Daily Archives: June 17, 2017

Kelly Schmidt: Respecting freedom – Pierce County Tribune

Posted: June 17, 2017 at 2:29 pm

The thirty seven days from Memorial Day to Independence Day always draw a deep emotion for me. With a long family history of military service, I reflect and feel gratitude for those who have served this great nation and protected my freedoms. Freedoms I so many times take for granted. Their sacrifices allow us all to enjoy the freedoms and liberty in what I call the greatest country on earth. As we move towards Independence Day, I think of our founding fathers who provided the foundation which allows us to truly experience the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to bear arms and so many more. To those who created Independence Day and to the men and women who have sacrificed their lives, along with those who currently serve in our armed forces, I give my heartfelt thank you!

As an elected official for the great state of North Dakota, it always gives me great pride to educate citizens on financial freedoms. Our forefathers said it best. "Work hard, play hard, save for a rainy day, and save for your maturing years." I often sit with our grown sons and talk about savings plans and options and what those plans should look like. We talk about cash on hand and what you need to sustain the day-to-day not to mention an ailing furnace. I always say, if you can, keep six months of cash on hand, money that you can easily get to without having to pay a penalty to access it. We discuss long-term savings the kind you don't touch or shouldn't touch like IRA's. And of course, we talk in great length about saving for a house and saving for retirement.

The state of North Dakota has experienced its own financial freedom. Our legislators and elected officials did a wonderful job creating ways to save money during prosperous times and made investments over the biennium that provided great returns. We were fortunate during the 2017 legislative session to have cash on hand and rainy day funds to lessen the financial burden with no tax increases.

However, today I have concerns about what the 2019-2021 biennium will look like. Our agriculture producers need rain and our oil and gas industry needs to sustain a price of $45-$50 per barrel. These are all factors that impact North Dakota's financial well-being. I will be watching these trends and continue to implement strategies that keep our state financially healthy. As always, I will keep you informed along the way. You will be hearing more about financial freedom in future articles.

As we look forward to Independence Day, my wish for you is a joyous celebration and a move towards financial freedom!

To learn more visit our website at http://www.nd.gov/treasurer to find financial literacy resources and detailed fiscal information regarding our State. Be sure and like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for current information relating to your dollars and our office.

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Former defense official paints grim picture of budget – New Hampshire Business Review

Posted: at 2:29 pm

Military rebuild is not in the cards says Roger Zakheim at aerospace and defense event

By Liisa Rajala

Published: June 16, 2017

Roger Zakheim

Despite rhetoric to the contrary, Roger Zakheim, former deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Defense, told attendees at the 3rd annual New Hampshire Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium that President Donald Trumps proposed increase in military spending is actually not much of an increase at all.

In fact, while the administration boasts that its budget request of $603 billion for defense spending is 10 percent above the $534 billionin the Budget Control Act of 2011 passed to cap federal spending in order to reduce the national debt Trumps request is only 3 percent above President Barack Obamas planned request if Democrats had stayed in power.

Which is not called a rebuild. Thats called keeping pace with inflation, said Zakheim on June 15 at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford.

Zakheim attributed the conservative number to the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mick Mulvaney, who as a congressman was a member of the Freedom Caucus and often willing to cause a government shutdown to keep budget costs in check.

Mulvaney is symbolic of one piece of the puzzle holding Washington at a standstill, despite a Republican-led Congress and Republican administration. The other pieces are the noise on the left about the controversies, as Zakheim described the Russia investigations,the proposed wall, the travel ban, trade fights and the fact you really dont have anyone in government beyond cabinet secretaries.

In addition, the continuing problem of Congress being unable to reachan agreement over funding the government isputting pressure on realizing the Trump administrations goals, said Zakheim, who said Fiscal Year 2018 would be challenging due to the intense and toxic political environment.

Only now people in Washington are saying tax reform, well probably do that in 2018. Repeal and replace Obamacare, well well get it through the house, well see if the Senate can actually do that, said Zakheim.

And budget hawks are not willing to give in this time on budget talks in September, said Zakheim, which means the federal government could be operating on another continuing resolution for another three to six months.

But by then, the 2018 midterm primaries will be approaching.

What do midterms mean in Washington? Nobody sticks their neck out to make a deal when youre dealing with re-election, and 435 out of 535 people who sit in Congress will have primaries early in 2018, he explained, which means actions will have to be taken throughexecutive orders.

Sequestration

To explain how we arrived at this point, Zakheim showed slides looking back at the short-term history of defense allocations.

Before sequestration capping federal spending occurred in 2011, thenDefense Secretary Robert Gates had requested $661 billion per year to meet the Defense Departments needs.

When thenPresident Obama, thenHouse Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority LeaderMitch McConnell agreed on the Budget Control Act of 2011, the intent was to cut defense and non-defense spending as well as reform entitlement programs.

As we know, the Social Security and Medicare piece didnt get touched and the defense piece, as a result, got doubly taxed, said Zakheim.

That resulted in a planned 10-year cut of over a $1 trillion in defense spending from 2011 to 2021.

As a candidate, Trump called for repealing budget control caps and rebuilding the military, through modernization and expanding its size.

That was pretty exciting. You basically have to go back to 1980 Ronald Reagan to find a candidate that committed toreinvesting in our national defense, said Zakheim. [But] if youre nostalgic about what President Regan was able to accomplish back when he was rebuilding the military after the Carter years, dont hold your breath. We can get into the whys and whos to blame, but its not going to happen, he said.

One reason is that within the Trump administrations planned budget is the extension of a defense budget capto 2027.

Through a congressional staffer, Zakheim was able to have his question about the line item posed to Defense Secretary James Mattis in a recent hearing. As Zakheim tells it, Mattis turned to his comptroller who frowned and said I think thats just a place holder.

Let's hope thats the case,saidZakheim.What I really think is happening is, where the president of the United States doesnt think there should be a Budget Control Act, the director of the Office of Management and Budget loves the Budget Control Act ...And that not only reflects the mindset, in my judgment, of Mick Mulvaney, but most of the congressional leadership sitting in Washington.

And its quite possible, saidZakheim, that the Freedom Caucus and the fiscal hawks will demand a spending levelsouth of the Trump budget request or atthe Budget Control Act level.

To put that into perspective, Trumps request of $603 billion for defenseis just 18 percent of total federal spending.

This year, well spend more money servicing our debt than we will on national defense, said Zakheim, who argued the only way to cut our debt is to reform Social Security and Medicare.

The upside is defense spending, in this administration, will not drop below the Budget Control Acts number of$534 billion.

The question is how much will we grow, said Zakheim.

And with five top threats facing the U.S. Russia, China, terrorism around the world, North Korea and the distinct challenges in Iran it also begs the question, how can the U.S. military combat 21st century threats when the Defense Department is already shuffling around its dollars to fill in the gaps?

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Achieve financial independence with stocks by following this one … – AOL UK

Posted: at 2:29 pm

Unless you suddenly win the lottery, achieving financial independence is not an easy task. It takes time to save and build a suitable nest egg, as well as building the experience required to manage that nest egg before you can quit the rat race and live off your savings.

Investing is the best way to grow your wealth. With interest rates at theirlowest level in history, equities are one of the few remaining places where you can achieve an attractive return on your money without having to take on excessive risk.

To build a substantial savings nest egg, all you need to do is save more than you spend and put in place a regular savings plan. The earlier you start to save the better as, over time, the power of compounding will do all of the heavy lifting. And just like saving, tobe a successful investor there's one main rule you need to follow to be able to achieve the best return on your money.

Unfortunately, most investors fail to understand this point, andtheir performances suffer as a result. Indeed, accordingto the latest study from Dalbar, since 1984, the average US equity fund investor has lagged the market by an average of 7.3% per annum as they have jumped in and out of the market.

So what's the answer? Well, studies have overwhelmingly shown that the only way to achieve the maximum returns from investing is to focus on the long term. This means ignoring short-term market bumps and instead concentrating on the estimated long-termgrowth potential of the companies you own.

Concentrating on the long-term performance only might seem like an easy task, but most investors fail to grasp this concept, and as a result, their returns suffer.

For example, over the past 10years, the FTSE 100 has booked bothup and down years. In 2007 the index rose 7.4% before falling 28.3% in 2008. The index went on to increase 27.3% in 2009, and 12.6% in 2010, but then fell 2.2% in 2011. However, if you'd sold at this stage thinking that the index had no further left to run, you would have missed out on a gain of 10% in 2012, 18.7% in 2013, 0.7% in 2014 and 19.1% in 2016 (the index fell 1.3% in 2015).

Even though the FTSE 100 fell in three of the past seven years, during the past decade, it has chalked up a total return of around 80%. This example shows clearly that focusing on the long viewis the best course of action for most investors. If you'd sold out in any of the down years, you would have not only crystallised losses but also you would miss out on the market's recovery.

So overall, investing is the best way to build your nest egg but without a pateint investment horizon, you're unlikely to unlock the full potential of your money.

A long-term approach is essential for building wealth. If financial independence is your goal, the Motley Fool is here to help. Our analysts have recently put together this brand new free report titled The Foolish Guide To Financial Independence, which is packed full of wealth creating tips.

The report is entirely free and available for download todaywith no further obligation.

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Rupert Hargreaves has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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Sealand Natural Resources Inc (SLNR) Moving -40.00% in Session – BVN

Posted: at 2:28 pm

Shares ofSealand Natural Resources Inc (SLNR) have seen the needle move-40.00% or -0.20 in the most recent session. TheOTC listed companysaw a recent bid of $0.3000 on2747 volume.

Investors are always striving to locate the next great stock to add to the portfolio. Finding that next winner may involve some dedicated research and perseverance. Sorting through the immense amount of information about public companies can be a chore. Many sharp investors will attack the equity markets from many various angles. This may encompass keeping close tabs on fundamental and technical data. This may also include monitoring analyst opinions and tracking institutional transactions.

Taking a deeper look into the technical levels ofSealand Natural Resources Inc (SLNR), we can see thatthe Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R currently sits at -83.33. The Williams %R oscillates in a range from 0 to -100. A reading between 0 and -20 would point to an overbought situation. A reading from -80 to -100 would signal an oversold situation. The Williams %R was developed by Larry Williams. This is a momentum indicator that is the inverse of the Fast Stochastic Oscillator.

Sealand Natural Resources Inc (SLNR) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -110.00. Active investors may choose to use this technical indicator as a stock evaluation tool. Used as a coincident indicator, the CCI reading above +100 would reflect strong price action which may signal an uptrend. On the flip side, a reading below -100 may signal a downtrend reflecting weak price action. Using the CCI as a leading indicator, technical analysts may use a +100 reading as an overbought signal and a -100 reading as an oversold indicator, suggesting a trend reversal.

The RSI, or Relative Strength Index, is a widely used technical momentum indicator that compares price movement over time. The RSI was created by J. Welles Wilder who was striving to measure whether or not a stock was overbought or oversold. The RSI may be useful for spotting abnormal price activity and volatility. The RSI oscillates on a scale from 0 to 100. The normal reading of a stock will fall in the range of 30 to 70. A reading over 70 would indicate that the stock is overbought, and possibly overvalued. A reading under 30 may indicate that the stock is oversold, and possibly undervalued. After a recent check, Sealand Natural Resources Incs 14-day RSI is currently at 46.68, the 7-day stands at 43.03, and the 3-day is sitting at 34.77.

Currently, the 14-day ADX for Sealand Natural Resources Inc (SLNR) is sitting at 11.77. Generally speaking, an ADX value from 0-25 would indicate an absent or weak trend. A value of 25-50 would support a strong trend. A value of 50-75 would identify a very strong trend, and a value of 75-100 would lead to an extremely strong trend. ADX is used to gauge trend strength but not trend direction. Traders often add the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) to identify the direction of a trend.

In technical analysis prices of securities tend to move in observable trends with a tendency to stay in the trend. The trend is considered to be intact until the trend line is broken. After a trend has been established, the future price movement is more likely to be in the same direction as the trend than to be against it. This is where the old adage the trend is your friend comes from, meaning you should trade in the same direction as the trend.

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If it weren’t for ‘Blossom’, we may not have Serena Ryder – CBC.ca

Posted: at 2:28 pm

Way back when, long before the huge hitStompa, in a small town near Peterborough, Ont., a pre-teen Serena Ryder saw her future reveal itself in the opening scene of the 1988 filmBeaches.

"What's the girl's name from 'Blossom'?" Ryder asked meas she remembered Mayim Bialik playing a youngCC Bloom (BetteMidler's character)in the movie.

The singer-songwriter startedimitating Bialik's over-the-top character, turning her mouth to the side, flaring her jazz hands and shimmying like a showgirl.

"She's this 9-year-oldgirl, smoking a cigarette behind the bleachers and singing and I was like 'Oh, I wanna do that!'"Ryder said, laughingat herself.

But dressed all in black, with hersoon-to-be signature fedora (which was more Six than Blossom), Ryder says she neverfelt like she reallyfit in growingupinMillbrook,Ont. Shehad a sense of there being something for her beyond the sleepy town of 8,000 people.

Serena Ryder performs songs from her album Utopia in Studio q. (Cathy Irving )

"I always felt that I stood out like a sore thumb," said Ryder, now Toronto-based and a Juno award-winning musician.

"I always felt like 'Oh, there's something and I don't know what it is, but I know that there's something out there for me to be doing.' And I always loved music from the beginning ... always so passionate about it."

Contrary to the pop-country music that everyone in the townwas into in the 1990s, Ryder loved soul andR&Bsingers:Mariah, Whitney, Linda Ronstadt and TLC.

Ryder's new album Utopiashowcases a teeny-tiny bit of those influences: be it in the melody and cadence of tracks like Firewater or in the soulful runs that peek through on the first single Got your Number a high energy track that she wrote jamming at the drum kit in her living room.

At the time of the impromptu session with the drum kit, Ryder didn't even know she was writing a new album.

After the excitement of touring the platinum Harmony,she says she needed to take time for herself. She moved to a beach in California for a year-and-a-half.

She had no plan other than getting back to writing music for music's sake.

"For me it was writing from a place of loving creating again," she said. "Loving experimenting, loving the art of writing, doing it because I just felt like it, which was so awesome."

Almost 100 songs later, Ryder realized that there was a narrative that linked her new songs together, and she had more than enough material for a full-length album.

The first song she wrote during that period, Saying Hello,reflects the story of someone who needs to reconnect with herself from time to time. Other songs deal withthe rollercoaster of life:love, lonelinessand loss.

Cover art for Serena Ryder's new album, Utopia. (Facebook)

The music on Utopiawas also inspired by Ryder's reality of being a person dealing with mental health challenges.

"I was writing about my journey, years of going up and down with my different moods," she said. "In the past I've been diagnosed as having really severe clinical depression and even with having bi-polar disorder."

Not knowing much about her family roots, Ryder says, might have contributed to her psychological difficulties.

During our conversation, she talked about her mother, Barbara Ryder, having Ojibwafamily but not knowing her biological parents. SerenaRyder doesn't know much abouther biological father at all.

"My biological father was from Trinidad, but I never met him, didn't know where he was from," she said.

"So it was always like 'Where am I from? Where's my history, where's my family?' And so I felt like that might haveperpetuated the imbalance as well."

Although the creation of Utopia was spontaneous, Ryder did go to several different sources for inspiration. She drew fromher personal stories, but also stories from First Nation communities.

The Cherokee parable of the Two Wolves inspired Ryder while writing songs for her new album. (Album art)

Her friend and fellow Canadian songwriterSimon Wilcoxtold her of the Cherokee legend of the Two Wolves, which holds that within us all there is a battle between good and evil, represented by two wolves;the one we feed is the wolf thatwill prevail.

"But I was like: 'What would happen if you satiated both wolves, and they're not fighting with each other anymore," she said.

"So that's the grey area. And that's my utopia: finding that balance, finding that grey area"

SerenaRyder will perform at Metropolis July 8th as part of Montreal's Jazz Festival. Nantali'sinterview withRyderwill be broadcast on the July 8th edition of Our Montreal.

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Mark Hayward’s City Matters: Vietnamese community finds comfort in Manchester temple – The Union Leader

Posted: at 2:28 pm

Former Buddhist monk Lan Huynh concludes a recent worship ceremony with the sounding of a bell, forged in Vietnam. The bell notes the locations of the temple Manchester, New Hampshire.(MARK HAYWARD/UNION LEADER)

IMAGINE THAT FIERCE, religion-hating communists take over the Vatican.

They plunder, purge and create their utopia, but after about 25 years, they loosen up. (After all, the internal energy of any revolution has the half-life of a Russian winter.)

Eventually, the Red Vatican offers to send priests to Catholic parishes around the world.

What would a priest-less church do?

Thats the predicament of Phuoc Dien, the 25-year-old Vietnamese Buddhist temple squirreled away in the Hollow neighborhood of Manchester. Vietnam which went entirely communist in 1975 with the fall of Saigon initially repressed religion.

But about five years ago, the Vietnamese government offered to replace Phuoc Diens monk, said Dung Hale, the president of the temple.

No thanks, said the temple. They could be spies, said Hale, 72, who has lived in Manchester for 18 years.

Now they (the communist government) say they cant destroy religion, so they use religion to make people like them, said Hale, who spent 10 years in a communist prison camp.

So the temple turned to Lanh Huynh, also 72, who also spent 10 years in a prison camp. Now a retired carpet installer, Huynh was a Buddhist monk in the former South Vietnam. When the communists took over, they forced him to marry, ending his career as a monk, he said.

He holds services in a converted factory. The worship space includes plush rugs comfortable to shoe-less feet, bright reds and yellows, and statues of multi-armed figurines and other deities. A massive bell cast in Vietnam with the words Manchester, New Hampshire, evident among Asian symbols calls people to prayer.

The temples Cedar Street parking lot features a statue of the quintessential Buddha happy, fat and seated. A bowl of oranges and apples is at his feet, as well as a few sticks of burning incense. On the Auburn Street side, a patio features Quan Tse Am, a Buddha with a female figurine who is under a canopy and surrounded by palms, incense, fruit and benches where people gather to converse.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that about 916 Manchester residents are Vietnamese, a little less than 1 percent of the city population. Hale estimates that about half are Buddhists and the other half Catholic.

They gather at times for community events, such as 6 p.m. tonight at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, when a fundraiser will be held to raise money for Vietnamese war veterans who remain in Vietnam.

The temple also serves as a gathering place for the Vietnamese community. Older people said it reminds them of their home country. Middle-aged Vietnamese put their children in the language classes, hoping they do not lose all connections to their heritage.

The classes include three American-born adults.

I think Im in third grade. They tell me that once you learn the alphabet its a simple language, said Kevin Georgantas, 41. The owner of a Goffstown automobile sales and service company, Georgantas is learning Vietnamese to prepare for the arrival of his fiancee.

He sits next to his future cousin, a 5-year-old Vietnamese boy.

Georgantas said he was drawn into the Vietnamese culture when he picked up his mother from a Vietnamese-run nail salon. The manicurists peppered her with questions: Is her son single? Would he like to meet an Asian woman?

He has visited Vietnam twice and is awaiting a visa for his 25-year-old wife. The Vietnamese approach family the way his parents did, he said.

The traditional roles that my parents and grandparents had that seemed to be lost to the millennials, are very strong, he said, in the Vietnamese culture.

Mark Haywards City Matters appears Saturdays in the New Hampshire Union Leader and UnionLeader.com. He can be reached at mhayward@unionleader.com.

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Air Seychelles expands codeshare network to Beijing – Aviation Tribune

Posted: at 2:27 pm

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Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, has expanded its codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways to offer travelers easy one-stop connections to the Chinese capital of Beijing.

The new codeshare deal will see Air Seychelles place its HM code on Etihad Airways daily service between Abu Dhabi and Beijing, a city of more than 21 million people and the home of six Unesco World Heritage Sites including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.

The codeshare route is the island carriers fourth codeshare connection with Etihad Airways in East Asia after Hong Kong, Seoul in South Korea, and Tokyo and Nagoya in Japan.

Air travelers will have one-stop access between Beijing and Seychelles via Abu Dhabi, which is linked to the tropical island group through double-daily flights with Air Seychelles and Etihad Airways.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said:

Our new codeshare route with Etihad Airways provides guests with convenient travel options to Beijing and reinforces the strong political and economic relations between Seychelles and China.

Nearly 6,000 travelers from China have visited our shores this year, and we are working hand-in-hand with our tourism partners to grow this number further.

For instance, this codeshare will support the Seychelles Tourism Boards recent roadshow in China by providing travel agents with new booking options to Seychelles.

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Tropical trouble? Storms could spin up in Atlantic, Caribbean – USA TODAY

Posted: at 2:26 pm

Two separate tropical systems are developing in the Atlantic and the Caribbean.(Photo: National Hurricane Center)

Two separate systems one in the western Caribbean, the other in the central tropical Atlantic could develop into tropical storms within the next few days, the National Hurricane Center said.

The center said there's a 60% chance the Caribbean system will become a tropical storm within the next five days, and a 50% chance of developmentfor the Atlantic one.

The first storm, a slowly budding tropical system now in the western Caribbean Sea, will slowly drift across the Yucatan Peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days, AccuWeather said. As it passes over the Yucatan, torrential rainfall and mudslides are possible in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.

After emerging into the Gulf, the storm could potentially move toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. The storm is not forecast to become a hurricane, which occurs whenwinds reach 74 mph.

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NOAA predicts active Atlantic hurricane season with 5 to 9 hurricanes

Meet the hurricane hunters, whose harrowing flights are all in a day's work

The tropical system in the central Atlantic is forecastto drift toward the islands of Dominica, Barbados, Martinique, St. Luciaand Grenada late this weekend.

On average, there's one named storm in June in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico every other year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationsaid.

"Its not so uncommon to get a named storm in the Atlantic during June,"Weather Underground said, noting Colin and Danielle developed during the month in 2016 and werethe earliest C and D storms on record.

"But its remarkable to have two potential tropical cyclones at the same time during mid-June," the websiteadded.

The next names on the list of tropical storms in the Atlantic basin for 2017 are Bret and Cindy, after Arlene formed in April.

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Caribbean jockey in the big shows has hearts racing – The Philadelphia Tribune

Posted: at 2:26 pm

Caribbean people do you miss horse racing back home, the excitement, the clippity clop of those running feet? There was Santa Rosa Park in Trinidad & Tobago, St. Georges in Grenada, Garrison Savannah in Barbados and Caymanas Park in Jamaica.

Back in the day, it was like a ritual every Saturday afternoon when radio announcers gave the play by play of the races. This was often music to the ears of horse racing fans, especially when their horse prevailed.

Many people may recall a reggae group called the Pioneers, which paid homage to a favorite horse called Long Shot who died at a race. The very catchy lyrics reminisced about the loss of Long Shot and the impact on die-hard fans. Since a long shot means taking a chance but not likely to win, this song became very popular in Jamaica during the late 1960s when a lot of people would either go to the races or listen on the radio.

Song lyrics: What a weepin and wailin dung a Caymanas Park, Long Shot kick the bucket Get up! get up! in the first race and them pull up the pace Long Shot kick the bucket.

Many horse racing fans may be familiar with one of todays young up-and-coming famous jockeys from the Caribbean, Rajiv Maragh, who is an Indo-Jamaican (family originally from India). He is the son of a jockey who rode in Jamaica and relocated to Florida. So quite naturally, he followed in his fathers footsteps and with the proper training became a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.

It did my heart proud when I watched this son of the Caribbean ride at the Kentucky Derby 2017. How did he get there? How does a jockey get to the Kentucky Derby?

In the same way, our track-and-field athletes spend a lot of time preparing to compete on the world stage similarly young people who aspire to become jockeys or trainers (in the horse racing business) work to perfect their art in order to display their talent on the worlds stage or be hired as a trainer in other countries where they could enjoy sustained success.

Maraghs journey to the top was not easy in this dangerous sport. His road to success had many detours. The familiar phrase coming up the rough side of the mountain quite aptly describes Maraghs experience exactly.

He suffered many injuries. During an interview after the Derby race, he mentioned a terrible accident during a race in October 2014 that resulted in a broken arm. Following that injury, a life-threatening accident occurred in July 2015 during a race at Belmont Park in New York.

An article in USA Today gave details of this horrific accident. According to the author, a horse, Mini Muffin, ridden by Ruben Silvera, veered into the path of YourCreditIsGood. Maragh, who was the jockey, became unseated as his horse fell on top of him. He suffered four collapsed vertebrae, nine fractures to his spine, a broken rib and a collapsed lung. It was a tedious journey back to health.

Maragh was thankful to God that he survived as the doctors could not guarantee that he was going to fully recover.

Being a jockey is who I am and what I love. It really means the world to me so when I was down and out, I had a lot of time to reflect on my life and think about whether or not I wanted to continue in this profession, Maragh said.

All roads led back to the fact that I just wanted to be a jockey. Thats what my passion is for, and I enjoy it every day. Its hard to describe what it means other than its just a natural part of my life and livelihood, he added.

This was his year, Maraghs great comeback after such a horrific accident. He was victorious on his horse, Irish War Cry, taking first place during the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct in April. (The pair would place 10th in the 20-horse field at the Kentucky Derby in May. The horse did not race in the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown.)

As I watched the horse getting closer and closer to the finish line at the Belmont Stakes in New York, my body became tensed. The other horses were right behind him. Admittedly, feeling a little disappointed, I watched Irish War Cry come in second in that June 10 race but.. I was still very proud of Maragh.

After coming back from those injuries, this finish could only be described as phenomenal. Fantastic!

We wish Maragh the best in all of his future endeavors.

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Island happy: Sapphire Falls adds Caribbean dinner show – Orlando Sentinel (blog)

Posted: at 2:26 pm

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, the newest of Universal Orlandos on-property hotels, has added a weekly dinner show that goes with its islands-oriented theme. Caribbean Carnaval is presented to guests and Central Floridians on Wednesdays.

The festivities unfold at the resorts Cayman Court, a covered, open-air pavilion. Thats the setting for an all-you-can-eat buffet, select drinks (including Planters Punch) and colorful entertainment featuring musicians and dancers who represent a 45-minute tour through the Caribbean.

Our team wanted to create something that was fun, that had fantastic food and really inspired by the beautiful islands of the Caribbean with dance and music and something very interactive, said Barb Bowen, managing director.

Songs from the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago are performed. It all builds up to get-on-your-feet crowd participation. The show debuted last month.

Weve tried to adapt to the feedback that weve gotten, Bowden said. What weve really learned is that the interactive part the conga and the limbo our guests really love.

In addition to visitors, the event has appeal as a date-night option or for corporate outings, she said.

Other Loews properties at Universal already have special events, such as monthly lobby concerts at the Hard Rock Hotel and the Wantilan Luau on Saturdays at the nearby Loews Royal Pacific Resort.

We think this, depending on our guests travel patterns, gives our guests maybe two opportunities to see a dinner show, Bowden said.

Most striking on the buffet is the mojo-roasted suckling pig. Other fare includes ropa vieja, jerk chicken, grilled snapper, Caribbean rum cake and guava flan.

Caribbean Carnaval tickets are $69 ($35 for ages 3-9). Children under age 3 get in free. Seating begins at 6 p.m., with entertainment kicking in at 7 p.m. For reservations, call 407-503-3463 or go to caribbeancarnaval.eventbrite.com.

The public has received its first glance at the vacation cottages to be available at Margaritaville Resort Orlando, which is scheduled to open in late 2018. Floridians might feel right at home.

Inspired by Key West, Bahamas, Jamaica, coastal Carolina, the Florida Keys and towns along the Gulf Coast, these homes are designed to reflect those diverse architectural styles and periods while capturing that unmistakable Margaritaville paradise, said Pat McBride, CEO of the McBride Company, which leads the design process of the Margaritaville properties.

Together, the project teams selected dozens of atmospheric architectural details intended to transport visitors, both mentally and physically, to the Margaritaville state of mind, McBride said in a news release.

The rendering released last week shows units in one-, two- and three-level designs. The dominant colors are pink, yellow, aqua and white. Other touches seen are shutters, Adirondack chairs and, naturally, palm trees.

Margaritaville has nine resorts/hotels across the Southeast U.S. and Caribbean. The Central Florida version is under construction along Highway 192 in Kissimmee, east of State Road 429.

When complete, the 300-acre Margaritaville Resort Orlando resort will feature 1,000 vacation homes, 300 timeshare units and a 187-room hotel. The properties are inspired by the lifestyle of singer/songwriter/author Jimmy Buffett.

Margaritaville says its vacation-home pricing starts at $250,000. For more information, go to margaritavilleresortorlando.com.

First responders will receive an unusual shout-out this fall: Their professions will be incorporated into the design of the annual corn maze presented by Long and Scott Farms.

As seen from the sky, a fire truck with a ladder, a police car and an EMT vehicle will be woven into the pathways of the corn maze, which consumes nearly 7 acres. Customers work their way through the puzzle that is cut into higher-than-your-head cornstalks. (Theres a plan for rescuing the hopelessly lost, too.)

Scotts Maze Adventures marks its 15th year of operation in 2017. The seasonal attraction reopens Sept. 30. It will open, on select days primarily Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 10.

The ecotourism attraction also includes a mini-maze, a zip line for kids, playground, giant jumping pillow, super slide, hayrides, misting maze, picnic areas and fishing opportunities.

Admission is $12 for ages 4 and older. Its free for 3-year-olds and younger. For more information, go to http://www.longandscottfarms.com

Theres a grand-opening date for Mine Blower, the wooden roller coaster at the Fun Spot park in Kissimmee. The ride will debut Friday, the company says.

When the project was announced, the key element of the thrill ride was its 360-degree barrel roll, which will turn passengers upside down over the loading station without the benefit of shoulder harnesses. Since then, more features have been revealed, including high-banking moments and what the designers referred to as a heart over head moment.

Fun Spot officials have said the ride represents a $6 million investment. It was built on the east side of the attraction, displacing two flat-land Go-Kart tracks. .

Fun Spot visitors will pay $9 to ride the new coaster, or it can be bundled with other rides with an all-day pass.

Got a news tip? dbevil@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5477; Twitter, @ThemeParks

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Island happy: Sapphire Falls adds Caribbean dinner show - Orlando Sentinel (blog)

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