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cinnamon-sorceress · 4 years

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Spinach didn't retain gamblers, DApp didn't see tomorrow...

"You enter a location with hundreds of tables handmade cards. Do you know how shocking it feels? (Like) a huge selection of tables at a rural wedding, not wanting to eat, all handmade cards."** Textual content | Xin Nan Functions | Gai Yao Edited | Lu Xiaoming** Produced****|****Odaily Planet Regular (ID: o-daily) The gambling DApp is fading out of people's attention. Gambling is the nickname of "video gaming" in the currency circle, and DApp identifies applications predicated on distributed technologies. This past year, the gambling DApp has been playing fiercely. In the summertime of 2018, the fund attribute DApp FOMO3D premiered. This DApp developed based on user gambling, arbitrage, and speculation requirements is significantly less than 24 hours. It attracted hundreds of millions of bucks in just a few hours, detonating people's ambitions for DApp development. In this market environment, gambling DApp games started to flourish. How hot was spinach in the past? It can be said that after FOMO3D, new gambling DApps have been launched almost every few times. Simultaneously, the EOS open public chain, that was just launched on the mainnet at the end of June, ushered in DApp With the outbreak of the ecology, numerous DApp programmers have poured in to the advancement of DApps. For a while, all sorts of spinach DApps, such as dice, German poker, and greyhound racing, possess blown out of the top three public chains in the worldwide market value. Become the splendid fireworks in the long bear market. At that time, the top ten DApp apps with the highest 24-hour user activity were almost all gambling video games. Gambling has been once considered to get a natural fit with the blockchain, and will be the first to become a major application situation. At the end of 2018, we called gambling the pig in the DApp market, and everyone wanted to come in and talk about the pie. However in 2019 In 2017, the voice of Video gaming gradually faded out of this circle, and a wave of old gamers and project groups were leaving behind the field. At the same time, various activities such as for example DeFi (decentralized finance), Staking (storage space of coins and attention), IEO (initial swap issuance), and Bitcoin bull market are all distracting the attention of the stock users in this circle. DApps can survive, therefore can gambling DApps. You might say that market hasn't lacked gamblers. Following the old players leave, there will be a wave of new players. But the the truth is that neither gambling nor DApp has ushered in the explosive period they expected half a year ago. The gambling tone of voice fades plus some players exit Since 2019, gambling seems to be outdated. "I haven't played for a long time, and now I don't have any motivation to play." When requested if he is still playing gambling games, DApp old gamer Huang Xu shook his mind. This past year, Huang Xu started to come into contact with DApp applications. He has always experienced the favorite DApp without landing. But he almost never dabbles in spinach. Around October 2018, the gambling video games on the EOS mainnet begun to explode. Viewing increasing numbers of people enter the overall game to have fun with gambling, Huang Xu had been also transferred and entered. For Huang Xu, the inspiration to have fun with gambling comes from "experience + earning money". Huang Xu's primary gambling sport is Dice, the dice sport on EOS, however when new tasks are released, he always rushes to the forefront and joins the new project community very first. Some time ago, Huang Xu joined a new community for the brand new gambling task EOSJob. In those days, almost everyone locally was playing, and there was a steady blast of news discussions. The number of news atlanta divorce attorneys minute could soar to 99+. Every time he goes online, Huang Xu spends an hour or two on spinach. But after enjoying for some time, Huang Xu realized that not merely did he not really make any money, however the time he previously spent on spinach had been all in the water: "I really was addicted after playing it, but afterwards I found out that this is really a video game of probability in the end. It should be a reduction, it will waste time and create no money." PolkDot Gambling is actually a probability occasion. The dealer has countless chances of winning, but you only have one. Right after realizing that gambling cannot meet his needs, Huang Xu left the game. Today looking back at the wagering apps he joined at that time to play a new team, Huang Xu found that there had been not many gamers who left the game silently like him. "The EOSJob group has no voice afterwards, and contains become a dead team." Huang Xu said. The Odaily Sunday newspaper checked data through DAppTotal and discovered that EOSJob did have plenty of users when it was first launched, and there have been several peaks at once, but as of enough time of publication, there have been less than 4 everyday active users. There are a great number of players like Huang Xu who simply taste it, and most of them began to leave the marketplace right after 2019. Some gamers confessed to Odaily Earth Daily: ��Dapp It's getting much less and less experience, spinach is no longer playing, and it feels cold. " Losing more plus losing much less is a big factor pertaining to gamblers to keep. According to data provided by PeckShield regarding Odaily Planet Daily, starting from February 2019, the proportion of players losing money in gambling DApps upon the EOS chain offers been escalating. February to 5 During the 30 days, the proportion of gamers who lost money was more than 50%. Included in this, the proportion of players who lost profit May 2019 had been a lot more than 60%. The proportion of gamers who lost profit betting DApp on the TRON chain had been even higher. Since October 2018, there has been a craze of more than 50%. Contrast, PeckShield Team evaluation: The reason why even more people lose cash is because the competition pressure between systems is high, and there could be situations where platforms adjust the earning rate algorithm. In addition, another chance is that an individual churn price is high, and several users play several games and believe that they'll not play if they lose, so that they are counted as shedding users. Gamblers collected in the top to stalk the wool "Gambling is a real market, just looking for a marketplace. There are some gamblers staying for a long period under this kind of gameplay, which means you say he has no potential at all, definitely not." An industry insider commented. The currency circle is a market where speculators gather. If the foreign currency circle is for those who desire to earn 1 million yuan with 10,000 yuan, gambling will give a natural channel. People think that even if the gambling DApp visitors dries up, gamblers will always exist. In this seemingly lifeless market, you can find indeed some best gambling DApps collecting stock players. Previously six months, the daily active users of TRON's head gambling application WINK (Tronbet) have fluctuated slightly, but their day to day activities have almost stabilized above 2000. The news of WINK's landing on Binance IEO can be a major event in the DApp circle recently. However, people have mixed opinions on the WINK landing about Binance. Proponents think that in comparison to various ideas of air foreign currency, DApp is at least the landing software, and the foreign currency price is supported by real transaction volume. Opponents criticized WINK as a rubbish project, and hyping financial products is also building a castle in the sky, and it will not bring any worth to the, and you can find doubts about its sustainability. There has by no means been a shortage of gamblers in the spinach market, but unlike the pure gambler mentality, there is a wave of "smart people" who also target the dividend tokens behind the spinach DApp. The successful listing of WINK has induced a fresh way of profiting for players-gambling is mining.

Unlike Huang Xu, Charlie Sheen laughs at himself as a "gambling dog" and claims he has the physique of Easy Stud. He entered to have fun with the gambling DApp in July last year. In his terms, he is a senior player of the gambling DApp, EOS, TRX After the spinach emerged up, they slapped everything over. "You enter a location, there are hundreds of tables playing cards, do you know how shocking it feels? (Like) a huge selection of tables in rural wedding ceremonies, not eating, all handmade cards." Charlie Xin said The Odaily Planet Daily reporter referred to the ecology of casinos on the chain he saw. Because the gambling tone of voice faded, gambling applications began to iterate like flowing water, but he was a new player who stuck to the gambling marketplace. He is able to even name some of the programs that the task team utilized before they ran away-if they can not do it, they'll pretend to be a hacker attacking the prize pool and close the entranceway and run away. Charlie Sheen said that the reason why he is thinking about gambling is not only to fulfill the desire of "gambling", but also to "mining." "Mining" refers to the dividend coins acquired from the betting app through playing gambling video games, from Eosbet, Tronbet He went to BG (BigGame) and also some gambling DApp project parties that had ��elope�� and the foreign currency cost had ��came back to zero��. "The good matter is that the overall game is mining, and the bad factor is that gambling is mining. Normally, where do you think I am constantly betting? Sometimes I dig and dig, and I receive platform coins easily win." Charlie Xinxiang Odaily Planet Daily shared his connection with gambling and paying dividends. "Usually, you get plenty of system coins in the first video game, and the dividends will be paid back quickly. If he just announces the news headlines or just opens a fresh section, you instantly ( Entry) is really a big profit." "The WINK coin I started mining the day before yesterday is currently 2/3 back." Charlie Xin said slightly. "It's impossible to work part-time. Right now the income from this DApp token will be dozens of times." At 1 am, Charlie Sheen returned Odaily Planet Daily reporter sent a note saying he had simply bet several and was going to fall asleep. The spinach blue sea has passed, the red sea hasn't come Judging from the actual DApp survival information, gambling is still the most active category upon the TRON plus EOS chains. However, there is not much room left for speculators to build up the DApp DApp group. This market has been monopolized by several top gambling applications. PeckShield data demonstrates the head effect has recently appeared in the two main gambling ecologically prosperous general public chains EOS and TRON. Dice occupied 70% of the gambling DApp on EOS The total transaction quantity, TRONbet occupied 86% of the total transaction volume of gambling DApp on TRON.

During the past year, Dice and TRONbet were also the total gain champions of the two major public chain gambling DApps, and their gains accounted for 46.02% and 46.02% of the very best ten DApps within their respective general public chains. 70.63%. Among them, all gambling DApps on the TRON chain except TRONbet account for no more than 10% of income. Note: Statistics period: 2018-6-25 -2019-5-31 Another information chart shows that from September 2018 to March 2019, the number of profits of gambling DApps in EOS was higher than losing, but from April 2019 Starting from the start of the 30 days, the amount of losses in gambling DApps on EOS started to exceed the amount of profitable DApps. At the GBGSEC Blockchain Game Ecological Conference held in Shanghai a few days ago, DAppReview founder Niu Fengxuan furthermore believes that the top competition of gambling DApps is obvious: "Last but not least, gambling DApp competition will be fierce, and only the top DApp can recover the cost. " The data distributed by Niu Fengxuan is that probably the most profitable DApps are still Tronbet, PokerEOS, EOSJacks, etc. And these without exception, are at the forefront of the checklist. For these gambling software development teams, not only gets the industry's dividend period passed, however the more severe environment is that since 2019, there has been hardly any traffic allocated to DApps in the circle. The gambling programmers are also turning around. Some insiders uncovered to Odaily Earth Regular that the cost of making a gambling DApp is 2 It is about 10,000 yuan, but unlike the group developers who've taken the investment, gambling designers are mostly individual developers that are sizzling in the currency circle. "The boat is quite easy to change. Many people began to engage in staking after staking grew to become popular." said the above-mentioned industry insider. Spinach is cool, DApp is colder The currency circle is changing with each passing day, and so may be the DApp circle. When an app leaves the market, there will be new apps at the top. However the life period of all DApps isn't long. According to the data shared simply by Niu Fengxuan, there are currently related to 30 to 40 DApps online on a monthly basis on average, but additionally, there are 30 to 50 DApps which are no longer in use on a monthly basis, with a survival period of more than two months. DApp, just 30% of the full total The unsustainability of spinach showed its signs as early as the finish of this past year. In those days, Odaily Planet Daily reported that many gambling apps felt that daily activity had reached the freezing stage and withdrew from your competition early. Once the bear arrived at its deepest, nobody was speculating or gambling. In those days, almost everyone believed that gambling DApps The bleakness may be the beginning of the return of ecology to healthful development. It is period for investors on the market to pay focus on healthier blockchain programs. Because of this, people begun to search for a new investment target for the coming of the bull marketplace. At that time, the concept that games will be the first touchstone for the execution of blockchain had been proposed. Almost everyone is looking towards the explosion of games under like market conditions, however the reality is that game DApps with outstanding playability have not exploded needlessly to say. Minus the data polishing of spinach, the DApp circle is also cooler. According to DappReview data, there are presently 3548 DApps, plus the total daily active users of the apps are only 189,209. Quite simply, on average, each DApp Now only 53 users could be assigned. (Notice: From December 2018 to present, the two open public chains of EOS and TRON reached DApps between April and May this year. The number of active users peaked and then began to fluctuate and decline. The daily energetic information has rebounded recently, but there is still a certain distance from the previous peak period. ) The DAppTotal data graph shows that since 2018, the full total number of DApps has grown steadily. Simultaneously, the price of new DApps began to slow down, that is to say, new DApps Less and much less. "Compared with the beginning of the calendar year, the eye of the DApp circle is definitely less. The so-called DApp Popularity, a large proportion is supported by gambling flow, but because the gambling class declines, less and fewer people play (DApp). "BlockHop founder Alex also really felt the current DApp The "cool" of the circle. "In the absence of too many brand-new users, DApp growth continues to be relatively slow, and the entire decline." A blockchain DApp practitioner commented. "Users do not involve quality right now, they are basically traders. The current amount of consumers could be less than 100,000." Alex said, BlockHop It is seeking seed customers in conventional circles. Currently, users in its video game applications are mostly obtained through conventional channel promotion, instead of users obtained in the blockchain market. The reduced attention of existing users isn't good for the DApp growth teams that are looking forward to the support of capital admission. "The recent IEO, Staking, each of them directly hit the hearts of investors." Alex believes that the eye of DApps is definitely dispersed, but DApps For a while, additionally it is difficult to have a hot product. Niu Fengxuan's views and Alex

Similarly, he believes that the entire market is looking forward to a hot product. Once a articles path is explored, it'll explode quickly: "With a popular item, it is possible to copy, imitate and understand it to attract mainstream players. The marketplace is waiting, following The birth of an explosive model." However, along with hard work, the birth of explosive versions is always accompanied by luck and possibility. If this is the case, there's still a long way to choose DApps. (Be aware: Huang Xu and Charlie Sheen are pseudonyms in this post) ****Original write-up, reprint / content material cooperation / for reports, please contact [email protected]; Unauthorized reprinting is strictly prohibited, and unlawful reprinting shall be investigated by law. **** Don't skip the excitement of days gone by **** **** ******** ******** ********** ********** High-quality push brings deep thinking Celebrity Odaily to cause you to different

#bitcoin price #bitcoin news #ethereum games #crypto mining game #top crypto games

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kingofswedenyass · 6 years

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answering every question by walden west

200: My crush’s name is:

I have a gf..

199: I was born in:

1776

198: I am really:

gay

197: My cellphone company is:

vodaphone

196: My eye color is:

Monika green

195: My shoe size is:

194: My ring size is:

idk

193: My height is:

5 foot 5

192: I am allergic to:

some soaps and asprin

191: My 1st car was:

never lol

190: My 1st job was:

professional weeb

189: Last book you read:

the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime

by Mark Haddon

188: My bed is:

blue!

187: My pet:

a cat

186: My best friend:

see above

185: My favorite shampoo is:

pantenne

184: Xbox or ps3:

ps3

183: Piggy banks are:

cute but unnecessary

182: In my pockets:

a pound coin and some chocolate

181: On my calendar:

2nd January 2018

180: Marriage is:

dank

179: Spongebob can:

go fuck himself little twat

178: My mom:

is great<3

177: The last three songs I bought were?

I don’t buy songs lol

176: Last YouTube video watched:

comment awards

175: How many cousins do you have?

1st cousins: 4

2nd cousins:3

3rd cousins: 11

174: Do you have any siblings?

173: Are your parents divorced?

yup

172: Are you taller than your mom?

yup

171: Do you play an instrument?

nope lol

170: What did you do yesterday?

went to the beach

[ I Believe In ] 169: Love at first sight:

sure

168: Luck:

mathematically

167: Fate:

maybe

166: Yourself:

lol nope

165: Aliens:

could be but probably just like bacteria

164: Heaven:

nope

163: Hell:

nope

162: God:

nope

161: Horoscopes:

nope

160: Soul mates:

like intense love?

159: Ghosts:

eh nah

158: Gay Marriage:

yes dad

157: War:

nope

156: Orbs:

why

155: Magic:

[ This or That ] 154: Hugs or Kisses:

kisses

153: Drunk or High:

high

152: Phone or Online:

online

151: Red heads or Black haired:

black haired

150: Blondes or Brunettes:

brunettes149: Hot or cold:

hot

148: Summer or winter:

summer

147: Autumn or Spring:

autumn

146: Chocolate or vanilla:

vanilla

145: Night or Day:

night

144: Oranges or Apples:

oranges

143: Curly or Straight hair:

curly(mine is straight)

142: McDonalds or Burger King:

burger king

141: White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate:

white all the way!(that sounds wrong)

140: Mac or PC:

139: Flip flops or high heals:

flip flops fall off

138: Ugly and rich OR sweet and poor:

sweet and poor cuz i’m morally obliged to

137: Coke or Pepsi:

coke me up dad

136: Hillary or Obama:

obama

135: Burried or cremated:

cremated

134: Singing or Dancing:

singing

133: Coach or Chanel:

coach

132: Kat McPhee or Taylor Hicks:

idk who they are.

*googles them*

ok kate mcphee that taylor dude looks like that guy from bake off

131: Small town or Big city:

big city

130: Wal-Mart or Target:

im from the uk but target

129: Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler:

same difference

128: Manicure or Pedicure:

manicure

127: East Coast or West Coast:

well in Britain the west is scummy af so east

126: Your Birthday or Christmas:

christmas duh

125: Chocolate or Flowers:

flowers

124: Disney or Six Flags:

diseny

123: Yankees or Red Sox:

i don’t know baseball lol

[ Here’s What I Think About ] 122: War:

expensive and pretentious

121: George Bush:

idk was in the simpsons once

120: Gay Marriage:

yaaas

119: The presidential election:

a mess

118: Abortion:

pro choice

117: MySpace:

im not from 2009 thx

116: Reality TV:

trash! I watch REAL entertainment

( anime)

115: Parents:

they could have like not fed you so thanks i guess

114: Back stabbers:

ugh 113: Ebay:

helpful

112: Facebook:

mom

111: Work:

leads to productivity and self worth and stops me from starving

110: My Neighbors:

nice people

109: Gas Prices:

what is this gas you speak of? I only fill my car with petrol

108: Designer Clothes:

it costs more because it has somebody else’s name on it

107: College:

hard but yay

106: Sports:

105: My family:

seem like nice people

104: The future:

scares me

[ Last time I ] 103: Hugged someone:

yesterday

102: Last time you ate:

about 20 hours ago

101: Saw someone I haven’t seen in awhile:

I live in a tiny town, I see every body I have ever met like every day

100: Cried in front of someone:

two days ago

99: Went to a movie theater:

like in July

98: Took a vacation:

October

97: Swam in a pool:

like in June

96: Changed a diaper:

a month ago

95: Got my nails done:

never whats nails idk

94: Went to a wedding:

2015

93: Broke a bone:

2015

92: Got a peircing:

lol never i am a soft boi

91: Broke the law:

a couple weeks ago

90: Texted:

like ten minuets ago

[ MISC ]

89: Who makes you laugh the most:

cats

88: Something I will really miss when I leave home is:

the fridge

87: The last movie I saw:

the titanic

86: The thing that I’m looking forward to the most:

death

85: The thing i’m not looking forward to:

the end of the holidays

84: People call me:

gay

83: The most difficult thing to do is:

breathe

82: I have gotten a speeding ticket:

never i don’t drive

81: My zodiac sign is:

leo! (rawr)

80: The first person i talked to today was:

myself

79: First time you had a crush:

princess tiana

78: The one person who i can’t hide things from:

nobody lol

77: Last time someone said something you were thinking:

i was thinking about good morning vietnam

76: Right now I am talking to:

nobody

75: What are you going to do when you grow up:

nevr speak to anybody again other than the pizza delivery guy

74: I have/will get a job:

crying professionally

73: Tomorrow:

I am going to paint my nails

72: Today:

literally did nothing

71: Next Summer:

sleep

70: Next Weekend:

cry

69: I have these pets:

a cat and a dog

68: The worst sound in the world:

my fucking voice

67: The person that makes me cry the most is:

my sibling

66: People that make you happy:

my gf and keira nightly

65: Last time I cried:

two days ago

64: My friends are:

nobody lol

63: My computer is:

an acer windows 7

62: My School:

some Christian bs

61: My Car:

don’t got one

60: I lose all respect for people who:

are mean to others

59: The movie I cried at was:

none

58: Your hair color is:

brown

57: TV shows you watch:

the big bang theory, steven universe

56: Favorite web site:

tumblr

55: Your dream vacation:

month long festival

54: The worst pain I was ever in was:

I had a really bad asthma attack

53: How do you like your steak cooked:

i’m a vegetarian

52: My room is:

a fucking mess

51: My favorite celebrity is:

50: Where would you like to be:

spain

49: Do you want children:

lol no

48: Ever been in love:

yes. my cat

47: Who’s your best friend:

nobody lol

46: More guy friends or girl friends:

girl cuz I'm a ladies man

45: One thing that makes you feel great is:

coming home after ages

44: One person that you wish you could see right now:

Alexander Hamilton so I can hug him

43: Do you have a 5 year plan:

fuck no

42: Have you made a list of things to do before you die:

nope

41: Have you pre-named your children:

i hate kids but of course I'd name them daddy and senpai

40: Last person I got mad at:

myself

39: I would like to move to:

new york

38: I wish I was a professional:

sugar daddy

[ My Favorites ] 37: Candy:

Reese’s buttercups

36: Vehicle:

attack helecopter

35: President:

aLexANder hAmiLtOn amirite

34: State visited:

the solid state of matter

33: Cellphone provider:

Ajit pai

32: Athlete:

Jake Paul

31: Actor:

Jake Paul

30: Actress:

Jake Paul

29: Singer:

Jake Paul

28: Band:

steam powered giraffe

27: Clothing store:

ebay

26: Grocery store:

tesco

25: TV show:

black mirror

24: Movie:

Ferris Bueler’s day off

23: Website:

tumblr

22: Animal:

Totoro

21: Theme park:

Diseny land

20: Holiday:

Halloween

19: Sport to watch:

Quiddich

18: Sport to play:

professional nose nuzzleing competition

17: Magazine:

tube nooz

16: Book:

the portrait of markov

15: Day of the week:

saturday

14: Beach:

Benidorm

13: Concert attended:

Time travellers

12: Thing to cook:

anything Mexican

11: Food:

stir fry

10: Restaurant:

my kitchen

9: Radio station:

smooth

8: Yankee candle scent:

human flesh

7: Perfume:

unicorn kisses

6: Flower:

red roses

5: Color:

gold

4: Talk show host:

ellen

3: Comedian:

Russel Howars

2: Dog breed:

cats

1: Did you answer all these truthfully?

fuck no

#questions #q and a #q and a time #ask me anything

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travelingtheusa · 5 years

Text

NEW YORK

14 Nov 2019 (Thu) – I was invited to participate in the Veteran’s Day ceremony on November 11th with the American Legion post. We went to two sites to perform a formal ceremony then held a public ceremony at the Veterans Park next to town hall. About 50 people showed up; mostly veterans. There was a young man from the high school who sang the National Anthem that had the most beautiful, angelic voice. After the ceremony, everyone was invited to the Post for hot dogs and hamburgers.

On Wednesday, November 13th, members of the Post were invited to the local schools. First, we went to the high school and participated in a panel. We each described our service experience but ran out of time for questions from the kids. The students all came in with jackets and back packs which made me think they were getting off the bus and immediately directed to the auditorium.

After an hour at the high school, we went to the Maud Sherwood elementary school. We were directed to the end of a long hallway while the students (grades 2 through 5) lined up along the walls. Then we walked down the hall with the kids clapping, waving flags, and giving us high fives. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. It was great! We had a continental breakfast (courtesy of the PTA), then we split up into groups of three (there were nine of us there), and we went into 5th grade classrooms to talk with the kids. They had prepared questions followed by freewheeling questions. Some were very insightful. The day was quite delightful.

Following the school, I went directly to Toast Coffeehouse in Patchogue to meet my sister, Susan, for lunch. The food in that place is awesome! We had a very pleasant visit and said our goodbyes. She invited me to stay with her when I come back to New York for a checkup.

At 6:00 p.m., we had Miranda, Kenny, and Caiden come over for a Thanksgiving dinner. Since we won’t be here on Thanksgiving Day, we took an opportunity to celebrate together early. The food and company were all very nice. Caiden is such a delightful little boy.

Today, I had a visit with the oncologist. I took a CT scan on Tuesday and this visit was to find out the results. It was great news! Many of the lymph nodes are half their size now. I am responding beautifully to the chemotherapy. The nurse did a nose swab because I said I thought I had something brewing. They wanted to make sure I don’t have the flu or pneumonia. The doctor then gave me three months before coming back for a checkup. Woohoo!!! We are cleared to hit the road!

9 Nov 2019 (Sat) – We took Caiden and a friend to an amusement area today. We wanted to take him to BounceU in Nesconset but when we arrived, they had birthday parties going on and no open play. So we drove another half hour to Huntington only to discover we were in the wrong town. After a total of about an hour’s driving time with two very impatient six years olds in the back seat, we arrived at @Play Adventures in Farmingdale. It was a delightful afternoon for the boys – three hours of bounces, rides, and games. Afterward, we stopped at McDonald’s for lunch. The boys had a great time.

Miranda’s best friend’s grandmother passed away. She had the funeral and lunch this morning (hence, we were watching Caiden). Later, she went back to the house for a memorial dinner with the family. I went back into the house to watch Caiden until she and Kenny got back home.

Yesterday, we went shopping at Kohl’s. They were advertising 30% discount for veterans. We spent too much money and it turned out that some items were not eligible for the discount. Apparently, the manufacturer tells the store they can’t discount their products. Somehow, that seems dishonest. Kohl’s advertises taking the discount but then doesn’t do it. We bought a new toaster oven with 11 functions (will I really ever use all of them?) that was advertised at $249.99. The clerk rang it up at $349.99 at the register. We had to go to customer service for the correction and it turned out we bought the Pro, with was $100 more. AND there was no 30% discount on it!!

6 November 2019 (Wed – Paul’s Birthday) – It’s been a busy week. We saw a lawyer to have our wills updated. She gave us homework to do – lol. It is hard to decide who your health care proxy and power of attorney should be. Doing a will is an eye-opening event. It makes you face your mortality. Ugh.

The American Legion post hosted their annual Law & Order dinner. They honored firemen, two harbormasters, and a police officer who pulled a car off the train tracks minutes before a train rolled through. One of the firemen was honored for 70 years of service as a volunteer fire fighter with Islip. It turned out that he was Paul’s cousin! He knew Paul’s mother in high school and served with Paul’s grandfather in the department (his grandfather was a fire chief). We exchanged information and promised to look each other up this winter when we are down in Florida.

I took my laptop to Best Buy for tweaking. The tech did not find any viruses. I saw a gastroenterologist on Monday and had a mammogram on Wednesday. I took Paul to the Irish Coffee Pub for his birthday. They make the very best potato soup anywhere.

31 October 2019 (Thu - HALLOWEEN) – I had lunch with my daughter, Gina, on Tuesday. We went to a place called Tula’s Kitchen. It’s one of those very eclectic health food restaurants that are popping up all over the country. The food was quite good. On Wednesday, I had lunch with my sister, Susan. We went to another eclectic place called Tiger Lily. Again, the food was very good.

We had Angel Fence Company come by and we signed a contract for a fence installation along the back of the property. This it to replace the fence that was damaged during the thunderstorm that rolled through in August. I sent the estimate to USAA and they already paid off on it – BEFORE we had the work done. I sent a note reminding them it was an estimate and it could wind up costing more depending on what they find when they do the actual installation.

I spent over two and half hours on the phone in the last two days with Carbonite. It is a cloud storage service where they back up our computer to the cloud. When my computer was reset, we lost the program. It would not reinstall properly and I had to get techs to work on the problem. Apparently, it wasn’t such an easy fix but they finally got it done.

Today, Paul and I went to the movies to see “The Current Wars.” It was about the competition among Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and Thomas Edison. The movie was very interesting and we would highly recommend it.

27 October 2019 (Sun) – It was a busy week. I watched Lincoln two days this week so Sam could get some extra time in at work. He is such a pleasant baby. Always smiling. Travis started his new job on Wednesday. Hope it goes well for him. Also on Wednesday, we went to the ophthalmologist for eye exams. Paul and I both tested out at 20/25. The doctor saw some pressure behind my left eye and wants me back in six months. I’ll see if I can align an appointment with a Sloan Kettering checkup down the road.

We went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant with friends from the American Legion on Wednesday. Then we went to dinner at Carrabba’s on Friday with my brother, Dennis, and his lady, Denise. We had planned to meet them at their apartment before going to dinner but the plans changed. Dennis & Denise recently moved into their new place and we still want to see it.

We took Travis and the family to a pumpkin farm yesterday. It was a small farm but not very busy considering this is the last weekend before Halloween. They had a play area with bouncy houses and lots of pumpkins to choose from. There was also a hay ride and a pony taking kids for a ride.

We went to church this morning. It was laity Sunday so the service was run by the lay leader. Several of us took part in the service doing readings and leading prayer. I gave a five minute sermon. It was a nice service.

21 October 2019 (Mon) – I went to the audiologist at the Northport VA on the 18th. The doctor found a mild hearing loss in my right ear and a moderate hearing loss in my left ear. She said it was unusual to have a greater loss in one ear over the other and that I needed to see a doctor to be sure there was not a medical reason for the difference. She offered to make an appointment at the VA but said I probably wouldn’t get an appointment for two or three months. We agreed that I would go to a civilian doctor because I could get an appointment sooner. In the meantime, she would order one hearing aid for my left ear (she said I don’t need one for the right ear). She also gave me information to download an app for the hearing aid onto my iPhone.

I saw a civilian audiologist yesterday. He insisted on giving me another hearing test. The results were more symmetrical and he cleared me for the hearing aid. He suggested I get aids for both ears; the VA doctor refuses to do that. If I bought the hearing aids at the civilian audiology office, it would cost me $6,000. Actually, $3,000. My insurance would pay $3,000 toward the cost. If I got the hearing aids at the VA, it will cost me nothing. Guess what I’m doing?

Miranda and Kenny went to Philly for the weekend and we watched Caiden. We took him to Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns at Old Westbury Gardens on Friday. They carve 5,000 pumpkins every week for six weeks. Visitors walk down a trail lined with thousands of pumpkins on display along the walkway. Several pumpkins had projections that had them singing Halloween songs. The craftsmanship was simply amazing!

On Saturday, we went over to the American Legion Hall where we met Samantha and her mother, Sharon. Together, we set up tables and arranged everything for Lincoln’s baptism party the next day. On Sunday, Lincoln Alexander Thomas was baptized. Afterward, we enjoyed a party at the legion hall. Lincoln was SO good. He smiled and laughed all day and then just quietly went to sleep in my arms. Not one little tear or fuss escaped him all day.

16 October 2019 (Weds) – Another visit to the doctor brought mixed results. The bloodwork continues to show a decrease in the cancer cells. However, I am having some adverse effects from the chemo. I have a rash on my leg and a drying out of my fingertips. Neuropathy and cellulitis are common side effects. The doctor told me to stop the Imbruvica for 3 days. If the rash hasn’t improved, stay off the medication for 5 days. If there is still no improvement, I have to go back and have him treat me topically. I’ve been doing so well that I find this to be something of a disappointment. The rash has been getting better so that keeps me hopeful.

My birthday was on Monday (October 14) and Paul took me to the Texas Roadhouse for dinner. I took a picture with a margarita at an angle that made the drink look very large. We have kind of developed a reputation with the margaritas and now find we have to post pictures of these drinks. It’s kind of funny.

We are still waiting for the guy behind us to take down two trees that threaten our property. Three fence companies have given us quotes for a new fence but we won’t do anything until those trees are taken down. A good windstorm will blow them down and damage the new fence. We’ll have to go over there for a third time to ask them to take down those trees. I don’t want to get into sending registered letters threatening legal action like the insurance company is suggesting we do. Paul thinks the neighbor just can’t afford to pay for a tree removal. Hmmmm, what to do. What to do?

13 October 2019 (Sun) - We took Caiden to church with us today. Afterward, Paul worked with a crew to take apart a piano that needed to be thrown out. Jan has been advertising the piano for free to anyone but no one has claimed it so it was time to just throw it out. Caiden and I played in the nursery area until they were finished.

It was not a good day for me. I woke feeling exhausted and nauseous. At 3:00 p.m., Paul spelled me for an hour and I took a nap. That was probably one of the best naps I have ever had. I really needed that! After I woke, I made dinner then took Caiden into the house and gave him a bath.

On Friday, we went to an optometrist for eye exams. I got annoyed with the whole thing. The doctor was pushy and it seemed like his equipment was rigged so he could do more tests. You cover one eye, stare at a red spot, and click a switch every time you see a green light. Everything went fine with the left eye covered. But when he covered my right eye, I couldn’t really see the red spot. It was faded and disappeared a lot so I just looked around and clicked on the green lights. When the doctor came back to the room, I said he couldn’t trust the test because I couldn’t see the red light. He told me not to worry about it. That didn’t seem right at all. When I checked with Paul about his test, he had the same experience. We said we would wait on glasses and left. We won’t go back to him. I made an appointment with an ophthalmologist.

10 October 2019 (Thu) – Paul got the heater fixed. That’s good because the weather has been cool – in the 40s at night.

I had an appointment at the VA today. It is basically a perfunctory checkup. The doctor knows I am being treated at Sloan Kettering and really just want a backup with the VA in the event I have trouble getting my medication. She is a very pleasant doctor and completely understands my motivations. She did make an appointment for me to see someone in dermatology. I have a small spot on my bottom lip that I thought was chapped lips. But it has been there a couple of months and now has started to change color. My sister was just diagnosed with skin cancer and that made me think I should probably get my lip checked out.

After the VA, I met my sister, Susan, and her daughter, Shay, for lunch at Tula Kitchen. It is an eclectic restaurant with vegetarian dishes that are very different. Susan, her husband, Bill, Shay and her boyfriend, Pat, just returned from a trip to Scandinavia. Susan’s friend, Ronnie, passed away and left Susan and Bill to handle his affairs. Ronnie’s body was cremated and they took the ashes to Sweden where Ronnie was born. After Sweden, they went to Norway and Iceland. It was a great trip.

Travis lost his job. He has had such rotten luck with work. Hope he finds a new one quickly. They are in the middle of having their mortgage modified and this will certainly have an impact. Lincoln will be baptized on October 20. I coordinated with the American Legion Post to have a party there after the christening. The commander initially told me I had to pay $300. When I told him commanders (past and present) were allowed one free rental a year and a second at half price when I was commander, he relented and will let us use the hall at no charge. That was very nice of him. We coordinated times to open the building.

8 October 2019 (Tue) – We took Caiden to church with us on Sunday. It was a pretty busy day with him. His father worked from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. I gave Caiden his bath, read his books, and sang some songs. He didn’t want to eat steak for dinner. When I told him that was it for the night. He didn’t have to eat it but there wouldn’t be anything else. We then went about eating and quietly watched while he ate his steak and a piece of potato. It was amusing to watch the quiet surrender.

Kenny was home on Monday so we did not watch Caiden but we did have them come in for dinner. We had burgers, fries, and corn. Caiden ate about half his burger, some fries, and made a token effort at the corn then was done. I gave him chocolate ice cream for dessert. That sure pumped him up! The sugar rush kept him running back and forth for an hour.

Today, Kenny worked from 10 to 4. Paul and I ran some errands. I picked Kenny up at 4:15 and Paul got Caiden from the bus. At 5 p.m., Paul and I went down to the church to help clean up after the yard sale. There were several pieces of furniture (desks, dressers, couches, loveseats) left over that we had to break up and put in the dumpster. Several of us turned out for the job and it took just over an hour to get it all done.

5 October 2019 (Sat) – We returned to New York on September 30 from the SMART National Muster in Urbanna, VA. We stopped two nights in Washington, D.C. staying on Joint Base Andrews AFB. The campground certainly could use some TLC. Everything is run down and looking worn. It seems weird that they would let it look like that since the President’s plane is kept there. You’d think since it was a flagship airfield that they would keep it up better. Paul thinks the only reason Andrews AFB is kept open is because it’s close to D.C.

Well, I goofed big time. I was trying to update our travel journal and I got an error message from the computer. I inadvertently clicked on a RESET button and the computer reset itself back to its default mode. All the programs and apps that we have loaded on the computer since we bought it six years ago were wiped off. The version of Word that I have using (Word 2010) was removed and a docx file replaced it. That updated version would not open the older version. Ugh. Poor Paul has spent hours reloading all those lost programs. At least when the computer reset itself, it made a list of all those programs that were removed. There is a list to follow in reestablishing the programs.

Miranda is in Maine this week. We have been driving Kenny back and forth to work and watching Caiden in between work and school. He is a very energetic little boy!

The church had a yard sale yesterday. The weather was beautiful and there were yard sales all over town. I drove down Brook Street (a small back street that cuts between two main roads) and there were four yard sales on that street alone. It was a long day. We went down to the church at 8 am and helped set up, then helped with the fair all day until it ended at 3 pm. I picked Caiden up at noon and he enjoyed visiting at the fair. At the end of the fair, all the stuff that didn’t sell went into the dumpster. It was awful! We were throwing new or barely used items away – CDs, DVDs, glassware, toys, games, electronics, furniture, everything! It all went into the garbage. It sure seemed like all that stuff could have gone somewhere. Oh, well.

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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 7/30/2019

Good Morning #realdreamchasers. Here is your daily news cap for Tuesday, July 30th, 2019. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

DO THE DOUBLE – Bring back the two competitions. That is the renewed cry of the artistes who said the new format for Soca Monarch, introduced by the National Cultural Foundation, is disadvantaging them. One of the loudest voices was newly crowned Soca Monarch Mikey, minutes after he won the inaugural competition on Sunday at the National Botanical Gardens, Waterford, St Michael.“The combined competition . . . needs revisiting,” Mikey said.“I honestly think sweet soca should have its shine and power soca should have its shine. I hope the powers that be saw with Lil Rick and myself that power soca is not dead and we still need our hearing, as we would say.”Mikey, who placed first with 98 points, did the power soca song Action Time Again. He was also the reigning Party Monarch 2018.Lil Rick, who came second, did the power soca song Jam Down. He is the reigning Sweet Soca Monarch. (DN)

SINGLE SOCA MONARCH HERE TO STAY – Despite cries of “unfair” from some artistes, Minister of Culture John King says there will be no going back to the days of a split Soca Monarch competition. Following yesterday’s competition at the “new” Botanical Gardens in Waterford, some artistes questioned the rationale of merging what essentially are separate sub-genres, Sweet Soca and Power Soca. One of the youngest persons in this ‘year’s competition Jamal Slocombe, argued that the categories should be treated differently and went as far as calling the move “regressive.” “I believe the competitions need to be split again because they are two different dynamics. An up-tempo song has a certain BPM (beats per minute), the lyrical content is treated differently, it has a different approach but a sweet soca song is a feel-good song. It can be played in your car; commercial use is also different… and I think Trinidad also recently returned to groovy and power soca competitions. I think it was really a regressive step to merge the competitions.” However, in an interview with Barbados TODAY this afternoon, King contended that a split competition only resulted in one category cannibalizing the other. “There is no need at all to revisit the separate competition concept. When this competition started, it was a competition geared at getting people to produce party music. It wasn’t split into two. It only became split after there were so many entries from different persons that you tried to find a way that would allow the varying sets of artistes to maximise the thing,” said King. The Minister added, “Over the years the audiences have been complaining that the Power Soca songs have not been of a very high standard and people were saying that they were only coming to hear the Sweet Soca songs. So, you have to make a decision as to what is in the best interest of your constituents and the artistes just have to be able to listen to their constituents and not just think in a one-dimensional way. It is not just about them but also the people who pay their money to come to see them to ensure that they have a competition.” Considering this, King told Barbados TODAY that it was fitting that Michael MikeyMercer, who performed the up- tempo song entitled Action Time, emerged as the eventual winner. “If you had asked anyone before this competition began yesterday, if they felt that a Power Soca would have been able to win the competition, 99.9 per cent of the people would probably have said no because that was the talk on the street for a long time. I am very happy to see that Mikey did what he had to do and this means now that the urge for people to get back to writing Power Soca will return and this will raise the quality, compared to what has been offered over the last five years,” he stressed. King, a veteran calypsonian, expressed confidence that as a result of the competition maintaining this format, the disparity between the top performers of years gone by and the inexperience of the current lot, would be bridged. “There is a clear need for us to begin to get some of the more seasoned artistes, those persons who would have come through the era of performing in bands and on the hotel circuit, to share their knowledge and experience with the younger artiste. You could see a stark difference and a wide gap between their understanding of performance within a competition,” said King, who pointed out that the National Cultural Foundation would need to consider hosting workshops to address this.

(BT)

‘ACTION TIME AGAIN’ FOR MIKEY– Despite the vast number of sweet soca tunes that resonated throughout the National Botanical Gardens in Waterford on Sunday, none of them quite hit the mark like Mikey’s Action Time Again. This was said to be the year of sweet soca, but the power soca stalwarts of Mikey and Lil Rick showed that the genre was here to stay. Earning his 12th career title to become first-ever MQI/98.1 The One 2019 Soca Monarch, Mikey copped the top prize of $20,000 and a Mazda BT 50 pickup truck. As he received the envelope from Prime Minister Mia Mottley and chief executive officer of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Carol Roberts-Reifer, Mikey shouted: “This is a victory for power soca.”He earned the title with a score of 98 points, after delivering a rousing performance to the hundreds gathered. The last contestant of the evening at number 16, Mikey’s presentation kicked off with a hilarious skit featuring Eric The Queen Lewis and as he leapt on the stage, backed by the infectious beat, Mikey encouraged the crowd to chant “poussez”. Flags, placards, and inflated balloons were jumping and waving as the crowd answered Mikey’s call. A sudden burst of showers couldn’t stop the jam session as they continued to dance without a care. Coming second with 75 points, six-time Party Monarch Lil Rick had the crowd ready to Jam Down. He was the second competitor to grace the stage and one of the more memorable. Lil Rick paid tribute to the Mighty Grynner and the newly renamed Mighty Grynner Highway during his presentation. At the end of his performance, he was joined on stage by the King Of De Road himself as he jumped behind the music truck and departed from the stage, but not before giving a lyrical tongue-lashing to the other performers. Lil Rick went home with a cash prize of $30,000. Leadpipe was a clear crowd favourite and anticipated to be in the top three out the gate. His song Sometime has become the summer anthem and it was evident as the crowd sang the song word-for-word at the top of their voices. Numerous placards and flags could be seen in the audience naming Leadpipe as the winner of the inaugural Soca Monarch Competition. But he placed third, winning $20,000. The newcomers came prepared to compete, delivering high energy and unique performances. Betty B and her dancers looked stunning in their carnival costumes. She didn’t miss a beat and keep the audience engaged during her performance of Nah Going Home. The youngest contestant in the competition, Jamal Jslo Slocombe leapt on stage with a ferocity and high energy for his performance of Alive that instantly grabbed the attention of patrons. Skung Yung – real name Ian Alleyne – stole centre stage with his guitar solo. The goateed artist went from playing centre guitar in a band to being centre stage as a singer. His melodic and groovy performance of So Happy was a solid performance for a first-timer. Seasoned veterans, Biggie Irie (Magic), Adrian Clarke (Ah Like It) and Nathalee (Why We Live) gave solid performances. Also giving a stellar performance, was the “groom” of the evening, Shaquille, who performed Darlin’. He brought elements of the wedding chapel to the Soca Monarchstage, as he professed his love. TC dazzled in red for her performance of Music. Energetic and jovial, the former monarch brought on stage saxophonist Mylon Clarke for a musical mashup and jamming session. Sanctuary, Marzville, Damian Marvay, Faith and Jus D also gave consistent performances at the inaugural event.(BT)

VENUE PASSED THE TEST – From the first time Minister of Creative Economy, Culture and Sports, John King saw the space now known as the National Botanical Gardens, he was sold on its potential to host the country’s largest events. On Sunday, his vision was put to the test and received the ‘thumbs up’ from numerous Barbadians, despite concerns about impending bad weather. The clouds hovered around the Stadium Road, St Michael venue from time to time, but eventually gave way to brilliant sun casting its warmth on thousands of patrons eager to enjoy the Soca Monarch Competition. “We are here taking in some sun, whereas the Party Monarch [at Bushy Park] used to be later in the evening. I like it once the rain doesn’t fall,” reported Rashida Payne, who was enjoying the party early with her family. Ryan, a returning national who was visiting from New York for the first time since 2015 said he was “really impressed”. “This place is beautiful and I know there was a lot of talk about the mud and so on but trust me, I expect an epic celebration,” he told Barbados TODAY. Janet Barrow an elderly patron said she was hoping for a covered area with seating and said she longed for an eventual return to the East Coast Road. Her daughter, Sylvia White was impressed with the transformation. “I like the venue and what they’ve transformed it into. I’ve been to East Coast and I’ve been to Bushy Park but I’m comfortable with here. I was hoping there would be no rain, which I think, would have done some injustice, but other than that I’m having a good time and I love it,” she said. Meanwhile, Minister John King assured Barbados TODAY that after conducting a thorough postmortem of the event with his team, an in-depth analysis would be given. Nevertheless, he is satisfied with the preliminary reports. “I was pretty comfortable and satisfied that all the things you can expect from going into a new venue. In the absence of a blueprint as to how it would work, I thought the NCF did very well and I say kudos to them and all the other partners who worked with them including the NCC and the [MTW] Ministry of Transport and Works. It went off incident-free and people had a good time. “There were very positive reports from patrons as I walked through the crowd. So all in all they should give themselves a pat on the back. I know there are a number of things that we can do better, but you can only do that after you’ve done your reviews,” said Minister King.(BT)

NO NEED TO FEAR QEH – A substance critical to HIV patient blood-testing is running low. However, officials at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), the lone institution for such testing, said there is no need to fear, since testing will continue in emergency situations and especially in blood transfusion cases. Last week there was unease after a circular at the QEH advised that all HIV patient testing would be “suspended” from yesterday and blood bank samples would be run until further notice or “reagents have been depleted”. Yesterday, acting chief executive officer Louise Bobb confirmed to the DAILY NATION that they were low in reagents stock but the testing for the presence of HIV had not stopped. “We expect them to be replenished by the end of the week and in the meantime we will make sure that they are used for testing blood for transfusions,” she said.(DN)

‘STAND FIRM’ ON ANTI-GAY LAWS: CHURCH LEADERS –Several evangelical church leaders are calling on Government not to change the country’s Sexual Offences Act, despite a human rights challenge to those laws filed by trans woman Alexa Hoffmann, and two other Barbadians, a lesbian and a gay man. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which reviewed the issue in the last year, has given Barbados three months to respond to the challenge. Evangelical leader and former senator, Pastor David Durant, declared today that the religious community is strongly opposed to any change to the law. He said religious leaders are to meet in the coming days to formulate an official response and present a united front on the issue. He told Barbados TODAY: “Since the news broke, I have been receiving calls from pastors from across Barbados’ religious landscape and we are going to have a meeting so that we can make a united front and statement. So, the entire church body is making preparation to make a stand.” Acknowledging that sexuality was about choice, Durant contended that the church has a duty to steer persons towards the “right one”. He suggested that current anti-gay laws are differentiating markers between right and wrong. He said: “From what I am getting, the religious community is strongly opposed to this. There are choices and God has given us the power of choice and you could choose to go wrong or you can choose to go right. “Our position is, as the body of Christ, is to help people to make the right one. “For example, if a child does something wrong all the time and the parent neglects to guide that child in the right way, then that same child would grow up to dislike the parent.” But the former senator also expressed the view that the current penalties under the law are too harsh and he believes that Government should update the laws without “tampering” with the intent. He added: “I think the law is a bit archaic and it should be revisited to be stated in a more relevant manner. The penalties are way too harsh, but I don’t believe that the essence of the law should be tampered with.” Rev. Durant declared that contrary to what is being proffered by some in the international community, the local LGBT community experiences “no discrimination,” despite the existence of the laws in question. Barbados TODAY attempted to obtain the views of the East Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It promised to issue a statement on the issue, but one was not received at the time of publication. Efforts were also made to contact the Anglican Bishop but were unsuccessful. The views of the local Muslim community was also sought but their spokesman, Suleiman Bulbulia, said he could only offer comment after the matter was discussed internally and a consensus was arrived at. The IACHR has reportedly issued the Government a copy of the petition challenging sections 9 and 12 of the Sexual Offences Act. These sections effectively criminalise all forms of same-sex intimacy. Section 9 outlaws “buggery”, which the courts have defined as anal sex between men but also between a man and a woman. The maximum penalty is life in prison. Under Section 12, “serious indecency” is sweepingly defined as any act “involving the use of the genital organs for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire”. The maximum penalty is ten years in prison if the act is committed on or towards a person aged 16 or older. When contacted this morning, Attorney General Dale Marshall told Barbados TODAY: “I have not yet received nor seen any documentation in relation to any matter before the [human rights] commission. “If and when any such documents are received, it will be dealt with in the same way that we deal with challenges to the legitimacy of any of our laws. However, when asked to elaborate on the procedure for dealing with “challenges to the legitimacy of any of our laws”, the Government’s chief legal adviser offered no further comment.(BT)

NOT SO FAST –Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM David Comissiong has issued a stern caution to developers against “pre-judging” construction start dates for the long delayed Hyatt Centric hotel. He insists the requisite requirements of the Town and Country Planning Department must first be satisfied. In fact, Comissiong, who has been locked in a court battle since February 2017 to bar developers from constructing the 15-story hotel, is willing to do it again if developers fail to follow the correct procedure in its most recent application. He was responding to recent comments made by developer Mark Maloney, that construction on the new project could start as soon as November this year. “We are working towards being able to start within the next four months or so,” said Maloney on a recent edition of Starcom Network’s Down to Brass Tacks radio programme. At the time, Maloney promised to work closely with the planning department to ensure the process was properly followed including “a lot of studies” and “proper” public engagement. But Comissiong, the social activist whose appointment as ambassador followed Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s election victory last May, made it clear he would be monitoring the process just as closely as he did over two years ago. “If you come with a different scheme for a different type of hotel, then you have to make a separate application for the new project and it has to go through the proper processing which involves an Environmental Impact Assessment inclusive of the holding of town halls meetings at which citizens and residents of Barbados can ask questions and make objections and all of that will have to be recorded and taken into account by the town and country planning department before any decision can be made to grant planning permission,” said Comissiong. He asserted that such a project must be subjected to the same level of scrutiny as that of the Blue Horizons Hotel, which has been heavily criticised by the public . It was on this basis, he asserted: “I do not see how Mr. Maloney can be saying that he will start construction in November. Any application that he made has to be properly processed… just as a week ago, there was a town hall meeting in relation to the Blue Horizons Hotel for planning permission. Mr Maloney’s application cannot be treated any differently than the application submitted by the Blue Horizons Hotel.” “The point is that Mr Maloney or nobody else can come and authoritatively say that construction will start in November because you are prejudging the application process. “An application for planning permission on the beach must be treated more rigorously than an application on the land side on the road,” the activist insisted. Amid Comissiong’s queries, Government has signalled its intention to acquire the land on Bay Street, belonging to Ms Asha “Ram” Mirchandani, which currently houses the Liquidation Centre. The acquisition is at an advanced stage according to Minister of Housing and Lands, George Payne, who last week said the land had been secured. Since then, notices have been placed by the Chief Land Surveyor David McCollin on the property at Bay Street informing owners that Government has acquired the land for the purpose of Tourism Development and noted that any claims for compensation should be made on or before August 26, 2019.(BT)

WOMAN ATTACKED AND BURNT – Police are on the hunt for a man who barged into a house, choked a woman, doused her with a flammable substance and then set the house on fire yesterday. The 44-year-old woman was alone and lying in bed at Bartlett’s Tenantry, Sargeant’s Village, Christ Church in the afternoon when the intruder entered her bedroom and began choking her. He then threw a liquid on her, lit the house and fled. Police said the woman managed to flee the house into the backyard where her screams were heard by some men in the neighbourhood. They pulled away the galvanised sheets enclosing the yard and rescued the woman from the burning structure. She was eventually transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with more than 75 per cent burns on her body. The woman was staying at the home of her brother who is in a nursing home. Public relations officer Acting Inspector Rodney Inniss confirmed the police got a report around 1:55 p.m. and the woman was detained at the hospital for her injuries. (DN)

FIREY ATTACK – Residents at Bartlett’s Tenantry are outraged that a 44-year-old woman is now fighting for her life at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), after a man doused her with a flammable substance and lit the house she was in on Sunday afternoon. Members of the close-knit community said they were horrified that the intruder went into the house, entered the bedroom, and choked the victim, before she was able to run into the backyard screaming for help. She was said to have received burns to about 80 per cent of her body. The woman was rescued by a group of young men who removed galvanised sheets that enclosed the yard and lifted her to a lawn chair under a nearby breadfruit tree, where she was covered with a sheet. “He came over the fence and I was sleeping and he strangle me and throw the gas on me and light it. I was screaming . . . Please help me! He tried to kill me, he try to kill me,” the crying woman said in a video taken minutes after the incident circulating on social media. Residents said that the victim’s brother who is currently in a nursing home owns the wooden structure, which was extensively damaged by the blaze. When a Barbados TODAY team visited the area today, disturbed residents were still talking about the ordeal which they said rocked the community. One woman who requested anonymity, said when she heard the screams while cooking, she thought a child was being beaten. But after hearing the loud cry for at least four minutes, she then knew something was wrong. “I saw flames coming from the back room. My daughter ran out behind me and I ran back and went and called the fire station and I reported that there was a fire at Bartlett’s Tenantry and I called the police station at Worthing and then I called the ambulance. “Then we see like somebody trying to break a window. So then I tell them try pulling off the galvanise because it would be devastating if they die in the house. But I didn’t know that the old man was recently placed in a home. She only came in from overseas last week to look after him,” she said. “Eventually they got into the yard, and all of her skin was burned like 80 per cent, except her face. They lifted her right here and we put her on that stretcher there under a tree in the cool. The ambulance came and they asked for another sheet and I give them and they covered her, and then they get buckets of water and throw on her. “She was screaming all the time. She was saying someone came into the house and then tried to strangle her and she said that while they were trying to strangle her they threw the fluid on her, and it engulfed her and the house in flames,” she added. The woman, who cried shame on the person responsible for carrying out the horrendous act, said she was now praying and hoping that the victim survives. “I didn’t like the way she look. The police have a lot of work on their hands because they now have to find out who did it. I hope whoever did it is caught,” she said. Another resident said she was so troubled by the incident that she has not slept since it happened. Standing in her patio, the resident said she wished someone could tell her why someone would want to harm “that girl who don’t trouble nobody or get in people way”. “I feel real sad. She is a nice person in the area. Her brother lives there. The brother get sick, then the mother come in and look after him, and then the mother passed away six months ago. So the girl would come in from overseas to take care of her brother. She would go and come. She did not deserve this.” Police Public Relations Officer Acting Inspector Rodney Inniss confirmed that police are investigating the matter for which they received a call around 1:55 p.m on Sunday.(BT)

That’s all for today folks there are 155 days left in the year Shalom! #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #bajannewscaps #newsca psbystephaniefchase

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rickhorrow · 5 years

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15+5+5 To Watch : 81219

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 12 with Jacob Aere

The NFL cemented more of its plans to celebrate 100 seasons. Initiatives surrounding NFL100 include “Experiences of a Lifetime” that include the exclusive chance to serve as a Madden NFL ratings adjustor at EA Sports, a trip to New York with friends for Commissioner Goodell to announce their fantasy league’s draft picks, having Chiefs Pro Bowler Travis Kelce attend your wedding, and the opportunity to work out with Giants sensational running back Saquon Barkley in his Quad Squad Quad Challenge. During the 2019 season, each team will also host a “Fantennial Weekend” – a three-day celebration of football – from Weeks 1-10 and Week 14. The homecoming-style weekend will include a high-school game on a Friday night attended by local NFL legends, a fan festival on Saturday, and the home game to close the multi-day extravaganza. For content, in addition to series such as ESPN+’ “Peyton’s Places” and the “NFL’s 100 Greatest,” programming will include NFL100 Sessions, which will premiere in-season on Thursday nights during NFL Network’s NFL GameDay Kickoff; NFL100 Minute; NFL Explained; NFL100 Rewind, and more. The gold standard of pro sports is definitely going for the gold with its centennial celebrations.

Raiders, Allegiant agree on a naming rights deal for Las Vegas Stadium. The Raiders and Allegiant announced an agreement for the naming rights to Las Vegas Stadium, the future home of the Raiders and UNLV Football. Sources said that Allegiant is likely paying between $20-25 million in "cash and in-kind services a year to put its name on the building." This partnership with the Raiders presents a global branding opportunity for the Las Vegas-based airline company as Allegiant will have its name showcased on the 1.75 million-square-foot, state-of-the-art domed stadium that will also host many world-class major sports and entertainment events. Said Raiders President Marc Badain, “As the hometown airline, Allegiant is the perfect partner to showcase the incredible support we continue to receive from the Southern Nevada community.” Allegiant Stadium will also serve as the home for UNLV football in addition to serving as the site of the Las Vegas Bowl beginning in 2020, as well as the 2020 and 2021 Pac-12 football championship games.

American Airlines will pay $90 million over 10 years to sponsor a plaza at the Rams' and Chargers' new Inglewood stadium, becoming the "first official partner" for the facility. According to Bloomberg, American Airlines "agreed to sponsor the 2.5-acre space that serves as main entrance" to the Rams' and Chargers' new $5 billion Inglewood stadium, which "doesn't have a naming rights partner yet.” Los Angeles Stadium and Entertainment District Managing Director Jason Gannon said that talks on this deal "began more than a year ago.” The American Airlines Plaza will stand 10 stories high and has a "capacity of about 15,000." It will be "open to the public year-round, along with event days." As part of the deal, American Airlines also will become the "official airline of the Rams and Chargers, and have prominent branding during games.” American Airlines will pay $90 million over 10 years to sponsor the area. American Airlines has "been the Rams' carrier since the team returned" to Los Angeles in 2016. American Airlines currently has naming rights deals with the NBA Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat.

Loudoun United christens new Segra Field home. D.C. United last Friday night opened the gates to a new venue for its second-division team in Leesburg, Virginia. USL club Loudoun United "announced a sellout crowd of 5,015" for its draw against the Charlotte Independence at Segra Field, according to the Washington Post. A week ago Saturday, however, the club welcomed numerous local dignitaries and representatives from D.C. United for an official ribbon cutting ceremony. Among the guest speakers at the event were Dave Johnson, longtime television voice of D.C. United, D.C. United CEO and managing general owner Jason Levien, Loudoun United Chief Operations Officer Adam Behnke, and Loudoun County Department of Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer, along with almost every Loudoun County supervisor. Real estate firm JLL secured the deal to manage the venue, its fourth in the D.C. region. The stadium will be joined next year by a new training facility that will be shared by Loudoun United and D.C. United, with the $15 million development set to be completed next summer.

Joe Maddon’s Try Not to Suck Celebrity Golf Classic returns. For the fourth year, Chicago Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon will hold his annual “Try Not to Suck” Celebrity Golf Classic on Monday, August 19 at Bryn Mawr Country Club in Lincolnwood, Illinois. The event benefits Joe and Jaye Maddon’s Respect 90 Foundation which provides assistance to at-risk children and families in the areas Joe and Jaye call home including Chicago; Tampa, Florida; Hazleton, Pennsylvania; Mesa, Arizona; and Southern California. Respect 90 provides children and families opportunities to develop championship attitudes through sports, academics, and community involvement. The total proceeds from four years of the Maddon Celebrity Golf Tournaments (including this year) will approach $1 million dollars. The field includes dozens of former Cubs players, front office staff, and local and national celebrities – and Rick is proud to continue to participate in the event. On Sunday, the longtime Chicago skipper reassured Cubs fans that his level of optimism about returning to the Cubs is “very high” as he enters the final seven weeks of his current five-year deal.

The Pro Bowl is returning to Orlando. The NFL announced that Orlando will host the 2020 Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium on January 26, marking the "fourth consecutive year" the city has hosted the event. While Florida Citrus Sports and city officials "hoped to bring the game back, the NFL was rumored to be exploring hosting it in warm weather Super Bowl cities," according to the Orlando Sentinel. In 2020, it could have "moved to Miami ahead of the Super Bowl scheduled to be played at Hard Rock Stadium." Continuing the game in Orlando was also made possible by the $200 million-plus reconstruction to the former Citrus Bowl stadium that was completed in 2014. An additional $60 million upgrade is in the works that will include additional seats, ground-floor operations upgrades, and other improvements meant to attract more games and concerts. Major sporting events, from the Pro Bowl to WWE’s WrestleMania, have increased visitation in Central Florida, drawing thousands of fans and generating more than $100 million in economic impact.

A frequent topic of discussion among Tennis Canada execs has been how to find a way to increase the women’s purse at the Rogers Cup to "make it equal to the men’s." According to the Globe & Mail, men playing in the just-completed Rogers Cup, won by Rafael Nadal for the fifth time, competed for a purse of $5.7 million this year, compared with the women’s purse of $2.8 million. Tennis Canada – the event's owner and operator – “foots the bill" for both of the tournaments’ prizes. They are "separate events, mandated by the two different tours that each have their own sets of guidelines for determining prize money." The men's Rogers Cup has a "higher classification" on the ATP Tour than the women's event does on the WTA Tour. WTA CEO Steve Simon said, "We all recognize that the money has to come from some place, and they have a lot of responsibilities and we respect choices federations have to make." Building up the WTA Rogers Cup is a "top initiative" for Tennis Canada, as "increased revenue at the event leads directly to higher prize money."

The first ATP/WTA Citi Open under Mark Ein’s management broke the 51-year old tournament’s attendance record, as more than 78,000 fans watched the tennis action in DC. Ein took over management of the tournament from the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation in late 2018. The WTEF still owns the Citi Open and is its charitable beneficiary; a $50,000 check was presented to the WTEF from funds raised on the grounds during this year’s tournament. Citi Open ticket revenue was 20% higher than the previous record. Six of the tournament's nine main draw sessions sold out and merchandise sales were up 100% from 2018, according to the Washington Post. Fifteen-year old Coco Gauff lost early in the singles draw, but her run to the doubles title with 17-year old Caty McNally was a huge boost for the event, while the personality of men's singles winner Nick Kyrgios likely drew fans through the tournament’s final day. “We set lofty goals, and it exceeded even our wildest dreams,” Ein said in a statement.

The payout for winning the FedEx Cup is now $15 million, an increase of 50% from last year. The Northern Trust Open was the first event of the new-look FedEx Cup Playoffs, which has been streamlined and improved to make for a more exciting end to the season. 122 golfers who compiled the highest point total from the season-long FedEx Cup standings (winning a PGA Tour event, for example, was worth 500 points) were in the Northern Trust Open field. After Patrick Reed won the event on Sunday, the top 70 golfers in the standings qualified for this week's BMW Championship in Chicago. After that, the top 30 golfers advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta the following week. The Tour Championship is "expecting a sellout this year, with ticket sales up 15% from this time last year" for the PGA Tour's season-ending event. Premium seating areas like the 1904 Club are "already sold out" for the tournament, which starts August 22, according to bizjournals.com. The competition used to end in late September but has been shortened to three weeks so that it ends before college and pro football steal America's attention.

MLB’s third annual Players’ Weekend returns to ballparks August 23-25. During that span, according to Cynopsis Sports, players will showcase their passions, backgrounds, and interests by putting their own personal touches on what they wear and the equipment they use during Players’ Weekend. Players select nicknames for themselves to be on the backs of their jerseys, and are given the chance to design, wear, and use creatively colored and decorated equipment including bats, spikes, batting gloves, wristbands, compression sleeves, and catcher’s equipment. Thirty players, one representing each MLB team, have been named Players’ Weekend Ambassadors and will take the team-lead in championing the initiative and their teammates’ efforts. New to Players’ Weekend this year will be an expansion of mobile device usage. Before the National Anthem, players will be permitted to use their personal handheld mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, on the field or in the dugout to promote the event via social media. Similar to the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” initiative, the MLB event allows players to showcase interests and issues that are personally meaningful, both giving them a say and spotlighting worthy causes.

Increased focus on media engagement and promotion within core markets sparks NASCAR turnaround. After several years of sharp ratings declines, NASCAR television viewership is on rise again. Nielsen reported that the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series averaged 4,076,000 viewers per race through the first half of this season, or about +2% year over year. JohnWallStreet visited Watkins Glen last week trying to find out what the drivers think the catalyst for the turnaround has been. The common theme among them was the belief that NASCAR president Steve Phelps’ increased focus on promoting the sport was driving it back in the right direction. While highly competitive racing has no doubt helped ratings, the consensus among NASCAR cognoscenti seems to be that the ratings increase is primarily the product of NASCAR's renewed focus on marketing. Like all businesses, everything starts at the top. NASCAR’s leadership – from Phelps on down – has once again gotten serious about promoting the sport.

Elsewhere in NASCAR, Discount Tire has signed a multiyear partnership renewal with Team Penske. The exact length and financial terms were not revealed for the deal, according to Cynopsis Sports and other sources, but Team Penske said the Arizona-based company will move from 10 to 15 primaries annually starting next season on Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Discount Tire, which sponsors drivers Joey Logano and Austin Cindric in addition to Keselowski, will also continue as an associate of multiple cars across the team’s operations in NASCAR and IndyCar. Fellow No. 2 primary sponsor Miller Lite has reduced its presence with the Penske team in recent years, going down to sponsoring 11 races as primary after having closer to double that in the past. Discount Tire will continue utilizing Penske drivers for in-store appearances, one of the hallmarks of its activation plans during its time with the team.

As the Little League World Series gets underway, it’s unsettling to hear that the average child today spends less than three years playing a sport and quits by age 11, according to a new survey conducted by the Aspen Institute and Utah State University. On top of that, only 28% of kids aged 6 to 12 played team sports on a regular basis in 2018, down from 45% in 2008, per the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. According to the survey, three of the main reasons kids quit sports are a lack of fun, bad coaches, and financial pressure. The youth sports economy has always been big business, but as competitive travel teams have crept into increasingly younger age groups over the past decade, the industry has doubled in size to more than $15 billion. The result is a world of private coaching, interstate travel, and mega-complexes full of families willing — and able — to spend as much as $20,000 per year on youth sports. Meanwhile, low-income families are being priced out, resulting in their children losing not only an opportunity to excel at a sport but also the chance to exercise, make friends, and stay off the streets.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said soccer’s global governing body will exceed its promise to double the prize money for the 2023 Women’s World Cup to $60 million. In July, Infantino had confirmed that FIFA would increase the purse for the 2023 tournament, marking a second successive Women’s World Cup where the financial rewards have doubled, but with the size of the tournament going from 24 team to 32 the rewards would not have been as significant. “We have until 2023 to discuss about the prize money,” SportsPro quoted Infantino as saying. “I’m very confident, I’m sure we can go higher than doubling.” Despite Infantino’s commitment, FIFA has continued to face criticism for the disparity in pay between the women’s and men’s World Cups, with the latter’s prize money way ahead at $440 million for the 2022 competition in Qatar. Exactly by how much the prize money for the 2023 Women’s World Cup will surpass $60 million has not been reported. But with the success of France 2019 prompting FIFA to push through an expansion of the competition, Infantino has acknowledged this year’s tournament “really marked a before and an after for women’s football.”

Sony Music and FC Barcelona have inked a deal to collaborate on projects that combine big name football stars and mega music artists. Under the partnership, according to Billboard, FC Barcelona will also make use of the Sony Music catalogue for promotional content produced by the club. Under the two-year deal, the soccer club and music label will together promote the creation of entertainment experiences that combine two activities about which Barça fans and people of all ages are especially passionate: music and sport. “With this initial collaboration agreement we intend to improve the fan experience for our supporters through musical content and innovative audiovisual materials," said FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeau. The partnership between Sony and FC Barcelona gives both parties a unique platform to tell stories by combining music and sports and is the latest example of the emerging trend of sports + music tie ups.

Tech Top Five

USA Basketball commits to Twitch as an official international streaming partner. The deal commits USA Basketball to the streaming platform through 2020. This move brings even more live sports to Twitch, which currently plays host to the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football,” NBA minor league games, and co-streaming rights with the WWE, UEFA Champions League playoffs, and MLS, according to the Verge. Although the NBA’s media rights currently lie with ESPN, ABC, and TNT through its 2025 season, partnering with Twitch opens up new avenues and possibilities for the league’s digital partnerships. This new partnership allows for audiences outside of esports to flock towards Twitch, which traditionally showcases esports.

An all-female gaming partnership has formed from the dating app Bumble and esports organization Gen.G. According to Forbes, Gen.G signed female gamers Tina Perez and Madison “maddiesuun” Mann last October and created the first and only competitive all-female Fortnite duos team in the world. Now the global esports organization teamed up with Bumble to rebrand as “Team Bumble” to develop a community around female gamers, gaming influencers, and fans. In a competitive esports scene that is male dominated, the gamer population is 46% women, according to NewZoo. With females in esports, there is a fan base ready to be loyal to a team of the same gender and a targeted community desirable to sponsors in female gaming. Bumble is also partnering with Kristen “KittyPlays” Valnicek, Gen.G’s head of new gaming initiatives, who has over a million followers on Twitch. The three-year partnership between Gen.G and Bumble will also include a calendar of programming, events, and merchandise collaborations and will hopefully put a spotlight on women in esports.

The Washington Redskins’ first preseason game featured the first gambling element in an NFL broadcast. According to SportsBusiness Journal, the Redskins preseason game against the Browns this past Thursday was the first ever free-to-play “Predict the Game” telecast for the NFL. The telecast offered cash prizes of $1,000 per quarter and NBCSports Washington’s Plus channel will have “Predict the Game” telecasts for all four Redskins preseason games. NBCSports Washington has been a leader in gambling-related sports telecasts as it started producing “Predict the Game” telecasts in partnership with Monumental Sports for eight Wizards games in January. “Predict the Game” for the NFL has viewers guess about who will have the most rushing yards in a quarter or who will record the most tackles. NBC has honed in on the Washington area to become a leader in live-television gambling and will continue to find what is successful in the new market of television-integrated sports gambling.

Italy’s Serie A soccer league names Genius Sports as betting data partner. According to SportsPro, this means that Betgenius, the sportsbook arm of Genius Sports, will have exclusive data collection rights, enabling it to gather match data via its in-stadium pitch side technology, which is instantly sent via a live feed to licensed sportsbook operators. Serie A now joins England’s Premier League and the English Football League, as well as the Scottish Professional Football League, as major soccer leagues where Genius Sports owns exclusive betting data rights. The technology company also teamed up with NASCAR in May to deliver its first-ever live betting platform as the racing circuit tries to rebrand its identity for an optimally younger fan base. Genius Sports is making moves in Europe for sports betting and may soon try to deliver its platform into the U.S where live sports betting is just beginning to take off.

Kroenke Sports' purchase of Echo Fox' League of Legends franchise slot falls through. Echo Fox said that a deal for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment to acquire their League of Legends Championship Series slot "fell apart on Friday," according to ESPN. The future of the Echo Fox slot "remains uncertain." A source said that the team is "expected to assess its previous offers" and work "through a solution" with League of Legends developer Riot Games. The Kroenke group "came to terms to pay" $30.25 million for Echo Fox' slot. But sources said that that deal is "now dead," after esports organization Sentinels co-founder and CEO Rob Moore "filed suit" against KSE's esports arm on August 1. Meanwhile, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said that the game developer has "sold eight franchise slots for its new Call of Duty League." The new Call of Duty League will reportedly have at least 12 teams in all – a significant step forward in that franchise’s growth.

Power of Sports Five

Drew Brees partners with a youth soccer club. The Surf Soccer Club is one of the nation’s most storied youth soccer clubs and could soon become a destination for athletes in other sports. According to the Rancho Santa Fe Review, Surf Soccer Club announced a partnership with former San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Brees as he made an investment in Surf Cup Sports, the storied soccer club’s parent company. Although not currently offering football, Surf CEO Brian Enge said the possibility of branching out into other sports will be one of the critical issues facing the company’s board. Surf Sports is also considering expansion into lacrosse and beach volleyball. Surf Cup Sports has 16,000 athletes in the nation that play under the Surf brand and the club hosts four major national tournaments each year that bring in tens of thousands of athletes across the country. Surf is known for its philanthropy, funding over $8 million in charitable contributions over the years and Brees, a man who won Sportsman of the Year for his charitable efforts after Hurricane Katrina, will help to expand the brand and its philanthropic endeavors for youth in sports.

A Guinness World Record soccer event will raise money for youth sports equipment for children around the world. According to The Garden City News, nearly 2,000 people are scheduled to participate in the event on September 15, which is put together by playandgive.org, and will have pairs of multiple players attempting to kick the ball back and forth to each other for up to a minute. The New York City event will attempt to break Hong Kong’s record of 1,218 people passing the ball back and forth to each other for a minute. Tickets for the event are $5 to participate in the soccer passing drill, with ticket prices higher for items such as T-shirts and new soccer balls. Event coordinators are charging $500 per ticket for people who want an official certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records and all of the proceeds from the event will go to the nonprofit organization Charity Ball. This event will help bring together the people of New York while giving back to the many children in need of soccer balls or other sports equipment around the globe.

Manny Pacquiao’s boxing shorts sell for over $24,000 in a charity auction. After “Pacman’s” showdown against Keith Thurman for the WBA welterweight title on July 20 earned big money for the Filipino politician-boxer, the funds from auctioning his shorts will be sent off to charity. According to Sports Inquirer, the white trunks worn by the Filipino boxing icon in his split decision win over the American boxer sold for a whopping $24,750 (nearly 1.3 million in Philippine pesos) at an auction by CharityBuzz and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” The proceeds of the auction will go to a non-profit organization fighting against ALS, a progressive and terminal disease that destroys nerve cells leading to disability. The only eight division boxing champion is now 40 years old and is still trying to make change through charity and politics, as he currently serves as a senator of the Philippines.

The Cleveland Indians Charities Giveathon offers opportunity to support kids playing baseball and softball. The event took place during the Tribe’s home game against the Los Angeles Angels on August 2 and featured many opportunities for fans to contribute to Cleveland Indians Charities (CIC). A special game telecast on SportsTime Ohio highlighted the youth baseball programs supported by CIC. Some of those programs include providing over 300 students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District with the opportunity to play high school baseball and softball. Additionally, CIC hosts the Senate League’s Championship game every year at Progressive Field. According to WKYC 3, they also support the Cleveland Baseball Federation, giving some 3,000 Cleveland youth under age 13 the opportunity to play baseball. On August 2, the Giveathon raised over $175,000 towards these programs in the Cleveland region, and the charitable organization also works on a larger scale to refurbish old baseball fields throughout Ohio.

Esports teams Misfits and Florida Mayhem partner with the charity Gift of Life. North American organization Misfits Gaming and its Overwatch League franchise Florida Mayhem work with the charity to educate their fans, through social media and live events, in an effort to recruit new marrow and stem cell donors at tournaments. According to Esports Insider, this deal commenced August 8 at the Blizzard Arena, allowing attendees at the esports arena to sign up to the marrow registry. Florida Mayhem is also involved with swab drives run by Gift of Life Campus Ambassadors across colleges and universities in Florida. Although a new incubator for philanthropy, esports are seeing more philanthropic partnerships. Esports has a young demographic and by utilizing social media, charitable acts could well produce a lot of positive changes for years to come.

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courtneytincher · 5 years

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The Sleazeball Peddling Russian Girls to Billionaires

Photo Illustation by The Daily Beast/Photos Getty; AlamyODESSA, Ukraine—Disgust flashed across Kristina Goncharova’s delicate features when she heard the name Peter Listerman. In Odessa, Ukraine’s graceful Black Sea resort, every local fashion agency and beauty contest organizer knows Listerman, a man always looking to hire Russian and Ukrainian models for his VIP escort agencies. And to 24-year-old Goncharova, Listerman’s name brings a whole storm of associations with dubious big-money characters treating teenage girls as if they were animals at a pet store. Even back in 2016, sources familiar with the beauty business were not surprised to see a report on the New York Post’s gossipy Page Six site connecting Listerman to Jeffrey Epstein: “Instead of having his assistants troll local high schools, the billionaire money manager—and registered sex offender—is importing his playmates from Russia.” The article suggested Listerman had been seen visiting Epstein’s apartment and noted a TV interview in which Listerman said he introduced many oligarchs to Russian models, but insisted: “I’m not a pimp, just [a] matchmaker.”Now Epstein is held in a federal lockup in Manhattan, facing up to 45 years in prison for molesting and trafficking minors. And Listerman appeared to be running scared as soon as we started asking questions.Jeffrey Epstein Arrested for Sex Trafficking of MinorsEarlier this month, celebrities arrived here from all over the world for the 10th annual Odesa International Film Festival. Young Ukrainian models took part in the Fashion Weekend events, with photo shoots on the beach. And sure enough, Listerman showed up as well. We found him drinking in the company of some young women by the pool at the Palace Del Mar hotel. (He was easy to track: he kept posting bawdy videos of himself at the Del Mar or the Dacha restaurant talking about... sex.) When asked about his dealings with Epstein, Listerman tried to turn his activities into a joke: “I invented myths and fairy tales to entertain people,” Listerman told The Daily Beast. But when pressed to explain the details about the alleged traffic of teen models, he declined to answer and subsequently blocked a reporter on his Instagram and Facebook pages. What’s certain is that Listerman’s pursuit of potential “matchmaking” talent is notorious, and for decades the activities of Listerman, a Russian citizen, were an open book. He often bragged about his business on Russian TV, referring to the women he hooked up with rich men as “chickens” or “tyolki,” which means heifers, young cows that have never been bred. He also called women his “shaggy gold,” alluding to pubic hair.Here is how he described the type he is searching for in an interview with a Russian tabloid, Komsomolskaya Pravda, during his visit to the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk in 2009: “My Hollywood clients and oligarchs are sick of emancipated Muscovites, European and American women, who resemble robots. Everybody is sick of these evil women, they want gentle and romantic!”Russian and Ukrainian organizers of beauty contests try to distance themselves from Listerman as if from a contagious infection. Earlier this year Listerman was noticed outside the luxurious Borvikha concert hall in Moscow right before the Miss Russia 2019 beauty contest. “The scandalous matchmaker was not allowed even to cross the threshold,” Komsomolskaya Pravda reported.In the early 2000s, Moscow’s glamorous world of wild oil money embraced the cynical philosophy of “Uncle Petia,” as Listerman is sometimes called: “God created 50 percent of people who are ready to sell their guts and 50 percent of those who just pretend they cannot but secretly they are ready for anything,” he said in one of his interviews. In a 2007 movie, Gloss, by Andrei Konchalovsky, a procurer seemingly modeled on Listerman is named Petia. He checks if young women’s feet are gentle and agile enough before sending them off for consideration as mistresses for “a very serious client in Sardinia.” One of the models Petia sells to an English lord is a virgin.* * *The Beauty Queen Machine* * *For years, Tatiana Savchenko, the founder of Odessa’s first modeling school, has seen the real-life Listerman cruising for her students at fashion shows and beauty contests. “I have heard him approach women at our agency with his usual, ‘Hey, beautiful, I have a client for you!’” Savchenko told The Daily Beast. “It took a lot of work to keep him from tricking our teen models in his traps.”Goncharova, who was one of Savchenko’s students, actually trained from the time she was five to become a beauty queen. She attended ballet, singing, painting and chess classes; she learned to speak French and English, to move gracefully, and answer questions about her ambitions. In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, Goncharova said that “the world’s famous seller of young models to oligarchs”—Listerman—had been writing “What’s up, Bride-to-Be?” messages to her for years. The young model won the Miss Teen Ukraine contest in 2010 and her dream came true: she was invited to take part in Miss Teen World in Houston. That was when she received the first, “Hey, Beautiful,” message from Listerman, who wanted to meet with her. She was 14 years old. Goncharova, a tall, long-limbed Ukrainian model with big doe eyes is gentle, romantic—and horrified to hear about Epstein’s case with such details as the “orgy island” and the alleged connection to Listerman. “I had enough of a brain to turn him down when I was a minor but many girls look for a chance to meet with him, say yes to his offers, as he is paying them much more than €300 [$334], the average of what we make per day working as professional models in Europe,” she said. And Listerman is relentless. In 2016, he sent her private messages on Facebook every few months. “Hi, Mama, how is Odessa?”; “Is Leonardo DiCaprio with you now?” and then four months later: “Hi, Bride-to-Be, have you been successful?” He knew that as a beauty queen she was. In 2017 Goncharova won Miss Tourism International, a contest of models from 20 countries. But clearly Listerman had another notion of success—hooking up with someone very rich.Today, Goncharova says, she realizes that she has been surrounded with girls obsessed with dreams of American wealth and luxury since her childhood. The daughter of a model, when she came to Savchenko’s school, Savrox Models, at the age of five her first teacher was none other than Oleksandra Nikolayenko, who won Miss Ukraine in 2001.Later that same Nikolayenko met Donald Trump’s friend, casino and hotel owner Phil Ruffin. “Ukrainian models and American billionaires found their way to each other at beauty contests,” Savchenko, who had met Trump and Ruffin at several international competitions, told The Daily Beast. “Not everybody needed Listerman’s services.”Made Desperate by War, Odessa's Women Look to Model's Cinderella StorySavchenko went to the Nikolayenko-Ruffin wedding at Mar-a-Lago and remembers vividly her encounter with the future U.S. president: “Donald grabbed me by my waist and whispered compliments that made me blush.”Teenagers from poor Ukrainian regions, where five years of war and economic crises have wrought widespread devastation, imagine themselves escaping to a modeling career, maybe marrying a political leader, a rich businessman, or a foreign sugar daddy.On a recent scouting trip in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the managing organizer of Miss Ukraine Universe, Aleksey Diveyev-Tserkovny, announced the organizers could turn any woman into a model. “When 2,000 beauties showed up, we decided to just let them quickly go past us so we could pull the most beautiful ones from the crowd,” Diveyev-Tserkovny said last week. “But there were so many beautiful girls that my head was spinning.” When asked about Listerman and Epstein, Diveyev-Tserkovny shook his head in disapproval. “To speak to me about Listerman’s hunt for girls is the same as to speak about porn films to an expert in art-house film festivals,” he said. “Listerman has been chasing me, trying to make friends for a long time, since the beauty contest we organize is No. 1 in Ukraine.” * * *The Instagram Pageant* * *Awareness of the role procurers play in Russia and Ukraine is slowly on the rise. Some young women have spoken out about sexual abuse and suffering. But others are posting their nude and semi-nude pictures on Instagram. “I am not sure how to stop girls flocking into escort agencies—just search for love in Odessa or in Ukraine and you will see tons of young women revealing their bodies,” said Savchenko. “The number of girls interested in beauty contests is shrinking, replaced by an Instagram race for popularity.” Modeling schools organizing beauty contests check every participant’s page on social media. “We play the role of a filter: if some girl posts her nude pictures on Instagram we immediately reject her,” Savchenko added.Boris Nemtsov, the opposition politician and critic of Vladimir Putin assassinated in 2015, wrote about Listerman in his book Confession of a Rebel. Soon after Putin’s first election in 2000, Nemtsov, a Russian parliament member at the time, stayed in the same hotel as Putin and businessman Vladimir Potanin in the French ski resort of Courchevel. “We come downstairs and see around 10 long-legged girls. Potanin and I were in shock. It turns out Petia Listerman, a famous ‘promoter’ brought them.” Nemtsov asked Listerman why he brought the women to the hotel: “But you are also men, after all,” Listerman said, assuming that explained everything.The “promoter” has bragged in multiple interviews about finding Russian model wives for big name stars, claiming soccer champion Cristiano Ronaldo and NHL star Alex Ovechkin met their spouses through him. He claimed he had a contract with Tatiana Akhmadova for half of all her divorce proceedings after introducing her to billionaire Farkhad Akhmadov. None of those claims have been substantiated in any detail.In any case, there’s more—or less—than matrimony on offer for a prospective "bride-to-be."“Listerman’s business is surely not just about marriage—we are aware that there is an international market of models supplied to escorts around casinos, yachts and resorts,” Savchenko told The Daily Beast. It’s doubtful that any of the Russians or Ukrainians that Page Six noticed around Epstein were there to be life partners.The problem of human trafficking from and through Ukraine is huge, and not limited to would-be models. According to the International Organization for Migration, 230,000 Ukrainian women, men and children have become victims since 1991. But Goncharova, for one, thinks that Ukraine’s new first lady Olena Zelenskaya could do great service leading the anti-sex-traffic campaign and increasing awareness among young people. As for Goncharova herself, after a lifetime of modeling, at 24 she is disillusioned and says she is planning to quit the business.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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50 Wedding Guests Reveal The Red Flag During The Ceremony That Hinted The Relationship Wouldnt Last

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50 Wedding Guests Reveal The Red Flag During The Ceremony That Hinted The Relationship Wouldnt Last

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50 Wedding Guests Reveal The Red Flag During The Ceremony That Hinted The Relationship Wouldn’t Last

January Nelson Updated December 19, 2018

If you notice any of these red flags from Ask Reddit on your wedding day, do not say, “I do.”

1. During the vows, the bride laughed at the “for richer or poorer” part and wouldn’t say it. Somehow they’re still going strong. I sure hope he never loses his job.

2. Groom was making out with a bridesmaid while his new bride proceeded to get black-out drunk and cry in the corner.

3. The groom refused to get dressed and wore a black t-shirt and sneakers. The bride looked incredible in her gown and he looked like he was popping to the shops for a pack of ciggies.

4. It was a dual wedding. That’s right folks, TWO sets of my friends got married at the same time. I thought it was stupid and neither marriage would last two years.

I was right.

5. The groom wouldn’t stop talking about the marriage like it was a prison sentence. He incessantly went on about how it was the end of his freedom and how he was going to be tied down to “the ball and chain” now. They were divorced in just under a year.

6. I was best man at my mate’s wedding. The bride hit on me.

7. The groom spent the almost the entire wedding glued to his (female) work colleague, to the point that the bride had to drag him away for their first dance. They also kept going off somewhere together (a friend tried to follow them outside but it was too dark to locate them). You could see the obvious hurt on the bride’s face throughout the day.

Prior to the wedding he’d taken his colleague away abroad for his stag ‘do (just the two of them, despite the bride’s protests), and in his wedding speech he pointed his colleague out and told her that he’d had “the best time of his life” that weekend.

They’re still together at the moment but I don’t see it being the happy ending that the bride was so desperate for.

8. The bride and groom got in an argument post-reception and the bride ran away.

It was in a small town in the middle of nowhere but we ran around all night trying to find her. What an adventure.

9. The father of the bride made a speech about how he saw his daughter ‘organizing’ the groom over time. Basically, instead of telling a story of their burgeoning love, it was a tale of how she began to control him over time. Was cringey. Lasted 3 years.

10. The bride-to-be of my friend would not let him participate in the entire bachelor party. It wasn’t even a risqué itinerary: more of just a guy’s night with drinking and poker and such. So we essentially had his stag without him.

11. Groom was sending texts to a very uninterested bridesmaid all night. Groom was also more interested in getting wasted with his buddies than being with the bride. There were also red flags BEFORE the wedding. No surprise they were divorced in less than a year.

12. The bride did not smile, neither during the ceremony nor during the reception. She never cracked a smile.

13. In my friend’s vows he was talking about her eyes which were blue and he called them green.

14. The pastor at the wedding, in front of a couple hundred people, said, “Can you believe that just two months ago, (bride’s name) was in my house, crying because she was so lonely and wanted to be married so badly? And now look at her two months later, getting married to a guy she met the next day!” Even her elderly grandmother laughed out loud.

15. Attended a very big, very religious wedding of a 21-year-old bride and a 22-year-old groom. They lied about where they met (it was on Tinder). During a round of truth or dare with the groom and his members of the wedding party the night before, he admitted his biggest love language is touch, but that his SO hated to express affection physically. All he wanted was to be cuddled sometimes, and she’d refuse.

He said he hoped it got better after they were married.

All the groomsmen made frantic eye contact and changed the subject.

They’re still married, as of a year later but PSA, guys: nothing “gets better” after you get married. That’s still your partner, that’s still your relationship.

16. The best man, the groom’s lifelong best friend, was gay. And I mean GAAY. All but one of the groomsmen were gay.

A few years after the wedding, the groom’s father died. Within a week of the funeral, he told her it wasn’t working and moved in with the best man.

Everyone did their best to act shocked.

17. She said “I do” while looking the guy she’d been in love with for a very long time straight in the eyes…

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t her soon-to-be husband.

Didn’t last a year.

18. Was at the wedding of an ex girlfriend who married young. (20) Husband got into a drunk fistfight with his groomsmen at the reception. I left after she threw her wedding ring at him.

19. The bride and groom didn’t hang out the entire wedding.

20. When the judge asked if anyone had any objections, and their newborn daughter began to scream like a banshee. A few years passed of constant fighting, she finally reveals the daughter wasn’t really his, they try to stick it out for about a year, and finally a divorce. Everyone always joked about the newborn’s objection. She was really just trying to warn them, I suppose.

21. The father of the groom brings up divorce in his speech as he was officiating the wedding.

22. There was a part of the ceremony where the bride and groom were kneeling at the altar. On the bottom of the groom’s shoes were two pieces of tape that read “HELP” and “ME” on them.

Never was clear whether he put them there or was pranked by his groomsmen, but it felt like an omen. They lasted less than a year.

23. The groom gives this speech during the reception about the wife being subservient to the husband and how it says this in the bible. The bride sorta jokes about how he’s dreaming and he very seriously is like no that is what is gonna happen…..

Divorced within 6 months

24. The groom spent almost all of his speech talking about his best man.

25. A friend was a bridesmaid in a wedding… When they said, “You may kiss the bride” the groom leaned in… When she went to kiss him he pulled away and pointed and laughed at her.

Also was flirting aggressively with the maid of honor.

Divorced within a year. No one was surprised.

26. The bride didn’t look happy to be walking down the aisle. She was smiling but it was very much a pasted on smile that I assumed was because she was nervous. Found out at the wedding that her parents had offered to pay for the big wedding or pay for a small wedding then give them the money for a down payment for a house. She wanted the wedding. Where we live the housing market is insanely competitive and this was at the peak of the housing prices right before the crash. Her parents basically offered her the ability to jump start their lives together, she turned it down for the big party with her as the center of attention.

It was over within 2 years. She didn’t even seem upset about it.

27. Went to a wedding of my wife’s coworker. She was the sweetest person and her fiancee was a total slob. Just a cocky, out of shape, burnt out frat guy. Had told her to her face about all the girls he’d slept with and how he’d had perfect weeks where he’d slept with a different girl every night. Pretty sure this was a bad technique to try and make her stick around and think he was desirable. Then at the wedding drinks so much (remember really big guy) he passed out before anyone has left and she has to take him to their hotel room passed out and doesn’t get to finish her own wedding or have a wedding night. I feel so sad for her.

28. Attended a wedding where the bride talked, not about her love for him or how great he is, but more about how he changed so much of his personality for her and how that made everything perfect.

29. Groom was clearly having a good time, bride was visibly uncomfortable. When it came time for vows the groom had a long list and read it off nicely. The bride said something along the lines of, “I’m just gonna wing it — basically you’re my best friend,” and trailed off soon after. Thank god for the open bar.

30. The groom forgot the bride’s name during his toast to her and called her a similar but very different name. (Like, if her name was Brenda, he called her Brittney.) It lasted two years.

31. When the “ex-girlfriend” stood up to object with a pregnancy stick in her hand. Positive it’s you, she said.

32. The groom had the ring in his pocket but forgot which one and the bride visually annoyed said, “That’s the kind of guy I’m marrying.”

They divorced within the year.

33. I was a groomsman. The groom was nowhere to be found as the night was winding up. The intoxicated bride, whom I’d met maybe 3 times prior, asked me to dance. Then she said to me: “When I masturbate, I think of you.” That was the first time she ever expressed interest in me.

They had 3 kids in five years. Both caught each other cheating on the other. Divorced at the 5-year mark.

34. The groom wanted to delay the wedding so they could do a last minute Taco Bell run.

They were divorced within 18 months.

35. At the end of the ceremony she changed into an extremely fancy going-away outfit – tight and purple and laced up down the sides. He changed into an old t-shirt and shorts that reeked of stale student-bachelor sweat and said, “Oh, I didn’t know we were dressing up.” She gave him a look of the purest hatred and disgust. They separated six months later.

36. I saw the newly married couple step out of an elevator, and he accidentally stepped on her dress. She snapped and turned around, yelling “Do that again and see what happens!

He was stone-faced and without saying anything, immediately went to the bar for a beer.

37. The husband slept with one of the bridesmaids a week before the wedding.

38. The groom was madly in love with his fiancé (as one would hope), always got the vibe she just wasn’t that… into it. During the wedding he was so nervous he stuttered. Bride rolled her eyes and looked pissed. Then later in the night after dinner and music had started, the bride got annoyed people weren’t staying in their allocates seats. They had a “wishing well” for presents. We added our anonymous gift with a card and thought that was that. One week later get an abusive call that we did not put in. This ended up getting so bad it tore down multiple friendships for the groom. Bride wanted enough money to buy a house. Turns out bride was cheating on him the whole time, with someone who was also married.

39. At the reception there is a local tradition for the groomsmen to ‘steal the bride’, basically they do a quick barhop and come back to continue the reception. My husband was a groomsman, and as more than an hour passed, I finally called him. He said she was having a blast and wouldn’t leave. The groom had arrived back after about 30 minutes, laughed it off at first, then relief when she finally blew back in totally smashed. They made it about 2 months after that.

40. Groom hated the bride’s family, groom’s family didn’t approve of the bride. Very awkward at a wedding! Bride makes her promises (something along the lines of “I promise to try and be worthy of your family” etc) and we all raise eyebrows at each other. Groom’s speech is all about how much he has helped his bride change for the better and how he ‘made her what she is’. Eyebrows are practically falling off the top of my head at this point. It’s been a few months so I guess we will wait and see…I just thought it was very controlling.

41. Went to a wedding for one of my older (male) cousins who has two sisters about my age. Apparently the bride talked to the oldest sister (whom the groom was very close to) and said something like, “Just so you know, you’re not the most important girl in his life anymore. I am.”

Can’t wait to see how this one plays out.

42. It was my wedding. The groom stopped the entire ceremony (which was held at our place) so he could watch The Simpsons. There was no discussion about this beforehand, he just did it.

No, we are not still married. Shocking, I know.

43. She posted on Facebook that it was “the worst day of her life.”

44. The groom said the wrong name during the vows.

45. Bride told me and my partner a few weeks earlier that she didnt want to go through with it. She had generic vows, husbands were beautiful. She had a sour face the whole time, it was almost funny. It ended up turning out that she was shagging my partner the last year and she left her husband for him 4 months in. I dodged a bullet.

46. Older guy marrying a young Eastern European. The groom’s friend said at the reception “This party is great. I hope I get invited to the one next year.” The guy had been married a few times before.

47. I’m the keyboard player for a wedding band so I’ve seen all sorts of ridiculous shit at weddings that would qualify as a red flag. That said, one stands above the rest: the groom aggressively grinding on 2 of the bridesmaids (simultaneously); one of which was the bride’s sister.

48. My cousin’s wedding: he was in the Army, his bride was 6 months pregnant, a senior in high school, and she had just turned 18 the previous day. Her grandfather was the officiant and he gave a big speech about how marriage was only between one man and one woman and no one can tear apart what God puts together. They opened their gifts in front of everyone like it was a birthday party. There was no alcohol, dancing, or food. Within 30-40 minutes after the gift opening the “happy” couple peeled out of the Boy Scout lodge, doing donuts while her teenage friends cheered them on. They spent the night at the hotel everyone was staying at – separately – which consisted of him getting shitfaced with his friends while she was alone in their room. In front of our entire family my sister said “I give them a year.” She was wrong though.

Within 3 months of the kid coming they had split and my cousin swears the kid isn’t his. The whole wedding was one giant fucking red flag.

49. The other day a coworker told me about a wedding she was just in the bridal party for – the groom and his mother were counting out how much each family gave as a cash gift and giving the bride grief because her family wasn’t able to give as much as the grooms family. I feel like that’s an insanely bad way to start a marriage.

50. At my brothers first wedding his fiance’s dad came into the room we were using to get ready and told my brother that if he wanted to leave that he would take care of all the people Inside and he wouldn’t even be mad.

My brother did it anyway. Divorced 4 months later.

Image Credit: Ieva Vizule

is cataloged in Divorces, Red Flags, Wedding

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James Cracknell hits back at wife Beverley over break up

Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell has today hit back at his estranged wife Beverley Turner’s ‘exaggerated’ claims that his decision to take part in the Boat Race wrecked their marriage and said his efforts ‘pay the bills’.

Cracknell claimed the ‘complex’ separation was ‘a long time coming’ and was nothing to do with the Boat Race or the 2010 brain injury that almost killed him, adding that ‘rowing is easy’ compared to marriage.

But the father-of-three admitted his successful attempt to become the oldest winner of the race at 46 was a ‘selfish pursuit’ and told the Telegraph that he has since realised ‘there’s much more to life than mucking about in a boat’.

It comes after his ex, 45, said he ‘abandoned’ his family in a candid takedown of their relationship yesterday, adding he had never been the same since suffering a head injury when hit by a truck in the US nine years ago.

She also described Cracknell’s claims he was doing the Boat Race at 46 to show his children they can ‘do anything they put their mind to’ as ‘b******s’ and said his gruelling training was nothing more than ‘dereliction of parenting and marital duty’.

The couple ‘quietly separated’ last year and announced the news in a joint statement just days before the race saying they were focused on bringing up son Croyde, 15, and daughters Kiki, ten, and Trixie, eight.

James Cracknell, right, has hit back at claims by estranged wife Beverley Turner, left, that his training for the Boat Race wrecked their marriage

James Cracknell grins with delight after finishing the Boat Race on Sunday. Hours later he was rocked by claims his training put an unbearable strain on his marriage

The Olympian admitted his efforts to compete in the boat race, which saw him leave the family home in London for a student flat in Cambridge, were a ‘selfish pursuit’.

‘Now the race is over, I realise there’s much more to life than mucking about in a rowing boat. The last few months, with everything that has been going on at home, has put that into perspective for me. Rowing and sport aren’t the most important things in life. But to [achieve in sport], you do have to be a single-minded person.’

He added: ‘There’s this perception that I’ve left my family to go off to Cambridge, selfishly, but that’s a little exaggerated. And while yes, it may seem selfish, it also pays the bills.’

Cracknell became the oldest winner of the competition when he helped Cambridge to victory over Oxford on Sunday.

Beverley Turner with two of the former couple’s children Croyde and Kiki

He was eligible for the Cambridge team after enrolling on a masters course in human evolution, and he claimed this was because he wanted to ‘try other things’ and had not even considered entering the Boat Race at this time last year.

In his own candid interview, Cracknell describes his life as a three-legged stool made up of his family, his studies and Boat Race training, admitting it was his family who suffered.

But he claims that in the time between his 2010 accident and the Boat Race he was around more and that people focus on his training and sporting exploits more than they do on ‘the family stuff’.

He added: ‘We’ve been together for 20 years and I challenge any couple who have been together that long to say they’re the same people they were when they met. Marriage is complicated and hard, whether you’re an athlete or not. I know my behaviour is probably quite frustrating to live with, but I hope I have some good qualities too.’

Beverley watched the Boat Race from a friend’s home with her children rather than taking them to see his triumph.

In her account of the break-up, published in The Times, she wrote: ‘The kids needed to see that this enormous family sacrifice wasn’t entirely in vain.

‘James has spoken publicly about this latest feat, demonstrating to his children that you can do anything you set your mind to.

‘He won’t mind me admitting I consider that b******s. I wouldn’t want my children to view such an exit from familial responsibilities as something to aspire to.’

James Cracknell was seen heading to a gym in London on Monday, a day after his Boat Race triumph. His estranged wife Beverley Turner was also in the mood for keeping fit. Both have now had their say on their break-up, with Cracknell claiming it was ‘more complex’ than him leaving to go to Cambridge

She also detailed not just the impact of life after a brain injury , but also how the strain of being an Olympic calibre sportsman — and of being married to one — took its toll.

In the article, Beverley wrote of fearing the ‘dreadful example’ they were setting their children of married life, of her deep-rooted fear of being ‘ground down’, and of the ‘absolute dereliction of parenting and marital duty’ that training for the Boat Race had entailed — along with details of ‘snapping, sighing, arguing and slamming doors’.

While she said their relationship was — and still is — one built on ‘mutual respect and admiration’, she also chronicled behaviour that anyone can see would put strain on a marriage.

She wrote: ‘When James spent 50 days rowing across the Atlantic with Ben Fogle in 2005, he failed to discuss his plans with me in any detail despite us having a two-year-old son.

‘The difference in 2018 was whether I could reasonably live with these exhausting, self-centred pursuits for the rest of my life. I prefer the journey to the destination . . . James is all about the target.’

James and Beverley pictured on their wedding day in 2002

She insisted she does not put the end of their marriage solely down to his personality changes. She admitted that it had not been perfect before his brain injury because of the frustrations which can arise from being married to an ‘extremely driven man’.

‘As any woman will admit, there comes a time when you are sick of waking up alone on holiday because these alpha males are already at the laptop or on the rowing machine,’ she said.

‘Twice we went to Barbados and James spent three hours a day on the running machine inside the hotel. Most women want a partner to drink Buck’s Fizz with on the beach. We don’t want a man who’s fitting in gym sessions around kids’ club hours.’

The broadcaster, herself once a competitive swimmer, also revealed that she had been ‘sure he would fail’ to compete in the Boat Race, as it was ‘ludicrous to think he could regain the strength and stamina required to sit alongside 20-year-old rowers’.

In the piece, Beverley also wrote candidly about the impact of her husband’s accident.

In 2010, just after becoming the highest placed Briton ever in the gruelling Marathon des Sables, Cracknell nearly died. He was cycling across America, on another endurance challenge, when he was hit by the wing mirror of a petrol tanker travelling at speed.

It caused his brain to slam forward, crushing the frontal lobes — the part of the brain that controls personality. He was put into an induced coma, regaining consciousness in a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, a few days later.

Beverley, who has her own antenatal class business, has spoken openly about the accident, of being in a Las Vegas hotel when she received the phone call that turned life upside down.

Cracknell, pictured, became the oldest winner of the Boat Race at 46. He also hit out at the perception that he ‘selfishly’ left his family and claimed his efforts pay the bills

The marriage came under intense pressure in 2010 after Cracknell suffered a crippling brain injury when he was involved in a crash with a truck while cycling in the US

Doctors warned her that she might see changes in her husband, including an inability to read emotions, irascibility, laughing or crying out of context, and arguing.

Those warnings, it turned out, were frighteningly accurate. (She explained: ‘The aftercare the NHS provides for the brain injured is hopeless.’)

Yesterday she wrote: ‘After a brain injury, a couple’s dynamic typically becomes one of parent and child: complete with nagging, resentment and sulking.’

She added: ‘When I told a friend that James was off to Cambridge, he said: ‘You never know, you might miss him.’ I replied: ‘But I’ve missed him for eight years.’

She continued: ‘The problem with a brain injury is that the supporting partner is never entirely sure what can be attributed to the condition and what is just your partner being a d***.’

She also revealed that James’s appearance last year on reality TV show Celebrity Island had been a welcome break, and that ‘the calmness that descended on the house during those six weeks was illuminating for me.

Yes, single parenting is incredibly hard, but the house was oddly more oxygenated for all of us.’

This latest piece is not the first time Beverley has detailed the problems in their marriage.

The couple also wrote a book about their experience called Touching Distance, in which they discussed the impact of the accident on their marriage.

In interviews they have referred to a statistic: 75 per cent — the percentage of marriages in which a person sustains a brain injury that end within three years.

James and Beverley, pictured at the Pride of Britain Awards in 2015. The couple say they are still maintaining a relationship for their children and spent Christmas together

Cracknell, who is studying for a Master’s in human evolution at Cambridge, celebrated his victory with his mother Jennie on Sunday

‘Look, we’re lucky,’ she told The Sunday Times. ‘He should have been dead. Yes, there are days when I think, ‘How can I live with this for ever?’ But I probably will. That’s probably good enough.’

The couple first met in the Jordanian desert, where they were chained together for two hours in a Bedouin tent for a television programme.

Cracknell was riding high after his first Olympic gold in 2000 and Beverley was an up-and-coming sports television presenter.

They got engaged soon after. He proposed in Croyde Bay in Devon — hence their son’s unusual name — and married in 2002 at Clearwell Castle in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.

He won gold again at the Athens Games four years later before retiring in 2006.

Beverley said she once laughed about how he would select a target on a map and put his foot down until they arrived.

‘James needs a goal, and pity the person who stands in his way,’ she said, in 2009, less than a year before his accident.

She does not blame her husband’s brain injury for the end of her marriage: ‘That’s too simplistic — it wasn’t perfect before.

‘I have spent many evenings in the company of Olympic medallists and it’s obvious to me that such ambitions rarely arise from a healthy psychological place.

‘Having to endure physical and emotional torture to prove oneself on a global stage starts as a blessing, but its inescapability is often a curse. How can these characters ever truly be happy when nothing but external validation drives them on?’

James and Beverley have three children Croyde, 14 who was named after Croyde Bay in Devon where his parents got engaged, and two daughters, Kili, 10 , and eight-year-old Trixie

Beverley tweeted her congratulations to the rower after his history-making performance with the Cambridge team, but warned about her piece in The Times

The couple (last pictured together in June last year) said in a statement in late March: ‘Together, we remain committed to our amazing children, they are our absolute priority and wish people to be kind and mindful of this.’

As far back as 2005, a year after that jubilant moment of familial pride in Athens, Beverley was openly speaking of the ‘massive rows’ that preceded the first of her husband’s post-Olympics challenges — his Atlantic rowing expedition.

‘Look, I married a rower, but I didn’t marry Sir Ranulph Fiennes,’ she said in an interview with the Mail. ‘It is only in the last couple of weeks that I have reconciled myself to the fact that he is going — and that he has his reason for doing it.

‘It is the right thing for him to do at this stage in his life; but it is hard, especially after I’ve been so good about his career. We’ve made endless sacrifices, never having a weekend in five years, never having a holiday, having so little time together. And now this.’

They weathered that storm (Cracknell and Fogle took 49 days, 19 hours and 8 minutes to complete the challenge), and Beverley was a tower of support as her husband went on to complete the London Marathon, a race to the South Pole (with Fogle again), the Marathon des Sables, and more. And then came the accident.

Instead of taking it easy, Cracknell was spurred into yet more feats of endurance. Within six months of the accident, the couple were discussing his next challenge: another bicycle race.

If anything, it would seem, the athlete’s determination post-brain injury has become steelier.

The couple married in 2002 at Clearwell Castle in the Forest of Dean (pictured left) and became one of the most glamourous couples in the worlds of sport and showbusiness

English rowers, from left, James Cracknell, Steve Redgrave, Tim Foster and Matthew Pinsent pictured together celebrating with their gold medals on the podium at Sydney 2000 Olympics

He started to apply for university courses after appearing on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls last year, but at the same time his wife noticed his ‘behaviour had deteriorated’.

She took him to a neuropsychologist, who told them Cracknell had ‘tunnel vision’ and that ‘frontal-lobe injury makes you more of yourself’.

Having won a place at Cambridge (a year after attempting to become an MEP candidate), the strains on the couple became too great.

Last week, Cracknell told BBC Radio 5 Live they had tried everything to hold it together. ‘We’re also, as any couple is, different people from who we were 17 years ago and we can look back and saw we did everything.’

As for his brain injury, he said: ‘It’s not like the accident was last year, it was nine years ago, but I guess there’s an element of if you’re the partner you always judge your other half through the prism of what has happened.

‘As a sportsman, you are slightly single-minded and stubborn, which is great if you’re the sportsman but not great to live with. So if you become more of that, that’s an issue.’

His wife, meanwhile , insists there is ‘no animosity’ and that they spent Christmas together even though they had separated by then.

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bentleyhireprices459-blog · 6 years

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20 Reasons You Need To Stop Stressing About Dayway Deals For Audi Car Rental For Weddings

From the start of your time auto rentals were being only out there on the daily, weekly, for each mile foundation. You rented a car and compensated for the time utilized along with the miles pushed. Nonetheless it was only a matter of your time and conditions right before car rentals can be presented with no cost mileage.

In 1967 my spouse And that i took in excess of a bankrupt motor vehicle rental corporation and experienced 3 rental stations, Miami, fifth Avenue on South Beach plus the third in Ft. Lauderdale. At enough time Yellow Lease A Car, owned by Yellow Cab of Miami, with rental stations in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale was offering a sub-compact car or truck with unrestricted free of charge mileage at $45 each week. They were being the primary and only car rental business with cost-free mileage but which has a a single 7 days bare minimum rental need.

I can't show you what year they initially available free of charge mileage but I can guess why. They had been only in South Florida, they were only coping with the leisure industry and Disney Entire world 200 miles north was not open. Renters did not use many miles. The competitive amount for any sub-compact motor vehicle back from the nineteen sixties was $five on a daily basis, $twenty five weekly [5 moments the everyday rental] and five cents for each mile. That has a a person 7 days bare minimum rental at $25 and with their weekly charge of $forty five they'd have the main difference, or $20, to address the price of the miles. At 5 cents a mile the customer could expend to four hundred miles for the week as well as the rental could be a wash. I learned later on that this was a winner for Yellow Lease A car or truck.

To my awareness Yellow Lease A vehicle was the granddaddy of totally free mileage. Their caveat was a one particular 7 days least. My husband or wife and I, proprietors of Money Hire A vehicle took it one particular step even further. We have been the main to provide endless free of charge mileage at some point or maybe more. One particular 7 days bare minimum rental did not use. It couldn't get any much better than that and I'll inform you the way it advanced.

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Our organization was with vacationers as well as their common rental was six or seven times. Investigating our completed rental agreements the standard volume of miles driven in per week was about 250. If we presented a every day level with some totally free miles would that fly? We thought so and we might have available 50 totally free miles and that may have coated the average renter's mileage wants. But the rate that we eventually settled on permitted us to provide far more miles. Greater than what the standard renter would use and can be perceived as a real discount. The first no cost mileage give A part of the day-to-day amount was seventy five miles.

We had been phasing out our Volkswagens, a sub-compact motor vehicle, with a rate of $four every day, four cents for each mile. Our compact automobile, a Dodge Dart which might develop into our lead vehicle, had a fee of $6 daily, $30 weekly and six cents per mile. We arrived at a everyday fee of $eight.fifty which bundled seventy five totally free miles. Normally the weekly charge was 5 times the day-to-day rate and in this example 5 moments $6 the everyday charge equaled $30 additionally of course the mileage. Together with the free of charge miles we determined that we would not give a weekly charge. The renter paid by the working day Irrespective Should the rental was sooner or later, seven days or whichever.

Our enterprise took off and why would not it. We had been promotion inside the community vacationer Publications "free mileage." At $eight.fifty every day it absolutely was a discount and I'm able to only guess the feelings that our callers had. The additional $2.50 daily above the $six daily rental demand was a bargain. They bought 75 free miles so they wouldn't have to bother with a mileage cost. Or maybe they considered $eight.fifty each day is less expensive than $49 per week, the just lately greater charge from Yellow. Within just six months we understood that no-one drove wherever near the crack even mileage determine. So we did the following best thing. We offered limitless no cost mileage. The calendar year was 1969.

Before long thereafter we became aware of CATM. CATM is really an acronym for Consolidated Air Tour Handbook. A publication place alongside one another by the airlines serving Florida. It had been a compilation of prices from inns, auto rental organizations, attractions and various tourist assist corporations including tour operators. Tour operators available "offers" which bundled air fare, lodge along with other expert services such as auto rentals. The theory was that if a consumer procured Each and every part with the bundle separately the expense would exceed the operator's deal rate. By becoming in CATM airlines and journey agents could reserve our automobiles straight or by way of tour operators.

So we've been in CATM and locate ourselves competing Together with the massive boys, Hertz, Avis and National. Not so huge at enough time but spectacular, were being Spending plan, Olins, maybe American Global and Dollar A Day which grew to become Dollar Hire A Car. Our $eight.fifty per day in addition to a weekly http://community.runanempire.com/index.php?p=/discussion/170949/from-around-the-web-20-fabulous-infographics-about-audi-r8-lease-price?new=1 rate of $fifty nine a week [we rounded the rate out] stood by alone. Not one particular other auto rental organization supplied cost-free mileage and employed the a day, every week, for each mile level plan. Two or three several years afterwards Avis was the subsequent car or truck rental organization to offer limitless totally free mileage but with A 3 working day minimum.

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We initially printed in CATM in 1970 And that i mention this simply because I Beforehand said that we, Funds Lease An auto, was the primary to offer unlimited cost-free mileage sooner or later or even more. To substantiate this claim I have to mention that in 1942 I had been in my seventh grade Shop course and the teacher claimed that he invented the plane before the Wright brothers. I'm not kidding you and perhaps he did. However, if he did he didn't convey to any one so Wilbur and Orville acquired the credit rating.

Maybe we were not the first with unrestricted no cost miles and maybe somebody in Okemos. MI or Rockford, IL did. But if they did they did not convey to everyone. We did by getting in a countrywide publication, CATM. So we're going to take the credit rating for staying the 1st. Another time you lease a vehicle And do not pay for mileage you'll be able to thank us.

For people to choose from who need to contest our assert you should Speak to me at my email tackle below, You can even browse another one of my Ezine Posts, "Begin a Major Vehicle Rental Organization", dealing with the car rental enterprise within the useful resource below.

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funnythingshere0-blog · 6 years

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35 of Blackadder's most cunning quotes and one-liners

New Post has been published on https://funnythingshere.xyz/35-of-blackadders-most-cunning-quotes-and-one-liners/

35 of Blackadder's most cunning quotes and one-liners

From election farce in Georgian times to poignant closing scenes in the trenches of World War One, Richard Curtis and Ben Elton’s historical sitcom Blackadder is so beloved it topped a recent poll of TV shows viewers most want back on the box.

Starring Rowan Atkinson as the titular schemer, Tony Robinson as sidekick Baldrick and a host of acting talent in guest and supporting roles, the show celebrates its 35th anniversary next week.

Ahead of the occasion, we’re paying tribute to one of Blackadder’s strongest assets: its array of memorable quips, insults and one-liners.

Here are 35 of Blackadder’s most cunning quotes:

(Some rude humour ahead)

Baldrick: “I have a plan, sir.” Blackadder: “Really, Baldrick? A cunning and subtle one?” Baldrick: “Yes, sir.” Blackadder: “As cunning as a fox who’s just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University?”

Blackadder: “He’s madder than Mad Jack McMad, the winner of last year’s Mr Madman competition.”

Samuel Johnson: “This book, sir, contains every word in our beloved language.” Blackadder: “Every single one, sir?” Samuel Johnson: “Every single word, sir.” Blackadder: “Oh, well, in that case, sir, I hope you will not object if I also offer the Doctor my most enthusiastic contrafibularities.”

Blackadder: “Percy, far from being a fit consort for a prince of the realm, you would bore the leggings off a village idiot.”

Witch Hunter: “The suspect has his head placed upon a block, and an axe aimed at his neck. If the man is guilty, the axe will bounce off his neck — so we burn him. If the man is not guilty, the axe will simply slice his head off.”

Never short of an insult: Rowan Atkinson as Blackadder (Photo: BBC)

Blackadder: “Field Marshal Haig is about to make yet another gargantuan effort to move his drinks cabinet six inches closer to Berlin.”

Pitt the Younger: “I intend to put my own brother up as a candidate against you.” Blackadder: “And which Pitt would this be? Pitt the Toddler? Pitt the Embryo? Pitt the Glint in the Milkman’s Eye?”

Blackadder: “Your brain is so minute Baldrick, that if a hungry cannibal cracked your head open, there wouldn’t be enough to cover a small water biscuit.”

Blackadder: “Tell me, young crone, is this Putney?” Young Crone: “That it be! That it be!” Blackadder: “‘Yes, it is,’ not ‘That it be’.”

Blackadder: “Give the likes of Baldrick the vote and we’ll be back to cavorting druids, death by stoning and dung for dinner.”

Blackadder: “There hasn’t been a war run this badly since Olaf the hairy, King of all the Vikings, ordered 80,000 battle helmets with the horns on the inside.”

(Photo: BBC)

Blackadder: “The eyes are open, the mouth moves, but Mr Brain has long since departed, hasn’t he, Percy?”

Vincent Hanna: “Can you at least tell me one thing. What does the ‘S’ in his name stand for?” Blackadder: “Sod off.” Vincent Hanna: “I guess it’s none of my business really…”

Queenie: “Oh Edmund. I do love it when you get cross. Sometimes I think about having you executed, just to see the expression on your face.”

Blackadder: “They do say, Mrs M, that verbal insults hurt more than physical pain. They are, of course, wrong, as you will soon discover when I stick this toasting fork into your head.”

Lady Whiteadder: “Wicked Child! Chairs are the work of Belezabub! At our house Nathaneal sits on a spike. And I sit on Nathaneal. Two spikes would be an extravagance…”

Lord Flashheart: “Am I pleased to see you or did I just put a canoe in my pocket?!”

Lord Flashheart: “Enter the man who has no underwear. Ask me why.” Others: “Why do you have no underwear, Lord Flash?” Lord Flashheart: “Because the pants haven’t been built yet that’ll take the job on.”

(Photo: BBC)

Blackadder: “Baldrick, believe me, eternity in the company of Beelzebub and all his hellish instruments of death will be a picnic compared to five minutes with me – and THIS pencil.”

Prince Ludwig: “We have met many times, although you knew me by another name. Do you recall a mysterious black marketeer and smuggler called Otto with whom you used to dine and plot and play the biscuit game at the old pizzel in Dover?” Blackadder: “My God.” Prince Ludwig: “Yes! I was the waitress.” Blackadder: “I don’t believe it. You? Big Sally?” Prince Ludwig: [Impression] “Will you have another piece of pie, my Lord?” Blackadder: “But I went to bed with you, didn’t I?”

Blackadder: “So let’s recap. If I admit that I am in love – sorry, head over heels in love with Satan and all his little wizards – then you will remove my testicles with a blunt instrument resembling some kind of gardening tool and roast them over a large fire. Whereas if I don’t admit that I’m in love with Satan and all his little wizards, you will hold me upside down in a vat of warm marmalade…AND remove my testicles with a blunt… oh I see.”

Blackadder: “Criminal record?” Baldrick: “Absolutely not.” Blackadder: “Oh, come on, Baldrick. You’re going to be an MP for God’s sake. I’ll just put fraud and sexual deviance…”

Blackadder: “I lost closer friends than ‘darling Georgie’ the last time I was deloused.”

(Photo: BBC)

Blackadder: “The path of my life is strewn with cowpats from the Devil’s own satanic herd.”

Blackadder: “Baldrick, I want you to take this and go out and buy a turkey so large, you’d think its mother had been rogered by an omnibus.”

Blackadder: “You really are a beginner. You forgot your comedy breasts!” Lord Melchett: “Au contraire, Blackadder.”

Baldrick: “Morning, Mr. B.” Blackadder: “Leave me alone, Baldrick. If I wanted to talk to a vegetable, I would have bought one at the market.”

Blackadder: “I’ve never had anything you doctors didn’t try to cure with leeches. A leech on my ear for ear ache, a leech on my bottom for constipation.” Doctor: “You know the leech comes to us on the highest authority?” Blackadder: “Yes. Dr Hoffmann of Stuttgart, isn’t it?” Doctor: “That’s right, the great Hoffmann.” Blackadder: “Owner of the largest leech farm in Europe…”

Queenie: “I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a concrete elephant.”

General Melchett: “Field Marshal Haig has formulated a brilliant new tactical plan to ensure final victory in the field.” Blackadder: “Ah. Would this brilliant plan involve us climbing out of our trenches and walking very slowly towards the enemy?” Captain Darling: “How could you possibly know that, Blackadder?! It’s classified information!”

[embedded content]

Prince George: “Someone said I had the wit and intellect of a donkey.” Blackadder: “Oh, an absurd suggestion sir. Unless it was a particularly stupid donkey.”

Blackadder: “Baldrick, your head is as empty as a eunach’s underpants.”

Blackadder: “Am I jumping the gun, Baldrick, or are the words ‘I have a cunning plan’ marching with ill-deserved confidence in the direction of this conversation?”

Blackadder: “Baldrick, you wouldn’t recognise a subtle plan if it painted itself purple and danced naked on a harpsicord singing ‘subtle plans are here again’.”

Mr. Pants: “You’ve really worked out your banter, haven’t you?” Blackadder: “No, this is a different thing. It’s spontaneous and it’s called wit.”

Two seasons of Blackadder and the Christmas special are available to watch on Netflix UK

• Have your say on the latest TV and film with Screen Babble, our discussion group on Facebook

More Blackadder on i

How Blackadder captured the absurd tragedy of war

When Blackadder turned election farce into inspired comedy

Blackadder is the show we most want a new series of

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…and some jokes:

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joshanethailand · 7 years

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Week Two: Phuket Town

18/04/2017: Heading to town

It was our last morning at the resort. We took our last opportunity for a swim in the pool and hung out the swimmers to dry. After packing most of our things, it was down to reception to confirm our departure and transport to Casa Blanca in Old Phuket Town.

We followed a reasonable breakfast of omelettes and juice etc., the first breakfast for Shane for several days, with a final swim in the bay. Whereas previously there was ample water for a decent swim if one swam out a distance, this was our first low tide swim and six inches of mud oozed between our toes all the way out. Shane swam out one hundred metres hoping to find some depth but it was only four-foot deep. We gave up.

Not to be deterred, a short dip in the main pool amid the sour Ruskies ended up a precursor to the bar and a couple of cocktails of the day. The drink was something with coconut milk and tasted ok. It was before 11 and too early for freebies so we had to pay half price for them. The Ruskies were hanging around the bar like a bad smell and as soon as the clock struck eleven and drinks were free, the barmen were inundated with orders and the day had begun. We however had bigger fish to fry.

Leaving the bar behind, it was back for a shower and to put the finishing touches on the luggage. It was just as well as the "bellboys" were knocking on the door for our bags by a quarter to twelve and we weren't ready. Our bags were pretty well done though so we told them to take the suit cases and we would walk to the reception where we checked out, filled out questionnaire and paid a bill of just over ฿500. Pretty good we thought.

We gave the resort our full tick of approval. Excellent for most. Food good, maid good (even though at one point we had seven rolls of hand towels and one of toilet paper which at that point we needed the most), everything good. The salient point came in the last question. How could we make your experience better? We had no answer as we couldn't really criticise the place. Plenty had, but were mostly whingers. Jo put that a bucket of water at the door would be good to rinse our feet.

We headed straight down to the boat and left the jetty at 12.15 on the dot after a late influx of Chinese and Aussies.

Departure boat

Within no time, we were at the Laem Hin pier, in a taxi and heading for Phuket town where, after being dropped off at the front of Casa Blanca and directly across from the Rasta Café, we found ourselves in a déjà vu moment. We were unknowingly on the front steps of the Casa Blanca and across from the Rasta Café during Songkran, a few days earlier.

Casa Blanca Boutique Hotel

Casa Blanca was an impressive old hotel from another era. We had a choice of a room with a balcony at the front which was the noisy rooms (traffic and Rasta Café until one) or inward facing quieter rooms. We chose the latter. Following check-in, we were shown to our room via the lift, and hit a snag. We were both in the lift with Jo's carryon bag and big handbag packed to bursting point. The overload siren went off, too much weight. The girl asked for Jo's carryon bag and we were ok, the lift worked. That could have been embarrassing.

Our neighbours, the Rasta Café

We sort of settled in for a bit and after spending half an hour putting our clothes in the cupboard and setting up for music and chargers etc., headed out to look around the streets. The concierge produced a rudimentary map, rattled off the sites worth visiting nearby and suggested a local massage joint that for only a few dollars would sort out all of our problems. As soon as we hit the footpath we headed toward Kim's massage to see what was on offer before turning back and heading straight to the chemist for some Delhi Belly pills. We ended up with antibiotics.

The chemist was on the corner of Thalang Road so as soon as we got our drugs we headed along the footpath looking mainly at fabrics and clothing as well as trinkets and other rubbish. Obviously, we were in the tourist area as nothing was cheap (not expensive neither). A short distance on we passed a guy selling old wares and found some Thai number plates. Jo reckoned that they were fake as there were two plates with the same number. Strange that. One for each end of the car maybe?? We let it go and moved on.

Let the shopping begin

After a few hundred metres of walking down Thalang Road, we turned left and left again ending up in Phang Nga Road. A short distance on was the magnificent Phuket Post Office, a commanding white structure whose grandeur represented its once prosperous past. Here, we again turned and found a side street that terminated with a mall which from a distance looked interesting so we headed in. On closer inspection it was not. Two shops, one selling tourist clothes on one side and a small supermarket on the other was all that was there so we bought a few provisions and headed back.

Not before Jo seen a “Creative” 24hr tailor and wanted to price a dress for the wedding. It was run by Indians and looked expensive. Jo asked some unanswerable questions like how much will it cost for a dress? "I don’t know madame unless you choose a fabric", and how much will it cost with this fabric? "I don’t know madame unless you choose a style". By this time Shane had moved on and Jo soon joined him with an estimate of seven to fifteen thousand Baht. Sounds reasonable she said. Do the math Jo. That’s almost $600.

Right next door were a couple of local tailors working with a treadle Singer under a canvas canopy. Shane had a look and suggested that Jo try these people. The lady, although with absolutely no English, could communicate enough to get her message across, drew the design of a dress on paper. Vee or round neck, sleeves or no sleeves basic shape and length. We looked through the fabric samples and chose a grey. ฿1300 and ready in two days. Fine, we'll go with that. If it didn't work we were not much out of pocket. We offered ฿500 as good will and everyone was happy.

Measuring up

Back onto Ratsada Road and straight back to Casa Blanca was the intention, but before we could reach there, Jo diverted to the Rasta Café. Shane dropped off the day's goodies and joined her shortly after. The place had interesting prices, ฿150 for a beer and ฿150 for all cocktails, so after one beer we were onto the cocktails.

First beer at the Rasta Café

The café dinner menu didn’t interest us too much leading Jo to look for a place not far for dinner, Club No.43 which her phone told us was close, so she picked it up on Google Maps and we headed there. Back down where we had walked earlier in the day. Upon walking into the place and asking for food, a rather tall Kazakh that identified as a Russian (Kazakhs like to fight) said that this was a cocktail bar and served cocktails only. Ok then we'll have a cocktail. They were more expensive here, Aussie prices but they were pretty good, firstly a Japanese slipper for Jo and an Old Fashioned for Shane followed up but a Jup Jup and a Rusty Nail. The search then resumed for food.

Club No.43

We headed back to a Japanese restaurant that we had passed earlier, entered and were shown to a table with a hole in the middle, not unlike a Korean barbeque. We ordered Miso soup, a couple of plates of Japanese vegetables, some fried rice and plates of lamb and beef along with a 300ml bottle of sake. Shortly after, the coals turned up in a mesh based container, carried by a rather short but muscular character whose sole task seemed to be to ensure that the tables were readily supplied with ample heat to cook. Then the food appeared and we were off and running. Excellent meal with not much left but we probably could have done with only half of the vegetables. When we were finally finished, the bill came to ฿1185, or a bit over $40. The Yakiniku Koku was cheap as and a good feed.

Forty bucks worth

Upon leaving the restaurant we ended back at the Rasta Café again, tempted across from the return to our room and recommenced cocktails again. Heaps cheaper than Club No.43 but nowhere near as good. Still, you get what you pay for. Soon after we got there a guitarist started singing classic hits reggae style. He was very good and took requests. Jo asked for Cats in the Cradle of which he obliged. About an hour into his routine he was joined by a female and they played together singing great music.

The Cat’s in the Cradle

By 10 pm it was time to hit the sack so we left to get some sleep.

Tomorrow, who knows?

19/04/2017: Gently, gently

We both struggled to get up this morning due to sickness from lingering Deli Belly overnight. Little sleep and another hard bed saw us both sleeping in but with Jo up first, pottering around until Shane arose. It was eleven before we left the hotel for a look around, with no breakfast, and no hunger.

The first port of call was the chemist again but this time for pills that would supress vomiting and the runs. For $12 it was more than value. The anti-spewing pills cost $50 back home.

Next step was to head down Thalang Road again for another look around. The first step was to buy a cheap shirt to save ironing and plenty were available after Songkran. Everybody wore Hawaiian shirts and there were plenty left. Following that come the second-hand guy where Shane bought a number plate to go out the back. ฿300 bought a red plate from a province to the north. He didn’t say which one but emphasised that it was not Phuket. A bit of Google Translate later determined that พังงา was Thai for Phang Nga, where we were headed in a few days to the elephant sanctuary.

The colourful shophouses of Thalang Rd

Further down the road saw a bit of a commotion with a van parked at the kerb and the footpath blocked with people and photographers. It ended up being a few young women dressed to the nines and contesting the Miss Grand Phuket competition. They were all lovely and sucking up the attention on Thalang Road and just around the corner in Soi Rommanee, the once red light district for the many Chinese labourers who came to work the tin mines.

Miss Grand Phuket contestants

Since we were in Soi Rommanee we kept walking through to Dibuk Road, put about and promptly headed back. Partially along the lane we happened across an interesting ice cream shop which was pretty full. Not bad we commented so we stuck our heads in and luckily found the last table in Torry’s Ice Cream Shop. Crammed into a corner with menu in hand didn’t bother us as we were in air conditioning rather than the sweat shop outside. We hunkered down for a cool break, both externally and after we ordered a Banoffee and an Apple Crumbles, cool within.

Apple Crumbles and a new shirt

The next stop was a local museum further down Thalang Road (which turned into Krabi Road) which was once the local Chinese-language school. The Thai Hua Museum gave the history of the island from when the Chinese started to arrive after the mining of tin commenced. It never really gave the history beforehand. It also extolled the virtues and work ethic of the Chinese and their descendants, particularly the business leaders that shaped the future of the island through trade and education. It seemed that the progression of society only happened if you were Chinese or part Chinese. There was not much mention of Thai if there was no Chinese blood in them so it would have been a little skewed in its interpretation of the islands history. At least that is how we saw it.

Thai Hua Museum

After the museum, we returned to the room. Jo was feeling the bug taking hold and the humidity was taking effects. Upon arrival she rested while Shane went shopping to stock up on water and tea bags. We tried our first cup of tea this morning and only green tea was available.

A wander around the streets before heading to the market fortunately revealed a little gem of an area. Drawn by an ornate archway into an elaborate narrow entryway (it used to be narrower) Shane was led to Sang Tham Shrine a recently refurbished shrine that was full of warriors and carvings that had been affected by years of incense burning. The signs said no photos and no shoes. He did neither as he was closely watched by the monks or minders or whoever they were. No donation neither.

Sang Tham Shrine off Phang Nga Road

Upon return to the hotel, it was time to head out to look around a bit more and have a feed. The first for the day and in the opposite direction along Thalang Road we strode until we hit the Golden Dragon and veered left into 72nd Anniversary Queen Sirikit Park.

Statue of the Golden Dragon

It must have been seniors’ day as there were oldies everywhere. Kicking this plastic ball in the air, tai chi type stuff, some sort of yoga-ish exercise and some slow, slow dancing. Quite interesting though as we commented that some of the old darlings (or probably most) are probably in better shape than us. No hip replacements needed in their group.

No hip replacements here

We moved amongst them until we got to the end of the park, crossed the road and entered the Indy Markets. Not much here though unless you’re a younger person looking for clothes, watches, jewellery etc. At the end there was a pretty good food markets full of stalls offering a great variety of food. We had to leave there though as the smells didn't agree with Jo.

Market entrance

Escaping the odours, we headed back down Thalang Road where Jo bought a couple of sarong type things. We ended up finding ourselves at Bar No.43 again with our Kazakh barman, Alexey. No names for the cocktails this time, he just invented them as he went. All was good but after a couple we had to leave. It was dinner time.

We ended back at the Japanese joint again for a similar feed as last night but prawns involved. Again good, ฿850 but we need a change for tomorrow night.

On the return to Casa Blanca we stopped for another shirt and picked up a couple of travel brochures for Phi Phi Islands and James Bond Island. As soon as Jo reckons she's up to it we'll book them in. Time is running out though.

Thalang Road at night

Tomorrow, who knows (again).

20/04/2017: More culture than a jar of yoghurt

We were both feeling a lot better this morning. The drugs must be working. So much so that we were confident enough to book some day tours to Phi Phi Islands and Phang Nga Bay, the home of James Bond Island. Checking out the internet revealed some good tours still. This was important as we effectively have only two days left available considering we're booked into the elephants on Sunday. Over a good breakfast of eggs, tea and coffee, we decided that the Phi Phi Islands was the go and that the James Bond Islands would be next. Bellies full we climbed the stairs to the corridor that led to our room to book the tour.

The open corridor of Casa Blanca

The best tour seemed to be a Siam Adventure Tours one day trip. It was too late to book online so we phoned to see if there was still room but got no reply. Just a message promising to phone us back within half an hour. We had no luck with the James Bond Island tour as well. We had left it too late.

With time ticking away we found ourselves leaving the room earlier than anticipated as the driver we had booked at breakfast had turned up to take us around to some of the landmarks. We had asked the girl at the desk how to get around as it was a good opportunity to visit the Big Buddha somewhere to the south and a temple or two. She recommended that their driver take us around for half a day to some of the sites nearby.

First stop Wat Chalong, a Buddhist temple complex at Chalong. The driver dropped us off just inside the entrance and gave us an hour to look around. The place was considerable, both in architecture and size.

Formerly named Wat Chaiyathararam, Wat Chalong is the largest and most popular of Phuket’s Buddhist temples. Built during the nineteenth century, the temple was founded by, amongst others, two monks named Luang Pho Cham and Luang Pho Chuang. These characters famously led and patched up locals who were fighting the Chinese rebellion that occurred almost a century and a half ago.

Entrance to Wat Chalong

Where to start? The first impression was how noisy the place was. Every few minutes a series of fire crackers were let off, echoing off of the buildings and through the streets.

We headed towards the racket for a few metres and had a quick look at the façade of the ubosot immediately before us, the most revered of all buildings on site and closed to the public.

The ubosot

After avoiding a few vehicles, we veered left to a bell tower which could be climbed for a better overall view. Further on found us outside the wat’s main hall containing three statues of monks with plenty of people before them kneeling to pray and sticking gold leaf on them. To the front was the source of the noise overseen by a number of elephant statues, two large named Jumpee and Plykaew and plenty of small. The source was a kiln where the crackers were thrown by a couple of locals who had the sidecar of their motor scooter stocked with supplies. The kiln was continually in use whether it be a spiritual ritual or just grabbing attention we did not know.

Fire cracker kiln

Plykaew, one of the Temple Elephant Couple

Moving onto the next building found us in the mondop which displayed antique Thai cabinets with glassware inside. Overseeing the cabinets were life size statues of Luang Pho Cham, Luang Pho Chuang plus others. There were also images of the Queen paying tribute to the shrines.

One of the monks in the mondop

Competition from the neighbours

The next building was the Phra Mahathat Chedi but in getting there we happened across Reverend Father Abbot temple. A small but interesting temple containing a Buddha flanked by a couple of characters who seemed to like a durry. Strange but people were praying before them.

Old smoky

The sixty-metre-high Phra Mahathat Chedi (short for Phramahathatchedi-Jomthaibarameepragat) was the Grand Pagoda that contained a bone fragment from Lord Buddha encased in a glass cabinet, just a few steps up from the top viewing deck.

Grand Pagoda (Phramahathatchedi-Jomthaibarameepragat)

Upon entering the temple (after shoes were removed) we were confronted with the life story of Buddha around the walls and a multitude of golden statues, both kneeling and on their side, placed around a central shrine. Further up via a magnificent marble staircase with a balustrade topped by a Nāga handrail, we were again amongst resplendent golden statues where people took time to pray. One more effort and we were on the terrace overlooking the entire complex and surrounding area. A couple of steps further and we were in a small, busy room atop the Chedi where the bone fragment was within a glass globe, surrounded by white flowers and held within the larger glass cabinet. The crematorium, and other closed off buildings, plus where we had already covered, were flanked to the north and south by a couple of small lakes or dams of which one looked a lot more natural than the other. In the distance was our next stop, the Big Buddha.

First floor shrine room

Stairway to Heaven (and the fragment)

Big Buddha from Phra Mahathat Chedi

A short distance from Wat Chalong and a few turns through small villages saw us heading up steep, damaged and winding roads that led to the car park at the Big Buddha only a few kilometres away. Again, the driver gave us an hour to look around and said would meet us where we had separated. It was pretty hot and the forecourt below the Buddha was lined to the side with traders selling refreshments and souvenirs. The other side displayed relics, statues and signs both explaining the culture, some quotations from the famous as well as warning against offensive behaviour, including appropriate dress for women, which many managed to ignore.

Welcoming sign at the Big Buddha

The most noticeable thing of all was the amount of unfinished building work. It was everywhere and reminded one of the massive and expensive task at hand.

One of the most revered landmarks in Phuket, the statue sits on top of Mount Nagakerd and overlooks the entire south of the island. The white jade marble, sourced from Myanmar, clad the concrete icon which was started some fifteen years ago and although there still seemed plenty to do, it is nearing completion.

Once at the bottom of the grand staircase, we stopped to take in the views over Chalong and a distant Phuket Town to the north and Rawai, the Anderman Sea and Straits of Malacca to the south, before climbing the bare concrete steps to the top.

Big Buddha

The area surrounding the base of the Buddha displayed shrines and statues as well as donation stands. Once under and inside of the Buddha, its concrete skeleton was all too apparent, covering the entire space overhead. The area at ground level seemed to be a storage area for the yet to be re-exhibited religious statues (or they were in the too hard basket). Either way it felt like walking through a construction zone.

Another stairway to heaven

To the rear of Buddha was no different except the view was over the island and sea to the west. Bricks on pallets, bare reinforcement and construction machinery reminded us that this was a work in progress.

Unfinished construction at the rear

As we exited and turned left we were impressed by another large but much smaller Buddha made of brass. Apparently, this Buddha, perched upon two Nāgas was representative of the Queen, the larger Big Buddha perched upon Lotus panels of the King.

Brass Buddha at the rear

It was time to return via a path to the side that not only allowed us to walk through the gift shop but also to get close (but not too close) to some locals. Before we hit the path we walked past quite a number of Buddhas with their hands out, surrounded by crude brass nameplates with donors names in ink, jingling in the breeze.

A couple of locals

At the bottom of the path and into the exit area were some interesting relics and shrines amongst the souvenirs. To the left was the major donation centre where we could by a metre of concrete for ฿2000 while to the right was a monk, sitting and sweating while blessing those who patiently queued.

Rubbing his belly for good luck

Walking past the donation centre

Not long after we were back with the driver and heading to our next destination.

First elephant sighted so far

Our driver heaed along Rawai Beach which looked ok but he noted that it was nothing when compared to before the 2004 tsunami. Not long after we at the Promthep Cape shopping area car park. From here we walked up the hill to a paved viewpoint. There were several impressive tributes to the King showing his family and a history in pictures. Just above the tribute was a park with an elephant shrine and hundreds of elephants of all sizes.

Local memorial for King Bhumibol Adulyadej

To the southern end of the park was a monument to Prince of JuBorn, son of King Rama V (28th child of) who ran the Thai Navy for a while.

Promthep Cape elephant shrine

Hundreds and hundreds of elephants

We next ventured on to Windmill Viewpoint where we could look back at Yanui Beach, across to Ko Man and on to get a glimpse of Nai Harn Beach. Before long we were at Karon Viewpoint overlooking Kata Noi Beach and playing with a couple of rather large birds.

Overlooking Phuket’s ocean beaches

Sea Eagles?

Lucky its claws were covered

That was it. We headed back to the Casa Blanca and further on down Ratsada Road to collect Jo’s dress that should have been finished. As we rounded the corner where the Indians and their “Creative” designs were located, we could see it hanging up and the couple keeping their eyes out for us. Jo was stoked, it looked good, made well and fit nicely. So much so that we handed over the money and ordered a couple more with slight differences. A blue and a green one for ฿2100 and again ready in a couple of days. This time we left ฿1000 and wandered off to the Novatel where our host, Gorgei at the Casa Blanca recommended we visit.

Jo and her seamstress

With the dress in a carry bag we headed back along Ratsada Road and on, eventually due to some wrong turns, to the Novatel. After enquiring at reception, we caught the lift to the top floor and the rooftop bar. Here we were fortunate enough to have a couple of beers on the shady side overlooking the harbour and city to the east and watch the afternoon’s fishing fleet head to sea to catch tomorrow’s seafood. Very relaxing and we were all alone as the bar had just opened.

After a short rest period of recuperation we were back down at street level and heading back to our room to prepare for the evenings activities, namely food and a few drinks.

The harbour from the Novatel bar

Gone fishing

First stop, Club No.43 again to sample a couple more of Alexey’s concoctions, drinks created after discussing flavours that we liked. Tailor made, beautiful and delicious. From there it was dinner at a restaurant next door to Memory at On On, another hotel not dissimilar to Casa Blanca with much history and the Sino-Portuguese architecture.

Downing another one

Fish salad for dinner

The Osha restaurant was pretty full when we turned up. There were tourists and plenty of locals tucking in and keeping the staff busy. The menu was good and varied but looking at the people beside us the choice was clear, whole fish with an excellent salad. The service was prompt with our meals coming out sooner rather than later so we tucked in with a bottle of wine for support. Following an excellent dinner, it was back down the road, past the post office and off to bed. After a short detour via the Rasta Café.

The grand Phuket Post Office

Tomorrow, it’s off to the Phi Phi Islands and looking forward to it.

21/04/2017: Phi Phi Islands

We were up at ten to six for a twenty to seven pick up for the Phi Phi Island Tour. We tried to book a Phang Na Bay Tour to see the James Bond Island and the Muslim floating village but the Newcastle Perm wouldn’t release our money and asked us to phone them. No phone and no time meant that we missed out at this stage.

The minibus picked us up at a quarter to seven and dropped us off at Phuket Royal Marina about half hour later. Here we entered a mustering type room where we paid the balance and waited with many others, all heading off into different directions for their tours. We thought we were running late as we were supposed to be at Phi Phi Islands by eight thirty to beat the crowds. The islands are about forty kilometres to the south east so there was still a bit of work to do. Twenty minutes after arriving, everybody with orange wrist bands were shepherded out of the side door and led to our boat, a reasonably large vessel with twin 250hp Hondas. There were twelve passengers and four crew. The boat probably could have carried a half dozen more.

Preparing for the worst, hoping for the best

The confines of the harbour in our wake found us heading into the Andaman Sea at about thirty-three miles per hour. Once we were outside of the island's protection, the sea produced a bit of swell, bouncing the boat about. It hardly mattered to the captain as he pressed ahead at effectively full speed, only slowing to manoeuvre the tricky troughs.

Khai Nok (Egg Island) to the left and its smaller neighbour Khai Nui. They're not surrounded by clear, turquoise water today.

It wasn't long before the overcast skies of Phuket turned to darkened and low hanging, full of precipitation and ready drench us. Although initially only slight, as the serious showers approached, and as a precaution, the crew gave us raincoats to wear under our vests. On we pressed. Twenty minutes of downpour brought us to within sight of the islands and miraculously, as the crew predicted, the rain cleared. Still overcast but improving. More showers in the afternoon they said.

Welcoming party

We would start the day with the northern most and largest island, Phi Phi Don. A bit of everything here, swimming, snorkelling hiking and eating. First stop, Monkey Beach where once on the beach, monkeys apparently come out of the vegetation to try and scab food. There were plenty of signs advising against feeding them as when the food runs out they get the shits and attack. We did not have any food and did not have to worry, there were no monkeys to be seen. It was the first dip of the day though, however short. Twenty minutes and we were gone.

Monkeyless Beach

Not today

Once we headed off shore we were only a stone's throw from our next stop, Loh Dalum, a bay where we again stopped off at the beach. Our guide offered to escort us up to the view point, overlooking the beaches of both Loh Dalum Bay, and Ton Sai Bay, the main bay only a hundred odd metres behind. Most went up to the view point but we walked the beach until we found an interesting bar and restaurant, the PP Beach Bar another with a Rasta feel, but nowhere near the Rasta Café. We must have been a bit early as while looking around we were asked what we were doing. When we said we were looking for a beer, the manager unlocked the fridge, got a couple of beers out, and locked it again. There was an hour to kill here and as the beer went down, the sun started to show itself. A little at first but by the time we were finished, we could feel ourselves burning. Time for sun screen. We found a bit of shade under a palm tree a short stroll away and took the opportunity to lube up, along with the opportunity to play with a few very young kittens using the kayaks and rental signs to hide.

Although we didn't make it to the top, we walked the beach, had a beer, got the warm and fuzzies from a few cats and looked at the lingering damage and recovery from the tsunami all those years ago. Time well spent.

View from the lookout

PP Beach Bar

Back to Monkey Beach, this time for snorkelling at the eastern end. There was basic coral there but nothing spectacular. The seabed was littered with the remnants of dead coral, tsunami related? There were plenty of yellow and black striped fish around, quite willing to slowly move aside to allow us to swim amongst them. Next stop, lunch on an island to the north.

Looking back at Hat Noppharat Thara National Park

We powered out of the bay and headed north to Bamboo Island where the crew set up a few tables on the beach and fed everyone a pretty reasonable lunch. Plenty of food, mostly curries and rice with fruit and soft drinks. A couple of hours for lunch and a swim was scheduled and although the swimming was awkward as the water was too shallow, it was still acceptable.

Lunch on the beach

There were a lot of people on the beach by the time we had eaten and an interesting situation developed when three of them, who obviously hadn't turned up at the longtail boat on time to return to their boat (a fairly large and old cruiser) were subsequently left behind. They seemed to be just ignored. The longtail dropped off everyone else on the cruiser which in turn weighed anchor, put about and sped off. All the time while the three still on shore were jumping up and down, waving their orange life vests madly, but to no avail. Who knows how they got back to where ever they came from.

Tardiness means you miss the boat

The next island was Mosquito Island but that wasn't on today's programme, thank god. Although we went to Monkey Beach and there were no monkeys so mozzies might not have been an issue.

Lunch and swimming behind us, we boarded our speed boat and left Bamboo Beach (and the three stragglers) behind us. It was about one thirty and this time we headed down the eastern side of Phi Phi Don to the southernmost and smaller, Phi Phi Leh. The first stop was to be our next snorkelling site, Viking Cave. Who knows why it was named so but the caves were formed in the limestone cliffs a few metres above ground level so they were only to view. The caves at sea level seemed to be more of a recess formed by the constant battering of the sea over time. The coral here was much better than Monkey Beach. More variety of coral and fish as well as clams. They were trying to repair damaged coral with seeding the barer areas around this spot.

Viking Cave snorkelling area void of tourists

A half an hour snorkelling and we were moving on to Phi Leh Lagoon.

Phi Leh Lagoon

Entering the lagoon was quite impressive although it must be said that to access the lagoon itself involved a long procession of boats slowly cruising Indian file, looking for a mooring. The lagoon was quite large when inside so we pulled up alongside a couple of other boats and dropped the anchor. We jumped off of the boat here as little shore line was available. Jo didn't go in here but Shane dived off the bow and tread water for twenty minutes.

The Lonergans are out here somewhere

The deep aqua blue water, coloured by the limestone canyon was a departure from the other sites and welcomed. Twenty minutes wasn't long enough but we had to keep going, To our final destination and pinnacle of our day, Maya Bay and its famous beach.

This place was horrendous. For no other reason than the amount of people and boats that were swarming along the sands (not including us). As we approached it was not apparent where we were going to go ashore. The beach was wall to wall speed boats with silhouettes of tourists everywhere like ants atop their nest. How dare they choose the same day as we arrived.

Reverse parking

Just another day in paradise

The beach itself is a pristine piece of paradise. So much so that the movie "The Beach", starring Leonardo de Caprio was filmed there some years earlier. It looked less than pristine and a little less for ware today.

Anyway, we, contributing to the mayhem, walked off of the back of the boat and started to explore. The last thing that we wanted here was to swim. Walking to the southern end of the beach and heading along the path led us to a camping type area where there were what looked like tents, a toilet and some other buildings. We were in Mo Ku Phi Phi National Park so the tents must have been for rent as a sign further on said a ฿400 fee was payable on entry. The fee was already part of our costs.

Welcome to Maya Bay

The path led through the camping area and into a basin of sharp shells. The basin would have taken a few feet of water at high tide and halfway across, a jetty, which would have cleared the water led to a crevice in the rocks. This in turn allowed access to a platform where one could look upon Loh Somah Bay, and an island sitting a hundred odd metres away. There was a rope net hanging from the timber platform into the sea so that swimmers could climb up the rock face to safety if needed. It seemed pointless at low tide as there was a cave that provided access to the basin of shells but would be invaluable at high tide. We had passed the rock at distance earlier and wondered about the rope net.

Loh Somah

We had an hour at Maya Beach but were back in the boat a lot earlier than that. So were several others. We all seemed to be "beached out" and were ready for the return journey. The remainder returned soon after and we were on our way. Belting through the swells on our way back to the Royal Phuket Marina. Nowhere near as rough as this morning but care still needed to be taken. The guide summed up the day and then he hit us with the spoiler, one of the crew had been taking photos and videos all day and they were for sale for ฿1600. This would be delivered to us via an email with a 6mb attachment. We said that we would take one but it came at a cost to the crew. The ฿500 tip we were going to give them went toward the video. When the tip jar came around we didn't contribute, although the crew were excellent. By five o'clock we were back at the marina and on the minibus to Casa Blanca.

No road safety here

A quick turnaround found us doing the usual. We were late though this time at Bar No.43 and when we walked in the immediate comment was that we were late. Anyhow, we started where we had left off last night. Not knowing what we were drinking and leaving our welfare, and our tastebud's welfare to the Kazakh. He mentioned what we had finished with the night before and told us what to expect for the next cocktail. Jo's was still fruity and Shane's following the fragrant line (whatever that means). This time we had three cocktails before dinner, a couple of thousand Baht, before looking for something simpler for dinner. We had passed numerous smaller restaurants/ cafés on our journeys and wanted to try one. Walking back toward Memory at On On we passed a small Thai restaurant where the gent that owned it served, his daughter cooked and his son ran the blended fruit juice stall on the footpath. We went in and ordered a couple of simple meals with rice and a couple of glasses of Thai red and white wine. We had a good feed for less than ฿600.

The fruit juice maker

From there we ended up over the road at the Rasta Café where the place was buzzing. A long line of tables ran through the middle of the joint to accommodate the Phuket Harley Davidson club. A few beers were enjoyed as the live duet, a Rasta guy singing classics, and a Bob Marley look alike who could belt out a good tune kept the place pumping along. They sang different styles of music and took turns in doing so. When it was one's turn the other would be accompaniment.

Good entertainment

We got home about one from the café and on top of the big day on the water were glad that we could not book in for James Bond Island. We've heard it’s a must see so we'll have to see it next time we're in Phuket.

Still busy when we left

Tomorrow will be recovery day.

22/04/2017: The Night Markets

No James Bond Island today but that’s OK as we were stuffed. Late start, late breakfast and late departure. We might have not been too mobile early but with the intermittent outage of power throughout the morning, something was amiss. Once on the street and with the footpath blocked, we found ourselves walking in the middle of the road and skirting closely to the local power authority’s workmen changing out a transformer or such straight out front.

Power issues out front

Avoiding being run over was our immediate goal but we were not on the footpath long when we had to manoeuvre around the local road authority’s tools that were lying around under foot. These guys had been chewing up the old asphalt and were about to lay new stuff. All by hand and utilising some antiquated tar seal maker which made the immediate surrounds both hot and smelly.

Roadworks ahead

Old faithful

With the workers behind us we headed down the side street just to look around and buy a few things before returning to our room. For we had one mission today, visit the night markets.

Local shops

We set out for the night ahead both wanting to buy a few things but hindered by what we could fit in our luggage heading home. There were plenty of drivers wanting to take us there but we walked to near the post office and grabbed a tuk tuk from the rank out to the side. The trip was not too long and before we knew it we were dropped off near the markets as the traffic was so heavy that walking was much faster than our stationary transport.

Post office tuk tuk rank

Family on a scooter

At first we had a look around. All the fakeness we could want. After all, if we buy the original item and its made in China, why not cut out the middle man and buy direct for a fraction of the price. It’s probably made by the same people. Or their cousins.

A half an hour of looking around only half of the stalls, due to the power being out on the other half, our appetites got the better of us. Rather than eat at the food stalls at the other side, we walked straight across the street to a large roadside restaurant for a feed.

Roadside restaurant

The food was cheap, tasty and served quickly. All that we wanted. Once the bill was paid we headed back over the road to buy a few things. Some kids stuff, Calvin Klein, Quicksilver and some Ralf Lauren all genuine-fake, and all for a few dollars. With our arms full we proceeded to the street to look for transport back to the old town.

Shrine at the markets

One of the market aisles

Not remembering exactly where we wanted to go, fumbling our directions led to a couple of tuk tuk drivers ignoring us and moving on. We wanted to go back to Bar No.43 but didn’t know the street name. Finally, we jumped in a taxi and asked for Memory On On Hotel which was just around the corner.

The smell of barbeque greeted us this time and as tempting as it was we turned another meal down as we were expanding quickly enough on this holiday.

No.43 staff ordering dinner

We planned for this to be the last night that we visited Club No.43 as we had the Siam Niramit show the following night and Alexey had the night off as well. The other cocktail waiters were nowhere near as good. Two or three more cocktails and we were finished for the holiday. We thanked him, gave him a decent tip, (which his Chinese boss was all over us like a rash as I slid it into his palm. She might of wanted a cut) and headed back to Casa Blanca.

Last cocktail with Alexey

But not before dropping our goodies back to our room and heading across the road for a couple.

A familiar ending

Tomorrow, the elephants.

23/04/2017: Phang Nga Elephant Park & Siam Niramit

The morning started off badly. We were at the hotel lobby at ten to seven, ten minutes early, waiting to be picked up for the Phang Nga Elephant Park as an email had come through last night from the park advising us of the pickup time. By twenty past seven we were getting worried so we had the night manager phone the contact number to see what was going on. When no one pick up on the other end we became more concerned. A couple of more calls were made but to no avail and we were a half an hour behind. About seven thirty the phone rang and the manager of the park told us that the pickup vehicle was broken down or pranged or something and a replacement vehicle was on its way. At least we had certainty and by a quarter to eight we were in transit.

A nervous wait ensued

The driver was in a bit of a panic and mumbled something incoherent. He drove us through back streets to the outskirts of town, pulled up and said he had other things to attend to. At this point he handed over to a guy standing on the side of the road and gave instructions. He had one more pickup somewhere near Patong Beach and then to the park. The new driver must have also been told not to spare the horses as he weaved in and out of traffic, scooters and taxis alike, until he had picked up the next lot, three American lads, and was heading north to the mainland.

Roadside broom seller

It was a trip of two halves and interesting to say the least. The first half was as earlier described, weaving in and out of traffic, tooting at anyone who deserved it and travelling at time at twice the speed limit and constantly at forty kilometres over. By the time he had reached the top of Phuket and crossed Prak Pah Strait into Phang Nga, fatigue must have set in as he slowed right down and was constantly nodding off. Shane was sitting behind and when he nodded off would talk to him or just watch him. Jo was blissfully unaware of our sleepy driver and just as well as she would have been in a panic. Anyway, we made it three quarters of an hour late and all was fine.

Strangely, we were not greeted when we removed ourselves from the vehicle and were a little lost. We wandered up a path that may have led somewhere but didn't know where. It ended up being the right way and we soon joined the other people who had been waiting for us so that the day could start. A welcoming drink that tasted ordinary but with a dash of lime squeezed in vastly improved (it was still ordinary though), preceded a twenty minute talk on elephants and the park's objectives.

The park was founded several years ago and takes in elephants in need, whether they be from logging camps or tourist ventures etc. This park considers itself a sanctuary but still allows the bare back riding of its nine elephants. It considers that riding the elephants is essential for the people to get to know them and for the park to justify the charging of five thousand Baht each to do so. When comparing their park to elephant trekking, Phang Nga elephants are ridden for one hour twice a day. The rest of the day is spent resting and being cared for by their mahouts. Elephant trekking costs about eight hundred Baht and the elephants are worked all day. They eat ten percent of their body weight daily so it costs a fortune to feed them. The investment must be recouped.

Welcoming drink at the info session

After the pleasantries, we moved to a covered elevated platform where we were introduced to our mahout, Po. The group consisted of nine people, a German couple, a British woman and boy, the three Americans and us. We all climbed the steps waiting in anticipation for our turn to get on board. Luckily, we ended up last and after Jo watched the others mount the elephants and was wary of their size, she chickened out and told Shane to go alone. We were lucky here in two ways, firstly we got the biggest elephant in the group. A beautiful big female in her thirties, named Duongjai. Four and a half tonne and half a tonne over weight. Secondly, when Jo pulled the pin we thought it was over but to their credit Po and the supervisor escorted her so she could walk alongside Duongjai for the entire length of the track.

Po and Duongjai waiting patiently

Sitting on her shoulders was hairy to say the least. Get your legs behind her ears and both hands flat on top of her head was the instructions motioned by Po. And keep forward. This was done but it was still awkward. Especially since Duongjai kept deviating to forage for food as we went. The trip was slow and leisurely and although the first leg was only a couple of hundred metres up the hill, the casual approach meant that it still took twenty minutes. Once at the top we dismounted and fed the elephants bucket loads of bananas. They all loved them and we had to stop feeding as they wouldn't have, especially ours.

Couldn’t keep the bananas up to her

After the bananas were gone they were given a break. We then remounted for the trip back down. On the way up we were last but on the return journey we were leading. Po and the supervisor done a great job helping Jo, helping her over the uneven path and telling her where to and where not to stand as Duongjai moved from side to side. An hour and a quarter after it started it was all over.

A few bananas left for the trip down

Once dismounted, the elephants were taken away, rested and while everyone was changing, moved up to the elephant pond. This is what they loved. Getting wet and scrubbed. Again, we were first. Duongjai walked into the water and sat down near the side of the pond. At this point Jo joined in and we both climbed into the pool and started to wash and scrub her. She loved the attention but on a couple of occasions stood up. This got a bit scary as the side of the pond was angled so it was a challenge not to slide under her. It was alright when she was sitting as we could just lean against her. Another anxious moment came when she almost stood on Shane's foot when getting up. Po yelled a few instructions and she sat down again giving us the opportunity to keep washing her.

Scrubbing in the elephant pool

When it was all over we grabbed our gear, and headed over to wash the "organic" material from the pond off and get some clean clothes on. The supervisor then escorted us up the hill for a good lunch of several curries with rice, a soft drink and fruit. A storm was brewing and as the thunder became closer and louder he recommended that we head down to see their baby elephant (15 months old) still under the protection of its mother. We just got it in when the heavens opened. With rain absolutely pouring down we sheltered under a nearby hut and tried to work our way back to the minibus. By the time we had made it we had no driver. One of the ladies ended up finding him asleep somewhere so he was fresh for the trip back.

A good spread for lunch

Mother and child

The trip back was not as eventful as getting there and we were lucky to be dropped off before the Americans on return. We were booked in for a night of entertainment at Siam Niramit, a local theatrical production outlining the history and culture of Thailand. We were getting picked up at a quarter to six so had time for a shower before fronting back up at the lobby. Being ready a half hour early allowed us to have a quick look at the local markets down the street but when we arrived at reception the driver was already waiting for us. It must even out, late in the morning and early at night.

It wasn't too far to the Siam Niramit complex. Just out of town. We were met with entertainers in fantastic looking period and ceremonial dress with a photographer to boot. Strange thing was that she was taking photos to try and flog to us later and also taking the same photo with our cameras. We don't think she'd sell too many of hers. The programme consisted of a show in the theatre preceded by an hour of displays in the courtyard consisting of kick boxing, traditional dancing and war elephant parade.

Welcoming committee

As soon as we were inside we looked around briefly and headed to the buffet dinner as it opened and not too many people were around. We may have been at the Silver Dolphin at Cardiff RSL as the food was the same variety and quality. All you could eat mediocrity.

It wasn't long before the pre-show activities were to commence so we left the buffet, walked through the courtyard and into a very interesting replica of a Thai village. The display represented different village styles from all parts of the land. Not long after arrival the activities started and we had to move on. Thai boxing was the starting point with a couple of boxers fighting in the ring and hamming it up for the crowds. This was followed by dancing, a light show, more dancing and finished off with an impressive Thai war parade containing many performers in battle or period costume with drums, weapons, shields and of course the elephant.

Thai boxing circus

At the conclusion of the courtyard displays, a half an hour was left to get to the theatre. Another quick look around the village and we were tailing up the crowd for the long walk to see the show. Signs were up at the entrance about no filming of the show but to make doubly sure that this didn't happen, they took everyone's cameras off them before entering. We moved in to the platinum seating which was an excellent spot, right in the middle and far enough back so we didn't kink our necks. The crowd was then asked to stand to respect the King and national anthem.

The show started off impressively with drummers on film and live but quickly evolved into telling the development of cultural diversity over the last seven hundred years. This was portrayed with scenes from the Ancient Kingdom of Lanna (the north) where the King and Queen worship Buddha and release a lantern followed by sword fighting, the South Seas (traders from abroad) where Thai Buddhist and Muslim cultures blend and Chinese merchants arrive, trade goods and intermarry, the Heritage of the Khmers (the Northeast Issan) where villagers celebrate a religious festival and a revered Khmer temple appears and the capital Ayutthaya (Central Plains) where peasants attend their rice paddies and are compared to the grandiose life in a palace. All four scenes were excellent. They told an interesting story effectively portrayed across all languages and cultures.

The second act represented the three realms of Thai beliefs and the religious principle of Karma, both good and bad deeds in the current life leading to merit or suffering in the next. The first scene shows Phrayom in his Kingdom of Hell where the flames are fuelled by people's sins and the condemned souls receive punishments reflective of their crimes. Tear out the tongues of liars, alcoholics forced to drink boiling water and adulterers being forced to climb a tree of painful thorns etc. The second represents a mystical forest located between heaven and earth populated by kinaree and nareepon, mystical creatures that are half woman half bird and beautiful girls born from trees as fruit. Demi-gods Mekhala and Ramasoon also make an appearance. The final act depicted the Journey through Joyous Festivals where Thai Buddhists, believing that to go to heaven they need to gather merit on earth partake in meritorious festivals combining religious, colourful and joyful celebration.

Scene from the internet

That was it. After the grand parade where they all walked along the aisle between the rows of seats, we gathered our cameras and headed for the exit. It was our last night in Phuket and as we had already said our goodbyes to the Russian, we headed to the Rasta Café for a couple of late drinks before bed and to again listen to the live music.

Last night

Tomorrow a late checkout before leaving for home.

24-25/04/2017: Getting Home

The time was near and we were having such a great time that we didn't want it to end. Our flight was scheduled for 10:20pm so we almost had another day before we had to leave, not that we did much. The extra six hours that we paid for for a late checkout was handy as there was a large void in our day that would have had to be otherwise filled.

We started to count our money, ensuring that we had enough cash, but not too much so that we could make the airport and use the Visa card. We had a couple of thousand Baht left and didn't want to visit the auto teller again. Jo spent some of it on a neck and shoulder massage down the road and ฿650 was needed for the taxi to the airport.

Breakfast was at nine, so due to the poor and expensive Jetstar meal choices on the way over, we planned have a decent breakfast and to eat locally about five, check out and head off. Breakfast was again good with eggs, bacon, toast tomato, sausage, fruit ….. All for ฿200.

Whilst Jo was at the masseurs, Shane started the packing, dirty in one suit case, clean and whatever was left in the other, carefully measuring to keep under the 20kg Jetstar limit. Once the limits were reached, the rest was carry on. Jo's carry on luggage consisted of anything that we needed to declare at Quarantine in Sydney, the marionette and the mahjong set. Hopefully we wouldn't have to open our larger suitcases with this approach. Shane's carry on was the electronics and any heavy stuff that overloaded the suit cases.

Facebooking & similtaneous strategic packing

With the packing and massage behind us we headed out for one last walk around the streets, but a different direction this time. One last walk along Thepkasattri Road, but keeping on straight ahead along Phuket Road, past the Surin Circle Clock Tower (in the middle of a round-a-bout) and a few hundred metres further on, all via the now accustomed four-foot-wide footpath, obstructed by motor scooters and shrouded by the usual umpteen overhead powerlines, all the while passing the usual vendors, mechanics, hardware stores, appliances and so on until we turned right into Kra Road.

Shampooed and blown. All for ฿100

Kra Road gave nothing more than we had previously experienced other than a good picture of how local businesses and residents live in the old town. Although the Sino-Portuguese shophouse design was everywhere, many were empty or turned wholly into a residence. Not unlike the empty shops back home. It was not long before we crossed the stormwater channel and again turned, but this time for the return journey which was, as with Phuket Road, more of the same. Still interesting though. One last right turn into Bangkok Road and we were surprisingly, according to Jo, back near where we started. Again a final turn right saw us walking down Phang Nga Road and to the Casa Blanca, but via a final stop at the Rasta Café. A few last beers and our last heavy downpour and it was back to pack up and check out.

Birds can get the flu in Asia

Water views in a downpour

We had plenty of time to get to the airport but after arriving back to the hotel from across the road again found that our taxi driver was waiting for us at reception, a half hour early. Not needing to be pressured, but still feeling so, we headed upstairs to pack, checkout and head to the airport a bit early. Not such a bad idea.

An uneventful trip turned out to be an eventful and forgettable experience at the airport. Firstly, we needed a feed as we didn't feel hungry earlier but knew that there would be slim pickings on the plane. Before heading upstairs to the food area, we eased our burden by checking our luggage on the ground floor. This was another interesting experience. Not unlike the slight nuances we have experienced in other countries. Thailand wouldn't allow anything with a battery on check-in luggage. It had to be in our carryon. No problems except that they checked everyone's bag which added time and to the stress levels of everyone involved. Old mate behind us had to remove his flashing rabbit ears and take them through security. This done we headed upstairs to the food area. First stop, Burger King. About ฿400 for a basic burger alone (~$15) so we gave them a miss and found the café next door. These guys sold good looking food on the menu but subsequently served rubbish. A couple of Turkish bread sangers and a juice each ended up at over fifty bucks. Typical airports.

Once through an effortless security (although they did take Jo's marionette out and have a good look), we looked for our departure gate and the nearest bar. There was bugger all around but we did find one. The only problem was that we had to spend ฿400 to use a credit card and since we didn't have enough cash we bought a couple of bottles of water for the plane. All was good. Until we started to board and the Jetstar staff wouldn't let anyone on with water. Almost everyone had to throw their water into a bin before boarding the plane. The good thing was that they sold it to us for $4.50 a bottle once we were on board (or could have waited a half an hour for the steward to bring a plastic cup full).

Apart from the water episode, after settling in to our seats and eventually taking to the skies, the stewardesses came around with food and drinks to purchase, as before. Since we had food before we boarded, we asked for the same as on the way over. A small bottle of wine, olives and four crackers and four slithers of cheese. Within a half an hour of taking off we were told that there was no food left as the people on the trip over ate it all. Shane, heatedly asked as to whether they forgot to restock or didn't pack enough. Jo told him to shut up and we suffered olive and cheese deprivation for the next eight hours. We don't know if Jetstar are the worst airline in the world as we haven’t traveled on them all. It is the worst that we have been on. It was like catching a government bus all the way.

Patiently waiting to disembark

Enough said, we landed and headed straight to the area to declare our timber products. A lovely Quarantine officer opened our packages carefully as they had been wrapped very securely in Phuket and examined them closely for borers and other bugs that we don't want out here. Following inspection, an enjoyable discussion about the lifespan of borers and a couple of her experiences, we packed back up and looked for the train. Straight past the biosecurity dog sniffing the non-declarers we found a spot on the train to Central and then to Newcastle. We had just missed a train so settled down on the next. The almost an hour wait for its departure was good as we have found that NSW trains don't have a lot of room for luggage and it can be quite awkward at times if you just make a train. As usual, people take a seat each and won't sit next to anyone. If this is the case, which it almost always is, there is no room for luggage on the trains. By mid-afternoon our trip was over and it was time to prepare for back to work the next day.

Last selfie of the trip (nice tan)

Next trip? Not with Jetstar we hope.

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