Would you like to Login or Register ?

Archive for August, 2008

Here’s hoping that all my readers had a happy, safe and brightly-lit Independence Day this year! Ours was particularly great, with Grandson #2 (two months younger than #1), his Mom and soon-to-be official Stepdad and 15-year old sister we’ve only met once before. Other guests were at a minimum, which allowed us to just hang out together, tell stories and talk about ’stuff’, hike on the Mount Mitchell Trail a bit, and break in my brand new deck.

We hadn’t seen grandson Michael for four years, which is way too long! Last time he was here - for the 4th of July - he got bitten by a copperhead on day-1 and had to spend the next three days in the hospital. Not much of a birthday vacation! Luckily, copperheads have thus far been absent this year (knock on wood), so Mike and I were able to spend good time together picking blackberries and making cobbler, accumulating lots of thorn pricks and scratches in the process. We only looked slightly war-weary by the time the cobbler was done, badges of honor around here!

(more…)

Awoke early. Weather was clear but quite windy. Had continental breakfast at the hotel, and a cup of tea with real milk in it. Then I was off walking through London. It was cold! When I was out of the wind it wasn’t too bad but the wind was blooming freezing! I had on a t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, windcheater, parka and scarf and at times was still chilly.

The streets weren’t very busy at 7:30 as I made my way to Regents Park. In the park there was a small number of joggers and dog-walkers. There were formal English gardens here with rows of clipped trees and hedges, lawns and fountains. A host of golden daffodils waved in the wind and crocuses poked their little flowers through the grass. Birds were singing and the sun was shining - it was beautiful!

I was much too early to visit the zoo so I just wandered. Regents Park is huge and, as well as the formal gardens, contains large playing fields, a lake and many paths through it in all in different directions. The trees were mostly bare but there was early blossom and a faint tinge of green on some where small buds were starting to show.

I joined the small crowd waiting to enter London Zoo at about 9:55. It cost £14:50 to enter. I still like London Zoo; it’s small by most standards but filled with charming displays. Some of the cages are quite old with a lot of wire but they are changing that all the time. My favourite exhibits were walk-through ones where small monkeys were kept but there were no cages - the monkeys just climbed around ignoring people as you walked by them. By midday, the wind had eased a little and I bought some pasta salad for lunch. Food prices at the zoo were inflated just like Melbourne Zoo - £3.40 for a hot dog? No thanks!

I strolled back to the hotel with sore feet but satisfied that I had a great day. Bought myself a bird-book at Watersons’s Books. Uploaded all my pics to the computer. There are some good ones there I think, and I will try and get them on Flickr if I can.

NetDebt not only understands the import of getting reliable debt solutions, but also how difficult, confusing and humiliating finding it, using the traditional systems can be. All of the solutions to your queries and everything that you need to enroll in the program are provided online. “To give Americans with an easy, no-hot air order of getting comprehensive debt instruction and offering them an internet answer that will eliminate their debt difficulties.”

By bringing together what they believe are the citizens’s most clever and skilled people in the areas of law, finance and debt elimination, NetDebt has effectively tailored a completely on-line debt answer. They have successfully eliminated the need for distressing and time consuming “counseling” sessions that accompany all other debt schemes.

Of course there are always live reps standing by, just in case you need them. NetDebt has changed the landscape of the debt business by creating the realm’s only completely on-line admission solution. The best part is that you can do it all from the comfort and discretion of your home or office.

The idea and operation declaration at NetDebt is fairly easy.

ME Cancun, a Sol Mélia resort, is full of pretty things: pretty people, pretty sceneries, pretty activities, pretty food dishes, and pretty furniture…

It’s not hard to understand why so many people are booking ME Cancun at HotelsBible.com, and also why the oceanfront hotel was recently awarded the AAA Four Diamond Award for 2008.

Room service at ME Cancun is prompt, the pool offers separate areas for adults and kids (ME Cancun caters mainly for adults, but occasionally adult clients bring their kids along), and the front desk staff is friendly, helpful, and good looking too.

Even so, a stay at ME Cancun leaves you feeling ambivalent. Surely the decor is trendy and modern and the infinity pool is a nice touch, but a stroll down the beach reveals that aesthetically, ME isn’t all that different from neighboring properties. Perhaps the only distinguishable feature–and one not in ME Cancun’s favor–is that all of ME Cancun‘s rooms, except suites, lack balconies.

Giving new meaning to the notion that beauty is only skin deep, ME Cancun doesn’t give any indication that it provides guests a better experience than any other hotel lining the northern beaches of Cancun. So while you’re guaranteed a nice stay at ME Cancun (at around $350 per night), experienced Mexico vacationers might want to book a resort with more personality…

Bookmark this page:

More »

However, in modern times, a particular problem has been noticed in case of vocational schools.It is to be remembered that till now vocational schools are available mainly for the development of skills and hence their main program is not more of distrubution learning but to safeguard suitable schooling.Here learning does not simply suggest to book based education but it refers to the whole development of temperament and personality.This is in all probability one significant reason which has contributed to the decline in the quantity of vocational schools in the United States of America.The occupational educational establishments are often referenced as to as Career College or commerce educational institutes and are in charge for giving vocational learning.An online degree by studying a few hours a day and taking tests on your computer may be a more agreeable lifestyle fit. Now, educational institutions give alternative vocational course to aid their students.One of the primary factors being that at present with the advancement of science and technology, human development has moved on by leaps and bounds and consequently newer routes have opened up.Usually students who are in the closing time of their high school education or those who have completed their high school learning are considered eligible for these vocational schools.Schools deliver simple learning and their main intent is to imbibe suitable amount of curiosity in the child to love education.

For some,a traditional university degree is not for them.These colleges have emerged to be of umpteen importance at present due to innumerable reasons.Vocational educational institutes form a significant part of this system.In these cases the occupational universities come of mammoth help as they are responsible for providing the required tuition to the interested students.It is vital to point out that there are distinctive kinds of colleges which are set up for the distrubution of knowledge and the principal level commences for the primary schools and is preceded by the secondary school and then the bodies of higher education like the colleges and universities.More frequently their all-encompassing training has been under scanner for their below the grade conditon and also they have also been blamed for planting the seeds of over expectation related to their future jobs amidst students.The most significant years in course of a child’s development are expended in educational establishments and it is for that reason without doubt that the college education takes a very important role in designing the future of the child.Different technical fields are now open to employment.But in most of these examples, a positive amount of prior knowledge or instruction is somewhat obligatory.

In most of the premier states of the world, professional universities are mostly private endeavors nonetheless there are certain government aided occupational schools as well.

Read more

My business trip through Asia took me from Singapore to Shanghai. Its beautiful Shanghai skyline was quite impressive at night time. The TV tower is of course a highlight. A mini tripod came handy to get sharp shots at night time.

Lochai “working” at Hogtied.com

SAN FRANCISCO (August 22, 2008) - Award-winning fine art bondage photographer Lochai will take over from Matt Williams as director of Kink.com’s Hogtied.com, the company announced today.

“Hogtied was our first site and we still consider it our flagship,” said Kink.com founder and CEO Peter Acworth. “We’re very pleased to bring Lochai on to continue the Hogtied tradition. He’s one of the best-known bondage riggers around and for years he’s been out there in the community, both as a photographer and as an educator. Most importantly, he really gets what’s fun and beautiful and hot about women in bondage - he understands the Kink.com esthetic. I’m very much looking forward to working with him.”

Lochai’s inaugural update on Hogtied.com is a sizzling 56-minute scene with 22-year-old Virginian beauty Isobel Wren. Shot when Lochai was auditioning for his new role, the scene currently headlines the site, In it, Wren is placed in Lochai’s trademark Japanese-influenced rope bondage and subjected to a stunning number of screaming orgasms, including a copious squirt. Throughout, Lochai’s sardonic humor tempers the intense bondage and stimulation.

Said Lochai:

“Everything that’s done in any of the Kink.com sites is real, so it’s not like I’m acting a part. I’m actually being myself. I’m sarcastic, I’m a smart ass, I laugh during scenes and I also console when someone’s upset. I’m going to be doing my real play, my real life, within the walls of the Armory, because that’s what’s expected by the customers — and that’s what’s expected by Kink.com. I’m going to be super comfortable there, because I feel like I’m home.”

An award winning photographer whose work appears in galleries as well as in publications like The British Journal of Photography, Secret, Skin Two, Bizarre, and in his own fine art books, Lochai is equally well known as a bondage educator, teaching classes at conferences around the United States and doing public scenes in nightclubs and at fetish events. A founding director of the Photo Artisans Guild (PAG), in West Palm Beach Florida, he was also the co-founder and co-curator of the Traveling Erotic Art Show, which spent two years touring the United States. He also moderates a group on BDSM social networking site FetLife, CommUNITY Building, that seeks to build BDSM and alternative sexuality leadership skills.

Lochai takes over from longtime Hogtied.com director Matt Williams, who began directing the site in 2003. Williams was recently promoted to Kink.com’s Creative Director, and will be guiding creative development on new sites as well as Kink.com’s existing sites. “I’m looking forward to helping with the overall creative level,” said Williams. “I’m going to work with existing sites and new sites both, developing the look and feel, and sharing fantasies that I have in my head — I have great ideas for each one of our sites.”

Williams will continue to direct unscripted girl-girl erotic wrestling site UltimateSurrender.com, which he calls “my little baby.” “I’m going to hang on to that - I have some great ideas for the future.”

Lochai expressed his excitement about his new role.

“Every person who’s ever sat down in front of me in a classroom, or who has surrounded me out in a club to watch what I’m doing, has wanted this job. They want to get paid to tie up beautiful women and get them off - and that’s my job. It’s a wonderful feeling, and an affirmation that my kink pays off.”

A longtime Florida resident, Lochai will be relocating in September to the San Francisco area. He says he’ll continue his work teaching bondage and SM lifestyle classes, both at the half-dozen conferences he traditionally attends annually, and in the San Francisco area.

For more information about Lochai, visit his site Kirinawa.com or email the Kink.com Public Relations Manager at thomas@kink.com. Webmasters interested in promoting Kink.com content, including Hogtied.com, please visit www.KinkyDollars.com or email the Kink.com affiliate manager at terry@kink.com.

ABOUT HOGTIED.COM: Hogtied was the first site in the Kink.com network, directed by founder Peter Acworth from 1997 until Matt Williams took over in 2003. Updated every Tuesday, Hogtied.com offers members more than 15,000 streaming minutes and more than 84,000 photos in over 400 episodes that feature beautiful women subjected to sexual rope bondage, erotic punishment, and repeated orgasms.

ABOUT KINK.COM: San Francisco erotica studio Kink.com provides authentic fetish entertainment that seeks to demystify alternative sexualities and inspire sexual adventurers. Since the launch of its first site, Hogtied.com, in 1997, Kink.com has developed a network of premium adult sites that now operate from studios in the San Francisco Armory, a decommissioned National Guard facility with sets ranging from stark dungeons to luxurious pieds-à-terre. Kink.com also operates a free documentary site at BehindKink.com and the leading fetish affiliate network, KinkyDollars.com.

Out of all my holidays, my trip this time was unbelievable. Myrtle Beach is the real deal, with the endless things you can do there. Besides the fab snorkeling and scuba diving, I managed to set up a day for fishing on a chartered boat. It was amazing for a non-pro like me. My next day in Myrthe Beach was spent parasailing with some friends I had made on the fishing trip. Water sports are a real hit there since the beaches of Myrtle Beach are really magical. We rented a jet ski and took turns on it till the end of the day. My hotel choice in Myrtle Beach was a good one too. The rate was only $20 a day, so I could afford many more things. Shopping at Myrtle Beach is one thing you shouldn’t miss especially at Broadway at the Beach, one of the most popular shopping malls at Myrtle Beach. I must have bought more than 10 shirts during our tour there. We had a stop for a seafood dinner at the Crab House, which is famous for its all-u-can-eat salad and raw bar. Oh that night just rocked! We wrapped up the night at the Grand Cabaret - an unforgettable show besides that we kept bumping into Hollywood stars! Having a car is one good way to go around at Myrtle Beach. I managed a great car rental deal very easily, but then switched to a cheaper option. The local Lymo bus system took us within and around the Myrtle Beach area. At Myrtle Beach there’s simply everything for everyone. The beautiful beaches, the tranquility at sunrise or sunset, long walks on the beach, the smell of the air, all just ideal for an excellent vacation. The weather in Myrtle Beach is always warm and sunny. July is considered the peak season, though it’s a bit humid. I learnt later that some people prefer more enjoyable temperatures of off-peak months. July had one excellent advantage; we managed to make it to the Murrells Inlet Boat Parade, one of the things Myrtle Beach is really known for.I would recommend it for anyone to watch - an impressive line of decorated boats cruising down the creek. Fireworks were shot at around 10 and thousands of people gathered at the shores to enjoy the splendid scene. Festivals are a must to have in Myrtle Beach all through the year, a completely full calendar.

Bookmark this page:

More »

WebUrbanist has compiled a list of 10 incredible private islands that serve as tropical getaways to the rich and famous. While private islands have always been the mark of the uber-rich, many people don’t realize that some islands can be bought for as little as $100,000 or even rented for a weekend.

But most islands are outrageously expensive. For example, Cerralvo Island is a former volcano located in the Sea of Cortez off the coast of Baja Mexico. The large private island contains 60 square miles of undeveloped terrain, except for a few massive mansions. The sandy beaches get plenty of warm Mexican sunshine, offer lots of privacy, yet is only 30 miles from the mainland. The island can be yours for a cool $35 million.

10 Private Islands You Cannot Afford

ShareThis

• recent entries

  • hotels near men manchester
  • Vacation Packages Guide-Choose Best Vacation Package for More Enjoyment!
  • Discovering Elba: Tuscany’s Island
  • Kuala Lumpur journal: While in Kuala Lumpur
  • Cyprus Renal Villas Guide

  categories

  • Categories
    • Accommodation
    • Activities & Events
    • Adirondack Journals
    • Alaska
    • American Food
    • Anything sporty
    • Arts
    • Asia
    • Aurora
    • Beach Holidays
    • Beach Vacations
    • Bicycling
    • Bike
    • birthdays
    • Blog
    • Blogging
    • Boring Life Stuff
    • Canada
    • Cancun Hotels/Travel
    • Carbon Credits and Offset Packages
    • Carp Fishing Tips
    • Club Albufeira Holiday Rentals
    • Continental Airlines
    • Cooking
    • Cycling Holidays
    • Electronics
    • Employment
    • Europe
    • Evolution
    • Family
    • Food
    • General Advice
    • General Discussion
    • General Tips
    • Germany
    • Grandchild Visits
    • Guide Information Provide Travel
    • Idaho Destinations
    • Information on Menorca
    • Inspiration
    • jakarta
    • knitting
    • May 2008
    • My Discount Vacation Packages
    • Myrtle Beach Hotel Reviews
    • new luxury travel
    • Not too serious
    • Philippines
    • Quilting
    • Road Trip
    • Snowboarding
    • Startups
    • Thailand Hotels And Travel Guide
    • Thoughts
    • Top lists
    • Travel
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Travel & Places
    • Travel and Leisure
    • Travel Award
    • Travel China Online
    • Travel in USA
    • Travel Industry News
    • Travel Maldives
    • Travel Miscellany
    • Travel News Review
    • Travel Stories
    • Travel Tales
    • Travel Tips
    • Travel to Australia
    • Travelogue
    • UK 2008
    • Vacation
    • Vacation ideas for couples

  archives

  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007