Keeping up With Cruise News

Cruising from the States While Miami andFort Lauderdaleare the main ports forCaribbean cruises, it is worth remembering that cruises also operate from New Orleans. Norwegian Cruise Line has two ships based in New Orleans that make cruises to Mexico and the Caribbean. To reach New Orleans, you need to fly via another US hub, but there are plenty of flights available with Delta, American Airlines and Continental. The cruise terminal in New Orleans is a great deal quieter than those in Florida, and the city makes an interesting stop at one end of your cruise. Another option is to look at cruises from Los Angeles, because flights in the winter are fairly cheap. Mexico is the main destination.

Wintershoppingtrips to Canada Every autumn, we warn that New York is not thebest placefor Christmas-shopping bargains, partly because of the high price of hotel accommodation in the city. Toronto might not have quite the style of New York but, with the low level of the Canadian dollar, is actually much better value both for hotels and most purchases. The best deal we have seen is for flights and two nights in a four-star hotel for less than 300. One rather strange complaint we sometimes hear about New York is that it "isn't cold enough". The weather is actually very changeable, and even in December you can get away with shirtsleeves one day and be freezing the next. For a more-authentic winter atmosphere we would suggest Montreal or, even better, Quebec. In Montreal the temperature hovers just over zero for most of the winter, and Quebec is colder. Both cities have a genuine French feel to them and are close to skiing areas. They could both be a good choice for a winter bre ak that feels rather more genuinely wintry. Of course, when the sales come in January, there are bargains available in all the cities. Montreal is easily reached by both Air Canada and hotel prices are reasonable.

Avoiding Miami as a gateway airport We have been asked for suggestions about avoiding Miami Airport. If your destination is southern Florida, it is hard to escape Miami. Fort Lauderdale is an excellent airport and very popular with passengers but does not have regular flights from Europe. It is easy to reach from other US airports, though, and has a good network of domestic flights to the Caribbean and some Latin American destinations. Quite apart from the hassle of using Miami, it is also a very expensive airport to fly to. It is around 4,400 miles from London, but Economy fares are completely out of line with prices to say, New York, which is 3,600 miles. When flights are being offered to New York for a little over 200, fares of 400 (from London) or more to Miami seem disproportionate. The problem is that New York (and other East Coast destinations) has high loads of expensive Business Class passengers, which allows airlines to offer much more competitive Economy fares. M iami is a very seasonal destination with a high demand for Economy tickets and much less demand for Business. Airlines could fill several extra jumbos to Miami during the peak winter months but will not add extra flights just to sell bargain Economy tickets.

Fares might be slightly lowerto Orlando, but, if you are flying there, do be careful to see which airport you will be using, because only the main Orlando airport has a range of connecting flights; Sanford, which is used by many charter airlines, does not have connecting flights. The only other option is to fly to another US gateway and maybe buy a cheap ticket to Fort Lauderdale with one of the budget carriers, but this is likely to increase the overall price. Some US airlines try to sell seats to Miami via their East Coast hubs: we do not recommend this, but it might be worth looking to see if the carrier offers a similar fare to Fort Lauderdale, which might make the extra stop more acceptable. Passengers who have to make one connecting flight anyway could consider flying to a US hub and then connecting to Fort Lauderdale rather than Miami. Passengers in the North of England now have direct flights to Miami this winter as American Airlines has started a service from Manche ster. Suggested prices are from London and not Scotland.

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Dog Suicides at Overtoun Bridge

In Dumbarton, Scotland, on a hill overlooking the River Clyde, above the village of Milton, sits a mansion with a terrible past, a past that affects humans as much as it does the dogs whose lives it takes. You see, the dogs that walk across Overtoun Bridge have a tendency to jump off the bridge. While there are reasons why the dogs do this, there are still questions that remain. Some think that the house may be haunted, others that it is a place where heaven and earth are exceptionally close. A look at the history of the house and the bridge may reveal some clues.

In 1859, James White, in the attempt to have a retreat from busy city streets, bought the surrounding areas. Although the original purchase was only 900 acres, it quickly grew to 2,000 acres. White hired well known architect, James Smith, to design and build the house.

In 1862, the White family began to live there. Nothing happened until 1884, when James White passed away and his son took over the leadership of the family. In 1891, John Whites mother passed away and John moved into the house and he decided that he wanted it expanded. So, in 1892, he reached an agreement with the local pastor, Dixon Swan, who was the heir to the Garshake farmlands which was adjacent to Ouvertoun. In the agreement, White was allowed to build an expansion to the west of the original building. Unfortunately, the building was split in two by a waterfall. Overtoun bridge was built to connect the two.

In 1908, John White died and his nephew, Douglas White, inherited the mansion. When the great depression reached the whites in 1930, Douglas, who did not want to live in the country anymore, left the mansion to the municipality of Dumbarton. During WWII the British government moved the houses interior to London while the house remained isolated. Even though the house was close to the Clydeside Shipyards that were bombed, the house was undamaged.

The house was turned into a maternity hospital in 1947 and caught fire in 1948. No one died in the fire and it remained a hospital until September 1, 1970.

During the 1950s and 1960s is when the dogs started jumping off the bridge. Around this same time, minks started to breed in large numbers in the area. The dogs that jump are all long nosed breeds, they always jump on sunny days and they always jump from the same spot. Not all dogs die, though. If a dog does survive and makes it back to the bridge, they jump again. The locals call these dogs second timers.

In 1975, the British government found another use for the house. It became the base for a Quality of Life Experiment. This did not last long and a group called the Spire Fellowship used the house from 1978-1983.

From 1984 to 1994, the house was used by a group called Youth With a Mission. In 1994, the same year Youth With a Mission left, a man, rumored to be high on drugs, threw his baby over the bridge and jumped himself. He believed the baby was the antichrist. The baby died, but the man survived. After Youth with a mission left the house fell into disrepair.

In 2001, Pastor Bill Hill from Fort Worth bought the house to turn it into a Centre for Scottish Youth. The house is currently under renovations.

There is only record of one violent occurrence at the house and that happened forty years after the dogs started jumping, so odds are that the house is not haunted by someone who would want to kill the dogs.

According to Celtic mythology, Overtoun is knows as a thin place, a place where heaven and earth are reputed to be close. Psychic Mary Armour took her dog to Overtoun Bridge to see if this could be the answer. She said that she did not feel anything, but her dog was continually pulling to the right.

So, what could be making the dogs jump? Dongs have three main senses, sight, sound and smell. At the spot where the dogs jumped, the only thing they can see is the bridge, so that leaves sound and smell.

Specialists from a Glasgow acoustics company and RSPBs David Sexton, an animal behavior expert went to the spot. While the acoustic experts were recording for sound, David Sexton was setting traps for animals that may live in the area. The locals thought that there might be sound coming from a nearby nuclear base in Fasline that would only be audible to dogs, but the acoustics experts found nothing. David Sexton, on the other hand, had more luck.

Under the bridge, Sexton found a squirrels nest, mice and minks. He performed a test where he distributed scents from all three species in a field and released ten dogs of the same breeds that jumped from the bridge. Out of the ten, only two dogs didnt care and 70% made straight for the mink. He also explains why the dogs jump. Because the dogs can not see how far the drop off the bridge is, or hear the waterfall, they only rely on their smell and go directly off the bridge, they only jump on sunny days because the scent is undiluted by the rain. The minks even explain the timeline.

Even with this answer, there are still questions. Why do the dogs only jump from one spot? Why do dogs that live from the first jump always jump again when they know what will happen? We may never know the answers to these questions, but at least we can take comfort in the answers we do have.

Sources of information: /wiki/Overtoun_Bridge

/news/article-411038/Why-dogs-leapt-deaths-Ouvertoun-Bridge.html

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Scotland vs Samoa Live Streaming Rugby Free Video Sopcast Online TV Link

Scotland vs Samoa Live Streaming Video Sopcast Online TV Link Here

Scotland vs Samoa Live

Time: 14:30 GMT, 14:30 local

Date: 27th November

Rugby, Hillary Shield.

Enjoy This Live Game Here

Welcome to everyone to watch this exciting Rugby Match between Scotland vs Samoa. The Game is Scheduled on Saturday, 27th November at 14:30 GMT, 14:30 local Time.

So, Watch This Rugby Game via This Sports Channel Site. Catch The Game Here....

Scotland take their show on the road this weekend, facing a rugged Samoa side at Pittodrie in Aberdeen on Saturday. Andy Robinson's men are fresh from a famous win over South Africa at Murrayfield and will hope to complete a successful November with victory over the Islanders. Their 49-3 hammering at the hands of the All Blacks has been put to one side but the tourists have shown themselves to be a difficult proposition in narrow defeats to Ireland and England.

After three weeks together they will be confident in the structures and willing to chance their arm in order to make a success of their trip north - Pittodrie could be host to some fireworks come kick-off.

Scotland - Player to Watch: No.8 Richie Vernon has been handed another starting chance after impressing from the bench against South Africa and his pace and power could prove to be a major worry if Samoa opt to play a loose game.

Scotland - Team News: Scotland boss Andy Robinson has made one enforced change to his side as Edinburgh lock Scott MacLeod drops out due to a rib injury. Nathan Hines shifts from blindside to the second-row with Vernon's return at No.8 shifting Kelly Brown to blindside.

Samoa - Player to Watch: He was the best centre on display at Twickenham last weekend and Seilala Mapusua will need to be his usual powerful self both in attack and defence. Scotland boast a hefty midfield pairing but neither possess the playmaking skill of the London Irish man, who could prove to be a game-breaker.

Samoa - Team News: Toulouse tight-head Cencus Johnston has been given the nod ahead of Anthony Perenise in the only change from last weekend.

Key Battle: Last weekend showed that Scotland are organised and can take the points when on offer. Dan Parks is up against quality opposition in Tasesa Lavea and must ensure that their gameplan is watertight against a Samoan side who are not here just to make up the numbers. The Blues fly-half would do well to heed the lessons learned by Wales in allowing Fiji to dictate the pace in Cardiff last weekend.

Trivia: Mapusua has confessed to being a fan of Scottish rugby in the build-up to the Test. "I've actually been a Scottish rugby supporter every year during the Six Nations since I came up here. I think it's because, like the Samoans, they are always punching above their weight, and are always so close and sometimes miss out, but when they pull it off it's a huge achievement for them," he told The Scotsman.

Stats: Only one drop-goal has been scored in the history of the fixture - by Gregor Townsend in 1999 - a stat that may change given Parks' fondness for a pot at the uprights and form with the boot against the Springboks.

Quote Unquote:

"I thought Richie Vernon showed his mettle as an international rugby player when he came on for Scott MacLeod last Saturday and he has a chance to demonstrate those traits from the start." - Scotland boss Andy Robinson.

"There are a lot of players from Samoa who have not seen snow before." - Samoa head coach Fuimaono Tafua gets used to conditions in Aberdeen.

Prediction: Samoa have shown that they can mix it with the north but Scotland's feel-good factor, and defensive structure, is set to trump their efforts for a maiden win this weekend.

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Match-Fixing Scam Has Rocked World Cricket - Pakistan Players Controversy

Mazhar Majeed,London-based businessman Mazhar Majeed, who appears to accept 150,000 British pounds ($232,000) from undercover 'Newsof the World' reporters posing as a gambling syndicate in order to make sure no-balls are bowled at certain times during the fourthTest, gave the following statements.

"You'll find there's only a few players who are genuine and who are actually here for the love of the game, and there's not manybelieve me. A lot of them are just looking for money, women and food"

"How much they're getting paid is a joke. I came from a football background and I can see the difference in football and cricket.It's huge."

"I used to go out on the pitch to give the players their drinks. Whenever we couldn't get a wicket I'd have a lump of Vaseline on myhand. Shake their hand. They'd put it on one side of the ball and the ball would suddenly start in-swinging".

"I give out the information the night before or morning. What's going to happen at the end of the fourth day. But now we are not going to do any results for the next two games because we want Salman Butt to be captain long term," Majeed stated.

Ive been doing it with them, the Pakistani team, for about two and a half years. And weve made masses and masses of money

Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and two other players, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif, were on Tuesday stopped from practicing atTaunton. The three players, at the center of the scandal, have been asked to return to London for another round of questioning by theScotland Yard.

Pakistans cricket coach and manager were warned about the potential influence of the man at the centre of the match fixingallegations by the team's then captain(Afridi) two months ago.

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My Macbeth Speech

Good morning/afternoon, today Im going to talk about the Shakespearean play called Macbeth. Im going to go in depth into the character of Macbeth. I will also talk about who he was and have my own opinion to Shakespeares portrayal of Macbeth. But first I will talk about what the play is about.

Macbeth is a play about a Scottish nobleman called Macbeth. It is set in the middle ages and is about the aftermath of a regicide. Macbeth is an ambitious man who like everyone else, wants to become king. Macbeth is a noble character as he is a brave soldier stated by the captain in Act 1 Scene 2 lines 9-44 where the wounded captain tells the king, King Duncan, of Macbeths bravery in battle. He says, Brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name. His actions are very noble at the start of the play by showing his loyalty and willingness to fight for his country and king.

The flaw in Macbeths character is his ambition. When the witches tell Macbeth of his future as king in Act 1 Scene 3 lines 45-76, he starts thinking about the murder of King Duncan after Angus and Ross tell Macbeth that the king gave him the title of Thane of Cawdor. When he tells his even more ambitious wife the news about the witches, she starts plotting King Duncans death as well. This is important in the play, as she is so much more ambitious, that when Macbeth said, Prithee, peace. I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none in Act 1 Scene 7 lines 45-47, his wife persuades him to murder the king by using his ambition against him.

Macbeths downfall in the play is due to the fact that he took the witchs prophecy too seriously and ended up dieing because of this. After the witchs prophecy, he seems to try to attack an army of ten thousand troops all by himself in Act 5 Scene 3 line 1 where Macbeth says bring me no more reports, let them all fly. This is referring to his troops deserting him. His victory in his last battle depends on the witchs prophecy that he wont fall unless Birnam Woods goes to Dunsinane Hill and that no man born of women shall harm him. These are the prophecies he is relying on to win the battle. He falls, as trees from Birnam Woods start moving up the hill and Macduff, the person Macbeth should fear was not born of a women but was a caesarean, which means he was cut out of his mother before birth.

Shakespeares portrayal of Macbeth is one of a great change. The audience sees this kind and noble character change into an evil and Hitler like tyrant who murders and spies because he cant trust anyone. In the end of the play, he doesnt even care about his wife, even though she died in Act 5 Scene 5 lines 16-18 where Macbeth says She should have died hereafter. This shows that while he was the king of Scotland, he was interested too much in the witchs predictions and prophecies that he neglected his wife and didnt even tell her his plans for murdering Banquo and his son, Fleance in Act 3 Scene 2 lines 38-58 where Macbeth says Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed. This tells the audience that he doesnt trust his wife any more. It also tells the audience that their relationship is diminishing.

In my opinion, Shakespeare portrayed Macbeth differently throughout the whole play. He portrayed him as an ambitious, kind, brave and noble man at the start of the play and changed him into an evil, murdering, tyrant at the end of the play. He changed him into an absent minded character who is too busy making plans for the future, that he is not bothering to notice what is happening around him. In my opinion, he was noble at the start of the play, but his flaw in character, his ambition, took over him. I think that his flaw in character made it so that all the Thanes of Scotland betrayed and deserted him. He murdered and spied on all the other Thanes of Scotland because he was looking into the future where he couldnt be over thrown and where his children would rule as king as he wanted to father a line of kings. That is why all the Thanes of Scotland betrayed him and deserted him. So I think that Shakespeare portrayed Macbeth as a lunatic that deserved to die.

Thank You

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Prince William And Kate Middleton To Be Wed

After weeks of speculation, Prince William, second in line to the UK throne has announced his engagement to Kate Middleton. The wedding, it is said, will take place in the spring or summer of 2011 in London.

Both William and Miss Middleton are 28 and it has been reported that they became engaged in October during a private holiday in Kenya.

Since meeting as students at the University of St Andrews in Fife in Scotland, the couple have been firm friends. The University, situated in the town of St Andrews was an ideal place for the young students to get to know each other. This too was when William Wales as he was known at university started to show interest in Kate Middleton and Miss Middleton first caught the public eye.

Catherine Elizabeth Kate Middleton was born on 9 January 1982, the elder daughter of Michael Middleton. She spent a comfortable childhood in rural Berkshire. She attended a local school, St Andrews until she was 13 where although undistinguished academically, she shone on the sports field. She then went on to attend the public school Marlborough College.

In 2001, during a gap year Kate Middleton attended a project in Chile just a month after her now to be husband was there. She then became a student of St Andrews University in Scotland. There she shared the same history of art course as Prince William although he later switched to geography.

Friendship blossomed into romance, witnessed by their fellow students, as the Prince and Miss Middleton spent a lot of time together. For a while they shared a flat before going on to live in a remote farmhouse. Temporarily in 2007, the couple split up and at this time, Prince William reportedly said that all the fun had gone out of the relationship. After this brief time apart they have been together ever since and Kate Middleton has recently attended several official royal events, sparking speculation of an imminent engagement.

Now officially in the "royal fold", Kate Middleton will receive the help and protection of the royal family. Title wise she will become HRH and it is thought that the Queen might give the couple another title such as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. If Kate Middleton follows royal tradition, her wedding ring is likely to be cut from a nugget of welsh gold, a custom started by the Queen Mother in 1923.

Sources

/news/Queen-delighted-as-William-and.6627944.jp

/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/8137229/Royal-wedding-ring-to-be-made-from-Welsh-gold.html

/news/uk-11765422

/people/kate_middleton.html

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Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi

Macbeth is one of the most iconic figures from Shakespeare literature. This play was especially difficult for Verdi when he composed his opera on Shakespeares play; he wanted to remain true to the original and because of this, Verdi had to walk new paths. There were bold and unanticipated changes to the harmonies.

The premiere of Macbeth was on 14th March 1847 in Florence. There was a revised version in a French translation by Charles Nuitter and Alexandre Beaumont on the 21st April 1865 in Paris. It is a melodrama in four acts. The opera is set in Scotland and the Scottish-English border in the mid 11th century.

Characters:

Duncano/Duncan, King of Scotland (silent)

Macbeth (Baritone)

Banco/Banquo (Bass)

Lady Macbeth (Soprano)

Macduff, a Scottish nobleman and the Thane of Fife (Tenor)

Malcom, the son of Duncan (Tenor)

Fleanzio/Fleance, the son of Banquo (silent)

Lady in Waiting to Lady Macbeth (Mezzo-soprano)

A Doctor (Bass)

A servant of Macbeth (Bass)

Sicario and Araldo, the muereders (Bass, Bass)

The Ghost of Banquo (silent)

A Herald (Bass)

Hecate, the goddess of the night (silent)

Witches, bards, messengers of the king, English soldiers, Scottish nobles, exiles, spirits and apparitions (the chorus)

Synopsis:

Act I

Scene 1: Set in a wood, the Scottish generals Macbeth and Banquo encounter some strange figures they believe to be witches. These witches proclaim that Macbeth, who is Thane of Glamis, will become Thane of Cawdor and then later, the king of Scotland. Banquor is told that his descendants will be kings. The prophecy that the witches claim seems to be coming true; messengers greet Macbeth as the new Thane of Cawdor.

Scene 2: In Macbeths castle, Lady Macbeth receives a letter from her husband. He tells her about the prophecy and when King Duncan stays the night in their castle, they murder him.

Act II

Scene 1: In a hall in Macbeths castle, Macbeth feels no pleasure in being king. This is because he remembers the prophecy that Banquos descendants will be kings. With his wife, Macbeth plots to kill Banquo and his son.

Scene 2: In a grove in the vicinity of Macbeths castle, hired men kill Banquo but his son manages to escape.

Scene 3: In a hall in Macbeths castle, Macbeth and his wife hold a banquet for the Scottish nobles. However, when Macbeth learns the news that Fleance has escaped the festivities are interrupted when the ghost of Banquo arrives and Macbeth starts talking to it. This causes the guests to be a little frightened.

Act III

In a dark cave, Macbeth asks the witches for more information on his destiny. They tell him that he will reign until Birnam Wood marches against him. They also warn him of one of the other thanes, Macduff. Macbeth asks about Banquos descendents and they show him a vision of future kings. Macbeth and his wife are childless and feeling cheated, have Macduffs entire family murdered, including the women and children.

Act IV

Scene 1: On the gloomy border between Scotland and England, Macduff mourns his family. Malcom, the son of king Duncan, raises an army to march against Macbeth.

Scene 2: In the castle, Lady Macbeth is tormented by her guilty conscience. She starts to sleepwalk around the castle and finally dies of guilt.

Scene 3: In the castle, Macbeth falls into a rage when he learns about the army marching towards him. He is told about his wifes death, but he feels indifferent to the news.

Scene 4: On the field, Macbeth stands against Macduff and Malcom. Birnam Wood starts to march towards him, disguised with branches. Macbeth is killed by Macduff.

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