By Nisha Onta

Recently, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have published the World Disaster Report 2006 which shows that in 2005, emergency aid totaled at least $17bn, outstripping any other year. But, while high-profile cases such as the Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina attracted donors, countless other crises went untended. The report focuses on these “Neglected Disasters”.

These disasters get neglected for various reasons; sometimes the reason is the unavailability of information but often it is the negligence of media or donor agencies.It is, indeed, tough to decide which disaster is more severe - when your child gets hurt it does not matter if he/she just has a small bruise or a severe injury, it does grab your attention and you would be hurt. But the global media and donor agencies should not be biased to certain disasters that affect their part of the world. For example, the report is not concerned about the Tsunami getting too much media attention but it is concerned about the lack of appropriate media and donor intervention on the South Asian earthquake.

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Spending a holiday in the mysterious and mystique surroundings of the Asian continent is a true blessing. Besides being able to sightseeing ancient ruins, belonging to old civilizations, castles and temples, as a tourist you can also admire beautiful sunrises and unique local landscapes, images that cannot be viewed anywhere else.

But as a tourist, you also need a place to stay, to relax and to enjoy the quality time you spend in Bagan. Because of this, hotel chains have appeared; ready to offer the best comfort for every need and taste. Although it may seem weird to use a phone, knowing that you’re surrounded by history and nothing but land covered with trees and plants, Bagan hotels offer, besides telephones lines, the possibility to watch TV through satellite. In addition, even though for many this may sound odd, these hotels provide you with 24/7 electricity, which in the given circumstances is a luxury thing.

Let us continue with the tour among the hotels that can be found in Bagan. We must mention that the common tourist is able to pick from many resort hotels, depending on the amount of money one can spend. Consequentially, the decision must be taken regarding the prices of the rooms, and regarding the number of the stars that the hotel has. Obviously, the greater the prices are, the more comfort you get. However we should not expect to find the same quality services and conditions we find in the luxurious hotels in Europe or America, because the area practically does not allow more. Still, these hotels offer their very best to make your holiday more beautiful.

With a simple click on the Internet you can discover that for less than 50$ per night you can choose from actually five 3 star hotels in Bagan. And the conditions are not bad at all: TV through satellite, telephone, mini-bar, hot and cold shower, 24/7 electricity and individual air-conditioning systems. Let’s consider that these are the main equipment. The more you pay the more you shall receive. If money is not a problem for you, 5 star hotels provide even with baby-sitter services and, for the suites, a personal butler, and ready to serve you.

It is true, perhaps the conditions of these hotels are not very luxurious, but the design of the rooms and the design of the actual hotel buildings are unique. Being in the center of so many mystery and natural beauty, Bagan hotels are embraced by a certain aura of light which may make you forget that you do not have and Internet connection or any other modern technology. Once you open the window or you step outside the building, you step into another world, where nature and history merge, where mystery and secrets are all around you.

In the end, the only thing left to say is that, either you decide to go to Bagan or to any other Asian region, do not forget to free your mind and leave the problems at home. There are plenty of hotels to offer the best services for you to fell comfortable and to spend a unique Asian experience.

Reference/About author :

Ko Htun has written over 30 articles and guidebooks on South-East Asia. He pioneered exploring and writing on Bagan hotels and Myanmar travel in general. You can read more about Bagan at  http://www.bagan.net

Northeastern California is home to the scenic Bizz Johnson Trail. The trail runs along the Susan River in Lassen County. Bizz Johnson Trail follows the old Fernley and Lassen Branch Line of the Southern Pacific railroad. It runs over 25 miles from Susanville to Mason Station. The main trailhead is located at the old Railroad Depot in the City of Susanville, just under 100 miles north of Reno and roughly 100 miles east of Red Bluff, California.

The Bizz Johnson Trail follows the Susan River for the 1^st 16 miles of its length. The trail’s landscape is a combination of semi-arid canyon and upland forests of pine and fir as it crosses the river 12 times as it winds through the rugged Susan River Canyon on a number of bridges and trestles. It also passes through 2 tunnels. The trail then follows existing roads for another 4 1/2 miles into Westwood, California.

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Winter Park, Florida’s Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden is one of the most elegant and respected venues for the art in the American southeast. It is home to impressive collections of all kinds and beautiful, peaceful grounds. The museum is on the National Register of Historic Places.
 

Albin Polasek (1879-1965) is widely considered one of the most important American sculptors most of the 20^th century. Celebrated in his own lifetime, Polasek strove to show the beauty of “movement,” the flow of one mass into another. Polasek’s ability to capture the spirit of his subject was a major influence on a generation of sculptors like Richmond Barthe and Ruth Sherwood. Upon his death in 1965, Polasek was buried alongside first wife Ruth Sherwood in Winter Park’s Palms Cemetery, where the 12th Station of the Cross  (1939) is his monument. Albin Polasek was granted posthumously the honor of Great Floridian and inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004.
 

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Most people thing of BBQ’ing as little more than throwing a few chicken breasts and the occasional rack of ribs on a grill and flipping them every so often. For the backyard pool-party that may pass muster, but a real BBQ fanatic knows how complicated and varied the process really is. There are several ways to BBQ and several styles to choose from.
American BBQ aficionados generally prefer a slow and indirect method of BBQ’ing, normally smoke is used and the process sometimes takes up to 12 hours for a brisket of beef. With this method the food is cooked in a covered chamber. The heat is kept at a low to moderate level and the whole process takes a minimum of 1 to 1.5 hours. Keeping the meat well basted with good marinade helps to retain flavor and juiciness.
         
An even slower version of BBQ’ing uses only the heated smoke to cook the meat. The flavored wood, chips or herb branches placed in the tray over the heat ads flavor to the smoke that is channeled into the separate cooking area by way of a smoke pipe.
Of course there’s always the backyard grill. Though purists may complain, the fact it there’s something to be said for quick and relatively labor-free cooking over an open flame.
Different styles of BBQ emerged in the US according the country’s various regions. In the southwest beef BBQ is the most common, usually mixed with a bit of a Mexican spice, and rubs are also more common in Southwest BBQ. Eastern BBQ is all about the pork, which is usually sliced or chopped up and topped with a sauce that  is relatively thin, vinegary and peppery.  In the southeastern region, the pork is served the same way, but with a thicker mustard sauce. 
The Appalachian Region also uses pork with a sauce that is generally sweeter, and is made with molasses, tomatoes, and peppers; pork ribs are also a staple in Appalachia, and cornbread and/or coleslaw are served with this type of BBQ. The Midwest BBQ’s are like the Appalachian styles, but perhaps even sweeter and more tomato-based.
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The award winning Cameron Park natural-habitat zoo in Waco, Texas provides visitors with an opportunity to see wild animals in state-of-the art, free-form surroundings and progressive display areas.
 

The Cameron Park Zoo is home to tortoises from the Galapagos Islands, Africa birds, and other animals from across the globe. The Herpetarium is the perfect habitat for reptiles like crocodiles, as well as spiders and plants.
 

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The next day after Thanksgiving is marked by the appearance of a seemingly endless stream of turkey sandwiches. It is, in its own way, part of the American Thanksgiving tradition. But is slapping a few slabs of white and dark on wheat with a smear of Mayo the only thing to do with leftovers from the big meal? Of course not! There are endless possibilities to explore with the remains of the bird.
Tradition aside, what is turkey but fowl? That means that any dish that could contain chicken is a decent fit for turkey. Soups, salads, pastas and casseroles area all contenders. Even a turkey omelet can find its way into your post Thanksgiving turkey recipes.
South of the border flavors aren’t out of bounds either. A turkey enchilada or burrito is a unique yet tasty option, as is a turkey quesadilla (use dark meat for the latter so the flavor is strong enough to hold its own with the cheese). A turkey-based chili is a delight, and a nice belly warmer on a chilly November evening.
Instead of a turkey sandwich, try a turkey-salad sandwich. This is a great option for the last few scraps of the bird since you want small pieces here anyway.
Of course, none of these options are possible if you don’t have properly stored leftover in the 1^st place. It’s not simply a matter of having enough Tupperware and refrigerator shelf-space, either. Most folks are sick enough from overeating on Thanksgiving without the added burden of past-its-prime meat.
When poultry turns, it turns fast and hard. For safety purposes the turkey should be into the refrigerator no more than 2 hours after it came out of the oven. However, if the turkey is stored correctly it should be safe to eat for nearly a week.  To be on the extra-safe side, any meat that will not be eaten in 3 days should be frozen for longer storage. Any frozen leftovers should be thawed and eaten within one month of freezing, not so much for safety’s sake, but because it won’t taste as good.
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Taking care of the old ticker requires exercise and a decent diet. There’s simply no substitute for either. We’ll leave the aerobic concerns to more informed minds and stick to the stuff that goes in the gut, namely the heart healthy foods everyone needs to stay fit, and the heart healthy cooking techniques that keep them that way. There’s no substitute for either of those either.
Low saturated fat, low cholesterol dishes are what we’re after here, and hold the butter and other added fats. The unhappy fact is that certain ingredients and preparation methods can add unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol to your food.
One can bake without fear, broil to the heart’s content and microwave all day (just don’t stand too close).  Poaching is cool and steaming is even better. Seafood, chicken and vegetables are all good candidates for grilling. Lightly stir-frying or sautéing foods in cooking spray, small mounts of vegetable oil or reduced sodium broth are other healthy options. When roasting even skinless meats it’s wise to place meats on a rack so fat can drip away.
There are lots of ways to cut out unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet that don’t take the fun and flavor out of meal time. Butter is not your friend, what with its 8 grams of saturated fat and 11 grams of fat per tablespoon. Salsa is your good buddy though, with 0 grams of saturated fat and 0 cholesterol found in 1/4 of a cup. Creamy salad dressings are notoriously loaded with the bad stuff, while a reduced fat Italian sports only 2 grams of fat and tastes just as good.
There are many fine and tasty herbs, spices and condiments that can add zest to some of the more bland heart health dishes. Herbs include oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary. Cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and paprika are all acceptable spices. Along with the reduced fat or nonfat salad dressing and salsa there are old standbys like mustard, catsup, horseradish, reduced fat or nonfat mayonnaise, reduced fat or nonfat sour cream, reduced fat or nonfat yogurt and reduced sodium soy sauce. That’s to say nothing of Parmesan cheese, fruit preserves and simple red pepper flakes, none of which will harm you heart.
And there you have it. With a little planning, a bit of knowledge and a smidge of extra effort anyone, can eat right for their heart without giving up a healthy enjoyment of food.
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