Monthly Archives: June 2017

Ascension Island Flights Cancelled; Oceanwide Issues Cruise Updates – Travel Agent

Posted: June 15, 2017 at 7:33 am

The cancellation of all flights from Ascension Island has forced passengers to remain onboard Atlantic Odyssey voyages from Oceanwide Expeditions.

According to a letter provided to Travel Agent, Oceanwide Expeditions passengers booked on Atlantic Odyseey voyages PLA33-18 and PLA35-18 will have to remain onboard on voyage PLA36-18 from Ascension to Praia, Cape Verde, for six nights. From Praia passengers will be able to depart for their outbound flights.

Passengers already booked on the affected Atlantic Odyssey voyages will receive a 50 percent discount on the original cruise fare for the Ascension to Praia voyage. For new bookings, Oceanwide Expeditions will offer a 20 percent discount on the original cruise fare of the Ascension to Praia voyage.

Due to the flight cancellations, voyages PLA32-18 and PLA34-18 have been canceled.

All flights have been cancelled from the British-run Ascension Island until at least 2019 because of potholes on the islands only runway, The Guardian reports. Additionally, flights to the Falklands will have to be rerouted because the Airbus A330 Voyager that operates the route is too heavy for the damaged runway.

According to the official website of the islands government, the RMS St. Helena continues to provide the main access route to the destination by sea. The ship will continue its route from Cape Town, South Africa, to St. Helena and then Ascension Island. The service is currently scheduled until February 2018, or until the St. Helena air service is in place.

Ascension Island is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, just south of the equator and 700 miles northwest of St. Helena, the United Kingdom territory by which it is administered.

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Around Ascension for June 15, 2017 – The Advocate

Posted: at 7:33 am

Potter trivia

Harry Potter fans of all ages can test their knowledge of the series with Harry Potter Pub Trivia at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Gonzales Branch of Ascension Parish Library.

Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Slytherins will compete against one another to correctly answer the most trivia questions. Costumes are encouraged but not required.

Call (225) 647-3955 for details or to register.

Ascension Parish Library's summer reading program offers a variety of events for youths of all ages.

STARS AND STRIPES WREATH: Make a festive fabric wreath with Nan Riffe, The Bookmark Lady: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dutchtown. For all ages.

BROWN BEAR: Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Brown Bear, Brown Bear with fun and games: 6 p.m. Monday, Gonzales. For all ages.

OREGON TRAIL: Hunt for dinner, ford a river and experience pioneer life; costumes are welcome but not required: 2 p.m. Tuesday, Galvez and 6 p.m. June 22, Dutchtown. For all ages.

HARRY POTTER 20TH ANNIVERSARY: Get sorted into a house, attend classes and compete at Quidditch: 2 p.m. Tuesday, Galvez. For all ages.

CACTUS ROCK: Paint rocks to look like cactuses to create a mini desert: 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dutchtown. For children entering grades two through five.

3-D STRAW SCULPTURE ART: Create original artwork with neon straws and washi tape: 2 p.m. Monday, Galvez. For children entering grades two through five.

SALT DOUGH: Make salt dough from scratch: 6 p.m. June 22. For children entering grades two through five.

TISSUE-PAINTED CANVAS: Create a work of art using a canvas, tissue paper and water: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dutchtown and 10:30 a.m. June 23, Donaldsonville. For children entering grades two through five.

TWEEN SPA DAY: Make a cotton candy lip scrub and paint your nails: 2 p.m. Wednesday, Galvez. For children entering grades four through eight.

SEED BOMBS: Make seed bombs from dirt, clay and flower seeds: 2 p.m. Wednesday, Donaldsonville. For children entering grades four through eight.

EMOJI PILLOW: Design and create a no-sew emoji pillow with felt and fabric glue: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Gonzales. For teens entering grades six through 12.

TEEN SPA DAY: Learn easy, eco-friendly, chemical-free ways to look good and reduce stress: 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dutchtown. For teens entering grades six through 12.

Learn about risk factors for heart disease and changes to improve personal heart health with Charla Johnson, at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Donaldsonville Branch of Ascension Parish Library.

The free, hourlong seminar is sponsored by St. Elizabeth Hospital. Registration is preferred but not required; call (225) 621-2906.

Ascension Parish Librarys Donaldsonville Branch invites adults to an evening of coloring and coffee at 6:30 p.m. June 22. Supplies will be provided.

Registration is required; call (225) 473-8052.

A class for preteen boys and their parents about the physical and emotional changes that accompany puberty is slated for 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. June 24 in the Sister Vernola conference room of St. Elizabeth Hospital.

Cost is $15. Preregistration is required; call (225) 621-2906.

Contact Darlene Denstorff by phone, (225) 388-0215 or (225) 603-1996; or email, ascension@theadvocate.com or ddenstorff@theadvocate.com. Deadline: noon Monday.

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After lengthy delays for required sewer improvements, bids opened for La. 42 road construction in Ascension – The Advocate

Posted: at 7:33 am

Barber Brothers Contracting Co. is the apparent low bidder for widening nearly four miles of La. 42 in Ascension Parish, new bid results show.

The long-awaited $27.5 million road project through Prairieville is expected to take two-and-a-half years to complete.

The project will widen two-lane La. 42 to a four- and five-lane highway between Airline Highway and Woodhaven Drive, just east of La. 44.

The area along the stretch of highway is a growing suburb, and La. 42 is the major route through it. Sidewalks and bike lanes will also be built along the expanded highway.

The bid opening for the La. 42 project at the state Department of of Transportation and Development on Wednesday came just one day after the state announced James Construction Group won a $72 million design-build contract to widen I-10 from four to six lanes between Highland Road in Baton Rouge and La. 73 in Prairieville.

Brendan Rush, DOTD spokesman, said funding for the La. 42 project has been in line for several years and was not related to a gas tax increase that failed in the state Legislature this year.

He noted that the stretch of La. 42 slated for widening has already been cleared for sewer and utility improvement. The sewer work was required required under state health and environmental rules and led to delays in the road widening project.

Ascension Parish lacks a regional municipal sewer system, despite years of effort to create one. Open ditches often receive partially treated sewer effluent from homes and businesses along major roads in Ascension. The La. 42 widening will remove existing drainage ditches in favor of new underground pipelines, which, under health rules, can't accept the effluent that had gone into the open ditches.

Barber Brothers led four other companies for the La. 42 expansion with a total construction bid of nearly $27.5 million. Other bids ranged from nearly $30.6 million to $39 million, according to apparent bid results on DOTD's website. The state had estimated the cost at nearly $25.7 million.

As part of the bids, contractors had to give a time estimate for the length of the project. Barber Brothers says it expects the construction job to take 850 days, or about 2.3 years.

Barber Brothers was the firm that widened La. 73 in Ascension Parish a few years ago from two to three lanes, another project that ran into delays over similarly required sewer installations.

In response to those delays, DOTD broke up the La. 42 project, putting the sewer and other utility work first in one phase before the construction phase went to bid. Ascension Parish officials announced last month that the last parts of the sewer improvements along La. 42 had been finished.

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Genealogy gathering seeks Ascension Parish descendants of Georgetown 272 – The Advocate

Posted: at 7:33 am

A genealogy gathering from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 24 aims to bring together Ascension Parish descendants of Georgetowns 272 people sold to Louisiana. The gathering, sponsored by the GU272 Descendants Association and the River Road African American Museum, will be held at the Ascension Parish Courthouse, 300 Houmas St., Donaldsonville.

Lunch will be provided. Admission is free, but registration is required; visit http://bit.ly/APGathering.

Surnames associated with the 1838 sale in Ascension Parish include Adams, Armant, Baptiste, Brown, Campbell, Cremble, Cuckumber, Cutchmore, Dorsey, Fields, Ford, Green, Greenleaf, Harrison, Hawkins, Hill, Hubbard, Hudson, Johnson, Jones, Lee, McCall, Nolan, Pinkett, Plowden, Randolph, Ware, West and William.

The courthouse will be open June 23 for interested people to search marriage, property, mortgage and conveyances records related to genealogy research. The museum will be open to visitors all weekend; admission is $10.

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Students use smart technology for space exploration – Business Weekly

Posted: at 7:32 am

Smart technology deployed by Milton Keynes-based Open University is set to prove out of this world for STEM students.

The OU Faculty of STEM is introducing remotely-controlled robotic telescopes to bring astronomy and space science research capability from the cosmos direct into students homes wherever they are in the world.

The inauguration of remotely-controlled and professional robotic telescopes, COAST and PIRATE, can be operated from students laptops, PCs, and smartphones.

The telescopes, based at the Observatorio del Teide on the island of Tenerife, are part of a 5.4 million initiative to develop the OpenSTEM Labs. Fifty per cent funded by HEFCE, the OpenSTEM Labs offer an Internet of Laboratory Things, accessible to distance learning students 24/7.

For almost half a century, the OU has been developing the latest digital technology to enhance the learning experience of students.

Senior lecturer at the School of Physical Sciences, Dr Ulrich Kolb, said: The marvels of the Universe have always sparked imagination and our fascination with studying them has really pushed the boundaries of what we can achieve through technological innovation.

Why shouldnt students at the OU be able to experience the same capabilities and technologies from the comfort of their home as researchers do from their workplaces?

We are offering our students the opportunity to access these fantastic astronomical facilities at one of the best observing sites in the Northern Hemisphere.

Free tickets are available for the inauguration of the telescopes on Thursday July 6 at The Open University in Walton Hall, Milton Keynes via the OU Eventbrite webpage.

Picture credit: Elena Mora (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias)

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NASA Prepares for Future Space Exploration with International Undersea Crew – Space Daily

Posted: at 7:32 am

NASA will send an international crew to the floor of the Atlantic Ocean this summer to prepare for future deep space missions during the 10-day NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 22 expedition slated to begin June 18.

NEEMO 22 will focus on both exploration spacewalks and objectives related to the International Space Station and deep space missions. As an analogue for future planetary science concepts and strategies, marine science also will be performed under the guidance of Florida International University's marine science department.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren will command the NEEMO 22 mission aboard the Aquarius laboratory, 62 feet below the ocean surface near Key Largo Florida. Lindgren was part of space station Expeditions 44 and 45 in 2015, where he spent 141 days living and working in the extreme environment of space. He conducted two spacewalks on his first spaceflight.

Lindgren will be joined by ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Pedro Duque; Trevor Graff, a Jacobs Engineering employee working as a planetary scientist at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston; and research scientist Dom D'Agostino from the University of South Florida and the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.

"The close parallels of inner and outer space exploration will be clearly demonstrated during this undersea mission," NEEMO Project Lead Bill Todd said.

"The daily seafloor traverses, or extravehicular activities in space jargon, are jam packed with technology and operations concept testing, as well as complex marine science. In the interior of Aquarius, aquanauts and astronauts will tackle an array of experiments and human research related to long duration space travel."

Objectives for the crew include testing spaceflight countermeasure equipment, technology for precisely tracking equipment in a habitat and studies of body composition and sleep. The crew also will assess hardware sponsored by ESA that will help crew members evacuate someone who has been injured on a lunar spacewalk.

The NEEMO crew and two professional habitat technicians will live in Florida International University's Aquarius Reef Base undersea research habitat 6.2 miles (5.4 nautical miles) off the Florida coast.

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DefCon level REDUCED to SAFEST rank despite North Korea WW3 threat – Express.co.uk

Posted: at 7:31 am

GETTY

The lowered threat level comes despite continued tensions in the Korean peninsula between the hermit state of the North and the United States and South Korea.

The DefCon Warning System is a private intelligence organisation which has monitored and assessed nuclear threats against the US by national entities for more than 33 years.

According to reports on the site, South Korea has not expressed any desire for war with its neighbouring country, causing the United States to re-evaluate its plans for the region.

The statement added the public should make their own evaluations and not rely on the DefCon Warning System for strategic planning, adding all citizens should learn what steps to take in the effect of a nuclear attack.

North Korea has repeatedly flouted United Nations and international sanctions to test a range of long-range ballistic missiles - with experts claiming the despot nation could potentially launch a missile test every two weeks for the rest of the year.

Last months launch of the Hwasong-12 rocket is believed to have had the capability of reaching the US mainland.

AFP/Getty Images

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The ground-to-ground medium-to-long range ballistic missile

Only last week, the reclusive state fired what appeared to be several land-to-ship missiles off its east coast, just one day after the South Korean military postponed full deployment of a controversial US anti-missile system designed - THAAD - to deter a North Korean attack.

Compared to the different types of ballistic missiles Pyongyang has tested in recent months, the missiles launched last week are considered to be more defensive in nature, designed to defend against threats such as enemy warships.

In recent weeks, a US expert claimed that Kim Jong-un is only one step away from developing a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), to which the Trump administrations head of missile defence expressed great concern.

North Korea has stated that it has accomplished high precision in newest missile test, which if true, would mark significant progress in the countrys ballistic programme.

Tensions in the Korean peninsula have been running high for weeks, with Washington refusing to rule out a military strike against the dictatorship in response to any attacks.

North Korea has carried out five nuclear tests in the last 11 years and is widely believed to be making progress towards its dream of building a missile capable of delivering a warhead to the continental US.

GETTY

Since assuming office, Kim Jong-un greatly increased the number of tests he authorised from eight in 2012, to an averaged total of 15.3 tests per year up to 2016.

Each Spring, the regime raises the tone of its warnings in response to joint exercises carried out by Washington and Seoul.

The regime has condemned these military exercises, accusing them of being rehearsals for an invasion.

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World War 3: Putin deploys ‘kill all’ missile system and points it at North Korea – Daily Star

Posted: at 7:31 am

VLADIMIR PUTIN has deployed his "matchless" missile system to Kim Jong-un's border defend against attacks as World War 3 looks imminent.

The Buk-M3 is the most advanced anti-missile system in the world, according to Moscow.

The move is seen as a deliberate effort to stem the tide of North Korean aggression which resulted in a number of successful nuke tests over the last few weeks.

Putin has previously expressed "profound concern" over Kim's recent missile launches.

Reports said the deployment was "a precaution due to the situation in the Korean peninsula escalates".

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Since 2008, photographer Eric Lafforgue ventured to North Korea six times. Thanks to digital memory cards, he was able to save photos that was forbidden to take inside the segregated state

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Taking pictures in the DMZ is easy, but if you come too close to the soldiers, they stop you

Expert Vasily Kashin, from the Institute of the Far East, said: "Re-arming the air missile defence brigade in Ulan-Ude will become another guarantee in case of escalation in the Korean peninsula.

"The brigade can be relocated further east and used to cover administrative and industrial centres from possible missile or aviation attack."

The Buk-M3 is seen as countering cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, aircrafts and helicopters, and this is its first deployment in the east of the country.

GETTY

Training will go on for two months after which the Buk-M3 "will be fully prepared for combat missions".

Kim has previously promised "weekly" missile tests in the face of US aggression in the peninsula.

And the tubby tyrants persistence with the North Korean nuclear programme has led to international condemnation from world leaders, including Putin.

Kremlin newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta said: "The Buk-M3 can fire 20 seconds after stopping. In fact, it almost fires on the move.

Putin has an arsenal of state-of-the-art weaponry at his fingertips. Could this be the hardware that wages WW3?

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The T-90 tank: equipped with a 125mm smoothbore cannon and remote controlled anti-aircraft gun

"A transporter-loader vehicle from which it can also be fired, simultaneously carries 12 launch containers with missiles.

"The Buk-M3 is able to destroy strategic and tactical aviation aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, guided aircraft bombs, and other flying objects.

"It can fire at surface and ground radio-contrast targets, that is, to be used as a tactical guided missile."

While Ulan-Ude is some 2,130 miles west from the Russian border with North Korea, experts say the Buk-M3 can be swiftly relocated in the even of rising tensions.

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What it’s like to take psychedelics in small doses at breakfast | New … – New Scientist

Posted: at 7:30 am

By Sam Wong

Microdosing, the practice of regularly taking small amounts of psychedelic drugs to improve mood and performance, has been taking off over the past few years. But the fact that these drugs are illegal makes it difficult to research their effects and possible health consequences. There are no rigorous clinical trials to see whether microdosing works (see Microdosers say tiny hits of LSD make your work and life better).

Instead, all we have are anecdotes from people like Janet Lai Chang, a digital marketer based in San Francisco. She will present her experience of microdosing at the Quantified Self conference in Amsterdam from 17to 18 June.

I started in February 2016. I wanted to understand how my brain works and how it might work differently with the influence of psilocybin [the active ingredient in magic mushrooms].

I had been struggling with a lot of social anxiety. It was really preventing me from advancing professionally. I was invited to give a talk at Harvard University and a TedX talk in California. I didnt feel ready. I felt all this anxiety. I procrastinated until the last minute and then didnt do it. It was one of my biggest regrets.

At first I was taking 0.2 grams of mushrooms every day, with a day or two off at the weekend. In August, Ihad a month off. From October to April, it was a few times a week.

I was less anxious, less depressed, more open, more extroverted. I was more present in the moment. Its harder to get into the flow of the focused solo work that Im normally really good at. But its good for the social aspect.

I have some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder left over from childhood abuse. Pretty much the only other negative thing was being more aware of negative emotions I had. I have a repressed anger response, according to my therapist. When I was microdosing I felt like I could really feel it; I felt the anger.

Occasionally, but Ive stopped the experiment. I dont want to be dependent on a substance to enable me to achieve certain desirable states of productivity.

I think everyone would benefit fromhaving at least one kind of experience with psychedelics. Thedosage really depends on the individual and what theyre looking toget out of it.

This article appeared in print under the headline Leading the high life

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Entheogen

Posted: at 7:30 am

This is Entheogen. Elevate the Conversation.

Its March 12, 2017, and we are discussing psychedelic healing with Dr. Neal Goldsmith.

Neals book Psychedelic Healing: The Promise of Entheogens for Psychotherapy and Spiritual Development provides copious discussion points for our conversation today.

Neal's therapy practice, and how his use of psychedelics has informed his practice of psychotherapy

Imago therapy

LSD is a tool: Charles Manson becomes more Charles Manson; Richard Alpert becomes Ram Dass.

The substitution of the eucharist as a proxy for the original psychoactive sacrament. Can we please go back to the active version? What are the consequences of inactive substitutes in religious ceremonies? How have alternative spiritual practices sprung up in the absence of sanctioned Entheogenic rituals?

George Carlins Modern Man.

Are we in the midst of McKennas Archaic Revival? Is this another way to internalize the unfolding ecological apocalypse?

If were going to be post-post-modern, if were going to be integral, we cant have a fight between tribalism and modernity. We cant have a fight between spirituality and the material world.

Meditation, mindfulness, yoga, breathing

Deep breathing to expel carbon dioxide in addition to inhaling oxygen.

McKennas conjecture that its possible to get to the same state of consciousness that psychedelics provide access to, using meditation or chanting or drumming, but who has time for that?

What do you recommend to listeners who might be interested in some form of psychedelic therapy, present company included?

The dichotomy of tribalism vs. modernism: our human ancestors living naturally but for shorter time, vs. modern humans living longer but disconnected from nature. Spiraling up vs. retreating to tribalism.

Spirituality vs. science. The concept of rational mysticism. Einstein quote via Rick Doblin: There's no real conflict between science & religion; there's a conflict between bad science & bad religion.

Please support Entheogen by making a donation on Patreon. Become a Patron for as little as $1. Pledge just $3 or more, and get early access to new episodes, plus exclusive Patron-only features. Head over to EntheogenShow.com and click on Support.

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Entheogen

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