Monday, April 30, 2018

Teaching Costa Ricans To Be Better Parents

Costa Rica News – The National Children’s Trust (PANI) offers parenting academies where they teach moms and dads to be better parents since “children do not come with a manual,” a phrase often repeated in the courses.

After a mild incident of abuse or neglect, PANI can impose a requirement that parents go to the classes to get a boost to be better at the difficult task of parenting. One example is a mother who left her child sleeping in a car. PANI returned the child to her but she was required to participate in the classes to learn more about child development and needs. People can also go voluntarily to the classes.

Some topics include brain changes in children, computer safety, setting limits, basic needs, nutricion, emotional security, self-control, learning, and many more. It follows a “parenting pyramid” idea.

While some parents go to the first class furious that they have to be there, and some stay just so they don’t lose their kids, in the end many are grateful for the new way to see parenting and learning how to parent in a better way than they were parented. 5,058 families were helped by the program last year.

Every Five Minutes a 911 Call For Domestic Violence is Placed in Costa Rica

Costa Rica News – Every five minutes a woman calls 911 for domestic violence. This happens much more frequently on holidays and days with soccer matches. The operators have a complete protocol that can include up to 10 entities participating during and after the aggression.

The 911 system shows “Intrafamily violence in process” on the screen and as the operator collects information about the address and people involved a notification is being sent to the nearest police delegation as well as the National Institute of Women (Inamu). Depending on the situation, other entities like PANI, Senasa, the fire department or Red Cross may be alerted to respond, as well.

The police arrive and restrain and remove the attacker and Inamu provides support and accompaniment to the victim. They may go with the woman to file reports and protection or to a hospital if necessary.

If you should have to call 911 from a violent situation, be sure to provide the address first, even if they ask for other information just in case the call gets cut. If you fear you might be in a violent situation in the future make sure you and your children know how to give the address in various ways. Additionally, 15 communities have “CLAIS” a team you can go to and identify yourself as a possible victim. They monitor cases and have a complete team that streamlines responses so victims don’t have to repeat the story over and over.

$400-Million Casino To Be Built in Costa Rica

Costa Rica News – Costa Rica is preparing to get a new casino. The $400-million Casino City Caribe will be built in Moín on the country’s Caribbean coast, with construction beginning early next year. There will be several phases of construction before the entire project is complete in 2027.

The project will offer three different casinos and three hotels with a total of 264 rooms. There will also be 219 apartments, two convention centers, a business center, a spa and wellness center and additional recreational facilities. It will have access to the beach, as well as a marina and a heliport.

Casino City Caribe is still in development, but has acquired the necessary support needed to proceed. The project was designed by the architecture firm Patti Rao Project out of Vancouver, Canada. It has reportedly already received approval by the Ministry of Environment, the Costa Rica Tourism Board (CRTB) and the municipality of Matina, where Moín is located.

The first phase of the project is expected to generate about 150 new jobs for the region. When construction is complete and all facilities are open, it will reportedly provide employment to around 1,500 people. There was no indication of how long each phase would take to complete.

Moín, lies close to the Caribbean port city of Limón, a multicultural community composed of individuals of mostly Italian, Chinese and Jamaican origin who were brought in to work on the country’s railroad project in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Until 1948, Costa Rica didn’t recognize Afro-Caribbean people as citizens and they were not allowed to leave the province of Limón.

Both Moín and Limón have port terminals and are responsible for the bulk of the transoceanic trade in and out of the country. Combined, they account for 80% of Costa Rica’s import and export traffic.

Almost 3 million tourists visited Costa Rica in 2017, according to the CRTB, with just under 50% coming from North America. Already in 2018, tourist numbers look to be improving, as there was an increase of 6% in tourism during the first quarter of the year compared to the first quarter of 2017. North American tourism to the country increased by 11.4%, while European tourism jumped by 14.2%.

From CalvinAyre.com

Transgender Inmate Sues Prison Over Witchcraft Rights

World News – A transgender inmate is suing a North Carolina prison, saying it’s blocking her from practicing witchcraft.

The Charlotte Observer reports 40-year-old Jennifer Ann Jasmaine says in the lawsuit that chaplains at the all-male Lanesboro Correctional Institution have violated her constitutional rights by restricting when, where and how she can practice Wicca, the religion based on ancient pagan beliefs.

Jasmaine also says Lanesboro refused to provide her with the foods Wiccans are supposed to eat.

By contrast, Jasmaine said Christian inmates at Lanesboro are allowed to worship six times a week, while Native Americans can conduct their rituals three times weekly.

Lanesboro is a maximum-security prison about 45 miles (70 kilometers) southeast of Charlotte.

State policy says North Carolina prisons “shall provide access for approved religious services or practices and pastoral care.” Inmates wanting to practice a religion not recognized by the prison system must fill out a religious assistance request form.

In her complaint, Jasmaine says she filed the form this month, but to no avail.

Jasmaine says she wants to hold outdoor services twice a week. She has called on the prison to provide the religious items, clothing and food she needs to properly practice witchcraft, including the go-ahead for her to light candles and a fire. Her lawsuit does not say whether other Lanesboro inmates share her beliefs.

“Ms. Jasmaine’s religion is not just her religion. It’s her way of life,” the lawsuit says. “This is the path in which she has taken.”

The lawsuit, filed this month, seeks a jury trial and $1 in damages from each of the chaplains.

According to prison records, Jasmaine — who used a different name when convicted — was sentenced in July 2014 to 16 years in prison for second-degree sexual offense.

Jerry Higgins, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, declined comment Wednesday, citing pending litigation.

From Associated Press

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Costa Rica’s Scotiabank & Money Laundering

Costa Rica News – The General Superintendency of Financial Institutions, Sugef, has fined Scotiabank because it violated anti-money laundering regulations by failing to comply with the rules about legitimization of capital, in article 81 of Law No. 7,786, set in place to avoid funding terrorism.

The issue is related to money allegedly given as a bribe to the Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo. The sanction has not been executed because the bank filed an appeal with the National Council of Supervision of the Financial System, Conassif.

The private bank came into question over a year ago, when it came to light that $6.5 million of alleged bribes to Toledo were in Costa Rica in the account of the company Ecostate Consulting S.A., created in 2006 in San José. The company allegedly paid Toledo a $20 million bribe in exchange for winning a contract to build an Interoceanic highway between Peru and Brazil. The payments were made between 2006 and 2008. The case was investigated in Peru as well as by Sugef.

If a regulated entity is found to have failed to comply with the law, it can be fined with 0.5% to 2% of its assets. The bank’s current equity is ¢165,869 million.

Hierro Tropical; The History of Trains in Costa Rica

Costa Rica Entertainment – Mark Baldwin’s Hierro Tropical, or Tropical Iron, is being screened in the Magaly cinema. It provides a fascinating ride through the history of the train tracks in Costa Rica.

The American director is known for his work on series such as CSI: Miami, Ally McBeal and Law and Order. He has strong family ties to Costa Rica and lived in the country in the ‘70s. He had the experience of riding the train when it was in use. He enjoyed the views and the feel of train towns. He thought “how the hell did they make this railway?”

His research to answer the question in the form of a film began 7 years ago with the first interview. He funded the project himself and worked on it with his daughter for thousands of hours

Hierro Tropical reviews the life of Minor Keith and the story of the construction of the railroad to the Atlantic. The construction was intended to last 3 years but took 20. 4,000 men died. The film focuses on Keith, a controversial person in the history, and shows what was going on at the time in Costa Rica and with the railroad and the United Fruit Company.

The impressive film contains almost 700 old photographs, something that will attract a large audience.

Costa Rica Has High World Cup Expectations

Costa Rica Soccer – Costa Rica (AP) — A quarterfinalist at the World Cup four years ago, Costa Rica has high standards to match in Russia.

The Central American nation, with a population of just under 5 million people, won a group in Brazil that included England, Italy and Uruguay and only lost in the last eight on a penalty shootout to the Netherlands.

This time, on its fifth appearance at a World Cup, Costa Rica will be taking on five-time champion Brazil in Group E.

Here’s a closer look at the Costa Rica team:

COACH

The qualifying path to Russia was riddled with doubts when coach Paulo Wanchope resigned after being involved in a fight at an under-23 game. Former midfielder Oscar Ramirez took over the team, keeping the same base of players from the 2014 World Cup, even when some of them did not enjoy regular playing time at their European clubs. Ramirez’s main challenge will be finding a way to fit in new players into this core group, especially in the attack.

GOALKEEPERS

Keylor Navas is Costa Rica’s best-known player and has the leadership qualities to match. His strong performance in Brazil secured a move in 2014 to Real Madrid, where he has been a regular starter and has won two Champions League titles in the past three years.

DEFENDERS

Giancarlo Gonzalez of Serie A side Bologna and Bryan Oviedo of English club Sunderland are undisputed starters. The towering 6-foot-4 Kendall Waston scored the qualifying goal in a last-gasp draw against Honduras. He is likely to also be included in the starting lineup. Other options include veteran Oscar Duarte of Espanyol and versatile defender Francisco Calvo of Minnesota United.

MIDFIELDERS

Bryan Ruiz is the captain and main attacking threat. The Sporting Lisbon midfielder, who can also play as a second striker, was key to the run to the quarterfinals four years ago. Celso Gamboa, a defensive midfielder for Deportivo La Coruna, should also be confident of making the starting XI. Cristian Bolanos, who plays for Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa, is struggling to overcome injuries.

FORWARDS

Joel Campbell, who is on loan at Real Betis from Arsenal, scored twice when Costa Rica thrashed the United States 4-0 in the World Cup qualifiers. Ramirez also searched for options in the Costa Rican league, including David Ramirez and Ariel Rodriguez who play for Saprissa.

GROUP GAMES

Serbia’s biggest group game is against Brazil on June 22 in St. Petersburg, where it is also based for the tournament. The opener is against Serbia on June 17 in Samara and Group E is closed out by playing Switzerland on June 27 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Scientists are Teaching AI to Think Like a Dog

World News – Dogs may be our best friends, but they’re also our hard-working colleagues — tasked with everything from guarding our homes to guiding visually impaired people to sniffing out bombs. And now researchers have enlisted the help of an Alaskan Malamute named Kelp to develop an artificial intelligence system that thinks just like a dog, in hopes of creating canine-like robots.

To build a database of dog behavior, a team of scientists led by Kiana Ehsani, a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington, attached sensors to Kelp’s paws, torso, and tail to capture her movements for a couple of hours a day while eating, playing fetch, and walking around in various indoor and outdoor environments. A camera affixed to Kelp’s head recorded what she saw as she went about her everyday activities.

Over the course of several weeks, the researchers amassed more than 24,000 video frames — all associated with particular body movements.

The scientists then used machine learning to comb through the data and identify patterns in Kelp’s behavior. This was subsequently used to train an AI system to understand the behavior to a point where it could predict how Kelp — and dogs in general — might react under a variety of circumstances.

Ehsani and her colleagues found that the system could make accurate predictions, but only for relatively short time frames. For instance, the system could see a sequence of five images and then accurately predict Kelp’s next five movements.

But what surprised the researchers was what the system had learned from the dog beyond what it had been trained to predict.

The scientists found that the AI system could accurately identify “walkable” surfaces because Kelp intuitively knew if a path was too rocky, for instance, or if she wasn’t allowed there. The AI system could also distinguish between different environments — a park, a street, a stadium or an alleyway — based on the dog’s movement in those spaces.

“The dog would react and move her joints differently when she’s outside in a dog park versus times when she’s inside in a living room,” Ehsani said. “When we used our dataset to solve these problems, surprisingly we were able to do it.”

The research is in its early stages, but Ehsani said she plans to expand the database by monitoring interactions between dogs and by studying the behavior of different breeds.

Eventually, she said, the researchers want to build a four-legged robot that could act as a service dog. “The cost of training service dogs is really high, so it could be easier for us to just train and work on a [robotic dog] and then have this dog be helpful in assisting elderly or assisting people with disabilities,” Ehsani said.

But is that a realistic goal? Marc Bekoff, a professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado and an expert on dog behavior, called the research “very interesting” but said AI systems are not yet sophisticated enough to replicate the complex interactions between dogs and humans.

“The dog-human interaction — especially among service dogs — is very nuanced,” Bekoff said. “There’s just an incredible variability among the dogs themselves, among the people, and among the dog-human relationships.”

Bekoff, who was not involved in the new research, said AI may mature to the point that it can mimic dogs but “we’re light-years away from that.”

Ehsani agrees that robots won’t replace service dogs anytime soon but said the research is a step in the right direction.

“Service dogs are trained for very specific kinds of actions, like helping the people with visual impairment getting on the bus or passing the street,” she told NBC News MACH in an email. “These are the tasks that AI is getting close to solving. Replicating all the emotions is for sure a much harder task.”

The research was published online March 28 in the preprint journal arXiv.

by Denise Chow , NBCNews.com

FOLLOW NBC NEWS MACH ON TWITTERFACEBOOK, AND INSTAGRAM.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Costa Rica Wins World Cheerleading Championships

Costa Rica Sports – Costa Rica’s selection of children with special needs takes the gold in the World Cheerleading Championships. The team is made up of children with different cognitive abilities.

They traveled to ESPN in Orlando, Florida, United States to compete in the competition organized by the International Cheer Union. The United States’ team came in second place and Canada’s took third.

In addition to the Selection of Special Needs team, the Junior Advance team also competed. It was their first time competing at this type of event and they took fourth place.

The Cheer & Dance Federation of Costa Rica also got two other awards. One was for being the national team with the most global exposure and overcoming all adversities and the other for having been recognized by the Olympic Committee of Costa Rica.

Miss Costa Rica 2018 Natalia Carvajal

Costa Rica Entertainment – Natalia Carvajal is our Miss Costa Rica 2018.

The 27-year-old TV host, publicist and literature student took the crown at a gala held by Teletica on Friday, April 27, at the Marco Picado studio.

Larissa Sanco came in second and Raquel Castro third. They competed in swimsuits, nightwear and a personality test. In all three sections, Carvajal placed first. The jury was made up of a singer, fashion expert, designer, dentist and photographer.

Natalia captured them with her answer about what the characteristic of a successful woman is. She spoke of determination and pursuing dreams. “Life is not easy. We have to pursue what we seek,” she said.

She is new to beauty pageants, with only one contest behind her, Miss Eco Universe 2016, where she was crowned in Egypt. She describes herself as a “chameleon” and innately adventurous.

The Human Brain Is Exapted for Insight

Given that the universe, and life on earth, unfolds in seamless wholeness, how did nature make such a mistake as man? And has evolution provided us a way out of our man-made disorder?

The human brain evolved the most powerful adaptation in any species—to extract reified ‘things’ from nature, manipulate them, and accumulate knowledge. This “cognitive revolution,” a breakthrough that occurred 100-200,000 years ago in southern or eastern Africa, was “exapted” for symbolic thought from a more primitive human brain. The exaptation of symbolic thought enabled Homo sapiens to have diverse languages, art, cultures and eventually, science.

No one knows what drove the brain’s enlargement, but the evidence is clear: morphology precedes, not follows, innovation in nature. In other words, nature can only produce innovations (like flight or symbolic thought) out of structures that already exist; it doesn’t develop structures for a particular use.

That is the meaning of exaptation, which is another way of saying that evolution produces innovations in a new context that were previously used in other contexts and for other purposes.

Paleo-anthropologist Ian Tattersall, ends his book, “Monkey in the Mirror,” with a rhetorical question: “Who knows what exaptations are already in there waiting to be released?” His answer is to “actively seek ways to maintain the status quo, and develop means to cope with our familiar yet at the same time bizarrely unfathomable selves.” That just doesn’t cut it.

Given humankind’s headlong rush toward fragmenting nature, culture and the human psyche into billions of bits and bytes, producing a decimated planet inhabited by deracinated people, there is no choice but to end the status quo, and ask the question seriously: What exaptation in the human brain waits to be released that will allow an adequate response to the crisis of consciousness?

Humans were given the Promethean fire of symbolic thought, but we have been using this gift to plunder the planet. We are fragmenting everything all to hell. So is the human brain now being exapted for awakening insight, in the same way that it was exapted for symbolic thought 200,000 years ago?

Given the dynamic order and intelligence inherent in nature, it stands to reason. I’m not implying any design, or Designer, a deus ex machina, but rather, a creative potential beyond thought that the human brain can tap by awakening insight for its own sake, not just for the production of knowledge.

Ironically, the idea that life is just random combination of chemicals founders on the disorder humans are generating. How did the disorder of man arise from the order of nature? Humans don’t bring order, but chaos to the earth. And since we evolved along with all other life, what does human disorder imply about the emergence of what we call consciousness?

The word evolution has come to mean gradual change toward greater perfection. But perfection does not exist, and scientists who study organisms in nature now generally agree that evolution often does not operate in a gradualistic way, but a revolutionary way. That is, there are often long periods of stability and even stasis that are “punctuated” by short bursts of change.

Just such a radical change occurred when the modern human brain suddenly became rewired, in a relative blink of the eye, for “symbolic cognitive processes.” But this gift carried with it the necessity of self-knowing, because without it, like the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, man cannot stop dividing and fragmenting.

Therefore, as the primitive human brain contained the potential for symbolic thought, and the intellect, when it dominates the brain, leads to increasing fragmentation, so too the brain contains the capacity for self-knowing and insight sufficient to enable it to use thought wisely rather than stupidly.

Humankind stands at an evolutionary juncture as momentous as the crossroads our proto-human ancestors unconsciously stood, just before conscious symbolic thought exploded onto the scene with the cognitive leap. However our awareness of and intent for the next step in our evolution (which has nothing to do with computers) is indispensable to taking that step/leap.

Martin LeFevre

Lefevremartin77@gmail.com

Why Does Costa Rica Not Have Better Roads?

Costa Rica News – I am an avid reader of Quora, a platform to ask questions and connect with people who contribute unique insights and quality answers. Quora, for me, is a place I go to gain and sometimes share knowledge.

Costa Rica is a popular topic on Quora. More than not interesting questions on Costa Rica come up. Like this one, What prevents Costa Rica from having better road infrastructure?

Currently, there are four answers to the question.

Fernando Madrigal Hidalgo, who lives in Costa Rica, answered:

“Hi I think it is bit of law mess (to expropriate takes years), also money limitations, Costa Rica is a small country that invest a lot in health and education, this limits government expending range. And the most important cause I guess is .. politicians, loans have to be approved by our “senate”, and this is almost impossible as political parties love to interfere with nation advance (very personal opinion).”

Xavier de Medici, High Profile Interior Designer, answered:

“Actually, I was just there and the roads, especially the highways were in pretty good condition and they are continuing to build more highways, I saw a lot of construction. What it used to take 6 hrs, you can do in 2 ( San Jose+ Manuel Antonio) it’s a developing country, but, you can see the progress they are doing.”

Enrique Segura, who lived in Costa Rica (1993-2015), answered:

“This is a hard question. I am inclined to say it’s a factor of government planning and government transparency. But I haven’t lived there since I was 15. So, I wouldn’t know.”

Natalie Jones‘ answer was short: “Money and weather.”

What’s my answer?

Political will.

The other day, evening actually, I got a different perspective on the roads of the Greater Metropolitan Area or GAM, in particular, the Autopista General Cañas – Cirncunvalacion – Ruta 27 from the Juan Santamaria (airport) to Escazu hotels.

My passenger, who had just arrived with his group on a private plane commented, “Costa Rica has great roads”.

You know what, he was right. I had not seen the changes on this route, in particular, the newly repaved, illuminated (I think) and lines on the Circunvalacion, in that way. It was at night and there was no traffic.

For the most part, I, like many others, are too busy negotiating the congestion during the day we miss appreciating the changes. Again I stress it was at night and even the Juan Pablo II bridge looked great, that is not so much in daylight.

To make my point I look to the “platina” bridge. I took three administrations to get the bridge over the Virilla river on the General Cañas to get it done. The problems began in 2009, it wasn’t in second half of the current government and the outcry of the tens of thousands of drivers to get the Solis Rivera administration moving.

It inconvenienced us for months on months that seemed to have no end. We found alternate routes, we endured congestion in some points (due to lack of infrastructure). We endured. Today the platina is a class act.

However, it doesn’t mean the General Cañas is done, there still are two major bottlenecks that need to be resolved, the Rio Segundo bridge and the Juan Pablo II bridge.

The Cirunvalacion is getting its north end connection, way too late, as the road needs a complete overhaul – like more lanes and no stoplights – even with the elimination of most of the rotondas.

The Ruta 27 was outdated even before it opened 8 years ago.

Again, the current road infrastructure is a mess due the lack of political will of past and current governments to do what needed to be done. Will the incoming government be any better? I would like to think so, but…

From QCostaRica

Extraterrestrials in a World of Magic

As a child I witnessed a phenomenon. Across from a field of four leaf clovers I was standing beneath a sky by a tall pine tree. I felt a presence strong above me. I quickly looked into the sky and saw it open up like an invisible hand had plucked open a hole in the atmosphere. Then, I saw a giant blue eye ball appear. The eyeball was hovering above the ground it was massive. It was the size of a large skyscraper. It appeared towards the top of the pine tree. It rolled its eye back into itself and it sounded like boulders rolling down a mountain. It was a massive noise. In an instant it was gone, it disappeared quickly into the sky and as soon as it left the sky appeared normal again.

The ancient Egyptians are very concerned with the eye. This eyeball is described as the eye of Ra or the eye of Horus. Ra is the God of the sun, his female counterpart is symbolized by the eye and Horus the Egyptian god of the sky.

My experience has haunted me throughout my whole life. I have always wondered if it was magical. At the time it looked like the eyeball of a giant. Now that I understand the physicality of U.F.O’s it seems like a more sensible explanation. Yet, aliens and magic are interconnected in the sense that they are radiating energies that are unknown and manifest through the spiritual and physical realms. What exactly do aliens and magic have in common?

Navajo Mythology
Navajo believe that the first man and the first woman were previously born from three other worlds. They believed this because man and woman argued too much and they believe Earth is the fourth planet that they were born to. Well, what other planets were there?

The myth goes on to describe the four gods that placed these beings on the Earth. One called White Body was the god of Earth, one called Blue Body named The Sprinkler, one called Yellow Body who remains unnamed and one called Black Body the god of fire.

The Navajo were also visited by eight gods called the Mirage People who instructed the first man and woman how to reproduce on the Earth.

Astral Travels
Extraterrestrials are beings that can transcend other dimensions. In our world currently this can be done with the use of magic such as astral projection.

Astral projection is about letting your soul travel out of your body through space and time. When you astral project you are capable of defying all of nature’s physical laws and you can go places where you could not go in physical form so easily such as underwater, through space or through other dimensions in an instant.

Those that astral project typically share the same experiences which can be compared to those with abduction stories.

Typically when astral projecting, experiencers report traveling through dark tunnels to visions of bright white lights. Alien abductees commonly see white lights as well.

Astral Projection is about traveling through space, time and through mystical realms. All beyond the physical world is void less of time and laws of nature. Once you leave your physical reality past, present and the future all become one. Abduction experiencers commonly feel like they lose time and fake memories are implanted into the brain. I believe that by meditation and the study of ancient magical arts we can form new ways to defend our mind and spirit so that we can come to a level of clear consciousness no matter what the circumstances. Typically out of body experiencers wake up suddenly and realize that time has lapsed in a different way than normal much the same as abductees.

Natural born astral projectors often wake in their sleep afraid because they are not aware what they are doing. Practice and meditation can help you overcome the fear. We can also compare to this many abduction stories where people go to bed at night and wake up the next morning wondering what has happened? Suddenly we are traveling interdimensionally throughout the universe. Education will calm fears and so also does meditation.

Auras
An aura is the energy around your body that radiates from you. It can be seen as different colors that are symbolic of the type of person that you are, your spiritual purpose and also your intentions.
Extraterrestrials are often described as being attracted to energy. An aura is definitely an energy source. Could they be attracted to persons with certain auras or could they sense them at all? Ancient magic has created the idea of the aura and it is to this day a very powerful new age tool to self-discovery.

You are not limited to the rules of nature. You are also capable of transcending time and space to empower yourself. Ancient people have left behind powerful mystic secrets that can shape the future for the new age that is surrounded in alien mythologies and science.

By: Deanna Jaxine Stinson, Paranormal Researcher
Halo Paranormal Investigations – HPI International

Facebook – HPI International

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Uber Eats in Costa Rica

Costa Rica News – Uber Eats works with over 350 food businesses in Costa Rica. Both large and small companies and restaurants, and even convenience stores, find the platform to increase sales by offering delivery to customers’ homes.

The service is new, having started just four months ago. It operates in San Jose and Heredia and plans to expand. It works similarly to how Uber transports people. Each month the platform grows in numbers with great reviews from clients and businesses.

Aside from offering convenience to customers, it brings new clientele to businesses they might not have otherwise sought out. It opens a window of exposure and is, in a way, free advertising.

The service has even become an attractive option for large food chains like Quiznos, Teriyaki and Smashburger. It is ever increasing the menu to keep it as varied as possible.

Residente From Calle 13 Coming to Costa Rica on Sunday

Costa Rica Entertainment – Residente, from Calle 13, is coming to Costa Rica and giving a concert at Expo San Carlos.

This will be his fourth appearance in Costa Rica and he hopes to stay longer than usual this time.

It’ll be the first time he visits as a soloist. The Puerto Rican will take the stage at 3pm on Sunday the 29th of April. The cost to enter the fairgrounds and see the show is just ¢2,000.

He’ll bring new songs and surely new controversial views as well, but his fans follow him even when they don’t agree with his ideas because his music is something special. His unpredictability gets him lots of media attention.

He started singing typical reggaeton but then “became serious.” His opinions and style have matured over time. Last year he released his first solo album and won the Grammy for best Latin rock album.

Surf Photos & Costa Rica Weekend Surf Report- April 27th & 28th

Costa Rica Surfing – (Surf Report April 27th & 28th) – We are going to give you the surf forecast for Costa Rica and we have Costa Rica surf pics.  There are going to be overhead sets on the Pacific side  & small sets on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. We have also added surf video from Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica.

North Costa Rica & Central Costa Rica & South Costa Rica Forecast for the Pacific

Solid SSW swell eases late week
Favorable AM conditions
Smaller SPAC swells next week

Friday 04/27- 4-7ft+ – shoulder high to 2 ft overhead occ. 8 ft – Slowly easing SSW swell.

Saturday 04/28 – 4-6ft – shoulder high to 1 ft overhead – Old SSW swell fades. New, small SW swell moves in.

Video of the Surf at Playa Hermosa – Equipment From Reel Cameras

Caribbean Costa Rica Forecast

Friday 04/27 – 2-3ft – waist to stomach high – Fun sized very short period waves from the ENE. Light SE winds with semi clean to slightly sideshore textured conditions.

Saturday 04/28 – 2-3ft – knee to waist high – Small very short period waves from the ENE. Light WNW winds with semi clean to slightly sideshore textured conditions.

Now Some Costa Rica Surf Pics (Photos Taken By Una Ola Surf Camp (unaola.com)

Costa Ricans Go Crazy for Premier of Avengers: Infinity War

Costa Rica Entertainment – Costa Ricans didn’t mind staying awake to see the premiere of Avengers: Infinity War.

300 fans packed Nova Cinemas. These individuals, groups and families are the truest fans.

They held various activities before the showing, including a trivia contest and bet taking.

They enjoyed coming together with other lovers of the house of Marvel and being surrounded by like minded people who share a passion for the superheroes to see this film, after ten years of waiting for it.

The Vertigo store stayed open special hours, until midnight. They’ve been selling 30 collectable figures a day and expect to see an increase in purchases of figures and t shirts this week.

The two and a half hour film is said to have exceeded expectations. The say the effects are excellent and the end is impressive. You must stay to see the scene that comes after the credits.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

5 Diet Tips to Forget & What To Do Instead

More Gringos Coming to Costa Rica

Costa Rica Travel News – The arrival of Americans to Costa Rica has grown 6% between January and March, with respect to the same period of 2017. This means a recovery after a decline in that indicator.

Looking at the first quarter of each year, we saw a jump of 21% from 2015-16 and then a 4% reduction in 2017. According to the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, 375,107 Americans visited during the first quarter of 2018. US tourism is the best source of visitors to the country.

While some worried about the decline last year, it was shown to be circumstantial. In 2016, for example, airlines opened many more seats. A second circumstance was the change in administration in the US.

European arrivals increased by 14% from the first quarter of 2017 to that of 2018. This may be due to the opening of new direct flights to European cities as well as the promotion of Costa Rica as a destination.

The increase of South American tourists rose by 11% and overall arrivals from all origins increased by 7.1%.

Sara Giberstein; Costa Rica to Nazi Europe

Costa Rica News – The story of Sara Giberstein is one that should be told. She kept it to herself for her 86 years but now, with her daughter’s help, she is sharing her life story, which begins in Costa Rica.

Her family moved here from Poland but at some point had to go back because of a lack of work opportunities and missing the comforts of home.

Sara and her childhood friend, Samuel Rovinski, met again in 1972. They eventually married but the time between their childhood and marriage was anything but fairytale like.

Sara became a child victim of anti-Semitism during World War II. Although just 5 years old at the time, Sara remembers hearing bombs and running to the basement. They had to leave their apartment by order of the Nazis and hid out with 17 people in the basement of a family factory. The children were later sent secretly and separately to the outskirts where Catholic families would hide them until they felt the fear of a surprise visit by the Germans and she would have to flee again and be at the mercy of new strangers.

Her story in much more depth is written in “A Mountain of Sawdust,” “Una montaña de aserrín,” an absolute must read.

Madrid 2018: 5 Things to Know About Costa Rica

Costa Rica News – In just under two months’ time, the 2018 IBSA Blind Football World Championships will kick-off in Madrid, Spain.

Costa Rica were the first Central American country to qualify and are ranked 42nd in the IBSA Blind Football world rankings.

Here are four facts you should know about ‘Los Volcanes’ (the Volcanoes).

• Costa Rica formed in 2012, and their first official international competition was at the 2017 IBSA Blind Football Central American Championships. This happened with the help of the IBSA Blind Football Central American development project.

• Costa Rica faced few obstacles in qualifying for Madrid 2018. They went undefeated in the group stages of the Central American Championships, scoring a total of 19 goals.

• Costa Rica went on to defeat host nation Guatemala 3-2 on penalties in the final of the tournament to win the first title.

• Watch out for Costa Rica forward Esteban Chávez, who picked up Player of the Tournament. His nine goals also won him the Top Goal Scorer award. Additionally, his performance landed him the International Paralympic Committee’s Americas ‘Athlete of the Month’ in November 2017.

The 2018 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Blind Football World Championships will be held in Madrid, Spain, from 7-17 June, and will feature 16 of the world’s best teams. As well as the title on offer, the competition is also an important step on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

The official draw for the World Championships will take place on Monday (23 April) in Madrid.

From Paralymic.org

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Costa Ricans Build City on Mars

Costa Rica News – Costa Ricans participated in the HP Mars Home Planet contest held by HP.

Their proposal for a city for one million humans on Mars was among the finalists, out of 392 proposals.

Their team consisted of Pablo Mora Chatski, Michael Quirós, Federico Peña and Juan Pablo Duque, three engineers and an architect. They work for APAME Design. They named their design Areocell city.

To compete they had to follow certain rules, such as respecting the physics of Mars. They were very imaginative as well as thorough in researching energy sources available on the Red Planet. They came up with a plan of using solar, areothermal, nuclear and even human energy. People on Mars would have to exercise to maintain muscle mass and bone density and gyms can make use of the energy.

The materials they chose to use included sand, Martian concrete and frozen water. They would make giant igloos, to house thousands of people each, which would be interconnected. They’d use a series of tubes to transport waste and air.

Judging the Success of Costa Rica’s Online Gambling Licensing

Costa Rica News – As one of the world’s most popular places to set up an online gambling business, we are blessed to have other nations investing in our economy to run their offshore operations from. Our nation has long been considered a haven from which other countries conduct their businesses out of – as in their own countries the laws are much stricter, prohibiting setting up online gambling businesses in their own jurisdictions.

Are things about to change?

There are no laws in Costa Rico that outlaw online gambling operations and as such it has made us a popular location for those from overseas looking to set up shop. That’s not to say that these online gambling operations (both casinos and sports betting operations) are serving Costa Rican customers. Most of the online gambling houses running out of Costa Rico target the American market.

The projected figure for the overall online gambling market for 2017 was 47.11 billion dollars, calculated in 2015 – and a hefty amount of this was the funds being poured in from the US. The US is one of the most restrictive markets in the world when it comes to gambling. Casinos and sports betting are only allowed in less than a handful of states (think Vegas and Atlantic City) and betting outsides of these jurisdictions is illegal.

That’s not to say that the market isn’t flourishing though, thanks to websites that serve up betting options to punters from other places on earth. Sure, it’s illegal to run a betting house from the States, and it may even be illegal to bet in the States, but they aren’t going after the guy on the street – they’re only prosecuting businesses.

So for a business to be able to serve their gambling services from another spot on the planet, giving US citizens what they want, without running the risk of being prosecuted for it… Well, that’s a massive dangling carrot. Sure, company CEOs probably shouldn’t try travelling in the States for fear of lawful retribution, but if they don’t, then they’re pretty much untouchable. Sounds like a win for them.

You might be wondering whether all this is running on the right side of the law overall. While it might be a little hazy due to international lines, it is most perfectly legal under the structure of our country, government, and legislation. We do not have any specific online gambling licensing or legislation in place. How other countries choose to define and run themselves is not our domain.

Online gambling houses are able to operate out of Costa Rica because our laws do not expressly prohibit it, and our fees to set up a company within our country are comparatively inexpensive. To set up a company in Costa Rico costs a mere fraction of the costs associated with setting up a company in another country which also allows the same. People only need to set up a Costa Rican Corporation, register with the taxation department, and obtain a Data Processing License.

Has it worked for us, though, allowing others to set up these businesses in our country? It’s all well and good to provide others a place to do business from, so long as it’s being a big enough boost to the economy. The issue with egambling houses operating out of Costa Rico is that we don’t have fixed rules set in place or an authority to deal specifically with this type of company. It is here where we are missing the mark in terms of available profits.

Should we set up rules and regulations along with gambling taxation, etc. to deal with these type of operations we could be garnering far greater profits from online casinos and betting operations than we do currently. Other jurisdictions where people from overseas can come and set up an online gambling business, such as Belize and Malta have made legislation to licence and audit the companies, which puts a great deal more trust in players. As Clyde Jackson from NoDepositHero puts it, “Our players are more likely to place bets with a trusted site, operating out of a country where they know the rules are going to be fair and that their money is safe.” It’s for this reason that our popularity as an online gambling business haven has fallen.

By implementing rules and regulations surrounding egambling businesses within Costa Rico it could provide a significant boost to the economy. The incoming president may or may not take a closer look at tackling online gambling reform, however it would be a good discussion to have. If houses are already making profits out of our country, then why not either scrap it altogether if they disagree with gambling, or better yet, at least make some more profits out of this truly booming business?

It’s food for thought, and it’s likely to become a significant piece of legislation at one time or another, but the question is whether we’re likely to see change sooner or later.

2ndPassports.com St Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment Program

The company 2ndPassports.com was first established in 2004 in Switzerland, and since then has grown into a successful business that provides their many clients with brokerage to second citizen of another country for reasons of both economy and liberty. As an industry leader in this field, the team behind 2ndPassports.com have gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in the area, and over the years have gained customers that span the globe.

The core team have been in action for over a decade, providing literally thousands of clients with the freedom that they have previously been denied. Second citizenship provides this freedom and thanks to 2ndPassports, many individuals, families and companies have benefitted. In addition to the acquisition of second citizenship, customers also receive financial flexibility through tax-shelters and discreet banking.

The company are committed to safeguarding any assets of the clients by creating legal and tax-advantaged devices and shelters, providing offshore solutions and financial security when needed.

Acquiring a second citizenship can be a time consuming and expensive process, the level of which depends on which country the client is choosing. 2ndPassports aims to put all of their customers at ease. They understand that to reach out to a company to gain a second citizenship requires a certain level of trust, therefore 2ndPassports offers a range of contact options that suits the customer’s preferences, be it by Skype call, phone call, email, meeting face to face in one of their offices or a location of their choosing, they are willing to do whatever will make the customer at ease.

All conversations are completely private and the company are there to listen to any doubts and concerns that the customer may have.

The company has partnered with many countries that have tax-advantaged regimes and have maintained offshore financial sectors in order to try and prevent global taxation. One of these countries is St. Kitts and Nevis.

Citizenship by Investment Programme

St. Kitts and Nevis is a Caribbean island, and to many it would be described as a little piece of paradise. Thanks to its location, it enjoys a tropical climate, with sunshine almost all year round and lush beaches and a dense rainforest to explore. It is also synonymous of having creative banking systems and has favourable taxation which can help when it comes to safeguarding assets. It is because of this that many business people from either the USA or Europe look into getting a second citizenship to this Caribbean country, as it now offers a Citizenship by Investment programme.

This programme is simply the process of someone investing a sum of money into a country in order to receive, in return, citizenship and a passport of the country. The interest of this programme is growing rapidly, and now many other countries are looking to get in on it in the coming years.

In general, this sort of program is used by those who are looking to get a second passport in order to improve their business and opportunities in general, although to avoid criminal activity, they will have to undergo a detailed bank check. For those that are successful, there are multiple benefits. Not only will the second citizenship open countless doors in terms of opportunities for their business, but the country in question, in this case St. Kitts and Nevis, will get an economy boost.

Although quite a few countries are now offering this option, St. Kitts and Nevis is still one of the best options available. This was where the very first CBI programme was introduced, back in 1984. Since then it has undergone much scrutiny and improvement. Some of these updates over the years have included 24/7 case management system, system accessibility for applicants online and the promise that clients will get citizenship between 45 and 75 days.

Benefits

Due to the heavy rates of taxation and an over investigative banking system, the chances of expanding a business can look very slim. Ownership of a St Kitts and Nevis passport could change that, as clients are able to protect their assets. Other benefits include:

  • Freedom of choice when it comes to real estate investment.
  • There is no income or wealth tax to consider.
  • No previous residence is needed before citizenship is granted.
  • Membership of CARICOM is automatic, meaning clients have freedom of travel and work in the Caribbean.
  • The citizenship is also for current and future family members.

Recently, the programme has launched a new fund, ‘the Sustainable Growth Fund’, which has the aim of boosting investment in this Caribbean country. This new fund is much more affordable than the one previously used, having a price if $150,000 for an individual and $195,000 for a family of four.

The fund was set up to benefit every citizen and resident of the nation, and for many it provides an attractive opportunity. The investments from the fund will go towards education, alternative energy, heritage, tourism, healthcare, infrastructure and various other elements that will ultimately improve the quality of living for those that are living on the islands. As a more affordable option, it will be able to help applicates and their families secure their future.

About the Country

For those looking for a change of pace in live, St. Kitts and Nevis offers the perfect opportunity, attracting high earning expats who are looking to get some of the great perks that come with the citizenship by investment programme.

The country has a heavily British history, so British tradition plays a large role in the country’s culture. Additionally, there is a strong West African influence. Like many Caribbean countries, it has a festive and vibrant feel, with carnivals a big part of island life. It is also said to have some of the best food in the Caribbean, mainly thanks to the rich land that allows for plentiful crops and the extremely fresh, local seafood.

The landscape of both of the islands is tropical, complete with beaches, volcanoes, lush vegetation and rainforests, with temperature averages off 77-degrees Fahrenheit. There is a ferry that separates the two islands, so visitors and residents are able to visit both with ease.

I-5 Killer Randall Woodfield & Strangler Roger Kibbe

Ghosts & the Supernatural – Below is a blast from the past.  A paranormal scouting mission that was conducted on November 4, 2007, Sunday.  This scouting mission turned out interesting.  
I have a date set up to take some new paranormal investigators-in-training/scouts to take them to I-5 and Sutterville where either the I-5 Killer Randall Woodfield or I-5 Strangler Roger Kibbe took their victim for a night of rape and murder. There is some confusion on which I-5 Killer committed a murder there and I will explain later.

On November 4, 2007, Sunday, I am conducting a scouting party for HPI. We were supposed to stop at Globe Mill and 300 Capitol Mall before investigating the murder site of the I-5 Killer. There was a problem. On Tuesday, October 30, 2007, I went on my own to Globe Mill, they are renovating this building and there are signs that say – No Trespassing, the Police Will Make Arrests. I wanted to take my HPI team to this historic site, but with those trespassing signs that are placed around the building, it doesn’t seem like a good idea. Michele Stump, Researcher found this information for me:

“Sacramento pioneer John Sutter is credited with building the first flour mill in the Sacramento area in 1840. Because of the demand by the thousands of gold seekers flooding the tent city of Sacramento and the difficulty in obtaining supplies, the price of flour soared to $26 a barrel by the end of 1848. By 1852 there were six mills operating in and around Sacramento and they all utilized the transportation the Sacramento River provided to ship their flour to the gold fields and instant communities that sprang up around them. The Sacramento Valley summers dried the wheat enough for it to easily ship to foreign markets intact. When it began in 1853, the Phoenix Flouring Mill ground grain to feed livestock. By 1860 the mill was producing 20,000 bushels of wheat ground to flour by steam power. The business changed hands in 1868, and after surviving a fire in 1872 that necessitated building a new brick storehouse, the mill changed hands one again in 1881. The new owners rebuilt in 1885 after another fire and incorporated in 1891. Phoenix sold out to the Globe Milling Co. (after refusing earlier to join the Sperry Flour Combine) a few years before Globe was dissolved by the state in 1928.”

I discovered that Globe Mill is 90 years old, has been through several fires. In the fire of 1872, 3 people died inside the building and supposingly Globe Mill is haunted by the three men who lost their lives in this fire. I can’t imagine how horrific it must be to die in a fire. It brought back memories of when I was 12 years old and I was left in my Monterey home by myself, as my older brother went to his girlfriend’s house. I was playing with matches and the pine needles on the ground caught on fire and before I knew it, the pine tree was on fire. I frantically tried to put out the fire with a garden hose and my neighbors called the fire department. They extinguished the fire in time. I was too scared to tell my parents when I got home and it wasn’t until a month later, my dad is looking out the back window and says…”Rose (my mom’s name)..our pine tree looks like it was through a fire”, then his next word was…”DALE!” My dad would always call me by my middle name..Dale. I knew I was in trouble. One year later, my dad took me to the State Fair and walked me up to Smokey the Bear and had me confess about playing with matches. I never played with matches again after be scolded by Smokey the Bear. But, enough of my childhood flashbacks, let’s go back to the Globe Mill. Another ghost that haunts Globe Mill is Sledge Mahoney. Sledge was a well-built man with a reputation for drinking. He would frequent the local bars and became known for his barroom brawling. One day while working at the Mill, Sledge got caught up in the crusher (compressor). His clothing somehow got entangled in this machine and he was crushed to death. A mixture of bone fragments, flour, blood and skin were the only thing left of Sledge. Some of his co-workers didn’t shed a tear for his demise. I went over to Globe Mill and did an outside perimeter investigation and took some pictures of some small orbs. I used my Listen Up sound enhancer and the only thing I heard was a cat meowing somewhere in this gutted out building. I didn’t come across Sledge Mahoney. My next stop was 300 Capitol Mall. Michele Stump had this to say:

“The actual parking structure is located at 300 Capital Mall, in the State Controller’s Office parking garage. I found an article written by a local historian that found that this site was the site of the “Sacramento State Hospital”, a mental hospital, in 1953. It was only in operation for a short time until the state hospital was transferred to Stockton. I’m not sure if the hauntings are related but it is possible.” 300 Capitol Mall is where our illustrious President Shannon ‘Ms. Macabre’ McCabe saw her first full body apparition of a man. When I was at 300 Capitol Mall, I knew this is not a place to investigate, due to security, security cameras, etc. If I bring a large group of people through here, they will be thinking we are there to case out the cars and again we could all be arrested for grand theft auto, even though we didn’t steal any cars. I looked around and didn’t see any ghosts and drove home and wondered how I can satisfy a group of enthusiastic ghost hunters. Then it dawned on me!

First off I will take them to I-5 / Sutterville, the I-5 Killer Murder site, this is accessible to the public. Some history on the I-5 Killer aka Randall Woodfield. Randall is credited with 13 homicides. He was a very handsome man, muscular and athletic. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. Due to the fact he kept exposing himself during his football training, the Green Bay Packers sent him home. Randall tried to obtain fame, by later posing for Playgirl. Randall had a darkside, he fantasized about sodomy, rape and murder. After sodomizing and raping his victims, his method of killing was usually to shoot them. He was finally arrested by the police in Huntington Beach, where he was sunning himself. There was another I-5 Killer, he was also known as the I-5 Strangler aka Roger Kibbe. There was a book written about Roger, it’s called Trace Evidence. This sick serial killer would pick up hitchhiking women and when he had them in his car, he would pull out a pair of scissors and start snipping at the fabric of their clothing. Roger is credited with 20 homicides, but police say he may have killed up to 38.


Credit: Robert Beck

He was convicted of 2 counts of murder-rape in El Dorado County. Most of his murder victims were in the Sacramento area.

Here is where the confusion lies. Most people think it was Randall Woodfield who pulled into I-5 and Sutterville to rape and murder his victim, but some police sources say it wasn’t Randall at all, it was Roger Kibbe. But from all accounts there was a rape murder at this location, but there is some debate on which I-5 Killer did it.

Now let’s get on with this scouting mission. Let’s take a roll call of the paranormal investigators/scouts that showed up: Paul Dale Roberts/Ghostwriter/Lead Scout Investigator; Donna Reynolds, Robin Kanstein, Shauna Kinchen, Debbie Talani, Holly DeLaughter, Sparky Parker, Robert Mabalot, Paul Orlando, Julie Robinson, Leah Cuadra, Angel Kesti, Michele Stump and her daughter, Jon Almada and Cheri Vincent.

We all met up at Starbucks and I fully briefed them about the two I-5 Killers, Roger Kibbe and Randall Woodfield. I introduced the newbies to some of the experienced investigators like Michele Stump – our researcher, that elaborated more on the I-5 Killers. I introduced Holly DeLaughter, Donna Reynolds and Debbie Talani, who have been on some investigations and are familiar with most of the ghost hunting equipment that we use.

When I took my scouts/paranormal investigators to I-5/Sutterville, Jon Almada, a psychic was pulled to the left, he felt nervous energy. He says that he felt like he was pulled by force to a certain location and then when he went to that location, he felt like something was grabbing his throat. Robin Kanstein feels something by two bushes and is drawn to one of the bushes. Holly on our preliminary investigation captures a black orb on the Sacramento River. On this scouting mission, only the intuitives were picking up on impressions. On a scientific level, we captured no EVPs or photographs of anything paranormal. EVPs are hard to capture during the daytime, because the freeway is right next to this location and sometimes there are powerboats in the river. It was time to move on.

I told my scouts that I had bad news and good news for them. The bad news is that we were not going to investigate Globe Mill, they have ‘no trespassing’ signs everywhere. The good news is that we were going to do a residential haunting investigation. I looked around and everyone had a big smile on their face! It’s time to head up Hwy 80 to the Gaines Home. We were greeted by Jeanette Lehman and her husband Jake. Jeanette briefed the group about the activities they have experienced. The team was enthusiastic and excited to get started. The group was armed with temperature gauges, electronic audio recorders, digital cameras, Listen Up sound enhancers and groups were formed. Some groups investigated the bedrooms, Debbie Talani lead one group to the backyard, another group did the living room/kitchen areas and another group went to the side of the house near the creek.

On this night, we had some incredible findings, let me give you the run down:

FINDINGS:
1. Leah takes some gorgeous orb shots throughout the house and one orb is yellow in color. The yellow orb is taken in the backyard.

2. Holly gets the 2nd prize with a brilliant bright huge orb moving at rapid pace in the backyard and what appears to be a tail on the orb. Could this be Bogie: The Ghost Dog? A ghostly German Shepherd with no legs is often seen in this home.

3. Angel gets the 1st prize with a picture of a FULL BODY APPARITION! It appears to be a man standing by the doorway, he is standing sideways, you can see his eyes, mouth, nose and his strange clothing. Everyone is absolutely amazed at this photograph, even the occupants.

4. Everyone gets a whiff of perfume smell in the hallway, then it dissipates as fast as it came. Then it comes around again and starts moving to another room. Cherie discovers a teddy bear with perfume smell and the occupants say they have never sprayed this teddy bear with perfume and could not understand why the teddy bear smelled this way.

5. Shauna felt something in the back of her neck, as it was going past her like a fast moving breeze.

6. Cold spots are detected in the bedroom.

7. Donna Reynolds uses her wooden pendulum, she explains to me that if it goes clockwise it means ‘yes’ and counter clockwise is ‘no’ The information she gathers is a from a small boy age 6 years old. He only tells her he is a boy and that he is 6 and he stays in this house.

8. More pungent flower smell emanates in the home and everyone smells it.

9. Everyone runs outside because a CHAIR STARTS MOVING ON ITS OWN ACCORD. I asked if anyone bumped it and I reenacted what could have happened if someone were to bump it and it didn’t move the way it was moving by itself. I am not going to bless this as an actual paranormal incident, but the way the chair was moving, rocking back and forth and vibrating was quite unusual and it moved for a long time afterward. When bumping it, the movement is short lived. Everyone swore up and down that they did not bump into this chair.

10. Jon picks up on the name of Tyler and asks the occupant if they have a dog named Tyler. The occupant confirms the name of one of her dogs. She truly does have a dog named Tyler.

11. Robin captures a picture of another yellow orb and everyone has now captured pictures of orbs throughout the house and outside of the residence.

12. Julie gets an EVP of a tapping sound. She asks the entity to make its presence known by tapping on the wall and there is a loud tap.

13. Debbie Talani gets touched on her back.

14. Shawna, Jeanette and Jon are touched at different times of the investigation.

15. Holly is in the back bedroom and is meditating, when all of sudden there is a loud click on the dresser.

16. Some equipment was malfunctioning for no apparent reason. Cameras stopped snapping photos, then later would work again. Temperature gauges and electronic audio recorders were having snafus.

Jeanette and her husband Jake explain to me that not too long ago, they had a very unusual paranormal experience. Jeanette was trying to watch ‘House’ and the TV on its own started acting weird, they have a satellite dish and the TV started looking for other channels and presented static snow on the screen. Later the TV was back to normal and House came on.

Jeanette was saying that the last time we were at her residence, we didn’t get much action. Tonight was the Disneyland of Spookiness! Jon was saying how this investigation ‘rocked’! I have to admit, with all of the excitement that happened tonight, it did ‘rock!’ After the investigation was over, Cherie Vincent became the lead investigator and took a group of people to the Folsom cemetery. For most, this night was not over, for me it was time to tell a story. Debbie Talani – Ghostwriter-in-Training was taking down her notes and is writing the story as viewed from her own eyes.

This was an amazing investigation and perhaps the entities were feeding off the positive energy that we released in this home.

By Paul Dale Roberts, HPI’s Esoteric Detective
Halo Paranormal Investigations – HPI International.
www.facebook.com/#!/groups/HPIinternational/

Monday, April 23, 2018

How to Become a Resident of Costa Rica

Costa Rica is one of the countries that attract a lot of people from different places. This scenic island has a lot to offer for people who enjoy tourism but also for business people. Just like any other country in the world, you will get a chance to live and do in this country once you follow the laid out legal process. Obtaining Costa Rican residency is not a difficult process at all. While some people are able to extend their stay in the country by using apparent tourism loopholes in the law, it is always advisable to follow the right process. Recent laws have particularly tightened the process and citizenship by investment will entail much more than just a desire to live in the country. Here’s how you can become a resident of Costa Rica.

Learn About and Pay Required Residency Fees

Costa Rican residency is offered to individuals as well as families. Typically, every single person needing residency permits will need to pay the required fees individually. Every family member will thus be treated individually. In general, you do not need a huge investment to complete the process. Among the fees required for residency include:

  • Translation and authentication fees
  • Permit fees
  • Legal requirement fees

In addition, you might need to get the services of legal and immigration officers. Consulting with local firms will thus be invaluable.

Provide and Authenticate Your Documentation

In addition to making the different payments, you will also need to provide a series of documents that are legally required for Costa Rican residency. You might need to spend some money to get some of the documents if you do not have them already. Part of the documentation that every individual must have for a Costa Rican residency includes:

  1. A good conduct certificate from your country’s law enforcement agencies. The certificate must be not older than 6 months.
  2. A birth certificate.
  3. A marriage certificate where applicable.
  4. Financial statements or income certification.
  5. Legal authorization in case an attorney is working on your behalf.

Liaise with the Costa Rican Authorities for the Finalization of the Process

After getting your documents authenticated and after paying the required fees, you can now obtain translation services from either your local Costa Rican consulate or from the Costa Rican immigration department. Finalizing the immigration process also involves being registered with the Costa Rican social security fund. A 3 years residency is then given to and you can make it permanent after the period is over. Generally, different types of residency are given depending on the applicant’s status. You can be registered as an annuitant, a pensioned retiree, an investor or a company representative. If you are a family member to a Costa Rican resident, you also have a chance to get the citizenship by providing the relevant proof to the authorities. Other forms of residency are given to NGOs and individuals undertaking in special research or professional work.

In Summary

Costa Rican residency is available for people from all walks of life. As long as your documentation is verified, you can be assured of obtaining a permanent stay in this great country.

Colony of Beautiful Purple Octopuses Found Off Costa Rica Coast

Costa Rica News – In 2013, a team of geochemists off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica sent underwater vehicles to explore the Dorado Outcrop, a rocky patch of seafloor 150 miles from land. They hoped to gather samples of warm water emerging from hydrothermal vents in the hardened lava making up the outcrop. But, as Mindy Weisberger at LiveScience reports, they were stunned by the images that came back from two miles below the waves: hundreds of beautiful purple octopus mamas huddled around the vents, incubating their eggs.

The chemists shared the find with deep sea biologists, who were stunned. “When I first saw the photos, I was like, ’No, they shouldn’t be there! Not that deep and not that many of them,” Janet Voight, associate curator of zoology at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago says in a press release. She is co-author of a study on the curious creatures that appeared this week in the journal Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers. “Never would I have anticipated such a dense cluster of these animals in the deep sea,” she says.

From there the mystery only deepened. While the researchers did not formally describe or name the new cephalopods, they did determine that they belonged to an undiscovered species in the genus Muuscoctopus.Typically, octopuses in that group are loners, so it was surprising to see them grouped together.

Unfortunately, it also turned out this beautiful group of mothers was doomed. Voight tells Nathanial Scharping at Discover that the fate of a female octopus is already somewhat tragic; they only breed once in their life, putting all their energy into producing eggs. Once the eggs are laid and affixed to a rock or other hard structure, they spend the rest of their failing energy protecting their clutch of eggs, dying soon after their offspring swim away.

But Voight found that the developing octopus embryos couldn’t make it in the conditions near the volcanic vents the group had chosen. Warm water welling up from the volcanic cracks tends to speed embryo development. But that creates a larger demand for oxygen, which is in short supply around the vents. “As the embryos start to develop from fertilized cells, they’re increasing their oxygen use … and they’re confronted with less oxygen available,” she tells Scharping. “I don’t see how they can possibly survive.”

After examining 186 of the eggs via images from the submersible, she didn’t find a single one with a developing embryo. Which begs the question: why would so many octopuses choose such a terrible spot to nurse their eggs?

According to the press release, much of the Dorado Outcrop may be an awesome place to raise an octopus family, with ideal spots for laying clutches in other cracks and fissures in the hardened lava. But those spots may have been full, and so this unfortunate group of mothers was forced to choose a less than ideal nursery. It’s also possible that the fissures were not as active when the octopuses laid their eggs, reports Weisberger. The warm water and low oxygen could have come later.

Adding to the intrigue is the fact that hydrothermal vents are one of the most intriguing and least studied systems on Earth. The vents, where hot, mineral rich water warmed by magma flows deeper underground pours through cracks in the ocean floor, were only discovered in 1977. Since then, researchers have discovered that they are home to extremophile organisms, like bacteria that can survive incredibly high heat and pressure, which are helping scientists understand what life on other planets may look like.

The new purple octopus is unlikely to be the last surprise found at ocean vents. (In fact, researchers did note some tentacles waving from other, more inviting cracks in the rock.) “This is only the third hydrothermal system of its type that has been sampled, yet millions of similar environments exist in the deep sea,” geochemist Geoff Wheat of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and co-author of the study says in the release. “What other remarkable discoveries are waiting for us?”

By Jason Daley
SMITHSONIAN.COM

Concerning Bottlenecks and Breakthroughs

The winter rains came late this year in California. A series of storms this spring have made the land verdant beyond belief. Sitting on the lip of the narrow gorge in the expansive canyon beyond town, with achingly green, wildflower-peppered slopes stretching for miles before me, the mind is unable to absorb the beauty.

I see only two people in two hours. One person was fully a mile away, walking across a distant flat beyond the gorge. Another man, carrying a camera with the longest telephoto lens I’ve ever seen, passes on the trail behind me. He exuberantly exclaims, “Isn’t this amazing…I could spend four days here!”

We talk for ten minutes, and he shows me some incredible close-ups he’s taken of vultures and mallards in flight, as well as swallows and woodpeckers in trees. He’s visiting from Boston, and it is his first time in Upper Park. I tell him he’s picked the best day of the year to be here.

Barry Lopez has written two of my favorite books about nature—“Of Wolves and Men,” and “Arctic Dreams.” His descriptions are magisterial, and he comes as close to conveying mystical experiencing in nature as anyone I’ve read, with the exception of a few poets.

Photo by Martin Lefevre

Lopez writes, “The physical landscape is baffling in its ability to transcend whatever we would make of it. It is as subtle in its expression as turns of the mind, and larger than our grasp; and yet it is still knowable.”

As beautifully drawn as that is, the second sentence misses the mark. The whole point of being in nature is to totally let go of the known, both as knowledge and experience.

The feeling, ‘I don’t know anything,’ doesn’t have to be the end-point and despair of the self, but the beginning of perception and opening of insight in the heart. Meditation means the complete, spontaneous cessation of the movement of the mind-as-thought.

Vultures soar by at eye level above the gorge, little more than an arm’s length away. I can see their eyes and feel their ceaselessly scanning awareness of their environment.

A pair of mallards flies about 50 meters above the turbulent, whitecapping flow far below. Two fat Canadian geese, flying upstream, come so close that one almost strikes me as it swoops over a rock on my right.

Watching every thought and emotion as they arise, memories, knowledge and associations fall away. The heart fully opens, and all separation ends. When thought is completely still, the human being is nature, and the sacredness that imbues nature and the universe flows through one.

What is the relationship between knowledge and experience, and the experiencing of the immanence that imbues nature? There is none. Knowledge has to be consciously set aside, and experience has to be effortlessly negated, for the experiencing of sacredness to be.

To a much lesser degree, it’s like listening to classical music, and realizing, as a classical musician recently said, that you can “hear more than you can name, and that the very point of listening to great music is to be moved, not to put names on what moves you.”

Naming does not enable or enhance perception; it precludes and prevents it. It’s only when words, images and memories spontaneously cease operating in the act of inclusive, undirected attention that we actually perceive anything, whether in nature or with a human being.

Yesterday, on Earth Day, I heard someone say, “What the natural world is experiencing is a bottleneck.” That is absurdly anthropocentric. The natural world isn’t experiencing a bottleneck; human consciousness is experiencing a bottleneck.

The writer went on to quote Churchill at the beginning of World War II: “In casting up this dread balance sheet and contemplating our dangers with a disillusioned eye, I see great reason for intense vigilance and exertion, but none whatever for panic or despair.” That’s right, another war metaphor, subconsciously affirming man’s barren conquest of nature.

The Churchillian bromide was prescribed as an antidote to the widespread despair many people feel in the face of climate change and man’s destruction of the diversity of life on earth. But as any physician knows, a disease cannot be cured unless it is correctly diagnosed. This is not a crisis in the natural world, but a crisis of human consciousness.

Therefore the bottleneck is not outside us, but within us. And the breakthrough is potentially within each of us as well. And the breakthrough is when perception and the movement of the heart are one.

Martin LeFevre

How to Do Nicaragua – Costa Rica Visa Runs? Transnica & Ticabus Halt Trips

Costa Rica News – Transnica and Ticabus cancelled trips to and from Nicaragua yesterday following a wave of violent demonstrations that left at least 10 dead and 100 injured in Nicaragua.

Trips will be cancelled until the violence ceases and security is guaranteed.

The clashes are between citizens and police forces over the decision of Daniel Ortega’s government to tax pensions and increase payins to the system by an insane amount.

The decision to cancel the trips was made in order to guarantee safety of passengers and drivers. The security condition was made because exposing people to the risk is unnecessary.

Those who hold tickets can have them refunded or choose to change the date of the trip. This is the first time trips have been suspended due to violence but others were cancelled due to weather conditions. Through social media networks announcements will be made when tours resume.

“Austin Powers” Actor Verne Troyer Dead at Age 49

Entertainment News – (Associated Press) LOS ANGELES — Verne Troyer, who played Dr. Evil’s small, silent sidekick “Mini-Me” in the “Austin Powers” movie franchise, has died. He was 49.

A statement provided by Troyer’s spokesperson that was also posted to his Instagram and Facebook accounts says the 49-year-old actor died Saturday.

No cause of death was given, but the statement describes Troyer as a “fighter” who was unable to overcome a recent bout of adversity then goes on to discuss depression and suicide.

“Over the years he’s struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much,” the statement said. “Depression and suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, it’s never too late to reach out to someone for help.”

Troyer became a celebrity and pop-culture phenomenon after starring alongside Mike Myers as “Mini-Me,” the tiny, hairless clone of villain Dr. Evil in two of the three “Austin Powers” films.

“Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honor of working with him,” Myers said in a statement. “It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed.”

Troyer appeared in 1999’s “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” and 2002’s “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” in which “Mini-Me” switches sides and becomes a miniature version of Powers. Both hero and villain were played by Myers, who also put Troyer in his 2008 film “The Love Guru.”

He also played the banker goblin Griphook in 2001’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and appeared on dozens of TV shows including “Boston Public,” ”Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “MADtv.”

Troyer was born in 1969 in Sturgis, Michigan with achondroplasia, a genetic condition that kept him less than 3 feet tall.

“Even though his stature was small and his parents often wondered if he’d be able to reach up and open doors on his own in his life, he went on to open more doors for himself and others than anyone could have imagined,” the statement said. “He inspired people around the world with his drive, determination, and attitude… He also touched more people’s hearts than he will ever know.”

Troyer was baptized surrounded by his family during his recent struggles, the statement said. No place of death was given, but he lived in Los Angeles.

Actress Marlee Matlin was among those who paid tribute on Twitter, posting a picture of him and saying he worked with her to raise money for free hearing aids for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

“So sad to read of the passing of Verne Troyer,” Matlin tweeted, saying Troyer had a “lovely smile with a caring and big heart.”