Lorentz National Park

The Park lies within Irian Jaya Province, and the administrative Jayawijaya, Paniai, Merauke (Southern Division), Fak-fak, Mimika and Enarotali districts. It stretches for over 150km, from the central cordillera mountains in the north to Arafura Sea in the south. Access is by air from Jayapura to Wamena and Timika 04º00'-5º15'S, 137º14'-138º20'E.

The Dutch Colonial Government gave the first protection status in 1919 with the establishment of Lorentz Nature Monument. In 1956, the protected status was abolished due to conflicts with local people over unresolved land ownership. In 1978, it has established as a Strict Nature Reserve (Cagar Alam) by the Indonesian Government with an area of 2,150,000ha wdth. In March 1997 it was declared National park by the Ministry of Forestry, which includes the eastern extension (Mt. Trikora, Mt. Rumphius, Habbema Lake area), coastal and marine areas.

With the total area is 2,505,600ha, about 0.6% of Irian Jaya's total size, the Park can be divided into two very distinct zones: the swampy lowlands and the high mountain area of the central cordillera. The central cordillera itself can be subdivided in the eastern part and the western part on the basis of geology and vegetation types, the north/south line at approximately Kwiyawagi village being the dividing line.

The central mountain ranges are the southern portion of two colliding continental plates, which are causing the mountain range to rise. The lowering and rising of the sea level during the glacial and inter-glacial periods of the Pleistocene, along with continuous activity in the mobile belt which characterizes the contact zone of the two colliding lithospheres plates, has continued to promote the great biodiversity of the island of New Guinea in general, and in the Lorentz area in particular. Large tracts of the mountain range, and especially the area formed by the traditional lands of the Amungme (or Amung) are rich in mineral deposits - especially gold and copper.

The Carstenz or Jaya Peak section of the Jayawijaya Mountain Range still retains small ice caps. It is one of only three equatorial highlands (Sierra Nevada region in the Andes, and Mt. Kenya, Kilimanjaro, Ruwenzori in E.Africa) that is sufficiently high altitude to retain permanent ice, but note that Lorentz glaciers are receding rapidly. Some 3,300ha of snowfields REMAINED IN 1992. The main snowfields comprise five separate areas of ice on the outer margins of Mount Puncak Jaya. These include two small fields, which feed the Meren and Carstenz glaciers, and a small hanging glacier on the Carstenz Pyramid.

Puncak Jaya's summit consists of several peaks (Jayakesuma / Carstenz Pyramid 4,884m, Ngga Pulu 4,862m, Meren 4,808m) that developed from Tertiary rocks (Miocene). This high area was still covered by wide ice caps (13sq.km) in 1936. These ice caps melted down to an area of just 6.9 km in 1972 and further reduced to 3.3 sq.km by 1991. The remaining ice is now divided into three patches the North Wall Firn, the Meren and Carstenz glacier with only 3 sq.km of ice left. Based on climatic data, a deficit mass balance will continue as the future trend.

The lowland area is a wide swampy plain, covered with virgin forest and intersected by countless winding rivers and streams, mostly tidal. The largest of these rivers empty into the shallow Arafura Sea, which separates the island of New Guinea from Australia.

The Regional Physical Planning Program for Transmigration recognized 9 physiographic types and regions (beaches, tidal swamps, meander belts, peat swamps, alluvial valleys, alluvial fans, dissected terraces, mountains and alpine summits) with 13 major land systems.

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Natural Beauties of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a small country having a total area of 147570 sq km. Although it is a small country, it is enriched with natural beauty and resources. Those who love nature and natural beauty come here to take pleasure. Every year thousands of people come from various countries to see Bangladesh and to know Bangladesh. Visitors come here to learn from nature, to see awesome creations and to know about wild lives. Amongst those places Cox's Bazar Sea Beach, the Shundarbans, Srimongal Tea Garden, Jaflong, Rangamati, Bandarban, Paharpur Buddha Vihara and so on are well known worldwide.

Cox's Bazar Sea Beach is the world's largest sea beach having length of 120 km. You would like to ride bike on this continuous 120 km sea beach. Tidal wave of Bangaposhagor, and its roar will obviously take the attention of the tourists. You can also take sun bath on the beach. Visit Cox's Bazar Sea Beach, and take chance to see the reddish sun at setting and rising position from close distance.

The Shundarbans is the largest mangrove forest of the world. This is the land of rare plants and animals. You can see Royal Bengal Tiger, a lot of deer, monkeys, and elephants and so on. The real beauty of Shundarbans is the Shundori tree which is really exceptional. Various types of birds always charm the tourists.

Srimangal is one of the hilly districts of Sylhet division. This place is famous for tea gardens. Series of tea plants looks really beautiful and you will be amazed at a single look. You can also take the chance to drink Seven Layered tea here. This is really exceptional and rare. To take the real taste of tea there is no other options than to come here.

Jaflong is the border area of Sylhet division. This place is known as land of stone. The Mari River is the nearby river. This river is well known to all due to transparent glass like river water. You can see the ground of river from the top of water.

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The Royal Wedding: Evening Reception

If my invitation didn't get lost in the mail:

I would choose a palette of red, black, and gold to wear to the Evening Reception of the Royal Wedding.  My budget: unlimited, and I am pretty sure I am breaking etiquette rules with this outfit (no need for a hat at the Reception, but it was added for good measure).  After all, this is only a dream invite.

Are you tuning in to watch the Royal Wedding, I am...

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Great conductors of the 20TH century EMI VOL.29 - Mitropolous

CD1 (74.42)

Mahler: Symphony No.6
Live studio recording; WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln;
Klaus-von-Bismarck-Saal, WDR, Cologne, August 1959

CD2 (78.18)

Berlioz: ‘Roméo et Juliette’ – Orchestral excerpts, October 1952

Debussy: La Mer, November 1950

Richard Strauss: Dance of the Seven Veils (‘Elektra’), November 1956
New York Philharmonic Orchestra; 30th Street Studios, New York



THE BIOGRAPHY - Dimitri Mitropoulos (1896-1960)
Born in Athens in 1896, Dimitri Mitropoulos may well have become a priest, but instead became first a composer and gifted pianist and then a conductor with an extraordinary musical memory. Busoni, his teacher in Berlin, advised Mitropoulos to abandon composition and concentrate on being an interpreter. From 1921 to 1924, he worked under Erich Kleiber as a répétiteur at the Berlin Staatsoper. On his return to Athens he taught at the conservatory and conducted its orchestra (1924-29). In 1930, he was invited by the Berlin Philharmonic and created a sensation by playing and conducting from the keyboard Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.3, a feat he later repeated in Paris, London and the USSR. In 1937, having made a guest appearance with the Boston Symphony Orchestra the previous year, he was appointed musical director of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (1937-49). Subsequently, he moved to the New York Philharmonic, first as joint chief conductor with Stokowski and then, one year later, as the orchestra’s sole music director (1949-1958). From 1954 until his death, he conducted in every season of the New York Metropolitan Opera. He died in Milan in 1960 while rehearsing Mahler’s Symphony No.3 with the La Scala Orchestra.

THE RECORDINGS
Mitropoulos is under-represented in the current catalogue. This compilation features commercial recordings not previously available on CD and a rare live studio broadcast of Mahler’s Symphony No.6 from Cologne. Mitropoulos was a renowned interpreter of Mahler (he made the premiere recording of the First Symphony) and for its first official release this celebrated recording of the Sixth Symphony has been superbly remastered from the original WDR tapes. The orchestral extracts from Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette, in a recording that has not been available for at least 40 years, show Mitropoulos at his best: passionate, exciting and intense. The same qualities inform the Dance of the Seven Veils from Salome, which represents Mitropoulos’s close affinity with the music of Richard Strauss. Debussy’s La Mer was a favourite work of the conductor, though this version from 1950 is his only studio recording of the work.



http://www.filesonic.com/file/871002714/Great Conductors of The 20th Century Vol 29- Dimitri Mitropoulos.part1.rar
http://www.filesonic.com/file/871002814/Great Conductors of The 20th Century Vol 29- Dimitri Mitropoulos.part2.rar
http://www.filesonic.com/file/871005574/Great Conductors of The 20th Century Vol 29- Dimitri Mitropoulos.part3.rar
http://www.filesonic.com/file/871005594/Great Conductors of The 20th Century Vol 29- Dimitri Mitropoulos.part4.rar

http://www.fileserve.com/file/Kk9CMne
http://www.fileserve.com/file/FBzzYc7
http://www.fileserve.com/file/D6PBrds
http://www.fileserve.com/file/RbpaRnU

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Carcass Island

Carcass Island, named after HMS Carcass, has been owned by Rob and Lorraine McGill for over 30 years and has been developed in to one the premier destinations of the Falkland Islands. Cat and rat free it is a haven for small bird species including the endemic Cobb’s wren, dark-faced ground tyrants, and tussacbirds. Straited cara-caras, known locally as "Johnny Rooks" are prevalent and short-eared owls breed in the island's forest. Elephant seals bask on the northern beaches, magellanic penguins reside close to the settlement, gentoo penguins and other marine mammals inhabit the southern end of the island.

The scenery is varied with beautiful white sandy beaches, tussac paddocks, rocky hills and clifftops; Carcass Island is a fantastic destination for both walking enthusiasts and those who prefer just a short stroll or drive to a scenic spot.

Carcass Island Farm House provides comfortable lodgings with lush garden surrounds. 4WD trips around the island can be arranged and a day-long boat trip to West Point Island, (see Cruise Ship Landings page for more details) where black-browed albatross breed, can also be organised.

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EGZANTRİK SAÇ MODELLERİ 2011

En egzantrik komik ve tuhaf saç modellerinden seçmeler

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The Workwoman's Guide, 1840

I have been discovering Google Books lately. It is amazing what you can find! As I like authors from years gone by, it is not hard to find something interesting.

I did a search on "aprons" and look what I found! A fascinating book from 1840. A sewing book really, on how to sew just about every household item. Curtains, dust cloths, bassinet covers, bed linens, day caps, drawers, petticoats etc... Here is the bit about aprons.

APRONS.

PLATE 11.

If for common use, aprons are made of white, brown, blue, black, or checked linen, of black stuff, calico, Holland, leather, nankeen, print, or long cloth ; if for better purposes, of cambric muslin, clear, mulled, or jaconet muslin, silk, satinette, satin, &c. The length of the apron is, of course, generally determined by the height of the wearer, and the width, by that of the material, and by the purpose for which it is intended. For working aprons, the width is generally one breadth of a yard wide; for dress aprons, two breadths, one of which is cut in half, and these halfs put one on each side of the whole breadth. If the material should be wide enough, one breadth, of from fourteen to twenty nails, will answer very well.

COMMON APRONS.

The simplest kind, and that generally worn by working men, is a yard wide or more, hemmed at the bottom and at the top, with a string run through to tie round the waist. It is thus worn by brewers, &c.

PLATE 11. FIG 12.

May be worn either as a common or as a pretty dress apron, according to the material and trimming. It may be made of silk, coloured muslin, or print. After being properly gathered into the band, two shoulder-straps, in the form of four lappets, are cut out, either pointed, as in A, or rounded, as in B. These lappets may be piped, and either edged with lace or fringe, or left plain. For a full size, the lappet is five nails along the selvage, from D to C, and one nail and three-quarters from C to B. The two straps are sewed together at C, and fastened with a bow of ribbon. The lappet is piped all round with a strong cord, to make it wear well.

A COOKING APRON.

PLATE 11. FIG. 14.

This is a neat pattern for a housekeeper, cook, or kitchen-maid. The bib is quite plain, and pins to the gown at the corners. The size given in the Plate is suitable for a girl, but the bib should be cut to suit the wearer at once, and not made by guess. The apron is made of check or strong linen.

If you absolutely need to read the rest of the book, here is the link. It is quite fascinating! And goes along with the most resent mini-series I have been watching, Cranford.

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Food Safety

Who is responsible for food safety oversight in the United States?  There are many agencies involved, but the job is mostly split among three:  the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates meat products; the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees produce and seafood; and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) monitors and controls outbreaks of food-borne illnesses.

RISK AT HOME – Last year a study found that 83% of fresh, whole broiler chickens purchased throughout the U.S. were contaminated with Campylobacter or Salmonella.  This is up significantly from 49% in 2003.  It did not matter if the chickens were organic or not.

Despite numerous recent domestic-produce contamination “outbreaks,” the industry is still mostly unregulated.  In the wake of 14 outbreaks linked to lettuce and tomatoes in 2004, the FDA sent letters to firms that grow, pack or ship these implicated products and asked them to “review their current operations.”  However, the FDA lacks the authority to mandate changes.

MOST COMMONLY CONTAMINATED FOODS – During the study period from 1990 – 2004, the number of people infected by different foods are as follows:

Greens-based salad                 7,555
Turkey                                     5,832
Chicken                                    3,979
Ground beef                            3,425
Shellfish                                   3,399
Berries                                     3,330
Tomatoes                                2,852

HOW TO KEEP YOUR FOOD SAFE – Here are few ways to safeguard against food-borne contamination:
·        Check produce for bruises, as these can be a sign of a brewing infection.
·        Look for a “sell by date” for breads and baked goods, a “use by date” on packaged foods and an “expiration date” on yeast and baking powder.
·        Look for a “pack date” on canned goods.  Canned foods are good for a year after the pack date, whereas frozen foods are best used within a few months of the pack date.
·        Ensure packaged goods are not torn and cans are not cracked or bulging.
·        Keep fish and poultry apart from other foods by wrapping in plastic and placing in separate bags.
·        Make sure all perishable items are refrigerated within 2 hours of purchase.

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April Book List

A new series on Travelmoon has arrived: monthly book reviews.  This month my book tastes run from the Young Adult to the Best Seller List.

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later.  For anyone that devoured the Sweet Valley Books in their childhood, it is fun to spend a few more hours with everyone's favorite fictional twins: Jessica and Elizabeth.  If only for pure nostalgia.  Jessica and Elizabeth are now 28 and not on speaking terms due to of course Jessica's antics, her being the "bad" twin and all.  The book in general was lackluster.  The twin's lives in Sweet Valley were pretty fantastical and the escapism of this fictional town was often part of the enticement.  The majority of the book took place in New York City, which didn't translate, and I spent most of the time waiting for the twins inevitable reunion in Sweet Valley.  The book did manage to keep me up into the wee hours of the night to finish it all in one sitting.  Yet, it left me feeling unsettled and a little confused as to why I was drawn to the series in the first place. As you can see there are three young adult titles on this month's book list so it can't be that my tastes have evolved, I just have to conclude that the Sweet Valley books were just plain better.

Water for Elephants.  After one failed attempt to get into the book, I decided to give it another try upon seeing the movie trailer.  This Depression era fairy tale unwrapped slowly, focusing on the main character's life traveling with the circus as a veterinarian, interspersed with his current existence in an assisted living home, and the unrequited love he feels for the horse dancer in the circus.  I understood the hype and eventually become engrossed in the story, but ultimately, it came up short for me.  Nonetheless, I still saw the movie last weekend when it opened.

The Help.  I kept waiting for this book to come out in paperback, and now it's arrived.  I have been hearing rave reviews for quite some time and was intrigued.  I though the dialect would be distracting, but I was enraptured after the first few pages.  In fact, this is one of the best books I can remember reading in a long while.  If you read one book on this list: this is my most highly recommended.  I get engrossed in books but usually am not moved to tears, and this one had me wiping away a few.  The portrait it painted of Mississippi during the 1960's was eye opening and the characters were so well developed, I was sad to say good-bye to them at the book's close.

The Hunger Games.  I am a Twilight fan, so caveat emptor if a fantasy young Adult series is not your taste.  The first book in this trilogy was decidedly more realistic--no vampires to be found.  The main character, Katniss Everdeen takes the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, a fight until death reminiscent of Roman times where a gladiator and lion duked it out to the finish.  In this case, those fighting until death are children picked at random from districts of what was once the USA, and it's televised in a twisted reality TV show.  While it's fantasy, it is hard not to reflect on our voyeuristic culture, indoctrination and propaganda from regimes that led to killing of innocents, and think that this book is not at all farfetched.  Both haunting and riveting the other two books in the series are heading my way via Amazon as we speak.

The Carrie Diaries.  I have read all of Candace Bushnell's books, so I figured I would jump on the bandwagon and read her first foray into young adult writing.  This book introduces us to the character of Carrie from the beloved Sex and the City when she was in high school and becoming a famous author was only a far off dream.   It documents the travails of high school and her family life (which was markedly absent from the series) giving insight into her motivations and latent experiences that dictate the course of the rest of her life. The book ends with Carrie in New York City, setting the stage for when Carrie meets the other characters from the Sex and the City book (and TV series).  The second book: Summer in the City was just released on April 26.

Marriage Bureau For Rich People.  Written in simple prose and filled with descriptive imagery of modern day India in the southern coastal town of Vizag, Zama weaves a story about the intricacies of arranged marriage and the surrounding customs.  The first thing I did when I finished the book was look for images of the seaside town of Vizag and dream of booking a flight there.  Mr. Ali is bored in retirement so he decides to open up a business arranging marriages in their town.  The matches, the characters, and the relationships formed make this an enchanting read.  When one of the central characters finds a potential love match of her own against all odds, you will find yourself rooting for her happy ending.

Have you read any of these books?  Do you have any book recommendations?  I would love to hear your opinions...

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Great conductors of the 20TH century EMI VOL.28 - Kempe

CD1 (77.07)

Brahms: Tragic Overture
Berliner Philharmoniker; Grunewaldkirche, Berlin, January 1960

Bruckner: Symphony No.4 ‘Romantic’
Live studio recording; Münchner Philharmoniker; Herkulessaal, Munich, November 1972

CD2 (79.07)

Beethoven: Symphony No.3 ‘Eroica’
Live recording; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Smetana Hall, Prague, May 1974

Wolf: Italian Serenade
Live studio recording; Münchner Philharmoniker; Herkulessaal, Munich, June 1971

Ravel: ‘Daphnis et Chloé’ – Suite No.2
Live studio recording; Philharmonischer Chor & Münchner Philharmoniker;
Herkulessaal, Munich, December 1974

Johann Strauss II: Leichtes Blut – Polka
Wiener Philharmoniker; Musikvereinssaal, Wien, December 1960



THE BIOGRAPHY - Rudolf Kempe (1910-1976)
The German conductor Rudolf Kempe was born in 1910 at Niederpoyritz, near Dresden, where he studied (with Fritz Busch) at the city’s Musikhochschule. In 1928 he was appointed principal oboist with the Dortmund Opera orchestra and almost immediately to a similar position with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (1929-36). There he played under Furtwängler, Richard Strauss, Beecham, Walter, Klemperer and Erich Kleiber. He made his conducting debut in 1935 with the Leipzig Opera, where he was employed as répétiteur and assistant conductor (1936-42). After the war, he established his credentials as an opera conductor in Chemnitz (1945-48), Weimar (1948-49), Dresden, where he also conducted the Staatskapelle (1949-52), and Munich (1952-54). His international reputation was secured by guest appearances at the Vienna State Opera (1951), Covent Garden (1953), the Metropolitan Opera in New York (1954) and Bayreuth (1960). In 1961, he became chief conductor of the Royal Philharmonic at the invitation of Sir Thomas Beecham, becoming the Orchestra’s ‘principal conductor for life’ in 1970. He left the RPO in 1975 to become chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra but died one year later. He was also music director of the Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra (1965-72) and the Munich Philharmonic (1967-76). With his solid grounding in German opera houses it is not surprising that Kempe is remembered particularly as an outstanding interpreter of the works of Wagner and Richard Strauss.

THE RECORDINGS
With much of Kempe’s commercial discography currently available on CD, this compilation concentrates on the conductor’s live broadcasts. The 1972 studio performance of Bruckner’s ‘Romantic’ Symphony with the Munich Philharmonic appears on disc for the first time, as do the Munich performances of Wolf’s Italian Serenade (from 1971) and the Second Suite from Ravel’s ballet Daphnis et Chloé (from 1974). Elsewhere, Kempe’s associations with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras are recognised in recordings from 1960 of Brahms’s Tragic Overture and Strauss’s Polka Leichtes Blut. The live recording of Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ Symphony, from the 1974 Prague Festival, is also new to the catalogue and represents Kempe’s long and fruitful relationship with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It also complements the conductor’s earlier EMI studio recordings in Berlin (1959) and Munich (1972) by supplying the added excitement of a live occasion.



http://www.filesonic.com/file/853915584/Great Conductors of The 20th Century Vol 28- Rudolf Kempe.part1.rar
http://www.filesonic.com/file/853915664/Great Conductors of The 20th Century Vol 28- Rudolf Kempe.part2.rar
http://www.filesonic.com/file/853919424/Great Conductors of The 20th Century Vol 28- Rudolf Kempe.part3.rar
http://www.filesonic.com/file/853919464/Great Conductors of The 20th Century Vol 28- Rudolf Kempe.part4.rar
 

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http://www.fileserve.com/file/bwrNphY
http://www.fileserve.com/file/WPcvQar
 

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