Today in Grateful Dead History

 Today in 1978, listen to this great show from Mississippi!

Grateful Dead Live at Memorial Coliseum, Mississippi State Fairgrounds on 1978-12-19 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Touch in Senscapes

 Got a fuzzy feeling?

Found in Jenkins, I & Bristow, R. (2024). Sensory Tourism: Senses and SenseScapes Encompassing Tourism Destinations. CABI. 

End of Year Donations

 Hmmm, that could be a long list.  

First there are the natural disasters.  You name it, Hurricanes, Tornados, Earthquakes and Volcanoes. 

Pick the area of the world and try to find an organization that is on the ground and donate time if you are local or money if not.

Then there are the social disasters.  We got war, loss of human rights, healthcare so no shortage here.  Vet the organization and if not sure give to a large blanket group to help out.

We still have groups that have suffered from the Covid-19 crisis. Loss of jobs especially in food service. So buy local and eat local.  Forget the chains and go for the local restaurants.  No shortage here.

And whatever you do and can do, smile and be friendly to all.

Have a good holiday, stay healthy and have a wonderful New Year.

Take a hike today.

Taste in Sensescapes

 To whet your appetite...

Found in Jenkins, I & Bristow, R. (2024). Sensory Tourism: Senses and SenseScapes Encompassing Tourism Destinations. CABI. 

Introduction: Foundational Aspect of Sense in Tourism

 Soon to be a major motion picture.....Not.

Introduction: Foundational Aspect of Sense in Tourism, available at Introduction: Foundational Aspect of Sense in Tourism | Sensory Tourism

https://doi.org/10.1079/9781800623606.intr

Blue Lagoon

 Seems the parking lot is closed at the Blue Lagoon due to lava flows, but here are some pics of the area from my previous visits.  

and then some pics from the Silica Hotel that we stayed in.

Sensory Tourism: Senses and SenseScapes Encompassing Tourism Destinations

 Here is your chance to get the new book for your personal and/or school library.

Sensory Tourism: Senses and SenseScapes Encompassing Tourism Destinations: Jenkins PhD, Ian, Bristow, Robert S.: 9781800623583: Amazon.com: Books

Like in all forms of tourism inputs, sensory elements influence the experience in many ways.  Each sense may be highlighted for a particular type of tour, yet the other senses are always in the background and contribute to an opportunity for a multisensory event. For example, in culinary tourism, taste of a meal or the gustation may be in the forefront, yet the others can contribute to the enjoyment (or displeasure). Tasting unique cuisine is enhanced by the visual attractiveness of the setting, the tactile feeling of the food, the aroma lifting from the plate and the chatter in the setting from the kitchen.

November Hiking

 November is a great time for hikes. Except for hunters*, there are few bugs, and the temperatures are great.

Here some shots from AMC Noble View and map.

Take a hike.

* No hunting on Sunday's in Massachusetts, Yeah!

Election 2024

 Worth repeating.

What this election in 2024 is really about is Freedom.

The freedom NOT to be challenged by your race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin.

PLEASE VOTE.

Mr. Vampire (1985)

 Forget what you know about Vampires and watch 

Mr. Vampire (1985, 96 minutes) 

This film is a Color Horror/Comedy Film distributed by Golden Harvest.  This is the original hopping vampire film directed by Ricky Lau (Lau Chang Wei) who went on to direct three of the sequels before releasing the control of the theme to others.  It was produced by Sammo Hung.  Yes, you read that right, hopping vampires.  

This original title spawned several sequels and like many Hong Kong flicks, the titles were simply Mr. Vampire 2, 3 and you get the idea.  But the original is the best, just like the original Evil Dead is the best in my opinion.

Hard to find so enjoy this Trailor in the meantime.

Another plug for Shatter

 Two years ago, my brother's film Shatter came out.

Time for another Halloween film.

Watch it on Prime here or other steaming platforms.

House on Haunted Hill

 The great William Castle flick for your enjoyment this Halloween Season.

Watch House on Haunted Hill here.

On YouTube.

And since in Public Domain, easy to find on your streaming channels.

Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Comet

 

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) is barely visible to the naked eye after sunset for the next week or two.  But point your cell phone camera to the west, and use "night" option. This graphic is from Sky & Telescope.

Some shots from last night across a soybean field looking west at 8 pm central time.

Details of photos are Samsung Camera, Model SM-G781U, F-Stop 1.8, 1/3 second, ISO-5000, Focal length 5 mm, Maximum aperture 1.69.  (this is for sixth picture, others are about the same).

That is a plane crossing the bottom of the last pic.

2025 National Environment and Recreation Research (NERR) Symposium

 The call for abstracts and scholarships for the 2025 National Environment and Recreation Research (NERR) Symposium is open. The 2025 symposium will be held  March 30 – April 1, 2025 in stunning Virginia Beach! As in the past, NERR will focus on innovative research and practical applications spanning a breadth of topics within recreation, tourism, and environmental management.

Key information:

Abstracts Submission: 

Deadline:  November 25, 2024

Submission Link:  https://ecu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5ABasPee6yM1ggu

Types of presentations:  Oral presentations, poster presentations, Roundtable Sessions.

Format: Word format or PDF with two pages: The first page should be the abstract (maximum 500 words) plus title and the second page could be used for references, tables, and/or figures.

Scholarship Application:: 

Deadline:  November 25, 2024

Application link:  https://ecu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6VxK4kcUV1VdXWS

Format: Students should upload two required documents: (1) a cover letter; (2) a recommendation letter from faculty. Please include the student’s name in each file name (e.g., Smith_cover; Smith_faculty letter).

Questions? Please, contact:

RE Abstracts or symposium: Dr. Hung-Ling (Stella) Liu (hliu35@gmu.edu) or Dr. Ellen Drogin Rodgers (erodger1@gmu.edu) co-chairs

RE Scholarships: Dr. SammiePowers (spower5@gmu.edu).

Looking forward to you at NERR! 

Aurora Borealis in Southern Illinois

 Some pics from last night.

Aurora - 30 Minute Forecast | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

Bureau Of Labor Statistics

 Workforce data from Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

First a map about the weekly wage for the Leisure/Hospitality in the public local sector

Does the private sector do better?

Doesn't seem so

NESTVAL 2024 at Westfield State!

 First time in my memory, that Westfield State University hosts New England St Lawrence Valley Geographical Society!

For a link on the meeting see Upcoming Meeting – NESTVAL (aag.org).

And register here.