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Kimchi is not only one of the most important Korean side dishes that is also used in Korean stews and main dishes, but many, many of us love its unique smell! I love my kimchi and fried rice, and yes, the smell of fried kimchi is half the pleasure. I can’t imagine making and then looking at a bowl of kimchi fried rice that DOES NOT SMELL of kimchi. What kind of culinary nightmare is this?

Well, the apparent nightmare, just like your favorite movie without sound, with or without color, or a cup of coffee in the morning without coffee aromas, is now a dream or a nightmare come true depending on how you prefer your kimchi.

The side dish, as it has been served for hundreds of years, is perfect for most of us kimchi connoisseurs, with its pungent smell and even has its own national event called Kimjang. In preparation for the colder months of the year, the entire Korean nation is involved in gathering ingredients, making, and storing Kimchi for Um-dong (the coldest 3-4 months of winter). This is one of the most important annual events. Housewives, friends, relatives and neighbors collaborate. In years gone by, each fall, families would traditionally take turns helping each other prepare kimchi for the harsh winters ahead, with its wonderful fermented smell, I might add.

The annual event strengthened the ties between family members and neighbors perpetuating the spirit of “Pumasi” – Spirit of helping each other.

This tradition has been lost in some areas due to cultural modernization, busier schedules, the availability of ready-to-eat kimchi at local stores, and the revolutionary kimchi refrigerator that extends freshness using lower temperatures.

Now, 56-year-old Kim Soon-ja (named the First Kimchi Master by the South Korean Ministry of Food in 2007) has created Kimchi that is odorless. She has run her own factory since 1986 and now has a patent on odorless kimchi. Her creation is a new type of freeze-dried pickled cabbage that doesn’t smell even after adding water to it. [1]

As selfish as it sounds, I’m not at all interested in the reaction of foreign palettes as much as what you might think about it. I understand Korea’s struggle for the globalization of Korean food and kimchi in particular, but I love the smell of kimchi followed by the taste of the pickled spicy heavenly treat.

The Seoul-based Korea Institute of Image Communication surveyed that the unique smell of Korean food is the biggest obstacle to culinary globalization. Granted, fermenting cabbage, garlic, red pepper flakes, anchovy, fish sauce, and ginger greatly improves your chances of kimchi breath, but that’s what brushes and mints are for! the breath!

Also consider that if that odorless kimchi moves itself and Korean cuisine, in general, closer to the desired culinary globalization, what are we to make of 3000-year-old kimchi recipes and approaches when asked at the regard? What do we say to those who ask for REAL kimchi in restaurants? Should we provide separate seating like we did for smokers? I’m being a bit extreme, of course, but I suppose we can provide a pseudo kimchi for those unwilling to risk being anywhere near the smell of a healthy fermented food. For the seller, it could even be an additional source of income and probably sells for more than the real thing. One of the few requirements for a ridiculous price is the novelty factor and an odorless kimchi will certainly have that. People are funny that way, don’t you know?

With the smell removed, what does kimchi taste like without the smell? Well, I personally haven’t had a chance to try it, but I’m extremely doubtful and pessimistic that I’d enjoy it the way I do freshly served, naturally fermented kimchi in all its glorious smell. However, I’ll keep an open mind enough to say that I’ve yet to try it and until I do, I’ll just have to bite my tongue a bit and effortlessly sniff the stuff out: remember it’s odorless.

The creator of the odorless kimchi brand ‘just add water’ speaks best of him saying, “When it is soaked in cold or hot water for a few minutes, it will become just like ordinary kimchi,” says Kim, the owner of Han Sung. Food in the suburbs of Seoul.

It sounded like and reminded me of the sterilized and irradiated kimchi that was developed for space travel when astronaut Ko San went into orbit in April 2008.

I’m sure the creator of the odorless concoction has nothing but good things to say about kimchi, but I want the pungent smell to be part of the experience for many of us. To kimchi mongers like me, this odorless variety would be like smoky barbecue with no trace of smoked meat in the air or pastry with no sweet effect on the nose.

A professor of food science at Kyung Hee University said, “Some people who like freshness might not like dry kimchi.” An acquired taste, the dish isn’t the same without its telltale aroma, Cho says.

I would also be concerned about losing out on any of the true health benefits of traditional kimchi compared to its odorless counterpart. I enjoy the smell of my kimchi as it’s served and treat myself. Despite the lack of its natural scent, I can’t help but wonder if odorless kimchi’s health benefits remain intact to include antitoxins, anti-allergens, and antibiotics.

From Wikipedia: (About REAL Kimchi)

Health magazine named kimchi to its list of the five “World’s Healthiest Foods” for being rich in vitamins, aiding digestion and possibly even reducing cancer growth.

A study from Seoul National University claimed that chickens infected with the H5N1 virus, also called bird flu, recovered after eating food containing the same bacteria found in kimchi. However, the veracity of these results has been questioned due to the very small sample size of only a handful of chickens, and the fact that no subsequent research supported the claims. During the 2003 SARS outbreak in Asia, many people even believed that kimchi could protect against infections, although there was no scientific evidence to support this belief.

However, in May 2009, the Korea Food Research Institute, Korea’s state food research organization, said it had conducted a larger study on 200 chickens, which supported the efficacy of kimchi in fighting bird flu. “. [2]

Among the real health benefits of kimchi are better intestinal maintenance, omega-6 fatty acids, fights unhealthy cholesterol levels, high levels of garlic which provide high levels of allicin, a natural source of selenium and artery cleanser. , and a high content of chili with its vitamin C. enchanted. [3]

I guess my future dining experiences may require a call ahead to specify and make sure I am served the traditional stinky kimchi following my preference between the best tap water or mineral water in town. So if a serving of this odorless kimchi makes it to my table, for my taste it will be only half the experience.

Without a doubt, that would be a table and a restaurant that I would have to avoid. I mean kimchi has traditionally been served fresh or slightly aged with all its natural flavors and smell fermented just as it was made 2600-3000 years ago. It’s hard to break away from such an old habit, you know?

I have to admit that opening a jar of kimchi will release a strong and lingering odor that most would find very noticeable and perhaps offensive. If I’m traveling and can’t get to where it’s served as standard, have to eat in a hotel room or someone else’s house, I’d be more than happy to venture into the typical food of the region. I mean, when you’re in Rome, you don’t pop your kimchi-filled tupperware. And even then, I know that in many parts of the world I can purchase enough kimchi locally to meet my needs. This is not like asking for $750 a pound of white truffles during an expedition in the Amazon.

I contacted Kim Soon-ja to get a sample of her Kimchi as I would like to review her product on my Love That Kimchi.com site. Just as I’ve tried Granny Choe’s traditional kimchi (complete with the wonderful smell of fermented cabbage and ancient ingredients) and now recommend it on my site, I would offer a completely fair and unbiased review of odorless kimchi for both the traditionalist and those who don’t. They have kept away from this gem because of the smell. Despite having my strong preference, I can offer a fair review on the merits of taste alone. This despite a strong connection between the sense of smell and taste, at least mine. It might be like judging a sizzling steak, right before your eyes, with no meaty smell, but it would be the taste, after all, that’s being judged. I’ve had to do worse.

Until then, with all due respect, and I mean it, I think ‘scentless kimchi’ will be as tolerated among true lovers of Korean cuisine as zirconia diamonds are among gemstone collectors.

In the meantime, I’m grateful to keep and as long as it’s acceptable to go back to my stinky kimchi.

I enjoy every mouthful of cabbage’s perfectly balanced fermented flavors and ingredients that make this strong-smelling food one of the five healthiest foods in the world according to Health magazine. But then again, what do those shmuks know about these things, right?

Finally, for those not willing to settle, remember, if it looks like kimchi, SMELLS like kimchi, is served like kimchi, then it’s probably REAL kimchi.

In the meantime, don’t make me ask who moved my kimchi smell.

Jamaica is an amazing destination for a family vacation. Although it has beautiful white sand beaches and a beautiful blue sea to play in, there are many more fun things to do in Jamaica with your children. The countryside in Jamaica is a playground of nature with impressive waterfalls and pristine rivers. This eco-paradise is a great place for family travel with unique activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Spend the day at Treasure Beach and the Black River

Treasure Beach is a sleepy fishing village on the south coast of Jamaica. Head to the beach with the kids and have a drink at the lively beach bar. Enjoy a quick game of dominoes with the locals and negotiate a day trip with one of the fishermen. As you head out into the blue Caribbean Sea in your brightly colored fishing boat, you can sit back and enjoy the view along the coastline. Your kids will have a blast watching the dolphins as they swim just a few feet from your boat. Stop at the Pelican Bar located on a sandbank a mile out into the ocean. Have a drink and reason with the dreadlocks while enjoying the magnificent scenery. They serve delicious fresh fish and lobster dishes. Then head to Black River. This river is home to several crocodiles. Your children will love watching the crocodiles while sunbathing in the mangroves. Head over to the crab shack and eat a couple of baked crabs. Farther up the river, your kids will have a blast swinging from the rope into the cool water. Don’t worry, there are no crocodiles in these places! Return to Treasure Beach for a delicious dinner of spicy chicken, rice and peas.

YS Falls

We all know about the world famous Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios. However, if you’re looking for somewhere a little less touristy, head to YS Falls. These falls are surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens. The whole family will have fun swimming in the cool pools of water. Kids will have a blast swinging on the tarzan ropes in the waterfall pools. You can also take a refreshing dip in the natural pool. Grab some inner tubes and float down the river or zip line over the falls. On the way back to your hotel, stop at some of the fresh fruit stalls and enjoy delicious tropical fruits like mangoes, sugar cane, pineapple, and more.

luminous lagoon

Head to Falmouth to see the sparkling waters for a night with your family. Take a boat ride to the lagoon to witness this natural wonder. Microscopic organisms in the water will light up as the water is agitated. Take a stick to spin in the water so your kids can have fun watching the water as it lights up. You can even take a dip in the water and splash around as the water lights up around you! After your boat ride, head over to Glistening Waters Restaurant and watch this bioluminescent show while dining on some local cuisine, like chicken curry or fried snapper.

rick’s coffee

This lively bar is the perfect place to spend an afternoon with the kids. This world famous bar is located on the cliffs of Negril. Your family will enjoy the contagious reggae music while you enjoy the diving show. Don’t forget to bring some small bills to tip the divers. Watch these performers make the crowd laugh as they climb the trees above the cliffs to do their daring jumps. Those handy Jamaicans know how to put on a good show with handstand cartwheels in the waters. Your older kids can even join in on the action and jump off cliffs and platforms of varying heights. There is also a pool to cool off. Grab a refreshingly cold Red Stripe beer and some fruit punch for the kids and watch the dazzling sunset.

There are so many more fun things to do in Jamaica with your kids the next time you visit!

Born on January 5, 1966 in an urban district of Santurce in San Juan, Deborah Fátima Carthy-Deu became the second Puerto Rican to win the prestigious Miss Universe 1985. On July 15, 1985 at the Knight Center in Miami at the Florida State, Puerto Rico left another mark in beauty history by bringing home the Miss Universe crown.

Débora is the daughter of Ramón Carthy Sánchez and Vicky Sanz Deu. Her father is of white Irish and Puerto Rican descent and is a professional photographer and director, while her mother works as a modeling and ballet academy director at the Academy of Ballet and Modeling. She attended a Catholic school for her primary education and attended Commonwealth High School for her secondary education.

At the young age of thirteen, Deborah spent the summer taking dance classes in New York City in the United States. At thirteen, she too auditioned for and was accepted as a member of the Concert Ballet, a dance and theater company.

During her college days, she was crowned Miss San Juan 1985. The same year, on April 27, 1985, she won the title of Miss Puerto Rico, a title that made her the official representative of Puerto Rico in the Miss Universe 1985 pageant. In July 1985, she won the Miss Universe crown in Miami, Florida, making her the second in her country to win the crown after fifteen years. The first Miss Universe title she won was in 1970 by Marisol Malaret. In fact, with the contributions of Deborah Fátima Carthy-Deu, she gave Puerto Rico a lot of pride.

Most people associate Hamilton Beach with being one of the leading manufacturers of commercial restaurant equipment, air purifiers, and kitchen appliances, primarily marketed in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Some of the products made by Hamilton Beach include: air purifiers, griddles, slow cookers, toasters, mixers, and blenders.

Due to a merger that took place during the 1940s, this brand was formerly known as ‘Hamilton Beach Scovill’ until the 1980s. Hamilton Beach later merged with another appliance manufacturer, Proctor Silex in 1990. However The company began in 1910, when a businessman from Racine, Wisconsin named LH Hamilton, and a mechanical inventor named Chester Beach decided to form a partnership.

Multi-household kitchen work just became so much faster and easier, once the Hamilton Beach Mixer was released. For years this company has been making some of the highest quality kitchen appliances sold around the world, and the blender is among their renowned line of home equipment. The company is also known for making great shake makers and hand/hands-free mixers, all of which are designed to make your job in the kitchen that much easier.

Before the Hamilton Beach mixer was introduced to the market, the tasks of kneading, mixing and stirring were quite exhausting and time consuming; As such, it’s fair to say that many cooking and baking tasks have been made much easier with the use of these kitchen appliances. With appliances like the mixer, you’ll be able to whip up a perfect batch of your favorite cookies in no time. You can even use the hand mixer to mix up a variety of items like scrambled eggs, puddings, and sauces in just a few minutes.

You can even use the Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer to make some of your favorite shakes and malts from the comfort of your own home. The stand designs are not only capable of mixing cake batter and cookie dough, but can also be used to make mashed potatoes. You will never find the process of making bread easier when you have this great mixer to help you mix your bread dough.

With the many different models and styles of these stand mixers that are available on the market today, you are sure to find one or even two that are ideal for your baking needs. Also, this blender makes a great gift to a family member or friend as a wedding gift, or even a housewarming gift.

He was mean to the bone from birth. He cheated, coerced, and killed men with relish. In the end, for his many crimes, Louis “Lepke” Buchalter became toasted in the electric chair of Sing Sing.

Louis Buchalter was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on February 12, 1897. His parents were Russian Jews, and his father owned a hardware store on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Buchalter led an uneventful life when he was a child. He would often walk the Williamsburg Bride with his father to accompany him to work. His mother affectionately called him “Lepkeleh”, which in Yiddish means “Little Louis”. His childhood friends shortened it to Lepke, a name that stuck with him for the rest of his life.

Lepke’s life took a turn for the worse when he was 13 years old. Her father died unexpectedly and her mother was so upset by the death of her husband that her health began to seriously deteriorate. Doctors told her that she needed a change of climate to restore her health, so Lepke’s mother left for Arizona, leaving Lepke in the care of her older sister. Lepke, deeply resentful of being abandoned, was impossible for his sister to control. He soon dropped out of school and began walking the streets of the Lower East Side, looking for trouble and, above all, finding it. He hung out with older mobsters, who taught him how to rob and rob, and rob old ladies of their valuables. In 1915, Lepke was caught robbing a store and sent to live with an uncle in Bridgeport, Connecticut. There he continued his practices as a thief and was eventually sent to a children’s reform school in Cheshire.

A few months later, Lepke, now just 16, was back roaming the streets of the Lower East Side. He started stealing pushcarts, and one day, he tried to steal a pushcart that was already being stolen by another street thug named Jacob “Gurrah” Shapiro. The two became fast friends and began a relationship that would last for the rest of their natural lives. Lepke and Shapiro teamed up and were the threat to downtown forklift owners. They tried to move the latter up to higher scores, but in 1918, Lepke was caught robbing a loft downtown and was sent to Sing Sing Prison with a five-year sentence as a result.

Lepke’s time in prison was the equivalent of a college education for criminals. When he was released in 1923, at the age of 25, he was now a hardened thug, with the knowledge to succeed in a life of crime. He teamed up again with his old friend Shapiro and they decided they could make a mint selling “protection” to bakeries all over New York City. Other thieves called them “The Gorilla Boys,” and Lepke and Shapiro convinced such top organizations as Gottfried’s, Levy’s, Fink’s, and California Pies that they could stop “crazy immigrants” from burning down their bakeries. Of course, the crazy immigrants were the “Gorilla Boys” themselves, and those who didn’t pay protection actually burned down their bakeries.

The next step for “The Gorilla Boys” was as schlammers or leg breakers for the unions. Under the direction of their boss, Little Augie Orgen, Lepke and Shapiro made a good living keeping the garment district union members in check. Orgen was upset by competition from Dopey Benny Fein, who was trespassing on Orgen’s union territories. So Orgen sent Lepke and Shapiro to shoot Fein straight. The duo cornered Fein in a Bowery bar, but were only able to wound him, while Shapiro took a bullet to the back. Orgen himself took over Fein soon after, cementing his control over the syndicates. But then Lepke and Shapiro had the bright idea to take care of their boss the same way Orgen did Fein. And so they did, dousing Orgen with lead on a Lower East Side street while Orgen’s bodyguard Jack “Legs” Diamond stood nearby, not doing a great job of protecting the boss from him.

Orgen’s murder propelled “The Gorilla Boys” to the big time. They became instant stars of the underworld, befriending such top mobsters as Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Frank Costello, Albert Anastasia, Dutch Schultz, Tommy Lucchese, and Lucky Luciano. His specialty was working on both ends of union agreements; blackmailing landlords into paying protection and charging high fees to union members, while getting a nice chunk for themselves from the top of an ever-growing pot of union cash. Industries such as the poultry business, the garment center, restaurants, and cleaning and dyeing businesses paid Lepke and Shapiro, who now had more than 250 goons working for them, an estimated $10 million a year just to stay in business. business. In order to show the government some legitimate income to justify their lavish lifestyles, Lepke and Shapiro—no longer called the “Gorilla Boys” but the “Gold Dust Twins”—acquired legitimate companies like Raleigh Manufacturing, the Pioneer Coat Factory, and Greenberg and Shapiro. .

Lepke, along with Luciano, Schultz, Lansky, Siegel, Costello, Anastasia, and Lucchese formed a national crime syndicate, which controlled all illegal activities in the Northeast and as far as the Midwest. Of course, for such an operation to continue to prosper and grow, sometimes dissidents, inside and outside the group, need to be “straightened out,” or in other words, killed. The syndicate put Lepke in charge of the murder department, with Anastasia, a crazy killer, as his underboss. They expertly ran what the press called “Murder Incorporated.” Lepke employed gunslingers like Abe “Kid Twist” Reles, Harry “Pittsburgh Phil” Strauss, Happy Maione, and Dasher Abbandando, among others, to travel wherever needed, to fix anyone who needed to be fixed.

Trouble came for Lepke on behalf of special counsel Thomas E. Dewey, who had already jailed Luciano on a trumped-up charge of prostitution. Dewey went after Lepke for his bakery racketeering deals, but Dewey fell the hardest when he got the Federal Bureau of Narcotics to build a case involving Lepke in a massive drug smuggling operation. Assuming he was in for a big moment at the slammer, Lepke went on the run. Anastasia hid him in various Brooklyn hideouts, while other syndicate members took care of his rackets.

Lepke’s actions had an adverse effect on the rest of his friends. J. Edgar Hoover, obviously unaware that Hitler and Mussolini were wreaking havoc around the world, called Lepke “the most dangerous man on earth.” As a result, a $50,000 bounty was placed on Lepke’s head. New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia added to the heat when he ordered his police commissioner, Lewis J. Valentine, to start a “war on thugs.” Things got so bad that he sent a message to Luciano, who was chilling in the can, for some sage advice on how to handle the Lepke affair. Luciano decided that, for the common good, Lepke, after almost four years on the run, had to turn himself in and face the music.

The trick was how to convince a man, who was facing between 30 years and life in prison, to turn himself in and take his medicine like a man. Luciano, always the cunning fox, concocted a plan, whereby Moe “Dimples” Wolensky, a man Lepke trusted, convinced Lepke that a deal had been made with Hoover, that he would stand trial only on the narcotics charge and he would receive five years in prison. , at most. And if Lepke were to surrender directly to Hoover, Dewey would be completely out of the picture. Lepke had his doubts, and when he asked Anastasia for advice, Anastasia, who was obviously not involved in the deal, told Lepke, “This deal sounds crazy. As long as they can’t get you, they can’t hurt you.”

On August 5, 1940, gossip columnist and radio host Walter Winchell received a phone call at his all-night venue, the Stork Club, at 3 East Fifty-Third Street. A gruff voice on the other end of the phone said, “Don’t ask who I am, but Lepke wants in. Contact Hoover and tell him that Lepke wants a guarantee that he won’t be harmed if he turns himself in to Hoover.”

The next day, Winchell spoke on the radio. He said, in his usual breathy speech, like a machine gun firing from his mouth: “Your reporter is reliably informed that Lepke, the fugitive, is about to surrender, possibly this week. If Lepke can find someone he can trust, I’ve been told you’ll be coming in. The G-men authorize me to give Lepke the assurance of a safe delivery.

On August 24, 1940, Winchell received a phone call telling him to go to a drug store at Eighth Avenue and Nineteenth Street and sit in a phone booth in the back. At 9 p.m., a customer casually approached Winchell and told him to phone Hoover and tell him to be at Fifth Avenue and Twenty-ninth Street at 10:20 p.m. Winchell himself was told to drive immediately to Madison Avenue. and Twenty Third Street. Winchell did as he was told, and at 10:15 a.m., Lepke, wearing a mustache as part of his costume, got into Winchell’s car. Minutes later, the two men got out of Winchell’s car and walked to a black limousine. Hoover was sitting alone in the back seat.

Winchell opened the back door of the limo and said, “Mr. Hoover, this is Lepke.”

Hoover said to Lepke, “How are you?”

Lepke told Hoover, “Nice to meet you. Come on.”

Almost immediately, Lepke knew that he had been tricked. Within a few days, Hoover told Lepke that there had been no conditional agreement for his surrender. Lepke was tried on the narcotics charge and sentenced to 14 years. But then the roof caved in on Lepke when, after his first trial, Hoover turned Lepke over to Dewey, to stand trial for the murder of an innocent idiot named Joe Rosen, whom Lepke had ordered killed in 1936. Rosen was killed because He threatened to go to Dewey and tell him that Lepke had robbed Rosen’s trucking business. As a result, Lepke’s guys fired 17 bullets at Rosen. At Lepke’s murder trial, a rat bite, including Abe “Kid Twist” Reles, testified that Rosen was killed on Lepke’s orders. After a brief deliberation by the jury, Lepke was found guilty and sentenced to death.

Lepke lost appeal after appeal for four full years, and was scheduled to be executed on March 2, 1944. Then suddenly, on the day he was to be executed, Lepke dropped a bombshell when he requested a meeting with the district of the New York City. Attorney Frank Hogan. Lepke told Hogan that he had information on political corruption that reached back to the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Lepke was granted a 48-hour reprieve, and Hogan went to Dewey, who was now Governor of New York and the only one who could stop Lepke’s execution. Hoover told the story of Dewey Lepke. Dewey, who would later run unsuccessfully for the presidency, turned a deaf ear to Lepke, sealing his fate.

On March 4, 1944, Louis “Lepke” Buchalter, knowing he had been set up by his best friends and without a trace of emotion or remorse, was executed in the electric chair at Sing Sing Prison.

When it comes to Colorado MMA, one cannot leave out the fight promotions and their respective promoters who provide mixed martial arts fans with several great “fight moments” each year throughout the region. Some of these organizations have been around for years, while others are looking to solidify their foothold in growing market share.

As we look at the top 5, you need to keep in mind the timing, the impact on Colorado MMA, the number of fights per year, etc. That being said, each promotion listed showcases a quality product for fans, with no one leaving disappointed. We are lucky to live in a state where so many thriving promotions are presented in exciting cards almost every month.

Let’s go straight to that. Here are the top 5 current MMA promotions in Colorado and a brief rundown of what each brings to the table:

1.) ring of Fire Promoter: Sven Bean – The granddaddy of them all. The Colorado fight promotion that most fans in the state think of first in terms of Colorado MMA. I went to my first Ring of Fire show when the fights were held at Castle Rock, and it has never let me down. The first promotions card took place on March 18, 2000, and featured notable wrestlers Nathan Marquardt and Leonard Garcia. Ring Of Fire has seen many other high profile wrestlers appear including Eliot Marshall, Mike Nickels, Donald Cerrone, Shane Carwin, Carlos Condit and Duane Ludwig to name just a few.

2.) Kickdown MMA Promoter: Steve Alley – Secondly, the Kickdown MMA promotion has been putting on fights in both Colorado and Wyoming for years, becoming a staple of the Colorado MMA scene. The first promotions fight took place in Golden on February 23, 2002. The ballroom at the Red Lion hotel in Denver is where most Kickdown MMA events take place, making for a great atmosphere for a night out. Of fights.

3.) fight to win Promoter: Seth Daniels – One of the newer promotions, Fight To Win has been hosting events since early 2008 and is quickly becoming one of Colorado’s top promotions. At the time of this writing, Seth Daniels had just made Colorado history with “The Professionals,” billed as the state’s first professional card. Fight To Win also hosts the occasional Tournament of Champions fighting competitions, which are welcomed in the region as much as they are needed.

4.) bad boys of the rocky mountains Promoter: Keith Schmeltzer – Promoting MMA cards in both Denver and Greeley, RMBB has been putting on shows since 2005. RMBB crowds are some of the best, as there’s something about packing the fans out at Red and Jerry’s in Denver and Island Grove events. Center in Greeley which adds to the buzz in the air on fight night. Also, there was a need for MMA fights in Northern Colorado that RMBB has filled very well.

5.) Extreme fight without mercy Promoter: Natalie Mort – NME Fighting usually holds its events at the Colorado Springs City Auditorium and has been doing so since 2007. RMBB slightly outperformed No Mercy Extreme Fighting due to the number of years in operation, but it’s definitely one of the first 5. promotion in the state, holding several events a year. Look at them!

**Honorific mention** Bring on the MMA thunder Promoter: Leister Bowling – Colorado’s most recent promotion (at the time of this writing) got off to a strong start on September 11, 2010 on the CSU-Pueblo campus. The event featured a stacked card with Colorado’s Eliot Marshall in the main event and a guest appearance by Shane Carwin. With Bowling’s strong ties to the fighting game, keep an eye out for Bring The Thunder MMA to knock someone off this list in 2011.

Obviously, we’re lucky to be MMA fans and reside in Colorado, as every promotion here has something to offer. It really all comes down to taking time to enjoy Colorado MMA.

See you in the fights!

I guess this New York City girl is now a nature enthusiast to the extreme! Our recent experience with the sand dollar proves this.

Do you remember the famous story of a girl who throws a starfish into the sea one by one along the coast? When a bystander told the girl that what she was doing wouldn’t matter much, she replied “it does matter to that one” and tossed another starfish into the sea.

Well I have a sand dollar story to share. We stumbled upon a small island the other day while sailing and we couldn’t believe how many live sand dollars were in the water and on the sand, green and fuzzy and thriving. They weren’t white and dry like store bought ones. My kids were really into them and so were we adults. Other children were pulling them out of the water and taking them home, showing them to us and even offering them to us. My family enjoyed holding and looking at them, but then we each threw the sand dollars into the water…to keep living…and left with only memories for keepsakes.

Now, I wasn’t always like this. In fact, when I was a teenager, my parents took me to the Bahamas and we had some natives dive and bring us a couple of starfish that we brought back as souvenirs. Back then it seemed like the most normal thing I wanted to do. However, I still remember the surprise on my children’s faces when they first heard about my youth vacation and starfish experience. I was invariably asked why I would do that because didn’t it kill the starfish? Boy, did that make me feel bad.

Turns out they had a very good point. I have learned from life, from my children, I don’t know where else exactly, but now I feel the same as the children. I wonder why he wanted to do that? Well, the past is done. But now, we CAN save sand dollars (and starfish) at least one at a time.

I guess the other day we all wanted to save this little piece of marine life. We care about the little ones in nature. I thought, “now, what if ALL the people who came here brought out their sand dollars to keep as souvenirs? Then we wouldn’t have had the special magic that we found for a while together on that little strip of sand and sea.” And my teenage son wouldn’t have said “That was good, let’s go back there.” I liked all the sand dollars that live there.” This straight from the mouth of a well-known computer enthusiast who spends as much time as possible with his computer!

With each passing year I can see more of the importance of protecting and trying to save the environment and wildlife. Have I been better educated? Am I more mature? Maybe. But I think it’s more because I can see the picture better through the eyes of my children who seem to see the world through a special focus and help me see some facets I might otherwise miss.

So let’s not stop caring for the environment just because we think we can’t save it all or have a big enough impact. If we each do our little part, then we can help keep nature’s magic for us and for our future generations to learn and enjoy. We will play second fiddle to the drama of our living environment when we choose to receive and give…the gifts of a sand dollar.

If there’s one thing New Zealand’s capital Wellington is known for, it’s its arts, culture and entertainment scene. Home to the Te Papa Museum, The Lord of the Rings, and a number of annual festivals, the city has a reputation as a cultural hub, as well as the hub and capital of the country.

Planning a visit? Be sure to visit one of the many festivals held throughout the year and immerse yourself in Wellington’s vibrant world of the arts.

wearable art world

Perhaps the best-known festival Wellington hosts, the World of Wearable Art Awards, takes place in September/October each year. The World of Wearable Art museum itself is a tourist attraction that has been running since 2001, showcasing wearable art and classic cars for the public year-round.

The prizes are a big deal and get a lot of media attention from around the country as tickets sell out weeks in advance. Some of New Zealand’s best and upcoming designers have work featured at the awards and it’s an incredible few weeks of limelight for the country’s fashion industry; there is a lot of innovation and creativity to be seen.

Artist Film Festival

The Artist Film Festival is an international collaboration between various institutions presenting in venues around the world. Wellington hosts the New Zealand headquarters every year from October to February. Works by artists from each of the participating countries are shown, making the Artist Film Festival an impressive collection of contemporary international cinema.

Because it runs in the City Gallery for so many months, there are plenty of opportunities for you to see some local and international features during your visit.

Arcade: Homegrown Video Games

A new festival that has just started, Arcade plans to celebrate local innovation and creativity in the video game industry. Impressive demonstrations of technology and visual art are on display from November to March at the Dowse Art Museum – Arcade is one of the few festivals focusing on this type of media in the country. There are so many talented designers and developers in New Zealand who are finally getting the chance to showcase the work behind the games they create.

Head to one of Wellington’s many festivals during your stay and enjoy a mix of local and international culture. They are entertaining, educational and so much fun.

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is located in the West Indies. The country is made up of an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. This means that it is made up of a series of islands, which connect to the mainland, hence the plural name.

The Bahamas was a British colony from 1718 and then became an independent country in 1973, while remaining part of the Commonwealth of Nations. They keep Queen Elizabeth II as their monarch and still sing God Save the Queen as their national anthem. The main language is English, although some speak variants of English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

The capital city is Nassau, which is located on New Providence Island, although Andros Island is the largest of the group. The city was a haven for pirates who sailed the Caribbean, including the notorious Blackbeard, and several nations fought over it, notably Spain and England. The entire region was notorious in legend for pirate activity, and is used as the setting for many books and movies on the subject.

The pirates even upset the government of the area at one point by declaring a lawless “Republic of Privateers” and looting Charlestown, which would later become Nassau. The islands had been in the hands of the Spanish and had nearly destroyed the native population of Arawak Indians. The British stopped much of the trouble when they made the islands a British crown colony.

The islands are mostly Christian, with a strong inclination towards the Protestant church, other denominations being present but in a minority. A very small minority practice Obeah and Voodoo, both similar to each other, as spiritualist folk beliefs.

The Prime Minister of the Bahamas is Perry Gladstone Christie, born in 1944 and the nation’s third Prime Minister. Christie has won awards for his efforts in urban renewal and community policing, though he, too, has been outraged by his political tactics.

The main industry in the Bahamas is tourism, with the island being a mass tourist spot for most Western countries. The tropical location and mysterious history make it an ideal location and a popular spot for couples, families, and parties.

The first integrated resort to be launched in Singapore was the Resorts World Casino located on Sentosa Island. This resort and casino is owned by the Genting Group, a Malaysian company that owns Malaysia’s only casino in the Genting Highlands in the Malaysian state of Pahang. Resorts World is a great place to visit for your entire family. These are the main attractions of the Resorts World Integrate Resort in Singapore.

Universal Studios theme park

One of the highlights of Resorts World is that there is a Universal Studios theme park located on their property. Genting Group has partnered with Universal Studios Group to launch this iconic theme park. This is Universal Studios’ first Southeast Asian theme park. Although the theme park is a smaller version of those normally seen in the United States, it still features a wide range of attractions. One of the main rides available is the Battlestar Galactica roller coaster, of which it claims to be the tallest dueling roller coaster in the world.

Aquarium and Experiential Maritime Museum

The Maritime Experiential Museum is a groundbreaking exhibition that looks at the history of the Southeast Asian maritime silk trade route between East and West. In addition, there will be an aquarium to be built in 2012 and will house the exotic aquatic life of the region’s coasts. According to news reports, once the aquarium is completed, it will be the largest in all of Southeast Asia.

festive ride

The Festive Walk is a strip of plaza that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It contains bars, numerous restaurants and shops. Additionally, there will be flash dance mobs performing at scheduled times throughout the day. In addition, there is a giant fountain called Lago de los Sueños, in which a show of synchronized water fountains is performed.

The casino

The casino at Resorts World is a one level gaming area located at the base. It features the major table games that are popular in Asia such as Black Jack and Baccarat. As with the Marina Bay Sands Casino, a $100 tax is required for Singapore citizens and permanent resident cardholders.

Resorts World on Sentosa Island is a great place for the whole family, with a wide variety of entertainment available for people of all ages. In addition to this, because this integrated resort is located within Sentosa Island, visitors also have the added convenience of exploring the other attractions outside of Resorts World, but within Sentosa Island, such as the beaches and spas.