The Caribbean is sometimes treated as part of North America, and comprises the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles. Since ancient times, the Caribbean region was notorious for sea pirates.

The place

There are many large and small islands and coves in this region. The most popular Caribbean destinations are Bahamas, Jamaica at Dominican Republic, Aruba, Nassau, San Juan and St. Maarten.

There is more to the Caribbean region than just the soft, sandy beaches. Coconut and palm trees are a common sight on almost all the islands. There is an ancient culture, rich in music and dance. There are wonderful gifts of nature to be enjoyed - gardens, exotic range of flora and fauna, and rich food, too.

You can spend a suitable time visiting the region, based on your area of interest. There are a few extraordinary natural phenomena, like the phosphorescent lake in Vieques, Puerto Rico. Regarding flora, there are some species which grow in unique colors. There are many species of medicinal plants grown for Therapeutic use.

Food and fun

What is a vacation without music and dance? Indeed, the Caribbean people are talented when it comes to setting up new tunes and rhythms. The carnival reflects the people’s love for music and entertainment. You can hardly resist the temptation to dance upon hearing the music!

Food is an important aspect of a vacation spot. The Caribbean cuisine is no doubt delicious, but it is also heavy, with starchy vegetables, spices and fruits. This might be something to watch out for!

Among the vacation activities, the best option available to you is sailing. You can travel through the islands using either self-propelled boats or crewed yachts. There are a lot of attractions that you can explore and enjoy. There are also small cruise ships available. You can engage in scuba diving to discover the beauty hidden beneath the waters.

There are several good golf courses, though they are sometimes expensive. The Caribbean is an ideal setting for sports, especially water-sports. You can go fishing both in the shallow waters and offshore.

There are rainforests rich in rare flora and fauna. You can go hiking in these forests and experience the adventures.

On the whole, a Caribbean vacation will be something to cherish for a lifetime!

Caribbean Vacations provides detailed information on Caribbean Vacations, Romantic Caribbean Vacations, All Inclusive Caribbean Vacations, Caribbean Vacation Rentals and more. Caribbean Vacations is affiliated with Caribbean Cruises.

Adrenaline Rafting Basics

In the last 30 years, rapids rafting has gained massive popularity. People tend to go in groups for a family gathering, friends reuniting and even corporate team building exercises. Rafting is massively fun and an undisputed adrenaline rush.

At its core, whitewater rafting is simply the act of taking a raft down through turbulent areas of a river. These turbulent areas are known as rapids. Rapids are formed by three factors - constriction, gradient and obstruction. Water naturally flows downhill because of gravity. When it is constricted, it pushes in from the sides, speeding up and getting turbulent. Speed also increases when the gradient get steeper and, of course, obstructions cause water to crash into them and swirl around as the flow tries to find the best way to follow gravity. Each of these events causes rapids and the resulting turbulence churns the water thus causing the froth. The goal of rafting is to surf these rapids without being flipped or dragged under.

Rapids are classified by six categories. Category 1 is a smooth river with no rapids. The categories climb from their too Category 6, which is either impassible or should only be attempted by experts. Most river rafting trips occur on Category 3 and 4 rapids, where the turbulence gives you an exciting ride, but with limited risk.

River rafts are typically big and sturdy. They hold between six and 12 people spread equally on each side. Although an expert guide controls the steering at the back, most rafting companies allow the passengers to paddle on each side of the raft in their corresponding spots.

River rafting has a certain risk factor and safety is paramount. All rafters absolutely should wear helmets and life jackets. Falling out of the raft can be a common occurrence depending on the river conditions. All rafters should be able to swim.

There are thousands of rivers that are perfect for rafting trips. Most people choose a rafting company for their trip since the company is already familiar with the river conditions and has the necessary equipment.

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of writing journals. Visit us to read more articles about the great outdoors and white water rafting.

If my farm were run like a democracy and one man one vote applied for whether we should plant or sell Colorado Blue Spruce, the vote would 100% against the Blue Spruce Tree. The Blue Spruce also known as Picea pungens Engelm is noted for being majestic, stately, with its silver blue color and symetricle form. Its color can range from blue to green. The color variations are genetic traits of the tree. For uniform color from tree to tree one should use grafted cuttings, which command premium prices. The Blue Spruce is widely planted througout the US because it is tolerant to a variety of site conditions. It has good drought, wind, and cold tolerance. The Blue Spruce finds uses such as wind breaks and as an ornamental in landscape designs. Deer don’t prefer to eat these trees unless they are very hungry. Now you would think that this tree would get our vote. But my boys hate to work with these trees because they can be brutal on transplanting. Like wrestling with a porkupine! You can see more of Bill’s plant talk at his web site http://www.seedlingrus.com

They should be good servants and of quick intelligence, since I see that they very soon say all that is said to them, and I believe that they would easily be made Christians, for it appears to me that they had no creed. Our Lord willing, at the time of my departure, I will bring back six of them to your Highness, that they may learn to talk (Hurtado 46).

This passage shows that Columbus believed the Indians intelligent and would be easily converted to European ways, but did not think them equal to Europeans. Columbus demonstrates his ethnocentricity by disregarding Native American religious beliefs, and by assuming that because they did not speak a European language they could not “talk.”

Europeans viewed the Indians as having inferior cultural practices such as their laws, government, economics, mode of living, religion, property ownership, and education/writing. However, the Europeans believed that these cultural traits of the Native Americans could with little difficulty be changed to resemble European cultures. In 1620, the first college for Native Americans was established to educate Indians in European ways, and in 1640, Harvard opened a college for Indians. This proves that the main objective of the Europeans was to assimilate the Native Americans into European culture by way of education. Europeans justified their conquest of the Indians because they believed they had a divine purpose to convert them to Christianity. Also Europeans believed they could “redeem the savages” in much the same way the Roman Empire had conquered and civilized the rest of Europe.

Indians did not come to be viewed as inherently different in regards to color until the mid-eighteenth century and the label “red” was not used until the mid-nineteenth century. Some causes of the changing perception were an increase of Europeans, bloody conflicts and atrocities, codification of laws designed to control Native peoples, and the view of Europeans began to unify as being “white.”

The changing perception of Indians also caused a change in how Europeans dealt with them. In the beginning, Europeans intermarried with them, and used teachers and missionaries to convert them to European culture and religion. Later, education ceased and Europeans moved to subjugate the Indians through displacement on reservations and by war/genocide.

The Dawes Act of 1877 reverted back to assimilation of the Indians through education and the practice of farming. The reservation lands were divided up into individual sections for private ownership. Also the federal government came to believe that educating the Indian children would be the quickest and most effective manner to destroy Indian lifestyles. Boarding schools were established for Indian children to teach them American values and customs, while eroding their Native American beliefs.

At first contact, Europeans believed Indians could be assimilated into European culture. Then they shifted to the removal and reservation policy. In the late 1800s, Americans returned to assimilationist policies, and in the 20th century Indians have struggled to resist total assimilation by striving to maintain their cultural and religious beliefs.

Bibliography

Hurtado, Albert, Peter Iverson, and Thomas Paterson, editors. Major Problems in American Indian History: Documents and Essays. Houghton Mifflin Company Collegiate Division, 2000.

Mary Arnold is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers

Her writing portfolio may be viewed at http://www.Writing.com/authors/ja77521

Pacific Crest Trail - History

Running from the border with Mexico to the Canadian border, the Pacific Crest Trail was used by settlers in the 1800s looking for the good life in California, Oregon and Washington. This 2,500 mile trek offers a variety of environments including burning hot deserts and mountains peeks stacked up one after the other. Since most settlers came from the north, the trail area they encountered was definitely of the mountainous variety. While hikers of today will find it a beautiful and challenging trail, one can be sure many of the settlers had other opinions.

Ironically, the Pacific Crest Trail is really a relatively modern name. Prior to 1993, it was known as a general collection of trails running the route with parts of such trails as the John Muir Trail included as sections. If you could travel back in time, a settler would be baffled if you started talking about the trail.

Pacific Crest Trail - From Here to There

Running from border to border, few hikers have every tried to hike the entire trail at one time since we often have to do this odd thing called “work.” Nonetheless, a trip from Mexico to Canada would take you along the following path.

Having paid your bills a few months in advance, you would head to the U.S.-Mexico border just to the west of the town of Campo. There you will find five wood planks set up in an unremarkable patch of scruff indicating the beginning of the trail. Staring to the north and remembering those boots are meant for walking, you’re ready to go.

Winding north, you’ll pass through the mountains over Palm Springs, stagger through the Mojave Desert, walk the peaks of Kings Canyon, brush up to the west side of Lake Tahoe and finally head into Oregon by walking along the I-5 freeway. Along the way, you’ll stroll by Mt. Whitney and through Yosemite National Park. Not bad, eh?

Once in Oregon, you’ll cut to the east through Ashford and then head due north. Next up will be Crater Lake and the Three Sisters mountains followed by the old lava field area. You’ll leave Oregon by crossing the Hood River near White Salmon, Washington.

Heading into the final stretch, you’ll shoot straight up through Washington to the east of Olympia and Seattle until you hit the Canadian border just below Manning Park. It is long, long trek and I’m tired of typing it much less walking.

The beauty of the Pacific Crest Trail is you can spend weekends hiking small, scenic sections of it. In California, the trail sections through Kings Canyon are simply stunning and will leave you in awe of Mother Nature.

Many agree that rehabilitation is best but there, but I also agree on responsibility of parents and of self. Many are not so much into the forgiving thing when it comes to criminals, whether they are in jail, walking the streets or straddling the law working for both sides; IE law enforcement, lawyer, government worker.

There needs to be responsibility for those who have offspring to raise them right and take care of them. We make people get driver’s licenses to drive a car, but not have children. It costs on average $250,000 to raise a kid until adulthood, for those who have not the money, or care not to spend it to make things right.

Well why should the teachers be baby sitting them, why should doctors prescribe Ritilin, Prozac or some other such medicine and why should I the taxpayer have to pay for rehabilitation, police, probation officers, prisons or the salary of the guards on top of potentially being a victim of a crime? Some propose rehabilitation and I am leaning more on a $ .22 solution for hardened criminals, child molesters and violent ones. Because rehabilitation is not working and the taxpayer keeps paying.

What are we going to do in our civilization with our prison systems? What can we do to rehabilitate? What we are doing now does not work and we all know it? We must face the reality of these recidivism rates and work to make more parents responsible. Consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

In travelling to Croatia, there are four main entry points: Dubrovnik, Istria, Split and Zagreb. Let’s take them in order.

Travel to Dubrobnik

It’s Croatia’s most beautiful spot and well connected by flight, ferry and train. Taking a flight to Dubrovnik is easier between March and October when the season begins to gear up but you’ll find connections from London to Dubrovnik three times a week all year. To get to Dubrovnik from Italy, your only choice is Jadrolinija’s Bari to Dubrovnik ferry which runs all year but more often in summer. There are buses to Dubrovnik from most other Croatian cities that run frequently and efficiently.

Travel to Istria

The main entry points in Istria are Umag, Rovinj, Porec, Pula and Rabac which are all connected by ferries to Italy but only in the summer season. In addition, there are buses to Pula from Venice and to Rovinj and Porec from Trieste. Pula airport has non-stop flights in the summer from Manchester, London, Edinburg and Glasgow.

Travel to Split

Split is situated in the middle of the Dalmatian coast and makes an excellent entry point. There are non-stop flights to Split from London, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Prague and Rome. If you’re coming from Italy, you’ll find frequent ferries all year from Ancona and less frequent ferries from Pescara. In the summer, there’s a highly convenient overnight ferry that runs from Venice to Split. Split is connected by bus with most other Croatian cities as well as Ljubljana, Mostar and Sarajevo.

Travel to Zagreb

Zagreb is Croatia’s capital and connected to most other European capitals by Croatia Airlines. The cheapest way to Zagreb from the UK is by Wizzair which just opened a new service from London to Zagreb. Other low-cost carriers include SNBrussels which has flights from Brussels and Germanwings which has cheap flights from Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg and Stuttgart. There are buses to Zagreb from other Balkan cities but the train is most convenient if you’re coming from Ljubljana, Venice, Budapest or Vienna.

Jeanne Oliver is the author of Lonely Planet’s Croatia travel guidebook. Find out more about travel to Croatia plus accommodation, sights and travel planning at her website, http://www.croatiatraveller.com

“I have to fight to get them here,” or…

“He just wants to play with his friends,” are common statements that I hear.

Often, parents consider letting their child quit but then come to find that’s not what the student wants.

“How,” they ask me, “can he want to keep training but fight me when it’s time to come to karate class?”

They find it very difficult to understand the contradiction between having to fight to get their child to class and the fact that they have so much fun when they get here.

To solve the ‘mystery’ and eliminate the misunderstanding we must understands the way a child thinks and the way their brain has developed to this point in their young lives. It’s very important for parents and teachers alike to remember that…

…kids are not adults in little bodies.

And, many of the things that we, or more correctly, our fully-developed brains, take for granted aren’t even possible in the still-developing processes of a child’s mind.

So, what makes them resist coming to class but enjoy it once they are there?

The answer is: timing.

Quite frankly, children (and some adults) have not developed an understanding of the concept of scheduling and timing. That is to say that, once they have become involved in something, that’s what they want to do. Anything else, regardless of how pleasurable or necessary, at that moment, is seen as a hinderance to ‘this moment’s fun.’ Whether it’s watching TV, playing with their friends, or whatever, once a child becomes involved in something, anything, that “thing” gets ALL of their attention - period.

So, what’s a parent to do elleviate the frustration, both themselves as-well-as the child?

How do they avoid making the mistake of pulling their child out of martial arts training - the one thing they need to teach their son of daughter the life lessons that won’t be taught in any other school they ever go to?

Of all of the possibile answers that I share with the parents who bring their children to me, my best advice is…

“Don’t let your child get involved with anything that you know will grab their attention in a way that will make it difficult for both of you, within at least one hour of leaving the house to go to martial arts class.”

But, what can they do if they can’t get involved in anything?

Simple. Have them get ready for class. Have them make sure that their uniform, including martial arts belt, is in order and folded neatly. Have them review their moves, any vocabulary that is required, or even tell you something “cool” or “awesome” that hope to work on when they get to class.

The point is, to really help your child to develop the discipline necessary to succeed in the martial arts and to achieve their goal of becoming a Black Belt, you will have to use your brain to help them make up for those areas of their own that have not yet developed.

By understanding your child’s needs, from THEIR perspective and not simply your own, you will rise above the masses of clueless parents who act out of frustration born of a lack of understanding of what it means to be…

…a parent.

Too bad they don’t hand out Black Belts to parents who achieve this level of understanding, don’t you think?!

Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior Concepts International. A senior teacher in the Japanese warrior art of Ninjutsu, he specializes in teaching the ancient ways of self-protection and personal development lessons in a way that is easily understood and put to use by modern Western students and corporate clients. Through their martial arts training, his students and clients learn proven, time-tested lessons designed to help them create the life they’ve always dreamed of living, and the skills necessary for protecting that life from anything that might threaten it. To learn more about child development and other subjects related to the martial arts, self-defense, personal development & self-improvement, visit his website at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com To subscribe to his online newsletter, go to http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/newsletter-subscribe-self-defense.html.

Boondocking is also an alternative to one night stopovers at a campground while traveling from one destination to another and many RVers find Wal-Mart parking lots and truck stops to be just the solution. Places like Wal-Mart know the value of catering to the camping community, as they provide a perfect place to stock up on RV camping supplies and outdoor necessities while on the road.

Whether you are boondocking for convenience while heading toward your camping destination, or if you have chosen boondocking as the RV camping experience you are seeking, there are certain boondocking tips and camping protocol to follow.

The first is courtesy and common sense. If you are boondocking in a Wal-Mart parking lot, it is not a good idea to pull out the lawn chairs and camping equipment and setup shop. Doing so will quickly ruin the boondocking option for others and sour the reputation of campers in general. Any overnight RV stay in public locales should be treated as a privilege and not an entitlement. The same holds true for boondocking in remote locations, always honor the environment and leave it pristine for other campers who are to follow.

When RV camping without full hook-ups, there are other considerations as well that will assist you in getting the most out of your boondocking camping adventure. Water and power utilization and conservation is always the foremost concern among dry campers. With a little experience and planning, RV campers can easily become accustomed to conserving both.

Water conservation while dry camping comes down to paying attention to details. Don’t let the water run while brushing your teeth; run water slowly to conserve consumption; and capture water in the shower to recycle for rinsing and flushing. When you are waiting for the water temperature to adjust for a shower, reclaim that water — you will find many other uses for it. And remember to always shower using the wet and rinse technique. There are many other water conservation options available for dry campers as well and the RV industry has a wide variety of electronics and accessories available.

Power and electrical needs follow the same laws of conservation and require paying attention to detail as well. Inverters, generators, and solar panels are all options and in combination can extend power usage quite adequately. There are so many alternatives and they are dependent upon your existing RV configuration, so the ideal solution is planning. Determine the type and amount of power that your TV, satellite dish, VCR, refrigerator, or microwave places on power consumption and calculate the load requirements and how best to disburse them before venturing out.

Boondocking can be intimidating at first, but with advanced thought and planning it can provide tremendous pleasure beyond what RVers are looking for in a traditional campground. And you are certainly not alone in the great outdoors when it comes to boondocking! A simple Google query will yield other RV camping enthusiasts who share boondocking tips, routes, locations, and many other valuable pieces of information that only the experienced boondocking camper would think of.

There is also a huge assortment of LTV (Long Term Visitor) Areas in California and Arizona, and BLM (Bureau of Land Management) Information available detailing designated wilderness areas, regulations, and amenities. Other experienced boon docking RV campers have put together huge online lists of creative ways to boondock, camping and boondocking forums, travel blogs and other valuable resources.

So if boondocking is in your future RV camping plans, you will find you are in good company — it’s just that the company won’t be sitting in the campground site five feet from yours!

Last year, the Irish politician and prominent banker forced Chief Executive John Browne to publicly identify his retirement date. After Lord Browne’s shock decision last month to leave a year and a half earlier than planned, Mr. Sutherland must now buff BP’s image and manage the company’s first executive-suite transition in more than a decade.

Despite oil prices dramatically increasing its shares rose just 4.5 per cent in 2006, compared with a 36 per cent rise by Exxon Mobil Corp. and 15 per cent at Royal Dutch Shell PLC. Yesterday, the company announced 4th quarter net income decreased by 22 per cent, in part this can be seen as indicative of lower natural-gas prices and lower production.

BP, meanwhile, faces U.S. criminal probes on three fronts — corrosion and oil spills in Alaska; a March 2005 refinery blast that killed 15 in Texas; and its energy-trading practices, with federal officials alleging BP traders manipulated propane markets in 2004. BP refutes this claim and says it is cooperating with investigators on all three inquiries.

Mr. Sutherland’s prominent public standing also underpins a pattern that goes beyond BP: a shift in the boardroom dynamics at many of Europe’s biggest publicly traded companies. Nonexecutive directors here have in the past been criticized for leaving too much decision-making in the hands of powerful executives. Now, many companies are moving to strengthen their boards with independent and strong directors.

Until the point at which Shell faced an accounting controversy in 2004, Shell’s British holding company had as its chairman a professor of geology. After the scandal, it recruited Jorma Ollila, former chief executive officer of Nokia Corp as chairman. Unilever also appointed an outside chairman last month to cap a restructuring at the Anglo-Dutch consumer-goods giant.

Mr. Sutherland’s mission at BP has always been to focus on establishing a “robust” and independent board of directors he was quoted as saying in an interview recently. After short periods as Ireland’s attorney general and Europe’s competition czar, Peter Sutherland in 1993 was instrumental in taking forward the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in Geneva. There, he clinched the Uruguay Round, an important trade agreement that set the stage for today’s World Trade Organization. For a man who has achieved so much it is difficult to forsee where he will find his next challenge.