One travel requirement that every country has is that one must have a valid passport to enter or leave their borders. In US, passports holders aged 18 years and above can have their passports renewed when they expire. However, if it expired more than 5 years ago, a new one will have to be applied for. Sometimes, the need to travel may be an emergency situation that requires one travels right away yet their travel documents may have expired. In such circumstances, one needs to get expedited passport renewal services.
Timeline
There are three ways one can go about getting accelerated renewal. The first option is by mail and the second is sending an application at a regional office. The third and fastest one is using the services of a private expediting services provider. You can get pass port pages faster too.
Postal Service
To make the application by mail, one needs to send the requirements as Form DS-82 which has been duly filled in and completed as well as the necessary payment. This needs to be sent in a padded envelope and it should be marked with the word expedite in block letters.
Location
The application should be sent by overnight express to reach the national processing center the next day. It then takes two to three weeks to get renewal done. Sometimes, it may take longer if the office is busy at the time you apply such as during holiday seasons which is peak travel period.
Local Office
The other alternative is to expedite through a regional office. This is the best option if the document is needed within a fortnight. This is the time it takes to get it if it is renewed this way. It starts with calling the National Passport Information Center and getting an appointment.
Expedited Services
Depending on circumstances, the document may be needed within a much shorter time like a few days or even one or two. The best option then becomes going to a private expediter. Most of them also offer visa expediting services. This is also a handy option for those who are not near a regional agency. Once it is processed, the expediter mails it to the client.
Quick Process
With this expedition option, the process can be accelerated so that the document is available in a few days or even the next day. The shorter the processing time one requests, the higher the fee. It is however worth the extra cost in emergencies.
Go Canada!
Words and images by Laura Crocker
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KARUIZAWA, Japan – Six games and six wins for Team Canada today!
We started early with a 7:00 am breakfast (which was delicious again, of course) and then we were off to the rink for Game 1 of our busy day. When arrived at to the rink we saw that a huge group of school kids had come out to watch, so I gave a couple of them little Canada flags… and before I knew it, I had hundreds of little hands reachingwildly to get a hold of anything Canadian!
We handed out more flags, tattoos and pencils, which made us the automatic favourite amongst the crowd. Every time I came down the ice to throw a stone they would wave their flags and cheer; even the kids who had Korean flags tattooed on their faces!
Korea was our first opponent of the day and the game was a real nail-biter. A shaky sixth end led to a Korean three-spot and put us down two playing the seventh of the eight-end game… however, we rallied for our deuce in seven and in the eighth, we forced the other skip to try to pick out our rock on the pin, of which she could see less than a quarter. She ticked the guard, and that gave us our first W.
We had a quick turnaround before our next match, just enough time to sit down for a bit and make peanut butter and banana sandwiches (yes!). Our second game was against Japan, who played really well and made it another really close finish. We were again down two playing the seventh… got our two back… and then found a way to steal the eighth. A bit of a pattern was shaping up for us and, to be honest, it was one we wanted to break – stealing the last end is tough work against such good teams!
Japanese newspaper story
We had a bit more time before our third game, so we made our way back to the hotel to relax for a while. We caught up with our family and friends back home online and then turned on the TV for some cheap entertainment. Today we watched what we think was a Japanese version of CSI, and it was definitely good for a few laughs.
Our third and final game of the day was against the Nagano Selection team, and this was the best performance we’ve strung together so far. A bit more of a cushion in the later ends made it not-so-stressful on those watching us! A four-point lead after the sixth put us in great shape to finish the game off. The boys’ team also had three very close games today, stealing an extra-end in their first game and playing the eighth end up one with in both of their other games. Overall, it a great day to be Canadian in Karuizawa!
Our day ended with some Mr. Noodles and relaxation before heading to bed. Sarah poured the remainder of her noodles down the toilet, and in the process knocked the ashtray off the wall and into the toilet bowl. Fishing around in there was her nightmare but she managed to find it without flushing it down. Crisis averted!
Today we saw our faces on the front page of a Japanese newspaper, along with the group of children we taught a clinic to on Wednesday. It’s pretty neat, seeing your picture surrounded by mysterious text of a completely different language!
Tomorrow is a somewhat calmer day with only one game scheduled for us, around lunchtime. As always, I’m extremely excited for another amazing breakfast 
and ready for another well-played game, this time against the Japan Selection team. After that match we’re hoping to go to the local Olympic museum, and then hot the shops at an awesome strip mall located not far from our hotel. Until then – sayōnara!
The Curling News
EDITOR’S NOTE: Laura Crocker has quite a curling resume for such a young lass. Her Wilfrid Laurier squad from Kitchener, Ont. are the defending CIS University women’s champions; she won world junior silver with Rachel Homan in 2010; and she also appears as Miss October in the 2012 Women of Curling Calendar!
Crocker and Co. have teamed up with the CIS men’s champions, the Colin Thomas squad from Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and are competing – and blogging – from Japan! The Karuizawa International is a legacy tournament created after the 1998 Olympic Winter Games, where curling was hosted in Karuizawa, a small resort town near Nagano.
Over to you, Laura!
Olympic rings greet you at the entrance
Words and pictures by Laura Crocker
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KARUIZAWA, Japan –We made it through two full days in Karuizawa… after it took a while to get here!
After a weekend of training in Edmonton (and of course a little visit to the West Edmonton Mall) we started our Japanese journey. We first flew to Vancouver, and then arrived in Japan around 5:30 pm local time – after almost 23 hours spent in planes, trains, cars, stations and airports.
After a bit of a wait we hopped on a bullet train (where I immediately fell asleep) that runs at speeds of about 300 km/h and which took us to another train station in Tokyo. We got there a little after 8:00 pm, well after rush hour in any Canadian city, and it was the busiest station I’ve ever seen – everyone was either running or walking (or race-walking) at a pace that was way too fast for 18 slow Canadians weighed down with luggage. We once had to cross the main stream of people charging through the station – that was almost a death sentence.
While waiting for our next train, we witnessed the extreme cleanliness of Japanese society. A bunch of cleaning people were waiting outside the doors of our train, and when everyone got off they gave a signal, then ran on to pick up garbage, disinfect the tray table of every single seat, change the napkins behind people’s heads, and of course switch the direction of the chairs – because facing the wrong way would be far too stressful!
The Friendship Match!
After finally leaving our last train we were met at the Karuizawa station by our hotel escort, and headed there. The hotel is really nice; the building itself is beautiful, and we’re told that our rooms are very spacious for Japan standards – a good thing if you’ve ever seen the room that Sarah and I share after a few days! We slept as best we could but we all woke up pretty early, but with just enough sleep to get us through the day.
Of interest: each night our hotel asks us what time we want breakfast, and then has everything ready for us the next morning. For our debut Japanese sunrise we had salad, French fries, croissants, eggs, ham, fruit, cornflakes, tea and pear juice. It was incredible!
On practice day we played a “friendship match” against a local Japanese team in connection with their earthquake relief fund and awareness campaign. We played against one of the most animated and dramatic skips I have ever seen – so it was a ton of fun. Their faces were covered with Canada tattoos and they all seemed quite happy to be here… and we were definitely glad to be a part of it!
After that game we taught a curling clinic to a group of school kids from grades 3-5 (thankfully with an interpreter on our sheet). These were some of the best curling kids I have ever seen, it was unreal! They all made origami for us to say thank you, they in turn were ecstatic to receive the Canada flags, tattoos, pencils, chocolate loonies etc. that we gave to them. They were so polite, and such a pleasure to spend time with.
Our first day ended with a welcome dinner that was also attended by the local teams from the friendship matchups. There were lots of different foods, and what we all thought was a meatball turned out to be… octopus. Jen, who has an irrational fear of anything even remotely octopus-like (calamari, for example), ate half of it and is now scarred for life.
The Junior Clinic: this kids were good!
During the dinner an auction was held to raise money for the Japanese earthquake relief fund, and while it was hard for us to know exactly what was going on, it was really fun to watch. The most expensive item at the auction, worth about 20,000 yen, was a pair of those crazy Norwegian curling pants… and I have never seen anyone as excited as the man who won them!
Our second day in Karuizawa meant our first day of official competition! For Sarah and I, it started with a 5:30 am wake up call… we are not fans of this whole jet lag thing! Our breakfast this morning was, again, incredible – we enjoyed yogurt, buns, croissants, fruit, scrambled eggs, bacon, salad, and something that tasted like a tomato pasta sauce with zucchini and green peppers. Our hotel spoils us!
After breakfast we were off to the rink for pre-competition practice followed by the opening ceremonies. The mayor of Karuizawa and some other important person threw the ceremonial first rocks, and neither one of them looked like they had curled before. They just got out there in their dress shirts and ties, grabbed a Canadian broom from the backboards, and off they went in their sneakers. And both pulled off half-decent shots!
After the ceremonies we had a bit of time to relax at the hotel, and then went out for lunch. We found a place with “Fromage” in the name and thought that sounded pretty promising, so we decided to check it out… and we are certainly glad we did! Just as we were struggling with the menu and attempting to communicate with the waitress, an English-speaking Japanese man from the organizing committee walked in. He explained the menu items and ordered for us – this was such a helpful coincidence! We ate salad and some pizza, but the pizza…! It had the thinnest crust imaginable, and was so light and delicious, and nothing like the heavy, greasy pizzas we have in Canada. No wonder everyone here is skinny!
The Scarf Trade
After lunch it was time for our first game of the competition against Switzerland, while the Canadian men took on Norway. Unfortunately the event didn’t start the way we wanted, and both our teams came up a little short in our games. The ice was a bit trickier today and our opponents, who were skipped by Silvana Tirinzoni, managed it better than we did. They were the better team on the ice this afternoon, but we took a lot away from it and we are going to use that going forward. Tomorrow we have a busy day: three matches against Korea, Japan and the “Nagano Selection” team… and we’re ready to get ourselves back in the win column!
Today at the rink a Japanese man approached us and gave us each a piece of origami, and we engaged in a nice conversation with him – both parties doing the the best they could, of course. Later on, this same fellow later traded with Sarah’s dad – a kimono for a Canada scarf – explaining that the scarf would be given to his daughter (photo at left). Meanwhile, the kimono was such a beautiful piece of clothing… everyone here is just so nice and polite and happy all the time; western society could learn a thing or two from these people.
After cheering ourselves up with a bit of Japanese TV – extravagant pop concerts and ridiculous game shows – we’re off to rest up for our early start tomorrow. Hopefully we can all sleep well and not wake up five times through the night… like I have been doing! Thanks to all who are following along back home – sayōnara!
The Curling News
When someone is suffering with an addiction to alcohol, it is not easy for them to talk to just anyone about their feelings. Getting alcohol addiction counseling from someone trained to help people get sober and stay sober is important. Many alcoholics have feelings of guilt and shame that can cause them to be depressed. While they may recognize a need for change, they do not always know how to deal with the struggles they face.
The Professionals
Trained counselors have the expertise necessary for guiding individuals to and through the process of recovery. These professionals are non-judgmental and genuinely want their clients to succeed. There are several options for individuals who are ready for help. The counselor listens to the alcoholic without being critical and makes every effort to help the person find the process that works best for them.
The Evaluation
The substance abuse counselor will complete a comprehensive evaluation with the individual seeking help. It is important for the counselor to get to know the person’s history, family history, any medical issues he or she may be having, about their relationships with family and friends and what has brought them to counseling.
The Plan
The trained professional will develop a case plan based on the information gathered during the assessment. Because there are a number of approaches the professional can use, it is important to gather as much information about the client as possible. With any type of addiction there are issues that will need to be identified and addressed so that the individual can overcome the addiction.
Confidentiality
Every reputable counselor has a high standard of confidentiality when working with clients. People will not learn to trust the counselor is they cannot be assured that their sessions stay confidential. It is important to develop a trusting partnership so the client can feel safe opening up about issues that must be addressed to maintain their sobriety.
The Root Of The Problem
A good counselor will be able to help the person not only get sober but learn to appropriately cope with the problems that drinking to excess has caused. The professional will assist the alcoholic to take control of their life and learn to live without alcohol. Following the goals and objectives that were set up before counseling began, the individual will gain confidence as they see their progress.
The Decision
It is important that the person seeking help contacts a trained alcohol addiction rehab counselor as soon as they feel ready. Making the decision to make changes that will help you lead a sober life is the first step to getting better. Once the person is able to identify what triggers lead them to want a drink, the counselor is able to help them learn healthy coping skills to prevent relapse.
The 2011-12 Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts takes place Monday, January 23 to Sunday, January 29, 2012 at the Kenora Curling Club in Kenora, Ontario. Ten of the best Women’s teams from across Ontario will compete in the provincial championship to represent Ontario at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Red Deer, Alberta from February 18, to 26, 2012.
The Ontario Scotties is a round-robin event with two draws daily, and will end with a Page Playoff beginning Saturday, January 28 which will be televised on Shaw. Six teams from the Ontario Curling Association (OCA) and four teams from the Northern Ontario Curling Association (NOCA) have qualified to earn their berth at the Ontario Scotties.
Games start Monday, January 23 at 7:00pm with round-robin games at 2:00pm and 7:00pm from Tuesday to Friday. The Page Playoffs begin on Saturday, January 28 at 2:00pm or at 7:00pm if there are tie-breakers necessary. The final is scheduled for 2:00pm on Sunday, January 29.
Competing Teams
- Sherry Middaugh – Coldwater & District Curling Club
- Laura Pickering – North Bay Granite Curling Club
- Allison Nimik – St. Thomas Curling Club
- Kathy Brown – King Curling Club
- Mario Dahl – Port Arthur Curling Club
- Kathy Auld – Mississauga Golf & Curling Club
- Jennifer Hanna – Ottawa Curling Club
- Tracy Horgan – Idylwylde Golf & Country Club
- Krista McCarville – Fort William Curling Club
- Rachel Homan – Ottawa Curling Club
Live scoring for the Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts is available on Playdowns.com.
Playdowns.com – Curling news and playdown results
Alcoholism is a disease that involves a chemical addiction increasing in severity with debilitating effects. Drinking problems may start with the abuse of alcohol including wine, beer and spirits. The alcohol addiction medical detoxification is a process in which dependent drinkers experience a range of withdrawal symptoms once the drinking is stopped.
Symptoms
The abuse of alcoholic beverages becomes classified as a dependency when users experience the symptoms including an intense craving, severe withdrawal, lack of control over drinking and increased tolerance to achieve an intoxicated state. Different levels of severity are noted in drinking and can progress from mild stages of addictive behavior to life threatening situations. It is classified as a chronic disease in which individuals often require medical assistance to gain sobriety.
Detoxification
In the event that a user quits the intake of alcoholic beverages, he or she will experience detoxification in which the body will attempt to cleanse itself of the substance. This difficult process involves a variety of withdrawal symptoms and is best overseen by medical professionals or within a rehabilitation facility. All users will have to go through the detoxifying procedure in order to proceed with rehabilitation and effective treatment that could progress for 2 weeks.
A Toll On The Body
A result of the impact of this substance on the bodily systems could result in gastrointestinal tract irritation. This irritation can lead to effects such as vomiting, nausea and eventual bleeding. Malnutrition and deficiencies of essential vitamins are commonly observed as a result of poor absorption of nutrients.
Detoxification Symptoms
Once an individual stops the drinking behavior, he or she will go through a serious withdrawal process dependent on the degree of the addiction. It is important that users seek professional help during this period as a result of threatening effects to health and even life. These symptoms may appear mild to severe in nature depending on the extent of the addictive behavior.
Dependency
Long-term use of alcoholic substances results in a high dependency and the result is an increase in the severity of withdrawal symptoms. A chemically dependent user who decides to quit using the substance will experience high levels of physical discomfort and symptomatic behaviors. This increases the difficulty of alcohol dependent users to be able to quit on their own and therefore should be assisted by a clinic or rehabilitation center.
More Symptoms
During the prescription drug detoxification process, the milder symptoms often experienced include the shakes, shivers and night sweats. Additional effects are noted as anxiety, headaches, rapid heartbeat and a raised blood pressure. These milder symptoms are associated with an increased craving for alcoholic substances which is why a detoxification should include the support of medical professionals and counselors.
Hallucinations
Many times, after a period of two days has lapsed, the user will begin to experience visual hallucinations that can persist from hours to a few days. In cases where dependency has occurred over an extended period, a delirium state is reached in which disorientation, confusion, hyperactivity and heart problems are reported. There is an increased risk for a heart attack or stroke, which is the reason that medical attention should be sought.
The 2011-12 Scotties British Columbia Women’s Curling Championship presented by Best Western takes place Monday, January 23 to Sunday, January 29, 2012 at the North Shore Winter Club in North Vancouver, BC. Ten of the best Women’s teams from across British Columbia will compete in the provincial championship to represent British Columbia at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Red Deer, Alberta from February 18, to 26, 2012.
The Scotties British Columbia Women’s Curling Championship presented by Best Western is a round-robin event with two draws daily, and will end with a Page Playoff beginning Friday, January 27 with the semi-final and final televised on Shaw. Ten teams from around British Columbia have qualified to earn their berth at the BC Scotties.
Games start Monday, January 23 at 10:30am with round-robin games at 10:30am and 6:30pm from Monday to Thursday. The final round-robin game takes place at 9:30am on Friday. The Page Playoffs begin on Friday, January 27 at 7:00pm if there no tie-breakers or only one tie-breaker necessary. The final is scheduled for 4:30pm on Sunday, January 29.
Competing Teams
- Kelly Scott – Kelowna Curling Club
- Kelley Law – Royal City Curling Club
- Allison MacInnes – Kamloops Curling Club
- Roselyn Craig – Victoria Curling Club
- Kelly Thompson – Richmond Curling Club
- Nicole Backe – Royal City Curling Club
- Jen Rusnell – Prince George Golf & Curling Club
- Marilou Richter – Richmond Curling Club
- Brenda Garvey – Prince George Golf & Curling Club
- Marla Mallett – Royal City Curling Club
Live scoring for the Scotties British Columbia Women’s Curling Championship presented by Best Western is available on Playdowns.com.
Playdowns.com – Curling news and playdown results
In a country where money is to be made from pills, treatment facilities and medical aid schemes, hypnosis, one of the most effective ways for dealing with physical and mental ills today, is hardly mentioned. Yet a recent survey shows that a year after undergoing hypnosis interventions, 77 percent of clients that were addicted to hard drugs and alcohol were still clean. Today hypnotherapy, a specialized application of hypnosis by trained professionals, effectively and permanently helps to cure emotional or physical complaints, including chemical addictions. Here is why drug addiction help using hypnotherapy is becoming increasingly popular.
Lasting Effects
Today hypnotherapists can attest to thousands of satisfied clients that have committed to experiencing the power of the process in healing psychological and bodily troubles. It works fast, is safe and efficient. Specifically, few other modes of therapy manage the excruciating effects of withdrawal symptoms so effectively and satisfactorily.
Programs The Brain
Hypnosis helps to prepare the mind to be more susceptible to receive new and healthy suggestions, as well as bringing a clear focus to it. Through it individuals experience heightened concentration and relaxation under hypnotic induction, while absorbing suggestions from the therapist. The effect is increased consciousness, now feeding on new, empowering motives.
Safe and Reliable
Using this intervention approach is risk-free, fast and effective. The power of hypnotic suggestion comes from tapping into the natural power of the subconscious to bring about healing. Through absorbing and acting on empowering suggestions, the subconscious learns to turn painful addiction into emotional freedom. Because it works relatively quickly in bringing about recovery, it helps clients to save money and energy that usually go into attending numerous conventional recovery programs.
Effective
Hypnosis aids the individual’s self-renewal and freedom from chemical dependence by bringing about basic changes in the deeper personality. Old, dysfunctional thought patterns and habits are replaced with new ones. This opens up the potential for a more meaningful, self-directed, and drug-free life.
Eliminates Withdrawal Symptoms
Part of the appeal of hypnotherapy is found with its successful management of the painful consequences of withdrawal symptoms. The successful reduction in withdrawal symptoms allows individuals to focus on and pursue healthier habits.
Commitment to Change
For residential drug treatment rehabiliation center to work properly and quickly, clients have to commit to change. This entails being open to the process and trusting the therapist. Sometimes, listening to hypnosis recordings at home forms part of the therapeutic procedure, and clients are expected to adhere to it.
Drug use in the world is becoming an epidemic. Most people start taking drugs as an interesting experience only to end up in addiction. Once addicted, these drugs become their sole motivation in all they do and they are unable to perform well when sober. Most addictions start at an early age. Teenagers find drugs ‘cool’ and most kids use drugs to be as ‘cool’ as their friends. Following the high rates of addiction, many drug rehab have been set up to take care of those caught up in this addiction.
Program Differences
It should be noted that choosing to free yourself from drug addiction is not easy. This makes it vital to know all possible alternatives available so an informed decision can be made. Treatment programs are different as there are those that focus on physical addiction while others take a spiritual approach. Rehab centers also vary as there are those meant specifically for youth, different ages and specific gender. This makes it very important to do a thorough evaluation of a facility before sending your loved one.
Finances
Do not forget to weigh your financial capability to pay the costs involved. Insurance coverage will be great help but you need to know what part you will be expect to pay. If you have no insurance, it is up to you to come up with the funds. You can turn to other sources that offer assistance to people struggling with substance addiction if you cannot afford it.
Center Differences
It is advisable to check with the facility to insure that it is suitable for the age and/or gender of the patient. A man will not be suited for programs meant for women and vice versa. A proper fit of patient and facility will help to insure favorable results. Some offer a halfway house in florida.
Consider Philosophies
You should do extensive research on the philosophy of a program before making a decision. Philosophies of programs differ from one facility to another making it important to get one that is best for your patient. Ask about the guiding principles used by the treatment facility with its patients.
Philosophy Types
Since the forms of addiction differ from one patient to another, they will therefore need different approaches to their problems. For instance, some specialists will employ SMART recovery therapeutic approaches while others employ Narcotic Anonymous to deal with group therapies. Avoid ones that dwell on free-will approaches like practicing yoga, massages and other artistic approaches.
Patient Needs
Make sure that your patient will receive all the attention and care needed in the program. The admitted individuals are struggling to withdraw from using hard drugs like cocaine among others. Therefore, it is good to ensure that the form of addiction your patient has is very specifically treated by the center you choose.
Curling Beauséjour in Moncton plays host the Molson Canadian Men’s Preliminary Playdown from January 12 to 15. 17 of the top New Brunswick teams will be playing for 3 berths in the Molson Canadian New Brunswick Men’s Final 8 Curling Championship in St. John at the Thistle St. Andrews Curling Club in February.
Games are underway all weekend with the final two qualifiers being determined on Sunday
The final spots in the New Brunswick Men’s Curling Championship will be determined at the Wildcard in Campbelton next weekend.
Live scoring for the Molson Canadian Men’s Preliminary playdown is available on Playdowns.com.
Playdowns.com – Curling news and playdown results
