to perform daily tasks, to participate in social activities, and to seek out romantic partners (Archer, 1999; Averill, 1968; Schwab, 1992). Grief also increases mortality rate, susceptibility to illness, visits to physicians or other health professionals, suicidal ideation, and possibly even suicide (Fredrick, 1971; Hart, Hole, Lawlor, Smith, & Lever, 2007; Maddison & Viola, 1968; Parkes, 1964; Parkes & Brown, 1972; Phillips et al., 2006; see also Hendrickson, 2009 for a cautious review of the literature on parental grief and health)."
From an evolutionary perspective, these costs are puzzling because they would appear to reduce one's inclusive fitness–especially because the ostensible target of the displays, namely the deceased, cannot possible recompense the mourner's dedication (the sadness, longing, et cetera).
But what if the real target of the displays is someone else? Perhaps, that is, grief is a signal that is directed not at the dead, but at the living. Grief, then, might be a signal of (1) one's underlying propensity to form strong, stable social bonds and/or (2) one's current level of commitment to a group/tribe. We believe this is one possible reason for the existence of humans' prolonged grief response. Our scenario for the evolution of grief is as follows:
The original grief response was a byproduct of the attachment system. At first, the grief response was probably relatively muted compared to today's average grief response.
Observers began to note (not consciously) a correlation between a person's grief response and his or her general propensity to form strong social bonds (or between the grief response and the person's commitment to a group.)
Observers began to make social decisions based on the grief response
The grief response was shaped and elaborated by those decisions just as trees and flowers were shaped and elaborated by the preferences of pollinators.
Grief, then, separates/d the social wheat from the social chaff. Of course, this is a speculative reconstruction of grief, and it is not without problems. Robert Kurzban wrote an excellent blog (see bottom for link) in which he forwarded two basic objections to this proposition. The first objection was that there doesn't seem to be an asymmetry in costs between a prosocial griever and a more exploitative non-griever. The second was that our proposal relies upon signaling "types," or relatively stable personality characteristics that persist across domains (e.g. a general "prosocial" personality). These criticisms are insightful and important, and I am thankful that he raised them. Although I concede that they might be entirely correct, I would like to forward a few possible answers. Let me tackle them in order.
We argued that grief is a costly signal that has different costs for a loyal person who has a propensity for forming strong social bonds than for a relatively disloyal person who does not. That is, we argued that a person who forms strong commitments faces relatively fewer costs for grieving than does a person who is unlikely to form strong commitments. Kurzban argues that this is implausible:
"It seems clear that the woman in question has more than just the two options of either grieving on the one hand or exploiting others on the other. People have many things they might be doing at any given moment besides those two activities. In short, it seems from the opening vignette that the authors not only concede but require that it be true that grieving carries very big opportunity costs, even if one is a prosocial sort of person. Yet their argument also requires that the opportunity costs of grieving people to be small, at least relative to non-grieving people."
This is an excellent point. The argument is that the grief signal must be costly because otherwise dissemblers would deceive others by displaying it. Upon the other hand, there must be a differential cost between those who grieve intensively and those who do not because no one would grieve if it didn't benefit him or her in Darwinian terms (i.e., inclusive fitness). So what gives?
I think one possibility, one that is addressed in the article, is that the rewards for grieving are larger for a person who is prone to forming strong commitments than for a person who is not. And this is an important part of the of the cost/benefit analysis of signaling. A relatively commitment-free person, a person who cultivates a number of superficial associations, is simply not rewarded as much as a person who forms intense commitments by the addition of strong social bond. If this seems a bit muddy, consider an analogy. Researchers have proposed that men engage in different mating strategies. For simplicity, we can dichotomize these: short term and long term. Now, let us consider a short-term man (Steve) and a long-term man (Bill). Suppose that Steve and Bill both zero in on an attractive woman. They would both like to sleep with her. However, let us suppose that she is particularly fastidious and requires significant investment before sleeping with a man. Both men could, of course, attempt to woo her with expensive dinners, elegant poems, and exquisite displays of investment. But the cost/benefit structure of such displays is different for the two men.
Steve desires a few sexual encounters, not a long-term relationship; Bill desires a long-term relationship. Therefore, if Steve accomplishes his goal, he will obtain access to a few sexual episodes. This is certainly a positive evolutionary outcome, but it is not so important to Steve as is a long-term relationship to Bill. Presumably, Steve could procure sexual access somewhere else and without extreme costs. This means that, ceteris paribus, Bill is more likely to emit displays of investment. And this is, in fact, why women use such a vetting system: it deters those who do not actually intend on forming a stable pair bond.
It seems plausible that grief could operate in a similar manner. So, take two men: John and Dilbert. Now suppose that John is a social butterfly who flits from person to person and group to group, making the most of a high volume of low commitment friendships and group bonds. Dilbert, upon the other hand, practices a high commitment social strategy. Once he bonds with a group, he remains loyal until the bitter end. Same with individuals. John would probably avoid groups that require large initial investments or costs because his strategy is best advanced by seeking low cost social opportunities, whereas Dilbert might be attracted to them. Grief might function as a costly initiation practice, deterring people like John from extracting the benefits of a close-knit, highly committed group.
In fact, this can be quantified, and the math shows that it could work. Please excuse the ridiculously crude nature of this equation. The basic point is simply that the math works. So, suppose that grief costs 1 unit of inclusive fitness (RS). And suppose that the rewards for grief are different for a person with a propensity for forming strong social bonds (Dilbert) than for a person who lacks such a propensity (John) such that the reward to Dilbert = 1.1 RS and the reward for John = .7. Both receive rewards for their displays, but the rewards are differentially rewarding. In this (very simple, crude model), Dilbert achieves a .1 RS gain for the signal and John loses .3 RS for the signal.
Of course, as I said, this is remarkably crude; the real world is much more complicated. The costs/benefits would most likely be distributed across a continuum (i.e., from low grief to high grief, low benefit to high benefit). This also doesn't consider the signaling component from a group perspective. Nevertheless, the important point is that the math could work. This, of course, doesn't mean that it does. That is an empirical question, and I am hopeful that future research is conducted that either refutes or supports the theory.
Kurzban's second objection is that the theory relies on signaling a "type." That is, according to the theory, a griever is signaling that he or she is prosocial. Kurzban points out, quite correctly, that underlying propensities for prosociality do not necessarily cross relationship domains. In other words, a person might be a very cooperative and committed husband, but an irascible and uncooperative friend. Although I think the general point is correct, I do not believe that it is fatal to the signaling theory. It is a fair assumption that people who commit and cooperate with one person are more likely to commit and cooperate with another person. I suspect that this is relatively domain general, although there are some egregious counter examples (e.g., Bonnie and Clyde—although, contrary to popular understanding, Bonnie and Clyde weren't loners, and they may have been quite loyal to their fellow gang members). We do, for example, use small snippets of behaviors to predict future behaviors, and we do so because such small snippets are, at the very least, somewhat informative. Likewise, we use a person's behavior in one relationship as a gauge of his or her behavior in another relationship.
Again, though, this is an empirical question. And it does raise intriguing questions. For example, would women be more affected by a husband's grief for a deceased wife than men? Would men be more affected by a man's grief for a fallen group member than women? Who would respond more to grief displays about children, brothers, sisters, or other kin? At any rate, the problems forwarded by Kurzban are important and thought provoking—and I appreciate the discussion.
Last, before concluding, I want to note that there are several reasonable proposals about the evolutionary function of grief. I suspect that the human grief response was shaped by multiple selective forces, so there isn't any one single function of grief. Too often, we as evolutionary thinkers attempt to ascertain the reason or the function for a particular trait as if reality were a multiple-choice test with only one correct answer. Randolph Nesse, Tooby and Cosmides, John Archer, and others have forwarded compelling theories about the function (s) of grief. The signaling theory of grief does not argue that any of these theories are entirely incorrect. It is rather unlikely that we will discover the special selective force that led to our species' incredible intelligence because there isn't one; similarly, it is unlikely that we will discover the single selective force that shaped the human grief response because it doesn't exist. Instead of searching for some absolute answer, some absolute perspective on such puzzles, we should look through multiple windows. Initially, this might make our view more fragmented, but ultimately it will lead to a more comprehensive understanding.
If the signaling theory is part of the story about grief, a griever's laments may not be ineffectual communications to the dead; instead, they may be powerful signals to the living.
Kurzban, R. (2014). Good Grief. http://www.epjournal.net/blog/2014/02/good-grief/
Winegard, B. M., Reynolds, T., Baumesiter, R. F., Winegard, B., & Maner, J. K. (in press). Grief Functions as an Honest Indicator of Commitment. Personality and Social Psychology Review.
About Bo Winegard
Bo Winegard is a graduate student at Florida State University, studying social psychology under Dr. Roy Baumeister. He became fascinated with evolutionary psychology after reading Robert Wright's "The Moral Animal" as a late teenager. Since then, he has sought to address a number of human behaviors, propensities, and ailments from an evolutionary perspective: eating disorders and body dissatisfaction, political behavior, film, literature, and other cultural productions, cognitive dissonance, self-deception, and cooperation. He is one of the co-authors of a peer reviewed article in The Review of General Psychology that approaches body dissatisfaction in women from an evolutionary perspective; he also has a few political articles published at Dissident Voice and at Truthout focusing on both topical and theoretical matters. Currently he is interested in evolutionary theories of depression and anxiety, tribalism, and human mating. His ultimate desideratum is to use a synthesis of evolutionary psychology, social psychology, and sociology to plumb the mysteries of human nature.
View all posts by Bo Winegard →


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When chiropractic care is used in conjunction with massage therapy, the treatments work together to create a harmonious effect, resulting in a much faster recovery time for the patient. When the body becomes more relaxed through massage, it allows the doctor of chiropractic to smoothly realign various parts of it.
We provide trigger-point massage, a deep-tissue massage technique. Trigger-point massage breaks up pockets of lactic acid in muscles in a state of spasm, allowing the muscle to relax. Unless the trigger points are broken up, the muscle will stay in spasm.
Chiropractic care is an excellent method for improving overall health and musculoskeletal efficiency, while massage has a number of beneficial effects on the body and the mind. Chiropractic massage additionally benefits patients with soft tissue injuries.


Reebok and JD Sports have teamed up with the hottest UK talent including Cadet, Lotto Boyzz, MiC Lowry, Tobi Sunmola, Snoochie Shy and Millie Cotton to form The Classic Collective; a community of young creatives across the UK. On December 5th, The Laundry E8 will play host to the final event in the Classic Collective series, a celebration of all the previous workshops that aims to bring each creative community from across the UK together.
All the previous Classic Collective attendees from across the UK are invited to attend a members-only experience before the live event where they will have the chance to participate in a Q&A panel with artists MiC Lowry, Cadet, Lotto Boyzz and Tobi Sunmola, DJ and content-creator Millie Cotton and presenter Snoochie Shy. The Classic Collective members will be encouraged to network and share their experiences with each other whilst reminiscing on their highlights.
The live event will be a true celebration of the Classic Collective, the winners of each workshop are invited to perform live at the event, being billed alongside the artists who inspired and encouraged them during the previous Classic Collective regional workshops. Tobi Sunmola, MiC Lowry, Lotto Boyzz and Cadet will all perform on the night which will be rounded off by a DJ set from Mille Cotton, all hosted by Snoochie Shy and the winner from her presenting workshop.
The public also have a chance to attend The Classic Collective event. Hopeful attendees can head to the @jdsports Instagram account for more information on how to win tickets for themselves and a plus one.


There's a lot that you can do wrong with your camera.
But rather than trying to cover every situation in which you use your camera in the wrong way, I've whittled the list down to three highly common scenarios that aren't doing your photos any favors.
Editor's Tip: Continuing to shoot with an old, beat up camera that doesn't fit your skill set is a big mistake. You can get a nicer camera for less money by buying pre-owned. Search hundreds of quality pre-owned cameras and step up your photography game.
In some situations - many situations, in fact - auto white balance does a perfectly fine job of helping your camera get the color temperature right (or as close to right) as possible.
Even if it's not quite spot on, you can easily adjust the white balance in post-processing.
However, to never take your camera out of auto white balance is a big no-no.
That's because there's situations in which auto white balance simply doesn't work.
If you've ever taken a photo outside on a snowy day and the snow appears gray or blue, that's auto white balance not knowing what to do.
Similarly, if you've ever taken a photo indoors under incandescent lighting and your photo is yellow or orange, again, that's the auto white balance not doing its job.
All DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have multiple white balance functions that help you get around this.
You can select from all sorts of conditions - sunny, shade, fluorescent lighting, flash, and so forth - to adjust the white balance to the situation. You can even create custom white balance settings to get spot-on color temperatures (which you can learn how to do in the video above from Steele Training).
If you want to step up your photography game, learning how to adjust the white balance is a great first step.
Editor's Tip: Better gear is helpful to get better photos. Upgrade your kit by selling your old gear and using the proceeds to finance a more capable camera. You can do so right here, and get a guaranteed price quote for your old gear.
Shooting in full auto mode is bad enough, but to compound that mistake with using the gimmicky shooting modes that camera manufacturers insist on putting on cameras is an even bigger no-no.
I'm talking about landscape mode, sport mode, macro mode, black and white mode, and so forth.
When you select these modes, the camera adjusts things like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and so forth, to "fit" the intended situation.
For example, when in sport mode, the camera selects a faster shutter speed to allow for freezing the movement of a fast-moving athlete.
The problem is that these modes are merely the camera's best guess at what settings will get a good shot.
So, just like full auto mode, these gimmick modes simply don't cut the mustard most of the time.
Instead, learning how to make adjustments to things like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO yourself will benefit your photos now and in the future.
If you select any modes to shoot in, make it aperture priority, shutter priority or program mode, and once you're comfortable with those, give manual mode a try.
Get a quick overview of your camera's shooting modes in the video above by Photo Genius.
If we're talking about common issues that make images worse than they should be, it's photos that aren't sharp.
And a surefire way to get a photo that isn't sharp is to shoot one-handed.
Your camera - whether it's a smartphone, a full frame DSLR or something in between - needs to be as stable as possible to get a tack-sharp image.
And I don't care who you are - you cannot hold your camera as still with one hand as you can with two.
Better still, don't just hold your camera with two hands. Hold it correctly with two hands, with one hand under the camera body and lens and the other hand firmly ahold of the camera grip.
Additionally, tuck your elbows into your chest to give your camera added support, and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart to give your body stability.
If that sounds like too much, a tripod is always a trusty option, too!
Editor's Tip: Many photographers mistakenly believe that they can't afford a better camera or a better lens. Buying pre-owned solves that problem because it puts better gear within your reach without busting your budget. Get outfitted with better gear today.


Yesterday we were down in Kibaale helping to host a team from Pacific Academy (staff and alumni). It has been great to have them joining in on a lot of the activities at Kibaale Community Centre. I also was able to conduct a workshop for our math teachers in the primary school while we were there, and Karl needed to take care of paying staff salaries while our accountant is in Canada for the summer. Here is a sampling of what goes on in the many departments of KCC on a typical day….


The handling of a sports car wrapped up in an estate body. The V60 Estate is for those know they need space but don't want to compromise eon performance. Gearshift paddles add to the excitement and the four-cylinder engine makes sure there's enough power to excite.
The Volvo V60 Estate has an impressive 430 litre boot as standard however fold the rear seats down and this capacity jumps up to 1,246 litres. The D2 version can return up to 76.3mpg and needs no road tax too.
Interior comfort is one of the main plus points of the V60 Estate. Long journeys are as relaxing as can be thanks to the plush seats. The distinctive floating dashboard house the 7 inch sat nav display perfectly. The SE model has classy upholstery, 17 inch alloys, automatic folding door mirrors and with LED's built in. Volvo offers a range of options and extras to further improve your driving experience such as the winter pack.
So how does it work here at Coast2Coast Cars? Firstly you build your brand new Volvo V60 Estate car online choosing the spec and any extras, options you wish to include. Then fill in your details and we search for you, contacting you with the deals available and your new car at a price that could save you hundreds maybe even thousands of pounds. Finance is an option too on all car quotes subject to status and a range of finance packages are available to suit all budgets.


Portland and Boston have had numerous connections over the years. The original coinflip that gave Portland its name (after the city in Maine) could alternatively have seen it named Boston. One of Portland's largest corporate headquarters is Adidas, which owns Boston area-based Reebok. Boston may be to New York what Portland is to Seattle: the smaller but sometimes scrappier of two regional cultural capitols. After the Portland Trail Blazers' greatest star, Bill Walton, parted with the franchise a couple years after winning the team won the 1977 NBA championship and he the 1978 MVP, he eventually made his way to the Boston Celtics, winning a second title there and a sixth-man-of-the-year award.
Enter Woburn, Massachusetts' Eastern Real Estate a privately held commercial real estate firm founded in 2000, with a development portfolio totaling over $1 billion. Eastern announced today that it will acquire the United States Custom House for on NW Broadway for $4.74 million from the Government Services Administration.
In our last installment of this ongoing saga, in 2011, local developer PREM Group was unable to finalize its purchase from the government after agreeing to a $2.75 million sale in 2010; PREM had initially beat out other interested parties such as local developer Joe Weston. The dissolution of the sale may have had something to do with the amount of maintenance the building may need. As Wendy Coverwell reported in the Portland Business Journal last November, back in 1997, Sera Architects estimated the building needed $18 million to $24.3 million in repairs, in 2009 dollars.
The 78,838-square foot, four-story building encompasses a full block in the Pearl District, bounded by NW Broadway, Everett and Davis Streets, and NW Eighth Avenue. Originally built in 1901, it was designed by James Knox Taylor, who - ironically now given the current sale - had studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and designed many government buildings. Construction was supervised by local architect Edgar Lazarus, who also designed local/regional landmarks like Vista House at Crown Point in the Columbia River Gorge and one of the major buildings for the Lewis & Clark Exposition of 1905. The latter is particularly notable, because this world's fair marked one of the most important turning points in Portland's history: when the muddy streets, plank roads and Victorian houses of a large frontier town gave way to a major American city. The Custom House, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, expresses that growing ambition, with an Italian Renaissance Revival style: grafting the lines of quintessential historic city-states like Venice onto the DNA of a metropolis still in its infancy.
As its name indicates, for the building's first 67 years the US Custom Service was located there, before the agency moved next door to the post office in 1968 - itself a building now destined to be either reimagined or torn down with the letter carriers set to move out. For several years the Army Corps of Engineers had its offices in the Custom House, and then the Portland International School became one of a handful of potential candidates to nearly move in. It almost became home to the University of Oregon's Portland campus, which instead renovated the cast-iron White Stag Block along the waterfront at Naito Parkway and NW Couch Street. A major boutique hotel chain also had at one point joined the potential suitors.
In its press release, the developers seem to say the right things. "We are thrilled and honored to be the new stewards of this important piece of Portland history," co-founder Brian Kelly of Eastern Real Estate is quoted as saying. "It is an absolute gem of the Pearl District and the city, and we look forward to the building's active use on the North Park Blocks." The key words there, of course, are stewards and active. But as we know, press releases and statements of intent only mean so much. And Eastern does have an interesting track record. Although their portfolio seems heavy on shopping and retail, which could easily mean a lot of ubiquitous chain stores, the company is widely known for converting the 1.2 million square foot former Wang Laboratories corporate headquarters in Lowell, Massachusetts into a multi-tenant office tower called Cross Point. On the website, the fact that the building was purchased for a mere $525,000 and sold four years later for over $100 million. So regardless of whether Eastern is successful, they not stay the owners forever.
Program-wise, the company has not yet indicated whether the Custom House will have a variety of tenants, just one, or a few. But the new owner seems to recognize that the building's value lies not in the structure itself, which needs repairs, but in its long-term value as a historic property of a large scale with the ability, like the Brewery Blocks, to attract hoardes of people. According to an Oregonian report by Elliot Njus published today, the company says tenants have not yet been determined.
The Custom House is also ideally situated on NW Broadway, the border between the tony Pearl District and the rougher but burgeoning Old Town, with downtown just a few blocks to the south. It's also just a few blocks from the trains of Union Station as well as the MAX line. It also looks out on the North Park Blocks, just across the street from a cluster of art galleries and the Museum of Contemporary Craft; 511 Broadway, itself being converted into a home for the Pacific Northwest College of Art, is also just a couple blocks down Broadway. Powell's Books and the Brewery Blocks are also an easy stroll, as are any number of cultural offerings, shops and public spaces.
GBD Architects, which has a now extensive history of green renovations in the Pearl District, such as the five-building Brewery Blocks mixed use development, the Portland Armory (now home to the Gerding Theater), and an in-progress renovation of the Meier & Frank warehouse into a headquarters for Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas. KPFF Consulting Engineers is also on the team.
Glad it sold! The building was actually designed by James Knox Taylor. Lazarus was superintendent of construction. OHS has copies of drawings.
This is a magnificent piece of historic architecture. I know the structural issues will be a huge challenge. It appears that the prospective new owners have signed up a good local team of professionals. That's good news, as well.


There's a lot to take into consideration when you're looking for the best pen for writing with. Variables like ink type, pen width, writing purpose, and the type of paper that's being used all subtly affect the writing experience for each individual user. Budget can also be a major factor as you're looking, since the price per pen can range anywhere from less than a dollar to well into the thousands for a designer or rare piece.
Though ultimately the judgement of a pen's performance is somewhat subjective, it's important to understand the difference between the five most prominent pen categories and their respective ink types, so that you know which ones are most compatible with your writing style. Ballpoint, rollerball, and gel pens typically all have a rolling ball mechanism at their tips, which distributes ink from their internal cartridge onto the page, but they all contain slightly different types of ink.
Ballpoint pens contain ink that is oil-based, and is the most viscous of all pen-ink types. This means that the ink dries quickly, but you may find yourself pressing down hard on the page in order to write with it.
Rollerball pens contain water-based ink, which allows them to glide far more smoothly over the page. This type of pen can be troublesome for left-handed people to use, however, since the ink is slower to dry and has the tendency to smudge.
Gel pens also contain a water-based ink, but this ink is pigment-based, rather than dye-based, so the consistency is slightly thicker than rollerball-pen ink. These pens are a little more user-friendly than rollerballs, and can also be found in a rainbow spectrum of colors. Cheap gel pens are prone to clumping and drying out, so this category of pen is worth spending a little more on.
Felt-tip pens are also known as marker pens, or porous-point pens, due to the porous material of their tips. These pens actually encompass a wide group of marker-type utensils, both permanent and nonpermanent, but the ones that are used for writing on paper contain a water- or pigment-based dye.
Fountain pens are sophisticated writing utensils that require a little more know-how to fill and use. They are typically used with dye-based inks, which are contained in disposable cartridges or in refillable converters. The tip of a fountain pen is called a nib, and the size of the nib affects the flow of ink from it. Though fountain pens can be used on regular paper, a thicker paper is recommended, because the pen's higher output of watery ink is likely to bleed through a thin page.
How We Picked: Some of the most highly regarded pens are also incredibly expensive, so we decided to narrow our focus to pens under $25 each (though our chosen eight are even more affordable than that!), and then we researched each category of pen individually. Due to each pen category's unique ink type and design characteristics, we decided that the pens within them should be judged against each other, not across categories.
We consulted pen-buying guides from Wirecutter, The Strategist, and The Pen Addict, along with the JetPens YouTube channel, The Goulet Pen Co.'s fountain-pen blog, and the numerous forums on The Fountain Pen Network. These all provided a jumping-off point into which affordable pens across all categories were worth testing for ourselves in-house. All in all, this research took roughly four whole work days.
The only exception in this test was that our fountain pens were tested on much thicker notebook paper, and were judged based on comfort in hand and ease of use.
All of our editors submitted their ratings and responses via Google Form, allowing us to rank the best pens in each category. Read on to find out which budget-friendly pens earned top marks!
What may seem like a no-nonsense retractable pen at first glance is actually a total delight to use. The majority of our testers gave a perfect rating to the Uni-Ball Jetstream's comfortable grip and bleedproof ink quality.
While the smoothness of this ballpoint pen is not as slick as other types, testers still found that it wrote easily and effortlessly; as one editor said, "It writes without a hiccup, making it a great everyday pen. Smooth to the touch and steady on the paper." This particular Uni-Ball Jetstream model has a fine 0.7 mm tip (for comparison, the standard BIC ballpoint pen has a 1 mm tip), and three out of four of our left-handed testers gave it top marks for its smearproof quality.
We also tested the Skilcraft U.S. Government Ballpoint Pen, the Zebra F-402, and the Fisher Bullet Space Pen in this category.
The design of this rollerball pen can also be a point of contention with users. A few of our testers loved the substantial flow of ink from its slim 0.8 mm tip, but found that the pen's crosshatched grip was uncomfortable to hold for longer periods of time. Others found this design to be a major plus, and actually conducive to the writing experience. In any case, you may want to reserve these pens for thicker, non-glossy paper to enjoy them to their fullest.
In the rollerball pen category, we also tested the Pilot Precise V5RT and Uni-Ball ONYX rollerball pens.
This retractable pen is equipped with a comfortable contoured grip, making it an ideal choice for longhand writing. It's also available in 0.38 mm, 0.5 mm, and 1 mm tip sizes.
We tested this gel ink pen alongside the Uni-Ball Gel Grip, Pilot G-Tec-C, the TUL GL1, the Zebra Sarasa, and the Pentel EnerGel Deluxe RTX.
Our testers were pretty split on the felt-tip category overall, because personal preferences on pen barrel size widely varied. The fine-point 0.3 mm Marvy Uchida Le Pen won out for its smearproof ink, which even all but one of our left-handed users gave top marks to. As one tester put it, "It may be a little slimmer than the average writing utensil, but it makes writing by hand really fun." This pen writes incredibly smoothly, requiring virtually no force to make a vivid, bold mark on the page.
We also tested the Pilot Razor Point II Marker Stick Pen, the Prismacolor Premier Illustration Marker, the Paper Mate Flair Felt-Tip Pen, and the Sharpie Pen in this category.
This particular pen comes with a medium nib, but is also available to buy in a fine-nib size. It's worth noting that you may need to do a little research in the event that you'd like to replace this pen's nib, as Pilot does not appear to sell replacement nibs for their Metropolitan model. Comparable nibs from other manufacturers are available.
The Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen's packaging is also quite impressive — it arrives in a hard-shell case that is attractive enough to function as the pen's storage when not in use. It also comes equipped with an ink cartridge as well as a squeeze converter that can be used to fill it from an inkwell. For our purposes, we tested it using the provided ink cartridge.
We tested this fountain pen alongside the JinHao X750 Silver CT Fountain Pen, the Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen, and the Lamy Safari Fountain Pen.
While this is definitely not a pen for extended longhand writing, its included medium-size nib gives a nice flourish to handwritten notes, calligraphic text, and of course, your signature on important documents. If the provided medium nib doesn't work for you, you can always swap it out for a compatible model in your preferred size.
It's worth noting that the JinHao X750 comes equipped with a piston converter, so users will need to have their own inkwell on hand to be able to refill it. We used ink from a Parker Quink inkwell. The pen's converter mechanism worked without any issue, and we found this video tutorial from JetPens to be a fantastic guide for first-time users.
We wanted to make sure that we included a highlighting component in our testing criteria, since some pen inks, even when dry, can smear from the added layer of wet ink. We tested this with all pen categories except for fountain pens. Unsurprisingly, the viscous-ink ballpoint pens performed the best, and the Zebra F-402 was the top pen in this test. Almost instantly after writing with it, we found that the text could be highlighted without any smearing whatsoever.
This 0.7 mm fine-point retractable pen has a stainless steel build and a velvety grip, and it struck most of our testers as being a substantial, yet utilitarian writing utensil. One tester said, "This one felt sturdy and comfortable, not too fussy." A few testers did critique the weightiness of the pen, and felt that the ink flow was too thin for it to be their top choice.
Of our 15 testers, four are left-handed, and each type of pen category seemed to present its own set of challenges for them. The fountain pens and gel pens were tough categories in terms of ink smudging. Intriguingly, their only unanimous vote went to a pen in the felt-tip category.
The Pilot Razor Point II is technically a porous-point pen, with a super-fine 0.2 mm tip that writes like a very slim marker, without looking as dark or unwieldy. One tester even said, "It doesn't feel like a felt-tip! More like a ballpoint." This pen also got high marks on its bleedproof quality and its comfort in the hand. While it definitely does not write as smoothly as the Le Pen, it may be more versatile in terms of paper thickness that you're able to use.
Our lefties also liked the Uni-Ball Jetstream Ballpoint Pen, Pilot Precise V5RT Rollerball Pen, and the Pilot G2 Retractable Premium Rollerball Pen.


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Arman Tsarukyan (11 de octubre de 1996, Ajalkalaki, Georgia) es un artista marcial mixto ruso de ascendencia armenia, que actualmente compite en la división de peso ligero de Ultimate Fighting Championship. Desde el 11 de julio de 2022 es el número 10 en la clasificación de peso ligero de la UFC.

Carrera en las artes marciales mixtas

Carrera temprana
Hizo su debut profesional en las artes marciales mixtas el 25 de septiembre de 2015 contra Shamil Olokhanov y ganó por nocaut técnico en el primer asalto. Perdió su siguiente combate contra Alexander Belikh por nocaut en el primer asalto. Arman continuó luchando por promociones de artes marciales mixtas en Rusia y Asia, ganando sus siguientes 12 combates con 9 finales, incluyendo una victoria por sumisión en el primer asalto contra Belikh para vengar su primera derrota. Consiguió un récord de 13-1 antes de firmar un contrato de cuatro combates con la UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship
Debutó en la UFC contra Islam Makhachev, uno de los principales compañeros de entrenamiento de Khabib Nurmagomedov, el 20 de abril de 2019 en UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik. Perdió el combate por decisión unánime. Este combate le valió el premio a la Pelea de la Noche.

Se enfrentó a Olivier Aubin-Mercier el 27 de julio de 2019 en UFC 240. Ganó el combate por decisión unánime.

Se esperaba que se enfrentara a Davis Ramos el 11 de abril de 2020 en UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris. Debido a la pandemia de COVID-19, el evento fue finalmente pospuesto. El combate finalmente se trasladó a UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 el 19 de julio de 2020. Ganó el combate por decisión unánime.

Se esperaba que se enfrentara a Nasrat Haqparast el 24 de enero de 2021 en UFC 257. Sin embargo, el día del pesaje, Haqparast se retiró del combate alegando una enfermedad. Como resultado, la promoción negoció un enfrentamiento contra Matt Frevola para mantener a ambos luchadores en la cartelera. Posteriormente, perdió el 20% de su bolsa por no alcanzar el peso, que fue a parar a Frevola. Ganó el combate por decisión unánime.

Se enfrentó a Christos Giagos el 18 de septiembre de 2021 en UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Spann. Ganó el combate por TKO en el primer asalto. Esta victoria le valió el premio a la Actuación de la Noche.

Se enfrentó a Joel Álvarez el 26 de febrero de 2022 en UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green. Ganó el combate por TKO en el segundo asalto. Esta victoria le valió el premio a la Actuación de la Noche.

Se enfrentó a Mateusz Gamrot el 25 de junio de 2022 en UFC on ESPN: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot. Perdió el combate por decisión unánime. Este combate le valió el premio a la Pelea de la Noche.

Campeonatos y logros

Artes marciales mixtas
 Ultimate Fighting Championship
 Pelea de la Noche (una vez) vs. Islam Makhachev y  Mateusz Gamrot
 Actuación de la Noche (dos veces) vs. Christos Giagos y Joel Álvarez

Récord en artes marciales mixtas

Véase también
 Anexo:Actuales peleadores de UFC

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Practicantes de artes marciales mixtas de Georgia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Just before the first team returned to base we had a second callout on what should have been our practice night. There's no better training than doing it for real! This time a mountain biker had come off his bike and suffered a suspected broken lower leg. The second Landrover went out immediately shortly followed by the returning team from incident number 20. The team approached from near the Ravenstone Hotel up onto the lower slopes of Ullock Pike where we found the local mountain biker lying amongst the heather in considerable pain but remarkably stoic. When asked about his level of pain he said it was 'less than ideal!' He was assessed by the team doctor and given analgesia before being loaded onto a stretcher and carried back down to the roadside where an ambulance was able to take him to hospital.


Mike Stevens, left, representing the Twin County Chamber of Commerce, and Delegate Israel O'Quinn, right, present Dr. Clark Fincher with a Commendation from the Virginia House of Delegates to Galax Veterinary Clinic for "50 Years of Service to the Galax Community. In 1966 Dr. Donald "Doc" Fincher founded Galax Veterinary Clinic (GVC) on its present site. Prior to opening the clinic Dr. Fincher began practicing veterinary medicine in 1960 out of his garage in Sparta, NC. GVC was unique in the fact it was one of the first veterinary clinics in the area to have its own office, as opposed to a doctor operating out of their home. The clinic has grown over the past fifty years from one veterinarian to its present level of 6 full-time veterinarians and one part time veterinarian. In 1994 Dr. Clark Fincher, Donald's son, and Dr. Renee Sykes opened Animal Medical Services in Mt. Airy, NC and formed Blue Ridge Veterinary Services that encompasses both clinics.


Had the pleasure of having Asaf as our private guide on our 25th wedding anniversary trip to Israel. Everything about his tour was above all expectations. He was professional, friendly and fun and delivered on all he said he would. Asaf help us book hard to get into restaurants and recommended someunique and beautiful hotels. He arranged for an intimate camel ride in the Negev, introduced us to the beautiful hotel Beresheet in Mitza Ramon, and suggested a beautiful stay in Akko, none of which dissapointed. We loved hearing about his wife, daughter and new horse, so much so that we feel we have extended family in Israel.
We highly recommend this operation for any of your travel needs.
They added amazing content, lectures, meeting generals from IDF , talking about current affairs, explaining narratives of Palestinian and Israelis in the current conflict, charting new ways and finding secret water holes and caves, through 4WD tours, meteor shower watching in the Ramon crater, animal experiences and many amazing off the beaten path ideas.
Price is good value for money.
Only shin tours for me from now..
This was the first trip we took to Israel in over 46 years of marriage. After reviewing many different tour operators online, we concluded Shin Tours would be our best option. We were not disappointed! Asaf Peled, the owner of Shin Tours, was always available to answer questions. He customized a tour that enabled us to see virtually the entire country in 12 days. Asaf's father, Roni, an executive of the Israel Museum, proved to be an extraordinarily professional and competent guide. Roni insured that we not only saw the standard tourist atttractions, but also little known sites. Emunah, Shin's senior travel advisor, guaranteed that our hotel reservations, transportation between different locations and meal reservations went forth without a hitch. We highly recommend Shin Tours for your TRIP OF A LIFETIME.
I can't speak highly enough about Shin Tours and Asaf Peled. Our family of 6 came from San Francisco for a 10-day Israel trip, and I really wanted to make it a fun and memorable family experience. I spoke to a lot of friends who had gone in the past and I did a lot of research on the internet to find the best guide possible, and I can happily say that Asaf was everything I was ever hoping for and more. We have four children ages 12 through 20, and Asaf was able to connect with each member of the family in a unique and special way. Every member of the family loved Asaf, and the trip would never have worked without him. He and his staff at Shin Tours spent a lot of time and effort before the trip began to get to know what we were looking for and to tailor the trip to our needs and interests. Once the trip began, Asaf was able to connect with each of us and was willing to adapt on the fly to address any issue that would arise and make everything run smoothly. Asaf is extremely knowledgeable about history, archaeology, politics, the military, and basically everything Israel — and even more importantly he is an incredibly caring, kind, thoughtful and genuinely good person. We have taken many family trips to many destinations, but Asaf and Shin Tours made this one of the best family vacations we have ever taken. I cannot recommend Asaf and Shin Tours highly enough, and you and your family will feel very fortunate to be in such capable hands.
Finally, I should mention that I do not write many reviews on the internet, but Asaf and Shin Tours had such an overwhelmingly positive impact on our family's Israel experience that I thought I should pass along this information so that others could benefit.
We chose Shin Tours to help us plan our son's Bar Miitzvah trip to Israel and it was a great choice. They worked with us for months prior to great the perfect itinerary for our family who had been to Israel many times before. Once we were there, they were extremely attentive to our needs and accommodated all of the last minute changes that we needed. The team at Shin Tours enabled us to relax and enjoy our experience while they handled all the logistics for us. We will for sure use them again on our next family trip to Israel. Thank you!
Robjfox, California, United States. October, 2015.
This was our first trip to Israel and Asaf, our guide, made it come alive with his knowledge, enthusiasm and historical perspective. I am so happy we decided to have a personal guide that drove us in his very comfortable Mercedes, from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea all the way up to the Sea of Galilee and along the way, gave us complete historical and cultural lecture of each area we visited. Along the way we stopped at little villages and oasis National Parks that Asaf felt we might like to see and even visited several Kibbutz to experience that lifestyle. We had hired our guide for 3 days and 3 separate tours and ended up extending him for and extra day for a walk through the old city of Jerusalem because he was THAT good.
I should mention that Dancing Camel Tour will also make all your hotel, restaurant reservations as well as get event tickets for you.
If you really want to experience Israel, I would highly recommend hiring a private guide as opposed to a group guide and if you want to hire a private guide, I would highly, highly, highly recommend Dancing Camel Tours, their price is very reasonable and both my wife and I fell in love with our guide Asaf.
Gugleando. Miami, Florida. August, 2016.
This is, by far, the most comprehensive tour I've ever had in my life. Asaf Peled is not only a patient and kind soul, but also a true Renaissance man when it comes to the religious history and archeological facts of Israel and where they meet all along… His narrative is fascinating and can catch anyone's attention… The fact that he can communicate well in English and Spanish is an added plus and makes him a valuable asset.
He kept communication lines open all the time through Skype, WhatsApp, etc.
He accommodated the schedule to our small group and was flexible enough to suggest and ask for suggestion as the tour kept on.
To sum up, I believe that Dancing Camel Tours surpassed any great expectations we had before arriving in Israel. We are truly glad we met this amazing young man… we truly and honestly recommend this company; as a visitor of Tierra Santa, you will leave with the satisfaction that your dream was fully fulfilled beyond your imagination.
Bonnie, H. Illinois, United States. May, 2016.
We just returned from a 10-day family trip to Israel with Asaf as our guide. We had a family trip which included Mom, Dad, 2 adult daughters and one son-in-law. We had a fantastic time, and there is no doubt that Asaf enhanced every experience. His knowledge of the sites and areas we visited as well as personal narratives added so much to each step. Besides all this he is a really nice, personable and enjoyable individual to be around, so even though we were together for a pretty long time, we looked forward to each day.