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It was an extremely cold day and we checked in at the hotel Tundra Inn in the heart of the small town. The next morning we set out on the polar bear sighting mission.
The Churchill Wildlife Management Area is 850,000 hectares almost and the subartic habitat boasts of over 33 km of existing trail where you find the bears and sight them from the buggies, which are specially designed all-terrain vehicles.
A Frontiers North Tundra Buggy Adventure is the best and safest way to view the majestic polar bear in its natural environment. The term "Tundra Buggy" is a registered trademark of Frontiers North Adventures.
So we started early and then as the Tundra buggy- the experience of riding one is amazing- rolled along the dirt track, like a mititary tank, that was partially frozen, it took more than an hour and half perhaps to spot the first polar bear.
But then the third we spotted was a real show stopper and after almost 45 mins of viewing its movement from a little far where we had parked the vehicle, the bear finally started moving towards us and came close to the buggy.
We all clicked frantically, took videos and braved the -9 degreee temperature to rush to the open deck of the buggy for an up and close view of the animal that brought us to the Arctic tundra region.
The second day we ventured out to view polar bears with met with more success with the sighting of at least four of them, including one which smelt food in the kitchen of the buggy lodge parked in the bear point and almost chipped away a part of the buggy's bottom, till it was shooed away.
Churchill is one of the few human settlements where polar bears can be observed in the wild.
Thousands of visitors from around the world visit each fall for the excitement of seeing these magnificent animals.
Prime viewing times are in October and November, when the bears begin their move from their summer habitat on the tundra back to seal-hunting territory – the pack ice that forms every winter over Hudson Bay. You can also see bears during summer and winter.
The vast bulk of it — 92 percent — consists of tiny microplastic.
During the cruise, researchers will employ a high-speed trawl during the day as they travel, collecting a sample of microplastic. Twice a day, they will trade the high-speed trawl for a very fine net with tiny holes designed to measure densities of zooplankton and phytoplankton — essential life in the marine food chain — along with scooping up microplastic.
Lisa Kaas Boyle, policy director for 5 Gyres and an environmental lawyer, writes policy legislation based on the nonprofit group’s research. The group’s current top priority is to ban plastic microbeads, which are often used in face scrubs and toothpastes.
Every expedition, Kaas Boyle said, adds to a databank of information she can use to make the case.
“This whole notion of disposability with plastics is really a design flaw,” she said.
Also on board the ship was Amy Halman, the president of Acure. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Acure makes personal care products with only organically certified ingredients. Halman said her company is committed to using natural exfoliants like sea kelp, and that while plastic microbeads are easy and cheap to mass produce, using natural products can also be financially sustainable.
For Cousteau, the voyage is an opportunity to gather more evidence to show the damaging effects of plastic, which is often ingested by turtles and other marine life.
The morning before the Mystic set sail, Eriksen and Cummins’ 2-year-old, Avani Cummins, sat on deck, her blonde curls bouncing as she listened to Jack Johnson strum his guitar and sing The Sharing Song to her. This will be her first expedition.
Torus has expanded its medical expense liability and medical professional liability coverage to the rapidly-growing reproductive medicine industry, which assists with reproduction via in-vitro fertilization and other technologies. The Torus product lines are available for medical providers who are board certified to provide IVF procedures to egg donors and or implantation recipients. Medical expense liability (MEL) iinsures the medical expenses arising out of medical complications. The insurance can be offered to respond to donors as well as implantation recipients.
The policy includes a service component to direct patients to a network of providers in the case of a catastrophic complication. Fertility clinics and hospital units are eligible insureds for the product. The MEL minimum retention is zero, with a MEL maximum limit of $250,000. The MEL minimum premium is $10,000. Coverage terms will be offered through limited distribution points.
Family friend Peter Buck (see) fronted family friend DeLuca $1,000 to open sandwich shop to help pay for college 1965. Shop floundered; DeLuca opened second outlet to create aura of success. Created healthy buzz with infamous Jared commercials claiming formerly obese airline worker lost 245 pounds eating only Subway sandwiches. Today there are 26,389 Subway shops in 85 countries; 7,500 opened in past year. This summer a group of Subway operators sued DeLuca over control of ad dollars; suit alleges he uses marketing budget to drive up total sales at expense of franchisee profits.
He told La Parisien: "Airbnb threatens the soul and identity of a number of neighbourhoods. We can not remain inert in this situation.
"All the big cities of the world are facing this problem. If we do not regulate Airbnb, we will no longer have inhabitants in our city centres.
A spokesman for Airbnb said: "This scheme would steal opportunities from thousands of middle-class families to feed the wealthy hotel lobby and help protect its profits.
"It is out of touch with public opinion, divorced from legal reality and is a smokescreen for the real tourism concerns in central Paris, where more than 750 additional hotel rooms have been approved and built in the last year alone.
"We firmly believe that travel should benefit many – not just a wealthy few – and we will continue to encourage the Deputy Mayor to back innovations that help make Paris more affordable for Parisians, not line the pockets of wealthy hoteliers."
Mel Gibson's baby mama Oksana Grigorieva was bitter over a custody agreement she signed, and that's why she made up the story that Mel beat her up ... this according to sources connected with the actor.
TMZ broke the story ... Oksana's lawyers went to court last Monday and got a domestic violence restraining order against Mel after telling the judge Mel beat Oksana up last January.
According to sources connected with Mel, on January 6, 2010, Mel and Oksana were arguing at home when Oksana took baby Lucia, ran around the backyard, threw herself on the ground, came back inside the house and began shaking Lucia like a ragdoll. Mel followed and the sources acknowledge there was physical contact, but insist Mel did not punch her and was just trying to protect the baby.
The sources say Oksana began traveling the world with Mel and made no mention to anyone about being the victim of brutality at the hands of M.G.
In May, after the couple split, there was a mediation in which Mel and Oksana got joint legal custody of Lucia -- Oksana got primary physical custody and Mel got visitation, which included overnights. The deal was ... the arrangement was eventually supposed to turn into 50/50 custody.
On one occasion, while Oksana was touring Russia for her singing career, Mel went to her house to see Lucia. Oksana's mother was there and told him to stay overnight with the child, which he did. Oksana's mother even let the bodyguard go for the night. Oksana had no problem with this, sources say.
Sources connected with the couple tell TMZ Oksana regretted agreeing to the mediated custody settlement and wanted to limit or even exclude Mel's contact with Lucia.
A week ago Friday, Mel's representatives got a call from Oksana's lawyer, saying Oksana would not allow Mel to spend time with Lucia on Father's Day ... something to which she had already agreed.
According to sources, at noon on Monday, Oksana's lawyer called Mel's rep and said she got a restraining order against him to stay 100 yards from her and couldn't even see Lucia until a hearing in July.
The next day, Mel's lawyer went to the judge and got the restraining order modified, allowing him to see Lucia -- just like it was agreed before.
During the hearing, it came out that Oksana had secretly taped arguments she had with Mel. The judge ordered the tapes sealed and also ordered Oksana not to talk publicly about the recordings.
And, we're told, the judge was extremely unhappy with Oksana's lawyer for not revealing that there had been a mediated custody agreement in place.
We need peace but not now since rebels think they can overthrow this government . I have a dream that either Malong or Kuol will this nation with iron and fist whereby the objectives and demands of Dinkas are met. That time, all the tribe believe Dinkas are in power. This Kiir is exactly your friend and solely peace lover.
Vicis once again ranked atop the NFL’s laboratory test to determine which helmets best reduce head impact severity experienced by players on the field.
The Seattle startup and its high-tech ZERO1 helmet beat out a bevy of other helmet makers for the third straight year.
The NFL worked with the NFL Players’ Association and its biomechanical experts to assess 34 helmet models made by four companies that could be worn in the upcoming 2019 season. The tests simulate concussion-causing impacts sustained by NFL players during games and analyze rotational velocity and acceleration as part of the evaluations. They are specifically designed to simulate NFL conditions and aren’t meant to be applied to collegiate, high school, or youth football.
The 2018 version of Vicis’ $950 ZERO1 helmet ranked No. 1. Vicis also ranked No. 1 for the past two years in the same test.
The league said that the top three helmets had no statistical difference in performance. It also noted that the percentage of players wearing a helmet in the green region of the list increased by 33 percent last season. “Analysis of on-field game concussions for the 2015-2018 seasons showed that players wearing green helmets had a lower rate of reported concussions than those wearing yellow or red helmets,” the league said in a press release. The list also includes a group of prohibited helmets.
As more research surfaces that links former NFL players and brain disease, the NFL has encouraged the use of advanced helmets. It has also made rule changes that, for example, prevent players from initiating contact with the helmet. The league saw the number of concussions drop year-over-year by 24 percent during the 2018 season, reversing a trend of increased concussions on the field in years past.
The NFL reached a $1 billion concussion settlement in 2017, though the payout process has drawn scrutiny.
The $950 ZERO1 football helmet is engineered with multiple, specialized layers designed to mitigate impacts believed to cause concussions. It is used by players on nearly all NFL teams, more than 120 NCAA programs, and more than 1,200 high school teams.
Vicis’ youth version of the ZERO1 also just ranked first in Virginia Tech’s inaugural youth football helmet ratings. Five Seattle-area high school football programs announced this week that they are switching to the Vicis helmet.
Vicis CEO Dave Marver told GeekWire today that the company doubled the number of NFL players wearing the ZERO1 helmet from 2017 to 2018.
“Players of all positions wore the ZERO1, but quarterbacks and tight ends were particularly drawn to the ZERO1 due to its industry-best wide field of view,” he said.
Vicis is a finalist for the Deal of the Year category at the GeekWire Awards after it closed a $28.5 million Series B round in November, bringing the company’s total funding raised to $84 million since spinning out of the University of Washington in 2014. NFL star quarterback Aaron Rodgers is an investor in Vicis. Other backers of the company include fellow NFL players Alex Smith, Russell Wilson, and Doug Baldwin; former NFL players including Roger Staubach and Jerry Rice; prominent spine and neurological surgeons; Cincinnati Reds minority owner Harry Fath; angelMD; W Fund; Alliance of Angels; and Trilogy Equity Partners.
Vicis employs 125 people. The company manufactures its helmets at a facility in Seattle.
Michigan football is 10-3 again. That's fine, but it is not good enough. Jim Harbaugh's system is far too predictable and plodding.
ATLANTA — Shea Patterson tried his best to lend some optimism in the wake of another nightmare loss.
Even if his coaching staff didn't heed them.
It all makes sense. With one problem.
Michigan didn't do that in 2018, not nearly enough anyway. And as coach Jim Harbaugh enters a fifth season in Ann Arbor, his operation has to either adapt or get left behind for good.
The Wolverines are straddling no man's land at this point. A 41-15 loss to Florida in the Peach Bowl gives Harbaugh his third 10-3 season in four years. Not bad. Not great.
And certainly not good enough for a fan base whose unrelenting demands often border on impossible.
Michigan's football team was exposed in its final two acts of 2018. The first, a thrashing at Ohio State in November, was the most telling.
When faced with elite speed on the opposing sideline, Michigan had no answer. Not fast enough in nearly enough places. And not forward-thinking enough to take advantage of the areas where speed and big-play ability actually exists.
The defense crumbled in stubbornness. But so did the offense. And that's still the bigger issue.
In 2018, Harbaugh's offense seemed to care more about time of possession than getting its best players on the field at the same time in an effort to create opportunities for explosive plays in big moments.
Michigan was conservative and stubborn at Ohio State and paid dearly for it.
A month later, Harbaugh was conservative and stubborn against Florida, and got laughed out of Atlanta.
Collins, Peoples-Jones and Black are Michigan's best offensive players. Yet the number of times all three were on the field together during either the Ohio State or Florida games could probably be counted on two hands. All three have NFL ability. All three might be entering the 2019 season with NFL dreams in the following spring.
Michigan didn't have Black at full strength this season, and while Harbaugh said the staff had been careful with him late in the year, Black told reporters Saturday night he has been healthy enough to play.
If Harbaugh and his staff waste this trio in 2019, this offense will suffer ramifications felt far beyond one 12-game schedule.
If those three aren't featured with Patterson from start to finish next season, then the question becomes: Why on earth would an elite offensive skill player ever want to come play in this stiff system?
Harbaugh told reporters Saturday night he doesn't anticipate any staff changes this offseason. Whether or not that holds up remains to be seen, but it's clear something has to change.
Michigan has too much ability to plod around the field like this. Too much talent to be mashing the ball for zero yards on third and fourth down with a fullback. This offense takes forever to get a play called, likely thanks in large part to Harbaugh's convoluted play-calling system — something he has refused to discuss or address all year, or at any point during his tenure.
Michigan has the personnel to run a modern offense. It made strides in the right direction this season, but far too often it felt like someone trying to drag a piano up a mountain.
The Wolverines are big and strong enough to push around most of the teams in the Big Ten and beat everyone not named Ohio State. But in a world where nothing else matters — and make no mistake, Michigan now lives in that world — those losses are an issue.
The odds of Harbaugh hiring someone to run his offense for him seem long, as he has always done things his way without apology. He has been honest with himself plenty of times throughout his career. He was last season, when he said good-bye to his longest-tenured assistant (Tim Drevno), re-shuffled his staff and went after Patterson despite having a crowded, young quarterback room.
But he must adapt his offense.
Defensively, the same thing must happen. It's hard to crash too hard on defensive coordinator Don Brown, whose defenses have been stout for years on this level. But, much like the offense, everything is becoming predictable.
Which, in the end, is Michigan football in a nutshell.
Not fast enough against elite teams. Unable to deliver when it matters most. Unable to finish. Unable to get over the hump.
It seems like the former DNC chairman gets talked about for every open position, but this is one job he's reportedly not interested in.
With Sanjay Gupta's decision to bow out of the running for surgeon general, there's yet another big vacancy in the Obama administration open. Unsurprisingly -- and I say that because it seems like his supporters bring up his name every time there's an open position in the administration, and because of his background -- former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has been talked about for the job.
Greg Sargent reports, however, that he's hearing from Dean allies that the former Vermont governor doesn't want the post. "It's not a good fit for him," one told Sargent.
That's in contrast to the job of Health and Human Services secretary, which Dean did want. His friends and allies have been perturbed by the lack of consideration Dean has gotten for Cabinet posts like HHS from the Obama administration and by other perceived slights.
Jake Gauci, a 16-year-old athlete, sociable, likeable, excels in middle and long distance, Savio College Past Pupil, Salesian Leader and an MCAST Student in Marine Engineering!
Jake, I still vividly remember day 1 of your training with the former coach: Mathew Croker and you were a timid, young boy, shy, introverted and totally focused on Matthew's instructions, stuck off the rest, nearly agitated prior to the cross countries and lacking self confidence in your abilities. Today, years later, I see a totally different version of grown up Jake: Independent, livelier, sociable, likeable, positive self-esteem, pro-active and strong presence during races. Rather than the former pre-race jitters, I can sense a positive approach for a race; unmatchable confidence whilst racing against senior athletes. Your results have been improving. I do understand that youths at puberty are introverted but such a welcoming transformation was quite unthinkable. To what do you attribute such positive development in your training; your social life and your interaction with others?
When I started running I was very shy and I would just go start my warm up and observe all the other athletes. All of them seemed to be much more relaxed and in control of the situation. The bigger the crowd, the louder and livelier the atmosphere would make me nervous and panicky. My coach at the time, Matthew Crocker, knew that I wasn't the most outgoing and confident person so he would talk to me face-to-face just before a race started. He would tell me I shouldn't be scared of anyone and that I should just focus on running my own race, go out there and enjoy myself, because after all that's the most important thing about running. These simple words boosted my confidence and I pushed myself with the belief that as long as I did my best and had fun in the process, I knew I would run a great race. Those words of encouragement were enough for me to achieve confidence in my abilities. The more I progressed I became accustomed to the athlete's life. From the training and the sacrifices to the final moment of the race, the more comfortable and relaxed I became. I started being more optimistic and confident before each tough training session or race. As time flew by I got to know many fantastic people and made new friends with whom I've had the pleasure of sharing my journey so far in Athletics. I've been able to meet different athletes and coaches from various clubs with their different opinions and perspectives. I respect all of them and I managed to learn lessons from all, contributing to my progress. All this has helped me grow both as an athlete and as a person.
You started athletics under the guidance of Matthew Croker who patiently and meticulously taught you the right and proper way of how to handle athletics. Matthew is a great inspiration to many and am sure he is one of your mentors. He always had great faith in you and your progressive improvement is evidence. At present you are being trained by another formidable coach: Mario Bonello: still very patient and attentive to the least detail. If you were to compare these two local athletic icons what is your opinion of them? I think that the transition process from Matthew to Mario went smoothly and it was just a consolidation of the same. They do perceive the same basics and principles. Which sessions do you prefer and which sessions do you like less?
I am very privileged to say that I started my experience in Athletics with one of the most iconic athletes in Malta's history and was honoured to learn, train and experience first-hand the highs and lows of training, the sacrifices and the races, with a role model of mine Matthew Crocker. Matthew was my coach when I started running. He showed me the basics and introduced me to a whole new world. When I started to progress, show my potential and achieve results, he suggested I try and take things more seriously and that I should start training with him and his coach Mario Bonello. This proved to be the right choice. With the guidance and impeccable coaching of my new coach I became accustomed to tougher and more frequent training sessions, new concepts on how to train, run and race. However, Matthew had already instilled the basics in me and since his philosophy resembled very much that of coach Mario, I experienced a smooth transition. My training varies from long runs, speed endurance, technique and pure speed. I don't really have any that I dislike, but I do tend to prefer the fast and speed endurance sessions even though these can be some of the hardest sessions one can do. They are fast paced and challenging from the very start till the end. There is always a battle between your mind and body, one tells you to stop the other to just keep going and not think about the fatigue because in the end it is all worth it.
You are a Savio College Past Pupil and like many of us, myself included, we carry with us that sense of ownership which distinguishes us from the rest and remains throughout our lives. One of my credos at heart which was Don Bosco's was "Idleness is the devil's workshop" and I can say that I lived up to it. I know that you are highly active in the Salesians community. I remember long time ago when I was young, eagerly waiting for those blessed 7 days to share with many other unknown children of my age at the Salesians' Summer Camps. Such experiences helped me considerably in socialising and learning new talents. Salesians are always at the forefront of youth development. What are your experiences in these regards? Are there more activities on a regular basis apart from the summer Camps? What is your role and what does it entail?
I am lucky to say that I completed my Secondary education at Savio College. My school has taught me many things, not just academically but also life lessons that have allowed me to grow as a person. At Savio College I was provided with necessary skills to face my life journey confidently. Needless to say I was sad when my experience as a student was over, but luckily I started a different involvement at Savio College as a Salesian Animator. I've had the pleasure to meet and work with many amazing people. We organize activities such as Hbieb Domenico Savio meetings, live-ins and the Summer Camps for children. These activities are filled with fun and games in the Salesian spirit, helping children and youths grow while having fun and learning in a loving and caring environment. Such experiences gave me some valuable life lessons. I've learnt how to be a good leader. When and how to take the necessary action and adapt to given circumstances. How to overcome differences. How to work in a team and many more. All of which I nowadays use in both Athletics and my personal life.
Jake, you started athletics at the age of 13. Since then, I don't recall any absences from training except for some injuries where you had to stop for a while in order to do rehab. You did O levels and you fared well. You are now sitting for a course in Marine Engineering at MCAST. How is it going? I know that MCAST is walking distance from home so you avoid wasting time and energy in catching buses. Are you coping well with proper time management vis-à-vis school, exams and training. There is an abysmal difference between Savio College and MCAST. One is very small and the students are visible; MCAST is on a different level. Was it difficult for you to swap from a spoon-fed school to one with less individual attention? What do you miss most from Savio and what are you gaining more from MCAST?
Currently I'm about to start the second year of my course in Marine Engineering at MCast. I've never been one to say that I put my life on hold to prepare for my O levels as I always kept the right balance between school and sports. Some people might think that it's difficult to study, train and socialize at the same time. In my case, the training was my break after a tough day at school and more time spent studying at home. I would go to the track and put all my pent-up tension and frustration into my sessions. The trick for me was always being productive with the time available. As you correctly said, Savio College and MCast are two completely different worlds. From a school where the student is central and provided with a holistic education to another which is more oriented towards giving you the skills and experiences required to achieve the career you aspire for. I have to say I enjoyed both experiences so far together with their challenges. At first the freedom and independence given at post-secondary schools can shock you, but as you go along you get used to it making it a pleasurable experience. Both schools have and are preparing me for the future and for this I am very grateful.
Jake, you have now added loads of races to your CV and even your races abroad have significantly increased. You have witnessed on your own skin the difference between the local timings compared to our foreign counterparts. The longer the distance, the greater the discrepancy. Unfortunately, it has always been like this. What are the differences you experience abroad from here? What are your feelings when competing abroad and representing Malta? What do you think can be ameliorated in local athletics? You run the 800m, 1500m, 3000m and 5000m races, practically middle distance to long distance running. What are your ambitions in these races which so far you have been improving from time to time? Which race is most at heart and why? Tell us about your PB s and the immediate feelings post a new PB?
I count myself lucky to have been able to race against the best local athletes as well as some of the best talent in the world. Sadly it's true, we as a country are still a long way from being able to compete and achieve results internationally and with the world's biggest stars. However, I trust that in time, especially considering some of the upcoming talent, with good investment and sacrifice there will be opportunities to grow and improve the athletics' scene here in Malta. Competing abroad and representing one's country is always an honour and I have been privileged to have experienced it quite a few times. Every time I compete abroad I try not to put undue pressure on myself but nonetheless do my very best. Aware that my competition is on a higher level encourages me more to push myself and keep up with them. I try to be confident, calm and enjoy the experience. I started out running the 1500m and 3000m but now as I have grown older I am eligible to compete in the road races. I sometimes run the 5000m as an enjoyable way to challenge myself. In fact when I ran my personal best in the 5000m, at 17:15, I was very surprised as I wasn't really prepared for it and I ran very comfortably. I just ran with a smile on my face and enjoyed the race. I was surprised when I looked at my watch and saw the time, it gave me a sense of triumph and hunger for more at the same time. This year I tried to focus more on the 1500m and 800m to try and test my speed, this proved to be a good decision as I have performed beyond my expectations for this year. I have improved considerably, even more than what I had imagined. In a single year I managed to lower my personal bests by 5 seconds in the 800m to 2:03 and 17 seconds in the 1500m to 4:19. Every year there isn't a specific goal in mind apart from improving my personal bests, however my dream and long term goal is to be able to run a sub 2 minute 800m as well as a sub 4 minute 1500m. The 800m race holds a special place in my heart, the combination of speed and endurance make it one of the hardest races out there. Not to mention that it is my role model, Matthew Crocker's, main race. My goal before any race is to go for a new personal best. Once achieved this gives you the most rewarding feelings, knowing that all your hard work and sacrifices were all worthwhile and are finally showing results.
Jake, you are a smart student and an outstanding athlete. I am asking for an advice since I deem fit that you are proved and tested. What message would you like to convey to those students-athletes who, this year will be sitting for their O levels and suggest if possible the proper or idyllic way to cope with both without neglecting neither studies nor athletics?
Research indicates that sports can help you perform better academically. It isn't easy, but anyone can manage to keep up with their studies and sport. Time management is very important. Know your goals and prioritize wisely. Plan ahead and eliminate distractions. Social media and your smartphone can be your most sneaky time waster, so be careful! It involves a lot of dedication and love for the sport too. My advice would be to be committed to both schooling and sports equally. With some sacrifices and hard work even though it may seem demanding and hard, at the end of the day you won't be disappointed especially with your results. If I did it you can do it too!
Enlisted may be pulling a Community.
Deadline is reporting that Fox's canceled comedy Enlisted may find a new home at Yahoo's streaming service Yahoo Screen, and that "talks are under way" between the company and Fox executives.
Though the show saw low ratings, it faced an uphill battle from the start: Fox placed it in an unenviable Friday night time slot, shuffled episode orders which left plot threads dangling, and pulled it before its 13 episodes finished airing. Series creator Kevin Biegel even rallied fans to watch the final four episodes, but Fox refused to renew the show.
The fact anythings even being talked about is because of you amazing, amazing fans. So cross fingers. Mine crossed so hard they may break.
Whatever the result, looks like it's time to have a healthy cry for Enlisted.

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