Recycling Centers Have Real Electronic Specialists

Every year, a considerable amount of electrical devices are brought back to the recycling centers. More specifically it is many tons of amplifiers, dryers, toasters, televisions, etc. And it is a good thing that people over the world get more and more involved with recycling.

All of these devices are first subjected to careful visual inspection. Does the sandwich maker still have its non-stick coating? Are all the parts of the mixer still present? After this first check, the devices are then tested. Washing machines, dryers, radios and light fittings are carefully checked. In case of failure of small spare parts, these are replaced. But if the device stops working, it is sent to the recycling process for its parts. Finally around 33% of the devices are found on the shelves of some reuse center.

Reuse centers are more than just a workplace. Reuse centers offer jobs to those who are not always lucky in the traditional job market. It offers them a tailor-made job, but also the opportunity to gain professional experience. Income, social contacts, talent development and learning technical, social and linguistic skills are all elements that help employees reintegrate the job market.

Electrical appliance tester

In the electronic department, diversity is an asset, both in terms of the work carried out and among the employees. Controlling computers, fridges or light fittings requires technical knowledge. Employees generally specialize in a type of device that is familiar to them or for which they have solid knowledge. Thanks to quality monitoring and supervision, they evolve in an environment that gives pride of place to developments, which allows them to continue to train.

The majority of employees have electromechanical knowledge. Take the example of Johnny. Originally from Albania, he holds a degree in electromechanics. Often, the diplomas awarded abroad have no equivalent in our country. In addition to the language barrier, this can make it more difficult to find a job. Here, Johnny can use his skills by testing the fittings, for example.

Second hand electronics

All devices are welcome at recycling centers, even those that no longer work. Some come in bulk like the ones brought via Cincinnati dumpsters. The reuse centers are an official collection of partners. Do not hesitate to drop off your small and large household appliances, media devices and other light fittings in the store nearest to you. If a cable is connected to it or a battery is still present, you can bring it back.

A new television?

By the way, did you know that the sale of new televisions increased considerably during the World Cup? In many salons, the new television often gives way to a newer and more efficient replacement which allows you to make the most of the competition.

During the World Cup, you too can score points! Take your old electronic device to a recycling park or to a reuse center near you. The latter will certainly make someone happy again. And if your old device is broken, we take care of giving it a second life.

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Should you invest in the real estate market

Chicago mansionBuying real estate can be much more than just finding a place to reside in. For some people it is even a hobby, such as flipping houses.

Most people have to do a real estate transaction at some point in their lives, and some find it a fascinating chance of catching and creating value. Real estate has become a common investment vehicle, and it continues to be popular despite a very bumpy industry.

Plan your investment in real estate

Before we dive into the various kinds of real estate investments available nowadays, it is worth looking at one of the main attractions it can provide traders and investors. Investing in real estate gives you one tool that is not as commonly available to stock market investors: leverage.

If you want to buy shares or bonds, then you have to pay the full value when you place your buy order, unless you have some type of financing in place. But even if you are an sophisticated investor buying on margin, the amount of capital you can borrow will usually be less than what you can easily access for a real estate purchase in the USA.

A traditional house loan generally requires a 20% to 25% down payment only. However depending on where you live, there exist various kinds of mortgages that could require as little as 5% down when you get the keys to your newly acquired property. This means that you can control a much larger real estate protfolio then your initial capital, by only paying a fraction of the overall value up front. Of course, your house loan will eventually pay the overall value of the house when you purchased it (plus a not unimportant quantity of interest), but you control the whole resource the minute the documents are signed.

Real estate provides better profits than trading stocks without as much volatility

Historically in real estate, your risk of loss will be reduced by the length of time you hold on to your house. When the industry improves, so does the value of your house, and as a result you will progessively develop more equity. On the other hand the risk is much greater in trading stocks and there are extensive factors beyond your control that could adversely impact your investment at any time.

Real estate gives you additional management of your investment because your property is a tangible resource that you can leverage to take advantage of several revenue sources while enjoying capital appreciation.

Real estate has a high tangible asset value

Real estate is a smart investment for many reasons. You can enjoy an excellent rate of return, amazing tax advantages and leverage your real estate portfolio to develop your wealth. Real estate will always serve as a secure tangible asset to minimize the risk in your investment portfolio.

A good investment in real estate is not only a secure financial investment; it is also an investment that can provide years of fun, pleasure and precious remembrances that will last a lifetime.

This is what emboldens both real estate flippers and property owners. They can take out a second house loan on their homes and put down payments on two or three other properties. Whether they rent these out so that income from renters pays the house loan or wait for a probability to sell for a good profit, they control these resources, despite having only paid a small part of the overall value.

Where to invest

It is never too late to invest in real estate, but where to invest?

Prices vary dramatically from one region to the next, from city to city and depending on the neighborhood. If you have the flexibility to choose your location in the United States, look no further than Chicago as prices are still depressed compared to the national average.

Kale Realty brokers will be able to point you in the right direction depending on your budget. They are part of a residential real estate company that covers the entire Chicago area including its suburbs. Investing in real estate requires that you do your homewoek as not all properties are made equal, and you can trust these folks to do the groundwork for you.

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Storage Issues During A Home Extension

home renovationHow many of you looking for some home improvement in your flat or house?

You might have been searching the internet for the latest trends that can spruce up your place. What will be your first preference? The first approach is to acquire all the desired contemporary interiors which will be blowing everyone’s mind.

But thrusting everything to your home is not a solution, and such things can’t give your place the desired look.

Numerous people are planning extensions to sort out the space issues. Obviously, you won’t like to make your home cluttered, but it’s awkward if you keep on doing such things repeatedly.

If you don’t want to make your place messy or unorganized then what else can take you out of such situation. These days’ self-storage units are in trend, and people are utilizing this for various purposes. Here we are going to let you know how storage units can resolve space issues.

Minimize Disruption

Pushing everything on the sides can’t give us the desired level of renovation. We always want to have minimal disruption and for this extension, it is an optimal solution to minimize the space issue of our growing family needs. To remove unusual cluttering issues getting some storage space is the plan.

If you have recently done a home extension or any other type of renovation, then these large cases can be installed anywhere you want. It can store unnecessary things that are no longer in use or seasonal stuff which use to be taken out only when the season is around the corner.

This is a also a good opportunity to get rid of all your unwanted items. Rent a dumpster if needed, so that you can progressively fill it with all the debris from the construction plus all the junk you no longer want around you.

Dividable in different units

Well, these cases have made life convenient for large families. Mostly we go for an extension when we are unable to solve the family needs, and such additions not only sort out the issue but make the place more manageable. Its bit easier for families to divide storage areas into multiple options like kitchen units or kids unit.

You can keep whole kitchen stuff including grill pans especially for barbeque parties or other crockery items that are not in use. If you people are hiring space especially because of minimum space in your home, then it will be easier to keep an eye on every item for further use in future.

Similarly, kids units will have the toys, books, seasonal clothes and kids’ paintings that they made on mother day and some other things which are emotionally attached to you. So these components are the perfect place that can have all the sentiments with great care.

Time-Saving option

How many of you are exhausted from the frantic routine? You must be searching such ways that can save your valuable time in most of the things. Storage cases are saving precious time when you people have to find out anything in stuff.

Easy to search when every storage case is divided explicitly into different sections according to people need. Finding things from organized units is easy. We don’t need to be worried about the wasted time that we use to spend on finding out things such units have made search convenient.

Easy to maintained

The majority don’t go for such self-storage units options because we always wonder if our stuff will be safe or not. If a specific stored space is rented for keeping the essentials, then make sure the company who is offering these services should pay attention to its maintenance.

If storage units are taken home then let me tell you all, these are the best way to store the things. Don’t forget to follow the instructions that are especially given by the company. I came across various space that is durable and easy to maintain even in different weather conditions that we will discuss later in this blog.

Affordable option

Who else will ever prefer to ruin their household items? Apparently, no one wants that, and for keeping things to secure place, they either take the assistance of self-storage units in their home or purchase high-quality material cases. Although this is one of the convenient options, we always look for such affordable options that will not be overburden for our pocket.

Numerous companies are offering reasonable storage options with the assurance of security that will give great peace of mind to everyone. You might have no idea but one more thing which is necessary to add here that extra security measurements are also taken by the different company to ensure the protection of your assets.

Effective for climate changes

No one is sure about weather conditions and the home extension plan could get delayed for some days because of heavy rainfalls. Companies always focus on high-quality units that remain in good condition despite all severe weather conditions. No matter you have placed these cases in the backyard or somewhere else your belongings will be protected. What else can you find better than these units?

They are constructed by considering weather conditions. The best quality material is used for storage components. If you haven’t given thought yet, then these are effective options to save your household stuff from sudden weather changes.

Easy to carry

During construction when our residential place becomes messier and untidy you might keep on searching for options that can accommodate your entire household stuff with great care. We all know this would be convenient and would make everything accessible, but do you know these are easy to find?

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How To Get More Likes In Instagram

Instagram is a great way to share favorite moments with your friends and family.

Because there are millions of active users on this social media site, it is a brilliant platform for businesses to use for advertising their products and services as well.

But as a business owner, how do you ensure that you maximize your Instagram posts to get more visibility and followers on the internet?

Below are some tips and tricks to help boost your Instagram game.

Use High-Quality Photos

The most cardinal rule on Instagram is to post high-quality photos. You do not necessarily need a professional camera for this. All you need is to focus the image and ensure that the photo you want to snap is under a really good lighting.

If you are serious about capturing great-looking shots, it is a good idea to use a modern smartphone with a high-end camera as this will get the job done.

Schedule Your Posts

If you want people to notice your photos, schedule a time when your followers are most active. For example, teens engage in Instagram more on their lunch breaks and after-school hours. If you are targeting working individuals, then it would be best to post from 8 PM to 3 AM as this is the time frame when busy adults get to use their smartphones freely.

If you have an extra budget and would like to seriously market your business, you can use automation apps for your Instagram posts.

Utilize Hashtags

Categorizing in Instagram is essential, and this is where hashtags become useful as they help your posts get discovered by other users. Furthermore, there are greater chances for the photos to get liked as they are easily visible to anybody who uses the hashtag search.

Try using local and popular hashtags to increases the likelihood of gaining more followers, likes, and shares. In fact, you can use any tag as long as it is appropriate to your photo. One tip is to go to a popular feed in your niche and copy the hashtags they use.

Have A Consistent Scheme

One of the most effective ways to develop your brand on Instagram is by being consistent with your profile scheme. This means you have to edit your photos and use a similar filter all the time to set a visual identity.

For example, if you are selling winter coats, then it might be a good idea to use a bluish hue to achieve a winter vibe. Once your photos become recognizable, you will consistently get more likes.

Follow People and Like Other Posts

In Instagram, there is this unspoken rule that when somebody follows you, you should follow them back. Though it may not be true to everybody, some people who are still trying to build their number of following definitely live by this rule.

Once you start liking their photos, there is a clear-cut chance that they will also check your account to see what you have. If they like it, they will naturally double tap your photo. So make it a habit to go through popular IG feeds and like their posts.

Run Giveaways

Businesses use “tag-to-enter” or “like-to-enter” giveaways. These two are techniques in gaining more likes and followers on their account by giving away prizes, tickets, goodies or even coupons.

Post an attractive and engaging photo of your giveaway and put a simple call-to-action caption such as “Double tap to get the chance to win…” or “Tag 5 people to get the chance to win…”.

Run Instagram Ads

You can promote your posts by taking advantage of the Instagram Ads platform. It allows you to reach people that do not follow your feed. It works similarly to Facebook Ads but is not nearly as strict. You can select the people who will see your ads with pinpoint precision, but of course, this is a paid service.

Be an Active Member of the Community

Getting acknowledged can actually help you gain more followers and likes. One way to accomplish this is by becoming an active user in your community. You need to take some time to reply to the comments on your post.

You can also like and leave comments on the photos of the people you want to attract. If you continue to implement this, people will appreciate you and will eventually reciprocate.

After deciding on your strategies, make sure that you link your Instagram to your Facebook and other social media accounts. You can also sync your photos and showcase them on your website. This is another way of enticing more people to check your Instagram feed.

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The Basic Procedure And Uses Of Dental Implants

nice smileDespite all the dental care improvements as of today, there are still millions of Americans who suffer a loss of teeth brought by injuries, periodontal diseases and tooth decay. For many years, patients resolved their missing tooth problems with dentures and bridges. But nowadays most dentist recommend dental implants.

What exactly happens in a basic tooth implant procedure?

Assuming that you only have one missing tooth and you are exceptionally healthy, the dental implant procedure will most likely happen this way.

Implant site preparation – The dentist opens the gum tissue to expose the bone area where he or she will be placing the implant. If there is enough bone structure to locate the implant, then bone grafting is not needed.

When the site of the healthy bone is established, the dentist will use a special drill to set the hole where the implant will be received. After the implant has been placed, the tissue covering the bone will be closed and sutured. The stitches from the suture will be removed one to two weeks after the procedure.

Healing process – You have to wait for at least three months to consider the site of the implant to have healed. Some patients take more time and wait up to six months. This time frame allows the implant to stay secure and fuse to become a part of your lower or upper jaw.

Attaching the implant post – When the implant is secured and steady, and the gum tissues are healed, a special post is attached to the implant. It will serve as the support of the porcelain crown that will be attached in the site area.

Placing the crown – After your dentist takes your impressions and create a porcelain replica, the porcelain crown is then slipped over the post and cemented. After this procedure, the final crown will perfectly blend in with your other surrounding teeth.

After the procedure is finished and the stitches are fully healed, a dental implant will look exactly like your natural teeth.

There are a multitude of benefits for acquiring replacement tooth roots. Apart from giving you back your full set of teeth, here are the other reasons why this procedure is recommended by dental practitioners.

Cost effective solution – Traditional dental bridges are expected to last for only five to seven years (ten years with proper care). But at some point, they need replacing. Over time, the cost of these replacements can add up. Dental implants on the other hand only need periodic adjustments and they can last a lifetime.

Address speech problems – Teeth dentures can slip within the mouth and cause you to slur or mumble your words. If your problem has been poorly-fitted dentures, dental implants will solve your speech problem and eliminate the embarrassment of slipping teeth.

Removes the inconvenience of dentures – Because you need to remove your dentures every night and clean them separately, it takes more of your time to maintain your oral hygiene. Dentures are always at risk of slipping or falling out. If you are a low-maintenance type of person, it is best to consider dental implants.

As implants are like your natural teeth, you can simply stick to your old routine of regularly brushing and flossing your teeth. It takes less time and less hassle.

Eases chewing problems – Even if your dentures are well-fitted, they still cause eating discomfort. The best advantage about getting dental implants is that they function completely like your own teeth. They allow you to eat your food with confidence and eliminate the worry of slipping dentures.

Retain your natural face shape – For older adults, their main concern about getting dental implants is to retain their natural face shape and smile. Missing teeth can sag your face and make it appear sad and sunken. Dental implants allow you to maintain your natural smile and facial shape, making you look more youthful.

As local anesthesia is used for this, you will not feel any pain. But if you are wondering what the procedure will feel like, most patients report that they only received mild discomfort. Some clients also say that they experienced more discomfort from a tooth extraction rather than from a dental implant.

After getting a dental implant procedure and the anesthesia wears off, it is expected that you will experience pain and soreness. But the aftermath of the procedure is nothing to be worried about as they are easily remedied by over-the-counter pain relievers.

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Top Fitness Benefits Of Yoga


Yoga is considered one of the healthiest training philosophies available to fitness fans.

Developed in India thousands of years ago, and perfected up to this day, it has been used by practitioners to develop and reach their full physical, mental and spiritual potential.

There are many different yoga teachings, and they differentiate depending on the tradition and the teacher who shares the knowledge. But most of the yoga classes and exercise routines you can easily find online are focused on fitness and health improvement.

There is a multitude of benefits that come from practicing yoga on a regular basis. In this article we’ll examine the most important ones that can be achieved even by beginner practitioners.

1. Flexibility

The most obvious benefit of yoga is improved flexibility. Yoga is to put it simply, a combination of stretches that improve blood flow, and lengthen muscular tissue. Doing yoga for the first time often seems like an exercise in futility, with most students not being able to even touch their toes. But after a few weeks of practice, harder static positions like backends can often be performed with decent form.

2. Postural Improvement

Yoga workouts are a great way to improve posture as well. Bad posture is often caused by tight hamstrings and hip flexors. These muscles are tight and tense mostly because of too much sitting. If you sit in a weird position with your legs twisted to one side, you could easily be suffering from muscular imbalances as well.

Yoga can bring your posture back to normal, by releasing and lengthening the hip flexors and hamstrings. It also strengthens the lower back, providing you with more strength to the muscles that keep your belly from protruding forward. These improvements also get rid of a forward neck posture that causes migraines and put’s further stress on the lumbar spine.

If you have postural problems though, make sure to mention them to your yoga teacher and ask for specific exercises that will improve them faster.

3. Increased Blood Flow

If you’ve wondered why supplements like Nitric Oxide and Creatine are helpful in building muscle mass, a large part of the answer is – increased blood flow. With increased blood flow the muscles get more nutrients and oxygen, which means that they get more protein and are able to recover faster from workouts.

This is the same effect that you can get from doing yoga, especially twisting movements. Twisting movements draw oxygenated blood from the rest of the body into the muscle once the twist is released. It also thins the blood through the process, decreasing the chances of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases.

4. Reduces Cortisol

Yoga has a soothing effect for our whole system. The relaxation and mental benefits are often mentioned as being especially powerful, which is why yoga becomes such an addictive habit for many who try it. The reason why yoga relaxes the body and improves mental functioning is due to reduced cortisol levels.

Cortisol is secreted by adrenal glands in response to stress. It is often called a stress hormone. However, it should only be secreted during highly stressful situations. In our busy world, this mechanism often malfunctions, and we get attacked by constant cortisol highs which cause anxiety, stress, low energy levels and decrease our general feeling of well being.

Through the focused, relaxed breathing that occurs while doing yoga, cortisol levels return back to normal, and usually stay that way for the rest of the day.

If you’re looking for a training approach that can be used in conjunction with lifting weights, you’ve found it.

Yoga can be used both as a supplementary training activity and as a stand-alone. It definitely won’t turn you into a huge bodybuilder, but it can make you feel good, look good, and take your flexibility levels to heights you never thought were possible.

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Why Visiting Cambodia Now

buddhist-monks-angkor-watSoutheast Asia is one of the most tourist-packed destinations, and among those southeast Asian countries, Cambodia is sadly the most neglected of all despite many attractions.

Cambodia is known for its magnificent Angkor Wat and the legacies of the Khmer Rouge Empire, but it is also known for its security issues and land mines. Both of these facets play the biggest role on the repelling and attracting of tourists and historians which resulted to a wonderfully developed tourist infrastructure. For so many years, tourists are more attracted to Cambodia’s famous Angkor Wat. Because of these, many foreign tourists miss out on many opportunities in seeing more of Cambodia.

Phnom Penh is the capital of this mystical country. It is located in between the Vietnamese border and Angkor Wat and over the years, the capital of this beautiful country has transformed into a cosmopolitan city. Because of this, Phnom Penh did not just evolve into a typical cosmopolitan city. It transformed into a busy city infused with Cambodia’s deep culture.

Their street food is also one of the best treats you can find in this country! At the crossroad of China, Thailand and India, Cambogia has a mix of the best South-East Asian food you will ever taste. As they have plenty of exotic spices from their tropical climate, you will not be disappointed but the multitude of aromas and fragrance that will hit your senses.

asian-spices

Historically, Cambodia is known for its killing fields. Today, there are so many more activities and destinations you can add up to your itinerary. You can avail for tours, boat cruises, cooking schools, wet markets, night markets, animal refuge facilities, beautiful and scenic boardwalk and many more. Another tourist attraction is Battambag.

Battambag is located in the western side of the country and its known for its beautiful riverside city. There are also convenient hubs for you to explore the hinterlands with its temples. To get there, you can ride a boat from Siem Reap which will be a scenic boat ride crossing the Tonle Sap. You can also reach there by riding a bus. You can even share taxi with other tourists.

Other destinations you can go to is located in the further east. Considered as Cambodia’s “Wild East”, Mondulkiri and Rattanakiri provinces will be a good fit if you are travelling with your significant other. The scenery is truly breathtaking – it will make you fall in love once more.

If you are more of a camping or a trekking kind of tourist, going to the north will be the best fit. You can go trekking in Virachey National Park. You can visit local towns and visit nearby waterfalls. Just like Chipat, Sen Monorom is also a developing tourist attraction.

Of course, no one should miss out on Angkor Wat. It is the biggest temple complex. In fact, it is known as the largest religious monument in the world. Originally started as a Hindu temple, it gradually became into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. It is also the most preserved temple in the entire world. Historians say that Angkor Wat is mimicked to the home of devas in Hindu Mythology.

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Russian Dolls

beautiful Russian dolsRussian Dolls, also known as Matryoshka doll or Russian nesting dolls are a significant part of the Russian culture.

Crafted from wood and adorned with attractive paints they are placed one after the other in decreasing size.

These dolls are tantamount of Russian handicrafts. Due to their uniqueness and attractiveness they are highly admired by people across the world.

Magnificent work of arts they can brighten up at any place of your home and is also a superb gift for any occasion.

History of Russian Nesting Dolls

Vasily Zvyozdochkin, a craftsman and a doll maker introduced these handmade Matryoshka dolls in 1890 which were painted by a folk craft painter, Sergey Malyutin. The basic theory of these dolls is to rest a smaller doll inside the biggest doll in a nested manner until the space is packed with the smallest little doll inside.

The number of dolls placed inside may vary depending upon the artist. Vasily creation’s was composed of eight dolls altogether. In his creation, the outmost stature was a girl adorning a traditional costume and holding a rooster while the smaller figures were some girls and a boy and the last and final stature was of an infant.

The inspiration behind Vasily Zvyozdochkin and Sergey Malyutin’s creation was a Japanese doll, which was either a hollow, rounded daruma doll or fukuruma nesting doll.

In 1900, the wife of Savva Mamontov, a Russian industrialist and patron of the arts presented these mesmerizing dolls in Paris at an international exhibition and they were not only internationally recognized but also awarded with a bronze medal. These acknowledgements inspired Russians and soon many craftsmen started creating beautiful nesting dolls.

Themes

Generally, a nesting set comprises of dolls with the same theme, that could be anything from “farm” “festivals” to “politicians”. When the outermost doll is taken off by separating the top and base, it exposes a doll underneath that is faintly smaller to it. This doll too will have a smaller doll inside which again will reveal the next smaller doll.

After opening dolls one after the other, the tiniest doll will emerge and this doll is not void and cannot be taken off or unscrewed. Conventionally, the quantity of dolls in a nesting set is anything from five to nine, however now, there are several sets that are even up to a dozen.

The initial Russian dolls were typically illustration of female peasants in Russia but today there are numerous diverse themes for you to select. Few of the common themes include flowers, caricatures, animals, portraits, musicians, Christmas, religion, Easter, athletes, politicians, movie stars, robots and astronauts.
Design, Shape and Pattern

Russian nesting dolls have a curved top and they are almost cylindrical in shape without any obtruding feature. In a conventional set, the outermost shape is usually of a woman embellished with a safaran while the smaller dolls are either female or male and the innermost doll, the tiniest one is an infant.

The term “Matryoshka” in the Russian language means “little matron” this is the prime reason why the outer doll is mainly a woman. The metaphors that are illustrated and painted on the Russian dolls can be very complex and the craftsman needs to have stupendous painting expertise as well as scrupulous attention to detail to craft them.

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The First Thanksgiving

At Thanksgiving, people all across the United States sit down and share a meal to remember the very first Thanksgiving dinner. This special meal is different from among others, normally containing traditional Thanksgiving foods such as turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, yams, and stuffing. However, it’s more than the company with family and delicious foods that make this holiday important, but the ideas that are behind it.

You see, in the early 1600s the English Separatists were being forced to worship God however the king saw fit. They met in secret, and yet the King sent spies to find out who the key leaders were. Many people were thrown into prison for not heeding to the king’s religion. The separatists, or ‘pilgrims’ as they called themselves, were fed up with being treated this way, and decided to sail away to Amsterdam, Holland (present day Netherlands).

However, twelve years of being in the Dutch culture began to affect the Pilgrims. The leaders were worried that this influence on their children was not positive, so they decided to move again, this time to the ‘New World.’ In 1620, they set sail on the Mayflower, with their plan to settle by the Huston river area. Because of harsh weather conditions in the North Atlantic, they were driven off course and landed at Cape Cod. As they were so far from their original destination, the Pilgrims decided to settle right where they were. By the end of December, they finished their journeying at Plymouth (which they called ‘New Plymouth’).

Their first winter there was severely harsh, and about half of them died. When spring finally set in, a local Native American, named Samoset, introduced himself to the Pilgrims. He also brought another Indian, named Squanto, who taught the settlers how to survive and live off the land. Moreover, the Pilgrim governor, William Bradford, signed a peace treaty with the Wampanoag Indians (who Samoset and Squanto were from). By the time harvest rolled around, they had grown and stored enough food to last them thorough the winter. They were so excited, that the Pilgrims decided to hold a three-day feast to celebrate. Many Indians showed up to share the feast as well.

Around two-hundred years later, President Abraham Lincoln declared a national holiday on the last Thursday of November to remember the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. Later in the 1940s, President Franklin Roosevelt changed it to be celebrated on the second to last Thursday of November.

Despite when we celebrate it, Thanksgiving is a time to be especially grateful for the freedoms we have in America. One especially is the freedom of religion. The pilgrims came to America to seek that freedom, and thank God we, three hundred and forty-four years later, still have that freedom. So this year during this time of thanks, don’t forget to be extra thankful for the sacrifices people have made though the ages so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. God bless America!

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A great trip to Greece

Our trip to Greece was not intended to be exhaustive but eclectic, including visiting a number of unavoidable ancient sites, the discovery of beautiful scenery and a Hellenic week lazing on the beach. We crossed Greece from June 16 to July 2, 2012, in the heart of the heat wave!

Arriving in Athens, we are directly involved in Volos, before the turn of the peninsula of Mount Pelion. We were seized by the diversity of landscapes, from the industrial port of Volos to small coves along the west coast through the resort’s ski Agrioflekes, the jungle of apple orchards near Makrinitsa, villages with ancient houses decorated with earthenware. The highlight of this tour of Pelion Agia Kyriaki was a small fishing village at the tip of the peninsula, lost in a setting combining islands, sea and sky.

We then left for the amazing site of Meteora, made of breathtaking natural rock upon which are built Orthodox monasteries from the 11th century. The site attracts a crowd of tourists, particularly countries of the East, but is worth the detour. We found a home in Kastraki, a small village less touristy than Kalambaka, starting point of classical hits. There are only 6 active monasteries who are visited, so we admired the monasteries Varlaam, Holy Trinity, Agio Nikolaos Anapafsas, Agios Stefanos Roussanou and the Great Monastery (most interesting). The chapels often have very rich Orthodox icons and art, but we were disappointed not to feel more spiritual.

Starting at Delphi, we stopped in the charming seaside town of Galaxidi, hotel galaxies that we recommend. The site of Delphi, although in ruins is superb thanks to its setting of olive trees and beautiful hills. Unfortunately, like most other major Greek museums, museum of Delphi were closed for repairs due to the financial crisis. We made a detour to the beautiful monastery Ossios Loukas, late Byzantine style and rich gold mosaics and marbles.

After visiting the fort of Nafplion and the pleasant town of the same name, influenced by the Romans and the Turks who attacked over the centuries, we continued to two great ancient sites: Tiryns, attributed to the Cyclops and the necropolis of Mycenae with its famous gate to the lions, the tombs of Aegisthus, Clytemnestra, the Treasury of Atreus and the secret tank which is accessed through a dark staircase and slippery. After a week devoted to Greek culture, whether ancient or orthodox, we agreed a week of relaxation in Koroni. This small town in in southern Peloponnese, adjoins to Kalamata, an industrial city known for its olives and its football team.

Koroni is a charming little town typically Greek, with houses painted in white and blue shutters, adorned with flowers planted in pots with feta, olive and fig trees. The white citadel worth seeing and the beautiful beach is sparsely populated. You need to see the countryside, villages and Vasilisa Finikounta. From there we made a break to climb Mount Taygetos and to visit the site of Olympia, in ruins, but very large and impressive, and that of the former Messina, free access that extends over a huge area surrounded by walls wonderful.

This was indeed a great trip to Greece and my next trip will be to Las Vegas. These are nearly diametrially opposed places, the Ancient World on one hand versus the modern rush from our most modern world on the other hand. Enjoy.

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