Monthly Archives: March 2015

World Travel – Find Your Own Adventure

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Thisguest post written byHoliday Lettings, a Tripadvisor company. It was carefully selected by us at Straight On Detour because it is an unusual take on our coastlines and something we would never think about writing Blazing a Trail: Luminous Lighthouses Around the World Picturesque seaside towers bringing ships to shore with their guiding lights

I would consider Prue and I as budget travellers, but ones who like to have a clean private room, eat well and certainly leave no expense spared when it comes to experiences. Our website Straight On Detour has followed us on this recent epic adventure which has become an 11 month loop around the World.

All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination. Earl Nightingale This is a simple map of the places we have been over the past 10 years. In no way does it represent the connections we have to a place nor the journeys we

Whats your favourite part of Venice? It is a question I was asked several times while in the city and on many occasions since leaving. I am always stumped how to answer. I mean, for sure Saint Marcos Square and the lovers archway of Rialto Bridge are wondrous sights but somehow neither of

Hilarious Questions That Travellers Are Always Asking ThemselvesWhat Are Yours? What questions do you always find yourself asking while travelling? Wed love to hear them and publish them. Here are our favourites so far How many people can they fit on that? OK, who has taken my havaianas? Hmmm, did he lie about bedbugs?

Underwater Photography Portfolio for Straight On Detour

Guatemala, whether you like to admit it or not has a defined tourist route. You can start in the south from either El Salvador or Honduras or you have entered from Mexico or Belize in the north, whichever way you travel your itinerary will include Tikal, lago di Atitlan, Antigua and Semuc Champey. Semuc Champey

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World Travel - Find Your Own Adventure

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World Travel

The bubbly was flowing as Albury Mayor Kevin Mack officially declared Atura Albury open at a sparkling event attended by a whos who in the Australian travel industry and the Albury social scene last Friday night, 30th January.Proving design hotel experiences shouldnt solely be the domain of the luxury traveler, Atura Hotels innovative approach to mid-market travel fuses high-energy design,

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The San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade is the largest Chinese New Year celebration outside of Asia. It is one of San Franciscos top festivals and attracts a large number of visitors every year. In 2014 alone the San Francisco Chinese New Years Festival and Parade was attended by close to 1 million people. A San Francisco tradition since just after the Gold Rush, the parade

Beach Resorts

Fairmont Jakarta

Fairmont Jakarta, part of the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts collection, opened its doors on 21 January in the heart of Indonesias capital city.After many months of detailed preparation, we are pleased to open our doors to guests today, said Carlos Monterde, general manager, Fairmont Jakarta. The Fairmont Jakarta experience is unlike any other in the city thanks to our

FEBRUARY 1 Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon & 5K Golden Gate Park, 415-759-2690 http://www.rhodyco.com One of the most scenic half marathons ever features a course throughout Golden Gate Park and along the Pacific Ocean with both starts and finishes together in the park.

FEBRUARY 5-19 San Francisco Independent Film Festival (SF IndieFest) Roxie Theatre and various locations,

Nestled in the heart of the lush Royal Botanic Gardens, accompanied by spectacular harbour views, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Harbour Party is returning on Saturday 28th February 2015 with a high energy line-up, enhanced venue set up and a hot new ticket price!

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Stem-cell therapy for dogs draws support, detractors

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Deltona retiree Paul Jaynes was heartbroken when his 9-year-old Labrador, Cookie, suddenly stopped walking last year. The once-athletic dog struggled to stand and, if she moved at all, collapsed after a few steps.

He carried his 90-pound companion to his truck, drove her to the vet and braced himself for the bad news. Surely she couldn't live like this.

Instead, his veterinarian told him about a newly available procedure involving stem cells. In a single day, the vet said, they could remove the cells from Cookie's fatty tissues, process them and re-inject them into her joints. She could go home immediately.

"It was very dramatic," Jaynes says. "The day after surgery, she was standing. She was hesitant, but she was standing and walking a little. I thought: 'Are you kidding me?' Within a week, she was almost back to her old self."

That was last September, and six months later Cookie is still going strong, Jaynes says. While he has no doubts about the treatment, though, some veterinarians worry that marketing of stem-cell therapy for animals has gotten ahead of the scientific research needed to validate its use.

The results, while sometimes promising, are not universal.

"Most of what you hear is anecdotal 'Oh, I tried this, and it helped my dog,'" says Dr. Jeffrey Peck, a veterinary surgeon at Affiliated Veterinary Specialists, based in Maitland. "This has grown in its marketing exponentially greater than it has grown in evidence."

Much of his practice is in orthopedics typically, dogs with hip dysplasia or arthritis. He tried using stem-cell therapy with his patients in 2008 but dropped it after a dozen cases in which he saw no improvement.

"I don't refuse to do it if a client really wants to try, but I give them my disclaimer," he says. "I tell them: 'I don't think I'm going to hurt anything. But I doubt I'm going to help anything either.'"

At $1,400 to $3,000 for the procedure, most pet owners opt out, he says.

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Stem-cell therapy for dogs draws support, detractors

"The Stem Cell Show": Premiering on TalkRadio 790 KABC – Sundays @ 4pm, Hosted by Dr. Thomas A. Gionis, Surgeon-in …

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Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) March 28, 2015

Stem cells remain a fascination to the general public and to the medical profession as well.

While millions of dollars are being spent by most States each year on stem cell research, and while the National Institute of Health (NIH) spends $1 Billion dollars per year on stem cell research (Estimates of Funding for Various Research, Condition, and Disease Categories (RCDC); (2015, February 5); http://report.nih.gov/categorical_spending.aspx), both the lay public and medical professionals continue to wonder: Where are we? How much have we learned? Are we making progress introducing stem cell therapy to the public?

Dr. Gionis will explore the many facets, intrigue and complexities of stem cells and stem cell therapy.

Dr. Gionis will have a frank and open discussion on the type of progress being made in advancing stem cell biology and therapy from the bench to the bedside. He will explore the current law regarding stem cell practice; both state law and federal law. The doctor will also investigate how new therapies like stem cell therapies get approved and the role of the FDA, an IRB, and the role of the US Department of Health, Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) in the provision of such approval.

The doctor will explore the different types of stem cells with respect to their potential uses. And, he will look at new and emerging stem cell therapies which are being considered to address various medical infirmities such as Emphysema, COPD, Asthma, Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Parkinsons Disease, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Lou Gehrigs Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohns Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Inflammatory Myopathies, and degenerative orthopedic joint conditions (Knee, Shoulder, Hip, Spine).

The format of The Stem Cell Show will be Questions and Answers, as well as Interviews of key thought leaders and researchers currently engaged in stem cell therapy both nationally and internationally.

The spirit of The Stem Cell Show will be that of honest, open and vibrant discussion in an effort to advance the publics health, well-being, and the amelioration of devastating chronic disease. To get more information, visit TheStemCellShow.com or call 949-679-3889.

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"The Stem Cell Show": Premiering on TalkRadio 790 KABC - Sundays @ 4pm, Hosted by Dr. Thomas A. Gionis, Surgeon-in ...

God lives outside obvious circles – Sat, 28 Mar 2015 PST

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For some time, Ive participated in a Benedictine spirituality group in CoeurdAlene. Almost a year ago, I mentioned to the group a book project I was contemplating, based on all of the margin notes I seem to write in many of the books Iread.

My working title: Finding God in the Margins. The book may never be written, but my fascination with finding God on the margins of life is never-ending. Everywhere I look, including within my own spiritual journey, I see Gods presence in people and experiences outside religiouscircles.

Oh, I do find

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For some time, Ive participated in a Benedictine spirituality group in CoeurdAlene. Almost a year ago, I mentioned to the group a book project I was contemplating, based on all of the margin notes I seem to write in many of the books Iread.

My working title: Finding God in the Margins. The book may never be written, but my fascination with finding God on the margins of life is never-ending. Everywhere I look, including within my own spiritual journey, I see Gods presence in people and experiences outside religiouscircles.

Oh, I do find God inside those circles. But I also know how easy it is for people inside those circles to see God only there and miss the outrageous presence of God among non-believers. Ugh! I find that kind of language both an arrogant and very incomplete view ofGod.

Lets use a biblical image to illustrate the real temptation to miss God in the pursuit of controlling God: The ancient Temple of Jerusalem. It is a classic example of how theology can deeply impact religious architecture. This theology was based on worthiness, merit, a variety of puritycodes.

At the center of the Temple was the Holy of Holies, where only the high priest could enter, only one day a year, to meet God. (Where was God the rest of the year? I have my suspicions!) This space was surrounded by the court of the priests and the Levites, a place only they couldenter.

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God lives outside obvious circles - Sat, 28 Mar 2015 PST

Weekly Space Hangout – March 27, 2015: Dark Matter Galaxy X with Dr. Sukanya Chakrabarti – Video

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Weekly Space Hangout - March 27, 2015: Dark Matter Galaxy X with Dr. Sukanya Chakrabarti
Host: Fraser Cain (@fcain) Special Guest: Dr. Sukanya Chakrabarti, Lead Investigator for team that may have discovered Dark Matter Galaxy X. Guests: Morgan Rehnberg (cosmicchatter.org...

By: Fraser Cain

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Weekly Space Hangout - March 27, 2015: Dark Matter Galaxy X with Dr. Sukanya Chakrabarti - Video

Expedition 43 Docking their Soyuz TMA-16M | ISS (March 27, 2015) – Video

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Expedition 43 Docking their Soyuz TMA-16M | ISS (March 27, 2015)
Aboard their Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft, Scott Kelly, Mikhail Kornienko and Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka are scheduled to dock at 9:36 p.m. EDT/1:36 UTC to the International Space Station #39;s.

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Expedition 43 Docking their Soyuz TMA-16M | ISS (March 27, 2015) - Video

Astronauts Board Space Station for 1-Year Mission

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Two Russians and an American floated into the International Space Station on Saturday, beginning what is to be a year away from Earth for two of them.

Mikhail Kornienko and Scott Kelly are to spend 342 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, about twice as long as a standard mission on the station. Russia's Gennady Padalka is beginning a six-month stay.

The three astronauts entered the station about eight hours after launching from Russia's manned space facility in Kazakhstan. They were embraced by American Terry Virts and Russia's Anton Shkaplerov who along with Italian Samantha Cristoforetti have been aboard since late November.

Kirill Kudryavtsev/AP Photo

PHOTO: U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly, left, and Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka wave prior to the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, March 27, 2015.

The trip is NASA's first attempt at a one-year spaceflight; four Russians have spent a year or more in space, all on the Soviet-built Mir space station.

The stay is aimed at measuring the effects of a prolonged period of weightlessness on the human body, a step toward possible missions to Mars or beyond.

Kelly's identical twin Mark, a retired astronaut, agreed to take part in many of the same medical experiments as his orbiting sibling to help scientists see how a body in space compares with its genetic double on Earth. They are 51.

Kelly and Kornienko, 54, will remain on board until next March. During that time, they will undergo extensive medical experiments, and prepare the station for the anticipated 2017 arrival of new U.S. commercial crew capsules. That means a series of spacewalks for Kelly, which will be his first.

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Astronauts Board Space Station for 1-Year Mission

Astronaut Scott Kelly blasts off on yearlong space station mission – Astronaut twins make space history as NASA …

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U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly, crew member of the mission to the International Space Station (ISS), gestures before the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.(REUTERS/Dmitry Lovetsky/Pool)

Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft is seen at its launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome.(REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev)

Astronaut Scott Kelly has blasted off on his yearlong mission to the International Space Station.

The capsule carrying Kelly and two Russian cosmonauts was launched into space by a Soyuz-FG booster rocket, lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 3:42 p.m. ET.

The journey to the International Space Station is expected to take 6 hours.

Of the three-man team, American Scott Kelly and Russian Mikhail Kornienko are to stay at the International Space Station until March 2016. Their trip is NASA's first stab at a one-year spaceflight, anticipating Mars expeditions that would last two-to-three years.

This is an important step forward to start utilizing ISS more effectively in preparation for human missions to Mars, Chris Carberry, executive director ofExplore Mars, a non-profit organization which aims to advance the goal of sending humans to Mars, told FoxNews.com. We look forward to more ambitious missions at ISS and beyond that help achieve human landings on Mars in the 2030s.

During his year orbiting the earth Kelly will take part in a landmark NASA study into the effects of space on the human body, with scientists comparing his data to that of twin brother Mark, a former astronaut, back on earth. Mark Kellys blood samples, exercise, and overall health will be monitored by scientists from 12 universities to gain insight into the impact of the yearlong mission on his brother.

At the end of his mission to the International Space Station, Scott Kelly will become the first American to spend 12 consecutive months in space.

Kelly and his Russian counterpart Kornienko have each already logged about 180 days in space, according to Space.com. Kelly has made three previous missions to space and Kornienko spent 6 months aboard the International Space Station in 2010.

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Astronaut Scott Kelly blasts off on yearlong space station mission - Astronaut twins make space history as NASA ...

Astronauts begin one-year space station mission

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A workhorse Soyuz booster thundered to life and climbed into a dark Kazakh sky Friday, carrying NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko on a four-orbit voyage to the International Space Station to kick off a marathon 342-day mission, the longest flight ever attempted by an American.

With spacecraft commander Gennady Padalka strapped into the command module's center seat, flanked on the left by flight engineer Kornienko and on the right by Kelly, the Soyuz TMA-16M rocket's main engines ignited with a roar at 3:42:57 p.m. EDT (GMT-4; 1:43 a.m. Saturday local time), pushing the booster away from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

A Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft launches to the International Space Station with NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian Cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka on board Saturday, March 28, 2015, Kazakh time (March 27 Eastern time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Bill Ingalls/NASA, Getty Images

The International Space Station passed 260 miles above the launch site just a few moments earlier and after a smooth eight-minute 45-second climb to orbit, the Soyuz spacecraft was released from its upper stage booster, solar wings and navigation antennas deployed and the crew set off after its quarry.

"Good luck, Captain. Make sure to @Instagram it. We're proud of you," President Obama tweeted from his White House account. Added First Lady Michelle Obama: "We have liftoff! @StationCDRKelly just launched for the @Space_Station on his #YearInSpace. Good luck, Captain."

The autonomous rendezvous went smoothly and Padalka, one of Russia's most experienced cosmonauts, monitored a picture-perfect docking at the upper Poisk module at 9:33 p.m.

Two hours later, after extensive leak checks, hatches were opened and Expedition 43 commander Terry Virts, cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov and European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti welcomed their new crewmates aboard with hugs and handshakes.

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Astronauts begin one-year space station mission