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I just realized that I haven't properly posted here since August last year.
On occasion, I have the odd brain wave about turning my personal blog into travel/ digital nomad blog, but they come and go. Let's be honest, in the main personal blogging is dead unless you're trying to sell something, and if you're not all the smart guys now post to Medium; I do like Medium but the same reason I wouldn't host my personal blog on WordPress.com is the same reason I wouldn't host it on Medium either: I like the control, even if I don't post very often.
But I digress.
My last update was August last year after my 2 month long grand tour of Asia and it was an amazing time and a year later I do miss not doing something similar, with different destinations, again.
I've had some life drama over the last 2 months: I severely sprained my ankle, was in a cast and on crutches. My better half took up a new job where she was bullied and treated appallingly badly and quit after 2 weeks (if it was Australia we would have been in court by now, it doesn't work that way in Thailand) and then she was in a car crash. The stress of all that gave me my worst case of tonsillitis (and migraines and an ear infection…3 from 3 🙂 ) in 20+ years and as I write this I've only really been physically better in the last 2 days.
But here's the thing. For all the drama in life, I'm grateful for what I have.
I have some good to amazingly great friends in Chiang Mai and other places in Thiland now who from fate, or luck, I am beyond fortunate to have made.
Life is good, and I live in a place I love, not just because Northern Thailand is insanely cheap versus Australia (it helps soooo much 🙂 ), or that I hate cold weather and it's rarely cold here, but because it's just a legitimately lovely, nice place to live and when I decided to reset my life when I moved here the plan actually ended up working out.
Life is never boring, and there are always challenges, but I'm grateful for what I have now, and grateful at the age of 40 that not only did I live this long (never thought I would 🙂 ) but heading through middle age (it hurts me to say that 🙂 ) if all goes to plan I'm set for life even before 50.
Chon Chang, which in Thai is a toast to elephants (Chang is elephant…weirdly it's also my Thai nickname 🙂 ) that they may win the war.
If life is a war I think that after far too much bullshit for years I might actually finally be winning it 🙂
I've been told before I should start travel blogging, and there might be some logic in that but likewise well…I haven't, but here's a summary of 2 months in Asia.
Upfront experiences may not be typical for everyone; the trip was done on a strict budget using discount airlines (Asian discount airlines are AMAZINGLY CHEAP) although I did have some leeway during the time, and fortunately I was still working on the road and getting paid. Traveling alone also is different to traveling as a couple or in a group; there were definitely places I visited that would have been a lot more fun if I hadn't been doing it alone.
It's amazing how much you can save when all your bills for a month (phone, utilities, accommodation, internet) all cost for a month in Chiang Mai what it would cost less than one week in Melbourne, and that's the rent alone, if you added the other bills you'd be lucky to pay for 2 days in Melbourne.
But I digress…the Grand Tour of Asia
Perhaps I had far too high expectations of Japan as it's a country I've adored since I was young, even to the point of spending three years learning Japanese in high school, because of all the places I visited during the trip it was the biggest disappointment. I didn't hate it, I could see myself going back again, but I'd do it differently this time.
Probably my favourite part of the trip was catching the Shinkansen, which I used to travel to Hiroshima from Tokyo, then back up to Osaka. I can't recommend the JR Rail pass enough, it doesn't just cover the Shinkansen it covers all JR Rail trains, and while you pay for the subway trains, just about everything else is covered by it.
It's a mind fuck in terms of how big the place is, and various parts of it didn't disappoint. Akihabara and the people dressed as Anime characters, the bright lights, the atmosphere in places. Trains that are amazing.
I saw various other things, visit markets, palace grounds, and other things, but maybe I had a bad run there for two reasons: it rained all but the last day I was there and it was cold (never went past 21c..in the middle of summer) and where I booked on Airbnb was very handy for transport, but it was a quieter part of town (very central, as in walking distance to Ginza, three stops to Akihabara, one stop to Tokyo's main station) and it just made me feel a bit isolated even if there were various convenience stores and the odd eating place spitting distance away.
On the trains Tokyo is so big it just looks like the same scenery going on forever as well…probably a place I would have enjoyed more if I wasn't by myself.
Of note, and this applies for all of Japan, English with the locals is extraordinary poor. The counter to that is that well, it's their country, they shouldn't have to speak English, and that's fine, but English has become the linga franca globally when it comes to tourism and Japan is hosting the Olympics in 2020; they're going to struggle with it because about the only thing you'd find in English is train signs.
My highlight of the places I visited in Japan.
Perhaps it's because it's not so big (1.9m people for memory) it's more manageable, but unlike the big cities of Japan it also had a soul and a feeling about it as well that you could feel being there.
The history around where the atomic bomb dropped is something I will never forget, and it's done extremely well.
Tram system in town dead easy and cheap to use, and compared to other places in Japan accommodation was really cheap as well.
My only regret with Hiroshima is that I was only there 3 nights, I'd wish I'd spent a week or two.
Osaka/ Kyoto
Osaka is theonly place I have no interest in ever visiting again in Japan.
It's a smaller version of Tokyo with next to no soul. Bland mid-high rises as far as the eye can see, shitty subway where none of the stations match up when you change trains, and the "tourist" attractions did nothing for me.
I only did a day trip to Kyoto and the little I saw was pretty and I should have spent a week there instead of Osaka.
I spent the week in Taipei and it remains the biggest surprise of the trip. I don't know if it's because I knew little about the country other than they made tech stuff, and I wasn't even going to go originally but I saw some posts about it on Facebook and the flight from Japan was $70 so I thought bugger it.
For anyone who has been to Asia I'd describe it as Bangkok 20-30 years into the future, for others it's a modern, up and coming city. Nice relaxed vibe to it yet everything you could ever want.
Cheap….so cheap for everything, basically Thailand prices. Brilliant subway system that was like $1 a trip, interesting things to see, English was reasonably well spoken, and the weather and people nice.
One thing I would note is that they don't get a lot of Western tourists, and it was rare to even see another white person in Taiwan. Indeed customs at the airport questioned me as to why I was visiting because I doubt they see many Australian passports come through.
I'd happily visit again tomorrow, although it would appear to get fairly cold there during winter. Two regrets: I didn't stay there long enough, and I would have liked to (given the extra time) explore the Island some more.
If you're looking for somewhere different to visit in Asia where not many people have gone before I can't recommend Taiwan enough.
Hong Kong
I had been to Hong Kong before, be it on two long stopovers (one overnight) so I had somewhat of an idea of what to expect, and I wasn't disappointed.
Caught up with some good people while I was there, and later found out I missed some other people I know as well; amazing how many Aussie expats base themselves in Hong Kong.
Putting aside that I made the mistake of booking into a "hotel" (the word is used reservedly) in Hong Kong's only slum Chung King Mansions (rectified after I walked out of the booking two days in) the whole place is vibrant, interesting, busy (but not as mad as Japan), rich…I could go on. If you've never been there before I'd highly recommend it.
My only possible gripe is the cost: accommodation was significantly higher than even Tokyo (which is considered expensive, I didn't find it was particularly) and everything else isn't on the cheap side, although like anywhere on the planet, it was cheaper than Australia.
I could see myself living there, but I don't think as a humble tech journalist I could afford to, or if I did it would be a struggle watching budgets etc..
No question as to whether I'd return
A day trip on the ferry, visited some casinos.
Pleasent enough place but there were parts you could have fired a cannon along a street and not hit anyone. The rumours that the city is in trouble post Chinese corruption crackdown are true, very, very quiet. Wouldn't mind going back though for a longer stay.
Third world developing shit hole comes close. This is a town where garbage disposal consists of throwing rubbish onto the street, there are no traffic lights so crossing the road is the most frightening thing I've ever experienced (you kind of get use to it, but it's still nuts) and you've got to make sure people aren't trying to rip you off.
That said, OMG the food.
Fresh, delightfully cooked meals for peanuts. I was ordering fresh Barramundi (Asian Sea Bass, it's the same fish) never been frozen, presented on a plate with some vegetables and a sauce, for $4. In Australia fresh barra (not the frozen crap you get most places) would start at $50 a plate if you're lucky, and head towards $100.
Suffice as to say I ate at the same place and ordered the same dish 3 nights while I was there 🙂
Other food as well, Pho, Bahn Min, you name it: next to nothing in cost.
The only possible way I could recommend Hanoi though is that you'd go for the food ONLY if you could handle the fact that the place is terrible.
Ha Long Bay
A day trip well worth it. Gorgeous place, decent enough boat tour in around the rocks in the bay, and I'll forgive the scum bags at my hotel for charging me US$45 for a tour that costs US$25.
Possibly the only reason I could see that you'd ever want to travel to northern Vietnam.
HCMC (Saigon)
I'm actually writing this from Saigon on my last full day in Vietnam after 2 weeks in the city, and I'm still not 100% how I feel about it.
Compared to Hanoi it's literlaly like being in a different country. Streets are fairly clean, footpaths, beautiful colonial architecture, traffic lights (but you have to be careful for bikes who ignore them), great eating although with the note that it's no where as cheap as Hanoi but still cheap in the scheme of things.
There's a lot to like about the place, let alone me discovering my favourite Australian bar in Asia, and I think I could live here, certainly there would be no problems cost wise in doing so, but the reason I'm not 100% is that there's a couple of little things: street touts, noisy traffic (everyone constantly uses their horn,) and like Hanoi you have to watch for rip offs particularly with change that has happened 3 times since I've been here where they try to short change you by confusing you with smaller denominations of notes; you could live with it but more so than other places I've been people aren't honest.
It sort of reminds me of Brisbane: parts of it are modern, somewhat relaxed vibe, but there's boring parts as well.
And now back to Chiang Mai until the end of the year to plot further adventures for 2016.
Got asked today whether I'd hooked up with anyone or found a partner yet in Thailand.
Oddly I remember several people (some who I can name but won't) saying to me that you'll never know yourself until you can live with yourself being single, something most of my adult life I couldn't live with, and didn't.
I think today that I can, but I'd lie if I didn't admit there were times where I didn't like being alone.
I reinvented myself at 30. Through risk, occasional misadventure and amazing ups, and sadly some downs (sometimes obviously serious) in between, not many people can say they spent 10 years working for themselves (or via contract from home, same sort of thing,) and in my case, I've never had to wear a suit to work in 10 years. Oddly the formal 10 year anniversary is 10 years come early December.
Shit has happened, but I remain grateful today that I have a writing gig that I love, friends, be it most of them far away, and I can wake up in the morning and occasionally inspire others to do better.
But for all that: I still don't have a plan for the next 10 years, besides being able to legally see my own flesh and blood, Declan Riley, come August 2020.
I really should come up with a plan though, I'd love to be rich in the next 5 years and be able to put my son through University for example, but at this stage, given but once again his mother has cut off all access (legally, sadly) who knows.
I've got about 4 and a bit months to work out a plan.
Wish me luck, I need it 🙂
I'm self-aware enough to understand the difference between causality and correlation in the statistical analysis of market economics and marketplaces, and within that I get what I see or percive doesn't equal an entire marketplace, but I still wonder: is there a real market out there for smart watches?
It's 2015, my phone tells me the time, like it did in 2005, and 1995 before it.
I'm not anti-watch, and I grew up loving the latest (in 80s terms) "smart" watches out of Japan. I can still remember the arguments my parents had in around 86 or 87, when I desired the latest Casio smart watch out of Japan at Paddy's Markets in Sydney, my father saying I didn't need it and my mother pointing out that $40 wasn't much (mind you the average wage at the time was all of $200 a week.)
I always had the best watches in primary school, and I owned many watches well into my late 20's, even early 30s. I even owned a fake Rolex at one stage I paid something like $30 in Hong Kong for in 2006 when I was off to Toronto to sign the paperwork that gave b5media $2million Series A, and saw as part of the deal me being sacked and paid out roughly $250k as part of the deal.
I'm pretty sure that's the last watch I owned, and I only owned that one because it was a classic case of being ostentatious; by that stage I'd long since used my mobile to tell the time.
It's not hard to be impressed by smart watches, although I'm still surprised by the lack of Dick Tracey references every time they're written about.
But while the smart watches of the 80's offered something that otherwise didn't have an alternative, the smart watches of 2015 have an alternative, and it's called the smartphone.
Ironically because I don't own a watch I couldn't accurately time it but I'd guess it takes me 2-3 seconds to get my phone out of my pocket to check the time, and all of 0.5 seconds extra to unlock it to do further things.
So it might be a second quicker to flick my wrist to see what the time is.
Whoopdy doo.
So let's just play out the smart watch scenario, because apparently it's too hard to get your phone out of your pocket given it takes like a second longer: you get a shitty little screen, limited apps, and at least in the case of the Apple Watch, a watch if you use it with any regularity that you'll need to charge 2-3 times EVERY DAY. Not joking: heavy use on an Apple Watch is 2.5 hours battery life, regular use 3.5 hours, and if you don't actually use it to do anything other than tell the time you'll still have to charge it every day anyway.
Better still is the price: the bog standard Apple "sports" model is US$350 (AU$425??) and they haven't released the prices on the other models; speculation is US$500-600 on the mid-level one, and as much a US$5k on the top level one.
For a shitty little screen which if you use more than once a day for anything other than seeing what time it is you'll have to charge at least once in the middle of the day, multiple times if you give it a work out.
Causality and correlation? ROFL. It doesn't matter how much I can't see the benefits of a smart watch, those stats are beyond surreal.
There was a report today that said that the Apple Smart Watch will sell 15 million units, and don't get me wrong, I do love me some Apple tech, I'm typing this post on a Macbook Pro, and I was once of the first people in Australia to own an iPhone, but here's the thing: it's still 2015, and people don't need a watch to know what the time is, let alone check their emails.
If anyone can find me a bookmaker to put money on it, I'll happily bet against Apple selling 15m units, my bet is 3m max, and it will be regarded within 1-2 years as a major flop, because at the end of the day, who needs a watch to do what your phone already does anyway.
They saying that life wasn't meant to be easy.
But life does test us.
I loved my time in Thailand, but towards the last week it became a challenge. I'm not going to go into all the details, other than to say fuck, and all at the last minute.
But I will share this; after a week of where I had magical highs and lows (I still can't lift stuff with my right arm, and have possibly inflamed my arm injury again, falling on the steps of the BKK Sky Train..) so I, after a 12 hour layover in KUL, which was horrible, not because I couldn't find a place to sleep on a bench, but because of the very rude people who make up 50% of those who do that (I'm not mentioning where they are from on the subcontinent and their unbelievable rudeness,) I got on the KUL-PER flight. Got to say Malaysia Airways was amazing in terms of quality and flight.
Would fly them again tomorrow: and in perspective, their cost was half of that than Air Asia/ Air AsiaX…which were supposed to be their cheap alt.
Except:…well, it's probably not their fault vs the airports, but they lost my bag.
Nearly every single piece of clothing I own is in that bag. I did the purge couple of years back.
It turned up this morning (2 days later) via Courier: I can't put in words how much it made me feel amazing again. Anyhow..
I will sleep tonight…and know I have my bag back in the morning.
Also touch wood worked 🙂
Australia Network was supposed to close down 18 September 2014. SMH back in June.
I started seeing ads on Australia Network saying they're going to cover every part of the AFL finals series.
But wait, the Grand Final is 27 September 2014.
Turns out magically that the Australia Network will now close September 29.
In late August this turned up on Mumbrella:
Mumbrella understands that the Australia Network will continue its broadcast into Asia until around mid September. It will also fulfil its commitment to the AFL to offer a transitional schedule that will see it broadcast the Grand Final in Asia and the Pacific on September 29.
This despite a lack of funding following the withdrawal of the money from DFAT.
Now for those who have never seen Australia Network, it shows both the AFL Channel 7 coverage AND the Fox Sports coverage. Usually 6 games a week…for free, across the Asia-Pacific.
I don't for one minute seriously believe that Australia Network was paying for the right to show AFL. It doesn't show NRL, although there is a weekly Asia soccer show they show which is shown back in Australia anyway on the ABC.
My theory: the AFL was paying Australia Network to show the games as part of their expansion plans, and the extension of the channel for roughly an extra 2 weeks was due to the AFL making a payment to keep the channel on air.
There's no other logical explanation. Given the funding had well and truly stopped it's a miracle Australia Network is still on air…let alone towards the end of September.
I'll also make another tip: in the new "Australia Plus" deal the ABC is pumping out to Asia/ Pacific networks (allegedly 6 hours a day…and they've got a pile of broadcasters on board) the Friday to Sunday coverage will be primarily AFL…because the AFL wants the coverage across their key expansion area.
Food for thought.
This comment today on this post at Mumbrella (not yet approved, I hope it is), comment following:
I'm really waiting for an explanation as to why Australia Network needed its own "Canberra bureau" (from reading Tweets today AN's Canberra bureau was cut) unless of course it was another example of Mark Scott using the Australia Network funding to subsidise things that weren't remotely related to the Australia Network proper.
As anyone who has ever watched the Australia Network itself, I can tell you that all their day time bulletins (from 3am TST) are from ABC 24 News with the exception of the 2:30 (Thai time) Australia Network News Bulletin which comes out of a Melbourne studio.
I'm gutted that Australia Network has been cut, but there needs to be a serious parliamentary, or bigger enquiry as to how the $20m odd a year from DFAT was used to subsidise correspondents and bureaus which actually weren't all that related to the service at all, except for maybe the odd rare report.
Mark Scott scammed the funding to cross subsidise ABC's general foreign coverage, and now the cost has been paid.
You can well argue that in the end Australia Network was an ideological cut, but using what 30-50% maybe even more of that money to subsidise services not related where it could have…lets see, not spent that money that way and shown Government that our voice in Australia could be far more affordable should be on the gravestone of Mark Scott.
Which reminds me as a parting comment on something Malcolm Turnbull once said on Mark Scott: he claimed that Scott says that ABC New 24 can't go into Asia due to "rights issues" which is dubious at best. Given how many ABC News 24 programs appear on the network now. At a rough guess 8-10 hours worth a day, maybe more when you include the showing of the chat programs, and there then repeats (Lateline, The Business, The World etc etc…) And then maybe every 2 in 3 programs in between times is ABC content anyway.
"Rights issues" was always a bs argument.
I'm probably being polite there.
The count of "good" (and by that I mean reasonable fair and decent) foreign correspondents sacked by the ABC today is beyond a fucking joke.
The thing is, most of those folks were rarely if at all exclusive to Australia Network vs the ABC (and it's various programs and channels) exclusively.
They SHOULD NEVER have been employed exclusively by the DFAT funded Australia Network contract.
Sure, Australia Network could have justified a correspondent to cover say remote Pacific Islands, Kirabit, Nauru, Tavalu and places like that. But it never has.
Instead the ABC used the money to cover main ABC network correspondents across SE Asia, India and places like that.
When I'm next back to Australia, I'm going to write to all and sundry and demand an enquiry.
As per what I wrote on Mumbrella above, you could have funded Australia Network for 50%, maybe 75% even less. $5m-$10m a year may have even been sellable.
Instead the ABC, headed by Mark Scott took that money and pumped it into people who were not primarily based around the network.
It's not just a national disgrace, it's a scam. No other two ways about it.
As I walked down the street from one of my 3 local 7-Elevens tonight I was nearly hit by a car.
This car came probably in under 1m away from me.
I never flinched once nor cared. I'm in Thailand. It was way close, but it was never going to hit me.
And if one thing Thailand has taught me is that caring less is freedom.
For those interested in the car story: it's just usual here. Bikes often get closer as you're walking up and down a street.
In Australia, I'd go completely and utterly spare. Every. Single. Time.
But somehow this wonderful country called Thailand has taught me not to care. To not get stressed. To not unduly worry.
Yes, Thailand has a horrible track record with road deaths, but likewise no one is going to run into you as you walk up the street.
I'll walk up my street again tonight, and I won't give a shit about being hit because I know that an average Thai on a bike, or in a car, doesn't want to hit me.
And this conquers a lot of anxiety I ever had.


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The Manse offers exclusive use for all types of events, be it a small or a large gathering. The grounds, views and house are stunning and will provide you with a beautiful setting. The house, built in 1910 for the Presbyterian Minister of the Maraekakaho station, is a picture of elegance and a unique and exclusive venue that you will not find anywhere else in Hawkes Bay. Your guests will cherish the memory of your event forever.
We can accommodate small gatherings up to 25 inside the lodge. For larger gatherings we have a variety of locations for a marquee. For the catering and other facilities we can introduce you to several suppliers, or of course, you can also organise that yourself.
There is a separate venue fee for exclusive use of The Manse. This includes two suites sleeping up to four guests.
It is important that the event turns out to be what you have in mind. So please get in touch and tell us what you envisage and we will make you a proposal.

subset: commoncrawl


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Macau – The Vegas of Asia
MGM Grand, The Venetian, Wynn? No it's not Vegas, we are in Macau – the gamblers paradise in Asia. Formally a Portuguese colony and now administered by China it has a long and diverse history making it a unique destination to visit.
What to see
Macau isn't a big place so it is easy getting around as most of the attractions can be seen on foot. For those not so keen on walking there are many free tourist shuttle buses and taxis available.
The architecture of Macau is something to be seen in order to be believed. The streets are lined with buildings painted in pastel shades of pink, green and cream, making it very reminiscent of the Mediterranean. Nowhere else in the world can you see old European neo-classical structures juxtaposed against Asian influences. In fact, so historically significant is Macau that it received World Heritage listing by UNESCO in 2005.
A popular stop for tourists is the ruins of St Paul's Cathedral. Originally built by the Portuguese in 1602, only the façade remains today due to a fire many years ago. You will find St Paul's on Rua de Sao Paulo. Another historical delight is the Moorish Barracks, also known as Edifíçio da Capitania dos Portos located on Rua Direita. Built in 1874 to house police reinforcements from Goa, today it is home to the Macau Maritime Association. There is also a number of temples and museums throughout the island for the culturally inclined to enjoy.
If gambling brings you to Macau you will not be disappointed at the number of casinos. Starworld casino is definitely a worthwhile stop, housing entertainment, shops and restaurants. Casino Lisboa is another destination along the casino trail and is busy most of the day.
There are also the 'home away from home' casinos such as Wynn and MGM Grand to see. Whilst touring throughout the casinos it appeared that these two casinos had far less players on the gaming floors so head there if you don't want the bother of waiting for a seat at a table. It will be déjà vu for some as the Wynn Macau looks freakishly similar to its brother in Las Vegas. There is also a fountain show accompanied to music outside the Wynn. MGM Grand has a lavishly decorated atrium dotted with upscale restaurants serving a variety of cuisines.
Those interested in luxury travel are well catered for in Macau. The main streets are lined with jewelers selling bright, 24-carat yellow gold and jade jewellery. Though this style may not be everyone's taste there are also plenty of watch stores where you can spend your gambling winnings on a new Rolex. You can find big designer names like Dior and Louis Vuitton in the casinos.
Many shops and market stalls can be found around Senado square. There is a variety of wares for sale such as clothing, souvenirs and accessories at reasonable prices. Locally made handicrafts and art can also be bought.
Macau has its own currency called the Macau Pataca (MOP) but Hong Kong dollars are accepted also.
The food in Macau is a fusion of many cuisines as you would expect by its diverse heritage. Combining Asian and European tastes, the Macauese have created their own dishes. The most well known dish is Bacalhau, which is dried codfish slices served in a variety of ways such as fried or accompanied by other seafood and rice. Bacalhau can be found in most restaurants. African Chicken is another favorite which is a fusion of African and Indian tastes resulting in a spiced chicken dish. A recommended place to try African Chicken is at 'Solmar' on Avenida da Praia Grande. Staying true to their Portuguese past, there are many opportunities to indulge in a Portuguese-style egg tart. For those who have yet to sample one, they are a rich egg custard style tart with the top usually caramelized, on a puff pastry base. Very tasty! If western food is calling out to you, the best available is at the casinos.
Where to stay
Many tourists visit Macau as a day trip from Hong Kong but if you decide to stay longer there are plenty of options for all travel classes. I stayed at the Sofitel located on Rua do Visconde Paco de Arcos. The room was very spacious and included some of the tell-tale wealthy trappings of Macau such as a TV in the bathroom. The hotel also has the added convenience of a casino downstairs.
How to get there
It is possible to fly directly to Macau, drive across the border from China or take the route many tourists commonly take and arrive via ferry. Ferry services run frequently throughout the day from central Hong Kong, Hong Kong International Airport and a number of ports in China. The ferry ride from Hong Kong is approx 1 hour. There is also a helicopter service from Hong Kong for those who like making an entrance. The typhoon seasons lasts from July to September so be aware when traveling during this season that delays may occur.


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Contact Superior Staffing
Thank you for your interest in Superior Service without Exception with Superior Staffing. Use the form below to submit your questions, comments or suggestions, and one of our representatives will contact you promptly. For immediate assistance, please call us directly at (708) 345-8463 in Melrose Park or (630) 516-3505 in Addison.


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During Monterey Car Week the German purveyor of performance luxury released the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet to a group of media and owners at their Pebble Beach Villa on Poppy Lane last night. The glamorous cabriolet and electric car commingles intelligent beauty with classic, aesthetic proportions to produce 750 hp (550 kW) for a 200-mile range. Measuring almost 20 feet the luxury yacht sits on 24" light-alloy wheels and accelerates from 0-60 mph in under four seconds.
The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet is a car which, with its sensual, emotionally appealing design and innovative technical concept solutions, defines the ultimate in luxury of the future. At the same time the two-seater model pays homage to the glorious "automotive haute couture" of hand-finished, exclusive cabriolets.
The strong contrast between the dark blue paintwork in "nautical blue metallic" and the chrome highlights increases the fascinating relationship between the clearly defined areas with organically shaped fenders and the chrome trim elements, which sit at the top on the edge of the fender as well as in the middle of the trunk lid, where they also incorporate the vertical tail lamps. This benefits the interpretation of the Mercedes-Maybach radiator grille, which with its fine, vertical struts accentuates the front end. The grille was inspired by a pinstriped suit. The radiator grille rests on two aerodynamically shaped supports on the outer right and left of the bumper.
The extended, round "boat tail" format of the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet's rear recalls a luxury yacht, and narrow tail lamps which emphasize the width of the vehicle are integrated in its outer edges. Further distinctive features at the rear include the diffuser with aluminum frame and the air outlets behind the wheel arches.


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While the first release from Neill Blomkamp's Oats Studios, Rakka, was a set of scenes telling bits of a story, Zygote tells a story in its 22 minute run time. Starring Dakota Fanning, Zygote borrows heavily from Alien and The Thing among other sources.
If it was part of a feature length film Zygote would be somewhere in the last third. Much of the dialogue is exposition covering the backstory of the situation. I would like to see someone (but not Blomkamp) flesh out that backstory if this is made into a feature length movie.
Neill Blomkamp discusses Zygote over on The Verge.
If you haven't already done so, you can check out the other stuff from Oats Studios on YouTube.


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Soundgarden Announce North American Tour and New Album
One of the most influential bands in rock music, Grammy® Award-winning multi-platinum band Soundgarden, today announced a North American headline tour that will kick off on May 3rd in Atlanta, GA at the Fox Theatre. The Pretty Reckless and Dillinger Escape Plan will support select dates. A special ticket pre-sale for fans who are signed up to www.soundgardenworld.com and www.chriscornell.com will launch Tuesday, February 28th at 10:00 AM local time. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Friday March 3rd at 10AM local time.
Soundgarden will also appear at a variety of previously announced summer festivals, including: WXTV Rockfest, Welcome To Rockville, Fort Rock Festival, 89.7 The River's Rockfest, Rock on the Range, and more. See below for a complete list of confirmed dates.
In other news, Soundgarden and Sub Pop recently announced the release of the remixed and expanded reissue of the band's Grammy® nominated debut full-length album, Ultramega OK, on March 10, 2017. Additionally, in November 2016, the band celebrated the 25th Anniversary of their album Badmotorfinger by releasing four special editions of the 1991 album, and in July and August 2016 Soundgarden re-released a standard single LP vinyl of their second full-length studio album, 1989's Louder Than Love as well as a two-LP 180-gram vinyl 20th anniversary reissue of their seminal 1996 album, Down on the Upside.
Soundgarden is currently working on a new album.
4/28Tampa, FLWXTV Rockfest
4/29Jacksonville, FLWelcome To Rockville
4/30Ft Myers, FLFort Rock Festival
5/3Atlanta, GAFox Theatre*
5/5Concord, NCCarolina Rebellion
5/6Tuscaloosa, ALTuscaloosa Amphitheatre^
5/7Memphis, TNBeale Street Music Festival
5/10Indianapolis, INFarm Bureau Insurance Lawn*
5/12Council Bluffs, IAKIWR Rockfest
5/13Somerset, WINorthern Invasion
5/14Kansas City, MOStarlight Theatre^
5/17Detroit, MIFox Theatre*
5/19Columbus, OHRock on the Range
5/20Maryland Heights, MOKPNT Pointfest
5/22Denver, COFillmore Auditorium^
5/25Houston, TXRevention Music Center^
5/26Dallas, TXBomb Factory^
5/27Pryor, OKRocklahoma
About Soundgarden
Hailed as grunge innovators, Soundgarden redefined rock music for a generation. In the '80s and '90s, its punk ethos, coupled with a brutal metal soundscape and Chris Cornell's ravenous roar, seduced the masses hungry for something new. Early indie releases, including seminal EP Screaming Life and Grammy®-nominated album Ultramega OK, quickly collected a dedicated indie following as the band toured on both sides of the Atlantic. 1991's platinum album Badmotorfinger, (recently re-released in a special 25th anniversary edition) attracted critical applause from all over the world. Mainstream success came with the 1994 release of Superunknown. An immediate #1 album in the States, it netted Soundgarden two Grammy® Awards, sold millions of albums worldwide, and introduced the band to a mass TV audience with the video for Black Hole Sun. Two years later, Down on the Upside continued the band's musical development away from alt-metal into hard-edged experimentation. At the dawn of 2010, Soundgarden announced a new beginning. The first 21st century show in front of hometown fans and Seattle greats at the city's Showbox venue sold out in mere minutes. After headlining the famous Lollapalooza festival, the Chicago Tribune hailed Soundgarden as "one of the last great hard-rock bands to emerge in the last 25 years." 2010's Telephantasm was a career-spanning retrospective celebrating the band's legacy; along with rediscovered '90s live set Live on I5, it introduced Soundgarden's work to a new generation. 2012's King Animal continued Soundgarden's courageous musical exploration while maintaining its special identity. The album's character is rooted deeply within the wild landscape of the Pacific North West - an atmosphere which still resonates strongly for the band. In 2014 Soundgarden visited Australia and New Zealand and released a triple album of B-sides and rarities, Echo Of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across The Path.
For further information please visit www.soundgardenworld.com


text:
Blue Vase
Because you like to sleep with curtains drawn,
at dawn I rose and pulled the velvet tight.
You stirred, then set your hand back on my hip,
the bed a ship in sleep's doubled plunging
wave on wave, until as though a lighthouse
beam had crossed the room: the vase between
the windows suddenly ablaze,...Read more
The Cry
A man can cry, all night, your back
shaking against me as your mother
sleeps, hooked to the drip
to clear her kidneys from their muck
of sleeping pills. Each one white
as the snapper's belly I once watched a man
gut by the ice bins in his truck, its last
bubbling grunt cleaved in two
with a knife. ...Read more
Thin Ice
Reedy striations don't occlude the beneath-
earthy mash of leaves, flat pepper flakes, layered,
tips protruding, tender-desolate above a mirror
surface, gently pressing on horse-mane, nest material,
tickle-brush, fringe. Buff block-shapes further down,
ghost-bits of green-green, a lone leaf burned white.
...Read more
Moth Moon
With pollen of the white stars on thy wings,
Oh! would I shared thy flight, thy fantasy,
The aimless beauty of thy brightenings!
A worker, wed to Purpose and Things,
Earth-worn I turn from Day's sufficiency.
One lethed hour that duty never brings,
Oh! one dim hour to drift, Moth Moon, with thee!
...Read more
The subtlest strain a great musician weaves,
Cannot attain in rhythmic harmony
To music in his soul. May it not be
Celestial lyres send hints to him? He grieves
That half the sweetness of the song, he leaves
Unheard in the transition. Thus do we
Yearn to translate the wondrous majesty
Of some rare mood, ...Read more
the sun drops his knee on fog
a diurnal genuflection that
explains the lack of clarity in the prayer's thought
when god prays to himself
using the fog's opaque cushion
we know god is a child
who pretends to pray
because in the midst of his holy make-believe childhood <...Read more
Emma Bovary
I would have liked then for someone to touch me
So I could know the purpose of this hardship.
Black-eyed and impassive as a canyon,
From the hive of my mind, I looked at their faces
As I moved between rows of espaliered pears.
I only intended for someone to show
Me, once, an affection like the sun
Shows ...Read more
I'm a witch who lost all her powers, then
in place of my powers, I got the coiled beauty
of seashells and sleeping infants. The coiled
beauty of eardrums, and the sound wave
of bells. The bells! This is the country of clouds.
The molten body, the Floridian pinks,
and centuries of sand dollars examining
...Read more
Letter Beginning with Two Lines by Czeslaw Milosz
You whom I could not save,
Listen to me.
Can we agree Kevlar
backpacks shouldn't be needed
for children walking to school?
Those same children
also shouldn't require a suit
of armor when standing
on their front lawns, or snipers
to watch their backs
as they ...Read more
My Doubt
I wake, doubt, beside you,
like a curtain half-open.
I dress doubting,
like a cup
undecided if it has been dropped.
I eat doubting,
work doubting,
go out to a dubious cafe with skeptical friends.
I go to sleep doubting myself,
as a herd of goats
sleep in a suddenly gone-...Read more
The Answer
You have spoken the answer.
A child searches far sometimes
Into the red dust
On a dark rose leaf
And so you have gone far
For the answer is:
In the republic
Of the winking stars
and spent cataclysms
Sure we are it is off there the answer is hidden and folded over,
...Read more
Again I reply to the triple winds
running chromatic fifths of derision
outside my window:
Play louder.
You will not succeed. I am
bound more to my sentences
the more you batter at me
to follow you.
And the wind,
as before, fingers perfectly
its derisive music.
...Read more
The Leash
After the birthing of bombs of forks and fear,
the frantic automatic weapons unleashed,
the spray of bullets into a crowd holding hands,
that brute sky opening in a slate metal maw
that swallows only the unsayable in each of us, what's
left? Even the hidden nowhere river is poisoned
orange and acidic by a coal...Read more
I could tell they were father and son,
the air between them, slack as though
they hardly noticed one another.
The father sanded the gunwales,
the boy coiled the lines.
And I admired them there, each to his task
in the quiet of the long familiar.
The sawdust coated the father's arms
...Read more
Alternate Self-Portrait
I will drift
into darkness
and know it
the way a son
recognizes a mother
after he has returned
from many years
of travel
the new distance
is neither
beginning nor
...Read more
Gentle Collisions
extract longing.
fold its edges
in gold paper
to rest on a scale.
the catapult of one
plate plummets
the other swings
bobs and waits
for a leaf of one's
want to waft down.
such gentle collisions
crush more than steel
crack more than bones upon ...Read more
Like a Curtain
When she stretched her arms
the mist lifted and the red buds opened on the maple trees.
She, in the garden in pajamas,
danced with her friend Isabel,
as the fledgling robins wobbled and flew from branch to ground.
Cells multiplied in her body.
Her fingers spread, the warm cool air,
as the mist ...Read more
Winter Leafage
Each year I mark one lone outstanding tree,
Clad in its robings of the summer past,
Dry, wan, and shivering in the wintry blast.
It will not pay the season's rightful fee,-
It will not set its frost-burnt leafage free;
But like some palsied miser all aghast,
Who hoards his sordid treasure to the last,
It...Read more
The Desplaines Forest
The sun has sunk below the level plain,
And yet above the forest's leafy gloom
The glory of the evening lightens still.
Smooth as a mirror is the river's face
With Heaven's light, and all its radiant clouds
And shadows which against the river's shore
Already are as night. From some retreat
Obscure and ...Read more
The holiest of all holidays are those
Kept by ourselves in silence and apart;
The secret anniversaries of the heart,
When the full river of feeling overflows;-
The happy days unclouded to their close;
The sudden joys that out of darkness start
As flames from ashes; swift desires that dart
Like swallows ...Read more


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U.S. Army
Army Reserve / National Guard
Post-9/11 Era
Combat Veteran
I never thought I'd be where I am now
When Doug left the Army, he had a lot of back pain. To ease the pain, he started taking prescription opioids and soon became addicted. When a battle buddy talked to Doug about his addiction, he decided to get help. He was able to turn his life around with support from friends and family and a medication-assisted treatment program.Find Local Support


text:
Composition Goose.
Click to view full screen
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Second quarter 20th Century
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ANNE FOWLER35 Long Street
Anne went to Hornsey and Sunderland art colleges in the 1960s, and has been designing and painting since then. She has been involved in the antiques business since 1980, first in Greenwich and now in the West country. Anne has spent a lot of time in France, Belgium and Italy, sourcing antiques, and so has a European approach to the things she sells.
Anne now sells her mainly still life paintings in antique frames, along side the antique pieces. I have always been interested in colour and texture naturally occurring, and the history of unusual antiques, where have they come from and how can they be used today.
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text:
Culture » March 6, 2018
A Brief Case for Guaranteed Housing
Why housing should be a human right.
right to hous•ing
1. A guarantee that everyone recieves adequate shelter
2. A necessary component of "the right to a[n adequate] standard of living," say the bleeding hearts behind the U.N.'s Universal Declaration on Human Rights
"It doesn't make any difference what else you have: If you don't have some place to rest your head, you're in bad shape." —Malcolm X, in a speech in Harlem
Doesn't housing everyone seem expensive?
It would actually be cheaper than paying for the social services, healthcare and other costs associated with the homelessness crisis. In fact, Utah's "Housing First" program has found it saves money by simply providing shelter. Besides, the money's there: The U.S. spends several times more on tax breaks and benefits for high-end private developers than it does on low-income housing. As of 2015, Chicago's city housing authority sat on a surplus of $379 million. What's lacking is the political will to treat housing as a right rather than a reward.
OK, but is homelessness really a "crisis"?
On a single January night last year, 553,742 people in the United States were homeless. Roughly 3 million Americans—1 in 100 people—experience homelessness over the course of a year. Since the early 1990s, around 20 percent of subsidized, government-owned housing has been demolished. Much public housing has been privatized, and what remains can be hard to get, plagued by long waitlists and barred to those with criminal convictions.
Let me guess—Sweden does it better?
Yes, more than half of that country's renters live in municipally owned housing. This includes middle-class Swedes, which creates broad buy-in, reduces stigma and brings us closer to a world where a roof over one's head doesn't depend on market vagaries. But it's not just Scandinavia: South Africa guarantees housing in its constitution (though implementation remains flawed); Hong Kong builds public housing at a higher rate than private, and around half of its citizens live in goverment-owned or subsidized homes; Vienna owns a quarter of the city's housing stock, a legacy of the city's socialist days in the 1920s and 1930s. And Jeremy Corbyn just pledged that if Labour takes power, the U.K. will buy homes for those without.
Could the U.S. ever get there?
Organizers around the country are advancing measures like Just Cause eviction and rent control that empower renters to stay put, as well as calling on cities to subsidize public housing rather than luxury condos. Some progressives help squatters find and occupy vacant homes. Nationwide, about 225 community land trusts with a combined 35,000 units are taking housing off the market and putting it under community control.
This is part of "The Big Idea," a monthly series offering brief introductions to progressive theories, policies, tools and strategies that can help us envision a world beyond capitalism. For recent In These Times coverage of housing, see, "Landlords, Your Lease Is Up: A New Movement for Rent Control Is Spreading Across the U.S.," "An Affordable Housing Movement Is Rising from the Wreckage of the Foreclosure Crisis" and " 'You're Taking Our Homes': Ben Carson Shouted Down by Angry Chicago Residents."
In These Times has been selected to participate in NewsMatch—the largest grassroots fundraising campaign for nonprofit news organizations.
For a limited time, when you make a tax-deductible donation to support our reporting, it will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the NewsMatch fund, doubling your impact.
Dayton Martindale
Dayton Martindale is an associate editor at In These Times, and a founding member of Symbiosis. His writing has appeared in In These Times, Earth Island Journal and The Next System Project. He tweets at @DaytonRMartind.
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text:
A commentary on the case of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, convicted of the murder of 270 people in the Pan Am 103 disaster.
Tuesday, 23 August 2016
Not a very satisfactory or a convincing showing
11 comments:
Having attended the event I agree with this summary. However I was disappointed none of the key players on the Justice for Megrahi (if I have the campaign group name correct) committee were present to challenge KennyReplyDeleteReplies
Um, I was there. I asked him how he could apparently tell us what Operation Sandwood was going to conclude when their report hasn't yet been submitted to the Crown Office. I pointed out that he was up a gum tree with his assertion that evidence in the possession of the German police proved the bomb had passed through Frankfurt.Delete
I was only going to get one question. What would you rather I had asked?
Once again MacAskill is all over the place. The difficulty is knowing where to start!ReplyDelete
First off, Libya did not admit responsibility for Lockerbie and that charge was refuted many times. Libya caved in only because sanctions imposed on that country were causing severe hardship to its people. Libya paid compensation only to have those sanctions lifted and to gain access, once more, to things, basic things, like medicines. It did not ever admit responsibility for the Lockerbie atrocity. Saif Gaddafi explained this at the time and has done so again since.
Second, Mr MacAskill declared, repeatedly, that the verdict in this case was sound. One of those occasions was on the day he announced Megrahi's release on compassionate grounds. He said, categorically, that judges had reached the right verdict. (What he did not refer to once was the fact that the SCCRC had found six grounds to challenge that conviction. Indeed, he behaved as if the second appeal (which MacAskill himself was instrumental in getting rid of) had never existed.)
Third, Lockerbie was an "international affair" only in the sense that this was a US flight that was brought down over Scottish airspace. Both Salmond and MacAskill, however, were vocal in warning all other parties that it was a crime committed in Scotland and tried in Scotland and that only Scottish authorities had the right to decide what would happen to Megrahi. (Salmond in particular clashed with Blair over the matter and warned him to keep his nose out of Scottish business.) So for MacAskill to claim now that Scotland was somehow powerless, that the UK government and the US government were involved in the decision to release Megrahi is ridiculous. (We do know that the Westminster government wanted him released for their own selfish reasons - trade deals with Libya - but the decision itself was for Scotland to make, not the UK government or the US authorities.)
Fourth, there was a stitch up all right but it was MacAskill who stitched justice up through his own appalling conduct as Justice Minister in coercing a very sick man to drop his appeal by threatening to stop his return home unless he did so.
Fifth, how obscene is it for any Scottish politician to complain about the fact that Scotland "got nothing out of the release". MacAskill's priority should have been to see that second appeal through and get to the bottom of the murder of nearly three hundred people! The SCCRC doesn't do conspiracy theories and its decision to refer this case back to the appeal court was made on the basis of evidence and on clear grounds that the conviction was possibly unsafe. That MacAskill got rid of that appeal and therefore ensured the conviction could not be tested says that justice was not his priority. Far from it.
Sixth, the writer says "That everyone behaved correctly is not disputed". I'd beg to differ. The "misbehaviour" goes back some decades now and includes the decision of a number of judges to reach a verdict that wasn't supported by the evidence put before them. MacAskill himself behaved anything but correctly. He denied a man the right to have his appeal heard, he played dirty filthy politics with a tragedy and denied the dead justice. And then, incredibly, he wrote a book clearly intending to benefit financially from all of it.
"He said that Colonel Gaddafi was the man to blame and he maintained that this had been mentioned several times by members of the Libyan Government and had never been refuted."ReplyDelete
"All in all this was not a very satisfactory or a convincing showing by Kenny MacAskill..."
No. Assuming the correctness of the review: if you say things like this you must have a poor case. Politicians are, notoriously, just about the worst source of truth you can get, McAskill himself being an excellent example.
But that loose statement made by politicians in a country far away "has never been refuted" is just about as worthless as it gets.
The famous statement "Megrahi didn't buy the clothes, but was involved anyway" is just hilarious, or scary, showing what leaders our democracy produces.
Seeing the quality of the people we elect to the most powerful positions on the planet, and the stream of ongoing aggression towards robable nations I am no longer a believer in any superiority of democracy as the least-bad option.
It is just a matter of fooling enough of the people enough of the time.
MacAskill is very efficiently digging his own political grave. That seems now to be all he has left to do. But, if he doesn't complete the exercise himself, Police Scotland may well help him to finish it when Operation Sandwood is published.ReplyDeleteReplies
He has retired from politics. He was anything but flavour of the month at the 2014 SNP conference and he was the only member of the cabinet to get the boot when Sturgeon took over from Salmond as FM. And not before time, frankly.Delete
He didn't stand at the 2016 Scottish election. He's only 58 (he looks older in my opinion) but I would imagine he has amassed a perfectly respectable retirement portfolio by now and is sitting pretty. So really, he can say what he likes without fear of consequences.
He announced (spontaneously, not in response to a question) that he had information that Sandwood (he kept calling it "Sandbank" or something like that) was going to report that the bomb didn't originate at Heathrow and in fact came from Malta. Someone asked him about the evidence for that and he said it was all in the possession of the German police. He then launched into a speculative rant about airline security in general and how he'd been round the world by air since he retired and he'd never been asked to get off a plane to identify his luggage. He said he reckoned that if the count was close enough, nobody bothered. He also said it was shown in court that at Luqa (he pronounced it "Luka" rather than the correct "Luha") they counted in fives so a count of one out wouldn't have been actioned. He said Fhimah put the bomb on the plane.
Where do you start with that lot? Ruth asked him if he's spoken to the Sandwood detectives and he said yes, as a result of JFM telling Sandwood they should interview him about passages in his book. He was confident they were gearing up to report that there was nothing in the Heathrow allegations and "the break-in didn't happen". Well I've spoken to the Sandwood detectives on numerous occasions and their reticence about what they're going to conclude is exemplary. Not only that, they don't discuss aspects of the investigation that aren't relevant to the witness's evidence. Kenny's evidence would have been about the clothes purchase, not the Heathrow introduction. I don't think they would have talked to him about the Heathrow evidence at all.
I was the one who told him that the Frankfurt evidence was incomplete and didn't show anything of the sort. I told him that the official German report into the baggage records had concluded that there was no evidence the Lockerbie bomb had passed through Frankfurt. He just pasted a sceptical look on his face. Others spoke about having to get off planes and identify their luggage, including one person to whom that had happened at Luqa. He seemed entirely unaware that the double-counting done at Luqa was unique to that airport and not a normal procedure worldwide.
And of course there's no evidence at all that Fhimah was even at the airport that morning.
What nobody has ever been able to explain to me is how, given what we know about the Luqa security procedures, an extra suitcase could have been put on that plane without any trace at all being left in the records after the event. Cannistraro (and indeed the prosecution) had to resort to the assertion that the entirety of the records were falsified and almost everyone at Luqa (including Wilfred Borg) were lying their heads off. This would have required an enormous conspiracy involving possibly dozens of ordinary airport personnel (many of them devout Catholics with no great love for Libyans) and it's inconceivable that such a thing would have gone entirely undetected by now. Someone would have squealed.
But none of this matters to Kenny, or even impinges on his consciousness. He has his superficial sound-bites and he's sure he's right and that's OK then.
Having seen the evidence (as have you, David, and I mean including those photos from the Netherlands I showed you at Christmas), I have huge difficulty getting my brain round the suggestion that Sandwood could conclude that the Bedford case wasn't the bomb. My feeling is that the only way to preserve the establishment's blushes is for them to conclude that there's no reasonable case for misconduct or criminal negligence against any of the investigators who missed or avoided that evidence, or at least that it wouldn't be in the public interest to prosecute anyone. That last could be hard to argue with considering that the people involved are long retired and mostly in their seventies by now.Delete
If that were to be the substance of their report, then the Crown Office could bury the detail and simply trumpet that Sandwood had found the JFM allegations against these fine upstanding citizens to be unfounded. We'd be left not knowing what the report actually said about the route of the bomb or the Bedford suitcase. However, with MacAskill having said what he said in public, I wonder if that might give some leverage to ferreting out the actual conclusion? Challenge the Crown Office to publish the report to confirm what Mr. MacAskill claimed, or something like that. I don't know.
After the event, at the book signing, I coughed up £20 I won't get back for his abysmal book and got it autographed. I said, I've had more than a few wee chats with Operation Sandwood myself, and one thing I know is that they don't give much away. We parted with both of us saying, we'll see. I hope we do see, and it isn't buried.
I don't think I've ever been as sure of anything in my life as I am that that bomb was in the case Bedford saw in the container at quarter to five.
As you know, I'm with you all the way as regards the evidence relating to the bomb being introduced in London. There is no evidence whatsoever of any alternative. You haven't received sufficient recognition for your analysis and conclusion. However I may have a little more faith that the Sandwood team will exhibit integrity in their report. They will sleep better if they do. If the report isn't published, there can be little justification for the effort put into its production. It would leave Scottish Justice up in the clouds and be a green light for the Crown Office to do just as it pleases regardless of its intended purpose and the absolute requirement for impartiality. I cannot get round the Lord Advocate's scandalous, ill-judged proclamations when the allegations were made, although he was being true to the seemingly standard behaviour of some at least of his predecessors in stepping well out of line. Let us hope that aspect of this matter is also addressed in the report.ReplyDelete
I don't care about recognition FOR my analysis, what I'm concerned about is the lack of recognition of the analysis itself. Try as I might, it doesn't seem to be picked up in the general narrative of the case.ReplyDelete
I'm not doing this for partisan reasons, I'm doing it because it's clear to me that the evidence overwhelmingly points in one direction, to the point of beyond reasonable doubt. (That's not to say you can't dream up unreasonable doubt, but that's not the function of either the police or the justice system.) If I had found the evidence to demonstrate the opposite, that the Bedford case wasn't the bomb or was unlikely to have been the bomb, I'd have said so.
I'm tired of being sneered at and patronised and called a conspiracy theorist by people who haven't and apparently cannot point to a single flaw in my reasoning or conclusions. I'm tired of people bringing up the grassy knoll and 9/ll as some sort of discrediting tactics. I'm perfectly comfortable that LHO killed JFK because he was a discontented nutcase. I'm quite convinced a group of Saudi jihadists hijacked four planes and caused 9/ll. And all the rest of it. That's what the evidence shows. Oh yes and Willie MacRae almost certainly committed suicide and Princess Diana was killed in a traffic accident caused by a drunk driver.
But a succession of sneering establishment darlings is allowed to get up in public and rubbish my work as if it's on a par with mad 9/11 trutherism or the grassy knoll. And the media refuse to look into it any more closely (with the exeption of one Private Eye journalist whose lead isn't followed by the paper as a whole, and one writer for the Big Issue Ireland whose article wasn't even printed by Big Issue Scotland).
I have every reason to believe the Sandwood team are intelligent and diligent, and that's all anyone needs to see the truth. I just get spooked when people like MacAskill come out with these pronouncements. We can only hope the Sandwood people aren't nobbled in some way.
"We can only hope the Sandwood people aren't nobbled in some way."ReplyDelete
There is one four-letter word I'd like to throw at those gentlemen:
Good question. Kenny said another six months, and it's not impossible that the Sandwood guys did tell him that - they don't mind talking about time-scales. I've had several emails from a senior detective saying that he wasn't apologising for taking longer than anticipated because after all this time the most important thing is to do a thorough job. And I can hardly take issue with that. But the extent and number of the delays is getting remarkable, and I do wonder about the behind-the-scenes politicking.ReplyDelete
Bear in mind that their remit isn't simply to figure out whether the Bedford case was the bomb or whether PT/35b was part of a Mebo timer or whether Megrahi bought the clothes from Tony Gauci. It's to decide whether there was misconduct involved in the investigation and/or trial in these specific areas (plus the Giaka cables one). I have always taken the view that delays tend to argue in our favour.
The initial pre-Sandwood investigation into our allegations was by Patrick Shearer who was unquestionably prejudiced. He was determined to find in favour of the official version and he initially anticipated wrapping it all up in a few months. But that didn't happen and he retired without making any report. So far so good. In due course, enter Sandwood.
Now I believe a genuinely open mind is a rare thing. I don't teach my students to have no opinions about where an investigation might go. Everyone has ideas. Indeed, we're taught to make a preliminary or differential diagnosis and seek to confirm or deny that. It would be difficult to work in any other way. I wouldn't criticise the Sandwood team for having a preliminary impression that they were going to find no actual criminal case against anyone involved that it would be in the public interest to prosecute. So the longer they take the more I wonder if they're having to revise and reconsider that.
In particular, we have been told a couple of times that their final report was in preparation, indeed even close to submission. Last September when I passed on the information about the Dutch forensic investigation I genuinely worried that I was a bit late getting it in, and was relieved to realise that I wasn't. And then Kenny's book came along and there was another reason to hold back for more information.
But the length of time is getting a bit bizarre. I find it difficult to conclude other than that the investigation is having to re-think its original conclusions. Otherwise surely it would be relatively straightforward to add in new material while leaving the main thrust of the argument pretty much as it was. All this leads me to speculate that they may actually be going to recommend prosecutions, or at least thinking about it. Which goes against my natural pessimism that they wouldn't do that.
I honestly don't know. Sometimes nothing would surprise me, though I can't see how they can fail to conclude that the Bedford case was certainly or almost certainly the bomb.
I also wonder about the relationship between Sandwood and the Crown Office's own investigation. If Sandwood think the Bedford case was the bomb, would they tell the other investigation to assist them in not making bloody fools of themselves? Or would they remain hermetically sealed? Is someone simply trying to delay the Sandwood report to postpone the evil hour, even maybe for long enough that they personally are out of the firing line.
Every time I try to think this through my brain turns to mashed potato.


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Thanks to everyone who took part in our
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Who profits from the books of Enoch, Jubilees, and Jashar disappearing from the Bible? A certain group of created beings come to mind; they were unhappy with their fate. These 'sons of God' looked down on 'the daughters of men', and grew jealous. Their leader, Semyaza, didn't want to suffer for this act of defiance alone, and the most infamous pact in history is made. Two hundred Angels fell that day, at Mount Hermon, which translates as curse.
The illusion of corporate worship, infiltrators are everywhere.
As soon as God introduced his personal relationship plan to the world, there were those at the ready to oppose it, they are the new pharisees of this generation. These new pharisees, men and women alike, trade freedom in Christ for a religious rulebook. They don't have a personal relationship with God (Yahweh) or Jesus (Yahoshua), but they know somebody who does.
Some have been deceived into believing we need to belong to a certain "brand" of Christianity to find God (Yahweh.) Nothing could be further from the actual truth. God (Yahweh) tells us himself that He doesn't live in buildings made by hands, however, he made room to live in our hearts.
Many Christians believe in a single Bible, here on Earth, a Bible that is freely available to everyone, a Bible that is undisputed as the true word of God. It's time to wakeup, these were simply bad assumptions on our part. The many different Bibles have content that varies greatly. Probably the best example is the Ethiopian Bible; Since Ethiopia is landlocked, their Bible evolved on it's own, free of western influence.
Conclusion: The Bible was altered to hide proof of the fallen Angels in our past, present, and future. The word Church shouldn't even be in the Bible as it is today. It is a mistranslation from the original Greek word Ekklesia which means congregation, or technically, any lawful assembly.
Who profits from the books of Enoch, Jubilees, and Jashar disapearing from the Bible? A certain group of created beings come to mind; they were unhappy with their fate. These 'sons of God' looked down on 'the daughters of men', and grew jealous. Their leader, Semyaza, didn't want to suffer for this act of defiance alone, and the most infamous pact in history is made. Two hundred Angels fell that day, at Mount Hermon, which translates as curse.
Peter, in Acts 20:29 warns us "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock". Fast forward to today, we have satanic infiltrators in the institutional (corporate) church. As Christians, we neglected to build the person relationship that God wants to have with us. Some decide that instead of getting to know God, they'll settle for getting to know someone, who knows God, this is the heart of the problem.
Jesus' life was a stealth rescue mission; Jesus has always been a target, marked since birth. In fact, immediately after the baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, and then, in the very next scene, the temptation of Jesus. Make no mistake; the adversary knew of Gods plan to give the Promised Land to His people. Satan infiltrated the DNA of many villages; the men, woman, and children, and all the livestock too. Is Hell everlasting torture as promoted by many institutional Churches?
Nephilim and Demons
The Nephilim, The sons and daughters of fallen angels and humans.
Not only did the Giants exist, a disinformation campaign is underway to squelch any belief in them. The evidence is astounding, for example, this 47 inch Femur bone. The Bible tries to tell us about the giants right away; in Genesis 6:4 , the Nephilim are introduced "There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown." it is either totally ignored, or passed off as the sons of Seth theory, even when it makes no sense. A union between believers and non-believers would not result in giants. God is not the author of confusion.
The lost books of the Bible (Enoch, Jubilees, and Jashar) tell stories of these Giants. Three verses after their introduction, God floods the world to destroy them. They were bad characters; busy with typical giant "things", mainly destroying Gods' creation.
This fossilized Irish giant from 1895 is over twelve (12) foot tall. The Giant was discovered during a mining operation in Antrim, Ireland. This picture is courtesy "the British Strand magazine of December 1895"
Height, 12 foot 2 inches; girth of chest, 6 foot 6 inches; length of arms 4 foot 6 inches. There are six toes on the right foot. What else has six toes and six fingers on each hand and foot? The Bible tells us in 2 Samuel 21:20 that Giants do! "And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant". More to follow below in David and Goliath.
Aleister Crowley and UFOs
Early Occult ties with Nasa
Would it surprise you learn, that NASA's leading space science lab, was started by a co-founder with deep ties to the occult? What did Aleister Crowley, Ron Parsons, and L. Ron Hubbard all have in common; and what did they do? What is so important about the years of 1946 through 1948, in our planets history? Let's take a look.
Who are Aleister Crowley, Jack Parsons, and L. Ron Hubbard? Each one of these men; an enigma; the links will help fill in the blanks for now.
Aleister Crowley (1875 – 1947) , The Amalantrah Working (1918) – The infamous Aleister Crowley opens a portal during an elaborate working and meets the LAM. Aleister Crowley was able to close this portal as legend has it.
Jack Parsons (1914-1952), and L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) The Babylon Working (1946), according to occult and folk lore, Parsons and Hubbard ripped open the portal, unfortunately they were not as successful as Aleister Crowley was in closing the Portal. Aleister Crowley incidentally called them out in public, calling them louts, that made him nervous.
When I woke up this morning now available on Amazon Kindle.
I released the book on March 21st, 2019 and published to Kindle Direct Publishing. If you have Kindle Unlimited you can read the book for free. Also, I have a free promotion going on from now until March 26th, 2019 where you can pick up a copy of the book for free.
Chapter 1 – Meet John
Meet John Face to face with evil; surrounded by faceless strangers; John makes his stand, a life-defining moment where fear is not an option. John is on the ground; holding the injured ice biker; cars scattered in every direction as the spectators look on. Blasphemies bellow from the stranger. John looks calmly into his …
Thoughts on Punishment of the wicked
Thoughts on Punishment of the wicked. This is a labor of love and not done because I relish being marked for promoting some so- called heresy. Our present traditional view of hell, borrowed from Catholicism, Platonism and paganism, is no more biblical than the doctrine of limbo. Scriptures must be twisted to say the …


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As part of my 30-Day January Immaculata, I'm experimenting with a method of productivity called Zen To Done (ZTD). The system was created by Leo Babauta, author of the popular blog Zen Habits. A few years ago Leo, like me, decided to make some changes, starting with quitting smoking, and in the past 4 years he's completely transformed his life and career, becoming a prolific author and blogger. I'm a big fan, and he's been a big inspiration for me and this site.
Zen to Done is a pared down version of the Getting Things Done (GTD) method which has become very popular and appropriated by folks I admire like Merlin Mann. Zen to Done takes a very simplified approach to these methods, which was why I chose to start my year off with it.
So why a productivity system? Well, whether you know it or not, you are already using a system. If it works for you and you are constantly achieving your goals, fantastic! I encourage you to share in the comments section below. But if you are like me, your system is, for lack of a better word, broken.
My system is to collect my ideas and to-do lists in as many different places as possible. I email myself notes and reminders. I voice record ideas into my iphone. I type messages and email addresses and ideas into my phone's notepad. I have 4 different notebooks. I have upwards of 40 started documents on my desktop at any given time with new ideas. Occasionally I do finish something, but it's generally when there is an absolute deadline and I am forced to figure shit out on the fly. Otherwise, I am in a perpetual state of being overwhelmed, not knowing where to even begin. So while I do try to map out my days to a certain degree, the 6 hours of slated "work time" are generally spent bouncing from document to document to Facebook to email to Facebook to Facebook to Facebook.
Here's a brief look at what Zen to Done does:
- Creates a process for collecting information, minimizing the number of places your ideas and daily tasks are recorded
- Schedules daily and weekly times to process all the information you are recording.
- Makes a weekly plan, which focuses on daily priorities
- Gives tips on how to focus on the daily priorities without distraction
As today is my first day instituting it, I can't speak on how effective it is yet, but I know that just having read it (it's a downloadable PDF), I am feeling more on top of my game. I've already minimized the number of places I am recording my ideas and tasks, and have my three main priorities for the day all ready to go. Perhaps the greatest testament to it: I've written this and it will likely post before 9:30am. That's crazy!
So, if you are interested in joining me, you can download the PDF here.
Otherwise, stay tuned, as I will be writing at length about my progress with ZTD, as well as sharing other productivity ideas and hacks as I try them out in the coming weeks.


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Crafty Cooling Unit
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Has the vapour from your Crafty vaporizer started to become uncomfortably warm? Or has the cooling unit been damaged or become extremely dirty? If so, then it is time to replace your Crafty's cooling unit with a new one. Replacing the cooling unit is part of normal maintenance, particularly when the vapour is no longer aromatic or it has become hot, harsh, or bad tasting.
- 1 x Crafty Cooling Unit
Purpose of the Part:
The Crafty vaporizer's cooling unit has one primary purpose: it reduces the temperature of the vapour for a comfortable experience and improved aroma. When vapour is too hot, the experience is unpleasant and the full flavour of the vapour is masked. Because the Crafty has a short vapour path, the cooling unit is essential for ensuring that the vapour you inhale is appropriately cool and gentle on the throat.
Benefits of the Changing the Cooling Unit:
Replacing your Crafty's cooling unit has a few primary benefits to consider. The benefits of a new cooling unit include:
- Keeping your vapour path clean and hygienic
- Improved efficiency when cooling the vapour
- Improved aroma
- Better flavour
- Greater durability for the vaporizer
When maintaining your Crafty vaporizer, recognizing parts that need to be replaced is an important part of ensuring your Crafty keeps operating at its optimal level. The cooling unit may be necessary to replace if the vapour is not cooling properly or if the cooling unit itself has become damaged or dirty with normal wear and tear.


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Andrew de Quincey authored
The caching can take a while to finish on certain sources and I don't think it should force the rest of vls to wait for it. Also, with the MPEX MPEG2 encoder card (spits out a TS stream): If it gets no video signal, it outputs no TS packets until it gets one. This causes VLS to hang when starting this input until a video feed is plugged in.56410655


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Snake bites piercings are actually just lip piercings but are quite special in a sense that they form snake bites or fangs because of the two fang-like piercings on the lower lip. Compared to other types of piercings, snake bite piercings are not that common for me since I haven't seen any anything like these personally. So if you're someone who, like me, hasn't seen that much snake bite piercings, then this article is definitely for you. We do hope that by the end of this article, you'll be able to say that the designs that we have compiled are as fierce and realistic as those of snakes.
Archives for April 2013
10 Fake Belly Button Rings Models
If you belong in the category of people who really want to have belly button rings but have very strict parents who won't allow you to get pierced, then you might want to try fake belly button rings. You don't have to worry because even though they're fake, they sure look real. All you have to do is to choose a design that's very realistic, and of course, be confident when wearing it so that its fakeness would go unnoticed. If your parents would really impose their will so that you can't have real belly button rings, then you might want to surprise them and see the reaction on their faces. Just choose from these 10 images that we have.


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Dairy Free So Delicious Date Shake has 3 ingredients, is fast and easy. The smooth caramel taste comes from dates & the shake is super creamy.
It's that time of the year where we start lining up more outdoor activities and finding recipes for food and drink that will help keep us cool.
I've got a cool treat for you, right here! Creamy, caramely and cold.
The original #recipe comes from about the 1950's and the date gardens in the Coachella Valley. If you were going to Palm Springs you probably had 'get a date shake' on your list of to-dos.
Now you can have one right in your own home and dairy free to boot.
Deglet Noor dates are the ones that are most commonly used for shakes because they give such a nice caramel flavor but you can sure use Medjool if you like. They are also delicious.
This recipe is quick and easy and that translates to less time in the kitchen and making smart choices for your plant based life.
A simple #vegan sweet treat that the whole family will absolutely love.
This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Let's Get Connected!
Dairy Free So Delicious Date Shake
- 1/2 cup dates I used Deglet Noor
- 1/2 cup dairy free milk - unsweetened
- 16 ounces dairy free ice cream I used So Delicious Coconut Milk Vanilla frozen dessert
- Bring a 1/2 cup water to a boil. I used the microwave and then removed the bowl.
- Add dates to the hot water and let soak for 10 minutes.
- Add drained dates and dairy free milk to a blender.
- Blend until completely creamy.
- Add the whole 16 ounce carton of dairy free ice cream.
- Blend until smooth.
- If you need to poke down the ice cream as it churns - turn off the blender, poke, cover and then turn it back on.
- Enjoy your big absolutely delicious shake!
The coconuts used by #sodelicious are the highest quality organic and Non-GMO Project Verified coconuts.
It's so hard to decide when you see the display in the freezer aisle and all the delicious varieties by @so_delicious.
I reigned myself in and concentrated on trying to just buy their one so delicious dairy free vanilla variety to help me make this perfect shake.
Well, I did buy two pints of vanilla bean because my husband is famous for wanting to eat my food before I can get pictures.
Truthfully, that makes me feel good. He even said it was one of the best shakes he had ever had.
I mean it really does help to have a great frozen dessert to start with. One where nothing compares and you'll just have to try them to see for yourself. All of them 🙂


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The End of Advertising As We Know It by Michael Wolff postulates that as more and more advertising moves to digital media, there will be less and less awareness and brand-based advertising. Digital media has proven to be very good for "moving the cash register closer to the customer" but not very good at creating desire through brand building, says Wolff. And our ability to avoid ads on TV, either through DVR or subscription fees, means fewer eyeballs are available for those brand-building ads to make their impact.
So is Wolff right? Is the wolf at the door for advertising agencies who are good at the big idea that tells a story (versus those best at click and buy)? Not so fast. Yes, there is a sea change occurring, yes, we have to get better at all forms of advertising, yes measurability is a good thing. But that shift doesn't mean we're different kinds of human beings. We still want our emotions touched, our hearts moved, and our spirits engaged. We need both the bean counters who micro-target people and test a/b versions of calls to action, and the storytellers who can make you fall in love with products.
Because without getting someone's attention first, your demand and lead generation tactics will fail; and when campaigns don't run TV ads, sales on the web go down. Even if TV isn't very measurable (hence in the new paradigm, useless), you can measure sales. As Bob Hoffman, blogging under The Ad Contrarian, says: "If the message is right, who cares what screen people see it on? If the message is wrong, what difference does it make?" And as Old Spice demonstrated, a good idea can revive a dying brand. Let's not forget those hunky guy ads started as TV ads!


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Emily Ann Roberts Sings '9 to 5' on The Voice 9 (VIDEO)
Emily Ann Roberts sang "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton on The Voice 9 Semi-Final for Team Blake Shelton on Monday, December 7, 2015!
The vocal is really good (like, REALLY good, in my opinion), but the performance is kind of lacking, for me. For about 75% of it, she wears this blank expression, so that even while she's moving, she just looks sort of zoned out. However, she does come alive for the last quarter of the performance, with some sassy head and hip movements, and a smile or two here and there. She's got great talent, and her stage presence has improved by leaps and bounds over the course of the season, but this wasn't as great as I thought it could have been. Then again, this is still a singing competition, and I genuinely thought it was one of the better vocals of the night overall, onstage performance notwithstanding. Watch the performance video below:
Download: Emily Ann Roberts, "9 to 5"
Live Blog and Recap: Live Semi-Final Performances
What did you think of Emily Ann Roberts tonight? Sound off in the comments!


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March 24, 2010 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - With Switzerland apparently having lost the coin toss, DOJ today announced that it is sending two GITMO Uighur detainees to the idylic, traditionally neutral country.
The Uighurs - Chinese nationals, apprehended on the Afghan battlefield - will apparently be residing in the Swiss Canton of Jura thanks to team Obama.
The history of terror recidivism among released GITMO detainees does not bode well for this latest effort at repatriation. As Bill Rogio notes in Long War Journal, "a former Guantanamo detainee transferred from the detention facility to Afghanistan on Dec. 19, 2009, has already returned to the Taliban's ranks, according to multiple intelligence officials contacted by the Long War Journal. The former detainee was identified in documents produced at Guantanamo as Abdul Hafiz (as well as an alternative name, Abdul Qawi) and given an internment serial number of 1030. During the more than six years he was held at Guantanamo, Hafiz was repeatedly identified as "a suspect in the murder of an International Red Cross worker in Afghanistan." Memos produced at Guantanamo also alleged that Hafiz participated in the jihad against the Soviets, ran madrassas and recruited young men to fight for the Taliban, was "responsible for maintaining contacts with Mullah Mohammed Omar," and fought in a 40-man militia comprised of fighters from the Taliban and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's insurgency group..." [source, Former Gitmo detainee targeting Afghan charities]
In a recent statement John Brennan, Obama's chief counterterrorism advisor, said that about 20% of released GITMO detainees return to active jihad, noting parenthetically that figure "wasn't that bad," compared to the recidivism rate among domestic U.S. prisoners - none of whom - we must highlight - were engaged in Islamic jihad against America.
Since the inception of the active war on terror nearly 600 detainees have been released from the Cuban facility, with 183 still remaining.
The countries to which these suspects have been released in long, including:Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Chad, Denmark, Egypt, France, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Palau, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Somalia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.
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