text:
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Went explorin with Mr P for a short time yesterday and found some interesting things worthy of imaging...
Posted by Don Simmons at 8:47 AM
Modernity Bites
By James Howard Kunstler
on November 26, 2012 9:05 AM
on November 26, 2012 9:05 AM
There is surely a correspondence between an exhausted culture and a populace devolved so far into mental dullness that it can't recognize its predicament. We don't seem to get how much the industrial production spree of the past 200 years has just plumb worn us out, not to mention the ecosystem we were designed to dwell in. My general sense of things for at least a decade is that we are closing this chapter of history and heading into something smaller, slower, and simpler, and that we could either go there willingly or get dragged there kicking and screaming by circumstances.
It interests me to reflect that the way things are temporarily is the way people define normality, and think things will always be, so that if you are living in a big city like New York where so much remaining wealth is concentrated, and you are dazzled by the whirr and flash of things, including all the pretty young people drilling into their iPhones, you might expect a longer arc to the moment at hand.
Out here in the provinces it's a different story. The exhaustion is palpable. I dropped into the mall at mid-day on Sunday to take the pulse on the ballyhooed post-Thanksgiving ritual shopping frenzy and the place was like a ghost town. The sparse stream of supposed "consumers" had the dazed, beaten-down look of people pushed beyond the edge of some dark threshold, like displaced persons in a low-grade war zone.
Their behavior seemed ceremonial, though, mere acting-out as opposed to acting. They were not carrying bags with purchases. I saw almost nobody actually shopping, that is, fingering the merchandise, in either the two department stores I passed through or the smaller shops lining the corridors. There were strikingly few clerks in either the big or little retail operations and you got the feeling that these stores were now expected to run on automatic pilot, with a skeleton crew of employees because the margins just aren't there anymore. They are going through the motions of being in business, and when Christmas is over some will not be there anymore. America has had enough, notwithstanding the latest YouTube videos showing crazed mobs fighting over worthless plastic crap at the "Black Friday" WalMart openings elsewhere around the country.
The physical condition of our so-called towns (many of them just "facilities" smeared carelessly over the landscape) is something else. We are not taking care of our property in part because we don't have the money, but also because so much of it is obviously not worth caring about, was not designed and built to be cared for - and anyway, there is the lure of the narcotic flat-screen television within to distract anyone with a fugitive thought of opposing the pervasive entropy of these times. The disgrace of this nation - I mean it quite literally - is now total, from our bodies to everything around us. We are entropy made visible.
Variations on this exhaustion are playing out in other parts of the "advanced" world, Europe and Japan, where all the money-related parts of the modernity machine have gravel in their gears and are grinding into self-destruction. China will get to the same event horizon soon, too, despite the fact that so much of their stuff is brand-new - after all, what use is a set of new super-highways if Brent crude prices remain above $110?
What if we just accept the reality that the industrial spree was a self-limiting adventure and now we have to move on? What do we give up? What do we actually do with our time and effort?
There's a clear trend to give up on the gigantic nation-state, at least in its current corporatist configuration, most recently in Spain with separatists winning this week's election in the northern province of Catalonia. Perhaps greater Spain will now join the defunct entities of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and the USSR. There are rumblings of "secession" here in North America now, where a certain moron-inflected cohort favors a replay of the Civil War, largely for sentimental reasons instilled by TV. What Dixieland doesn't seem to grok is the unraveling of its own Sunbelt miracle economy which was, in effect, a suburban development bubble, and which will land them back in a ditch with a sack of turnips like Jeeter Lester's family in Tobacco Road.
Here are some trends we would benefit from getting comfortable with:
Globalism is withering and will end with a whimper (sorry, Tom Friedman). The economy of North America will become much more internally focused in the decades ahead. If you are young, think about getting into the boat business on the continent's magnificent inland waterway system. There will be no more trucking to move stuff around, and at the rate we're going the railroads will never be fixed.
National chain retail will be dying as its economies-of-scale vanish. WalMart and everything like it will be gone. No more Black Friday toy riots. Sorry. If you are young, think about getting into some kind of local business that will play a role in your rebuilt local economic network. There will be plenty of work for you, but not so much new cheap plastic crap to hassle with. Lots of opportunities for the business-minded!
Farming comes back to the center of economic life. Hard to believe, I'm sure, if you live in an iPhone fantasy-land of apps and tweets. Forget all that stupid shit. The electric grid will certainly fail, or at least fail to be reliable enough to matter, in the next couple decades, and the real value in human existence will be using the land to produce a living. Lots of opportunities for young people who like to work outside. Also, some chance of political revolution to expedite changes in land tenure.
Farewell to the auto age and hello again to real communities. Hard to believe, I'm sure, as you read this in traffic on your iPad, but your commuting days are numbered. Indeed the whole car thing comes to a rather stunningly abrupt halt - though we are certainly doing everything possible now to prop it up. The old Herb Stein formulation will apply here: people do what they can until they can't, and then they don't. The implications in this for how we inhabit the landscape going forward are rather huge. Find a nice small town on a waterway surrounded by farmland and get ready to have a life.
In the meantime, as these circumstances roil in the background, you can be sure that the people running things will campaign strenuously to keep the current set of rackets running. The results will be sad and possibly terrifying. Be brave and seek opportunity in these epochal changes. Modernity has nearly put us out of business. Leave the exhausted enterprise behind and be human for while. Enjoy the time-out from techno-progress that is at hand. It will be something to be grateful for.
Posted by Don Simmons at 8:45 AM
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Posted by Don Simmons at 8:15 PM
Monday, November 19, 2012
Epic Disappointment
By James Howard Kunstler
on November 19, 2012 9:01 AM
on November 19, 2012 9:01 AM
Those inhabiting the economic wish-space got a case of the vapors last week when the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) published an annual report stating that the USA would overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's leading oil producer and reach the long-touted nirvana of "energy independence." The news was greeted in this country with jubilation. Thus, peak credulity meets peak bullshit.
It's been clear for a while that authorities in many realms of endeavor - politics, economics, business, media - are very eager to sustain the illusion that we can keep our way of life chugging along. But under the management of these elites, the divorce between truth and reality is nearly complete. The financial system now runs entirely on accounting fraud. Government runs on the fumes of statistical fraud. The business of oil and gas runs on public relations fraud. And the media runs on the understandable wish of the masses to believe that all the foregoing illusions still work to maintain the familiar comforts of modern life (minus Hostess Ho-Hos and Twinkies, alas).
And so the story has developed that the shale oil plays of North Dakota and Texas, which started ramping up around 2005 - the same year the world hit the wall of peak conventional oil - and the shale gas plays in Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio would enable American "consumers" to drive to WalMart effectively forever.
Now, it happens that the particulars of oil and gas production are so abstruse that the editors of The New York Times, The Bloomberg News Service, CNN, and a score of other mass media giants swallowed the IEA report whole, with fanfares and fireworks, and a nation afflicted with doubt about its future swooned into the first week of the holidays in celebration mode - we're soon to be number 1 again, and the future is secure! Have a nice Thanksgiving and Christmas and prepare to sober up in 2013. When the truth finally emerges from this morass of dissimulation, the disappointment will be epic.
Here's why the shale oil story is not the "game changer" that the wishful claim it is: the price required to get it out of the ground (between $80-90 a barrel) will crush the US economy. Since prices are already in that range, the economy is already being crushed. The result is an economy in more-or-less permanent contraction. As demand for oil falls with declining economic activity the price of oil falls - below the level that makes it worthwhile to conduct expensive shale oil drilling and fracking operations.
Meanwhile, in the background, as economies contract and economic "growth" of the type our system requires no longer happens, the problems in finance and banking get a lot worse. This is largely because interest on borrowed money can no longer be paid back. Loans are defaulted on. As this happens, banks become insolvent. Governments play games with public money - including "money" they "create" out of thin air - to prop up the banks. None of it alters the sad fact that there is not enough real money in the system. The result of all these desperate monkeyshines is the impairment if capital formation. That is, the failure to accumulate new wealth. The lack of new wealth, along with declining prospects for the repayment of loans, leads to a shortage of credit, especially to businesses that require large supplies of it to keep gigantic complex operations like shale oil and gas going
Shale oil (and shale gas) share some problematical properties. The cost of drilling each well is a big number, $6-8 million. The wells deplete very rapidly, over 40 percent after one year in the Bakken formation of North Dakota. The oil is not distributed equally over the whole play but exists in "sweet spots." The sweetest sweet spots were drilled the earliest and the quality of the remaining potential drill sites is already in decline. The current trend shows declining first-year productivity in new wells drilled since 2010 running at 25 percent.
There are over 4300 wells shale oil in the Bakken formation of North Dakota producing about 610,000 barrels a day. In order to keep production up, the number of wells will have to continue increasing at a faster rate than previously. This is referred to as "the Red Queen syndrome" which alludes to the character in Alice in Wonderland who famously declared that she had to run faster and faster just to stay where she is. The catch to all this is that the impairments of capital formation are working insidiously in the background to guarantee that the money will not be there to set up the necessary wells to keep production at current levels. In other words, shale oil (and shale gas) are Ponzi schemes. The story in the Eagle Ford play in Texas is very similar.
I haven't even mentioned the concerns about fracking and its effect on ground water, and won't go into it here, except to acknowledge that it presents an additional range of concerns.
The current price situation in shale gas is different than shale oil. The drilling frenzy in shale gas produced a glut, which drove down prices from a $13 a unit (thousand cubic feet or mcf) to around $2 at its low point earlier this year. That's way below the price that is economically rational to drill and frack for it. The price collapse has played havoc among the companies engaged in shale gas, though it has been a boon to customers. A lot of the drilling equipment has moved to the North Dakota oil fields. There will be less shale gas in the period ahead and the price will go up. It has got to go above about $8 a unit or there will be no reason for any company to be in the shale gas business. But as is always the case in such a correction, the price will surely overshoot $8, at which point it will become unaffordable to its customers. The volatility alone will make the business of shale gas drilling impossible to maintain. Forget about the USA becoming a major gas exporter.
You probably get the point by now, so I will only add a couple of out-of-the-box considerations vis-à-vis the prospect of the USA becoming energy independent.
-- Production is getting so low in the Prudhoe Bay fields of Alaska that the famous pipeline may not be able to operate. If the flow of oil reaches a certain low volume, it takes longer to make the long journey. The oil cools down and gets sludgy and some of the water that travels with it will freeze. This could destroy the pipeline. The capital is not there to retrofit the pipeline for a depleting oil field in a region that is difficult and expensive to work in.
-- Exporting countries (the ones that send us oil) are depleting their reserves and using more of their own oil, resulting in annually declining export rates. China, India, and other still-modernizing nations compete for a growing share of that declining export flow.
-- I have barely hinted at the geopolitical forces roiling behind the sheer business dynamics. But here's an interesting one: the time will come when the US will invoke the Monroe Doctrine to prevent Canada from sending its oil and tar-sand byproducts to nations other than ourselves. Just wait.
Finally, I have one flat-out prediction, one I have made before but deserves repeating: Japan will be the first society to consciously opt out of being an advanced industrial economy. They have no other apparent choice really, having next-to-zero oil, gas, or coal reserves of their own, and having lost faith in nuclear power. They will be the first country to enter a world made by hand. They were very good at it before about 1850 and had a pre-industrial culture of high artistry and grace - though, granted, all the defects of human psychology.
I don't think the US can make that transition in an orderly way. We're too stricken with techno-narcissism and grandiosity. What troubles me is how we will greet the epic disappointment that waits for us when we discover that the journey to WalMart is over. My guess is that being predisposed to superstition and religious fanaticism, the American public will violently reject science and rationality and retreat into a world of shadows. We're already well on our way. The IEA report will just accelerate things.
Posted by Don Simmons at 11:13 AM
Sunday, November 18, 2012
This time next week Dickens of a Christmas will be in full swing and the downtown area will be alive…show support for local area business and buy local...
Posted by Don Simmons at 11:31 AM
On view at Laura Moore's Fine Art Studio...Its a great show!!
Peggy Epner
and don't forget this coming weekend...
Posted by Don Simmons at 11:27 AM
Saturday, November 17, 2012
This is Gaza last night as the Israeli Air Force pelted it...its not right to take sides in this matter, so all I will say is that you can only poke a bear in the eye so many times before the bear pokes back...
Posted by Don Simmons at 8:50 AM
Monday, November 12, 2012
A Look in the Mirror
By James Howard Kunstler
on November 12, 2012 8:57 AM
on November 12, 2012 8:57 AM
The verdict is apparently in: if Fox News will replace its current heraldic theme music with a mariachi band, and Sean Hannity puts on a sombrero for his nightly broadcast prayer circle, then the Republican Party will once again rule the land...
...Not - in the immortal word of Borat Sagdiyev.
The so-called Grand Old Party now faces a fugue of recrimination that could end in its demise. The party marginalized itself by becoming an alliance of corporate oligarchs with poorly-educated Southern suburban white trash religious fanatics, both using each other to browbeat the nation into transforming itself into kleptocratic theocracy. There are no more people of good will and intelligence left in that camp, and a blame-fest between its two remaining factions can only lead to a death struggle.
The beginning of the end really came with the death of William F. Buckley in 2008. Buckley labored for years to keep the John Birch Society and its agents out of the GOP's leadership circles. For those of you unacquainted with this organization, it was a group that coalesced during the early 1950s anti-communist crusade of Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy. The Birchers named themselves after an obscure American soldier and Baptist missionary executed by the Red Army in China during the final months of World War Two. The group was founded and funded by Robert Welch, a Boston candy manufacturer (Junior Mints, Sugar Daddy) tormented by conspiracy fantasies. Another founding board member was Fred Koch, father of the billionaire Koch brothers, Charles and David, who have become the latter-day sugar daddies of the Republican Party.
The Birchers retailed all kinds of ideological nonsense that made them the butt of ridicule during the Camelot days of John F. Kennedy and the heady Civil Rights years of his successor Lyndon B. Johnson. (Bob Dylan wrote a song about them in 1962: "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues.") Everything perceived to be a threat in a changing society was sold by the Birchers as a communist plot - water fluoridation, de-segregation, even, by a kind of tortured logic, the US strategy in the Vietnam War. Since a Democratic president and congress passed the civil rights legislation of 1964-5, the traditionally Democratic "solid South" revolted almost overnight and eventually turned solidly Republican. (It was also good for business.)
Something else was going on in Dixieland from the late 1950s on. The region boomed economically, partly from luring northern industry down with cheap labor, and partly because so many large military bases were located there - hence the hyperbolic, militant patriotism of a region that had lately staged a violent insurrection against the national government. The region also went through an explosion of air-conditioned suburban sprawl because the southern states were geographically huge and the climate was unbearable half the year. The sprawl industry itself generated vast fortunes and widespread prosperity in a part of the country that had been a depressed agricultural backwater since the Civil War.
Consequently, a population of poor, ignorant crackers crawled out of the mud and dust to find themselves wealthy car dealers and strip-mall magnates in barely one turn of a generation. The transition being so abrupt, their cracker culture of xenophobia, "primitive" religion, and romance with violence came through intact. They were the perfect client group for a political party that styled itself "conservative," as in maintaining the old timey ways. Toward the end of the 20th century, as the old northern states' economies withered, and Yankee culture lost both footing and meaning, and poor white folks all over America looked with envy on the glitz of country music and Nascar, and gravitated toward the Dixieland culture of belligerent, aggressive suburbanization, religiosity, and militarism. This cartoon of the old timey ways swept the "flyover" precincts of the nation. Along in the baggage compartment was all the old John Birch Society cargo of quasi-supernatural ideology that appealed so deeply to people perplexed by the mystifying operations of reality. That perplexity was supposedly resolved in a Bush II White House aide famously stating, "We make our own reality." The results of the 2012 election now conclusively demonstrate the shortcomings of that world-view.
And so the news last week was that a different version of America outvoted the John Birch Dixiecrat coalition by roughly two million ballots. Meaning, of course, that there are still a lot of dangerous morons out there, but also that the times they are yet a'changin' again. I am personally glad that Mr. Romney lost because he came across to me as a dangerously hollow, not very smart, pre-cooked personality marinated in cant and opportunism. I'm not so delirious either about the victor, Mr. Obama, though he seems a more reliable character in contrast to his vanquished opponent. I think we can rely on him to not prosecute any misconduct in banking for another four years. But, at least, he's not trying to turn the country into one big prayer circle.
He's surely in for a rough ride in the four years ahead. There is a sickening, heavy sense of foreboding about the seemingly endless financial melodrama. It leads to the bewildering fork in the road at which the split paths lead to two different ways of going broke: savage deflation or turbo-inflation. Either way, you're toast. The gross interventions and arrant accounting fraud that pervade global finance, both in government and in private banking, can only lead to perversity and dysfunction in the operations of money that we depend on to remain civilized.
If America were able to look in a mirror now, it would see an image of a sclerotic society, physically run down, strikingly ugly, and sordid in its cultural programing. It would see an armature for daily life - the drive-in Utopia - with very poor prospects for the future. I don't know if Mr. Obama can get this nation engaged in the great tasks that we have been avoiding for so long: purging corporate money from politics, preparing for post-petroleum reality minus the fantasy that we can just live inside our smart phones, and downscaling and re-localizing economic life. Much of that agenda would seem contrary to the common expectation that Mr. Obama wants ever more government intervention in the economy. The past four years he has seemingly done everything possible to support the status quo - leading a few observers to brand him as a "conservative" - and he still acts like a hostage of the too-big-to-fail banks. I'm not convinced that he'll act decisively for the right things in the right way on anything. At least he won't be running for office again and can act perhaps more freely as he will. Anyway, I subscribe to the sentiment that it was a good thing for the nation to re-elect a leader of mixed-race, to show that we mean it about who is allowed to succeed here.
I spent a lot of time in Dixieland this fall. I can report that its era of hyper-prosperity is on the wane. The boom is pretty much over, except for some deceptive last twitchings over in Texas and in the Northern Virginia beltway counties where lobbyists spawn. The failure of the Republican Party this year marks the end of the economic ascendency of the South. Now they will have to contend with the imminent failure of their suburban way of life and all its comfortable trappings. I've predicted for many years that the process would drive them batshit crazy. When I was in North Carolina in October, I got the odd impression that I was in a giant car dealership masquerading as a state. That's just not going to work anymore. But it remains to be seen whether anything will work in any quarter of this big old country.
One interesting thing is shaping up: a beard-growing contest between Paul Krugman and Ben Bernanke to see who can end up looking most like Rutherford B. Hayes.
Posted by Don Simmons at 7:38 AM
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
Posted by Don Simmons at 12:10 PM
A sign hangs in the window of a shop during the U.S. presidential election in South Boston, Massachusetts, November 6, 2012. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Posted by Don Simmons at 9:18 AM
Monday, November 05, 2012
The Tides of Event
By James Howard Kunstler
on November 5, 2012 8:32 AM
on November 5, 2012 8:32 AM
Mitt Romney's sickening insincerity was on full view Sunday night as CNN served up both candidates complete finish-line pitches to the Ohio crowds thought to hold the fate of the election in their fickle sway. Romney has consistently proved one thing over the whole, long, nauseating course of his campaign: that he will say anything to get a vote, no matter how hollow, fatuous, craven, or at odds with reality the utterance is.
Last night he went on about how the USA would become "energy independent" when he opens all federal lands to oil drilling. This plays on some lamebrain notion that there are vast fields of easy-to-get oil sitting out under the Wyoming hardpan waiting to be tapped. Surely Mitt know better.. or does he? The reality is that these lands fell into federal ownership largely because they had so little value in the first place. If there was another Spindletop lurking under the sagebrush you can be sure it would have been found long before now, so Mr. Romney is just preying on the public's wishful ignorance (or his own) when he says these things.
Which gets to the larger issue of what the "drill drill drill" mantra really means: namely, that Mitt Romney has no idea where history is taking us. The public may be very nervous about how they will pay for gasoline needed to live in the suburban matrix, but the reality of the situation is that the suburban matrix is the problem and doing everything and anything we can to prop it up is going to destroy the nation. Mr. Romney is oblivious to this reality and so you can be sure that his mysterious "plan" for leadership is an empty promise. A reality-based plan, for instance, would be the rapid rebuilding and electrification of the regular railroad system, both as an economic development measure and a national security issue, along with the spirited promotion of walkable neighborhoods and the rebuilding of our small towns and small cities. But Mitt is "a car man," as he likes to say.
President Obama was on display, too, a little later making dubious claims about his accomplishments and distinctions. (Jon Corzine is still at large.) There's no evidence that he understands the true nature of the implacable economic contraction underway and how it will change everything about how we live on this continent. But I think there is a better chance that he could get a clue in the next four years than is the case for Mr. Romney. Also, I don't trust Mr. Romney to deal intelligently with foreign nations, while the specter of yet another arch-conservative idiot on the Supreme Court of the type that would rule affirmative on something like the Citizens United case gives me the vapors... so I have to pull the lever for Mr. Obama.
Finally, I just don't like Mitt Romney. He's the over-eager twerp in the classroom with his arm always sticking up. He's the missionary bozo in a necktie ringing your doorbell to sell a fairy-tale cult religion dreamed up in the 1820s by another over-eager con artist. He's obviously using the national stage to work out his father issues (George Romney ran for president in 1968, blundering his way out of the race early on). He shamelessly panders to the worst elements of his own party - the ignorant, militaristic, punitive-minded Nascar evangelicals - and dissembles so automatically that there is nothing left of whatever core beliefs he might have theoretically developed earlier in his career. He's too chicken to engage with the realities of climate change, so visibly on display this season. He's spoiling to rumble with China, apparently oblivious to the fact that China's leader-in-waiting, Xi Jingping, is an army brat. I pray at my little alter of ecumenical totems that the tides of history will sweep Mitt Romney out to the seas of retirement from public life, where he can enjoy his Medicare entitlements secure in the guarantee that he will not be hassled over any pre-existing conditions.
Speaking of tides, we are now a week past the awful depredations of Hurricane Sandy and a lot of people are yet sitting in the cold and dark. The story is still developing - in a way similar to Hurricane Katrina - in the sense that the ordeals of individual suffering and loss are slow to emerge from the chaos of the moment into public awareness. For instance, it took weeks after Katrina for many property owners to learn that the loss of their house was attributed to "flooding," which is generally not covered in home insurance policies. There are still vast neighborhoods, such as Long Beach, Long Island, where the issue hasn't even come up yet, at least not in the news media. When it does, it will be much bigger deal politically than was the case in Biloxi, Mississippi, or the 9th Ward of New Orleans, where people were more accustomed to the cruel boot of authority, not to mention the frequent tantrums of a subtropical ocean.
I don't know how Sandy will affect the electoral results in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, but even if polling places can be set up in ruined, blacked-out districts one would think the eligible voters have a lot more urgent matters on their minds.
Anyway, once this dreadful election is over the floodgates of events will open up and we will once again be forced to reckon especially with the epochal forces that seek to shatter the financial system. Sandy was a kind of preview of coming attractions for a different sort of wreckage to come.
Posted by Don Simmons at 8:54 AM
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
"What I like doing most — and have been doing over the years — is to just go to where I think the story is, dive into the adventure and then report on what happened, be it in radio, television or print. It's always crazy, sometimes dangerous. In fact, I think that when people ask me, 'are you sure you want to do this?' is when I make my best work."Okke Ornstein
Like, getting on a rickety cargo plane, fly into the Syrian war and deliver aid to displaced persons — listen to that story here or read about it here.
Like, investigating investment scams in Panama.
Or travel from Greece to Germany with refugees.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
... Specials and Spotlights ...
Design. Build. Remodel.
It is the ideal time of year to plan for improvements to your property. We are here to help.
Get your home ready for the holidays by planning the perfect outdoor space, remodel your kitchen or refurbish that pool!
We'll manage trade partners and the production schedule, and work from an agreed upon fixed-price contract with a guaranteed completion date.
Call us today for a FREE estimate!
Call our office to schedule
an appointment today!
Monday-Friday: 9am to 3pm (Central Time Zone)
Weekends: Closed
Fax: 832-698-7500


text:
Home > Diving Cuba > Cuba Dive Tours
Dive Gardens of the Queen & Havana, 10 Nights
Dive Research & Cultural Exploration
Enjoy 6 days in Jardines de la Reina (Queen's Gardens), Cuba's ultimate shark paradise. Dive with schools of more than 60 Silky sharks and Caribbean Reef sharks. Snorkel in ethereal mangroves. Encounter Goliath Groupers over 500 pounds. Observe docile, juvenile crocodiles. Enjoy a native Jutia (furry island animals). Kayak in pristine Cayos. PLUS, enjoy 4 nights in Havana. This is the best of Cuba Above & Below. Enjoy the most welcoming people, full cultural immersion and dive research.
Download itinerary and details [pdf]
What's Included:
- 6 Nights on Gardens of the Queen Live-Aboard
- All Meals on Live-Aboard (including fresh seafood)
- 15 ULTRA SPECTACULAR Dives
- Unlimited Snorkeling
- 4 Nights in a Havana 5-star Private Bed & Breakfast
- Fresh breakfast, exotic fruit and Cuban coffee (daily)
- Ground Transfer Havana-Jucaro-Jardines-Havana
- Farewell Havana Cultural Live Music, Lobster Dinner and Alcoholic Drink
- Authentic Cabaret Show at the Iconic Hotel Nacional in Havana
- 1950s American Antique Car Ride in Havana
- Panoramic Tour of Havana, Vedado & Miramar
- Havana / Vedado Architectural Walking Tour
- Art show & night club tickets to the new Fabrique venue in Havana
- Use of English Speaking Havana Guide / Concierge
- Choose Your Activities /Schedule from Our List of Research Assignments Needed for Updating Our Latest Book
- Customized, Official Letter of Assignment to Travel to Cuba pursuant to U.S.Department of the Treasury General License 515.564 (a)(1) *
Where You Stay
Choose Your Live-Aboard
Depending on your taste and number of travelers in your party, Jardines de la Reina offers a variety of live-aboard options. No matter which boat you choose, you'll be amazed by the ultra spectacular diving encounters.
Havana Five-Star Private Bed & Breakfast
Enjoy the prestigious neighborhood of Vedado at one of our favorite hand-picked, classy, five-star rated bed and breakfast built in the 1920s. You'll love the convenient location within walking distance to the famous Malecon sea wall, top-rated private restaurants and revolutionary parks. Savor the authentic, homemade breakfast, fresh exotic fruit and delicious Cuban coffee.
Meticulously and lovingly restored, a historic Havana mansion will be your home base to topside exploration and cultural research. The best part is your English speaking host and private concierge.
For more information
Dive Discovery
1 800 886-7321
(415) 444-5100
Request Info


text:
I designed my first commercial website in high school, back in 1997, when you had to use Microsoft Notepad to write your HTML code by hand or if you are lucky you had a copy of HotDog (which you had to copy off a magazine 'Cover CD-Rom' because dial-up Internet was so slow – remember those days?). Since then I have seen the development of web design progress through the awkward Microsoft Frontpage stage, the adolescent Macromedia (and later Adobe) Dreamweaver stage, and finally into the present day of user-friendly content management systems (CMS) which have brought web design to the masses.
In my experience CMS preference comes down to personality type and programming experience. Those with the programmers mindset tend towards Drupal or any of a number of development frameworks such as CodeIgniter, technophobes tend towards the hosted web development platforms such as Squarespace and those in the middle choose between WordPress, Joomla! and any of hundreds of other user-friendly content management systems.
Although I have worked over the years with pretty much every major CMS, as a visual person (definitely a designer who dabbles in programming rather than the other way round) I love the responsiveness and stability of the WordPress platform. However its greatest asset is the vibrant and growing community of developers who have expanded the WordPress universe beyond basic blogging into a versatile foundation that you can bolt nearly any functionality onto. I am yet to come up with an idea or feature that I couldn't produce easily with the current selection of pre built plug-ins.
Unfortunately one of the most overwhelming issues for those getting started in the WordPress world is the sheer number of plug-ins available (over 30,000 at last count). This can lead to hours and hours of exploring the WordPress plug-in database and reading 'top 10 plug-in' lists until your eyes bleed. In the interest of preserving the sanity (and eyesight) of WordPress beginners (and more advanced users who might be interested), I have compiled a list of my favourite WordPress plug-ins for your enjoyment. If you have any suggestions for any other plug-ins I should add to my list please feel free to comment below.
Please note: I have included the "Donation" link for free plugins (if available) so that you can show your appreciation to the kind souls in the WordPress world who made these amazing tools and then gave them away for free. If their plugin saved you time and/or money, make sure you throw them some money to say thanks!
Default Plugins
These are the plug-ins that I install on every single WordPress website that I develop, as a matter of course. I don't even think about anything else until these plug-ins are installed. They have proven time and again to be fantastic tools and I honestly couldn't live without them.
I shouldn't need to explain this one, everyone should be using this by default (this is the ultimate spam busting plugin for WordPress). But if some reason you're not using it, then do yourself a favour and install Akismet. It's free for personal sites and if you're making money from your WordPress development work or from your website, don't forget to send the developers some cash when you register for an API key. The only way the WordPress community can develop and mature is if we all contribute to those organisations and developers who produce the amazing plugins we depend on.
- Cost: Free for personal use
- Website: http://akismet.com/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/
Jetpack by WordPress.com
Jetpack is a fantastic collection of tools from the team who run WordPress.com. Users of the hosted WordPress service will recognise many of these features but with Jetpack, self hosted WordPress users are able to enjoy a suite of useful features. Listed below are my particular favourites although there are over a dozen more available for free as part of the plug-in.
Post by Email
Spelling and Grammar
WP.me Shortlinks
Widget Visibility
Shortcode Embeds
Custom CSS
Extra Sidebar Widgets
Infinite Scroll
- Cost: requires free registration at WordPress.com
- Website: http://jetpack.me/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/jetpack/
TinyMCE Advanced
This plugin opens up a wealth of extra features within the TinyMCE editor and allows you to control which of the extra features are made available.
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://www.laptoptips.ca/projects/tinymce-advanced/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/tinymce-advanced/
This plug-in provides a simple and easy way to improve the navigation and pagination of your blog. The fact that this plug-in has over 4 million downloads suggests that many other users agree with me!
- Cost: Free
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-pagenavi/
- Donate: http://lesterchan.net/site/donation/
I must admit, when I first used this plugin, it completely changed how I felt about WordPress development. One of my biggest complaints was the difficulty in running backups and migrating sites. Sure, it wasn't that hard, but compared to all the other "easy" features like updating WordPress core and plugins, I figured there had to be an easier way. It turns out that BackupBuddy was that way!
- Cost: $80 USD (2 sites), $150 USD (Unlimited)
- Website: http://ithemes.com/purchase/backupbuddy/
SpeakUp! Email Petitions
An all-inclusive email petition system for WordPress. I used this plugin to great effect on the #ScrapTheCap website. I had to do some custom coding to make it do what I want (I will post up a tutorial at a later date) but it was a fantastic foundation to build on.
- Website: http://speakup.designkode.com/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/speakup-email-petitions/
- Donate: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ADP2TPGYEU5NU
Gravity Forms
I honestly can't say a single thing bad about Gravity Forms, and really that's the greatest compliment I can give it. It does everything I want a form builder to do and I keep discovering new and exciting features that I had no idea existed. I started using it as a simple form builder for contact forms and content submission. I then used it for creating user submitted posts (with an associated moderation process) and most recently I've used it to develop a custom "contact your local member" system for #ScrapTheCap which integrated with the Toolset suite of plugins (discussed below). Do yourself a favour, cut back on a coffee or two and spend your hard earned money on a Gravity Forms license. You won't regret it.
- Cost: $39+ USD (depending on license)
- Website: http://www.gravityforms.com/
Contact Form 7
If you're looking for a free alternative to Gravity Forms, you should consider using Contact Form 7. I have used it on a number of sites and found it particularly useful, although to be honest, now that I have a developer license for Gravity Forms I no longer have any need to use it.
- Website: http://contactform7.com/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/
- Donate: http://contactform7.com/donate/
Media & Content
WPBakery Visual Composer
Although not ideal for every client and every website, Visual Composer does provide a fantastic interface for those who need to be able to work visually on the design of a page, rather than having to remember a series of custom shortcodes. It's simple enough for most tech savvy clients to use, while still having the flexibility to allow me to develop relatively complex layouts when needed (especially for homepages such as #ScrapTheCap).
- Cost: $30 USD
- Website: http://vc.wpbakery.com/
- Buy at CodeCanyon: http://codecanyon.net/item/visual-composer-page-builder-for-wordpress/242431
Layerslider is just one of many slider plug-ins for WordPress, and like most WordPress developers I have tried a number of them over the years. I have found this one to be particularly good, especially for clients. It also works well with mobile devices such as iPads and iPhones.
- Cost: $18 USD
- Buy at CodeCanyon: http://codecanyon.net/item/layerslider-responsive-wordpress-slider-plugin-/1362246
Revolution Slider
My other favourite slider is Revolution Slider. Similar to Layerslider, it has a great interface and is responsive to mobile devices.
- Cost: $19 USD
- Website: http://www.themepunch.com/codecanyon/revolution_wp/
- Buy at CodeCanyon: http://codecanyon.net/item/slider-revolution-responsive-wordpress-plugin/2751380
Smart YouTube PRO
This is a handy plug-in that makes it a breeze to embed videos posted on YouTube, Vimeo and other video hosting sites. It also works well on iPhone and iPad.
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://www.prelovac.com/vladimir/wordpress-plugins/smart-youtube
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/smart-youtube/
- Donate: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2567254
TablePress is a brilliant plug-in that allows you to import a spreadsheet of data and then output a high quality, sortable table in a WordPress blog post. You can see an example of TablePress output on my previous post of medical education resources.
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://tablepress.org/
- WordPress Page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/tablepress/
- Donate: http://tablepress.org/donate/
MapPress Pro
I have tried a number of different Google Map systems over the years, but I have found that the MapPress system is the best. You can get the free version, but I invested in the Pro version as it was fantastic for developing Google Map Mashups like the #ScrapTheCap homepage.
- Cost: Free/$29.95 USD
- Website: http://wphostreviews.com/product/mappress
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/mappress-google-maps-for-wordpress/
Comprehensive Google Map Plugin
If you are looking for a free alternative to MapPress Pro, check out this free and brilliant plugin. It doesn't quite have all the features of MapPress Pro but it is still very useful and best of all, it's free!
- Cost: Free
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/comprehensive-google-map-plugin/
- Donate: http://goo.gl/yI5j6O
The Conference Plugin
I'll admit when I first started using this plugin, I was a bit apprehensive as it doesn't have the greatest amount of documentation. But once I started digging deeper into the website and support forum, I found all of the code and examples I needed to implement this fantastic plugin into the FGP14 website. You might have to work a bit to get it up and working, but once you do you'll be happy, it's a dream to use and clients love it.
- Cost: $39 USD
- Website: http://topquark.com/plugins/
Disqus Comment System
I have been a big fan of the Disqus comment systems since I first used it on a website a few years ago. Although I know there are a huge variety of WordPress comment systems available, I still find myself coming back to Disqus for client websites. It's free, manages spam and allows users to login with a variety of social media accounts.
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://disqus.com/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/disqus-comment-system/
Another system that has potential is the Jetpack Comments plug-in. I haven't had chance to really trial it properly yet but it's on my to-do list.
AJAX Thumbnail Rebuild
Like a number of similar plugins, this tool allows you to rebuild all of the thumbnails on your site. Unlike other plugins though, it doesn't time out or crash when you have a lot of large images.
- Cost: Free
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/ajax-thumbnail-rebuild/
- Donate: http://www.breiti.cc/wordpress/ajax-thumbnail-rebuild/
Broken Link Checker
This is a handy plug-in that will let you know about any broken links on your WordPress site (a capital crime in the SEO world), either as an email notification or as an update on your WordPress dashboard.
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://w-shadow.com/blog/2007/08/05/broken-link-checker-for-wordpress/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/broken-link-checker/
WP Smush.it
This plug-in allows you to integrate Yahoo's handy Smush.it image optimisation API within your WordPress blog. It will reduce the file size of all your images while retaining image quality, which will hopefully improve the performance and reduce the download requirement for your visitors. Plus it's really simple to use, so you really have nothing to lose by giving it a go.
- Cost: Free
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-smushit/
Social Media & SEO
Twitter Feed Pro
I used to love the Tweet Blender plug-in for providing a Twitter hashtag feed widget on sidebars but unfortunately it stopped working once the new Twitter API was released last year. Luckily Twitter Feed Pro came to the rescue (after I tested a bucket load of other plug-ins) to recreate the hashtag feed feature that I loved on Tweet Blender. Yes it costs a little bit of money, but it's worth every cent.
- Cost: $19.99 USD
- Website: http://peadig.com/wordpress-plugins/wp-twitter-feed-pro/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-twitter-feed/ (Free version, less features)
WordPress SEO
I think the WordPress SEO plug-in from Yoast is without a doubt the most complete and easy to use SEO system for WordPress. It does most things out of the box so unless you feel like tuning every single feature, you can pretty much set and forget. Personally I like to make sure that I make the most of every SEO opportunity and the instructions built into the plug-in are particularly useful for learning SEO, especially of those with little or no experience.
- Cost: Free
- Website: https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/
All-in-One SEO Pack
Although I prefer the Yoast SEO plug-in, I have also used the All-in-One SEO pack and it's also an excellent option. There is also the opportunity to upgrade to a Pro version for $39.00 USD.
- Cost: Free/$39 USD
- Website: http://semperplugins.com/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack-pro-version/?loc=plugins
- Donate: https://www.paypal.com
Google Analytics for WordPress
Another useful plug-in from Yoast, this tool allows you to unlock some of the more powerful features of Google Analytics within WordPress such as tracking custom variables and tracking of downloads and clickouts.
- Cost: Free
- Website: https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/google-analytics/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/google-analytics-for-wordpress/
Google XML Sitemaps
This is the most popular Google XML Sitemap generator for WordPress, with over 12 million downloads. It generates XML sitemaps that are compatible with Google, Bing, Yahoo and Ask.com.
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://www.arnebrachhold.de/projects/wordpress-plugins/google-xml-sitemaps-generator/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/google-sitemap-generator/
- Donate: http://www.arnebrachhold.de/redir/sitemap-plist-donate/
Admin Tools
AG Custom Admin
One of the most challenging things about WordPress is the way plugins can "take over" the admin area and make things particularly difficult for clients to navigate. The AG Custom Admin plugin allows you to customise the titles of Admin Menu items and hide the sections that you don't want clients to use. It's a fantastic way of simplifying the admin area.
Although this plugin is very helpful, it doesn't go all the way to creating a truly simple admin area for clients. I am still looking for the perfect solution, so if you know of anything, please comment below and I'll check it out!
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://agca.argonius.com/ag-custom-admin/category/ag_custom_admin
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/ag-custom-admin/
- Donate: http://agca.argonius.com/ag-custom-admin/support-for-future-development
Codepress Admin Columns
This handy plug-in allows you to control the display of columns within the admin area, allowing you to show only the information you need. This can be particular useful once you have a few different plug-ins that affect the content list pages within the Admin area. It also allows you to simplify things considerably for our clients.
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://www.codepresshq.com/wordpress-plugins/admin-columns/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/codepress-admin-columns/
- Donate: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ZDZRSYLQ4Z76J
Duplicate Post
Although creating duplicate content is particularly bad for search engine optimisation, there are some situations where you want to work on alternative versions of pages without messing with the original or you are using custom content types and need to duplicate all aspects of the post. This plug-in makes it easy!
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://lopo.it/duplicate-post-plugin/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/duplicate-post/
- Donate: http://lopo.it/duplicate-post-plugin
Custom Development
Advanced Custom Fields
If you want to expand beyond the basic "title and description" format for pages and content within WordPress, you have a number of different options. Coming from a Drupal background I was looking for a plug-in to replace the Custom Content Type functionality I was used to from that CMS. Although I have now moved on to the Toolset Suite (discussed below) I still think that Advanced Custom Fields is a fantastic tool for expanding WordPress beyond its basic blogging foundation.
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://www.advancedcustomfields.com/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/advanced-custom-fields/
Toolset Suite (Types, Views, Cred, Access)
The Toolset Suite of plugins really expands WordPress beyond a simple blogging system and opens up a new world of custom content, dynamic views and powerful user permissions. I used the Toolset Suite extensively in the development of the #ScrapTheCap Campaign website and found it a pleasure to use. The way it integrates with other plug-ins such as Gravity Forms means that this set of plug-ins will probably become core components of all future WordPress websites that I develop.
- Cost: $149 USD for the full suite, or buy each component individually (Types is free)
- Website: http://wp-types.com/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/types/
Category Excluder Alpha
This plug-in allow you to exclude certain categories when you showing content on a WordPress widget. It is surprising how often I have needed this feature and this simple plug-in does everything I need with no fuss. It's no longer supported, but it still works!
- Cost: Free
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/category-excluder/
Category Posts Widget
This is a simple plugin that allows you to display a content list for a single category. It really is as simple as that.
- Cost: Free
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/category-post-widget/
Display Posts Shortcode
Sometimes you just need to display a list of posts such as the 5 latest news items within a custom layout. I tried a number of different ways of doing this and I found the Display Posts Shortcode plug-in to be the easiest way to do it. I have used this plug-in on the Social Media GP website and at #ScrapTheCap and both times it has done the job with very little fuss.
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://www.billerickson.net/shortcode-to-display-posts/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/display-posts-shortcode/
- Donate: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MQKRBRFVRUV8C
Advanced Post List
Another version of this idea is the Advanced Post List plugin, which offers a number of extra features compared to "Display Posts Shortcode" above. I used this plugin on the FGP14 website and it was a dream to use.
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/advanced-post-list/
- Donate: https://www.paypal.com/
PHP Code Widget
A simple plugin that allows you to run PHP code within a widget (not possible in a standard text widget). Very handy!
- Cost: Free
- Website: http://ottopress.com/wordpress-plugins/php-code-widget/
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/php-code-widget/
- Donate: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=otto%40ottodestruct%2ecom
Shortcode Exec PHP
Another simple plugin that allows you to create custom shortcodes that execute reusable PHP code. Much easier than trying to use PHP code directly within content and allows you to create custom shortcodes for clients.
- Cost: Free
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/shortcode-exec-php/
Simple Image Sizes
This plugin allows you to add multiple custom images sizes to the formats created by WordPress when you upload new media. Particularly handy if you are dealing with custom development and multiple content types.
- Cost: Free
- Website: https://github.com/Rahe/Simple-image-sizes
- WordPress Page: http://wordpress.org/plugins/simple-image-sizes/
Where to next?
One of the joys of developing WordPress sites is discovering new plugins and working out how you can use them to better meet the needs of your clients. There are a few other plugins that I am excited to try out and am currently trialling on various projects. I am looking at a number of CRM systems and CRM integrations with WordPress (CiviCRM is looking amazing) and I am working on a multilingual site so I have been playing extensively with WPML (The WordPress Multilingual Plugin) and Transposh (a plugin that combines machine and human translation in over 50 languages).
I've also been playing around with The Events Calendar from Modern Tribe and it is fantastic so far. Finally, I am still waiting for a project where I have an excuse to really get to grips with BuddyPress (the WordPress Custom Social Network Uber-Plugin) and WooCommerce (an eCommerce toolkit for WordPress that looks fantastic). So many plugins to try, so little time!
I hope you have found this list useful and please comment below if you have any suggestions for other plugins that I should add to my list. Happy Blogging!


text:
Information provided by the Council Community Sports and Facility Planning Development Officer recently about Di Hurst Oval.."Council have been approached by the Coolum Cricket Club to utilise Di Hirst Oval - Peregian Beach for junior cricket. The conditions of the permit will be the same as those applied previously with the addition of one day a week training for juniors (Wednesday 4-6pm).It is important to note the significant contribution both cricket and community gardens make to the health and wellbeing of the local community. Both activities activate spaces and allow for social interaction in a fun and safe environment. Veggie Village and the Coolum Cricket Club have invested time, finances and resources into Di Hirst Oval for the betterment of the community and council is supportive of this continuing.As with the previous Coolum Cricket permit, the community function of the site will remain and access to residents will not be restricted."
What a load of waffle. First in best dressed! My dog and I have invested a great deal of time and energy into that oval too. Where do we go now?
This type of planning for choosing a good application design company will believe every people because these are very good as well as nice and precious.
Keep it up. I will share it.
Many of us present the divisibility rule for the Divisor a prime variety and rub it to distinct cases. The reason is articulate and all to easy to follow, recognize and implement.


text:
The scab is off, and the wound of America's history is bleeding. Again. Perhaps because a black man is president…? It's a savage old wound, never really healed, and apt to erupt into pestilence at any moment. Medical terminology comes to mind: suppurating, necrotic, septic. In other words — it eats away at the flesh of the American covenant that this is a country with justice for all.
Our politicians today are open in their racism, advocating the deportation of Muslims merely because of their religion. Advocating a wall against Mexico so that no [insert any of a number of racial slurs here] can come 'take our jobs.' Every time I hear some demagogue talk about 'taking our jobs,' I wonder: does s/he not realise that it's AMERICANS who employ undocumented immigrants? And that Arizona — which tried successfully to profile brown residents — ended up losing million$$ in business because they had no workers? Americans don't seem to WANT the jobs that hard-working undocumented immigrants are happy to have.
At a recent gathering of colleagues & friends, to share African American literature in honour of African American History month (the GREAT African American Read-In!), a dear friend shared that he is sorry for racists. They are filled with fear, he said, and that poisons their lives, surely.
I confessed then, and will repeat: I am NOT sorry for racists. I'm not that big a person. This is, I might add, a dear man who deals daily with the disrespect & fear his physical presence (big…black…male…) generates. I have seen this myself, when he & I lunch together to discuss work. Restaurants that are welcoming of my (white) husband & me are measurably different in their response when my friend & I enter. Not my imagination, I assure you.
So for him to be this generous of heart & spirit is a far bigger gift than I can offer. As a Buddhist, I know I shouldn't hate. But racism? And racists? Not an ounce of tolerance in my life for that crap. It's poison — hence the medical terms of dying body parts.
When it is common for police to shoot unarmed brown children (multiple cases, from Tamir Rice to Laquan McDonald), when a police officer in my state can rape 36 black women before coming to trial, we need to confront the infection that eats away at our (white) assertion that this is a post-racial country. No one I know who is not white will agree with such a disingenuous statement.
Today, in the wake of a Super Tuesday that saw the joyful victories of demagogues arguing for WWII tactics to 'make America great again,' and 'reignite the promise of America,' I grieve. I grieve for an America that is happy to make others the victims of our own fear & hatred. I grieve for my beloved cousin's black grandsons & granddaughter, and my beloved daughter-in-law's brown brother. Each is at risk every time s/he's pulled over by police, as Sandra Bland found out.
I'm an engaged Buddhist — filled, these days, w/what Buddhists call wrathful compassion. Although I'm afraid the wrath (far too often!) outweighs the compassion…sigh. Still, while I do NOT pity racists (or other haters of the 'other'), I do feel sorrow for how awful it must be to fear so many of my dearest friends. What do you miss when you cut yourself off from other religions, for instance? The humility of Ramadan, the joy of Diwali, the exuberance of Loi Krathong. And when so many of the world's artists, musicians, just 'plain people' are off limits to you because you fear their colour and/or culture?
So, I'm still lobbying for engagement. I'm not going to turn my other cheek while racism is still rampant. To bow quietly is — in my engaged opinion — to offer tacit acceptance of this hateful, hurtful belief system. Don't expect me to approve of candidates who base their entire platform on hate, pretty much. And don't expect me to keep quiet about it, either.


text:
Kindergarten Registration 2019
Kindergarten registration for Hall County School District children entering kindergarten next fall will be held at each of our Hall County School District elementary schools on March 19th, March 20th and March 21st from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., with late registration on Thursday, March 21st, from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Enrolling kindergarteners should accompany parents for pre-registration.
In order to be enrolled, children entering kindergarten must be five (5) years of age on or before September 1, 2019.
Parents must bring:
- Age Verification: Child's birth certificate.
- Two (2) Proofs of Residency: Current lease agreement, power bill, etc. (See hallco.org for Student Registration and Enrollment Requirements).
- Parent/Guardian Photo ID: The parent or guardian must be present in order to enroll student(s) and must present photo identification and verify guardianship.
- Georgia Immunization Certificate (Form 3231, Rev. 7-2014): Parents must present the Georgia Immunization Certificate at pre-registration. A current Georgia Immunization Certificate Form 3231 (marked complete for school or incomplete with an expiration date of no more than 30 days) is required before attending the first day of school.
- Certificate of Vision, Hearing, Dental, and Nutritional Screening (Form 3300, Rev. 2013): required upon entering school in August. Services for Form 3231 and for Form 3300 are available from the Hall County Health Department-1290 Athens St. (770) 531-5600 and/or your physician and dentist.
- Social Security Card: The Georgia Social Security Card is requested for all students. Parents may elect to sign a waiver if they prefer not to give the social security number.
Also, children who will be entering first grade next fall, but are not currently enrolled in the Hall County School District, should pre-register during this same enrollment period. Children entering first grade must be six years of age on or before September 1, 2019, in order to be enrolled.


text:
End of WORLD? Madness All plugins $45!
2012 doomsday predictions, we've all heard them. Could 12/21/12 be the end as some say? Who knows! But we saw a pattern in those numbers, so powerful that we couldn't ignore it. All our plugins will now be $45 each until the end of the world* Get ALL the plugins you want, first time, this offer expires once you use it!
FL Studio 10.9 Beta Out Now!
Click above to get the latest FL Studio public beta. Please let us know if you have any issues in the FL Studio Public Beta forum linked in the same post.
Toby Emerson Essentials Inc. Project Files
Arksun Presets Contest Winners
Check out the winning entries in the Arksun Harmor Demo Contest, if you like the presets you can grab them at the same link above.
* or 31 December 2012, which ever comes first.


text:
♪♪ Oh, it's true; I find myself avoiding looking in the mirror. ♪♪
It's a line from a song by Ann Vriend (Canada) that I first heard in 2008 that goes:
"Oh, it's true, I could be feeling better
And oh, it's true, I find myself avoiding looking in the mirror
And oh, it's true, sometimes a sad song comes on the radio
But otherwise, I'm feeling fine."
From 'Feelin' Fine' off the 'modes of transport' CD
Recently I've stepped out from behind the radio microphone and have been doing videos, increasingly turning the camera on myself. Not in a selfie, me me me way, but more of a semiotic, body language, non-verbal communication way.
I hate text-based inter-personal communication — ironic for a writer, yes/no? But if you can see the wrinkle of my forehead or the rising of my eyebrows, or my scratching my face (one of my tells that says I should never play tournament poker), then you'll get a sense of what drives this cultural communicator: communication.
Call me old-fashioned.
Last night, Monday 15 December 2014, after I'd finally found out nine hours after it started, what was transpiring in Martin Place in Sydney, I called a halt to my work day at 14.5….12.5 hours. No, 14.5 hours.
(I could never be in the military. Apart from anything else, I suck at 25….that was an actual typo….I suck at 24 hour clock.)
Bega Valley musician Jay McMahon was despairing with his friends of trolls and racists and xenophobes and such coming out to play in the duration and wake of the siege and eventual death of the lone gunman. I repeat, lone gunman acting alone.
If I shot up a cafe, took hostages and killed two, took myself off the planet in the process, and at one point held up my Arsenal scarf (pictured), would you burn down Ashburton Grove, set fire to the Islington train station? Or go to Arsene Wenger's home town in France and start spraying footballist slogans over churches and patisseries?
Son of a bitch. I'd been avoiding this score for two and a half days, hoping to catch it on replay. Damn you, Google and your helpful summaries on search pages!
So last night I tried five times to record a coherent response after Jay asked me: What can be done?
After four hours of deep, replenishing, refreshing slumber, this:
Check back here soon for video. Currently loading aaaaaand…. here's Billy!


text:
Egypt clashes kill four as Morsy family to sue army
Clashes between supporters and opponents of Mohamed Morsy killed four people on Monday as the ousted Egyptian president's family vowed to sue the army over his ouster.
At least 26 people were also injured as the rival camps exchanged volleys of stones and birdshot, emergency services said.
Police fired tear gas in a bid to disperse the clashing demonstrators.
The fresh violence came as Morsy's family said they planned to sue the military for having "kidnapped" the elected president, who has been in custody since the 3 July coup.
It came despite an appeal by the army-installed civilian caretaker government for demonstrators to show restraint after weeks of nationwide demonstrations and deadly violence in the Sinai Peninsula.
Shaimaa Mohamed Morsy, the toppled president's daughter, told a news conference that the family was planning to take legal action in Egypt and abroad.
"We are taking local and international legal measures against Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the leader of the bloody military coup, and his putschist group," she said of the army chief.
She voiced dismay at "the silence of rights organisations and civil society over the crime of kidnapping the legitimate president," whose election in June last year was widely regarded as Egypt's first free vote for a leader.
The family held General Sisi responsible for Morsy's safety.
Morsy has been detained at an unknown location since his overthrow.
Morsy's son Osama said the family had not heard from him since. "None of us has had any contact with our father since the afternoon of the coup on July 3," he told reporters.
The United States and Germany have led international calls for Morsy's release, but Egypt's interim authorities have rejected them, saying he is being held in a "safe place".
Supporters of Morsy, who was ousted after a single year of his mandate, have pressed demonstrations, holding marches and protests across the country since his fall.
Some have led to bloody clashes and on Monday security and medical sources reported at least four people dead and 26 wounded.
One was killed near Cairo's Tahrir Square, epicentre of the 2011 uprising that ended three decades of autocratic rule by Hosni Mubarak.
Three more died in Qalyub, in the northern outskirts of the capital.
Large crowds of Morsy supporters had held protests calling for his reinstatement.
Members of the now dissolved upper house of parliament, which had been dominated by Morsy's Islamist backers, held a defiant meeting in Cairo's Rabea al-Adaweya mosque.
Chanting "Sisi killer," and anti-police slogans, demonstrators also hung pictures of the ousted president on the gates of the public prosecutor's office.
"I believe we will restore him by more pressure on the streets," Mohammed Awad, one of the protesters, told AFP.
Others at the march dismissed the legitimacy of the new interim authorities.
Supporters of Morsy also rallied in the Abbaseya area of Cairo, near the defence ministry.
On Sunday, the cabinet meeting focused on Egypt's battered economy and efforts to boost the deteriorating security situation.
Since Morsy's ouster, militants have ratcheted up attacks on security forces in the restive Sinai, killing four security services personnel and two civilians on Sunday.
Assailants shot dead the three soldiers and one policeman in separate attacks in Arish, and two civilian bystanders were killed later when the army traded fire with gunmen, security sources told AFP.
In Rafah, a Sinai town that straddles the border with the Gaza Strip, unknown assailants launched an attack on a riot police camp with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, wounding five policemen.
Analysts attribute the Sinai violence to Islamist militants seeking to take advantage of the insecurity that has followed Morsy's ouster.


text:
Speaking about the launch, Tony Navin, SVP, Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives said, "Television is one of the fastest growing segments in the electronics category on Snapdeal. Our partnership with Intec will provide our discerning customers access to an exciting portfolio of products along with warranty and after-sales support on each purchase."
"Intec has steadily established itself in the large appliances segment with their range of ACs and washing machine. Through this partnership with Intec, we aim to provide them a platform to showcase indigenously developed technological capabilities in the LED TV segment," Navin said further.
Amarjit Singh, CEO of Intec said "We are excited to launch our newest LED TV range on Snapdeal. We have been working towards strengthening our large appliances segment through innovatively-designed products. Snapdeal's vast reach and robust consumer engagement practices will help us tap into newer geographies. We are confident of an enthusiastic response from these markets as shoppers gear-up for pre-Diwali purchase on the platform."


text:
Andrew writes:
"When it comes to anime I'm a huge fan and I can sit for hours watching the latest series whether it's via Netflix or via BD/DVD. Now when it comes to my favorite type of anime I'd say a mix of comedy mixed with a bit of love story. Sometimes the action within some series is a good selling point for me as well. Who doesn't want a little blood mixed with ass kicking? Thanks to FUNimation I've been busy watching some recent releases and today I've brought in my review of Ōkami-san and Her Seven Companions. Is this series any good? That's for me to know and you to find out shortly."


text:
We use cookies to make your experience better. To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies. Learn more.
Our CARAVAN cleaning and maintenance range is specifically tailored to the materials in modern caravans – whether paint, plastic, metal, acrylic, plexiglass, stainless steel, polyester or chrome. MELLERUD Caravan means that cleanliness and maintenance can come with you on your travels.
Now Shopping by
- Areas of application Household Remove This Item
13 items
- Page Previous
- Page 1
- You're currently reading page 2
- Upholstery Cleaner€9.45Incl. 19% VAT
Thoroughly cleans right down to the fibres and even easily and gently removes stains.Learn More
13 items
- Page Previous
- Page 1
- You're currently reading page 2


text:
Who couldn't use a little extra cash? Whether for a holiday, to pay down the house mortgage, or just to treat you to a new haircut or a nice dinner out, a little extra cash is never a bad thing to find lying around. Which is precisely why you need to start looking out for online mobile casino reviews so you can start working towards helping yourself to gather that little bit of extra spending money. Confused about how online mobile casino reviews can provide you with extra spending cash? Well, those reviews the pinpoint that best and fairest mobile casinos are going to help you to know which websites you should be visiting to try your hand at some gambling luck!
The saying goes that no one can win the lottery or win the chips if they do not buy the lottery ticket to take the gamble. That is precisely the idea behind reading online mobile casino reviews! If reviews are pointing you into the direction that particular online casino websites have higher win rates than others, why would you not give yourself a chance to get rich? Take a chance, take a gamble, and who knows what could happen! You might be facing a fantastic holiday abroad just because you decided to use those free fifteen minutes to play a casino game online and win online casino NZ dollars.
You can't win if you do not play, and if you can have a little guide towards the right website to gamble on, then all the better! Treat yourself to a few minutes of enjoyment – check out an online casino and see what kinds of games there are. Think about it, what's wrong with playing a game online that you thoroughly enjoy? Absolutely nothing. And the fact that you may be able to win some money at the end of everything is just the icing on the cake!
There are plenty of ways to bring in extra money, which is always useful. You could get part-time jobs, you could spend less on your all-too-infrequent days off from work, or you could just play a little game, enjoy yourself online, and perhaps walk away a little bit richer! Surely that's worth reading some online mobile casino reviews to see which websites are most suited for winnings? Check out the online mobile casino reviews today and see if you can find a way into the easy money that gambling can provide!
Watch this video for more information..!!


text: Broker Amanda Smith is your local ITEX representative, servicing this area. In October of 2017 it will be my 20th anniversary in the barter business. What brought us to the desert was the purchase of a 14 room condemned hotel. We purchased it out right, could not get a loan for renovations due to its condition. We met a person that was to help us with finances that did not work out. While drowning our sorrows at a local restaurant, we met the owners that had just joined a trade exchange and said this could be our answer. My husband a General Contractor and I joined the next day. Soon we had an abundance of trade credits. We renovated using our barter credits. Circumstances came about later for us to take over the office and here we are almost 20 years later. In 2006 we acquired the ITEX of Temecula area. I also serve as Vice President on our Brokers Association, IBABD. ITEX has benefited me both in business and my personal life. I strive to do that for my members. Our focus is to help you generate sales and make purchases in our marketplace. It's like having an extra, highly experienced, full time employee whose only purpose is to help you sell your goods or services to other ITEX members, and to find you goods and services on which to use your ITEX dollars! When you use ITEX dollars instead of cash, you have more cash to spend on growing your business. I have been in this business for many years and love doing what I do. Its great working with a company that has the largest community of business owners in North America creating the largest cashless marketplace. email@example.com 855.879.4839


text:
ImaginationMonday, December 28th, 2009
Imagination is a very important function that we humans do not yet fully and completely understand. Imagination is used by athletes and musicians to perfect their performance. When we spend time imagining what it is like to attain a desire we have, we perhaps are actually tuning into the infinite and beginning the process of bringing that desired outcome to fruition.
The full reach of infinity may be beyond our imagination, but imagination itself is infinite.
–Addie Johnson
It comes to you in a dream, or from a thoughtful conversation, or just from opening up your eyes and seeing something for the first time. How sweet it is that spark of imagination.
–Addie Johnson
The little ones still remember how to use the power of their imagination. They are still engaged in the utilization of their imagination — that is one of the reasons that keeps them so exhilarated.
– Abraham
Everything man creates or acquires begins in the form of desire, that desire is taken on the first lap of its journey, from the abstract to the concrete, into the workshop of the imagination, where plans for its transition are created and organized.
–Napoleon Hill
It does seem to be true that whatever we focus on tends to increase….Scientists have proposed that something more amazing is at work—that reality is open to the mind's causal influence and is, in the words of David L. Cooperider, "often profoundly created through our anticipatory images, values, plans, intentions, beliefs and the like." This suggests that we actually participate in creating what happens to us by the power of our positive or negative imagery.
–M.J. Ryan
If you have enjoyed these quotes, you might like to read this essay on imagination.


text:
Introducing Content Filtering by Strongarm: Know What Happens On Your Network
If your organization relies on the internet to get work done—which most businesses today certainly do—then you may be interested in content filtering. Content filtering prevents users from visiting certain types of sites—ranging from inappropriate or dangerous ones (e.g. adult content) to mere time wasters (e.g. social media).
There are lots of content filtering solutions on the market today, but many require manual configuration and upkeep or don't provide the organization with enough visibility into what's happening on your network. For those reasons, we are pleased to announce our own content filtering capabilities, now available within Strongarm.
How Content Filtering From Strongarm Works
As with the rest of our security-focused product, content filtering is easy to deploy across all your protected networks. Strongarm is the ideal place to implement content filtering because it offers an unobstructed view of where users are going on the internet and is quite difficult to bypass. Additionally, conventional content filtering solutions are deployed and managed per-network, requiring more of your IT team's time and effort.
Strongarm is introducing the option to filter content as part of our security solution, because it simplifies deployment and offers an affordable alternative to other products on the market. Now you don't need to have separate content filtering and security solutions—you can get it all in one!
Strongarm's approach offers simplified network management and allows you to set content policies for all of your networks from a single dashboard. You can easily filter out individual domains, choose categories of domains to filter (e.g. file sharing, social, and streaming services), and customize the block page your employees see when they attempt to visit a filtered-out site. You can also generate reports that allow you to look for trends and behaviors in web browsing that could lead to security risks.
How to Get Started with Content Filtering
If you are already a Strongarm customer, getting started with our content filtering solution is easy. (If you're not, register for an account and protect your entire business in under ten minutes at www.strongarm.io/free-trial.) When you log in to your dashboard, you will see "Content Filtering" under the "Domains" drop-down in the navigation bar. Here you can quickly filter out domains.
Want to block entire categories of content? Simply navigate to your "Settings" page and then "Content Filtering." Here you will be able to choose which categories to filter across all your protected networks.
Strongarm's content filtering allows you to customize the page your employees see when visiting a filtered site. Customizing this page helps educate your employees on why content was blocked and who to contact for assistance.
This is the block page your users will see when they violate the content policy by attempting to visit a filtered-out site.
Lastly, under the "Insights" dropdown in the navigation bar, you will find a new item for "Content Filtering." Here you can get a quick view of what is being filtered across all your networks.
Your Network, Your Policies
It's important for individual organizations to build policies that support security, productivity, and a positive culture. What matters to each individual organization varies, so it makes sense to offer content filtering that is easily customized to your needs, preferences, and values. (As always, we recommend whitelisting services your business depends on.)
With content filtering built right into your Strongarm dashboard, it's never been easier to ensure that your users are only visiting safe and appropriate sites on your network.
Strongarm customers, give it a try today!
Want help migrating from other conventional content filtering solutions? Read our short guide in our knowledge base
Not a Strongarm customer yet? Sign up today for 30 days free, and see how content filtering can help your organization run more smoothly.


text:
NLS Meeting #9 February 6-8, 1986
St. Michael Lutheran Church Ottawa Lake, Michigan
Attendance: Secretariats present - Arizona, Central Michigan, Gold Coast, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina East, North Carolina West, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Rainbow, Sonbeam, Sonshine, and south Dakota Secretariats not present - Almost Heaven, Atlanta, Daybreak, Gulf Coast, Indian River, Montana, and Sonshine of Jacksonville.
Spiritual Director's Report
Spiritual Director Ron Qualley: "It is the intent of Cursillo to train people and to send them back to serve in the local congregations.
President's Report
President Wilson Mausteller reported that the past year was marked primarily by Sonshine setting up a supply function with Ken Hall's guidance. ...the pressure by the National Secretariat to license or desist using "Cursillo" has not diminished. ...If I may be permitted a personal opinion, we don't stand a chance of winning a battle over a trademark: copyright - maybe; trademark - no. We, as the NLS, need to deal not only with the trademark question, but also advise and help the local secretariats to do so.
We need to get on with the job of being a mature resource rather that a collection of willing people who are individual resources.
President Wilson Mausteller: The NLS should operate as a coordinated resource for existing and new local groups. Some items:
Wilson asked for the local secretariats to report on: the number of candidates, the number of active people, the strengths and weaknesses of their local, their outreach, their greatest need, and what the NLS can do for their local.
The meeting broke to attend the funeral of Donald Consear at our host church.
Song Books - Hilde Hildebrandt reported that Songs from Songs and Creations, Inc. is the best book.
Motion that we take a stand for the purpose of unity and selected a name. We will replace the word, Cursillo, and the related terms, Ultreya and fourth day. Motion carried.
The names suggested to replace "Cursillo" are: Pilgrimage, Immanuel or Immanuel Weekend, Kurz Lehr, Cornerstone, Way of Faith, Via Fide, Life in Christ, and Via Cristo.
We voted and the top three were Pilgrimage, Immanuel, and Via Cristo.
The terms suggested to replace Ultreya are: Fellowship, Area Celebration, and Family Reunion. The terms suggested for Fourth Day are: Pilgrimage, Renewed Walk, and Walk. Suggestions to replace the term, Palanca, were Agape Acts and Sacrifice. A suggestion for Group Reunions was Small Group, for Decuria was Reflections, and for Cha Chas was Servants.
Ken Hall reported that the NLS Distribution Center has been set up at Grace Lutheran Church.
Name change:
The following names were submitted at this time, Arnion (lamb, in Greek), Christlich (Christ-like, in German), Christlich leben, Unterricht, De Colores, Open Door, Another Look, Sola Gratia (grace alone, in Latin), and Christ Encounter. We voted, and the top three were Pilgrimage, Via de Cristo, and Sola Gratia.
Spiritual Director's Manual - done.
11 Talk Manuals (combine last 2 talks) - Iowa is working on these.
Fourth Day & Ultreya Committee Report: Essentials of an Ultreya are: sharing, small group sharing, music, start and end on time, social time, communion (optional), well planned and well organized, clear instructions on grouping, songs to match the mood, prayer and altar visit. Group discussion: Really need to take another look at Ultreya. It should be parish oriented and more open to giving everyone in the parish an opportunity to group. Success is not measured in the number who attend an Ultreya but rather by their involvement in the Church. Group reunions and ultreyas are not necessarily for Cursillistas.
The motion was made that we spend up to $500 to get a newsletter out regularly. Motion carried
We voted and the results were for Via del Cristo (Way of the Christ). We discussed that we should check with people who know Spanish to see if it should be Via del Cristo or Via de Cristo.
Motion that our 4th Day be renamed, Pilgrimage. Motion carried.
Motion that we trademark our new name as a service mark and allocate the money to do so.
By-Laws Committee Report
"A yearly audit of the financial records shall be conducted and submitted at the annual meeting.
Election of Officers
President - Wilson Mausteller, Pennsylvania Vice President - John Schmidt, Michigan
Secretary - Judy Lang, Iowa Treasurer - Fred Arndt, Minnesota
Spiritual Director, Pastor Carroll Lang, Iowa
Motion that we notify the National Catholic Secretariat (Gerry Hughes) that we have decided to go with a new name, and not to provide them with the list of the local secretariat's names and addresses. Motion carried.
Open letter to all local Lutheran Cursillo Secretariats in the United States - John Schmidt
The Annual Meeting of the National Lutheran Secretariat was held February 6-8, 1986, at St. Michael's Lutheran Church of Ottawa Lake, Michigan. The primary topic of discussion was the name of the Lutheran Cursillo movement.
The consensus of the National Lutheran Secretariat is summarized in the following points:
In the final decision, the unanimous choice of the assembled body for the name of the Lutheran movement is "Via de Cristo" - the Way of Christ.
Recommendation of the National Lutheran Secretariat to all Lutheran Cursillo secretariats to adopt "Via de Cristo" as the name of their weekends, and to incorporate it into the official title of their secretariats.
The newly formed Texas Lutheran Secretariat really has something to crow about. As far as we know, they are they only Lutheran secretariat to be officially connected with the Lutheran Church. The Texas Lutheran Secretariat has been formed under the umbrella of the Lutheran Association of Southwestern Camping, which is a part of the Southern District of the American Lutheran Church.
Palanca Guidelines
True palanca is intense prayer and sacrifice on the part of the outside community for the community being formed in the Three-Day Weekend. Palanca is a witness to the participants that God is present in the world through groups of people who live His gospel.
Banners, food gifts, trinkets, and friendship letters are nice and fun things that contribute to the good feelings of the weekend, but they are not true palanca. Food items are welcomed and appreciated for the physical well-being of the weekend. Food items, however, are not considered to be "palanca" and should be referred to as "food gifts."
A good measure of a local movement is its attitude towards palanca! A community cannot allow the term "palanca" to become misunderstood or abused so that its true meaning is lost. Banners, food gifts, trinkets, and friendship letters are nice and fun things that contribute to the good feelings of the weekend, but they are not true palanca.
NLS Meeting #10 February 20-21, 1987
Advent Lutheran Church Boca Raton, Florida
Spiritual Director's Report - Carroll is still working on editing the Lay Talks.
Motion: George Steadman moved that any secretariat who signs with the Catholic Cursillo license and uses the term "Cursillo" be welcome as a member of NLS. Motion seconded but did not pass. Wilson declared the motion out of order because of our constitution. (Editorial comment: "already allows this").
What we need are 1) a Lutheran version of the Catholic Leader's Guide which contains the history and purpose of the three day weekend, and 2) team training and workshop guidelines.
Ultreya and 4th Day: The issues to be addressed for new cursillistas are: preparation - so they are ready for groups, planned ultreyas within 2 weeks after the women's weekend, guidelines - so they know the sponsors responsibilities, contact the candidates within the first year and encourage them to become involved and to sponsor candidates, and the method of informing the non-Lutheran candidates that it is a Lutheran weekend. The issues to be addressed for sponsors are: continue working with the candidates after the weekend, quality of candidates, and small group for candidates. Issues to be addressed for church representatives are knowledgeable of those in church and communicate with them, and ultreyas. Other issues to be addressed are bringing new life into ultreyas, reactivating dormant people, and activate slowly dying movements.
They did recommend that we have a 3 day weekend, 14 or 15 talks, and a chapel service every day - preferably with communion. The team formation should be 20 to 30 hours. The team should be selected ahead of time. The rector 5 to 6 months ahead, the team 3 to 4 months ahead, and the SD's a year ahead if possible.
We voted on the motion to accept the constitution and bylaws as presented and amended. It passed unanimously.
Motion that we change from the "pilgrimage" back to the term "4th day." Motion carried.
Wayne Ford moved that the new officers hold office until our next meeting in June, 1988. Motion carried.
Suggestion: we exchange the names of people in our movement that have moved into another area.
Officers elected: President - Fred Arndt, Minnesota
Vice President - John Schmidt, Michigan Secretary - Judy Lang, Iowa
Treasurer - Ken Hall, Florida Spiritual Director - Carroll Lang, Iowa
Interaction with the ELCA Committee discussion of guidelines to present to the Bishops to assure them that:
1. All rollos be critiqued by Lutheran pastors for consistency with Lutheran confession.
2. Lutheran communion be consistent with the ELCA.
3. Worship practice of weekend be in keeping within Lutheran practice.
4. Pastors attend the weekend before his congregation.
5. SD of secretariat, lead pastor on the weekends and rector must be Lutheran
The Executive Board of the National Lutheran Secretariat met on January 23, 1988 at First Lutheran Church in Northwood, Iowa.
NLS Meeting #11 June 9-11, 1988
Presbyterian Church of the Covenant Greensboro, North Carolina
Supplies - Ken Hall reported that during 1987 they did over $10,000 worth of business.....George Steadman is the new coordinator of the Distribution Center.
Constitution and Bylaws - ...change the address to "Pentagon Towers, P.O. Box 36181"
Public Relations committee recommended that we advertise in The Lutheran. Motion passed, with cost not to exceed $500.
President, Fred Arndt Vice President, D. Wayne Ford
Secretary, Leona Fox Treasuer, Ken Hall
Spiritual Director, Rev. Carroll Lang
Not affiliated with us are Sonshine of North Florida, Jacksonville; Heart of Florida, Orlando; and Gulf Coast, Fort Myers, which has shut down and the remnant has joined with the Emmaus movement in the area.
NLS now has an official logo! In the center is the familiar cross that is received at the close of the weekend. It is surrounded by the Luther Rose from the Luther Emblem. Around the outside are the words, "Via de Cristo" and "National Lutheran Secretariat."
NLS Meeting #12 June 22-24, 1989
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church Phoenix, Arizona
It was established that the Daybreak Movement in Richmond, Virginia is currently inactive.
Music - Linda Stegmeier spoke briefly of her concerns about the illegal copying of music. It is very important that as Christians our movements should not be copying music without written permission from the publishers. Linda identified the Christian Copyright Licensing, Inc. as a possible solution to this music problem for the local secretariat.
Motion to remove the responsibility for the NLS newsletter from the Secretary and to establish a standing committee of Newsletter. Motion passed.
Motion to appoint a position to act as a clearing house for inquiries about starting a movement and provide the initial support to new movements. Motion carried.
Election of officers - President - Fred Arndt Vice President - Wayne Ford
Secretary - Leona Fox Treasurer - Ken Hall Spiritual Director - Rev. Robert Sael
Lay Talks - uniform names for the grace talks were recommended and approved by the NLS: 1. Grace; 2. Grace in Action; 3. Means of Grace, or A Day in the Life of Grace; 4. Obstacles to Grace; 5. Life in Grace.
NLS Meeting #13 June 14-17, 1990
Central Lutheran Church Minneapolis, Minnesota
Motion: to establish the fiscal year of June 1 to May 31, so that our financial year would correspond with our business year.
A proposed budget of $5350 was approved for the fiscal year of June 1, 1990-May 31, 1991.
It was decided that supplies would be moved to Minnesota.
Crosses are to be purchased directly from Beverly Appleby.
Status of lay talks - Pastor Carroll Lang edited the proof set of talks during the meeting....The talks will be printed and bound by Jack Packer.
The Lay Talks will be ready to print by January 1, 1990. (ed. note: Now March 1)
Status of newsletter - It was decided that we publish at least 3 newsletters each year.
A motion was made to change the NLS fiscal year to June 1 - May 31. The motion was seconded and passed. A motion was made that we create a second position of Vice President on the Executive Board. Motion passed. After consulting the NLS Bylaws President Arndt rendered an interpretation that we do not need a bylaws change to elect an additional Vice-President.
The following officers were elected for the 1990-1991 term:
President - D. Wayne Ford Vice Presidents - Ellie Henning & Ed Hansen
Secretary - Leona Fox Treasurer - Ben Troxell III
Spiritual Director - Pastor Bob Sael
Wayne Ford announced that Pastor Bob Sael has resigned as our Spiritual Director.
On behalf of your entire Executive Board, we are pleased to announce that Rev. Allan H. Sager of Columbus, Ohio has been elected to serve as the Spiritual Director for the remainder of the 1990-1991 year. Director of the Intern Program for Trinity Lutheran Seminary.
By discharging our past liability to St. Luke's United Methodist Church in the amount of $2396.31, as well as Fred Arndt's payment of $1000 toward the accrued balance owed to Good News! For the Lay Talk outlines, we have reduced our accrued liability to $1837 to Good News! And $1700 to Sonshine, Miami for supplies.
Request for change of format - A discussion was held concerning the request by Nebraska VdC to shorten the weekend so that it would not be necessary for attendees to miss a day from work. The Board expressed agreement with President Ford's reply to the Nebraska Secretariat. Concern was expressed that the shortened weekend would alter the weekend dynamics too drastically.


text:
Three of the shootings occurred within 40 minutes in East, West and North Baltimore, according to authorities.
The spike is unusual this year, which has been far less violent than recent years. There have been 126 homicides this year, compared with 182 by this date last year. This year, there have been 330 nonfatal shootings, compared with 441 last year.
The first of the recent shootings was reported at 9:23 p.m. at East North Avenue and North Wolfe Street, where an assailant shot a 24-year-old man in the chest and a girl in a leg.
The two were shot in front of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in the city's east side, near a corner where the sidewalks are littered with empty beer and liquor bottles.
The man, Brandon Eveline, 24, of the 5200 block of Kenilworth Ave., died about 10 p.m. at Johns Hopkins Hospital, according to police.
The girl was expected to survive, said spokesman Donny Moses.
The girl is associated with a gang, police said.
At 9:47 p.m., police in the Northern District responded to a shooting behind Walter P. Carter Elementary School in the 800 block of E. 43rd St. and found an unidentified man bleeding from at least one bullet wound to the head.
The man was shot just feet away from a pool, a playground and a basketball court behind the buildings; the shots reverberated through the neighborhood, according to two residents.
The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was in extremely critical condition, said Troy Harris, a police spokesman.
The next shooting was reported at 10:03 p.m. at West North Avenue and North Mount Street, where police in the Western District found a man who had been shot in the face. He was taken by ambulance to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was in critical condition, Harris said.
No one in the neighborhood yesterday knew the victim. A few torn pieces of police crime scene tape were all that was left as indicators of the shooting.
A fifth person, Bernard Soloman, 23, of the 2400 block of Cylburn Ave., was shot and killed in the 2700 block of Manokin St. in the Westport neighborhood early yesterday.
Some people said they heard the shooting on the dead-end street.