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scifigeneration · 5 years

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Shark Week looms, but don't panic

by Gavin Naylor

It’s OK, I’m a filter feeder: Whale shark off Indonesia. Marcel Ekkel/Flickr, CC BY

Sharks elicit outsized fear, even though the risk of a shark bite is infinitesimally small. As a marine biologist and director of the Florida Program for Shark Research, I oversee the International Shark Attack File – a global record of reported shark bites that has been maintained continuously since 1958.

We are careful to emphasize how rare shark bites are: You are 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning than be bitten by a shark. You are more likely to die while taking a selfie, or be bitten by a New Yorker. In anticipation of the anxiety that’s typically generated by the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week programming, here are a few things about sharks that are often overlooked.

A big, diverse family

Not all sharks are the same. Only a dozen or so of the roughly 520 shark species pose any risk to people. Even the three species that account for almost all shark bite fatalities – the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) – are behaviorally and evolutionarily very different from one another.

The tiger shark and bull shark are genetically as different from each other as a dog is from a rabbit. And both of these species are about as different from a white shark as a dog is from a kangaroo. The evolutionary lineages leading to the two groups split 170 million years ago, during the age of dinosaurs and before the origin of birds, and 110 million years before the origin of primates.

White, tiger and bull sharks are distinct species that diverged genetically tens of millions of years ago. Gavin Naylor, CC BY-ND

Yet many people assume all sharks are alike and equally likely to bite humans. Consider the term “shark attack,” which is scientifically equivalent to “mammal attack.” Nobody would equate dog bites with hamster bites, but this is exactly what we do when it comes to sharks.

So, when a reporter calls me about a fatality caused by a white shark off Cape Cod and asks my advice for beachgoers in North Carolina, it’s essentially like asking, “A man was killed by a dog on Cape Cod. What precautions should people take when dealing with kangaroos in North Carolina?”

Know your species

Understanding local species’ behavior and life habits is one of the best ways to stay safe. For example, almost all shark bites that occur off Cape Cod are by white sharks, which are a large, primarily cold-water species that spend most of their time in isolation feeding on fishes. But they also aggregate near seal colonies that provide a reliable food source at certain times of the year.

Shark bites in the Carolinas are by warm-water species like bull sharks, tiger sharks and blacktips (Carcharhinus limbatus). Each species is associated with particular habitats and dietary preferences.

Blacktips, which we suspect are responsible for most relatively minor bites on humans in the southeastern United States, feed on schooling bait fishes like menhaden. In contrast, bull sharks are equally at home in fresh water and salt water, and are often found near estuaries. Their bites are more severe than those of blacktips, as they are larger, more powerful, bolder and more tenacious. Several fatalities have been ascribed to bull sharks.

Tiger sharks are also large, and are responsible for a significant fraction of fatalities, particularly off the coast of volcanic islands like Hawaii and Reunion. They are tropical animals that often venture into shallow water frequented by swimmers and surfers.

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Sharks are important predators that play critical roles in ocean food chains.

Humans are not targets

Sharks do not “hunt” humans. Data from the International Shark Attack File compiled over the past 60 years show a tight association between shark bites and the number of people in the water. In other words, shark bites are a simple function of the probability of encountering a shark.

This underscores the fact that shark bites are almost always cases of mistaken identity. If sharks actively hunted people, there would be many more bites, since humans make very easy targets when they swim in sharks’ natural habitats.

Local conditions can also affect the risk of an attack. Encounters are more likely when sharks venture closer to shore, into areas where people are swimming. They may do this because they are following bait fishes or seals upon which they prey.

This means we can use environmental variables such as temperature, tide or weather conditions to better predict movement of bait fish toward the shoreline, which in turn will predict the presence of sharks. Over the next few years, the Florida Program for Shark Research will work with colleagues at other universities to monitor onshore and offshore movements of tagged sharks and their association with environmental variables so that we can improve our understanding of what conditions bring sharks close to shore.

More to know

There still is much to learn about sharks, especially the 500 or so species that have never been implicated in a bite on humans. One example is the tiny deep sea pocket shark, which has a strange pouch behind its pectoral fins.

Only two specimens of this type of shark have ever been caught – one off the coast of Chile 30 years ago, and another more recently in the Gulf of Mexico. We’re not sure about the function of the pouch, but suspect it stores luminous fluid that is released to distract would-be predators – much as its close relative, the tail light shark, releases luminous fluid from a gland on its underside near its vent.

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The goblin shark, found mainly off Asia, can project its jaw forward to pull prey into its mouth.

Sharks range in form from the bizarre goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni), most commonly encountered in Japan, to the gentle filter-feeding whale shark (Rhincodon typus). Although whale sharks are the largest fishes in the world, we have yet to locate their nursery grounds, which are likely teeming with thousands of foot-long pups. Some deepwater sharks are primarily known from submersibles, such as the giant sixgill shark, which feeds mainly on carrion but probably also preys on other animals in the deep sea.

Sharks seem familiar to almost all of us, but we know precious little about them. Our current understanding of their biology barely scratches the surface. The little we do know suggests they are profoundly different from other vertebrate animals. They’ve had 400 million years of independent evolution to adapt to their environments, and it’s reasonable to expect they may be hiding more than a few tricks up their gills.

About The Author:

Gavin Naylor is Director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the University of Florida

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

#science #marine biology #sharks #shark week #food web #oceans #tiger shark

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enviroblog-spring21 · 3 years

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Blog XI: Threats to Aquatic Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, and Natural Capital in Narragansett Bay & The Northeast as a Modern Breadbasket

In last week’s blog post, the focus was on biodiversity loss from both species and ecosystem points of view. The subject in question for this week concerns the definitive underpinning of species and ecosystems: land and water. When we harm or heal any ecosystem or species, the core of such dynamics reflects our fundamental relationships with land and water, without which not much at all would exist on Earth as we know it. Chapter 11 of Living in the Environment deals with our aquatic ecosystems, and Chapter 12, our land environment. Being that we are in the Ocean State, let's start with the former.

The Atlantic Ocean is Rhode Island’s principal ecosystem service and supplier of natural capital. With each ocean current, the pollution we create is filtered out of our vicinity, the ocean itself also absorbs a substantial amount of the greenhouse gases we produce. Our unmatched beaches and top-tier seafood draws (to my annoyance) tourists from all over the globe. Clean energy is even on the list of natural capital we derive from the ocean, as we host the first off-shore wind farm in the United States, just off the coast of Block Island. Rhode Islanders are used to salt-water as much as the lobsters and quahogs we catch, but we also take our biggest ecosystem service for granted and put it in harm's way unnecessarily. We advertise our picturesque beaches and seaside colonial towns to tourists, and many people come to Rhode Island just to live in such an environment. What most people avert their eyes to are the obvious harm we do to the ecosystem which is nearly a namesake for our state. To see the harm Rhode Island does to the ecosystem its people and government claim to cherish, look no further than the Port of Providence.

In 2016, Governor, now Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, gained herself a great deal of praise when she helped facilitate the completion of the nation’s first off-shore wind project.

Three years later, she nixxed her own health department’s concerns for constructing a new natural gas liquefaction facility at the Port of Providence and greenlighted the project. For my senior thesis I spoke with journalist Steve Ahlquist who has done some work on the Port of Providence, and he revealed to me that we store things there that other states and other towns would never allow. Jet fuel for Boston’s Logan Airport is stored at the Port of Providence, of course, Boston would never allow jet fuel to be stored on their historic waterfront, but we do. It isn’t just jet fuel, scrap metal recycling, asphalt and cement processing, and recently an old Russian submarine (which sank and caused an oil spill) are among the many environmental harms and hazards of the Port of Providence. To top it all off, the city’s hurricane barrier doesn’t even protect it, so it is plausible that a chemical evacuation zone would have to be created in a radius surrounding the port, should we have another Hurricane of 1938 or Hurricane Carol. The port is also built on landfill, so all that is there amounts to a powder keg of oceanic pollution that threatens our estuary's ecosystem and the vast array of aquatic biodiversity within her.

It is appalling that a state that calls itself the Ocean State has such a disgraceful, wasteful, environmental ticking-time-bomb of a port. In hosting polluting industries at the port, Rhode Island as we know it is committing suicide each and every day. With Greenhouse gases comes ocean acidification, the types of things that are only widely known to happen in places like the Great Barrier Reef. Remember how I said that the ocean absorbs much of the greenhouse gases we produce, yeah, it does not come without a cost.

Ocean acidification means that Rhode Islanders will have to say goodbye to their beloved oysters and clams on the menus of their favorite restaurants, as their shells cannot handle acidic pH levels. Clam cakes and chowder will not be on the menu at Aunt Carries’ in Narragansett, and there will be no more backyard clambakes in Westerly, Newport, or Wickford.

The disappearance of just one species, however, is only the tip of the iceberg. Ocean acidification induced by greenhouse gases constitutes a molecular nature of the ocean, with such a shift, keystone species and ecosystems will simply not exist here anymore. We can only predict the full scope of changes that will occur within the Narragansett Bay Estuary in the distant future, but the chain reaction of eroding ecosystems and plummeting biodiversity caused by ocean acidification will come at a steep price, not only economically, but also spiritually and culturally.

The core case study of Chapter 11 explains what will certainly be on the menu, however: jellyfish. Although they are considered delicacies in Asia, they have not caught on in North America, which is about to change. The book mentions that Chinese oceanographer Wei Hao brought attention to the consequential implications of booming jellyfish populations on marine ecosystems, indicating that as they grow they will be here to stay for millions of years. This has grave implications for the future of aquatic biodiversity. As jellyfish populations grow, and the populations of other marine species dwindle, flee, or disappear, they are surely going to be a regular face on the menu. Instead of bragging about having the best lobsters, clams, or oysters in the country, Rhode Islanders and our fellow New Englanders will be bragging about having the best jellyfish.

I have even noticed more jellyfish when I went swimming at numerous beaches last summer. In 2019, Rhode Islanders I knew theorized that we were getting a lot more tourists from Massachusetts that year because rising water temperatures meant shark and jellyfish populations were making their presence known in places like Provincetown, Hyannisport, and Nantucket. While Rhode Island hasn’t seen any sharks yet to my knowledge, I can say with certainty that the jellyfish are out to play. At Misquamicut State Beach I nearly dove headfirst into a jellyfish’s tentacles when I was body surfing the waves. At Second Beach in Middletown, my friend Alex and I swam to Purgatory Chasm to go cliff jumping. On our way to Purgatory Chasm, we were literally wading through moon jellyfish, with each stroke forward we could feel them across the length of our arms.

When all is said and done, however, we are extraordinarily blessed that we do not yet have to bear the more dire consequences of climate change that billions all over the world are already feeling today. All that this blog has been about so far is some changes to the menus of restaurants. I have the blessing of not having to speak as the son of a fisherman, a restaurant owner, or a resident abutting the Port of Providence. Being aware of these issues from the outside is not enough though, and I fully intend to take what I’ve learned to the state’s foremost environmental organization, Save the Bay, and ask them: Why the hell aren’t you doing anything about this?

The Providence neighborhood of Washington Park is home to the Port of Providence, which hosts some of the egregious, toxic, and harmful pollutants and polluting industries likely at some of the highest concentrations in the state. Save the Bay happens to be headquartered at the very edge of the Port of Providence. Monica Huertas, a local environmental justice activist from Washington Park pointed out to me that Save the Bay headquarters has big windows that give one hundred eighty degree views of the Narragansett Bay; yet there are no windows to the heaps of asphalt, jet fuel storage tanks, and natural gas liquefaction facilities that are only feet away––constituting a powder keg of environmental destruction. Save the Bay headquarters is a remarkably sustainable property, complete with green roofs, bioswales, and even restored marshlands; it represents what the Port of Providence could and should look like if not for the occupation of powerful, polluting industries. I find it baffling that there is not a single mention of the Port of Providence on Save the Bay’s website. Save the Bay says: “Our mission is to protect and improve Narragansett Bay. Our vision is a fully swimmable, fishable, healthy Narragansett Bay, accessible to all… We watch over the government and citizenry for proposals or activities that will degrade the environmental quality of the Bay, basin, and watershed… We actively work in the field to rebuild and restore habitats compromised by pollution, outdated infrastructure, storms, and sea-level rise.” Is the fossil fuel infrastructure at the Port of Providence not outdated? What about the eight-lane highway that runs adjacent to the Bay? Do piles of asphalt that lay mere feet away from the Bay not constitute degradation of the environment?

Save the Bay fetishizes a pristine, almost romantic version of Narragansett Bay. These images are so ingrained that portions of the Bay are virtually unrecognizable as part of the “natural” environment, such as the Port of Providence. This makes for pernicious blind spots which obscure the human costs of environmental harm and the blindly accrued human causes of environmental destruction, such as transportation. Every window opens up to Narragansett Bay, but there are no windows facing what is arguably Narragansett Bay’s pressing environmental problem: The Port of Providence. If the port floods, and the equipment or structures upon it is damaged, it spells grave danger for the aquatic biodiversity of the estuary.

Part II: Food Insecurity

It may sound redundant to say that food comes from land, but somehow, I believe that it is necessary. In a market economy we often forget that our food does not originate from a market, it comes from stewardship of the soil. Chapter 12 of Living in the Environment sits at the juxtaposition between the environmentally destructive ways we grow the food many of us consume today and malnutrition. The post-war era brought with it the mystique of modernity, and the mirage of its so-called “progress.” Modernity brought with it radically different approaches in which we produce and consume food. Corporations in the United States developed industrialized agricultural technologies like pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers and techniques that require high inputs of water and energy, creating massive surpluses of food.

The United States exported these techniques and technologies to the rest of the world, notably through philanthropic efforts like the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation. The Green Revolution became the North Star for these philanthropists. They assumed people who used traditional means of agriculture, growing their own food and perhaps dabbling in markets without being reliant upon them were poor. If you can provide the basic necessities of life for yourself, it does not make one poor no matter how one goes about it. Western philanthropists thought that former subsistence farmers would live an urban-western lifestyle in that they would no longer have to produce their own food with the immense scope and scale of industrialized agriculture. The agricultural techniques of tomorrow back then are showing their age. Industrialized agriculture stripped vital nutrients and minerals from the soil, and intensive irrigation has led to waterlogging. Weeds and pests have built resistance to pesticides and herbicides, and fertilizers no longer produce what they used to. As a result, countries that were once testing grounds for the Green Revolution are reverting back to traditional agricultural techniques and even using the seeds that industrialized agriculture sought to replace, adding more genetic biodiversity into the agricultural patrimony.

In the twenty-first century, I think we are rethinking where modernity has brought us, in seeking to find a solution to all our problems, it has become the problem. The United States has been at the forefront of agricultural modernity for generations. Agricultural modernity essentially rendered small breadbaskets like New England and Upstate New York redundant. Having the rugged land, soil, and variable weather conditions we have up here, producing food was not as conducive to profit as it was in the Midwest, but I believe that is changing. Entire blocks in Upper South Providence have been converted to food production. The hippest and happening restaurants source all their food locally, with Rhode Island being as small as it is, that often means food is sourced just down the street.

The Northeast is an interesting place geographically. When French geographer Jean Gottmann wrote his book Northeast Megalopolis he noted that just outside of our major cities were vast swaths of farms. In any other region, such parts would be considered rural, but we have achieved such immense population densities that the “rural” folks of our region’s breadbaskets live an urban-esque existence. As a life-long northeasterner, I can attest to this. About 500 feet away from my house is a community farm where my family often gets food during the summer months. Within a five-mile radius of where I live there are at least a dozen farms. My town only has a year-round population of about 2,500. Yet if I drive for half an hour, I’m in Providence, a city of about 200,000, if I drive an hour, I’m in Boston, which has a population of 700,000. If I were in any town similar to mine in another region I would be in a rural setting, the nearest city would be a road trip by Rhode Island standards.

I think that the Northeast has great potential to grow a regional network of sustainable agriculture forming strong urban-rural food networks in which cities and the rural parts of their metropolitan areas source what food they can directly from their metro area. Perhaps states could encourage this through tax incentives upon restaurants and grocery stores to buy local products from small independent farms and thereby put money in the pockets of the surrounding area. Of course, cities should start growing their own food, but we already have such a good framework here in the Northeast for creating sustainable agriculture networks, and if we can do that, while also filling in the food production gaps within cities–– we could become a model for the rest of the country.

Most importantly, by empowering small local farms, we can ensure a larger genetic consortium of biodiversity in our foodstuffs. Biodiversity underpins food security. With just a few varieties of the types of foods that we eat, we are betting a lot that said food will be highly resilient to what nature throws at it and not fall victim to disease or death, two things we ought to think a lot more about considering the current pandemic we are coming out of, but can just as easily fall back into.

WC: 2,440

Question: How do we convince people that we will have enough food if we ease up on industrial agriculture?

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restorerjourney · 3 years

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FREEDOM

April 13, 2021

I slept at 9:30pm but woke up at 4:30am again. Perhaps it was because I was anticipating ending our quarantine. I can’t imagine what 14 days of quarantine is like. I usually start my morning doing my quiet time since it is literally quiet and peaceful. I usually have a lot of thoughts and prayers as well during that time. I’m not normally a morning person so this adjustment is something to get used to.

Each room was assigned a certain time to get their rapid covid test and we all were negative! I was so relieved and immediately walked out. This quarantine not only allowed us to form a good foundation with each other, but it truly made me have a deeper gratitude for the so many things I take for granted...walking outside and enjoying the weather, the beautiful creation that is everywhere around us, SALAD, and the freedom to purchase what I needed. We decided to treat ourselves and eat downtown and wanted to get this well known sushi restaurant but we couldn’t because they were so busy and ran “Hawaian time”. For those who do not know, “Hawaiian time” is describing someone who is lax has no urgency and the total opposite of the east coast culture. This restaurant had one phone line and even when calling 20x right when they opened, when they finally picked up, ordering 3 rolls takes 2.5 hours...I was shocked and we decided to just eat at an American restaurant. I also was able to finally try Kona coffee for the first time! We went to Kona Coffee Cafe and I was able to sample so many different types and learn from the local the definition of Kona peaberries. These precious peaberries are grown on the volcanic slopes of Kona. They are expensive because they are rare and also require a lot of labor to harvest these peaberries. What you get though is the smoothest coffee I’ve ever tasted. I don’t like acidic coffee like Blue Bottle so this was perfect. Their dark chocolate covered roasted kona peaberry was amazing. I just got black macadamia nut vanilla ice coffee ( the additional flavors are natural oils added to the mixture).

I also was reaffirmed by speaking to the local how much the locals really feared COVID because the majority lived with their elders. Yesterday all the students attended a zoom meeting where we were instructed the importance of wearing our masks when we are downtown because it is mandated by the state of Hawaii but also to respect and show love to the locals. Unfortunately YWAM last quarter did have an outbreak of 30 people, but thankfully we were able to contain it. Speaking with the local who ran the cafe, I heard her frustration of how some previous YWAMers (probably teenagers) didn't abide by the mask rule and how it can really hinder us from demonstrating the love of Christ to them. That meeting we attend really reminded me that wearing the mask was more than politics but a way to show Christ love to those around us and to represent the God that we serve. I pray that even the youth here will be obedient and despite the inconvenience to serve the locals this way.

We then walked to the beach nearby and it was breathtaking. We sat down and just took the beauty of God’s creation in. The turquoise water, the perfect weather we were experiencing, the clear blue sky were all perfect. I really felt that I was in Hawaii and I could not stop staring at the waters. On our way home we grabbed lunch at this American bar/grill restaurant since we didn’t have much time. I got a spinach salad with MahiMahi ( it was dry but I didn't’ care because it was VEGGIES). We also tried gelato at Gypsea Gelato for the first time. I got passion fruit and toasted coconut with chocolate shavings. It was really good and there we ran into the other team members that we haven’t met since we were quarantined. It was nice to see that the girls in our team were all truly sweet and kind to each other. I can see us getting along and I look forward to what God has in store for us. We realized soon that we had to meet back at the base to our work duty (which was the sustainable farm). Literally since we were downtown, we were DOWNTOWN..meaning the base was uphill. I quickly grabbed watermelon drinks for my other roomies who had one more day of quarantine and we ran up the hill. Since I’ve been out of shape, I was dying going up that hill. It was also pretty sunny and wearing that mask going up 5 flights of stairs was torture. We quickly dropped off our belongings, changed clothes, and went to the sustainable farm.

Thankfully we made it on time! I was sweating like a pig but I was so glad we were able to respect their schedule. Let me tell you about the farm.. It is amazing… I am astonished how everything is not wasted and the creative ways they utilize every component to make this base sustainable. I absolutely love their mission theme which is to train students the importance of sustainability, how to steward these gifts to teach underserved countries how to also become self-sustaining, and to feed the homeless here in Kona. All vegetables grown here are used to feed the students. They have sheep, pigs, rabbits, fish, and chicken but they are used to educate how to raise animals. One rule that we had to remember was that the animals are kind and we need to treat them with respect. If there is any misbehaving animal, they will be offered to the locals who can provide a donation and more likely will be eaten.

We also get to learn the basics of aquaponics which was really cool and something you won’t really learn elsewhere. I pray that this experience will help me to appreciate food that is put at the table, the importance of knowing how to steward what God has provided. There were 6 restorer team members ( Winnie, Chloe, Chlo, Eunhye, Yaedam, and KC) and there were 6 other students who were part of a christian graduate farming sustainability program.

Side note: Chloe changed her name to Chlo because there were 2 Chloes LOL. What a funny kid...this is my spunky roomie btw.

What’s funny though is that I had an epiphany why I was placed in the Restorer program with a bunch of Koreans. I focused on how it would benefit me, but little did I know how I was also sent to help translate for the other restorer students since I was the most fluent Korean American. Yes, me. I am surprised and my friends are probably laughing while reading this but the other students are so encouraging saying that I am doing a good job that it motivates me to really try my best. We were all given chores to do and I picked feeding the chicken and picking their eggs. Did you know chickens lay different colored eggs based on the color of the ears? Yes chicken has ears and earlobes LOL. I did not know. I saw pale blue and brown eggs for the first time. I will also help raise the rabbits and we have one male rabbit, 2 large female rabbits, and a bunch of teenager rabbits. Each day, one rabbit gets to run around the garden while the rest are caged and at the end of our shift we have to catch the rabbit LOL. I will one day catch the rabbit with my bare hands. We also have sheep, dogs, and cats all over this farm hanging out with us!

A lot of us wore shorts so we were a buffet for the mosquitos so now we know long sleeves and pants are much needed. After orientation we went to the sustainable garden and helped reuse the pots that held the harvested cabbages and sort out roots, the pots, and the rocks. Tired, covered in bug bites, bug spray, sweat, and sunscreen, we walked back weary but excited to see how much we would learn. I’m glad to meet the other team members and to get to know them more as well. My roomies and I missed dinner at the cafeteria since it is still closed and they were packing them which we had to pick up so Winnie and I went downtown again to ABC to pick up dinner. We picked up oranges, egg sandwiches, and water. The sink water even with the strongest brita filter tastes pretty bad. It’s because the island is covered by salt water so it’s harder than other areas. Chloe stayed behind since she was working with the pigs that she voluntarily chose to do. Although she seems girly, she has a spunky side that is ready for challenging adventures which I love about her. Winnie is similar to me in that we love to exercise so we carried our groceries all the way up and enjoyed the exercise. Winnie and I had some one-on-one time which was nice and after we ate dinner, Chloe and I went to go see the sunset while Winnie showered. Although they are literally 20 (yes I feel like a great grandma), I am amazed at their maturity level and how it was so easy to connect with them. I was so blessed to hear that Chloe before she came to YWAM prayed earnestly for one of her roomies to be an American. I told her I prayed for diversity LOL, but perhaps it’s a different kind of diversity that God has in mind.

After seeing our first beautiful sunset, I showered (the water is still intermittent cold and hot) and we did our first load of laundry. Now we are working on our homework which is assigned for tomorrow. Wow this is the most I’ve written and I hope I can look back and remember such a wonderful day it was. We walked 17,327 steps. During quarantine it was 4,000 LOL. I will be sleeping well tonight :)

Prayer request

Tomorrow our homework requires us answering very vulnerable questions to our team. This will be emotionally taxing and as much as I am looking forward to it, I am also nervous. Please pray that God would hold our hearts as we share probably the most deepest thoughts and events to each other and that this vulnerability will be sealed in His name so that this would be the first step of healing.

Mahalo,

Alicia

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earthandseaprovideformyhearth · 7 years

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The Gods Today: Njord

Third installment in the Norse gods today, inspired by @tricksterinthehedges Sorry it took a while. Life, school, and job got in the way. Odin also kept getting in the way as I tried to focus on Njord, so I guess that means he shall be featured next.

Njord can usually be found walking along the coasts with a canvas bag slung over his shoulder. The clanging of plastic and glass bottles, metal cans, candy wrappers and scraps of unlegible paper emanates from it. Whenever he finds something that won’t fit in, he slings it over his shoulder or stuffs it under his arm. Many a little kid has pointed at him and claimed him a trash monster; it makes him chuckle. Other days he’ll spend his time circling the Great Pacific garbage patch, fighting against the islands of waste that form. It’s there he’ll spot Aegir with a dark, crossed brow, and language worthy of any sailor spewing from his mouth. They nod to each other and get back to work.

He takes the garbage home and sorts through his stash each night. A steamy mug of coffee in his hands, a pencil tucked behind his ear, and the pale moonlight filtering through the wide windows of his work room his only companions. He tinkers away into the night; piecing together forms and structures and art from the pollutions of the world.

Njord’s sculptures decorate many cities. They sit on beaches by trash and recycle bins, encouraging proper disposal of waste. They amaze young children in parks who find the kinetic elements enthralling. They decorate Freyr and Freyja’s yards; even Skadi graciously accepted a glass adorned one that resembles a snow flurry when the sun hits it just right and the wind dances through the pieces.

His hair is knotted. His skin sun-worn and salt chapped. Small scars criss-cross his hands, and deep wrinkles shadow his eyes and highlight his smile. The soles of his feet are grayed and calloused from refusing to wear shoes. They’re sturdier than any shoe he’d wear though. Impervious to temperature and strong against any assailant hidden under the sands. It’s up to a flip of the coin whether he decides the let his beard grow long or not.

More than one college spring break party has welcomed him into their circle with a beer. His drifter, hippie appearance and overall Dad-vibe intrigue them. The hidden pain that storms behind his eyes keeps them wary. Soon he’s stoking the fire and sharing stories of his travels. The students find themselves comforted by his warm presence; he makes them laugh, think, and leaves them assured of their path in life. They can always remember him arriving, but no one can agree on how or when he left their party.

He walks the fishing piers and swaps secrets with the oldest and the youngest of fishers as those are the ones most open to learning something new. He owns a small bait stand supported with cardboard and 2-by-4s with the best worms guaranteed to hook the hardiest fish. He’ll give the kids free worms and place them on the hook. He’ll sit with a stick, dangling a piece of string with a bent paperclip on the end holding a worm off the pier. A large, floppy brimmed, canvas hat rests on his head, keeping his eyes in shadow. He hands out the fish he catches free of charge and cleaned to those passing who look like they could use some good fortune. Occasionally, he’ll strategically place himself near a run away. They end up talking. They both recognize a stripped and searching sorrow in the other.

Njord joins the protests and signs the petitions for sustainability. The ocean, the shore, the earth suffers needlessly from poor practices. It must end. He’s known as a powerful voice in the protests against SeaWorld. Negotiating, setting up events, providing information, and known to be the one you always direct reporters and naysayers to.

He joins crabbers and shrimpers and fishers on their boats, striving to fill their nets, keep them safe, and get them home. He makes the best coffee: energizing, strong, always warm, and always tasting like just what you need. He’ll also pass out cigarettes on the longest, busiest days and nights, but he’s hesitant: “I shouldn’t be supporting two addictive habits, both of which don’t have great environmental effects by the way.” It tugs at him, but their battle worn faces and home yearning eyes tug harder and he vows to do whatever it takes to ease those burdens. Sometimes, though, he must create a new graveyard where their memories can rest peacefully. He takes time to visit each family in whatever form of comforted needed. A sound sleep for the wife. A friendly dog to play and cry with for the child. The stranger at church for the parents.

Njord is a steady presence with Coast Guard disaster relief. Strong hands, warm smiles, and understanding eyes. He’s in so many stories, but no one can remember his name or even a face. They just know that he was there. He was THERE even if the memory is foggy; they can still feel his grip and smell the sea on his skin.

Every few years he and Skadi meet on middle ground, one where neither is quite pleased: the desert. A small cafe sits on the edge of the Sahara in a tiny town that most maps don’t recognize. They check in on each other, share stories, and wish each other well. One of the only times he and Skadi manage to agree and work well together is when they both bless the village with good weather, harvest, game, and a prosperous economy. It’s the least they can do to the one place that can control and welcome both of their weathered personalities.

He comforts his children when they grow weary of the world. He stands as a lighthouse for them, guiding them through the heartache and darkness that humans have cloaked them in. He peels it away from their skin, scrubbing them anew with sand and salt. After, he sends them on their way with a new found sculpture taken after multiple eye rolls and “Really, Dad?”s.

When they leave and the night sinks into stillness, the waves break him. The salt water burns his wounds, stinging his blood. His eyelids grow weary. His eyes ache. Tears stream through his wrinkles like miniature rivers. He’s the ebb and flow. Both in turns. Both in ferocity. Njord is kites on the beach, kids in the sprinkler in the dead of summer, and the spirit of camaraderie and awe. Njord is the throbbing ache, the dead weight in your stomach, and the tightness in your throat. He’s the pain of separation. Of loss and lost. Of confusion and abandonment.

He lays back and focuses on the sand scratching his skin. Its irritation the only thing he can feel now. The tide has receded. His children have gone home. A marriage sustainable only through separation. A home he can never be apart of again given up for peace. The chafing sea air and the harsh sand now all he has. And in the dead of night, when those are all he can feel and see, he struggles to believe it’s been worthwhile.

#njord #njordr #norse paganism #norse pagan #the gods today

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cliftonsteen · 4 years

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A Guide to Miami Coffee Culture

Miami’s coffee culture can’t be separated from its Latino influences. Over 60 years of Cuban migration has helped create a culture with an approach to enjoying coffee that differs from most major US cities. This means that if you’re a roaster or coffee shop looking to enter this market, you should understand what shapes this population’s attitude towards the drink.

In order to understand Miami’s coffee scene better, here’s more information on what they drink, how and why they enjoy these drinks, and how businesses are using this knowledge to successfully establish themselves locally.

You may also like Exploring Coffee Culture at The San Diego-Tijuana Border

Cuba’s Influence on Miami’s Coffee Culture

To understand how Cuba has shaped Miami’s coffee culture, you need to understand how its residents ended up in Florida in the first place. In 1959, Fidel Castro’s resistance against President Fulgencio Batista culminated in the Cuban Revolution. This kickstarted the mass migration of millions of Cubans. Many settled in Florida, as it had a familiar climate, was close to the island, and had a Spanish speaking Latino population.

Those who lived under Castro’s rule had faced many challenges, including the nationalisation of food production which forced them to register for rations. During this time, food frequently ran out or became unaffordable, as US embargoes and the Soviet Union’s collapse prevented goods from being imported into Cuba.

Because of rationing, each citizen only got four ounces of coffee a month. To make this small amount last as long as possible, toasted chickpeas were added to the ground coffee and serving sizes were kept small. The Cuban population who relocated to Miami brought this method of coffee preparation with them, and while some adjustments have been made, coffee is still enjoyed this way across Miami today.

What Makes Miami’s Coffee Culture Unique?

Cuban migrants brought their unique way of brewing coffee to Miami – helping shape its coffee drinking culture and making coffee consumption a social affair that’s more about congregating with others than the drink itself.

Martin Mayorga is a local resident and has recently opened a coffee roasting and processing facility in the area. He says, “In Miami, coffee is deeply ingrained in our culture. It’s part of our childhood [and] heritage…Miami has been ahead in the social aspect of coffee consumption for decades… The social aspect of coffee was powerful, and still is.”

This social aspect of coffee consumption has undoubtedly been influenced by the experiences of those who lived under Castro’s rule. As a result, it’s less about the type and quality of coffee consumed, and more about socialising while drinking it and bringing people together. Even those who prefer specialty coffee will consume coffee prepared this way in a social setting.

Social coffee drinking is so pervasive in Miami that in 2013, PR firm JLPR campaigned to make 3:05 PM Miami’s official Cafecito drinking time. The campaign aimed to unite Cuban coffee culture and create an online community surrounding it, as “the window of a Cuban restaurant is the original social network… Sharing a Colada is an act of friendship and solidarity.”

How Miami Residents Drink Coffee

While Cuban coffee consumption centres on socialisation on not coffee, the drinks enjoyed often share a few traits.

For starters, they’re typically made with low quality, dark roasted coffee and topped with faux crema or espumita. Both these characteristics are throwbacks to how coffee was prepared in Cuba and are how the drinks are often enjoyed today. Like in Cuba, coffee can be prepared at home using a Moka pot, or enjoyed in public at a local ventanita or take out window in the area.

Espumita mimics the appearance of espresso crema. Usually, an espresso’s crema is created when ground coffee is extracted under high pressure in an espresso machine. However, Cubans without access to the equipment were forced to improvise. They whipped sugar with a few spoonfuls of brewed coffee to create espumita, which was then spooned over the drink.

Popular Drinks

While a variety of coffees are consumed by Miami residents, three that are commonly enjoyed by Miami’s Latino community are the Colada, Cortadito, and Café con Leche.

Colada

The Colada is also known as the Café Cubano or Cuban espresso. It’s a strong and sweet drink consisting of a dark roasted double espresso, plenty of sugar and an espumita topping. It’s traditionally sweetened with partially refined demerara sugar, which has a molasses flavour, and is served in small demitasse cups. While the Cortado is intense, its bitterness is balanced by the sugar and espumita.

Cortadito

The Cortadito, or ‘small cut’, is made with half coffee and half milk, and resembles a Macchiato as the amount of milk used can differ from person to person. The milk can be replaced with evaporated milk (which has had most of its water removed) for a thicker, more intense drink. Condensed milk can also be used instead of milk for a rich, dessert-like beverage.

Café Con Leche

Café con Leche translates to ‘coffee with milk’. However it differs from milk and coffee combinations like cappuccinos as it uses steamed milk instead of milk froth. A Café con Leche contains two coffee shots with plenty of steamed milk and sugar added to it. You can ask for it clarito (light) or oscurito (dark), and some people add a pinch of salt to it to enhance the flavour.

Coffee shops or roasters wanting to enter Miami’s market or increase their share of it should recognise these drinks and the rich history behind their preparation. While it’s true that these coffees are usually made using low quality roasts and involve specific social rituals, this doesn’t mean that there’s no place for specialty coffee’s involvement.

Converting the Cuban Coffee Drinker to Specialty

Miami’s coffee market offers many opportunities for businesses wanting to enter it. However, these businesses will need to decide which segment of the market they’d like to target, as each will require a different approach.

Many specialty coffee brands have already made a name for themselves in Miami’s coffee market, including coffee shops like ALL DAY and Vice City Bean and roasters like Great Circle Coffee, to name a few. These businesses have helped pioneer Miami’s third wave coffee culture, and have found success catering to a small but growing market. Coffee shops and roasters wanting to appeal to Miami’s growing third wave coffee consumers will need to balance offering standard options like light filter coffee roasts, as well as more exotic origins and varieties.

Businesses wanting to scale up their operations will need to consider the average coffee drinker, which is dominated by those who enjoy dark roasted, sweetened coffees like Coladas and Cortaditos. This means considering their approach to coffee – and their expectations regarding it. To do this they should recognise that they can’t bank on brand recognition to guarantee sales. They’ll need to get to know the area’s culture, take time to build customer relationships, and adapt themselves to the market – instead of expecting the market to adapt to them.

Martin Mayorga has experience with this, having recently moved into a 43,000 square foot packaging and roasting facility that was used by Café Bustelo before they vacated Miami. Café Bustelo has been popular with the local market for decades, having historically promoted its Latino heritage. However, when the business was bought out by retailer J.M. Smuckers in 2011, they departed the local market. The facility will now be used by Martin Mayorga to communicate his brand’s “unapologetically and proudly Latino” heritage to the market.

Martin cautions that brands wanting to enter the market and compete at scale must adapt their brand to consumers. While a brand might initially be popular due to its novelty, he says that it “eventually that fades out, and consumers go back to their favourite ventanita or kitchens to prepare and enjoy coffee with their families.”

He also reiterates that while businesses will need to adapt themselves to the market (and not the other way around), that this doesn’t mean that they will need to give up their specialty coffee offering altogether. Instead, it provides them with an opportunity to give their customers a better quality version of the drinks they currently enjoy.

He explains, “If Miamians love dark roast blends, offer them better, more sustainably sourced blends. Don’t try to convince them that they should appreciate the huckleberry notes of a light roasted Ethiopian natural. I don’t expect consumers here to turn away from their dark, thick Cafecitos.”

Businesses should recognise that Miami consumers are increasingly interested in where their coffee comes from. Martin explains that this market recognises the importance of origins and sustainability, and that many younger Latino consumers are aware of the impact coffee production has on farmers and producing countries, as their parents or grandparents come from these countries. Educating them on this and the farm to cup process, will help consumers recognise the role their coffee purchases play in keeping producers and farms in production.

Miami’s relationship with coffee is intertwined with the area’s population. Opportunities are plentiful for specialty coffee brands looking to establish their presence here – provided they’re willing to accept the market as it is and adapt to it.

Recognising the existing desires of the Latino community will mean accepting their existing coffee tastes and preferences. By doing so, businesses will put themselves in the best position to introduce their audience to specialty coffee offerings – and cement themselves in the market.

Enjoyed this? Then Read Crema: How It’s Formed, What It Tells Us, & How to Learn From It

Photo credits:

Daniel Molinares

Cuba By Pedro Seleky under CC BY-SA 2.0

Calle Ocho By Prayitno Photography under CC BY 2.0

Mayorga Organics

Moka Pot By Ryawesome under CC BY-SA 2.0

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jeremystrele · 5 years

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Can’t Go on Vacation? Recreate a Hotel Vibe in Your Home

Going on vacation is a great way to relax and refresh. And if you stay in a luxury hotel, lakeside inn, resort spa, or elegant bed and breakfast, you’ll also enjoy a lush living area, and a luxurious bathroom experience. However, you can create that hotel vibe in your own home, and enjoy luxurious living every day. Here’s how to achieve those looks.

Make your bed irresistible

A plush bed is inviting. Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

One thing everyone enjoys about luxury hotels: the luxurious beds. However, Wendy Hammerman, Founder & Lead Designer at WLH Interiors, a full service interior design studio, says you can recreate that vibe by investing in new bedding. “There is something about crisp, clean, freshly laundered sheets that says ‘I’m on vacation!’” Hammerman says. She also recommends a cozy down comforter and a feather mattress topper. “Add lots of fluffy pillows, the fluffier the better, and last but not least, add a throw at the end of the bed for a homey feel and perhaps a pop of color.”

Consider sheets with a higher thread count. Image: courtesy of Lance Selgo with Unique Exposure Photography.

Karen Otto of Home Star Staging agrees that luxury linens can create a luxury hotel vibe for a staycation or when family and friends come to visit. “Look for sheet thread counts higher than 500, and since we run an Airbnb, we always purchase white for ease of cleaning – and they always just look fresh and inviting.” Otto says. “From comfy pillows to fluffy absorbent white towels in the bath, who wouldn’t want to feel like they’ve come home to a luxurious night’s sleep in a bed that looks like it was made at a 5-star hotel?”

Use appealing scents

The right scent sets the right mood. Image: Rido/Shutterstock

While creating an environment that appeals to your senses, don’t forget your sense of smell. “The first thing you will notice when you arrive at a high-end, luxury hotel and spa is the aroma,” says Hammerman. When you enter the resort, she says you’re surrounded by a fabulous fragrance that evokes feelings of calm and comfort. “Whether it’s beachy, floral or clean and crisp, smell is a great way to transform your space and instantly take you away to another place without leaving home.”

Hammerman recommends using a candle or atomizer that you can get at any home store. “Nest is a popular brand with several scents to choose from, including my personal favorite, Grapefruit – clean, fresh and fruity.” She also recommends Ocean Mist and Sea Salt, which smell like the beach. And if you want sometime more exotic, Hammerman suggests Moroccan Amber. “If candles aren’t your thing, Aroma 360 offers a plug-in with an array of interchangeable options, depending on your mood.”

Recreate a spa bathroom

Achieve a spa-like experience at home. Aqua-Sense Collection. Image courtesy of GRAFF

If you want to transform your bathroom to feel like it’s in a luxury hotel, Celine Marcotte, Business Development Manager at GRAFF, recommends refreshing the shower. “Products that stimulate the senses instantly provide a luxury hotel feel. Water, light, and sound, orchestrated in a harmonic balance allow for a deeper sense of wellness, a sensation and experience that can be achieved with GRAFF’s Aqua-Sense Collection, which uses chromotherapy and LED lights.” And the finishes and textures can also enhance a space’s appeal. “For example, 24K Gold, Rose Gold, and Matte Black come to mind as uber luxurious options.”

Marcotte also recommends accessories that can update your bathroom and can be easily swapped out. “Grab bars are one way to go, providing both an elevated style and a great aging in place solution.”

The right showerhead makes a big difference.

According to Leah Tuttleman, a designer at Re-Bath, sounds and sights can help you achieve an ultimate level of relaxation. “Let stress float away with a countertop waterfall to help your spa achieve an air of serenity. Install dimmer switches to set a calm, sunset-like mood to capture the essence of a professional spa’s tranquil ambiance.” And you can achieve this experience by just upgrading to a massage shower head. “Whether you prefer a waterfall shower, high-pressure or hand-held, these modern designs that mimic the natural flow of falling rain emanate relaxation.”

Other elements reminiscent of high-end luxury hotels include touchless faucets and soap dispensers, and Tuttleman says they’re easy to install. “Also, matching benches are a beautiful, functional addition to almost any shower, and a built-in caddy makes storage a breeze so you can focus on that clean, simple, minimalist look of a 5-star hotel.”

Layer your lighting

There are many ways to create lighting. Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

Hotel rooms usually provide several lighting options. “Layer your windows with a lighter drape to accommodate sun-filtering light and a heavier drape that creates a black-out effect essential for sleeping late on lazy weekends,” Hammerman recommends. “Also, consider a 3-way bulb in your bedside lamp which gives you the option of a bright reading light or the opportunity to create a softer ambiance.”

Lighting effects can change the look of your home. Image courtesy of Philips Hue

And there are other tips and tools to hlep you vary lighting – for example, Mike Deschamps, US Product Marketing Director at Philips Hue Signify, recommends layering your lighting – with ambient, accent and task lighting – to recreate a luxury hotel vibe at home. “Ambient lighting illuminates your space evenly; you can achieve this with the right ceiling fixtures or recessed lighting,” he says. “Accent lighting sources indirectly illuminate spaces while remaining mostly hidden; for example, use the Philips Hue Play light bars to highlight particular elements in your room like artwork or plants. “

In addition, Deschamps says you can use light strips in cabinets or under a bed or sofa. “Lastly, bring in task lighting through table and floor lamps to give you the light you need for specific activities like reading.”

Use a multi-functional sofa

Who doesn’t love a great – and great-looking – sofa? Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

Luxurious leather sofas are common in upscale hotel lobbies and private rooms. Whether you’re waiting in the lobby with all of your luggage, or you return to your room loaded down with a laptop and suitcase – or after a busy day of shopping – those stylish sofas are convenient and handy.

However, you can also create this look at home, for less than you might think. And you won’t even have to leave the sofa when you want to charge your phone and other devices.

A versatile, luxurious sofa without the luxurious price tag. Images courtesy of Coddle

For example, the Coddle Smart Couch is stylish and versatile, and is available in leather and microfiber verions. “It was designed entirely with the consumer in mind. With built-in USB ports and outlets, and the ability to transform into over a dozen different positions, the couch is both practical and useful, without sacrificing a luxurious feel,” says Nuri Djavit, CMO of Coddle. It folds flat to become a sleeper sofa, but you can also choose to fold up the arm rests on either side, or fold up all or just half of the back section. In addition, any spills wipe right up.

“Through the Coddle Smart Couch’s modern design and high-end materials and finishes, the atmosphere of a luxury hotel is easily recreated, but at a reasonable price point,” Djavit say.

Redesign your storage

Eliminate clutter by keeping everything out of sight. Images courtesy of Ornare

In most hotel rooms, there’s a place for everything, which reduces the clutter in your room. “Declutter your space, especially your bedside tables. Keeping only the essentials handy (and maybe some fresh cut flowers) helps bring a sense of calm and simplicity,” Hammerman says. Removing unnecessary items also creates more space in the room – making it appear to be larger. And you don’t have to have a walk-in closet. “We are seeing a lot of our clients redesign their master suites lined with Ornare closet doors that become part of the design of the room, and leave the bed to float in the room – instant private island,” says Claudio Faria, director of Ornare USA.

Choose a soothing paint color

A neutral tone provides a soothing backdrop. Image courtesy of Benjamin Moore.

“For better or worse, that warm Southwest-type of palette has come to be associated with mass hotel chains, and so, if you’re going for luxury or boutique, the exact opposite in terms of color and design is key,” explains Benjamin Moore Color and Design Expert, Nivara Xaykao. “Nothing beats crisp white walls, and luckily, there are new paint products out there that can keep your bedroom walls looking pristine. She recommends Chantilly Lace as one of the company’s favorite whites for achieving this look. “To bring a designer’s touch to the space, keep accent colors cool and neutral with calming grays and graphic blacks. Bold color statements can transform the bathroom into a special sanctuary.”

Deep blues are also calming and always stylish. “Lastly, don’t forget paint sheen. Higher glosses in the right places, like cabinetry and trim, can really heighten the glamour in a space,” Xaykao says.

Add artwork

Artwork can add personality to your space. Image courtesy of ArtSugar.

The last step is to incorporate artwork to liven up those blank walls. “Hammerman recommends a palette of warm neutrals to create a soothing hotel-like environment.

And fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot to get quality artwork. You can buy large framed art prints to recreate eye-catching looks without breaking the bank,” according to Alix Greenberg, Founder and CEO of ArtSugar, who recommends incorporating art featuring scenic landscapes to remind you of being on vacation. “Art or art prints featuring beaches, mountains, or even jungles can create a feeling of wanderlust, reminding you of being in a luxury hotel,” Greenberg says.

However, she recommends keeping frame colors simple. “Stick with white or black frames for a chic and elegant look reminiscent of a luxury hotel.”

The post Can’t Go on Vacation? Recreate a Hotel Vibe in Your Home appeared first on Freshome.com.

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cessanderson · 5 years

Photo

Can’t Go on Vacation? Recreate a Hotel Vibe in Your Home https://ift.tt/2JFvc4y

Make your bed irresistible

A plush bed is inviting. Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

Consider sheets with a higher thread count. Image courtesy of Lance Selgo with Unique Exposure Photography.

Use appealing scents

The right scent sets the right mood. Image: Rido/Shutterstock

Recreate a spa bathroom

Achieve a spa-like experience at home. Aqua-Sense Collection. Image courtesy of GRAFF

The right showerhead makes a big difference. Image: ImageFlow/Shutterstock

Layer your lighting

There are many ways to create lighting. Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

Lighting effects can change the look of your home. Image courtesy of Philips Hue

Use a multi-functional sofa

Who doesn’t love a great – and great-looking – sofa? Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

However, you can also create this look at home, for less than you might think. And you won’t even have to leave the sofa when you want to charge your phone and other devices.

A versatile, luxurious sofa without the luxurious price tag. Images courtesy of Coddle

“Through the Coddle Smart Couch’s modern design and high-end materials and finishes, the atmosphere of a luxury hotel is easily recreated, but at a reasonable price point,” Djavit say.

Redesign your storage

Eliminate clutter by keeping everything out of sight. Images courtesy of Ornare

Choose a soothing paint color

A neutral tone provides a soothing backdrop. Image courtesy of Benjamin Moore.

Add artwork

Artwork can add personality to your space. Image courtesy of ArtSugar.

The last step is to incorporate artwork to liven up those blank walls. “Hammerman recommends a palette of warm neutrals to create a soothing hotel-like environment.

However, she recommends keeping frame colors simple. “Stick with white or black frames for a chic and elegant look reminiscent of a luxury hotel.”

The post Can’t Go on Vacation? Recreate a Hotel Vibe in Your Home appeared first on Freshome.com.

Terri Williams

#Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Magazine

0 notes

owensrhodes · 5 years

Text

Can’t Go on Vacation? Recreate a Hotel Vibe in Your Home

Make your bed irresistible

A plush bed is inviting. Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

Consider sheets with a higher thread count. Image courtesy of Lance Selgo with Unique Exposure Photography.

Use appealing scents

The right scent sets the right mood. Image: Rido/Shutterstock

Recreate a spa bathroom

Achieve a spa-like experience at home. Aqua-Sense Collection. Image courtesy of GRAFF

The right showerhead makes a big difference. Image: ImageFlow/Shutterstock

Layer your lighting

There are many ways to create lighting. Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

Lighting effects can change the look of your home. Image courtesy of Philips Hue

Use a multi-functional sofa

Who doesn’t love a great – and great-looking – sofa? Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

However, you can also create this look at home, for less than you might think. And you won’t even have to leave the sofa when you want to charge your phone and other devices.

A versatile, luxurious sofa without the luxurious price tag. Images courtesy of Coddle

“Through the Coddle Smart Couch’s modern design and high-end materials and finishes, the atmosphere of a luxury hotel is easily recreated, but at a reasonable price point,” Djavit say.

Redesign your storage

Eliminate clutter by keeping everything out of sight. Images courtesy of Ornare

Choose a soothing paint color

A neutral tone provides a soothing backdrop. Image courtesy of Benjamin Moore.

Add artwork

Artwork can add personality to your space. Image courtesy of ArtSugar.

The last step is to incorporate artwork to liven up those blank walls. “Hammerman recommends a palette of warm neutrals to create a soothing hotel-like environment.

However, she recommends keeping frame colors simple. “Stick with white or black frames for a chic and elegant look reminiscent of a luxury hotel.”

The post Can’t Go on Vacation? Recreate a Hotel Vibe in Your Home appeared first on Freshome.com.

0 notes

jovialsoulinfluencer · 5 years

Text

Can’t Go on Vacation? Recreate a Hotel Vibe in Your Home

Make your bed irresistible

A plush bed is inviting. Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

Consider sheets with a higher thread count. Image courtesy of Lance Selgo with Unique Exposure Photography.

Use appealing scents

The right scent sets the right mood. Image: Rido/Shutterstock

Recreate a spa bathroom

Achieve a spa-like experience at home. Aqua-Sense Collection. Image courtesy of GRAFF

The right showerhead makes a big difference. Image: ImageFlow/Shutterstock

Layer your lighting

There are many ways to create lighting. Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

Lighting effects can change the look of your home. Image courtesy of Philips Hue

Use a multi-functional sofa

Who doesn’t love a great – and great-looking – sofa? Image: Beyond Time/Shutterstock

However, you can also create this look at home, for less than you might think. And you won’t even have to leave the sofa when you want to charge your phone and other devices.

A versatile, luxurious sofa without the luxurious price tag. Images courtesy of Coddle

“Through the Coddle Smart Couch’s modern design and high-end materials and finishes, the atmosphere of a luxury hotel is easily recreated, but at a reasonable price point,” Djavit say.

Redesign your storage

Eliminate clutter by keeping everything out of sight. Images courtesy of Ornare

Choose a soothing paint color

A neutral tone provides a soothing backdrop. Image courtesy of Benjamin Moore.

Add artwork

Artwork can add personality to your space. Image courtesy of ArtSugar.

The last step is to incorporate artwork to liven up those blank walls. “Hammerman recommends a palette of warm neutrals to create a soothing hotel-like environment.

However, she recommends keeping frame colors simple. “Stick with white or black frames for a chic and elegant look reminiscent of a luxury hotel.”

The post Can’t Go on Vacation? Recreate a Hotel Vibe in Your Home appeared first on Freshome.com.

from https://freshome.com/cant-go-on-vacation-recreate-a-hotel-vibe-in-your-home/ via Can’t Go on Vacation? Recreate a Hotel Vibe in Your Home

#Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Magazine

0 notes

travelonlinetips-blog · 5 years

Photo

New Post has been published on https://travelonlinetips.com/9-of-the-best-townsville-restaurants-and-cafes-you-need-to-try/

9 of the best Townsville restaurants and cafes you need to try

Something happened to Townsville while you weren’t looking. A serious foodie revolution took over the streets, stealthily throwing up healthy new trends, dishing up international flavours, and stoking the fire of long-standing award winners.

With a veritable food bowl on one side of this city and ocean on the other, chefs here are harnessing the freshest seafood and tropical produce, infusing it all with the north’s unfussy attitude – propelling Townsville City into the upper echelon of food destinations in Queensland.

Hungry? Here are 9 of the best Townsville restaurants and cafes to try.

Donna Bionda

If you’re hungry like a hot-blooded Italian, make like this local and follow your nose to Donna Bionda in City Lane.

The atmosphere envelops you as soon as you pull up a stool in the laneway or slip into the dining room and, with hands wrapped around glasses of pinot noir and platters of fresh salumi and cheese laid out in front of you, you could just as well be in your favourite wine bar in Rome.

Everything on the menu – from the juicy slow-cooked lamb and piping hot pizzas pulled straight from the wood-fired oven, to the truffle-oiled risotto, handmade pasta and a classic tiramisu for dessert – is a harmony of robust flavours and delicate presentation. The service is swift and as warm as the heat emanating from the pizza oven.

Hot tip: Make a booking, especially if you’re heading to Donna Bionda on a Tuesday when their 2-4-1 pizza deal has locals flocking like seagulls to a hot chip from 5pm.

JAM

When a dish has been on the menu for seven years, you’d be a fool not to order it so start your day the tropical Townsville way with the Asian chicken omelette at JAM, made with Saddle Mountain eggs and loaded with snow pea, bean shoot, fried shallots and chilli jam.

Everything on the seasonal breakfast menu at JAM provides a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Popping with textures and colours a la charcoal sourdough toast and dragon fruit sorbet smoothie, this is a menu made for the ‘gram.

But come back for lunch or dinner and you’ll be treated to an entirely new experience. Think chicken roulade with harissa chickpea crème or pork and ginger wontons with street chilli sauce, and kafir lime mousse for dessert.

Hot tip: Got a special occasion coming up? You can book JAM’s private dining room for up to 18 guests with to a 6-course degustation menu to feast on.

Longboard Bar & Grill

Water views + tacos + beers = a good time in anyone’s language.

Make a beeline for Longboard Bar & Grill for any occasion – from a quick lunch through to “just one beer” – and soak up the Hawaii-meets-Townsville vibes perched on The Strand with Magnetic Island just beyond your bowl of waffle fries (yes, waffle fries. Just order them and thank us later).

The menu dances between American south-west and Mexican, with the likes of braised beef nachos and thick and tangy BBQ chicken wings through to the appetite-obliterating 500gm chargrilled rib eye on the bone topped with chimichurri.

Hot tip: The Sunday Sessions are legendary here and you’ll absolutely need to book ahead.

Miss Song’s

The Ville Resort Casino has undergone a $40 million renovation, with not only a new waterfront pool and deck to take the resort vibes up a notch, but also the unveiling of one of Townsville’s best restaurants.

There may be sounds of the roulette wheel beckoning but keep your eyes on the (food) prize and walk through the fresh lobby to enter a world of Peking duck pancakes and dim sum in Miss Song’s.

This is a place to roll up your sleeves and get stuck into conversation with friends over baskets of steaming dumplings, crab meat and prawn curry fritters, and five-spice crispy pork belly. Keep the share plates coming but save room for the warm apple and ginger pudding for dessert.

Hot tip: Love seafood? Select your own live mud crab from the tank or opt for lobster steamed with ginger, shallot and light soy sauce.

CBar

Neighbouring Longboard Bar & Grill on The Strand, this Townsville institution is a #nobrainer when it comes to lunching al fresco and slipping into serious holiday mode.

It’s the kind of place you head to when you want something more than a pub feed but not so fancy that you’ll be wondering which set of cutlery to use first.

While you’ll find baguettes, burgers and haloumi chips on the menu here, if you’re a fan of seafood, there’s no better spot for some crispy-skinned Australian saltwater barramundi or calamari salad with coriander, garlic, chilli and lemongrass.

Hot tip: Order yourself a cold glass of rosé, sink back into your chair and clear your afternoon.

The Beet Bar

With a city as health-conscious as this one (count the gyms and protein supplement stores as you cruise the streets), you need plenty of (wholefood) fuel to stoke the fire.

Open for about three years, The Beet Bar has become the go-to for superfood bowls, smoothies and quick and healthy takeaway eats on Flinders Street.

Caffeine fiends, have no fear, there’s Organic Fairtrade Genovese Coffee if you like it hot and Mr Bean cold press coffee from Airlie Beach – steeped for 22 hours and tripled filtered – to go with the line-up of gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free raw cakes and slices. Their menu of CocoWhip sundaes will blow your connotations of vegan out of your almond milk.

Hot tip: Order a black detox bowl for a charcoal infused hit of acai… but maybe not if you’re on a first date.

Born Wild

Paleo, gluten-free, vegan… whichever dietary persuasion applies to you, Born Wild in City Lane has you covered.

This once exclusively-Paleo cafe turned more well-rounded caveman has you covered from acai bowls to lactose-free lattes, bone broth to fajitas, and you’ll even find beers in the fridge.

This isn’t just laissez faire attempt at paddock-to-plate either, if you grab Kymbo the owner he’ll tell you exactly which paddock the beef came from on his farm, Catumnal (which has been in the family for over 100 years).

Hot tip: Stop here to pick up ready-made meals for a pimped picnic and don’t forget the kombucha.

Rambutan

There are three indicators you’ll have a good time here: Rambutan is part of a ‘flashpackers’, there are swings at the bar, and the menu runs the gamut of food you’ll want two napkins to work with.

Mexican and Southern BBQ eats reigns supreme at this rooftop restaurant and smokehouse, set around the pool, where blue and white Parisian bistro chairs and vintage farmhouse tables look out over the action of Flinders Street.

Hot tip: You’ll want to try ALL the wings but our bets are on the Japanese BBQ variety, sprinkled with bonito.

Bridgewater Q Restaurant and Bridge Bar

Feast your eyes first on the supreme river views, then on the next-level menu experience at this super-stylish establishment from the mastermind behind JAM, chef Matt Merrin.

Townsville’s newest food opening boasts a splash of coastal elegance with a restaurant upstairs (more fanciful fare) and a bar downstairs (after-work drinks and nibbles sorted). Tuck into tuna and grapefruit salad with red chilli paste and goats cheese tortellini at the former, or duck spring rolls and charcoal salt and pepper calamari at the latter.

If you’re sticking around for dessert, Matt’s ingredient du jour is ruby chocolate, which he fuses into a delectable strawberry cheesecake.

Hot tip: Time your visit to watch the sunset over the river and you won’t be disappointed.

6 more Townsville restaurants worth checking out:

Shaw & Co – for eight different types of steak and mood lighting in City Lane (hello, date night!)

The Pier – perched over the water, this is the ideal spot to splurge on a seafood platter

A Touch of Salt – for casual fine dining and an exclusively vegan and vegetarian menu to boot

GYO – get hands-on with sukiyaki and shabu-shabu or order up from the Japanese tapas menu

Wild Goose Brews and Chews – two words: chicken schnitzel

The Palm House, The Ville – buffet-style feasting, but not as you know it

Have we left your favourite Townsville restaurants off the list? Tell us about them in the comments below.

*This post was first published in 2017 and updated in April 2019.

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bentonpena · 4 years

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Stay cool this summer in an eco-friendly way with these inspirational product designs!

Stay cool this summer in an eco-friendly way with these inspirational product designs! https://bit.ly/3foaPa9

Ever since I began writing this article, the song spinning through my head is Lana Del Ray’s ‘I got that summertime, summertime sadness Su-su-summertime, summertime sadness’ (of course I have a melodious husky voice in my head) but this choice of song could purely be because it has been summertime in Cancun, Mexico for almost 2 months and there is no escaping the brutal heat. With climate change and quarantining as it is, using the air conditioner feels like a guilty pleasure. That is exactly why I put together this collection of product designs that will help you have a cool, eco-friendly summer this year without sky-rocketing your electricity bills!

With summer comes an increase in usage of air conditioners and we know they are not exceptionally healthy for the planet. To help maintain the electricity usage, designers Aileen Ooi and E Ian Siew created an attachment to the common standing fan everyone has stashed away at their homes to make the room cooler. The attachment, named KYL is a humidity filter that funnels airflow output to cool a closed room. KYL would be able to lower temperatures by 1.5degrees Celsius and also make the room arider (a boon in humid places like Singapore, India, and more). Utilizing Bernoulli’s principle to create a cooling effect, KYL comes with a removable filter made up of tiny pieces of silica gel which absorbs moisture from the air. This lowers the humidity in the room and we can reuse the silica gel by washing it then leaving it out in the sun to dry, minimizing the usage of electricity. And removing this filter is easy as it comes affixed with velcro.

Cineorama is an outdoor viewing space with projectors by Erika Hock. Made to be a space to enjoy your favorite movies the way they were meant to be, the Cineorama creates a comfortable space in your yard to host a gathering with your friends. Now if only you could get a portable popcorn maker!

The Rattan Fan’s form has been inspired by some classic rattan pieces like the iconic chair, woven baskets, beach bags, and lightweight cabinets that you find on islands. It is airy, it technically has to be, but it visually adds a ‘lightness’ to the room it is in. Rattan is a natural sustainable material that is versatile (talk about being used from furniture to fashion) and sturdy. It also adds a touch of luxury while remaining subtle and unobtrusive to the existing interior design. Unlike coolers, the wireless rattan fan is not an eyesore and provides the flexibility to sit anywhere because the power of the breeze is in your hands now.

The Lilypad is a luxury villa designed by Chuck Anderson and is anchored just north of Sydney’s Palm Beach. Anderson is a boat enthusiast so it is no surprise that he created a floating house! This beautiful Airbnb is also eco-conscious, it is completely solar-powered and is slowly helping us pivot towards sustainable travel. The exterior of the house is made from timber and includes an open living area, a wine cellar, a sleeping loft and, of course, a bathroom (for all that wine that we will consume post quarantine on our holiday!). To feel fancy, you have an al fresco dining (means you can eat your food while enjoying the breeze and sun when going outside is cool again) and sunbathing area on the lower level which also boasts of an expansive terrace.

The Four Seasons shakers by Qualy Design are quite literally perfection. You’ve got four shakers that embody four different seasons and hold four different seasonings. Designed for salt, pepper, dried herbs, and chili flakes, the shakers come with plants on the inside that pair well with the seasoning. The pepper shaker comes with a cactus inside, turning the shaker into a summer scene (make sure you use white pepper for proper effect!)

The evaCHILL provides each user with their own personal microclimate without the release of Carbon Dioxide! How? It uses the principle of water evaporation to create moist, fresh, and, most importantly, cool air! This isn’t Evapolar’s first endeavor into personal cooling however, it is undeniably the most refined. evaCHILL is compact enough to be mobile, intuitive enough to be easily controlled, and stylish enough to look right at home within your workspace!

Usually, the ice pop making process is anything but quick, which can lead to frustratingly long waits as our impatience levels increase. This is certainly not the case for Ellie Tsang’s THE SEAL, which reduces the processing time down to a mere 10 minutes! You may be asking how this has been achieved? It takes full advantage of the working principle of an ice-cream maker but reduces the volume significantly. This, paired with the metal molds that reduce the freezing time even further, allow for ice-lollies to be made in just a matter of minutes… so you can enjoy the refreshing treat on a whim!

Lee’s dehumidifier comes equipped with an auto-focus camera, a humidity sensor, and a timer. The Turn On Booking allows the user to set a time on the timer. You can set the timer and leave your home at ease. Once you activate the Turn On Booking feature, Smoving goes into Automatic Operation Mode. When the appointed time arrives, and Smoving is in Automatic Operation Mode, the moisture sensor begins to detect and recognize the most humid spots in the home. Once the spot has been detected, the auto-focus camera perceives the surrounding, picking out obstacles, ensuring that the dehumidifier reaches the wet spot without encountering any of them. Smoving dehumidifies the area, maintaining an appropriate level of humidity in turn.

Meet the Coldwave. It claims that it can, without any electricity, turn any room-temperature beverage cold in as little as 30 seconds… and can chill down boiling hot coffee in just under 2 minutes. The Coldwave Beverage Chiller comes in two parts. A jug/pitcher to hold the beverage needed to be chilled, and a specialized lid that holds water. The lid’s unique design doesn’t sit above the jug, but rather inserts itself into the jug, immersing itself within the beverage. Store the lid in a freezer for a few hours and the water it holds turns to ice. Place the lid into the jar, and the ice instantly cools the beverage, without ever making contact with it. The lid’s design maximizes beverage-to-ice contact by increasing surface area and allows you to cool your drink without diluting it.

Noori’s multipurpose stove, the V01 model functions not only as a rocket stove but as a barbeque, pizza oven, and fire pit. From ribs, burgers, hot dogs to wood-fired pizza, the V01 functions as a versatile cooker for all occasions. Noori can be used as a permaculture vertical ‘Rocket Stove’. The wood-burning stove, aided with its ability to ensure complete fuel combustion, can be used to cook various recipes with diverse cooking utensils such as pans, casseroles, and other stovetop dishes. And of course last but not the least, it serves as a wood fire pit, warming up even the coldest of days, so there is no season when you won’t need Noori!

Leisure 28 is a sleek electric boat designed by Rand Boats, a Danish company committed to using sustainable design and innovative technology for giving you the best experience out on the water. This boat is built on the pillars of modern Scandinavian design and has powerful electric propulsion (so no motor noise or fuel smell!) with a maximum speed of 45 mph that can run for two hours without a recharge. Its hull design helps in making it ultralight and optimizes the performance effortlessly. Leisure 28 is made of a mix of recycled plastics and bio-based hybrids which makes it environmentally friendly. Let’s continue dreaming about this minimal, graceful, luxurious boat we all need…and can have for USD 172,000.

Its summertime, and though we want to go and park ourself on the beaches, COVID-19 is still going strong and until we have a solution for this illness, social distancing and taking other preventive measures is all we can do. So stay home and stay safe!

Design via Yanko Design https://bit.ly/33D9esf June 11, 2020 at 12:55AM

#IFTTT #Feedly

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kempf-fitness-professional · 5 years

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Fasting and Meditation Retreat, Dec 10-15th

All-Inclusive Week of Wellness in the Jungle of Maui at Hale Akua Eco Retreat Center

Retreat Event Overview

Aloha and welcome to the 2019 Maui Fasting and Meditation Retreat, taught by holistic health and fitness coach and yoga teacher, John Kempf. This event spans from Tuesday, December 10th to Sunday, December 15th.

This retreat will teach you how to use yoga, fasting, meditation, breath work, movement, reflective writing, and mindfulness to improve your health and your quality of life.

The beautiful jungles, beaches, valleys, rivers, mountains, and waterfalls you will be traveling to while on this tropical island excursion makes this retreat an ideal opportunity to unplug from the monkey mind and connect to nature, good company, and your authentic self.

You will feel re-charged, re-focused, and re-inspired to go back into the world equipped with the vision and the tools to create your ultimate reality of health, wealth, and happiness.

Tuesday will be dedicated to checking in and giving facility tours, and then we will open that evening with a group dinner of organic, raw foods (fruits, vegetables, fresh juices, nuts, seeds) while we casually meet n greet.

Then, four days of water fasting will follow with the option to dry fast (full details provided during registration).

The last day will be an informal vipassana, a day of total silence, followed by a water ceremony Saturday night where everyone can share their experiences from the week.

Sunday morning you will break your fast with organic, raw foods (fruits, vegetables, fresh juices, nuts, seeds), and then a closing ceremony will follow. The rest of the day is allotted to checking out of the Hale Akua Retreat Center.

Retreat Center Information

Everyone will be staying at the Hale Akua (translation: Home of the Divine) Organic Garden Farm and Eco-Friendly Retreat Center located on 7 and a half acres of jungle paradise in Maui, Hawaii, overlooking a 150 foot waterfall AND the Pacific Ocean.

If you are looking for a true immersion into nature that will help you completely unplug while still feeling well accommodated (okay, slightly pampered), then this is your place.

The facility has a salt water pool, an infrared sauna, outdoor showers, hot tubs, a bodywork / massage room, a giant yoga studio, free Wi-Fi, a villa where we will be performing daily activities and having our meals, a garden farm, statues, ponds, and plenty of little pathways for nature walks on the grounds.

You can choose to stay off-site, but on-site is recommended for convenience and optimal restoration. Transportation during the retreat will be provided via an 11-passenger tall top shuttle van. A shared shuttle to and from the airport is also provided, free of charge, if scheduled in advance.

Use the following link to view the Hale Akua Website.

https://haleakua.org/

There are both private and shared room options available which are indicated in the total price (full details provided during registration). The available room options are currently "Shared Room - The Villa" and "Private Room - Sunrise Room" - use the following link to view the Hale Akua Gallery.

https://haleakua.org/accommodation-gallery/

WHEN

Arrival and check-in: After 1pm on Tuesday, December 10th, 2019

Departure and check-out: Before 1pm on Sunday, December 15th, 2019

*You will be flying into and out of the Kahului Airport*

*Free shared shuttle provided to and from the airport if scheduled in advance*

WHERE

Hale Akua Organic Garden Farm and Eco Retreat Center

Haiku, HI 96708

https://haleakua.org/

HIGHLIGHTS

Each morning and night, you will begin and end the day with different yoga and meditation practices that John personally uses and teaches to his clients. You will also learn how to integrate specific breathing techniques and mobilizations into your movement practice and into your day that are designed to optimize the physiology and biochemistry of your human organism.

You will move with more ease, you will think more clearly, and you will feel better by regularly implementing these methods into your life.

John will be presenting educational workshops each day on the science and application of fasting, nutrition, yoga, movement, meditation, and mindful living. John will also be taking you to some of the best beaches, waterfalls, and sacred sites on the island.

You will get to play in the rivers of Iao Valley (translation: Cloud Supreme), and you will also be taking the famous 'Road to Hana' tour around the world's largest dormant volcano, Hale Akala (translation: House of the Rising Sun).

There will be plenty of techniques, practices, workshops, materials, and notes for you to take back home with you, but this is still a retreat in the sense that there will also be plenty of time to rest, relax, integrate, and interact with each other every day, and all of the activities are optional. You can choose to stay at the retreat center and chill in the hot tub or pool all day, or you can go explore the island at your leisure.

Everything is optional and everyone is welcome. If you begin to feel unwell during the fast or wish to discontinue to protocol, there will be fresh food and cold water available at any time to accommodate you.

This experience is perfect for you if you are interested in learning more about the science, philosophy, and practice of fasting, yoga, and meditation with the intention of improving your health, performance, and overall well-being while engaging with mother nature and like minded souls.

SCHEDULE

12/10 - Tuesday: Arrival and Check In, Facility Tour, Group Dinner, Meet n Greet and Retreat Itinerary, Bed Time Meditation

12/11 - Wednesday: Yoga Drill, Yoga Philosophy, Free Time, Twin Falls Tour, Free Time, Workshop, Bed Time Meditation

12/12 - Thursday: Yoga Drill, Yoga Philosophy, Free Time, Iao Valley Tour, Free Time, Workshop, Bed Time Meditation

12/13 - Friday: Yoga Drill, Yoga Philosophy, Free Time, Road to Hana Tour, Free Time, Workshop, Bed Time Meditation

12/14 - Saturday: Yoga Drill, Yoga Philosophy, Day of Silence, Personal Well-Being Session, Evening Water Ceremony and Group Discussion, Bed Time Meditation

12/15 - Sunday: Yoga Drill, Group Break-Fast, Closing Ceremony and Check Out, Departure

RETREAT PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Lodging and full access to the retreat center's amenities

Transportation during the retreat and shared shuttle to and from the airport (must schedule with John in advance)

Organic, raw, nutrient-dense, whole foods (fruits, vegetables, juices, nuts, seeds) and filtered water

Eco-friendly cork yoga mat with bag and strap included

32 oz stainless steel Hydroflask

Cotton drawstring

Sleeping face mask and ear plugs

Hardcover journal and ballpoint pen

Presentation binder, worksheets, lecture notes

LODGING OPTIONS AND PRICES

Single Bed Shared Room - The Villa: $1,095

King Bed Private Room - Sunrise Room: $1,695

Off-Site: $850

The available room options are currently "The Villa" and "Sunrise Room" - use the following link to view the Hale Akua Gallery.

https://haleakua.org/accommodation-gallery/

REGISTRATION AND CANCELLATION TERMS

The initial down deposit to RSVP is $400. If you need financial assistance with the remaining owed, we are happy to work with you in making payments depending on what room option you choose. We recommend you purchase travel insurance in case of any emergency cancellations.

This retreat includes a lot of pre-paid items that need to be ordered individually in advance, and it is very hard to fill beds in the final weeks, so cancellations come out of pocket. If your spot fills, you will receive a full refund, but if it does not and you registered on or after November 1st, you will not receive any refund. If your spot does not fill and you registered prior to November 1st, you will receive a refund on any payments made after the initial, non-refundable $400. Once the retreat begins, there will be no refunds, regardless of the circumstances.

Limited space is available. Registration will close when the event is full and you will be added to a wait list. If any cancellations occur, you will be promptly notified. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

ABOUT JOHN

John Kempf is a functional strength and mobility coach, dietary specialist, yoga instructor, podcaster, and founder of Kempf Fitness Professional, a holistic training platform designed to bring you valuable coaching and education to improve your health, fitness, and overall life quality. He integrates a scientific approach to exercise, nutrition, and mindfulness that focuses on balanced self-development to optimize all areas of performance for his clients.

John's degree is in Kinesiology and Exercise Science and he has five additional certifications as a ACE personal trainer, a USAW sport performance and Olympic weight lifting coach, an FRC mobility specialist, and a mindset performance specialist. He is also a former natural bodybuilder and semi-pro football player, and a best-selling author of two popular fitness books available on Amazon.

John has been working with clients for over 10 years and has the real-life testimonials to prove it. Kempf Fitness Professional is backed by a 5 star rating on Google from nearly 100 personal reviews. John provides in-studio and online holistic health and fitness coaching for all populations, he has a variety of programs, workshops, and retreats, and he actively creates educational content via social media. His dream is to create positive change in the world using movement, food, yoga, meditation, and kindness, and to inspire people everywhere to live healthier, happier lives.

He has been passionately practicing and teaching yoga and meditation since 2013. He blends a variety of Yoga philosophy and practice with his functional mobility background to teach clients how to breathe, move, and flow more efficiently while connecting their mind and body to the present moment. Yoga and meditation have become essential tools in John's daily life, and he has made it part of his mission to share these powerful practices with others to bring more inner strength, awareness, and harmony into the world.

INSTRUCTIONS AFTER PAYMENT

Once you submit your down deposit of $400, you will receive an email titled "[Maui Retreat] Pre-Screen Form" from the email address [email protected] (make sure to save this email to your contacts so you don't miss future emails regarding the retreat).

You must follow the link within that email, fill out the form, and sign the attached e-waiver to receive your next email titled "[Maui Retreat] Scheduling". Use the link provided to schedule your appointment with John where you will be given further instructions regarding registration.

If you have any questions at all, use the above email address to contact John directly. Aloha and Namaste.

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ntrending · 5 years

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Everything you need to know about shark bites

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/everything-you-need-to-know-about-shark-bites/

Everything you need to know about shark bites

It’s OK, I’m a filter feeder. (Marcel Ekkel/Flickr, CC BY/)

Sharks elicit outsized fear, even though the risk of a shark bite is infinitesimally small. As a marine biologist and director of the Florida Program for Shark Research, I oversee the International Shark Attack File—a global record of reported shark bites that has been maintained continuously since 1958.

View this post on Instagram

Dr. Greg Skomal, of @massmarinefisheries, working with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, tagged 4 sharks today off Wellfleet and Truro, bringing the total tagged this season to 12.

A post shared by Atlantic White Shark Cons. (@a_whiteshark) on Jul 16, 2019 at 2:05pm PDT

A big, diverse family

Not all sharks are the same. Only a dozen or so of the roughly 520 shark species pose any risk to people. Even the three species that account for almost all shark bite fatalities—the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)—are behaviorally and evolutionarily very different from one another.

White, tiger, and bull sharks are distinct species that diverged genetically tens of millions of years ago. (Gavin Naylor, CC BY-ND/)

Know your species

Shark bites in the Carolinas are by warm-water species like bull sharks, tiger sharks, and blacktips (Carcharhinus limbatus). Each species is associated with particular habitats and dietary preferences.

Blacktips, which we suspect are responsible for most relatively minor bites on humans in the southeastern United States, feed on schooling bait fishes like menhaden. In contrast, bull sharks are equally at home in fresh water and salt water, and are often found near estuaries. Their bites are more severe than those of blacktips, as they are larger, more powerful, bolder, and more tenacious. Several fatalities have been ascribed to bull sharks.

Humans are not targets

This means we can use environmental variables such as temperature, tide, or weather conditions to better predict movement of bait fish toward the shoreline, which in turn will predict the presence of sharks. Over the next few years, the Florida Program for Shark Research will work with colleagues at other universities to monitor onshore and offshore movements of tagged sharks and their association with environmental variables so that we can improve our understanding of what conditions bring sharks close to shore.

More to know

Only two specimens of this type of shark have ever been caught—one off the coast of Chile 30 years ago, and another more recently in the Gulf of Mexico. We’re not sure about the function of the pouch, but suspect it stores luminous fluid that is released to distract would-be predators—much as its close relative, the tail light shark, releases luminous fluid from a gland on its underside near its vent.

Gavin Naylor is Director of the Florida Program for Shark Research, University of Florida. This article was originally featured on The Conversation.

Written By By Gavin Naylor/The Conversation

#Technology

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filtration-products · 5 years

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Fresh Logic

Freshwater systems company upgrades programmable logic controller to meet modern demands

FCI Watermakers, based in West Valley, Utah, has been building freshwater systems since 1992. Most of these systems are skid-mounted and primarily convert salt water to fresh water via reverse osmosis. However, several other technologies also are used depending on the customer’s needs. The company found that ladder logic and an older PLC could not keep up with modern demands.

As an original equipment manufacturer, FCI designs the control systems for its products. When custom orders and larger systems became a larger part of its business, the company began looking for a more improved automation solution.

“Three or four years ago, ladder logic was the best fit for our HMI/PLC,” said Scott McGuire, president of FCI.

FCI found the PLC was limited to a finite amount of input/output (I/O) points, which was fine for smaller systems, but limiting for larger ones. To meet its needs, the company upgraded its control systems to Opto 22’s groov EPIC, which can be scaled for all FCI products and includes software for flowcharting, as well as IEC 61131-3- compliant languages, such as ladder logic.

Making Freshwater

FCI started with two product lines in 1992, and has expanded to offer a range of systems, from those used on small yachts to systems for offshore oil platforms and resort hotels. These freshwater systems can produce from 200 gal per day (gpd) to up to 260,000 gpd. The products are typically built for marine environments, and also are ship-certified and marine grade.

FCI uses a human machine interface (HMI) that is marine-certified, and features resistive touch technology so customers can use it while wearing gloves. While yacht systems are the company’s main focus, McGuire said he thinks the bigger systems more challenging, and more interesting from an engineering standpoint.

One of FCI’s customers is a resort in the South Pacific. Surrounded by seawater, the island has little freshwater. When the resort’s old system of converting seawater to freshwater began to fail, it looked to FCI for a replacement. The resort’s goals were not only to have a sufficient volume of water, but also to perform the conversion using as little energy as possible. Diesel-run generators provide all the power on the island, and electricity is expensive.

FCI made a custom-designed, skid-mounted freshwater conversion system for the resort to address these problems more directly. In addition to providing freshwater for all the resort’s needs, the freshwater conversion system also reduces energy costs by running on 30-hp rather than the previous 100-hp generators. It can recover up to 40% of the energy consumed by using pressure exchanger technology to capture energy in the brine stream and then feed it back into the system.

A skid-mounted freshwater system under construction at FCI.

Updating the Controls

The skid has stainless-steel construction, solid-state drives, UL hazardous locations approval, and ATEX compliance so it can withstand the environments where it is installed. Chassis sizes are available to accommodate up to four, eight or 16 I/O modules, and analog and discrete I/O modules offer eight to 24 channels. These option make the control system adaptable to each system and made the custom-designed skid for the resort in the South Pacific effective and appropriate for the application.

For larger systems, the processor can act as a supervisory controller for other controllers and for the Opto 22 SNAP PAC I/O units.

The skid also can include an integral touch screen to improve commissioning and make troubleshooting easier. The included HDMI and USB ports mean an external monitor, HMI panel, keyboard and mouse also can be added when needed. Finally, the HMI screens can be viewed on any device capable of hosting a web browser—from a smartphone to a web-enabled HDTV.

The Epic software includes multiple programming options—IEC 61131-3, C/C++, Java, and Python to name a few. This flexibility allows for the inclusion of flow charts and other visual tools aimed at improving operator’s work directly with the system. Connections for OPC UA to PLC systems along with MQTT/Sparkplug for secure and efficient data communications and Node-RED for exchanging data with databases, cloud applications, and APIs also are included with the software on the skid system.

Results

Operators can log in remotely and see data on their systems, whether that is a phone, tablet or a desktop. A drag, drop and tag method of building the operator interface, and the ease of integrating data from other systems and software applications also added to the system’s customizability.

McGuire says users save costs by initially programming all available features into the controller, and then turning features on or off to meet an individual customer’s requirements. In addition, the software includes flowchart-based PAC Control software as a control programming option.

“This block stuff is really the way to go. It takes a third of the time to program as compared to ladder logic,” McGuire said.

McGuire said the system can easily configure HMI screens, which authorized users can view locally on the integral high-resolution touchscreen, or from anywhere on any device with an internet connection capable of supporting a web browser.

With these features the system can run remotely and allows support for clients in the field. For the system at the South Pacific resort, FCI can monitor flows, pressures and water quality on a smartphone. The personnel also can add a camera and see video of the equipment as it is running. The general manager and facilities manager at the resort also have these smartphone visualization capabilities enabled.

Outline of Filtration Products WebPage: Filtration Products webpage amasses the updated stories, updates and separation innovations from the filter market. Filtration-Products.com keeps you abreast on treatment and all the primary industry supplies including wound filtration, pleated filters, meltblown filters, sock filters, reverse osmosis filtration, from brands such as Shelco created for particulate separation, and anything else the separation biz has to mention.

from Filtration Products http://bit.ly/2OWXzxs

#Filtration Products

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salediscountggdb-blog · 6 years

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Golden Goose Sneakers Sale Cheap Merits and Also Advantages associated With Online foods Delivery

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