tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37349021521622311322024-02-19T05:56:31.786-08:00Aussie PeteWAY DOWN UNDER IN FLORIDAAussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.comBlogger677125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-81303944825750691242020-06-22T20:44:00.001-07:002020-06-22T20:44:39.014-07:00Narcissism 101 - Tucker Carlson At His Backward Best<div><b>As usual I am not going to comment on US politics, and I don't think an
assessment of Tucker Carlson's political leanings is even necessary</b>. Having said
that, it's been interesting of late that many advertisers have been pulling
media campaigns (again) from his show, "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Fox News Channel here
in the United States, due to his latest thoughtless and uncaring comments on
sensitive issues that affect so many people.</div><div><br /></div><blockquote><div><b><font size="5">When would the next ice age have happened?</font></b></div><div><font size="5">- Tucker Carlson</font></div><div><font size="5"></font><br /></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>This made me wonder why his TV show
continues to garner such strong ratings and viewership. Upon reflection, I think
it's actually very obvious - <b>the guy is a train wreck</b> (and his hair is even worse). It's one of those things
that are so bad, you just cannot look away. It's kind of like the popularity of
<b>"<a href="https://www.jerryspringertv.com/" target="_blank">The Jerry Springer Show</a>"</b> in the 90s... <u>just so very bad that it's fun to watch</u>.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JWFsc05n54BOJFVfBgia4KQKbgPQnCmSkin2V4of6NmbC_cJRMVdqegWya1DvIM7YWH5s2Wf4NuHK7v9d-r-DfiYN38OWbmG-IItRZ0IlW_hJ0wQqe5_S6qI3N7xP21qiIcwySVJyBEp/s1280/tuckface01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="tuckface" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JWFsc05n54BOJFVfBgia4KQKbgPQnCmSkin2V4of6NmbC_cJRMVdqegWya1DvIM7YWH5s2Wf4NuHK7v9d-r-DfiYN38OWbmG-IItRZ0IlW_hJ0wQqe5_S6qI3N7xP21qiIcwySVJyBEp/w640-h360/tuckface01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Narcissism 101</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><i></i><b></b><br /></div><div>Herein lies the reason that even I tune into Tucker Carlson from time-to-time. It's just so unbelievable, offensive and hilarious all at the same time. The hilarity comes about from his attempts to be knowledgeable on so many subjects (and he believes in his own intelligence without question), when in fact Tucker knows very little about anything at all. His positions are more often than not, xenophobic, discriminative and downright offensive to pretty much any person with even an ounce of common sense - and his narcissism is always on full display. When he clearly cannot argue with any authority on any subject, he resorts to insults and disrespect toward his guests.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>In all fairness to Tucker - he absolutely believes what he is saying</b>, regardless of how ridiculous, ignorant and narrow-minded his opinions are. Tucker just knows no better and lacks the self-awareness to do anything about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>So without further ado, for folks that have not had the pleasure of watching Fox News 2020's version of "The Jerry Springer Show", check these few nuggets out - <b>Tucker Carlson at His Backward Best</b>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>1. Tucker Carlson v Bill Nye</b> - Tucker has absolutely no idea what he is talking about. As he gets completely owned by Mr Nye and realizes that he is out of his depth, he resorts to insults and rhetorical questions... seriously - exactly when would the next ice age occur without global warming? <i>*shaking my head*</i></div><div><i></i><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qN5L2q6hfWo" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><b>2. Next Up - White Supremacy</b> - this is why advertisers balk at his comments and opinions, but it's also why his viewership is so significant. How can people not want to see the small-mindedness and unbelievable xenophobic positions of Tucker... <i>*one just cannot look away*</i>.<span> </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SkQKVMYyPoM" width="560"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div>3. <b>Finally - the day that Rutger Bregman decided to play Tucker at his own game</b>... obviously, the segment did not air.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6_nFI2Zb7qE" width="560"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-79240384951420591752019-07-12T21:06:00.000-07:002019-07-12T21:06:06.499-07:00The Farting Felon - Something is Rotten in the State of Missouri<b><span style="font-size: large;">Now this breaking story is a Whopper!</span></b><br />
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The scenario - police in Liberty, Missouri in pursuit of a crook wanted for possession of a controlled substance.<br />
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The police officers thought that the they had probably lost their 'perp' when the unthinkable happened... the bad guy let off what we Aussies know as the a '<b>BUM BURP</b>' and landed himself in <b>DEEP SH*T</b>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJrsJr6xp5KIpO4BlFnG8_qUr6tTij3y3yYA-8P5Ihv7aKlJsD8f2Uu82RHLciH8NkZLHeqFLzZafx9zGlcb4CIMDRnXaHYrz38UFSfn3owkTHf1cvLhwoUldkv-jATuBEYFj8sTD8QZQ/s1600/felony+farter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJrsJr6xp5KIpO4BlFnG8_qUr6tTij3y3yYA-8P5Ihv7aKlJsD8f2Uu82RHLciH8NkZLHeqFLzZafx9zGlcb4CIMDRnXaHYrz38UFSfn3owkTHf1cvLhwoUldkv-jATuBEYFj8sTD8QZQ/s640/felony+farter.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something is rotten in the state of <strike>Denmark</strike> Missouri</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you’ve got a felony warrant for your arrest, the cops are looking for you and you pass gas so loud it gives up your hiding spot, you’re definitely having a day.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</blockquote>
It was elementary from there, Dr Watson - the odor and noise led the good guys straight to the smelly hiding place - and the nearby Clay County Sheriff's Office took to social media. :)<br />
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<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
If you’ve got a felony warrant for your arrest, the cops are looking for you and you pass gas so loud it gives up your hiding spot, you’re definitely having a 💩 day. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TuesdayThoughts?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TuesdayThoughts</a> 🚓 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItHappened?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ItHappened</a> <a href="https://t.co/BGJoPNKr3n">pic.twitter.com/BGJoPNKr3n</a></div>
— Clay County Sheriff (@SheriffClayCo) <a href="https://twitter.com/SheriffClayCo/status/1148610749402681344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center>
<b>The fun didn't stop there - all manner of bum and gas jokes ensued on Twitter... I guess that this will be the last time that this guy will toot his own horn!
</b>
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<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/SheriffClayCo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SheriffClayCo</a> for airing out a wanted person's dirty laundry and fanning the flames. The Liberty Police Department was surprised to see this incident slip out, which stinks for the arrestee. Fortunately, no one was injured during his arrest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nervousbelly?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nervousbelly</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nocomment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nocomment</a> <a href="https://t.co/mHPoPds3nv">https://t.co/mHPoPds3nv</a></div>
— Liberty Missouri (@LibertyMissouri) <a href="https://twitter.com/LibertyMissouri/status/1148695629075505153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-78511605879027547042019-06-08T19:07:00.001-07:002019-06-08T19:12:53.597-07:00The World Is Still Awesome - These Pictures Will Make Your Your Jaw Drop<b>Each year, National Geographic launches any number of competitions for talented photographers from around the world</b> to display their talents and remind us mere mortals just how downright amazing this world is... TOP 15 PICTURES BELOW<i> (click any image below to view the gallery in a light-box slideshow)</i><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Help us explore and experience our world through your travels</span></b></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/interests/photography/" target="_blank">The National Geographic Travel Photo Contest</a> is one such competition.<br />
<br />
The contest challenges creative people to <i>"help us explore and experience our world through your travels"</i> .<br />
<br />
The entry period for this years contest closed on May 3. There were three main categories: nature, cities, and people (to "tell the story of a place, show us the natural world, or share visions of people from around the globe." ).<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">The following stunning images are the editors' Top 15 favorites. Be prepared to be amazed... (all captions are courtesy of the photographers themselves)...</span></i><br />
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<b>#1 Tip Of The Iceberg, David Edgar, Nature</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLl0MW6s5pwK-pPA9_9j64F3jiJJfmol4mGmWWemNLddY3e2PKEniuR5gipjLlmym0euk9hRej4OHiUlRbHtt7GhjbyFLc5pCf02RNTuiSNZeLpjb1YRL6VDhvWpEKHoOQv6SntDhyphenhyphen2gx/s1600/natgeo01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLl0MW6s5pwK-pPA9_9j64F3jiJJfmol4mGmWWemNLddY3e2PKEniuR5gipjLlmym0euk9hRej4OHiUlRbHtt7GhjbyFLc5pCf02RNTuiSNZeLpjb1YRL6VDhvWpEKHoOQv6SntDhyphenhyphen2gx/s640/natgeo01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took this photo of an adolescent humpback whale in the South Pacific, several miles off the coast of Tongatapu, Tonga. I captured this as a split-shot with half my dome port submerged, and the other above the surface. This playful whale came right up to me and looked directly into my eyes as the tip of his rostrum glistened in the afternoon sun. Looking closely, you can see Loni, our expert skipper, lining up a surface shot of this incredible encounter from the roof of our dive boat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>#2 Motherhood, Sonalini Khetrapal, Nature</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8ta__ed2TomqXCyBJ7OnLkRKmNLF5SBt6KXwHUNqUbNG7HZOBK19Vc97T2hgbYSjVU_2Ol6rsMd2PsrpfXTIFQb8FWfOCQSvQRO0YaajHXdrfc04Zqk8c6tUhh6uvfmIqoc4Me5nByWM/s1600/natgeo02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8ta__ed2TomqXCyBJ7OnLkRKmNLF5SBt6KXwHUNqUbNG7HZOBK19Vc97T2hgbYSjVU_2Ol6rsMd2PsrpfXTIFQb8FWfOCQSvQRO0YaajHXdrfc04Zqk8c6tUhh6uvfmIqoc4Me5nByWM/s640/natgeo02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were lucky to find new born lion cubs in the plains of Masai Mara, Kenya. The mother is extremely protective of the cub and was often seen hiding them behind the bush and away from predators. In this instance, as the cub unknowingly walked very close to the side of a cliff, the mother lioness quickly tried to grab it from its head to protect it from falling over. It looks dangerous, but it is an endearing way for the lioness to pick up the cub and place it back to safety.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>#3 Milky Way From Chureito Pagoda, Yukihito Ono, Cities
</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z1r-DctN_D-BimvEsLKb3WEuDE1fRhpZ4a3F870VYfG6WpBMSSHVphEmMOi_8n-t7cf3yBVLmpABr2Ix476QYs2NZIqPrgK9vqTuTJaewI65Jb5ozAbpLQECg2pffRHSqKkf7iIpt5Oj/s1600/natgeo03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z1r-DctN_D-BimvEsLKb3WEuDE1fRhpZ4a3F870VYfG6WpBMSSHVphEmMOi_8n-t7cf3yBVLmpABr2Ix476QYs2NZIqPrgK9vqTuTJaewI65Jb5ozAbpLQECg2pffRHSqKkf7iIpt5Oj/s640/natgeo03.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was able to see the Milky Way when the cherry blossoms at Chureito Pagoda were in full bloom, and I was able to shoot a rare landscape.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>#4 Hi-Five Polar Bear Cubs, Michelle Theall, Nature</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaQnBliRSiTZiAazL9CGbDNskkWs5_WUsN-jTc1etDRNIPC_cQje2DwMjNB2Wu-5Ncx80eXhNKYB1AeoiPCceSvWLE43q6ZxxZqrky5u6QltdobEi2n2QoUhOxt9GxrPn_ayJbp8xLExD/s1600/natgeo04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaQnBliRSiTZiAazL9CGbDNskkWs5_WUsN-jTc1etDRNIPC_cQje2DwMjNB2Wu-5Ncx80eXhNKYB1AeoiPCceSvWLE43q6ZxxZqrky5u6QltdobEi2n2QoUhOxt9GxrPn_ayJbp8xLExD/s640/natgeo04.jpg" width="486" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I rode an icebreaker along the Beaufort Sea in Kaktovik, Alaska to capture these two cubs playing in the snow. I was fortunate to grab this high-five moment, among so many other favorites. It's difficult to photograph the bears in snow at eye level on the ice and this close, because once the water freezes, the season is over for small skiffs. If you go to early, you only capture polar bears on dirt.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>#5 Glitz And Grit, Gonçalo Lobo Pinheiro, Cities</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7ayBh60sgqwE1gQVqmhlhMLZlL6JhnwSeGe6cFmKm4-U9aXvvLfpp-BSzTC4ir1cacXXMh-Kz-ya89_lWGGrl66z6JMLf4XFnrLp00PJyV7lzbYbMmeUZfTmfdXBllE9lCLL5QBfNq0r/s1600/natgeo05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7ayBh60sgqwE1gQVqmhlhMLZlL6JhnwSeGe6cFmKm4-U9aXvvLfpp-BSzTC4ir1cacXXMh-Kz-ya89_lWGGrl66z6JMLf4XFnrLp00PJyV7lzbYbMmeUZfTmfdXBllE9lCLL5QBfNq0r/s640/natgeo05.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rundown neighborhoods contrast with the glitzy Grand Lisboa hotel on Macau’s skyline</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>#6 Leviathan, Eric Seidner, People</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypeNexeWLxW1-y90OQ35FDBKpnkVioZgItrza7zRk9zWLwcyiZxLNZXCX0hiuxSC-iGr0PrpR4KTrW3U2V0hApgIdwyqpnqIaKusClWA7rDOdNB_dpTV9OXawfjrEzMs286-CLHZgKBgr/s1600/natgeo06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypeNexeWLxW1-y90OQ35FDBKpnkVioZgItrza7zRk9zWLwcyiZxLNZXCX0hiuxSC-iGr0PrpR4KTrW3U2V0hApgIdwyqpnqIaKusClWA7rDOdNB_dpTV9OXawfjrEzMs286-CLHZgKBgr/s640/natgeo06.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xiapu is a giant mudflat in Fujian, China. Most famous for a battalion of bamboo poles stretching to the horizon and thrust into the mud to hang and dry seaweed, the area has preserved traditional ways of coastal living. After having visited an ancient forest we got lost on the country roads back towards the highway. I happened to look out the passenger window and see these giant nets floating in the breeze like tentacles clawing at the boatman. I parked, slid down a muddy bank and took picture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>#7 Close Up Of The Dalmatian Pelican, Damilice Mansur, Nature</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliqH8oRXBsNbbDdRHExTFz1acc9hU52-h5PxMLs3VtO1BavXobXgIlsIwiMT7hELccmS5sVBWfMPujd0rGWIzfGsPwpZ9h6uXOvIw-hARIZV5wdY5uKiSEn3Zuopg6WQKq6dphd6x3IUE/s1600/natgeo07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliqH8oRXBsNbbDdRHExTFz1acc9hU52-h5PxMLs3VtO1BavXobXgIlsIwiMT7hELccmS5sVBWfMPujd0rGWIzfGsPwpZ9h6uXOvIw-hARIZV5wdY5uKiSEn3Zuopg6WQKq6dphd6x3IUE/s640/natgeo07.jpg" width="466" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On my recent trip to Lake Kerkini, Greece, I got up close and personal with the globally threatened Dalmatian Pelicans. Being the largest of the Pelicans in the world, these birds are amazing to photograph, especially during winter when their breeding reddish/orange colors brighten up the shot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>#8 Let The Fire Fall, Daniel Yee, Nature</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuqpbyxsioojGa2JqAWix1oPazaF2zHZtah8PBoHAdkvoHRxxzufSyrRGxSySsPfAVoRAyJ2GWzmZQEXj4kg-SPszXBhVkdQEv9-8dId6FhDnQm5cGJTS8zAYXSL0U_mvTG5_p-oT7MPL/s1600/natgeo08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuqpbyxsioojGa2JqAWix1oPazaF2zHZtah8PBoHAdkvoHRxxzufSyrRGxSySsPfAVoRAyJ2GWzmZQEXj4kg-SPszXBhVkdQEv9-8dId6FhDnQm5cGJTS8zAYXSL0U_mvTG5_p-oT7MPL/s640/natgeo08.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous "Firefall" of Yosemite National Park is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the Horsetail Falls waterfall glows orange due to the angle of sunlight hitting the water, and will only occur when certain time and weather conditions are met. Some firefalls may glow a pale yellow, while others may glow like burning fire. I was lucky to witness the latter combined with strong winds, creating a spectacular sight to see. I went the extra mile up a snowy mountain to get the eye level shot.</td></tr>
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<b>#9 Valley Of Dreams, Gokul Kanagarajah, Nature</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MUuhF82MX7HSrymQBlrU3Jo7H7vuRF6sB9hdh4JsgbAaVo2az5V9LqOHYABEaDcIVUdbw53B9wgSigJzvFZvRgYbSr5Cy_11tjJhRxPefKoAJPDlxTkVixojd5NdK_6PyLER0PHW-z-1/s1600/natgeo09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MUuhF82MX7HSrymQBlrU3Jo7H7vuRF6sB9hdh4JsgbAaVo2az5V9LqOHYABEaDcIVUdbw53B9wgSigJzvFZvRgYbSr5Cy_11tjJhRxPefKoAJPDlxTkVixojd5NdK_6PyLER0PHW-z-1/s640/natgeo09.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at alpine meadows in Dolomites, Italy. I had to cycle 5kms uphill from the hotel to catch the sunset, as I got to know at the last moment that visitors were not allowed to drive in this conservation area, but it was worth it.</td></tr>
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<b>#10 The Odd One, Tihomir Trichkov, Nature</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTdV9Db4biKdB5PXFO7AvtLBI94ewBTyOo0C2_v_gDs1cQy6H3mBuPwiJDk7kJD8xfJJmaufjMh3sOJNQD-PwhsoHf5lYUJTDvHgheqxdZJ8c3lDdkiEKq8yk9JXZnnQzUiI7rbWqmYjI/s1600/natgeo10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTdV9Db4biKdB5PXFO7AvtLBI94ewBTyOo0C2_v_gDs1cQy6H3mBuPwiJDk7kJD8xfJJmaufjMh3sOJNQD-PwhsoHf5lYUJTDvHgheqxdZJ8c3lDdkiEKq8yk9JXZnnQzUiI7rbWqmYjI/s640/natgeo10.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some places like El Rosario National Reserve in Mexico, make you feel humble, grateful you are alive and can see natures beauty. Like a time machine, the child in you has been awaken. I took a few photos, but then decided that the best pictures cannot be taken, you just hold them in your heart. I put down the camera, sat on my rear end, and looked up quietly. The monarchs gather in Michoacan to spend the cold months, between November and March. Some of them make it all the way from Canada</td></tr>
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<b>#11 The Dream, Naveen Srikantachari, Nature</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1UrpcrcBEUzJoMZVAGcJyOjc8v9ibioTodSmML8mZroXxp7qy-Jnjc-Xrg6faljC-WCr7NOpMK03nht4TDxv4JkLlxjCWFqjqgaBhVzNEFyw79vOgJiVAWOhVeaxKKqflNFnb6GomthO/s1600/natgeo11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1UrpcrcBEUzJoMZVAGcJyOjc8v9ibioTodSmML8mZroXxp7qy-Jnjc-Xrg6faljC-WCr7NOpMK03nht4TDxv4JkLlxjCWFqjqgaBhVzNEFyw79vOgJiVAWOhVeaxKKqflNFnb6GomthO/s640/natgeo11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a quiet morning at Nagarahole Tiger Reserve—the sun was opening up and the mist from the night was clearing. As we made a drive through the woods, we saw this beautiful leopardess perching on her favorite tree. Ever since I started wildlife photography, I wanted to photograph a leopard on the tree. It took over three years to find the photo. I love everything about this picture—a prowling leopardess, a beautiful tree with the white flowers, soft sunlight—it was just a perfect setting.</td></tr>
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<b>#12 Pachyderm Afire, Greg Davison, Nature</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD53sEqJZ8FEVZZz3BOq-eRdkqstMpa0N_vLX30-c0dRmstmsEMPmhZNEh_aQym_LgUyTGIplPRe3PPakMqWbOSmLKA4lnLca9MxV-cEYspSk7h08I8TNqh1yh-dithGn1xA8NF452qLNA/s1600/natgeo12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD53sEqJZ8FEVZZz3BOq-eRdkqstMpa0N_vLX30-c0dRmstmsEMPmhZNEh_aQym_LgUyTGIplPRe3PPakMqWbOSmLKA4lnLca9MxV-cEYspSk7h08I8TNqh1yh-dithGn1xA8NF452qLNA/s640/natgeo12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mama elephant did not like our jeep getting so close, so she kicked up some bushveld dirt at sunset.</td></tr>
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<b>#13 We Ride Together, We Fly Together, Tihomir Trichkov, People</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglt8s-zWrADIRMchje_RxwYytpc82WAWvD2Xx4eMWSrDyemcBng6t7N48QGfgxHoi1R_MEE4DJXH-oMyAWBwp_xznjVsQSL7EUNWiP6_72Poc3vDZJyhavA7oLz5QE1lvZk-1zN8OT_CCc/s1600/natgeo13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglt8s-zWrADIRMchje_RxwYytpc82WAWvD2Xx4eMWSrDyemcBng6t7N48QGfgxHoi1R_MEE4DJXH-oMyAWBwp_xznjVsQSL7EUNWiP6_72Poc3vDZJyhavA7oLz5QE1lvZk-1zN8OT_CCc/s640/natgeo13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Participants in the annual Golden Eagle Festival, show off their skills. The festival is held in Bayan-Ölgii aimag, West Mongolia. The eagle hunters are celebrating their Kazakh heritage and compete to catch small animals such as rabbits and foxes. Eagle hunting has been practiced in Central Asia for thousands of years, although nowadays it is preserved only in the Kazakh culture where the traditions are still alive and well kept.</td></tr>
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<b>#14 Caught In The Act, Michelle Theall, Nature
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAtYFI9v0fYKoqszVwmauLcrWiI0HRpOpWByrpirxW8zjTdfyAfS5rTyGVq1qI-RDwC_YlMfB63yaRO4SxJ2Fe8pniQKtliDQT6K_XrR39NWJdeO-URdP_Bf7ldycQSfs7SbmAX39GgU7/s1600/natgeo14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAtYFI9v0fYKoqszVwmauLcrWiI0HRpOpWByrpirxW8zjTdfyAfS5rTyGVq1qI-RDwC_YlMfB63yaRO4SxJ2Fe8pniQKtliDQT6K_XrR39NWJdeO-URdP_Bf7ldycQSfs7SbmAX39GgU7/s640/natgeo14.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On safari in the Mara, these Maasai men were going to perform a morning dance for us, but before they did, I saw this man taking a selfie with his smartphone. It seems technology invades every space of our world.</td></tr>
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<b>#15 The Importance Of Marine Reserves, Rachel Stewart, Nature</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrW0-bqbvoxZUWrv3IHTpvxlVf3zkI5nFqe_V_EtBbsP45lyuVNhCPrhq5GluEPQT_IvMxZXGkTNH-12h1DgKyBJJx2-7mtMWHDZTkU431s0YtjhK72rUwpyrsvX6zktxFfl7Gx_vysqc/s1600/natgeo15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrW0-bqbvoxZUWrv3IHTpvxlVf3zkI5nFqe_V_EtBbsP45lyuVNhCPrhq5GluEPQT_IvMxZXGkTNH-12h1DgKyBJJx2-7mtMWHDZTkU431s0YtjhK72rUwpyrsvX6zktxFfl7Gx_vysqc/s640/natgeo15.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My best friend was surrounded by a school of blue mao mao fish as she took photos from above and I took photos from outside the sea cave. We were lucky enough to visit this marine reserve off the east coast of New Zealand in April 2019. With numerous caves, tunnels and an abundance of marine life, the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve is a haven for many underwater species. It’s also a popular spot for divers. A reminder that more protection of our ocean is needed.</td></tr>
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<b>#16 Great Migration Of Wildebeest, Penny Hegyi, Nature
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t2-sNE72yjTymz2HgPsp_VRASzVa0Cs9UAUVEL1kMUDH6FKgEa1ETMg99Rk1nNTjUF6xbqMhLv9a5EUHmL9p46LNSYf5PUyAPx7j2hJ1gIpg1W7AEC6aGYca3BBtChXWbBfKi6ES2u7m/s1600/natgeo16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t2-sNE72yjTymz2HgPsp_VRASzVa0Cs9UAUVEL1kMUDH6FKgEa1ETMg99Rk1nNTjUF6xbqMhLv9a5EUHmL9p46LNSYf5PUyAPx7j2hJ1gIpg1W7AEC6aGYca3BBtChXWbBfKi6ES2u7m/s640/natgeo16.jpg" width="574" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Migrating wildebeest leap into the river, frantically trying to reach the banks on the other side. Many survive the journey, but some are eaten by crocodiles.</td></tr>
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<b>#17 Winter Branch, Anna Onishi, Nature</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6ryRSY8mhEuKdPtW2bf-ZVHx9rtsDXmhWq0r1YbJdDoCrHxQ89ICXIXfDkVAck_jXvgpdI1XqywgVcg52XsvZwKFitX3RnQ_JXfv8j48KbFQJUT7j0roOAUqUEd64BxproO3Ix8LRpV0/s1600/natgeo17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6ryRSY8mhEuKdPtW2bf-ZVHx9rtsDXmhWq0r1YbJdDoCrHxQ89ICXIXfDkVAck_jXvgpdI1XqywgVcg52XsvZwKFitX3RnQ_JXfv8j48KbFQJUT7j0roOAUqUEd64BxproO3Ix8LRpV0/s640/natgeo17.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter mountain. The leaves were dead and snow had fallen. Branches and snow contrast. It was very impressive and art.</td></tr>
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<b>#18 Ascend, James Vodicka, Nature
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WarzOOgtyRximytW-TKuiPt_A2p-Da1hAptaG-XcFvvELVR2lSWCZukWaRR_o1p6ZDfsv7VpYjt-hyMP2QIDKApihNJPa0mwOeSq0YhGsfoQJToPG4QHs_s6SMSxlto834KgvgKhZVvd/s1600/natgeo18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WarzOOgtyRximytW-TKuiPt_A2p-Da1hAptaG-XcFvvELVR2lSWCZukWaRR_o1p6ZDfsv7VpYjt-hyMP2QIDKApihNJPa0mwOeSq0YhGsfoQJToPG4QHs_s6SMSxlto834KgvgKhZVvd/s640/natgeo18.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sea turtle ascends to the surface for a breath, near Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef.</td></tr>
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<b>#19 Exhausted, Taylor Albright, Nature
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dIPl14voPSvbH69GmdljOC3OS68dLGnXZiXOE1xklSTPxo_DJrh-98kKmO2GCLo0dNWyomM8baO1-IUYizax5QWvwV3-8SGmB1TDP0h4eG3P31eCgQYfbdC8HGEpVk3a4dAXxTz_rtMp/s1600/natgeo19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dIPl14voPSvbH69GmdljOC3OS68dLGnXZiXOE1xklSTPxo_DJrh-98kKmO2GCLo0dNWyomM8baO1-IUYizax5QWvwV3-8SGmB1TDP0h4eG3P31eCgQYfbdC8HGEpVk3a4dAXxTz_rtMp/s640/natgeo19.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The days are much shorter in winter and the different elevations within Yellowstone National Park initiates even earlier sunsets. With the evening closing in and temperatures dropping, a herd of bison made their way up and over a frozen hill in search of their next meal. As I watched the group fade out of sight the last bison in line paused, turned back in my directions, took a breath and exhaled creating a thick cloud of steam before continuing over the hill and out of sight with the others.</td></tr>
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<b>#20 Taj Mahal, Rainer Waelder, Cities</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTj9NSX_LyEnmTMeBSfN2hjNWK0Nx9poOvUcewL1jAyY7Dv4qtUKz5JMIr1Q0Ef32wLGnN-gLXrhRDkYIHOqiXNPUBBtCtQKUulzPKUSsKACMkGcydjq0jH0ndBK_X3HHk-Ycjwvm0MfW/s1600/natgeo20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTj9NSX_LyEnmTMeBSfN2hjNWK0Nx9poOvUcewL1jAyY7Dv4qtUKz5JMIr1Q0Ef32wLGnN-gLXrhRDkYIHOqiXNPUBBtCtQKUulzPKUSsKACMkGcydjq0jH0ndBK_X3HHk-Ycjwvm0MfW/s640/natgeo20.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to photograph one of the perhaps most iconic and most photographed sites in India and still do it justice? I went early in the morning and dove into the reed at the riverbank on the other side of the Yamuna River, searching for one spot where I could get just a glimpse of the Taj Mahal, not quite revealing all of its majesty, but giving it a mysterious and unknown mood to show its stunning beauty. Of course, a giant python had to check on what I was doing in her hood.</td></tr>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-84997952711012508562019-06-06T22:28:00.001-07:002019-06-08T19:23:04.553-07:00Help Find A Killer! Bring Out Your Inner Detective...<b>If you're anything like me, you love a good murder mystery - whether it's binge-watching True Crime shows on Netflix (and watching eagle-eyed for every clue that the investigators miss) or if you immerse yourself in a crime novel...</b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">here is something you could have only dreamed about before - receive evidence and clues to your home and solve murders. HUNT A KILLER NOW!</span></b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-9021880-13664212" target="_blank">WHAT IF A SERIAL KILLER DELIVERED A PACKAGE TO YOUR DOORSTEP EACH MONTH?</a><img border="0" height="1" src="https://www.ftjcfx.com/image-9021880-13664212" width="1" />
<br />
<br />
Participate by yourself, with your partner (date nights), as a family (kids will enjoy it more than games and devices) or grab your group of BFFs and work the evidence for
awesome social gatherings.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">It's like a real-world escape room.</span></b></blockquote>
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-9021880-13742322" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SUIsfDlqUB9fc47866I8rGdItuQk2fXCF4Y3dw_YteiR4RPvVRmC7UDHEZfk6W2tCrcMPpL51EhCu3B0SgepVZvjHSW8OcnFLC8Y78fNsFmT9tC62u1dkBmeW9fDGl5FyY9qpORYeQaf/s1600/13742322-1559692106142.jpg" width="640" /></a></center>
<br />
Solve the killers' riddles, piece together his clues, uncover the mystery... Only you can stop him!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">HOW DOES IT WORK</span></b><br />
<br />
One of the best things about Hunt A Killer is the fact that the fun never ends. While each "series" is 6 episodes (6 months) long... the story never ends. It's like a gripping TV show that keeps going - only you're the star of the show, Detective.<br />
<br />
<b>As a taste, here's a bit about Series 1:</b><br />
<br />
You receive the clues. It's then up to you to piece it all together. Every month, the plot thickens, and you get closer to revealing the murderer.<br />
<br />
Hunt a Killer is quite the production to put on. High-quality, hand-crafted clues get you lost in the fictional world and make you feel like you're solving a real murder.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Insanely fun and addicting.</span></b></blockquote>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9021880-13661224" target="_blank">
<img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.lduhtrp.net/image-9021880-13661224" width="752" /></a></div>
<br />
In this first series of Hunt a Killer, set in the fictional town, Chestnut Falls, the creators have included every detail necessary to make it feel like a real town in Illinois... including a fully detailed map.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBr11NfCbpK92VGULRh4_ZA30AqNdRttB9lk2lz1xpVMNUmZjm9_Z9eCabQRpC9Tz-YJjO0QzmyienHu1b9O13a_y2R5PWMiKxlfch5ERvmfeXdVyaVGHdvGYuRiXJYa4okSPav5ywjlQ/s1600/killer01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBr11NfCbpK92VGULRh4_ZA30AqNdRttB9lk2lz1xpVMNUmZjm9_Z9eCabQRpC9Tz-YJjO0QzmyienHu1b9O13a_y2R5PWMiKxlfch5ERvmfeXdVyaVGHdvGYuRiXJYa4okSPav5ywjlQ/s640/killer01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Explore hand-crafted police records. What's a clue? What isn't?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_nXmi800FKccg_lyRxIhvm13KM4b4KghW-ZpAz3QYn0uNRNH8hgfqf08MYyuYrtP1hOMwOZxjlD97e-ZRubgv8mgZVUegV4zEfCKTwQSn_EtjyC5FAvgupzGBAVxQSFD7r4Kb_JhtEf7/s1600/killer02.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_nXmi800FKccg_lyRxIhvm13KM4b4KghW-ZpAz3QYn0uNRNH8hgfqf08MYyuYrtP1hOMwOZxjlD97e-ZRubgv8mgZVUegV4zEfCKTwQSn_EtjyC5FAvgupzGBAVxQSFD7r4Kb_JhtEf7/s640/killer02.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Get to know the entire graduating class of '98 with the authentic Yearbook that comes in your first box.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia83fSpIynIrYSzOg5DUuscJEufpwGMcsaQ5y6ZCQdazIwjEFQNsnBfcDNe7mxSgyMLF020hzHqj_Gly6kXd6pUYYCcGAi-45smzHxmTxs526iPLEGJFXYkfptmOLvoRSgXmxy3Dmr5Iy_/s1600/killer03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia83fSpIynIrYSzOg5DUuscJEufpwGMcsaQ5y6ZCQdazIwjEFQNsnBfcDNe7mxSgyMLF020hzHqj_Gly6kXd6pUYYCcGAi-45smzHxmTxs526iPLEGJFXYkfptmOLvoRSgXmxy3Dmr5Iy_/s640/killer03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Authentic newspaper clippings will make you wonder if this really is a game...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGpe5shc4Z-m639GmRWVTsKBRc3PfDHQo8qFv6Hu0uTyzoUullSZoEJqYB2QDghU4yPLZX880_GWXIAgqws9zJ6myh_Z7Rgqgn2h89Lb7vV4L5bV4JCegTPbmEAnx1G994vix9r7hJxr9/s1600/killer04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGpe5shc4Z-m639GmRWVTsKBRc3PfDHQo8qFv6Hu0uTyzoUullSZoEJqYB2QDghU4yPLZX880_GWXIAgqws9zJ6myh_Z7Rgqgn2h89Lb7vV4L5bV4JCegTPbmEAnx1G994vix9r7hJxr9/s640/killer04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The insignia of Chestnut Falls High School. Just your average, small town high school... right?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkynmgKliaj50-qA2WaQjyhkvhYlp_mtDl6OXISmYdexRsuMvaS3Sq7cNNl44ZniKAAswOkuyUUsPkvwsctEcJ5AKT5ulpxtlhYpmRW6K_06C9qPk9ZZ93CLaHJ-fY0wXRen93TR0EqOgC/s1600/killer05.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkynmgKliaj50-qA2WaQjyhkvhYlp_mtDl6OXISmYdexRsuMvaS3Sq7cNNl44ZniKAAswOkuyUUsPkvwsctEcJ5AKT5ulpxtlhYpmRW6K_06C9qPk9ZZ93CLaHJ-fY0wXRen93TR0EqOgC/s640/killer05.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is all highly secretive and confidential. Any leaks could alert our killer that we're on their trail. Maintain the integrity of the investigation!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jynwpLLzy9M7awIF198lHFdZ_1e0dUSEc12LCLztmoaJdZsVd8BvJmih_gu5YMcYTp_Sj1EFBSqi7MLz-Ky63RQOXT_7Z8Wn5vDVvaKFLBkVQMzHfyho_SfKSoqQ6PQctVMtoCKfAJ4t/s1600/killer06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jynwpLLzy9M7awIF198lHFdZ_1e0dUSEc12LCLztmoaJdZsVd8BvJmih_gu5YMcYTp_Sj1EFBSqi7MLz-Ky63RQOXT_7Z8Wn5vDVvaKFLBkVQMzHfyho_SfKSoqQ6PQctVMtoCKfAJ4t/s640/killer06.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-53724492853903877092019-06-06T18:24:00.001-07:002019-06-06T21:33:43.503-07:00Albino Panda - The Only One In The World (Caught on Camera)<span style="font-size: x-large;">A picture of the world's only <u>Albino Giant Panda</u> was captured on a wildlife camera at Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUf-3ovM5zgs0ltdcKiJesXFjSKpFlVeXBZ5vw-V4B7nuZlNg0iRKDDdALqMR7pKUymCj90EkViz0mcE1d_sf5Ji-Y6gxkG7uK05ZLokvkwmM2zVF9N6oKIhF61uNSpXoPSiQy21smbhP1/s1600/albino_panda.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="1185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUf-3ovM5zgs0ltdcKiJesXFjSKpFlVeXBZ5vw-V4B7nuZlNg0iRKDDdALqMR7pKUymCj90EkViz0mcE1d_sf5Ji-Y6gxkG7uK05ZLokvkwmM2zVF9N6oKIhF61uNSpXoPSiQy21smbhP1/s640/albino_panda.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ALBINO PANDA: Wildlife Officials are planning to set up more cameras to capture additional images</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
According to China's state-run media, the Wildlife Cameras have captured the image of what is believed to be the world’s only known animal of its kind.<br />
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Many others have laid claim to photographing albino pandas before and posted online, but they are not actually what the authors claim them to be. The pictures often maintain the distinctive panda markings, but with lighter colors.<br />
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<b>The "People’s Daily" tweeted that the panda was spotted last month at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan:</b>
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<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
You are looking at the first-ever photo of a WHITE giant panda in the world. This <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/panda?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#panda</a> was spotted by a surveillance camera at a natural reserve in SW China's Sichuan in April. Scientists believe the color change is a result of albino and the panda is in good health. <a href="https://t.co/KWBr4Fl6TD">pic.twitter.com/KWBr4Fl6TD</a></div>
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) <a href="https://twitter.com/PDChina/status/1132205372632997890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center>
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The news outlet said that the panda in the photograph is believed to be a juvenile and aged between 1 and 2 years old. The gender is not known.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-13769698901650270542019-05-24T10:30:00.003-07:002019-05-24T10:32:16.997-07:00What I Miss About Singapore - The 'No Crying Challenge'<b>Recently, I was feeling a little nostalgic and was checking out some videos that I posted on YouTube over the years.</b> It wasn't long until this one popped out at me and brought with it a ton of unexpected emotion.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KWU7CS5JpXLgSRPC9B4E1eFaThsELod41YJC0b1-Z0uL87r-ONhLNS_G0jGvBxfYU-zg6H4b8oKcYB4F4DDLMthZSG10SquzGzw94lBBgwD8LrhgKj9Uwg8SDJ28yxcpieyV8qBS7TF2/s1600/singapore-merlion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KWU7CS5JpXLgSRPC9B4E1eFaThsELod41YJC0b1-Z0uL87r-ONhLNS_G0jGvBxfYU-zg6H4b8oKcYB4F4DDLMthZSG10SquzGzw94lBBgwD8LrhgKj9Uwg8SDJ28yxcpieyV8qBS7TF2/s640/singapore-merlion.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singapore's Merlion - watch the emotional video below</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I challenge my Singaporean friends (and most significantly those Singaporeans living abroad) to watch this amazing rendition of Kit Chan's '<b>HOME</b>' without at least tearing up a bit (if not actually ending up in bouts of uncontrollable nostalgic sobbing).<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It truly is amazing and <b>'Uniquely Singaporean'</b>...</span></blockquote>
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This "Home" music video is an arrangement of the well-loved Singaporean classic written by Dick Lee and first sung by Kit Chan. It was launched on 15 February 2011, and brought together 39 local singers from across generations including Max Surin, Maggie Teng, Sheik Haikel, Stefanie Sun, JJ Lin, Taufik Batisah, Olivia Ong and more! They are accompanied here by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO).<br />
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Be sure to watch the video through to the end for some beautiful images of Singapore (past and present), and even folks that haven't visited Singapore before will get a feel for the wonders of the our 'Little Red Dot'. It truly is amazing and '<b>Uniquely Singaporean</b>'... this is what I miss most about Singapore (besides the food) :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">EMOTIONAL</span></b><br />
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<center>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iGAaWQ8Cemk" width="560"></iframe></center>
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<i>The music video was directed by regionally-renowned Orion Chou and produced by Full House Communications. Kit Chan, the executive producer of the music video, pulled together long-time collaborators and icons of the local music industry Goh Kheng Long and Dr Sydney Tan as music producer and vocal producer respectively.
</i><br />
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So now that I've started eliciting these feelings in you all, let's go a little bit lighter - even though Mr Brown's alter-ego, '<b>Kim Huat</b>' actually also causes me to miss Singapore in some strange, deep way. He is also undoubtedly 'Uniquely Singaporean'. lol - Enjoy!!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">HILARIOUSLY FUNNY</span></b><br />
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<center>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wgWbCeFnwwY" width="560"></iframe></center>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">MAJULAH SINGAPURA!!</span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnu2gTCzpiBc0MR49EEZU0x1Xn6QkjEpMGUnhHSlwtZXbNbXS5lKropQQHrD9A5TLux_X4HoKP53qSCjAzVJqcnU2mJPGfmRW1fkGZW77n2hsFKFko0ceQxrEhis7IfVyoFnEJP0rTM6o/s1600/sinagpore-marina+bay+sands.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnu2gTCzpiBc0MR49EEZU0x1Xn6QkjEpMGUnhHSlwtZXbNbXS5lKropQQHrD9A5TLux_X4HoKP53qSCjAzVJqcnU2mJPGfmRW1fkGZW77n2hsFKFko0ceQxrEhis7IfVyoFnEJP0rTM6o/s640/sinagpore-marina+bay+sands.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have you ever seen a more beautiful skyline in any other city?</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">This is what I miss most about Singapore (besides the food)...</span></blockquote>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-12096920266737550362019-04-26T20:07:00.001-07:002019-04-26T22:26:52.184-07:00The 'Hero' Known As Samuel Seow - Stop Violence Against Women!<span style="font-size: large;">[Disturbing video embedded at the bottom of this article]</span><br />
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<b>My friends and family know that although we are living in the USA right now, a special part of my heart resides in Australia and Shanghai, and of course, our beloved Singapore.</b><br />
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For this reason, I keep up to speed on happenings and news from the red dot. I'm not sure how it came to pass that I missed this story when it first broke a year ago. When one of my colleagues alerted me to this article today, I explained that the offender in the following video is not in any way representative of the beautiful, respectful and peaceful people that make up Singapore.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHOthm71UM4SnaQZwmwyWfp7jF2ZmoycCiQi2s7QQELn7u9uwK1aIHiFH_DRj-MhhN0d8VD7GFi8KRGld4K0-53iIS8-OIolpR5OCyQf3RyshE9giVDd713OYG90sLk37RpcpGzub-sPd/s1600/samuelseow02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Samuel Seow - Losing control and assaulting a much smaller lady" border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="780" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHOthm71UM4SnaQZwmwyWfp7jF2ZmoycCiQi2s7QQELn7u9uwK1aIHiFH_DRj-MhhN0d8VD7GFi8KRGld4K0-53iIS8-OIolpR5OCyQf3RyshE9giVDd713OYG90sLk37RpcpGzub-sPd/s640/samuelseow02.jpg" title="Samuel Seow - Losing control and assaulting a much smaller lady" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Losing control and assaulting a much smaller lady... <b>Scroll below to view video of the incident</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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To be very candid, when I read the article in the <b>Straits Times</b> from yesterday (<i><a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/entertainment-lawyer-samuel-seow-hits-back-over-videos-showing-scuffle-with-employee" target="_blank">Entertainment lawyer Samuel Seow makes police report over leaked videos showing scuffle with employee</a></i>) and then watched the video, I was sickened, to say the least.<br />
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The 'hero' of our story, one Samuel Seow, has reportedly filed a police report over two leaked videos that show him beating and chasing after a female member of his staff. The incident allegedly occurred last year.<br />
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At the time the video was recorded, the entertainment lawyer was accused of physically and verbally assaulting two members of staff members in two separate separate incidents.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Being an entrepreneur is never easy and juggling between finding the work, feeding people and paying salaries on time is a constant struggle...</span></b></i></blockquote>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJdH4jJBPpeEwCPo1LT2L5YicfgOvZVCgCRgw6j3KA663AlN6cfYCaH2L8K_VLrmww5EeE9dOcg47i9U3kv-0lRrPXsyOEQApL7jSMySuELZhAzdv9PF3Dx9AvgLHlgTc45meRF0_UvWI/s1600/samuelseow01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Samuel Seow" border="0" data-original-height=“520” data-original-width="780" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJdH4jJBPpeEwCPo1LT2L5YicfgOvZVCgCRgw6j3KA663AlN6cfYCaH2L8K_VLrmww5EeE9dOcg47i9U3kv-0lRrPXsyOEQApL7jSMySuELZhAzdv9PF3Dx9AvgLHlgTc45meRF0_UvWI/s640/samuelseow01.jpg" title="Samuel Seow" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samuel Seow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Seow said yesterday (April 26) that people were "constantly and conscientiously seeking to damage" him.<br />
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Now I have no background on this, nor am I aware of events leading up to this video, but let me be clear - regardless of what sent him spiraling out of control, there is no defense to his actions. To beat and throw (much smaller) women around in this manner is both unacceptable and downright cowardly.<br />
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In one video, and employee of Seow's artists management firm is repeatedly attacked. In the second clip, Mr Seow chases the employee, constantly shouting "you beat me" while beating her. The smaller woman does her best to protect herself and fight back to no avail.<br />
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When other staff try to hold Seow back, he hits and throws another female employee to the ground. The entire footage shows an unhinged individual acting in a violent and cowardly manner. Dare I say, the solution may be involuntary psychiatric treatment to help him get well, before he loses control does something even worse (God forbid).<br />
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Mr Seow is 46 years of age and Managing Director of "Samuel Seow Law Corporation" and also the owner of the "Beam Artistes" management firm.<br />
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He has represented singer Tanya Chua and former actress Michelle Saram.<br />
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After the initial incident last year, a police report was made accusing Seow of the assault but it was later withdrawn. Seow had also filed a complaint with police that was withdrawn too.<br />
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After these latest videos were released, Seow said: <i>"I hope to find closure with this issue soon, so I can move on with my life after my mistake from a year ago, so that the people who are constantly and conscientiously seeking to damage me can finally also, rest peacefully... I am unsure what the people who continually post edited sound clips and videos are trying to achieve. I had admitted that there was an issue in my office last year, and will leave the police to reach their findings... Being an entrepreneur is never easy and juggling between finding the work, feeding people and paying salaries on time is a constant struggle."</i><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1MWeS9sAf2E" width="560"></iframe>
<i><br /></i><b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>As I stated above, I sincerely hope that with the release of these videos, the police can charge Mr Seow (without the need for a victim complaint) and he can get the help that he needs to manage his anger and psychological issues. IMHO - I don't see how anything but incarceration is befitting of the crime here.</b></div>
<i><br /></i><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-19972546255870954362019-04-02T19:13:00.000-07:002019-04-04T13:42:58.729-07:00This Luxury Burger Costs Almost US$800<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Oak Door Steakhouse at the Grand Hyatt in Tokyo, Japan has added a 'Golden Burger' to their menu... 'Golden' in the literal sense! If your mouth isn't watering already, the cost of this beauty, will set you back a cool JP¥ 100,000 (or almost US$800).</span></b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNLvyesaTsxgNvQXcO23AQvp-jJNYuu4JOr16TPIj3o1J2fW67VekK7cMJ37EbmAOqXcEHHAJICuTup5JpGxpSNGBBk2TiV5Im9GQCU3t35MV5_5jpmb4iB0oGkRGHTi7ZOTButHHLyuw/s1600/Wagyu+Burger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Golden Wagyu Burger" border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="615" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNLvyesaTsxgNvQXcO23AQvp-jJNYuu4JOr16TPIj3o1J2fW67VekK7cMJ37EbmAOqXcEHHAJICuTup5JpGxpSNGBBk2TiV5Im9GQCU3t35MV5_5jpmb4iB0oGkRGHTi7ZOTButHHLyuw/s640/Wagyu+Burger.jpg" title="Golden Wagyu Burger" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get your mouth around that!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<u>Chef Patrick Shimada</u> has invented the impressive Giant Burger utilizing some pretty amazing ingredients. His indulgent creation will be served on their menu until June.<br />
<br />
The Oak Door Steakhouse is in Tokyo's Roppongi district and their latest menu item includes a 1kg patty, Wagyu beef slices, foie gras and black truffles, sandwiched between two golden-dusted buns.<br />
<br />
<b>The bun is six inches wide and 10 inches tall - try and get you mouth around that!!</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8mp-AY6iM7yZco7-2gP1Q49QF9VNKcVfXzWT9mtyavJF8PY82-jzolZg1H_DK9FnAAeRVF8oUpU7tpVBLsgYfVEBKgtZVDtlfo44IDFcaIx3uAf1BLqshY1il1mgfY9OS3Mg1KpAzgUT/s1600/Wagyu+Burger-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Golden Wagyu Burger with Black Truffles" border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="615" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8mp-AY6iM7yZco7-2gP1Q49QF9VNKcVfXzWT9mtyavJF8PY82-jzolZg1H_DK9FnAAeRVF8oUpU7tpVBLsgYfVEBKgtZVDtlfo44IDFcaIx3uAf1BLqshY1il1mgfY9OS3Mg1KpAzgUT/s640/Wagyu+Burger-2.jpg" title="Golden Wagyu Burger with Black Truffles" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The price?: A cool JP¥100,000<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Golden Burger was created to celebrate the crowning of the new Japanese emperor, <b>Crown Prince Naruhito</b>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Let these indulgent burgers be the perfect choice for celebration!</blockquote>
<br />
Patrick states on the restaurant's website: <i>"As a fourth-generation Japanese, I am honored to witness this exciting time of change in Imperial era while working in Japan... While I was thinking how I could contribute to this once-in-a-life-time opportunity, I came up with this idea of Golden Giant Burger".</i><br />
<br />
<i>"In celebration of this special occasion in Japan, we consider using gold as a traditional ingredient to present this burger for the enjoyment of our dearest guests."</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCW5hJ0Oitd47w38TC2BfpLsk4GCsQhJpcxivFegy07OkjYgdy5Msrm2tqMDAGXRVZzKRgcro8ucaAxxGx1kGbB9pg7ioUeTKQmEKhwCrlTuQaO5q4V11SmlZEW0_hGeRlotjAJt6npEMW/s1600/Wagyu+Burger-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="615" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCW5hJ0Oitd47w38TC2BfpLsk4GCsQhJpcxivFegy07OkjYgdy5Msrm2tqMDAGXRVZzKRgcro8ucaAxxGx1kGbB9pg7ioUeTKQmEKhwCrlTuQaO5q4V11SmlZEW0_hGeRlotjAJt6npEMW/s640/Wagyu+Burger-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chef Patrick Shimada</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Oh - in case you are just traveling through Tokyo and want to indulge in this delectable feast, make sure you book in advance - the restaurant requires that orders are placed at least three days in advance.<br />
<b><br /></b>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrqN9JDT8Oy1Ppx5nwxnPV_UbwarItxMw0UOjyotsVLoVjDVWudZxFSbApw9qdGfnZdDXOLAu42Xg8JDXSTT7SlazFDAxUkcxtIHdpOxwdW7qwx5KtcFu2gPYtwl_vhWCumladxlM94-P/s1600/Wagyu+Burger-3jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="615" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrqN9JDT8Oy1Ppx5nwxnPV_UbwarItxMw0UOjyotsVLoVjDVWudZxFSbApw9qdGfnZdDXOLAu42Xg8JDXSTT7SlazFDAxUkcxtIHdpOxwdW7qwx5KtcFu2gPYtwl_vhWCumladxlM94-P/s640/Wagyu+Burger-3jpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Worth it? I don't know, but I just got real hungry!! :)</span></b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-81222412975168148642019-03-21T22:58:00.000-07:002019-04-02T19:29:42.586-07:00Judge Jeanine Pirro’s Shocking Statements - Fox News Pulled Her Show From This Week’s TV Listings<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia law, which in itself is antithetical to the United States Constitution?</span><i> - Judge Jeanine Pirro</i></blockquote>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Anybody that knows me</b> will tell you that I will always do my best to not get too political - online or in real life.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_gmiOuFf7z58tTw-ZEVvD17EeFcfFFhge_WYNi39EHOusyxY_n0I11nNBSCDf5EhziehK79NzBc1FtTorTXjWG1X2VA_Vt7AiXGMgbbtAzjk4_BJnVcRDJO7JcgcpzTqamiT3Lu15Gli/s1600/judge_pirro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_gmiOuFf7z58tTw-ZEVvD17EeFcfFFhge_WYNi39EHOusyxY_n0I11nNBSCDf5EhziehK79NzBc1FtTorTXjWG1X2VA_Vt7AiXGMgbbtAzjk4_BJnVcRDJO7JcgcpzTqamiT3Lu15Gli/s640/judge_pirro.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judge Jeanine Pirro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7pVgi8ebtIhH_SAd-7UU5hae38NSAfZBRiE77KoeNs2SrSavr991KLinMyRkXDqQUG01fFBJyo8pwprpP1qggLlC7gBOVasnLLmBg4iW-KzHKGiKKunxZo2lIhi6CyVXc8rOoJF-Zx6i/s1600/Ilhan_Omar%252C_official_portrait%252C_116th_Congress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7pVgi8ebtIhH_SAd-7UU5hae38NSAfZBRiE77KoeNs2SrSavr991KLinMyRkXDqQUG01fFBJyo8pwprpP1qggLlC7gBOVasnLLmBg4iW-KzHKGiKKunxZo2lIhi6CyVXc8rOoJF-Zx6i/s200/Ilhan_Omar%252C_official_portrait%252C_116th_Congress.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rep. Ilhan Omar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There is good reason for that... I am not allowed to vote in any country in the world, so although I have skin in the game in many instances, it is not my position to opine on many controversial issues (and I fully respect the fact that I am a 'guest' in the country we call home).<br />
<br />
In the case at hand - the recent statements by <b>Judge Jeanine Pirro</b> on her news program, <i>“Justice with Jeanine”</i> have left me feeling very concerned.<br />
<br />
My thoughts here are in no way politically motivated (note opening statement above). I am truly just at a loss to understand why such an intelligent, well-educated and experienced 67-year-old former Westchester County Court judge would display such a level of ignorance as to suggest that Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar wearing a hijab somehow indicates disregard to the rule of law.<br />
<br />
Amid the controversy, the controversial Fox News program has been left off the weekend listings for two weeks now, replaced by a re-run of the <i>"Scandalous"</i> series.<br />
<br />
Pirro had previously joined President Donald Trump on the mid-term campaign trail back in November. Following her show seemingly being axed (at least in the short-term), President Trump took to Twitter to ask Fox News to bring back “Justice with Jeanine”.<br />
<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Bring back <a href="https://twitter.com/JudgeJeanine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JudgeJeanine</a> Pirro. The Radical Left Democrats, working closely with their beloved partner, the Fake News Media, is using every trick in the book to SILENCE a majority of our Country. They have all out campaigns against <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> hosts who are doing too well. Fox .....</div>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1107269978678611969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
</center>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
President Trump had also demanded that Fox News stand by their (arrogant bully) anchor <u><b>Tucker Carlson</b></u>, after tapes surfaced of him calling Iraqis <i>“semi-literate primitive monkeys”.</i> *sigh* - I kid you not!!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3f37V0xXeW256_Uw9smcItKOpOL7ZO1Mt0o3r6teTzjJ6-AEgRkL0vxwNk1J_nFdRruBjvpY7OPZxvoh329eS5nUYqM8Lmb2KmooO62bwdKkK0XOPdTM6bfLPyPdLtJUHXQle1C7C6Xhy/s1600/tucker01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3f37V0xXeW256_Uw9smcItKOpOL7ZO1Mt0o3r6teTzjJ6-AEgRkL0vxwNk1J_nFdRruBjvpY7OPZxvoh329eS5nUYqM8Lmb2KmooO62bwdKkK0XOPdTM6bfLPyPdLtJUHXQle1C7C6Xhy/s200/tucker01.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tucker 'Bully' Carlson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I will save my broader thoughts on Tucker for another time - but in short, his journalistic approach is not just bewildering... it is frankly unbelievable that he gets away with talking down to people the way he does, cuts his guests off anytime he doesn't like what they are saying and mocks nearly every person he interviews should they happen to have a different view or opinion to him - and yet his ratings soar.<br />
<br />
<b>IMHO</b>, I think it is his Tucker's narcissistic, bullying approach that makes him interesting to watch, regardless of how inappropriate it is in the world we live in today.<br />
<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
....must stay strong and fight back with vigor. Stop working soooo hard on being politically correct, which will only bring you down, and continue to fight for our Country. The losers all want what you have, don’t give it to them. Be strong & prosper, be weak & die! Stay true....</div>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1107273645196537857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
....to the people that got you there. Keep fighting for Tucker, and fight hard for <a href="https://twitter.com/JudgeJeanine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JudgeJeanine</a>. Your competitors are jealous - they all want what you’ve got - NUMBER ONE. Don’t hand it to them on a silver platter. They can’t beat you, you can only beat yourselves!</div>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1107276504415854592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center>
<div>
Fans of Fox News have been protesting online threatening to boycott the cable news channel.</div>
<br />
Fox News executives have mostly 'kept mum' on the Pirro intolerance scandal.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>It's probably just time for the judge to acknowledge that she screwed up and apologize to the peaceful and loving Islam community and we can move a step closer to building bridges to racial and religious harmony - especially in the wake of the tragedy in New Zealand (love and prayers to my Kiwi mates).</b></span>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yCHdow7wvSw" width="560"></iframe>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-74243916145368997432019-03-19T21:48:00.003-07:002019-04-04T13:44:22.208-07:00Emotional Tribute to Janice Freeman - Miley & Billy Ray Cyrus (Video)<span style="font-size: x-large;">Another talent taken way too young...</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm2dq2SXYI4LWR12eIam_GNanUDt96uCvYSudq83zHWV98pz0tT2hF6Iq4JgJsAHl2LviwZtIAcDMjw4-qGoyTdESWs5EQefkItygUbQuIrglMOH4wlE3-uCVQbmSezBJ8sfvlth-FICh/s1600/janice_freeman01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm2dq2SXYI4LWR12eIam_GNanUDt96uCvYSudq83zHWV98pz0tT2hF6Iq4JgJsAHl2LviwZtIAcDMjw4-qGoyTdESWs5EQefkItygUbQuIrglMOH4wlE3-uCVQbmSezBJ8sfvlth-FICh/s640/janice_freeman01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janice Freeman - Gone too soon. RIP.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Most people by now are aware of the tragic news of the passing of 'The Voice' star, <b>Janice Freeman</b> (at just 33 years of age) at the beginning of March. The cause of death was an apparent blood clot.<br />
<br />
Janice was on <i>"Team Miley"</i> during her time on The Voice, and the two remained very close friends long after the show ended. Miley has been mourning the loss of her BFF on social media.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">I was never her coach, ever. She was always mine.</span></i></blockquote>
<br />
A <b>Celebration of Life</b> was held for Janice on Monday (March 18th) at Mariners Church in Irvine.<br />
<br />
Miley was visibly shattered and broke down in tears while introducing her performance. She said, <i>"I was never her coach, ever. She was always mine."</i>
Miley continued, <i>"I've learned more from her than anyone that I've ever gotten the honor to be in the room with, not just vocally, I should've gotten more lessons than I did, but she taught me everything that I know about love... and, to be here, and I had planned on singing a song for her, but just losing her is just too much for me. So ... my dad's gonna take care of this for me. But, I'll always be your sister, I'm here for you, and I'm here for your family, and Janice I'll miss you more than I could ever say."</i><br />
<br />
<b>Billy Ray Cyrus</b> then took over and led the crowd with a hugely emotional rendition of <b><u>"Amazing Grace"</u></b> with Miley providing the harmonies.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">WATCH HERE:</span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3fwcpoara6Y" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-29338003187262326192019-03-18T19:23:00.000-07:002019-04-02T19:31:32.397-07:00World's Ugliest Dog Competition - Just Wait Until You See Them!!<span style="font-size: x-large;">OK - so this is really a thing?!! The annual world's ugliest dog competition.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<b>To be honest</b>, we all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I'm sure that all of the dog owners here think that their pooch is beautiful.<br />
<br />
To others - well it seems like it's a different story - here are the gorgeous finalists:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxvxzAF5E3C7sskzK-yjIDYcKgBkiXzo8cnVRCqNWPfECX3E_z4z0M2RW6_Vd4E6xSSukGgJdkUJ6VrT-oF96uGsMEvqVJ36P_gsSxmxNUWtiOqiE7-DCz0tpX2TNhZsc-FIpnFr_-iBm/s1600/ugly-rascaldeux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chinese Crested - Rascal Deux" border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxvxzAF5E3C7sskzK-yjIDYcKgBkiXzo8cnVRCqNWPfECX3E_z4z0M2RW6_Vd4E6xSSukGgJdkUJ6VrT-oF96uGsMEvqVJ36P_gsSxmxNUWtiOqiE7-DCz0tpX2TNhZsc-FIpnFr_-iBm/s640/ugly-rascaldeux.jpg" title="Chinese Crested - Rascal Deux" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>RASCAL DEUX</b> - One of the stars of the event (and one of many <b>Chinese Crested</b> on show). Perhaps a face that only the owner, Dane Andrew could love :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">ZSA ZSA</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
The latest winner!! This 9-year old <b>British Bulldog</b> took the title in the competition held in Petaluma, California. Zsa Zsa's owner, Megan Brainard of Minnesota, took home $1,500 in prize winnings.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw0EAhe5YGWOnMOfSdhtgFmE084_YSaBXUddjrx5vMjdmgkTYtse1X88N5bwZBAQLWUKtppexLDIrqqLBMOoidhJPnkgGEca9sU-7bfJBgPiMvt79f3npfEMsBfb2GjEOL7niDOzE7ilv/s1600/ugly-zsazsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="British Bull Dog - Zsa Zsa" border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw0EAhe5YGWOnMOfSdhtgFmE084_YSaBXUddjrx5vMjdmgkTYtse1X88N5bwZBAQLWUKtppexLDIrqqLBMOoidhJPnkgGEca9sU-7bfJBgPiMvt79f3npfEMsBfb2GjEOL7niDOzE7ilv/s640/ugly-zsazsa.jpg" title="British Bull Dog - Zsa Zsa" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Zsa Zsa</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">HIMISABOO</span><br />
<br />
Meet the <b>Chinese Crested wiener</b> with owner, Heather Wilson.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoB_Wg1h4fB656g7SyuFrR9LAY7I5CEMnAeLHCoyQd4fQeAyqUPg_mBSWUREUVDWQfQOC5AFZZ3ZRfwsBUV9Mil7kfcvSqo3Rf3Bv4brzuUjy98SW9slBw3t4TceKm7UEPMk262fXAQNZK/s1600/ugly-himisaboo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chinese Crested Wiener - Himisaboo" border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoB_Wg1h4fB656g7SyuFrR9LAY7I5CEMnAeLHCoyQd4fQeAyqUPg_mBSWUREUVDWQfQOC5AFZZ3ZRfwsBUV9Mil7kfcvSqo3Rf3Bv4brzuUjy98SW9slBw3t4TceKm7UEPMk262fXAQNZK/s640/ugly-himisaboo.jpg" title="Chinese Crested Wiener - Himisaboo" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Himisaboo</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">WILD THANG</span><br />
<br />
..."you make my heart sing...". That's one cute a <b>Pekingese</b>.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIblwGVMVmd0hl17n-pONsRiLI93cMj94wSh-FfVCsPQz2roaohTAXXnuCWmm0oOCIiXIsUywc152qZfvk9ys5swqLX9iTzFbVwwWjHJ4LwRAChjmmgGvT9Rws4Hi-p-0RxMHkr1IOwfdf/s1600/ugly-wildthang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pekingese - Wild Thang" border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIblwGVMVmd0hl17n-pONsRiLI93cMj94wSh-FfVCsPQz2roaohTAXXnuCWmm0oOCIiXIsUywc152qZfvk9ys5swqLX9iTzFbVwwWjHJ4LwRAChjmmgGvT9Rws4Hi-p-0RxMHkr1IOwfdf/s640/ugly-wildthang.jpg" title="Pekingese - Wild Thang" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Wild Thang</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7t6ynVNhBqJ257qFEq1_Zk9VjXotP4Pmv8O8BmWXfObc4o7FLg2pxIoPPj1_kKoZIhX8IFdaAzq7Axuf76B8YSmuRb3CjF6BDZUAOhgIi-krcLvh5rl64kLLOYRo3VlkY-8cs6M_jnjd4/s1600/ugly-wildthang2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pekingese - Wild Thang" border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7t6ynVNhBqJ257qFEq1_Zk9VjXotP4Pmv8O8BmWXfObc4o7FLg2pxIoPPj1_kKoZIhX8IFdaAzq7Axuf76B8YSmuRb3CjF6BDZUAOhgIi-krcLvh5rl64kLLOYRo3VlkY-8cs6M_jnjd4/s640/ugly-wildthang2.jpg" title="Pekingese - Wild Thang" width="544" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Wild Thang</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">DAISY</span><br />
<br />
A 14-year-old <b>Chihuahua mix</b> and her proud owner, Whitney Sherman.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5yg8NKPa_Y6-hmg727W_YkDK4bvRUD48dE90KvSuQmL85SHq8dsXRpfIuqLTEQz9oQAu5g1gmgEaI9TF6lCxDdCnjSmIhtKUtMCz9BrsdFdTflPHj5dLzSFD1Tn_poKtAaoV1HHiddjW/s1600/ugly-daisy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chihuahua Mix - Daisy" border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5yg8NKPa_Y6-hmg727W_YkDK4bvRUD48dE90KvSuQmL85SHq8dsXRpfIuqLTEQz9oQAu5g1gmgEaI9TF6lCxDdCnjSmIhtKUtMCz9BrsdFdTflPHj5dLzSFD1Tn_poKtAaoV1HHiddjW/s640/ugly-daisy.jpg" title="Chihuahua Mix - Daisy" width="514" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>DAISY</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">TEE TEE</span><br />
<br />
Seems like the <b>Chinese Crested</b> is a common theme at the show.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBL_rnLL4Hyq9m0K9IXbitQlQZaJ3qKP-8ot4bfIVTfg_x-YEkrjeOa0kPIMbxEv3DpYjq5F5_irtbQXUMBd5RVKcc6ytaiEKI1xLk5qDAtpx8Mz0r4pd4JFirLuGDQEuoqY6A3kEoR1Z/s1600/ugly-teetee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chinese Crested - Tee Tee" border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBL_rnLL4Hyq9m0K9IXbitQlQZaJ3qKP-8ot4bfIVTfg_x-YEkrjeOa0kPIMbxEv3DpYjq5F5_irtbQXUMBd5RVKcc6ytaiEKI1xLk5qDAtpx8Mz0r4pd4JFirLuGDQEuoqY6A3kEoR1Z/s640/ugly-teetee.jpg" title="Chinese Crested - Tee Tee" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>TEE TEE</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">MANDARINA</span><br />
<br />
Hey - are you looking at me?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJhEQUDvPaNckSmPfcB434F0EtMbbBU0LJXiRZKLi1v_oTSUv28eUR26NnrXBqWFXULh246jbt1W2pQkCtkOHGmb8qRaib5lWI2X4PM7tiw-THv-Kpcez5hvYAT0M0_oN4uHk7EwKbR34/s1600/ugly-mandarina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ugly Dog - Mandarina" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJhEQUDvPaNckSmPfcB434F0EtMbbBU0LJXiRZKLi1v_oTSUv28eUR26NnrXBqWFXULh246jbt1W2pQkCtkOHGmb8qRaib5lWI2X4PM7tiw-THv-Kpcez5hvYAT0M0_oN4uHk7EwKbR34/s640/ugly-mandarina.jpg" title="Ugly Dog - Mandarina" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>MANDARINA</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">MEATLOAF</span><br />
<br />
"You took the words right out of my mouth..." no, it's not the singer, it's a <b>Bulldog mix</b>!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbez8A8-QBY_HwJGR_XXAJl70XPTaljvRSnMqzRst3-nxPjw87Q2-dQQcgvbOgP-9i7IIk0DGdSBQaslETSdG2a6n3RlkKoRpxFZ9cHmk-m___tg6xC6w96HaiK0wJx5RkIH1tzG-COyd/s1600/ugly-meatloaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bulldog Mix - Meatloaf" border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbez8A8-QBY_HwJGR_XXAJl70XPTaljvRSnMqzRst3-nxPjw87Q2-dQQcgvbOgP-9i7IIk0DGdSBQaslETSdG2a6n3RlkKoRpxFZ9cHmk-m___tg6xC6w96HaiK0wJx5RkIH1tzG-COyd/s640/ugly-meatloaf.jpg" title="Bulldog Mix - Meatloaf" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>MEATLOAF</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">JOSIE</span><br />
<br />
And yet another, <b>Chinese Crested</b> - being checked out by judges, Debbie Abrams and Jo Ling Kent.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYzlrKT0nCeqMrldcGHlKE_pLwAKMrIXwqLBKIEkp_LBi9TyBZKdujronmxWtG0PKbSs3dKaHJ34s19DR3o-O9zVoM8ZuavheZn30Eddc4KKZ43KbQ_yu-871fAyvXAW6G24uAC0C8I2x/s1600/ugly-josie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chinese Crested - Josie" border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYzlrKT0nCeqMrldcGHlKE_pLwAKMrIXwqLBKIEkp_LBi9TyBZKdujronmxWtG0PKbSs3dKaHJ34s19DR3o-O9zVoM8ZuavheZn30Eddc4KKZ43KbQ_yu-871fAyvXAW6G24uAC0C8I2x/s640/ugly-josie.jpg" title="Chinese Crested - Josie" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>JOSIE</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">MRS KRAVITZ</span><br />
<br />
Everybody remember her from Bewitched? Well here's the <b>Chihuahua </b>version with Brian Sobel.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsffoAwVTDiVH71a_iYOUArY7w1EyaTzo0Wa7xz5fafIStxXg5CQjGnJe1T3Yh_LnUwE4KGPCjXaHXzpukiWsfe57fwPKzZ1SJV6RX8CJQc3BsHwgWfxM8_pvBhBVC7PiWv0MSYVP1J1Gj/s1600/ugly-mrskravitz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chihuahua - Mrs Kravitz" border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsffoAwVTDiVH71a_iYOUArY7w1EyaTzo0Wa7xz5fafIStxXg5CQjGnJe1T3Yh_LnUwE4KGPCjXaHXzpukiWsfe57fwPKzZ1SJV6RX8CJQc3BsHwgWfxM8_pvBhBVC7PiWv0MSYVP1J1Gj/s640/ugly-mrskravitz.jpg" title="Chihuahua - Mrs Kravitz" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>MRS KRAVITZ</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">― </span><span class="authorOrTitle" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "lato" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Dorothy Parker</span></blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7wg2vT9GKuVsBcqm77u89v-5WCTgclgBq4G7-6s2e0y3HXDbdm4d3ebgydxvt6n3IsfHlIW4x79u-C4RheuuPmNI9nuBBb7C3eW3leyMjpuZFU4-SAcDO0h0O3SaNQmctOqY7FWkIG9d/s1600/ugly-martha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Neapolitan Mastiff - Martha" border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7wg2vT9GKuVsBcqm77u89v-5WCTgclgBq4G7-6s2e0y3HXDbdm4d3ebgydxvt6n3IsfHlIW4x79u-C4RheuuPmNI9nuBBb7C3eW3leyMjpuZFU4-SAcDO0h0O3SaNQmctOqY7FWkIG9d/s640/ugly-martha.jpg" title="Neapolitan Mastiff - Martha" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>MARTHA</b>: this <b>Neapolitan Mastiff</b> was the winner of last year's competition.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-89020054537597562842019-03-14T21:39:00.002-07:002019-03-14T21:41:26.333-07:00Landmark Decision - Judge Won’t Allow Unvaccinated Children Back To School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5JwaF4picfD8txf9G-XQdeIGPhokVwuDQNlmACwIdatZUFOMvM3F9J2X1lw7jmup6khpsed4JplLjShypcV24SHcITBIm_PQ9JhKGO3v3CNi60Vr5LD0cxBK37QwTlKDOsTNARMSm6Kb/s1600/vaccine_syringe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5JwaF4picfD8txf9G-XQdeIGPhokVwuDQNlmACwIdatZUFOMvM3F9J2X1lw7jmup6khpsed4JplLjShypcV24SHcITBIm_PQ9JhKGO3v3CNi60Vr5LD0cxBK37QwTlKDOsTNARMSm6Kb/s640/vaccine_syringe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Too many parents believe unsupported online claims that vaccines are unsafe...</span></b></blockquote>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Following the recent measles outbreak in suburban Rockland County, New York</b>, in what is potentially a ground breaking decision, a Federal Judge has denied a request to allow 44 unvaccinated children return to school (citing the outbreak as <i>“unprecedented”</i>).<br />
<br />
Parents of the 'suspended' students from the <u>Green Meadow Waldorf School in Chestnut Ridge</u> have responded by suing the county health department.<br />
<br />
Their reasoning is that none of the school’s excluded children have actually contracted measles amid the county’s outbreak, which started last fall.<br />
<br />
A lawyer representing the families, Michael Sussman, criticized the judge’s decision Tuesday to deny a temporary injunction that would have allowed the children back in classes.<br />
<br />
Interestingly (also today), pediatric organizations have expressed support for state legislation that would allow minors to get vaccinated without parental consent!!<br />
<br />
<b>Sponsors of the legislation say too many parents believe unsupported online claims that vaccines are unsafe.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-59885826498406990992019-03-13T20:13:00.000-07:002019-04-04T19:03:14.109-07:00Baby Forces Plane to Turn Around - Left Alone at Airport<b><span style="font-size: large;">OK - so it wasn't entirely the baby's fault.</span></b><br />
<br />
I know when I travel with my family, there are so may things that I am paranoid I may have forgotten... things such as the tickets, the passports, the chargers - I am constantly freaking out about what I might have left on the dresser at home.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PLQRa90QgXKE6SQxK0munAzutW9Z7RQWm2LU6egPVkn9KHZQ7z1k95FHL1DV5yx1pNZSHH8kjXWK4tLIwpp5h8nvoaLQbFSY5TwSOvwKe8ty_zoVKDPoqB99VTrkiBN-8EJYrN4Avvn_/s1600/plane01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PLQRa90QgXKE6SQxK0munAzutW9Z7RQWm2LU6egPVkn9KHZQ7z1k95FHL1DV5yx1pNZSHH8kjXWK4tLIwpp5h8nvoaLQbFSY5TwSOvwKe8ty_zoVKDPoqB99VTrkiBN-8EJYrN4Avvn_/s640/plane01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flight SV832 bound for Kuala Lumpur was forced to return to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia when a woman discovered that she had left her baby at the airport boarding gate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
But I can tell you that <u>NOT EVEN ONCE</u> did I ever worry that I might have left one of the kids behind when I boarded a plane (and the flight had already left)!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikU3-afaeqKq5ZLr_LuV9qtOnHehKYxSZ7aela3Nh4Br-Z8I6pld6WN3jvx3_ubkmeGfmsxDbxEbDig1jImXHeeYfxXAVv2imUfWnTxJ2TUz6SpS0Ito7g-HCfUKhBKsptd3zE8bc8qR4X/s1600/home_alone01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Home Alone" border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikU3-afaeqKq5ZLr_LuV9qtOnHehKYxSZ7aela3Nh4Br-Z8I6pld6WN3jvx3_ubkmeGfmsxDbxEbDig1jImXHeeYfxXAVv2imUfWnTxJ2TUz6SpS0Ito7g-HCfUKhBKsptd3zE8bc8qR4X/s200/home_alone01.jpg" title="Home Alone" width="154" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home Alone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Perhaps setting the scene for a new installment in the <b>'Home Alone'</b> movies, one lady has done just that.<br />
<br />
Once Flight SV832 had departed Jeddah, Saudi Arabia bound for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the very distressed woman told the flight crew that she had accidentally left her baby at the airport.
The crew told the pilot who radioed the tower with this bizarre news. The audio from that conversation has been posted to social media and in it, the pilot explains in Arabic and English that there was a baby alone at the airport and requested permission to turn the plane around and return.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>May God be with us. Can we come back or what?</i></blockquote>
<br />
Asked to repeat what he said, the pilot stated, <i>"One passenger forgot her baby in the terminal, she refuses to continue the flight... May God be with us. Can we come back or what?"</i><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>a passenger forgot her baby in the waiting area, the poor thing.</i></blockquote>
<br />
The Air Traffic Controller can be heard in the recording asking a colleague what to do, <i>"The flight is requesting to come back... a passenger forgot her baby in the waiting area, the poor thing."</i><br />
<br />
Eventually, the plane was allowed to return and in what turned out to be a happy ending, the mother and her baby were safely reunited. <b>However, the question behind how a person can forget their baby in such a manner, has been left unanswered.</b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-53227695548743926502019-03-05T19:45:00.000-08:002019-03-05T19:47:44.085-08:00Tips for Surviving 2019 Spring Break Flights in Tampa<b></b><br />
<blockquote>
<b>2019 is expected to be the busiest Spring Break in Tampa in history!</b></blockquote>
<br />
As college students begin arriving this week, the Tampa Bay airports are preparing for what is being touted as the '<b>busiest spring break ever</b>'.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Break at Clearwater Beach</td></tr>
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The influx of passengers has already begun at Tampa International Airport, which expects up to 3.6 million passengers over the coming weeks. If estimates ring true, that will be an 8.8 percent increase over last year!
The number of passengers arriving daily is estimated to be up around 80,000 or 90,000.<br />
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TPA will be increasing police presence, enhanced guest services and more cleaners & janitors, as well as increasing staffing in shops and restaurants. The Federal Transportation Security Administration will provide extra officers at peak times.<br />
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St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport projects that it will see 240,000 passengers in March; the Pinellas airport has 171 flights scheduled this week and that number will rise to 180, 180 and 186 over the following three weeks.<br />
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<b>SURVIVING SPRING BREAK TRAVEL TIPS:</b></h2>
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<ul>
<li>Arrive early, at least two hours before your flight.<br /><br /></li>
<li>When picking up passengers at Tampa International, use the cell phone lot or the first free hour of the short-term parking garage. Waiting at the arriving flights curb is not permitted.<br /><br /></li>
<li>At St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, build even more extra time into your schedule. That's because road construction this week moved the main airport entrance to a spot near the control tower.<br /><br />The normal direct access from 46th Street to the Airport Parkway will no longer be available. Instead, you will need to use the new main entrance. Drivers headed to the Key Lime economy parking lot and the airport employee parking lot across Roosevelt Boulevard from the airport should turn onto 144th Avenue.<br /><br />To get to the more distant Strawberry economy parking lot north of the airport, take Airport Parkway to Fairchild Drive. Parking shuttles are also expected to take longer, so be sure to plan ahead and allow enough time. Visitors picking up passengers should use the cellphone lot or long-term parking lot. For more information, call (727) 453-7800.<br /><br /></li>
<li>Leave your pets at home unless they're flying or are a service animal. Tampa's airport recently tightened this rule, and the Pinellas airport does not allow pets, only service animals, in its terminal.<br /><br /></li>
<li>Before leaving home, check your pockets and carry-on luggage for any items — guns, ammunition, flammable or sharp items — not permitted through security screening.<br /><br /></li>
<li>For travel alerts and updates, follow Tampa International Airport at <a href="https://twitter.com/FlyTPA" target="_blank">@FlyTPA</a> and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport at <a href="https://twitter.com/iflypie" target="_blank">@iflypie</a> on Twitter.
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0Tampa, FL, USA27.950575 -82.45717760000002327.501914 -83.102624600000027 28.399236000000002 -81.811730600000018tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-50990932785500066852019-03-02T20:54:00.000-08:002019-03-02T22:03:36.479-08:00Resident Fined By HOA Due To A 'Male Appendage' on the Sidewalk<h3>
<b>HOA - the infamous 'Home Owners Association'...</b> something that I never had any idea existed before we moved to the US and into a gated community.</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnrbmTVdbuLi8dIWHgL_M4KmMXwpw4ljyKDJuotnPO3Gb9Rni0C9QjUEITfD1KhOz0_icK6ObMLn_1wRiM8cJwSYJsQfd4KLnk_4tnHjOuNzrJtAo_sHJbWLZmezjLY55wgqteGRuWgPe/s1600/snow-image01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="986" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnrbmTVdbuLi8dIWHgL_M4KmMXwpw4ljyKDJuotnPO3Gb9Rni0C9QjUEITfD1KhOz0_icK6ObMLn_1wRiM8cJwSYJsQfd4KLnk_4tnHjOuNzrJtAo_sHJbWLZmezjLY55wgqteGRuWgPe/s640/snow-image01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The offending image of a 'male appendage' left after a car was parked in a light snow storm.</td></tr>
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For friends of mine in other parts of the world - <i>"any person who wants to buy a residence within the area of a homeowners association must become a member, and therefore must obey the governing documents including Articles of Incorporation, CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions) and By-Laws, which may limit the owner's choices."</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FHz43_ukVHYBLZuQMMuFZKFQz9hLFYlpz_D4TfxD6D8q9eM8OZ8ESZIfXc2GQNnTH0PB5Hua2QxXrPWovqK-S5TaELtwimhGXxiRKU3aHM-qtc6u0GxkJ0u0xBVLlf-c2t6C_BleJq04/s1600/Homeowner_associations.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="500" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FHz43_ukVHYBLZuQMMuFZKFQz9hLFYlpz_D4TfxD6D8q9eM8OZ8ESZIfXc2GQNnTH0PB5Hua2QxXrPWovqK-S5TaELtwimhGXxiRKU3aHM-qtc6u0GxkJ0u0xBVLlf-c2t6C_BleJq04/s200/Homeowner_associations.png" width="200" /></a>In short, don't expect to paint your house any color you want. Expect to get threatened with a fine if you don't get your trees trimmed regularly enough, have a footpath (sidewalk) that needs pressure washing... or any other slight infraction of the multitude of rules that are governing the community.
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We had one neighbor in our community a few years ago, who was fined for leaving his pickup truck in his driveway. Refusing to pay, the HOA then attempted to put a lien on his home due to the unpaid fine. The resident fought it in court for a very long time. In the end, the HOA was ordered to pay the legal fees of the resident and shortly after the bylaw was changed, which meant it was all for nothing - after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of the community's HOA fees (residents' contributions).<br />
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There are any number of similar war stories across the country between resident and HOA.<br />
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The latest episode making headlines this week is based in Tennessee. One lady posted on a Reddit community dedicated to people angry about HOAs (aptly titled <i>"F%#& HOA"</i>) that she was fined $100 by the HOA because her car had left the shape of a <b>"male appendage"</b> on on the ground after a snowstorm.<br />
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According to the letter of notification from the board, <i>"Your car, specifically the Honda, left this offensive image on the ground..."</i> This was cited as a violation of a bylaw against "displaying offensive images or slogans." The board continued to say that they also had photographic evidence of the "obscene" pattern.<br />
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<b>This is bizarre - I sometimes see naughty images in the clouds as the wind shifts them around - am I able to fine somebody? Or does the local community 'spy' just have a dirty mind? 😋</b><br />
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<center><blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" data-id="a/mjBvpWi" lang="en"></center>
<a href="https://imgur.com/mjBvpWi"></a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js"></script>
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The offending resident stated, <i>"I died laughing y'all. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of being fined for, and we flat out told them we weren't paying... Finally after a few back and forth emails, they simply sent us a picture 'describing the problem'"</i><br />
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She also said that she and her husband were confused at first, because the HOA were being 'vague'.<br />
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<b>I'm now looking for more bizarre HOA stories - I can really relate. But male appendage shaped car shape in the snow? - this is beyond crazy!</b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-57173257162742198272018-09-19T18:29:00.000-07:002019-03-02T20:59:00.248-08:00Tampa Bay's Number One Wedding Hair and Make-up Artist<h2>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Shades of Sammi!!</span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomB16pojDkNeO2xGraMmczpKIboVztJQfXeRmjYlDe8eSKKzzcOODXFnn5RNcCRRmElo_cXi_nkYSHJUr3IisPNre1BDD5D4eCu4Kr7-zUxf74D1wNCqtDKN6mJQaOlQIBB4INaAGMqp-/s1600/banner3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomB16pojDkNeO2xGraMmczpKIboVztJQfXeRmjYlDe8eSKKzzcOODXFnn5RNcCRRmElo_cXi_nkYSHJUr3IisPNre1BDD5D4eCu4Kr7-zUxf74D1wNCqtDKN6mJQaOlQIBB4INaAGMqp-/s640/banner3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="color: #000120;"></span></u><br /></div>
<b><a href="http://shadesofsammi.com/" target="_blank">You just absolutely have to check this out</a></b><br />
<b></b><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Offering specialized make-up and hair braiding services for Weddings, Homecomings, Proms, Engagements or any other special life moments, and noted for the most elegant and unique makeup techniques, Sammi's talents are in very high demand.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">No matter what the occasion, Sammi will cater to your every beauty request to ensure your special moments are even more memorable.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrHUXGxCpig2U2eVZpr7E5ol4pP3MeJnQ_IIzn2JXlyEog5pX1Rq9H4-cfWedCF8mBAOzQDqsh2QcSTTsWjnOry7O3xWPt3p0MqKRztZI0dqZPJB9n4D-p9TJEZ0wtcnbQfM6t4S9biuI/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="1080" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrHUXGxCpig2U2eVZpr7E5ol4pP3MeJnQ_IIzn2JXlyEog5pX1Rq9H4-cfWedCF8mBAOzQDqsh2QcSTTsWjnOry7O3xWPt3p0MqKRztZI0dqZPJB9n4D-p9TJEZ0wtcnbQfM6t4S9biuI/s640/13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.33px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Providing specialized makeup services for the most important life memories, Sammi has over a decade of experience having worked in four countries and three continents.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><b>This is her passion... T<a href="http://shadesofsammi.com/" target="_blank">his is 'Shades of Sammi'.Servicing Tampa Bay and surrounding areas</a>.</b></span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><b></b><b></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://shadesofsammi.com/services.html" target="_blank">Check out the services offered - traditional hair braiding and airbrush make-up.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1234" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-l_ga5jMxnLLCBivA4Wu9h6_vuYBCEw1qHIaGQLrTqEIQ39qOD2J3XU9REgWmOM4K2jC5dI3pQx9CC_XLBz9wUrBPodYI-fBVqLrXvPQfLSLaSzHXSU3GAm-igh81neb_ILrdugAUl-n/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Shades of Sammi is a mobile salo<span style="color: black;">n... <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Hotel, Church, Home or Venue, Sammi</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
w<span style="color: black;">ill travel to any location within a 50-mile radius of the Tampa Bay area.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your wedding day must be perfect. By listening to you and applying her years of international expertise, Sammi will help you to achieve the beautiful bridal style that you have been dreaming about, reflecting your <span style="color: black;">unique personality.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: "Open Sans",Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTD2df2ZF7Hap4r92adnVUozuP3DkJkMon0dOKO4izpQSkoXfZfuwDm2IUlcu_q0NBRzz8wvSTO-cxoUGlAN8uqIo8aI32qFuIVn3UYi9VGUzvAlYI7Xj9JC27T0F_1qocCYEfaFQUOlh/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="1080" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTD2df2ZF7Hap4r92adnVUozuP3DkJkMon0dOKO4izpQSkoXfZfuwDm2IUlcu_q0NBRzz8wvSTO-cxoUGlAN8uqIo8aI32qFuIVn3UYi9VGUzvAlYI7Xj9JC27T0F_1qocCYEfaFQUOlh/s640/20.jpg" width="640" /></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: "Open Sans",Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: "Open Sans",Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 17.33px; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font: 400 17.33px/28.6px "Open Sans",Helvetica,sans-serif; letter-spacing: 1.21px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Sammi operates under the strictest of ethical standards and through training and certification, upholds the State of Florida rules and regulations relating to mobile make-up and hair braiding. All equipment and materials are always well-maintained, clean and sterile.</span></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><a href="http://shadesofsammi.com/pricing.html" target="_blank">How much does traditional braiding and airbrush makeup cost in Tampa Bay?</a></b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bfE3l8xDtMKxSjSoRisdkLBSTZ-5jx24YFbiG9wfKdHB0rkh6yB9wX5M5_xPBDqRNvHT_YQUoLUGhQ0lFNWwnIsVP0bwwhGGgXDpjVLa82MEE70MCVvJB5rFK5EERWA62aPl9dEDbm7E/s1600/banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1600" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bfE3l8xDtMKxSjSoRisdkLBSTZ-5jx24YFbiG9wfKdHB0rkh6yB9wX5M5_xPBDqRNvHT_YQUoLUGhQ0lFNWwnIsVP0bwwhGGgXDpjVLa82MEE70MCVvJB5rFK5EERWA62aPl9dEDbm7E/s640/banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Unforgettable wedding day memories are not all Sammi provides.</span></span></span></span><br />
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Whatever that special occasion or life moment, we will help to make it perfect: Weddings, Homecomings and Proms, Bachelorette Parties, Fashion Shoots, Sweet 16 Parties, Beauty Pageants.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://shadesofsammi.com/contact.html" target="_blank"><span id="goog_1313584881"></span>Contact Shades of Sammi and schedule your next special memory today.<span id="goog_1313584882"></span></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://shadesofsammi.com/portfolio.html" target="_blank">Check out some samples of Sammi's work in her Portfolio.</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 1.21px; line-height: 28.6px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><b></b><br /></span></span>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-3974236943871397632017-08-29T11:02:00.002-07:002019-03-02T22:04:29.391-08:00Legend of the Two-Headed Gator - Real or Fake?<b>I've lived here in Tampa, FL now for a few years. One of the things we love the most, is the wildlife... especially the native alligators in our back yard.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4urnLJeZAzjiSNrmQ5AnzRMIX8dNgFj6ZXyHxxR-IzG_sRQrf9DlGzwPCCRaqZrfqtwQANZNkTqgPFyFWb201oCea8DjohjUlSLeyeZ1G_XeAGavM33x0xdFi491ZL0YSSOeRpXib5Sy/s1600/gatortwoheads0%2560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4urnLJeZAzjiSNrmQ5AnzRMIX8dNgFj6ZXyHxxR-IzG_sRQrf9DlGzwPCCRaqZrfqtwQANZNkTqgPFyFWb201oCea8DjohjUlSLeyeZ1G_XeAGavM33x0xdFi491ZL0YSSOeRpXib5Sy/s640/gatortwoheads0%2560.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Two-Headed Gator OR a case of Reptilian Photoshop?</td></tr>
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However, I only recently heard about this strange sighting from a few years back - and after talking to others, the jury is still out on whether it's real or a hoax - <b>I will let you guys decide for yourself!</b><br />
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At the time (2014), a Florida artist came out and claimed that he had seen a two-headed alligator while walking his dog.<br />
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Florida wildlife officials were immediately skeptical.<br />
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Justin Alan Arnold uploaded the picture he took on Facebook... although it was liked and shared thousands of times, experts from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission questioned the authenticity of the image.<br />
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The commentary that came with the photograph stated, <i>"Two-headed alligator spotted in Tampa, Florida along the Hillsborough River in the Seminole Heights neighborhood. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, this alligator has been reported by several people. They explained that failed separation of monozygotic twins is common in reptiles and amphibians but they rarely reach this juvenile state."</i><br />
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Officials from the FWC stated that they hadn't received any calls about a two-headed alligator, despite Arnold's commentary.<br />
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University of Florida professor Dr. Frank Mazzotti, said of the incident:<br />
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<i>"Conventional knowledge is that when these deformities occur, the hatchlings do not survive unless cared for [by humans] and often, not even then"</i><br />
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<i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><b><span style="font-size: large;">So I now leave it with you all, dear readers - A Two-Headed Gator OR a case of 'not-too-bad' Reptilian Photoshop?</span></b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-33179657413059826942016-12-30T14:29:00.000-08:002019-03-02T20:58:09.416-08:00Heathcare in The United States - the Real Cost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtaw9zJRvPFxh1qrDoPKWxwOLXRHn8Y9RNOg83dZl1dF7hNl_uU79IdrUMHI_-ADBgFDXVM1SqxqD6B5fAAsj_Xfw_bmEzwJVy_uoDxSB5El_HptBVsBo-Gk06M8XTG3OxkW8Nalfp2ga/s1600/emergencyroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="color: red;"><i><b>Important Disclaimer: </b>I do not purport to be an expert on the complexities of the Healthcare </i></span><span style="color: red;"><i>Policies or processes in any given country. I can however, speak with some authority on personal experiences with the Healthcare systems and cost differentials in Australia, Singapore and the United States.</i></span><br />
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<span style="clear: left; color: red; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE29RSldfg7-mjo1dMM64p5RqKgKwH5Yd4PbmPUwgM3gQpfGGduOvfS0xFDzevsNbVA7Di6xscZy-oNK7Ddfndl7LOz5gpVF7aD0jpQE8gu6h2K4sgM_HaUwCv_JTywRWxXEPER5btX_K0/s200/Healthcare-Homepage.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></span><b>One simply needs to tune into any mainstream media channel to hear the latest on a variety of different opinions by 'experts', politicians, journalists and 'John Q Public' on the state of Healthcare affordability in the US, what is right or wrong about the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) or the heartbreaking stories of people not getting the treatment they require, or 'losing the farm' by having life threatening episodes attended to within the system.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even the new President-Elect Donald, Trump seems now to be shying away from his pre-election promises of 'Repeal and Replace'.</span><br />
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This year, my family were met face-on with the interesting nuances of the cost of Healthcare in the US, when our 9-yo son was rushed to hospital and had to undergo an emergency Laparoscopic Appendectomy (or simply put, he had his appendix removed through a kind of keyhole surgery).<br />
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At the time, with my thoughts being only on the pain that my little boy was suffering, the last thing on my mind was how much it was going to cost. Many parents know the trauma one goes through when they see their own flesh and blood writhing in pain.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtaw9zJRvPFxh1qrDoPKWxwOLXRHn8Y9RNOg83dZl1dF7hNl_uU79IdrUMHI_-ADBgFDXVM1SqxqD6B5fAAsj_Xfw_bmEzwJVy_uoDxSB5El_HptBVsBo-Gk06M8XTG3OxkW8Nalfp2ga/s1600/emergencyroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtaw9zJRvPFxh1qrDoPKWxwOLXRHn8Y9RNOg83dZl1dF7hNl_uU79IdrUMHI_-ADBgFDXVM1SqxqD6B5fAAsj_Xfw_bmEzwJVy_uoDxSB5El_HptBVsBo-Gk06M8XTG3OxkW8Nalfp2ga/s640/emergencyroom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It didn't occur to me to question why there was an administrative assistant wheeling around a mobile payment unit throughout the ER and taking me away from holding my son's hand to swipe my credit card for a 'deposit' - after all, I have one of the top private medical insurance coverages available.<br />
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<b>Let me be clear</b> - The hospital and staff could not have been nicer or more professional - they got us through the drama and we came out the other end with nothing but utter gratitude that our boy was well and we didn't even need to spend one night in the hospital. He was sent from the pediatrician to the hospital emergency rooms around 11am. By 7pm, the procedure was done and he was discharged... a week later, back to playing flag football and basketball.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Then came the bills...</span></b><br />
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The emergency incident occurred in June this year - I just received and paid the final (of many) bills this month (December).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCm4uevyHNKW4JfnaVq-XfxARquPUiBU8uDeLnwxkAYJE6oCFtgqLAA_QtKhxq0uIQ1lmVrpjwRajj6_W58mNu6RaqaKDG5C7LpcBYyqdRNuGRcxwLDU3t82t3cOdfOZiQBZdBu3DcPJUa/s1600/o-BEST-HEALTHCARE-facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCm4uevyHNKW4JfnaVq-XfxARquPUiBU8uDeLnwxkAYJE6oCFtgqLAA_QtKhxq0uIQ1lmVrpjwRajj6_W58mNu6RaqaKDG5C7LpcBYyqdRNuGRcxwLDU3t82t3cOdfOZiQBZdBu3DcPJUa/s640/o-BEST-HEALTHCARE-facebook.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The billing process itself left me quite astonished - in any of the other countries that I have lived, the hospital is responsible for coordination and itemization of the billing. Any monies owed get paid to the hospital and they take care of all of the other components.<br />
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Here in Florida, I received separate bills from the hospital, the surgeon, the anesthetist, the labs - different bills for surgical procedures, ultrasounds, CAT scans... just to name a few. To actually reconcile all of this was fruitless - I reached out to the insurance company (who were extremely helpful) and the hospital (not so much), but in the end, I just had to keep paying bill after bill hoping and trusting that all was well with the charges. It would take a CPA at the least, to reconcile the pages upon pages of documentation.<br />
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<b>Now here comes the part that totally floored me</b> - although any amount of money could not buy the happiness I have to know that my child is safe and healthy...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ezaVcVP09fDmlvJZhDqIxf1GP3R4RQJHpN8sbwLeapmmduNIlJCP2GxfrgPOcjH1kre4SIE0ljitbV4x6tgEkCqXhWPO688KVFgBLdj3dPEkmj0sYZgBNSizo7xvBXd-FDinrETnO9hh/s1600/medicare.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ezaVcVP09fDmlvJZhDqIxf1GP3R4RQJHpN8sbwLeapmmduNIlJCP2GxfrgPOcjH1kre4SIE0ljitbV4x6tgEkCqXhWPO688KVFgBLdj3dPEkmj0sYZgBNSizo7xvBXd-FDinrETnO9hh/s320/medicare.png" width="320" /></a>Having been exposed to other systems and further talking through this with friends and family in Australia, under the Medicare system, the maximum I would have paid down-under for the procedure would have been $0.00 (notwithstanding some small co-pay for any general practitioners or specialists)... now before you jump all over me and say, <i><b>"but Pete, you're an idiot... Medicare is not free, you would have paid for it in your taxes"</b></i>, I totally get it. HOWEVER - coverage under Medicare for citizens is on average ~2% of your annual salary. This cannot come close to the cost of private insurance in the US, which does not cover everything (by any means), with deductibles and co-share payments throughout the entire process (I'll get more into that shortly).<br />
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For any other doubters that say Medicare is not the best coverage for your family in Australia (which I do not disagree with) due to potential queues for elective surgery, shortage of beds in public hospital wards, etc, I also spoke with another friend down-under who pays for top private insurance coverage. Her daughter underwent exactly the same procedure this year, and their total out of pocket was $1,700 in a private hospital - private room and all. They thought this amount was preposterous... until they heard my story. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQKLB3mq2XHFmBdw48aSo6zu43k2N8i56P6qllKnVaMFo-jaqPgWCXKNOcdUFlX94oNkzBMoZtsuTbsmTjCI_XAepnqZGSlvqhyphenhyphengC4DGjwEXOaJ1PDPFjFsWmejotUJcAOid2s-JZIGej/s1600/HealthInsurance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQKLB3mq2XHFmBdw48aSo6zu43k2N8i56P6qllKnVaMFo-jaqPgWCXKNOcdUFlX94oNkzBMoZtsuTbsmTjCI_XAepnqZGSlvqhyphenhyphengC4DGjwEXOaJ1PDPFjFsWmejotUJcAOid2s-JZIGej/s320/HealthInsurance.jpg" width="320" /></a>For Aussies that cannot afford private insurance, Medicare gets the job done - nobody is denied treatment and no family will lose their life savings and even their home (I have seen many horror stories of this happening in the US). I have even watched videos of people sewing up large gashes in their own body instead of seeking medical help, just so they do not have to break the bank and go into debt for many years. Often, these same people cannot afford basic healthcare coverage.<br />
<br />
Just as an aside - in Singapore, my actual insurance premiums were significantly less than the cost of Medicare in Australia and although there is co-payment involved in this, it still only kicks in after a very large threshold of expense (and no deductible)... and Singapore has some of the world's top rated surgeons and medical facilities.<br />
<br />
<b>Back to the US and the appendectomy</b> - I will not go into exact numbers (it will do my head in), so I will just ball park it for the sake of my major point.<br />
<br />
I estimated this year I have paid well in excess of US$10K in medical insurance premiums.<br />
<br />
When we went through the episode in June, the hospital bill (charge) itself was ~US$29K. Of this, I had to pay the deductible and co-payment (along with the other providers aforementioned). Interestingly, the insurance company has a 'negotiated' rate with the hospital for members (~$13K), yet the co-payment is not based on this figure - it's based on the initial hospital billing - go figure! (if I didn't have insurance, I would have had to pay the entire original amount)... this concerns me, because it means that anyone who cannot afford insurance are billed more than double what the insurance companies have negotiated - that extra $16K in my mind must therefore (?TBC?) be pure profit from the people who can least afford it.<br />
<br />
Anyway - I digress - in short, the total billings from the hospital and other parties totaled around US$35K plus (nowhere near what was paid by insurance of course - that's all negotiated)... of this, my out of pocket was (approximately) $3K deductible + >$6K in co-payments. Remember - we did not even stay in the hospital overnight!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFbDHL1a_MnFg11cF8GAAqmJm-sKFN6Gct7BLwUcf8u-dlbUCZB1CX49jjoxNrXHOXGNcop5Vlm1cOg12S2Egr37F3OAT3DrVCFBw4dlkHbJGE4v67TRVMpn7W_y0F_qJ6iidSYWU9lHJ/s1600/Insurance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFbDHL1a_MnFg11cF8GAAqmJm-sKFN6Gct7BLwUcf8u-dlbUCZB1CX49jjoxNrXHOXGNcop5Vlm1cOg12S2Egr37F3OAT3DrVCFBw4dlkHbJGE4v67TRVMpn7W_y0F_qJ6iidSYWU9lHJ/s320/Insurance.jpg" width="320" /></a>In the US, I paid >US$10K in insurance premiums + >$9K in actual fees (at least US$20K for the year with less than one day spent at the hospital receiving any actual treatment)... and remember, I have one of the best possible insurance packages available for the family. Comparatively, for a similar year, I could have got away with 2% of my salary in Australia and maybe around ~SGD$2K in Singapore.<br />
<br />
<b>So - why is this the case?</b> I am left wondering that to this day (now that I've just paid the last $3K for services that were actually rendered some 6-months ago... I am certainly no insurance expert either - but what I do know is that when anything is insured (car, home, life. health) there are very complex algorithms that these companies use to determine risk, premium charges, deductibles, co-payments... all to enable them to not go out of business. In short, they need to bring more money in than they have to pay out - that's how any business operates - on profit.<br />
<br />
The more the insurance needs to cover, the higher the premiums - the cost to the consumer to insure a Mercedes is much less than insuring a Kia. The companies would know the risk associated with having to pay out on either of those policies.<br />
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<b>So in case you haven't read between the lines</b> - the observation for me is one of governance and regulation. The healthcare system in Australia is highly regulated, as is the amount that hospitals and practitioners are allowed to charge (public or private). When there is less to 'cover' (pay) for the insurance companies, premiums are lower and the less impact on the consumer pocket-book.<br />
<br />
What I do not know, is what kind of regulations govern the US healthcare system? I've heard (and read) that the price for certain procedures in certain locations, states, institutions vary thousands of percentage points for the same services rendered. Do the Government have input or oversight into what the hospitals or medical practitioners charge, their processes for billing or calculation methodologies? What about the relationships and deals setup between these institutions and the insurance companies... are these governed or regulated?<br />
<br />
<b>I'm open to any feedback any answers to the questions I've raised.. I want to be able to understand it better.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">As of now, it makes me think that the US leadership should spend some time thinking about the regulation and governance of the entire Healthcare industry and processes and maybe - just maybe - the problem of rising Healthcare Insurance costs might start taking care of itself.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-69723782609203630902016-07-25T18:50:00.000-07:002019-03-02T20:58:09.545-08:00Off The Florida Keys… There’s A Place Called Kokomo<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>Well, actually there isn’t – although there
is a place off Montego Bay, Jamaica that was formerly known as ‘Kokomo Island’,
now known as Sandals Cay</b>… but the Beach Boys’ lyrics nicely sum up the amazing atmosphere
that is the tropical <u>Florida Keys</u>. This is really what I want to talk about!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Some say ‘bucket list’, others say ‘dream
destination’… for me it’s just been a life-long ambition to visit what was once
almost a mythical part of the world to me.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I’d seen the movie on the Sunday
afternoon TV re-runs when I was a kid (the 1948 Humphrey Bogart / Lauren Bacall
film noir classic, Key Largo); I’d listened to it sung about by Bertie Higgins
in the early eighties (Key Largo, 1981) and then of course the Beach Boys
‘owned’ the atmosphere in their hit song ‘Kokomo’ from the ‘Cocktail’
soundtrack in the late eighties.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>Whatever the driving motivation was, I just
had to the Florida Keys one day… and this day, I did!!</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Last week, we drove down the East Coast of
Florida from our home here in Tampa, crossed the infamous ‘Alligator Alley’ and
spent a night in Miami.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Leaving the car at the Hilton Hotel, we called our
friends at Uber and managed to get around to check out some of the ‘sights’
(nudge, nudge).</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Taking it as a strong recommendation from
friends, we took in lunch at the Versailles Cuban Restaurant in ‘Little Havana’
before heading over to South Beach. Wow – for a beach-side Florida city, there
is certainly a wide variety of fashion statements, ethnicities and
individuality to be found!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Of course, summer in Florida is hot and
humid and this day was no exception. However, we are obviously not unaccustomed
to the weather (think tropical weather for most of our lives – Qld, Australia,
Singapore and now Tampa, FL)... So we soaked up the rays and after making our way
to the beach via Ocean Drive and back across to Espanola Way, we landed at Lincoln
Road for some of the most well-needed ice cold milkshakes that we’ve ever had. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>There begins our tropical holiday!!</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The next morning we trekked across some of
the Miami shopping areas before heading south to the beautiful Keys. Through
the planning stages, we had decided that we wanted to stay somewhere laid-back
but at the same time, somewhere close enough to drive around and take it all in
– including the world-famous Key West. This thought process kept taking us to
<b>Key Largo</b>, where we stayed for three nights.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">As usual, Sammi had done her homework well
– the Hilton Key Largo resort was everything we had expected… water sports,
private beaches, activities for everyone and a lovely (albeit very expensive)
‘Treetops’ Restaurant.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The location was also central enough for us to laze
around the resort, head out whenever we needed and of course, a stone’s throw (less than 2 hours) from Key West. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">After terrorizing the other water vessels
enough with my wave runner antics, we made the trip down to Key West on the
second day. <b>This is where things rose to a whole new level</b>.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Although it was very ‘whirlwind’, we
managed to take in some of the key ‘tourist must-do’s’ such as the Ernest
Hemmingway home and the ‘Southernmost’ point of the continental USA (go figure…
it’s just 90-miles from there to Cuba) to name a couple, but the highlight for
me was lunch at the very original <b>Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville</b>.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Of course, I
had to have the ‘booze in a blender’ and we ‘wasted away again’ for a while,
but I didn’t get any more tattoos – I’m not sure what the ‘Mexican Cutie’
would’ve translated to anyway.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">So there you have it – fitting a 5-day
vacation into a few paragraphs doesn’t come close to doing it justice, but I’ve
hit on some of the high points.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">If you’ve sometimes (or always) considered
a holiday to the Florida Keys, you can take this as my unwavering strong recommendation…
perhaps it’s time for me to start thinking again about investing in a holiday
home </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span lang="EN-US">Ohhh... and by the way - happy anniversary to my darling wife - the sunset cruise dinner to celebrate when we arrived back in Tampa pales in comparison to your beauty!! <i>(Brownie points earned)</i></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-54763859488644869212016-04-08T09:56:00.000-07:002019-03-02T20:58:09.480-08:00RAMBO the Pet Gator Fighting a Battle to Live at Home<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mary Thorn loves her pet and will do anything to keep him... but this is not your everyday cat or dog story!</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RAMBO the pet gator... ready to cruise the highways!</td></tr>
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The resident of Lakeland in Florida, is fighting to keep her 6-foot-long <u>pet alligator</u> in her home.<br />
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Known simply as RAMBO, the 125-pound reptile wears clothes, rides on the back of a motorcycle and even has his own bedroom.<br />
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Although it's unusual for an alligator to be allowed to be kept indoors (and there are very strict laws on human-gator interaction here in Florida), Ms Thorn has had a license for the Rambo for the past 11 years. Unfortunately, he recently grew to 6 feet in length.<br />
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According to regulations, a 6-foot gator must live outside on a minimum of 2.5 acres of land.<br />
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Ms Thorn said that even if she had that much land, Rambo still wouldn't be able to live outdoors because he has a sensitivity to sunlight (wow - maybe he also has a peanut allergy?)<br />
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Rambo often visits schools and charity events and he has 'apparently' been trained not to bite.<br />
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Gary Morse of the Florida wildlife commission stated that Ms Thorn and Rambo's case is under investigation.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Personally, our home here in The Eagles in Odessa, backs onto a very large pond which is choc-full of gators... and much bigger that 6-ft I can tell you. They don't worry us or bother us at all - in fact we love having them around and especially enjoy watching their antics though the mating period (April - May) and into nesting in late June - July... but living in our home? <b>Nahhhh... let's leave the beautiful beasts alone, I say!! </b></span><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-21517230394142634812015-11-13T06:58:00.001-08:002019-03-02T20:58:09.351-08:00Winter Fashion Tips: Florida Style<b>Florida garners quite a bit of hate from the rest of the country when the winter months start to roll around. People in Chicago, Boston and New York really just don’t understand that we, too, get a winter season.</b> Sure, we don’t get feet upon feet of snow, and we rarely hit below-freezing temperatures. But we still have a winter season—it’s just a little warmer than winters up in, say, New England.<br />
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So when it comes to dressing for the season, our winter wardrobes look a little different than those of our colder counterparts. Floridians love looking at all the autumn/winter trends when they debut on the runways during fashion month, but we know that each trend will take a certain bit of adjusting in order to work with our warmer climate. With that said, here are some tips for dressing for winter in Florida…<br />
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<h3>
Know Your Colours</h3>
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Every year, <a href="http://www.pantone.com/pages/fcr/?season=fall&year=2015&pid=11">Pantone publishes</a> a colour report based off of a host of design, fashion and cultural factors. The colour report often predicts the biggest hues of the season. Since Floridians can’t wear as many winter styles as the rest of the country, stay on-trend by finding garments in the colours of the season. This year, “Cadmium Orange” and “Biscay Bay” seem to have been inspired our sunny weather, making it simple to work these shades into your winter style. Goodbye, black!<br />
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<h3>
Keep It Simple</h3>
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In the Sunshine State, the sun does exactly that—it shines… a lot. One moment you may be a little chilly, but as soon as the sun pops out, you’re ready to shed the coat. Keeping it simple is key. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many items like a scarf, cardigan and a coat—you’ll regret the extra garments as soon as you decide to sit outside for lunch. Just one piece of outerwear is all you need. <br />
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<h3>
One Trend Rule</h3>
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Just because you can’t sport a heavy parka doesn’t mean you can’t follow any of the winter trends. It just takes a little more creativity. Less is more when it comes to Florida winters, so pick one winter trend you just have to try, but then pair it with your trusty warm weather attire. <a href="https://www.lyst.com.au/">As Lyst suggests</a>, wearing a trendy beret and matching it with a “sophisticated mini dress” is a stunning, ladylike look, and it perfectly balances the winter trend with Florida’s weather. <br />
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<h3>
Be Ready For Anything</h3>
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Just like folks in the northern states need to be prepared for a snowstorm to hit at any moment, sometimes the Sunshine State’s weather can be a little unpredictable, too. Though Florida’s not popularly known for freezing temperatures, every now and then, we get a little frost. Even earlier this year, <a href="http://www.news4jax.com/weather/record-snowfall-hits-florida/30611574">News4Jax reported</a> that Jacksonville experienced snow flurries. With that said, you should always have at least a couple cold weather items in your closet: waterproof boots, a heavier jacket and some scarves. You never know when you might need them!<br />
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<i><b>Note</b>: Pantone colors image via <a href="http://www.secondcitystyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/pantonefall2015colors.jpg">Second City Style</a>, and beret image from Lyst </i><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-49664929000183312352015-10-29T14:06:00.001-07:002019-03-21T21:30:05.394-07:00How To Park Your Mustang When The Garage Is Full<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwzhFUj5CoNph6zQtwZeQPoYBFw8qE6Vhu30QZM0uyZnZjvCkbLitAJHGA9vLkm3NUoVDRsQVJkQv0GVb9Bs9jCXpwpiIYyG8ueFqjd_gjdhrx9e-2SAdffjLkuO9uY8rJp11mMSyyLpS/s1600/mustangonroof.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwzhFUj5CoNph6zQtwZeQPoYBFw8qE6Vhu30QZM0uyZnZjvCkbLitAJHGA9vLkm3NUoVDRsQVJkQv0GVb9Bs9jCXpwpiIYyG8ueFqjd_gjdhrx9e-2SAdffjLkuO9uY8rJp11mMSyyLpS/s640/mustangonroof.png" width="640"></a></div>
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<b>Well, this is pretty novel...</b> I often complain to my wife that even with the million dollar views and living in what is one of the nicest, safest and friendliest communities in all of Florida, having a two-car garage is tough when we need to park my 2015 Mustang GT and her 2015 Ford Explorer side-by-side. It's a tight squeeze!<br />
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Whenever we park either car in the driveway, we have the kids complaining because they want to shoot hoops with their neighborhood mates.<br />
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What I would never have thought of, is parking on the roof... it's actually a little unsightly as you can see from the mock-up above. :)<br />
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However - this is exactly what happened recently in Shiawassee County in Michigan.<br />
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Described by the home owner, 83-year old Joyce Kingsley, there was a loud <b>"kaboom".</b> At first, she mistook it as thunder... that was until she moved her line of sight towards the roof of her home.<br />
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<b>The driver of a Ford Mustang had parked their car smack-bang in the middle of her roof!</b><br />
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According to police reports, the errant driver had suffered from some kind of medical problem related to low blood sugar, lost control on Interstate 69 and ended up where he (or she) did. The driver was otherwise uninjured.<br />
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Ms Kingsley's home is about about 20 miles northeast of Lansing and built next to a hill... with the roof sitting almost level to the ground. In her statement, Ms Kingsley said, "I was just watching TV inside. I had it up pretty loud — but this was much louder."<br />
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State police said that the Mustang, before stopping on the roof, traveled through several trees, bushes and even a fence before stopping on the roof. Trooper Ben Rowell said, "The driver is extremely lucky... it could've been a lot worse."<br />
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<i>The below is the actual picture - not doctored in any way...</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyL5BWN0FDAvOqNTqoTU8rxsnfEBWY5iHjUHU79kuG0YJxMiqNBlqJ8ep_2dxZt4jCN6R89XVtQeo4AYo9W2O98_anRNDE_B__XmH2xZfu2Td5QFheiFYpp-KIel6IfcE8YmuOHWiFPeB-/s1600/mustangonRoof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyL5BWN0FDAvOqNTqoTU8rxsnfEBWY5iHjUHU79kuG0YJxMiqNBlqJ8ep_2dxZt4jCN6R89XVtQeo4AYo9W2O98_anRNDE_B__XmH2xZfu2Td5QFheiFYpp-KIel6IfcE8YmuOHWiFPeB-/s640/mustangonRoof.jpg" width="640"></a><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-71557807217403237752015-07-02T13:44:00.000-07:002019-03-21T21:32:18.613-07:0030 Year Old Woman Jailed For Having Sex With Her 17 Year Old Student<b><span style="font-size: large;">The sentence handed down today? - 22 YEARS!!</span></b><br />
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<b>Jennifer Fichter, who is now 30 years of age, was a teacher at Central Florida Aerospace Academy in Lakeland (Polk County).</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YTQhNAVwRDHJ2zy8H3Qi8rhOs2unaxIger5YGgp1bDwcFR0SpJMAo_fPbPbdV73R72wSB-yPTgikwxYRon1u_HOGCr3sBXH4ue5e7OxSCHmhqIA9qenyStqxv8Ka-gyhJU95xVSCf3R2/s1600/7343449_G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YTQhNAVwRDHJ2zy8H3Qi8rhOs2unaxIger5YGgp1bDwcFR0SpJMAo_fPbPbdV73R72wSB-yPTgikwxYRon1u_HOGCr3sBXH4ue5e7OxSCHmhqIA9qenyStqxv8Ka-gyhJU95xVSCf3R2/s640/7343449_G.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennifer Fichter, the 30-year-old Polk County Teacher convicted for 22 years for sex with her students</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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She had pleaded guilty to having sex with at least three former students, who had come forward to claim she had a sexual relationship with them when they were 17-years-old.<br />
<br />
According to prosecutors, one of these relationship had resulted in an aborted pregnancy.<br />
<br />
A total of 33 witnesses testified at Fichter's sentencing hearing. At least one of these was a parent of one of the victims.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J_36Sm-Xda4" width="640"></iframe></center>
<br />
Fichter apologized to the victims at the hearing. When she addressed her own family she broke down in tears... "I'm sorry for the dishonor, to you, to them," she said.<br />
<br />
A total of 37 criminal charges were accorded to Fichter, with each one carrying up to 15-years-in prison.<br />
<br />
It should be noted that before her job in Polk County, Fichter had resigned from a position in Orange County under similar suspicions... <b>One might rightly wonder how she made it back into the education system??</b><br />
<b><br /></b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-66164806972051483412015-06-16T10:10:00.000-07:002015-06-16T10:10:16.795-07:00Something Fishy About This Drug Smuggler<div dir="ltr">
<b>According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Miami International Airport, a 38 year old 'would be' drug smuggler concealed more than two pounds of cocaine in some fried fish.</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The woman arrived from Jamaica Saturday morning and was carrying the fried fish with her luggage. I'm guessing that the officers smelled something fishy from the get go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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Upon X-ray examination of the fish, anomalies were noticed in some of the cooked fish. Officers said <i>"the bellies of some of the fish were sewn together and certain fish felt thicker than the rest"</i>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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That's when they found 2.3 pounds of cocaine hidden inside the fish. The woman has been arrested and her name has not been released. </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-67466328760324419112015-06-09T18:18:00.004-07:002019-03-21T21:35:58.901-07:002015 Hurricane Season – The Time To Prepare Is Now!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>The 2015 Hurricane Season began on June 1<sup>st</sup>
and runs through until November 30<sup>th</sup>. Although forecasters are anticipating a
‘below-normal’ number of storms, they are also telling us <i>“that’s no reason to believe coastal areas will have it easy.”</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b><i><span style="color: red;">Be sure to watch the video at the end of this article - extremely scary but true!! Project Phoenix...we MUST be prepared!</span></i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDul84hDYsoTH4C90ekDsm1boRkXCKnXGro47zE_VbkPaL_TP6jpYamPnwDedCl9P-12KCTnlSgRG22BbKuSRAsn_FdT9d3Zu048wRnB3aK97YsFRFi54pgTe2eRmuniYXnkpPx_1jdugm/s1600/hurricane_generic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDul84hDYsoTH4C90ekDsm1boRkXCKnXGro47zE_VbkPaL_TP6jpYamPnwDedCl9P-12KCTnlSgRG22BbKuSRAsn_FdT9d3Zu048wRnB3aK97YsFRFi54pgTe2eRmuniYXnkpPx_1jdugm/s640/hurricane_generic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration anticipates that this season will witness the formation of six
to 11 named storms. They’ve set the likelihood for that many storms at 70
percent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Storms are named when they have winds of 39
mph or higher. Of those six to 11 storms, forecasters anticipate three to six
could become full-blown hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher. Up to two
major hurricanes – with winds of 111 mph or higher – could form.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zc6bY8wi27o0_zaNxWMofPrOgYeWPAS_Yu4LhZn-w593yGpS9-j6MJMus5kcrrOoiajer1xF32Odg6aixrbsQGqfI02PnIbK_1-sUU02QqtfsbFzAD_iuG9jDrlSMU_jDgRWJ2nWXgx0/s1600/2015055568644f6aa6b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zc6bY8wi27o0_zaNxWMofPrOgYeWPAS_Yu4LhZn-w593yGpS9-j6MJMus5kcrrOoiajer1xF32Odg6aixrbsQGqfI02PnIbK_1-sUU02QqtfsbFzAD_iuG9jDrlSMU_jDgRWJ2nWXgx0/s640/2015055568644f6aa6b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now – where would be the most likely place for
these major hurricanes to make land fall? Hands down, <u>the experts all agree
that the most likely AND the most vulnerable would be Tampa Bay</u>.</div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What The??!!</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It’s been more than 90 years since the last
major hurricane came onshore in the Tampa Bay area and experts are warning that
complacency may prove costly in lives and property.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">According to Massachusetts Institute of
Technology meteorology professor, Kerry Emanuel, <i>“We’ve been kind of lucky… In the Tampa region, an Andrew-sized storm
could cause more than $200 billion in damage, according to a local government
study in 2010.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Meteorologists say areas like Tampa, Daytona
Beach and Houston should get hit with major storms every 20 to 40 years or so.
The last major storm to strike Tampa hit way back in 1921. Although Hurricane
Frances passed through the area in 2004, it was diminished in strength by the
time it hit the Bay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7TpdhadJTUVMe9I4vIjPLS4HcMqYQyDu3d26__VuNiQni36efQCvisIlxfMH0WdfPyfDwMgbju7rtdes2nncdKvaKXg8FoCnDKZdXeiRwXaR_paZOJKsD8_Wq_UvPTf8J-yB8-DjrWet/s1600/tampahurricane02.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7TpdhadJTUVMe9I4vIjPLS4HcMqYQyDu3d26__VuNiQni36efQCvisIlxfMH0WdfPyfDwMgbju7rtdes2nncdKvaKXg8FoCnDKZdXeiRwXaR_paZOJKsD8_Wq_UvPTf8J-yB8-DjrWet/s640/tampahurricane02.gif" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Emanuel was quoted by the U.S. News &
World Report, <i>“It’s just the law of
statistics… Luck will run out. It’s a question of when.”</i></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; display: none; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-hide: all;">o</span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; display: none; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hide: all;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; display: none; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-hide: all;">o</span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; display: none; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hide: all;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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<br />Even a Category 1 storm would
cause more than $2 billion in damage around Tampa if it were to strike
directly, according to estimates from Hillsborough County, where more than
110,000 structures (most of them residential) sit in an evacuation zone.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhMsTWI5mLJDXUoZGUrrpwGHYjsCvCmgeGrXpBXDY4aKThXh3fg9aT06BaM03c4RZGFj1OqgxRADZ3NhrKlXP9Gdw4ys0Ehvog7TN9AbQkQY4wT8Arq7poeSzV4i3JyVLwEpPg1h9G1pt/s1600/2015065570738148c68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhMsTWI5mLJDXUoZGUrrpwGHYjsCvCmgeGrXpBXDY4aKThXh3fg9aT06BaM03c4RZGFj1OqgxRADZ3NhrKlXP9Gdw4ys0Ehvog7TN9AbQkQY4wT8Arq7poeSzV4i3JyVLwEpPg1h9G1pt/s640/2015065570738148c68.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 9.0pt;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Upgraded
building codes that call for shatter-proof windows and hefty wind resistance
mean new construction stands a better chance of holding up in a storm.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 9.0pt;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"The
things that we are building are going to be more resilient than they have been
in the past," said Bryan Koon, the state's emergency management director.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 9.0pt;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"Building
codes … have actually reduced the (potential) damages (from a hurricane),"
said Graham Tobin, a geosciences professor at the University of South Florida.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 9.0pt;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Upgrades,
though, have limited reach, as many structures predate the standards. More than
half of the homes in Pasco were built before the Florida Building Code was
enacted in 1994, according to the county.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 9.0pt;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tampa
Bay is also full of mobile homes — more than 100,000 across Pinellas, Pasco,
Hillsborough and Hernando. Even with improved durability (the result of
Hurricane Andrew, which left chewed-up double-wides strewn across South
Florida) such structures are often broken up by cyclones and tossed about like
autumn leaves in the wind. A 2013 state analysis found that there were more
than 850,000 mobile homes in Florida.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 9.0pt;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Building
stronger, more expensive structures is not always the best way to mitigate
financial loss, according to Watson, who has worked in hazard modeling since
1989 and has advised a panel that seeks to ensure Florida adequately assesses
its risks from hurricane damage. For instance, he said, the destruction of a
modest, older home along the water still costs less than repairing a million-dollar
mansion that is damaged 25 percent.</span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
more pragmatic view, he said, would be to assume that "if something is on
the coast, it's going to get knocked down."</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<i><b style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDao2nceFizg8UwShEOe1aNXbmmSxQSb1bo0i9bQn4BvOSsUkGIbvvEmdEaZdkW2jBtNAQ1Gm005hhC26suPVNHNWK2J7Z1sBkCJwcnAzgPlc3k-s1_TneOJyrEesDbItD8D9Fei3VYYj/s1600/tampahurricane01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDao2nceFizg8UwShEOe1aNXbmmSxQSb1bo0i9bQn4BvOSsUkGIbvvEmdEaZdkW2jBtNAQ1Gm005hhC26suPVNHNWK2J7Z1sBkCJwcnAzgPlc3k-s1_TneOJyrEesDbItD8D9Fei3VYYj/s640/tampahurricane01.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 9.0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />AFTER THE WIND COMES THE WATER</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 9.0pt;">
<span style="color: #181818;">After a hurricane, when the wind
dies down, the water begins to rise. In Tampa Bay especially, storm surge poses
a significant threat. If a strong hurricane hit, 20 feet of water could rush
into downtown Tampa, flooding miles of land and pulling splintered homes out to
sea when it receded.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 9.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"We
can make things safer from the wind,"</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #181818;">
said Harold Wanless, a geology professor at the University of Miami, but "<i>there is so little you can do to make
something safer from the storm surge. The risk is just huge."</i></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Experts are particularly
worried about the potential casualties a major storm in the Bay area would
create.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0chhBviYafLo7UMScM6kYd1haeo5JLrAMVOJKbmRq2xzNs0KUrTFdq5e9FCiIIxWf711hyphenhyphenwjRq2eWo9X1G7Cd9-jAnjCWpmeAgP4rSRzaEBxehdTXahLrIcNmVXv67j5_KP_Ups16H6t/s1600/201506556e0d2982323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0chhBviYafLo7UMScM6kYd1haeo5JLrAMVOJKbmRq2xzNs0KUrTFdq5e9FCiIIxWf711hyphenhyphenwjRq2eWo9X1G7Cd9-jAnjCWpmeAgP4rSRzaEBxehdTXahLrIcNmVXv67j5_KP_Ups16H6t/s200/201506556e0d2982323.jpg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Christopher Landsea of
the National Hurricane Center in Miami is reported to have said,<i> “My worry is that we’ll have hundreds or
even thousands dead in the next major hurricane that hits the Tampa Bay area.”</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tampa Bay area residents
can keep up with storm activity by bookmarking the </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">National
Hurricane Center’s</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> website. Residents readying for the season can get tips and
advice on the federal government’s </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.ready.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ready.gov
website.</span></a></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For local weather and severe
weather alerts, visit the </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.weather.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">National Weather Service online.</span></a><!--[if !supportNestedAnchors]--><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">All residents throughout
the Bay area are urged to create emergency kits, know whether they reside in
evacuation zones and brush up on the safest routes out of town should
evacuations be called for.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Following, is a
county-by-county breakdown of where to go for important hurricane information:</b></span><br />
<h2>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Pinellas County<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The county has put
together an extensive list of resources available to residents on its </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">website</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. Residents can follow these
links to access information on:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/knowyourzone.htm" target="_blank">Evacuation zones</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/prepareahead.htm" target="_blank">Creating disaster plans</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/shelteroptions.htm" target="_blank">Shelters</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebddqyPGLf-7jP2KG-3BeR3K-Tf2DbXdhyvTRPtM68ji4ALU0rA4S_VegQd9gD3OEO9LH5Jj8bXmzUZvo7dy7RbpPk-pxlNqRHWHrPuwgGMRwbVzNN2Tr5eGzVs0GGnj6r0T21bAAEzlL/s1600/hurrguide15_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebddqyPGLf-7jP2KG-3BeR3K-Tf2DbXdhyvTRPtM68ji4ALU0rA4S_VegQd9gD3OEO9LH5Jj8bXmzUZvo7dy7RbpPk-pxlNqRHWHrPuwgGMRwbVzNN2Tr5eGzVs0GGnj6r0T21bAAEzlL/s1600/hurrguide15_cover.jpg"></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The county’s full 2015
hurricane guide is also available for </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/hurricaneguide.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">download by following this link.</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<h2>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sarasota County<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Residents will find the
county’s </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.scgov.net/AllHazards/Pages/Emergency-Management.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">emergency management website</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> is the place to go for
everything they need to know about surviving the season.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Follow these links for
specific information on:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="https://ags2.scgov.net/knowyourzone/" target="_blank">Evacuation
zones</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.scgov.net/StormCenter/Pages/ShelterList.aspx" target="_blank">Shelter locations</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.scgov.net/AllHazards/Pages/DisasterKits.aspx" target="_blank">Getting Prepared</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Manatee County<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/public-safety/emergency-management.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Manatee County Emergency Management</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> office provides a
wealth of information on its website. Follow these links for specific
information on:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/public-safety/emergency-management/emergency-resources/evacuation-zones.html" target="_blank">Evacuation zones and route maps</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/public-safety/emergency-management/shelter-list-table.html" target="_blank">Shelters</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/public-safety/emergency-management/codered.html" target="_blank">How to sign up for Code Red weather warnings</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The county also has a
2015 disaster planning guide </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/public-safety/emergency-management/publications.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">available for download.</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<h2>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hillsborough County<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The county’s </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/emergency/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Office of Emergency Management website</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> offers everything
residents here need to know to weather a storm. Follow these links for
information on:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/index.aspx?nid=662" target="_blank">Evacuation
zones</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/index.aspx?nid=663" target="_blank">Shelters</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/index.aspx?NID=666" target="_blank">Planning</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Pasco County<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The county’s </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.pascocountyfl.net/Index.aspx?NID=365" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Office of Emergency Management website</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> offers a variety of
resources for the storm season. Follow these links for specific information on:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.pascocountyfl.net/index.aspx?nid=720" target="_blank">Evacuation
zones</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.pascocountyfl.net/index.aspx?nid=705" target="_blank">Getting
prepared</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://fl-pascocounty.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/15452" target="_blank">Shelters</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The county has also
prepared a Hurricane Guide that details what residents need to know. </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.pascocountyfl.net/DocumentCenter/Home/View/726" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Download it by following this link.</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">According to the </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">National Hurricane Center</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, there’s more to it
than just stocking up on water and nonperishable food.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here’s a checklist of
things the center recommends residents do <i>before </i>storms arrive:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<ul type="disc">
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US">Discuss
the types of hazards that could affect your family. Know your home’s
vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US">Locate
a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hurricane hazard.
In some circumstances, the safest areas may not be in your home, but
within your community.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US">Determine
escape routes from your home and places to meet. These should be measured
in tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US">Have
an out-of-state friend as a family contact, so all your family members
have a single point of contact.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US">Make
a plan now for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US">Post
emergency telephone numbers beside your phones and make sure your children
know how and when to call 911. (You can also add emergency numbers to
your cellphone contact list for easy reference.)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US">Check
your insurance coverage – flood damage is not usually covered by
homeowners insurance.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US">Stock
nonperishable emergency supplies and a disaster supply kit.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US">Use
a </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/" target="_blank">NOAA
weather radio</a></span><span lang="EN-US">. Remember to replace its
battery every six months, as you do with your smoke detectors.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span lang="EN-US">Take
first aid, CPR and disaster preparedness classes.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Source: </span></i><span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/prepare/family_plan.shtml" target="_blank">National Weather Service</a></span></i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">MUST WATCH VIDEO</span></b><br /></span><b>
Hurricane Phoenix:</b> The Tampa Bay Region's Worst Case Scenario. An eye-opening & frightening look at the potential effects of a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane making a direct landfall on the Tampa Bay metro area.
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Compliments of Aussie Pete :)</div>Aussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.com0