Saint Croix: One Of The US Virgin Islands

On August 28, 2010, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

Saint Croix is the biggest of the US Virgin Islands although the capital city, Charlotte Amelie, is located on St Thomas. Saint Croix itself has two towns Frederiksted (pop. 830) and Christiansted (pop. 3,000). The name of the island derives from the original Spanish name given by Christopher Columbus in 1493 – Santa Cruz or ‘Holy Cross’. As Santa Cruz, Saint Croix gets a lot of mention in swashbuckling stories of pirates and buccaneers sailing on the Spanish Main.

The populace before the Europeans arrived was Arawak and Carib and they had probably been there since about 5000 BC. After 1493 the population of the Caribbean became embroiled in a 100 years war with the Spanish and the kind of people living on the island changed forever.

Saint Croix has been owned and therefore predominantly occupied by the Spanish, The British, the French, the Dutch, the Maltese and the Danish all of whom had slaves and plantations

The slaves were manumitted in 1848, but many chose to stay on Saint Croix. Descendants of slaves still live on the island. The total populace of the island is now roughly 60,000.

English is the official language and is the most commonly spoken, although there is also some Spanish, French Creole and Virgin islands Creole, better known as Crucian, which is spoken by most inhabitants in informal situations.

This Hispanic segment of the Crucian populace is mostly of Puerto Rican lineage. The US bought Vieques from Puerto Rico during the Second World War and evicted its inhabitants. Many moved to St Croix because of its similarity to Vieques. These people have integrated well, but also kept a few of their old customs. They usually speak a mixture of Spanish and Crucian English in a distinctive form of Spanglish.

Continental Americans make up about 13% of the population and mostly live on the eastern side of St Croix. Arab Palestinians are also a sizeable minority owning most of the petrol stations and supermarkets on St Croix. Other modern immigrants have come from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Philippines.

There has been some tension between immigrants and those calling themselves ‘real Crucians’, but it has largely evaporated due to intermarriage. There have been attempts to define a ‘real Crucian’.

The issue seems to have been sorted out when in 2009, the proposed U.S. Virgin Islands Constitution voted by the Fifth Constitutional Convention laid down three definitions of U.S. Virgin Islanders: “Ancestral Native Virgin Islander”, who have ancestral ties (and their descendants); “Native Virgin Islander”, who were born on the island (and their descendants); and “Virgin Islander”, who are any United States citizen who has lived in the region for five years.

Christianity, in the guise of Protestantism is the main religion, although the Hispanic community is Roman Catholic. There are also small groups of Jews and followers of Rastafari, Islam.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

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Radio Controlled Autos – An Enjoyable Pastime

On July 28, 2010, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

If someone likes radio controlled hobbies, they almost certainly began with a car. This is because, unlike a boat or a plane, cars will not usually be completely smashed up if the operator makes a huge mistake or the engine fails. It is fairly straightforward to construct a basic radio controlled car, but as you are doing it, you will discover that there is a vast amount to be learned.

As you acquire this knowledge, you can make use of advanced techniques to create vehicles that are tougher, faster and more efficient than your previous efforts. You can either piece one together in a few days, or you can spend months creating an amazing auto which has superb speed and handling.

If you are just starting out with remote controlled hobbies, it is almost certainly wise to buy a pre-made, RTR (ready-to-run) radio controlled car. It is possible to purchase these in toy or modeling stores almost anywhere. They may be slow and ungainly and they may not satisfy your technological desires, but they are still a good place to begin. Play with it for a few days, and then take it apart. Look at the way the motors are connected to the wheels, and examine the overall architecture of the car.

After you have understood it all, you will have much better idea when you begin to build your own. You may even be able to use a few parts, such as the body of the vehicle or the radio control apparatus. The motors will almost certainly not be as powerful as you will desire.

When you have gained this essential basic understanding of the way that radio controlled cars operate, you can start on whatever your next undertaking is going to be. The ambition for most people is to construct a model auto from wood or plastic, install the electrical workings, paint it, apply decals, and get it looking as good and performing as well as possible. Others may want to construct an incredibly fast remote controlled vehicle in order to show off to friends. But no matter what you want to do, you will only be able to accomplish it, if you take it one small step at a time and become skilled at everything there is to know about remote controlled pastimes.

However, there are many different means that can assist you become an authority in remote controlled hobbies. You will almost certainly spend a lot of time researching all the different details that you require. You can find information and even tutorials on the Internet. For more detailed questions, you could always go to community groups and forums. This is where enthusiasts from all over the world meet together on the Internet to talk about their hobby, support each other, and brag about their latest achievements. These groups welcome newcomers, particularly if you are polite when asking your question.

Remote controlled vehicles can also enter competitions. If you want to put your car up against those of other enthusiasts, there are different races and shows around the world. A quick Internet search will reveal where nearest event is. You could make a weekend trip out of it and it will be worth it to be around others who are as obsessive as you about what you are doing. These events may include races, or they may just be a get-together to share tips and tricks with other radio enthusiasts. You will be amazed at the amount of information that you can acquire from the people who go to these dos.

It may be daunting at first to start a new hobby, since there is probably heaps of stuff that you probably know nothing about. However, the best thing to do is just get started with the basics and learn steadily.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with gas remote control cars. If you have an interest in model or toy rc vehicles, please go over to our website now at 1/5 Scale RC Cars

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Background Information On The Famous Pheasant

On June 30, 2010, In Uncategorized, By Benny Jones

Pheasant hunting on a Saturday afternoon is an American tradition and a way of life for hunters. The scientific name of the common pheasant is Phasianus Colchicus. This avian is tremendously prized by bird hunters.

You’ll find pheasants mostly in woodland areas but they are also in grasslands. They like to eat things like spiders, grasshoppers, worms, slugs, and centipedes or millipedes. These types of invertebrates produce a delightful treat for these beautiful birds. They like to also eat various grains and berries. Roosting in the trees at night and pecking around the majority of the day, pheasants can for sure provide you with a good hunt.

Pheasants is a name widely used for quail, partridge, or ruffed grouse. The ring-necked pheasant was introduced in North America in 1857 and has become well established in locations out West such as across the Rocky Mountains, Midwest, and the Great Plains. They have also populated areas of both Canada and Mexico. The male pheasant is called a cock and is known to have shiny brown plumage and most species have a white ring around the neck. It is much more colorful (than the female) with a variety of green and purple markings. The plumage of the female pheasant is much duller in appearance and has more of a brownish speckled look. Both the female and male have yellowish stout beaks and rounded short wings. The male can have a tail over 20 inches long and it often has long sharp spurs that often protects it from other wild animals.

In some areas, pheasant populations have decreased somewhat due to environmental pressures such as land clearing and pollution. If we don’t start now in protecting pheasant populations from the harms of modern society, the good old days of pheasant hunting will be a thing of the past. Fortunately, there are pheasant farms with protected areas for the pheasants to grow their populations unhindered by modern society. However, it is hard to find areas that are not touched by air or chemical pollution. In the United States, pheasants populations have declined due to many factors. Farms allow for better managed populations.

On the Great Plains, pheasants are commonly found in the fields and around old house places. Pheasants enjoy pecking around grassy fields and often will bed down under old houses and around old farm equipment. The United Kingdom has a lot more pheasants than we do here in the United States. In the United States, it is estimated that there are about 10 million pheasants while in the UK there are approximately 35 million.

In the spring of the year, males will court females by strutting. Strutting is when a cock puffs his feathers and his head will become bright red and engorged. Males will fight each other until the death at times in order to win the reading rights with a female.

Male pheasants are known to commonly mate with more than one female and, kind of like Elvis, are often followed that one time by a group of females! This is called polyamorous behavior. When the females lay their eggs they will do it in a nest of about 10 eggs. The eggs will be incubated by 23 to 26 days before hatching. Usually this occurs in the late spring and early summer starting in April through June.

For more on hunting pheasant and Bird hunting lodges. Get your bird dog ready for a hunt of a lifetime.

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