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In The Loop May 2015
In The Loop is the Astrological Association's monthly email newsletter. To get it delivered to your inbox every month, subscribe here.
With the General Election upon us it seems appropriate to review the writings of various well known astrologers on parliamentary issues. Most of the articles are drawn from the AA Journal archives now available to our Members, but I am also very pleased to include contributions to the subject by R. H. Naylor and veteran AA member Betty Gosling.
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Christine Chalklin
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This month's articles
General Election 2015 by Roy GillettRead it here
The England Chart By Betty Gosling Read it here
The Parliament of England by RH Naylor Read it here
Election Notes Summer 1991 By Roger Elliot Read it here
The Astrological Association Reference Library
The Library is now once again available to members and joiners. Located in South East Cornwall, the library can be visited by appointment with our librarian Trudie Charles. For those unable to visit, enquiries may be made by email or telephone 01752 852193
This month's articles
General Election 2015: the struggle for the nation's soul
by Roy Gillett
AA President, Roy Gillett, puts forward a personal perspective on the UK General Election, examining both the natal-transits progressions charts of the major candidates in the May 7 2015 UK General Election and the Westminster transits chart for polling day itself. Who will win? What does the nation require? The full article can be read in the March/April edition of the Astrological Journal.
The intelligent voter uses astro-cycles Astro-cycles show clearly the crass futility of such a process. The way we innovate, our taste in fashion and belief, how we handle fear, whether we need to grow or consolidate, our personal needs and dispositions: these are not determined by answering short-term desire, or even by particular economic/political theories and social policy. As the cycles of the planets unfold, so will the general and personal needs of the time. Because this is so, good policy makers must be flexible, but still trustworthy; unshakeably resolute in the way they stick to their principles, with long-term clarity in their decision making. They must be courageous in the face of adversity, capable of changing agendas by convincing others. So will the 2015 UK General Election be conducted in this enlightened way, or be no different from before? How can we tell during the campaign? Either way, what are the likely outcomes?
Result unlikely to be clean-cut The chart drawn for Westminster at the closing of the polls shows potential for the customary superficial cut and thrust campaign. The intense struggle for power may wear itself out a little early, as the Sun in The campaign will be strident and the result unlikely to be clean-cut. Mercury opposes Saturn on the 3rd May, as Mars applies to do so on the 14th. Slowly applying to square Neptune on the 16th, Mercury makes a retrograde station on the 19th. Negotiations will be full of smoke and mirrors: intimidating, confusing, even deceptive. Without integrity, deliberations will lead to few lasting achievements, as everyone senses that a rug is about to be pulled away from under their feet.
'Winners' and 'losers'-prospects for the party leaders
David Cameron: (Oct 9 1966, Sun 6:00 BST-1:00 Wantage, UK)
The natal Sun and Venus rising in Libra present an immediate accommodating approach, but this can be undermined by a quick-tempered ego driven Moon conjunct Jupiter late in the10th, which makes him fast to recognise and bully opponents. With the General Election close of polls, 1st/7th Moon/Venus opposition placed across his MC/IC axis, especially the Moon on his IC, he will figure prominently in the people's mind. He will be helped during the campaign by his North Node (conjunct Sun on polling day) having been crossed by his progress Moon two months before. However, transiting Saturn's trine to his Jupiter, applying to conjunct his progress Sun/Venus in Sagittarius in autumn 2015, suggest a man open to being burdened with increasingly difficult responsibilities. If that is what people want in their leader and their country, he will seem to be the man for the job!
This day is destined to be a make or break one for Ed Miliband's and Nick Clegg's political lives. The Miliband natal MC and Clegg Sun are together at 16° Capricorn, the degree conjoined by transiting Pluto; itself being trined by the Sun on the morning of Polling Day. At such times, only the grandest and most courageous of endeavours will succeed. Only by being seen to prevail, without seeking or even seeming to need help, by having the confidence to carry all before us against all odds, can we give supporters the confidence to follow us on the ideal way ahead.
Ed Miliband: (Dec 24 1969, Wed 2:00pm CET-1:00 London, UK)
Natal Sun in Capricorn, Mercury in that sign on his MC and Taurus rising suggests firm determination. His Mars in Pisces makes him prone to victimisation, especially as transiting Mercury is about to ingress Gemini and forms a hurtful square to it on polling day, while transiting Mars applies to oppose his Neptune. This could, but does not have to be, his Michael Foot/Neil Kinnock electoral experience. By marshalling the full force of Mars' 11th-house position, placing honesty and the people's welfare at the core of his mission, whatever personal cost, by holding uncompromisingly to what he genuinely believes, he could be far more successful than expected. Venus enters Cancer and trines natal Jupiter in his 6th house of work in the small hours of the 9th May. Calm, unapologetic, self-confidence could make earlier criticism irrelevant.Nick Clegg: (Jan 7 1967, Sat 5:30am UT+0:00, Chalfont St Giles, UK)
Sun is also in Capricorn, but the Moonless strongly placed in the12th just behind a Sagittarian ascendant. The ruling Jupiter conjunct the Cameron Moon/Jupiter in Leo, which may have helped achieve the 'Rose Garden' power sharing, is less likely to go the same way. The Moon transiting his Mercury and other Capricorn planets the next day, and Venus ingressing Cancer and applying to trine his progress Mars in Scorpio after that, suggests he could well be involved; but there will be difficulties. Transiting Saturn is the key. Having just retrograded back across his 12th-house Moon in Sagittarius, it continues to its direct station on his progressed MC on the 2nd August 2015. Can he raise people beyond what that student grant 'betrayal' seemed to stand for and express principles to restore their belief in him?
Caroline Lucas the Green Party's one MP and ex-leader ( Dec 9 1960, Fri 8:12:43 UT+0:00, Malvern, UK)
Her Sun in Sagittarius applying to trine Moon conjunct Uranus in Leo indicates revolutionary zeal, which is reinforced by a command of practical detail (Jupiter applying to Saturn in Capricorn in a tight trine to Pluto-North Node in Virgo). The 'close of polls' Saturn retrograding to conjunct her natal Mercury, Pluto on her natal Saturn and Mars squaring her Uranus, indicate the customary aggressive dismissal of her views; but this time could be different. In the immediate electoral aftermath, Jupiter applies to trine her Sun and conjunct her Uranus and Moon. If she has a daytime birth, her second progressed lunar return would be around election time.
Nigel Farage: (Apr 3 1964, Fri 4:30pm BST-1:00 Farnborough, UK)
His force for innovation is represented by Sun-Mars, as well as Jupiter (ruling his Sagittarian Moon), all in Aries. Uranus and Pluto straddling the Virgo ascendant suggest a destructively cavalier approach to tradition. Venus in late Taurus near the Gemini MC gives a likeable intelligent image; now progressed into Cancer - 'he understands what we feel'. Retrogression has kept progress Mercury back in Taurus with progressed Jupiter and Mars indicating he has much more business sense than the natal planets suggest. Progressed Moon and Neptune, half a degree apart in passionate Scorpio, might seem to offer what people want, even if full implications are not that clear. With the lunar return (at 12:47 on polling day) close to an opposition to transiting Venus and trine his Jupiter-Mercury, plus Jupiter trine both his natal Sun and progressed ascendant, whether you love him or not, he will be a man of the moment. Transiting Venus is near a conjunction to his progressed Part of Fortune and goes on to conjunct his progressed North Node-Venus in the week that follows. While seeming auspicious for the day, he should beware of over-confidence. Transiting Mars applies to conjunct his Venus in Taurus during the days immediately after the election. Retrograding Saturn hangs around in through most of the rest of 2015. His Taurus progressions may in the past have mastered speculative financial markets, but how much of what is promised in haste is of sufficiently high principle and vision to be delivered by an Aries stellium with progressed Sun now in ambivalent Gemini?
UK election conventions are in the melting-pot; time to stand above the fray and be heard? Readers may prefer to consider the less high profile leader of the Greens, Natalie Bennett (time unknown, 10th February 1966, Sydney, Australia). Certainly with a strong air grand trine and Saturn/Pluto opposition T-square both focussed on her Jupiter at 21° Gemini, which is crossed by transiting Venus on 30th April 2015, she could come to prominence during the campaign. The transits of polling day suggest her time could come more in a subsequent election-perhaps sooner if she were born around Noon, or 8pm.
A fruitful campaign and result? With Sun trining Pluto on the morning of election day eve [08:11 on 6th May], Mercury trine/sextile the nodal axis on the 9th, and the Moon applying to conjunct Pluto, trine the Sun and Mars, it is not inconceivable that this could be a mature campaign, with a result that fearlessly goes for what is really needed; providing the right message has been expressed. Courageously wise leaders could hold the day, by being honest about the difficult transits and necessary struggles ahead. Then those offering easy options could be shown up as mere chancers. ....Beneficial election campaigns and post-election negotiations emanate from effective use of the astro-events. Are the policies and strategies discussed taking account of the profound economic consequences of Pluto in Capricorn until 2024? With Uranus in Aries until 2019, are proposed changes based on more than half-baked hope? With Neptune in Pisces until early 2026, is our 'gospel' one of accusation and guilt or of bringing people together? With Saturn on the cusp of entering Sagittarius for two to three years, are we confident that those we vote for will deal wisely with obstacles in their way? With Jupiter in Leo, who is the natural leader and who is on an ego-trip? With the decision coming as Mercury slows to retrograde, who do you trust to stick to their word, when others around them are back-tracking?
The England Chart
by Betty Gosling
Betty Gosling has not only had her 3rd Saturn return but has also retained her lively and quirky intelligence through a life-long passion for Astrology. The following article explores the England chart, and explores the time when power was not determined by democratic means.
This island has Neptune, ruler of the oceans, as its boundary-keeper whether the waters are lapping an English coast, a Scottish or a Welsh one. Neptune rules Pisces, the last sign in the zodiac, complete and whole, and here in the public eye at 22° in the 11th House; and to emphasize the unchanging nature of basic things it is placed in Taurus. The enduring and steadfast nature of Taurus, a fixed sign, hangs on to what it considers belongs to it because it perceives it of value. Should it for some reason lose its value for Taurus then it could be abandoned, removed without qualms. Otherwise Taurus keeps a tight grip. Here this dual rulership with Venus ruling the cusp of the 11th and Gemini ruling the interception, with Mercury in Capricorn who is likely to consider only long-term ownership especially as Mercury is closely trining Saturn.
With the Sun as ascendant ruler in Capricorn in 6th joined by Mercury, plus Mars ruling the M.C. from Aquarius 7th, there is something of an isolationist theme as well; not to be tangled with, given Saturn in Virgo is ruling the 6th from 3rd and ready to call out the troops if there is a threat of invasion even if we wait until the last minute. The North Node, where the Dragon's head can breathe fire, is besieged between Saturn and Chiron closely trine Algol in 11th.
All that being said as far as I am aware, there is no historical record of the actual time of the crowning of William the Conqueror. He was extremely conscious and eager to be named King, especially by the few English nobles who supported him; that is before anything untoward happened. To this end he had the doors of Westminster Abbey locked once he was inside and ready for the ceremony, so that no enemies could get in. He stationed his troops( mercenaries) around the outside of the Abbey to guard it. The historians tell us that at the climax of the ceremony when his followers and the few English nobles that had joined him shouted 'Vivat Rex' 'Long live the King', it was so loud and raucous that the army outside thought there was an insurrection against now King William in the Abbey. Locked doors prevented them from getting in so they burned the surrounding cottages of the peasants in retaliation, no doubt anticipating lack of plunder and therefore no wages. It was a grave mistake with Neptune in the public domain at 22° and helped to turn the English peasants against this foreign usurper, which has to be shown in the chart.Pluto,ruling the 8th house of inheritance, is here subject to the sudden unexpected takeover of William, who considered the Throne was his by indirect inheritance. It had been promised to him by Edward the Confessor, Pluto partly rules the 5th of kings from the 8th in Pisces, ruled by Neptune here in the 11th in Taurus, with Pluto at 30° ( Jupiter's number ) exactly inconjunct the Ascendant in kingly Leo, which would indicate an adjustment to the line of kings. The Sun is in Capricorn in 6th exactly square M.C. in new beginnings Aries, while Jupiter, partly ruling the 5th, is in Virgo opposite the 8th of death and removal. King Harold had been killed in the battle with William at Hastings, illustrated by Jupiter being closely inconjunct Mars in 7th of battle.
The army outside the Abbey (Saturn ruling the 6th in neighbourhood 3rd in Capricorn is conjunct the NN though not exactly) made a ghastly mistake; Neptune ruling the 9th customs and language difficulties no doubt added to the misunderstanding. The Moon of homes is in fiery Aries with Mars in callous Aquarius at 8° (Uranus' number). Uranus has a ruling influence in 7th of battle warriors, 8th of possessions and 5th of crowns. Mars rules the 10th, so shows a victorious army; and a well-disciplined one with Saturn ruling 6th in Virgo closely trining Mercury Capricorn in 6th. Chiron is in its own sign by modern placings, exactly trine Algol in 11th; by 1066 this was probably still in aspect. This misunderstanding by foreign soldiers had long-term and far-flung repercussions. There was widespread opposition from ordinary people but they were no match for a well-equipped fighting force.
The historians tell us that William was here mainly because there were riches to be gained from England both in money and land; this is why he ordered the compiling of the Doomsday Book, which is a listing of estates, properties and their value. The 5th House cusp is exactly square the 2nd and 8th House cusps; money all round! However the peasants were poor, the Moon in the 9th is quindecile (144°) Saturn, so they had to work hard for little return. The Sun ruling 2nd from Capricorn in 6th is exactly square 4th and 10th cusps. The money presumably was in the land owned by the nobles. The Black Moon is in the 12th of poverty in Cancer. But Lilith is exactly opposite 6th inconjunct Mars in Aquarius applying, meaning the land itself had great potential with Saturn applying to a novile to the Part of Fortune in 4th. The land presumably was fertile, even though the peasants for years were not allowed their rightful benefits from it.
Not only is there a tenacious quality about England, but an inborn feeling of superiority from that Leo ascendant. We can organise and make good quality goods and with Jupiter in 2nd expect to get a good price for them. In modern times this seems to have been part of our downfall, because of pricing ourselves out of the market. Vertex in 5th in Sagittarius is closely semi-sextile the 5th cusp in big money Scorpio and opposite 11th in money-bags Taurus, but trine 2nd cusps in Leo of gold and sextile 8th in Aquarius suggesting occasional 'partings' from our money. Pluto in 8th too in Pisces suggests scraping the bottom of the barrel from time to time. In medieval times this seems to have been quite common due to continuous wars.
Considering the appellation we acquired centuries later - a nation of shopkeepers - this can be seen in the 3rd house with working Virgo on the cusp and Jupiter nudging up against it from the 2nd plus Saturn and Chiron besieging the NN; all in Virgo in 3rd of trading. The Moon in far-afield 9th saying 'British is Best' is exactly quindecile Saturn in 3rd with Mercury of shopkeepers and traders in the 6th in Capricorn closely trine Saturn, zodiacal 10th House ruler. The Sun in Capricorn in 6th is rather widely trine Saturn, but applying, so success promised to come eventually. Since the Sun rules the chart and the 2nd House of money in the pocket, it is likely to be linked to the fluctuations of the gold standard. The Moon is applying semi-square to Neptune, which may well have affected the Sterling later. Algol too could have taken his toll and 'decapitated' us when we got too big for our boots.
The Parliament of England
by R.H. Naylor - taken from What the Stars Foretell For 1937
At this time, when all the world is in the melting pot what will happen to the English Parliamentary system? Shall we continue to elect well-meaning nondescripts to represent our interests in the Westminster "Gasworks"? Shall we continue to allow vociferous nincompoops with axes to grind, to pass laws to suit themselves? The answer is probably in the affirmative. The Parliamentary system as it now stands is bound to be modified, but will probably be replaced by a system equally muddlesome and gloriously English.
One thing is absolutely certain. Deeply ingrained in the English character is an instinctive respect for title, rank and wealth. So long as the English hang together as a race, for just so long will these things count. Nor is that so barren a prospect as at first sight it appears. The English gentleman may be a dull dog, but somehow his very mediocrity enables him to "keep a fretful world in awe". Perhaps nowhere is this as obvious as in the British rule in India. Nobody could possibly accuse the average British Government official of fineness of understanding or acute discernment, but somehow he muddles through and he will probably continue to muddle through for centuries yet.
At this particular (1936-7) stage of our National History another thing is equally certain: the present gang of politicians will and must pass. Since the South African War and more particularly since the Great War, England has been afflicted with the best-meaning and least capable array of political thinkers that the world has ever known. Thus at the time of writing these words (early Autumn, 1936)the Premier is enjoying a prolonged holiday, the leaders of opposing political factions are displaying a masterly inactivity. This, in the face of a world crisis without parallel since 1914!
What will happen? According to my reading of the stars, a great deal will happen. The British public will suffer fools more or less gladly-or at least in silent resentment-until the next crisis. Then Demos will rouse himself. Up and down throughout the country will be symptoms of deep political and social unrest. Attempts will be made to foist upon the people a form of Fascism on the one hand and a form of Bolshevik Collectivism on the other. Later, one will witness the rise of a middle party, embodying to some extent the ideals and convictions of the average "respectable" man. Ominous underground rumblings, heard from all classes, will herald the coming storm. Englishmen will glance anxiously at one another. There will be a frantic searching after A LEADER.
Who will be the Heaven-sent Moses who will guide the British people through the wilderness? Sir Oswald Mosley? No! He is an imitator rather than a creator. By adopting the methods, the slogans and even the uniform of Continental political bosses, he has shown a lack of leadership. Sincere and capable he may be, but there is something in his psychological make-up and in his actual methods that just do not "get there" with the British public. Further, he is a son of Mars and Neptune. His career will be analogous to the career of Gandhi - that one-time Oriental phenomenon who set out to teach John Bull how to rule India. Mosley will disappear as he appeared -in a welter of inconclusive chaos and riot. His stars are not strong enough to carry him to Power, though before his tale is told he will win some sort of conventional political standing-and this in spite of a hostile Press. But Mosley in the Cabinet would be a different and less effectual Mosley than the Mosley battling as now on unorthodox political seas.
MAJOR ATTLEE. The only hope for this estimable political figure is that, like Baldwin, he should be carried to Power on the shoulders of more effectual figures. He will not be carried to Power for the simple reason that the motives to do so will not be sufficiently strong. But before the end of his political life Major Attlee will assuredly be involved in the anti-Semitic wave which is soon to sweep England.
MR. BALDWIN. The sealed lips that are so popular among contemporary cartoonists will not have a great deal to say in 1937. And what they do say will largely be fatuous or ineffectual. This sincere and attractive son of Britain has dallied too long on the political stage. Furthermore, his horoscope lacks the driving force of Mars. Rather does it express the characteristics of a perverse Jupiter. His appeal is to the orthodox, the wealthy and the conservative, but all these types will weary of his indecisiveness and his Neptunian idealism No, Mr. Baldwin will disappear from the political stage and at a time of National crisis. But before he does so the luck that is in his stars will assert itself, he will muddle through crisis after crisis. But in the end an inexorable Fate will overtake him. How often do public men outstay the welcome that the stars provide for them and the public give them!
It may be interesting to cast an Astrological eye over the leading political figures of to-day. In most cases more or less accurate birth data are available, hence Horoscopes may be erected and judgments made. From the Astrological point of view there is no question that the most interesting Horoscope possessed by a political figure of to-day is that of Mr. Winston Churchill. Some of our political leaders possess Horoscopes which are the very quintessence of the commonplace and the ineffective.
The present position is that the modern political leader usually attains his position through
- (a) singular skill in enlisting the help and cultivating the friendship of already powerful figures;
- (b) the possession of the type of brain more valuable to the careerist than to the statesman;
- (c) a certain overshadowing "luck" which springs from his stars and not from his statesmanlike powers.
The Cabinet and the leading personalities in existing Parties are an astonishing selection of square pegs in round holes. Thus, if Astrological reasoning is to be trusted, Mr. Duff Cooper is infinitely more suitable for delicate diplomatic negotiations than for a Minister of War. Mr. Anthony Eden, that elegant and accomplished figure, should by right of his stars have to do with home political affairs and have nothing whatever to do with foreign relationships.
Mr. Herbert Morrison, Lord Swinton, Mr. MacDonald ( junior), Lord Hailsham, Lord Halifax, Mr. Runciman-all worthy souls-have not the mental or spiritual equipment suitable to their high offices. It is curious to reflect how often that something we call Chance enters into the lives and affairs of politicians.
Thus the worthy Mr. Baldwin owes his Premiership largely to a compromise between contending Parties at a critical stage in political history. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald in his early days became Secretary of the Labour Party through a mistake in identity. Mr. Anthony Eden owes much to an extremely able mother and an exceedingly lucky marriage. Posterity will judge as to his success as Foreign Secretary: his stars show no evidence thereof. On the contrary, they point to much contentious publicity centring on and around Mr. Eden and his work. By Astrological standards. Sir Samuel Hoare has one of the better types of political brains. He has not the gifts of Mr. Winston Churchill for the practical application of such gifts as he possesses. Another Astrologically convincing figure is Mr. Neville Chamberlain, who will probably ultimately outdistance certain colleagues who have an apter flair for publicity. The contemporary political figure possessing the luckiest stars of all (in the sense of conferring benevolently undiluted good fortune) is Sir Kingsley Wood; helped by the rays of kindly Venus, he will slide from triumph to triumph and he will somehow manage to avoid the whirlpools of scandal and opposition.
During this, the Coronation year, our Government will make attempts to grapple with the problems of the day, but will not be successful. Parliamentary Government will, in the eyes of the populace, sink lower and lower. It has already become something of a joke. The tragedy is that such a low valuation paves the way for un-English dictatorships. Thus, at a time when world problems are overshadowing England's very existence, Parliament gets busy with pettifogging Bills which matter very little to anybody except the fanatics who sponsor them. "Go and see what little Tommy is doing and make him stop it" seems, in the eyes of our present-day legislators a far more urgent and important mission than securing Britain's prestige at home and abroad.
WINSTON CHURCHILL. Without wearying my readers with an array of Astrological data, I can assure them that Mr. Winston Churchill is a man worth watching in these fateful days. Laying out before one the Horoscopes of leading political figures of to-day, one sees in Mr. Churchill's chart definite indication of outstanding ability. There are only two more cases among known politicians which exhibit the same plus-signs of ability.
In my opinion Mr. Winston Churchill will rise to great prominence and power. He will keep neither for a long period, for the life of this brilliant son of Mercury will be a series of episodes and not a coherent whole. But there is about him something that is akin to Mr. Lloyd George-the same effervescent brilliance flaming up and then dying down. Lastly, as I have suggested in other writings of mine, Mr. Winston Churchill is a literary journalist of the first order.
The next great crisis in British political life will be a struggle between two opposing factions who crystallize out of the present welter of uncertain and loosely-defined political parties. Neither of these great contending groups will openly avow any inclination to the extreme Left. Except in certain areas in Wales, the Liverpool area and the Tyne, Communism will be dead as the dodo. At the same time, future historians will see in its recent outcrop in Britain a most valuable though unintentional contribution to the political ideas of our time. Some of the "revolutionary" ideas of the Communists are logical necessities. For instance, it is a monstrous thing that in a world where there is more than enough food for everybody and more than enough room and building materials , that one human being should be starving or homeless. It is a monstrous thing that the liberties of the People should be maliciously curbed by the dead hand of Ecclesiasticism. It is a monstrous thing that a rich nation should spend more on fatuous official projects than it spends on hospitals, education and child welfare. We are now slowly awakening to all these verities, but it took agitators with a leftward tendency to awaken us.
To the student of the stars, all political parties, like the infinitely diverse types of human beings, have their uses. Each can contribute something useful to the Commonwealth. Each is equally dangerous if it comes into absolute power and can follow out its fanaticisms to their illogical ends. But the wise leader will take from each those factors which can safely be made to serve the times and the people.
To the student of human affairs, violent mutations in the political structure of a nation should not be a matter for alarm. Compare any organised community to a pendulum clock. If the clock is to keep in motion the pendulum must swing first to one side, then to the other. Similarly, if a State is to keep alive, the pendulum of public opinion and social order must of necessity swing to and fro.
Some of us who love peace and quietness might wish for the political pendulum to slow down and stop. Therein, one would have a State analogous to the village, the town or the nation where political argument had ceased and where the order of things had become fixed. But motion is life and fixity is death. The village, town or nation dwelling in complete internal peace and quietness would go through exactly the same process of deterioration as would overtake the clock with a static pendulum. There would be a long peaceful period until the forces of internal decay set in, and then gradual disintegration, rust and rot. The whole fabric would decay. Better than that contending political parties should strive more or less fiercely one against the other. Even a so-called Coalition Government is undesirable, for as history proved again and again, such a Government leads to eventual chaos
In studying the affairs of our own or any other nation, we must not therefore feel alarmed when bitter political strife develops. It should be remembered that a month, a year or a decade are merely incidents in the life of a nation. For instance, England passed through the Wars of the Commonwealth- and except for certain changes-remained very much the same England afterwards. An overseas war, an internal revolution, a national crisis, is not likely to change a race except in rare cases- such as the never-discovered disasters that blotted out the cities of Cambodia, the mysterious city states in central and southern America, the ruined kingdoms in central Asia, and other sites of forgotten tragedy.
Do not worry, therefore, if our country falls into the grip of political chaos. Take a larger and philosophical view if you are able. Twenty years fifty years or a century hence the same stars will still look down on the same country, inhabited by very much the same race but with a social order more or less improved. England will be a land more fit for optimists to live in, though in the meantime she may have passed through some pessimistic times.
Election Notes Summer 1991
By Roger Elliot
The clearest proof of astrology must be the passage of Jupiter through the Fire signs. Every four years this headstrong influence plunges Britain into election fever. In 1987 it was Aries; in 1983 Sagittarius; in 1979 Leo. Now Jupiter in Leo is again posing the most fundamental philosophical questions of all: when will the Prime Minister go to the country - and will he win?
You think I'm kidding, but there's always a truth in the Holy Fool's blatherings. Yes, Jupiter in Fire comes every four years, and I picked it out of the blue to correspond with our quadrennial psephologising. Yet delving further, I discover that in practically every General Election since Labour came to prominence in the 1920s, Conservatives have increased their seats when Jupiter was in Fire or Air; while a swing to Labour has coincided with Jupiter in Earth or Water. Out of 17 elections the only exceptions are 1955 (when Jupiter was in Cancer, yet the Tories increased their majority) and February 1974 (when Labour won despite Jupiter in Aquarius). A bit of cheating is involved. The 1931 election of the National Government should really be declared a draw; but it took place with Jupiter in Leo, and historians would maintain it was effectively a Tory administration. And remember, Jupiter's placement does not promise victory to the masculine Tories or feminine Labourites - merely a swing in their direction.
So, John Major : Jupiter remains in Leo until 12th September 1991. Thereafter, until the natural termination of this Parliament, it lies in Labour-friendly Virgo. Delhi and (latterly) Washington, but has still to seep into the purlieus of Westminster.
Or has it? With my bouffant hair and charming manners you may think this entirely appropriate, but I believe 1 am the Joan Quigley of British politics. To a Labour MP friend I confided the view, several years ago, that Margaret Thatcher would no longer be Prime Minister by the end of 1989. On my unwitting word, he (and several of the Shadow Cabinet) placed the appropriate wagers with William Hill et al. - to no avail, as it happened, for the Iron Lady clung to power for another eleven months. Well, last Christmas, when the MP's family visited us, I opined that the new Prime Minister, well ahead in the polls at the time, would lose if he went to the country in June 1991, but win if he held off until 1992 (based simply on the charts of Major and Kinnock). This view, I learn later, went straight to the highest echelons of the Labour Party, and throughout this year Neil Kinnock and the whole Party machine has been resolutely demanding a general election now, this summer. John Major, meanwhile, is reported to have enjoyed a tete-a-tete with an American astrologer who told him, so he said later, "things that only I know about". Leaving aside the dispiriting news that this 'astrologer' asked to see his palm, it's clear that the mystic crafts may yet flourish in Whitehall. To this end, 1 am proposing an important motion at this year's York Conference, to wit: That this Conference calls upon Her Majesty's Government to appoint an official astrologer. It will be opposed by that perennial caviller Dennis Elwell. The fact that it will take place post-prandially on the Saturday evening should not imply that the speeches will be nothing but poor after-dinner jokes. There will be some good jokes, too. Strongly recommended.
Roger Elliot
25th June 1937 - 29th Sept 1993
If, God forbid, I should be offered this post of official astrologer, how would I advise the Prime Minister about election dates? Some years ago I made a statistical study of the 1983 and 1987 election results, looking at the horoscopes of every major candidate in all 650 constituencies and comparing them with the transits on the election nights. The results were intriguing. There were no obvious common transits to natal planets, but a number of natal midpoints were strongly activated. Winners, whatever their party, had an above-average tendency to enjoy Jupiter on their natal Uranus/Node midpoint ('good time to share ideas'). Jupiter also triggered the Saturn/Uranus midpoints of successful candidates ('urge to break out of a rut'). Among quicker planets it was desirable for winners not to have Venus on this Saturn/ Uranus midpoint or the Sun on the Pluto/Node midpoint ('separation from a group'). Given this data, which possible election dates would chime harmoniously with John Major's chart? I am drawn to 3rd October, when Jupiter is exactly square his Saturn-Uranus conjunction in Gemini. Throughout September, when electioneering would be in full swing, Venus is almost stationary conjunct his Node and what's more, the transiting Node be roughly conjunct his putative Ascendant at 15° Capricorn. Both these contacts suggest a charismatic link with the electorate. If Major wishes to wait until 1992, he has a repeat performance of the Jupiter transit square to Saturn/Uranus in late April and early May. So my second suggestion to the Prime Minister would be 14th May 1992, with Mars close to his Sun and Mercury to his Venus. All further advice will be given in confidence to Downing Street, once my salary has been agreed.


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In yesterday morning's message at church, our pastor gave an illustration about prayer and telling God, "If you'll do it, I'll tell it." Well, I'm here to tell it!
Tomorrow morning my six-year-old is scheduled to have some dental work done. In the dentist office on Thursday I was given an estimate of what it will cost – basically a lot!
After trying to decide if this was something we really needed to do right now and reaching the conclusion that it is necessary, I was wondering if there might be any way to reduce the charges. I do not like asking for things; bartering has never been my thing! However, I decided that I would at least call and ask if there was any discount, especially since we will be paying for this ourselves.
Before picking up the phone this morning (and remembering pastor's example), I prayed and asked God, if it would be His will, to allow them to give me a discount. After a couple of attempts, I finally reached the person I needed to speak with. We talked about my situation and she said that while the normal office policy was to give a 3% or 5% discount to patients paying cash upfront, she would give me a 10% discount for tomorrow's services. She was very nice to deal with and I was thrilled!
Was this what many would consider a coincidence or something so small that God wouldn't be interested in it? Maybe, but I believe that God answered my prayer! What an encouragement to me as I think about the fact that as surely as He answers such small and simple prayers, I can rest in the knowledge that He is also working in the bigger, more life-changing requests that I bring before Him.
Any answered prayer in your life lately? I'd love to hear about it!

subset: commoncrawl


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North Koreans are one of the most, if not the most, brainwashed people in the world. The state's incredible propaganda machine made their citizens believe that their country is the greatest nation in the world, be it in terms of military might or sports prowess, and that their leaders deserve nothing but reverence.
Starting from as young as four years old, children in North Korea are made to bow before giant posters of the country's three supreme leaders from current leader Kim Jong Un, his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung in a rather ritualistic display of obedience.
One Korean defector even revealed that children are taught such blind loyalty and obedience that they may not know their own mothers' birthdays, but they are required to memorize by heart the birthdays of each of the supreme leaders.
Things may not last for long, as some observers are warning that a potential revolution could be in the offing for North Korea, to be initiated by its own citizens. For one, though unexpressed verbally due to the restrictions, there is a growing discontentment among the people as they continue to grapple with famine and starvation. People are getting impatient and enraged with the obvious imbalance in the country. The citizens are also growing more frustrated at the increased focus the state is bestowing on nuclear weapons and war even as they, the ordinary citizens, are going hungry.
Some have even taken an aim at the growing numbers of bronzed figures and paintings produced to honor the three Kims.
The belief is a civil war could break out. Thae Yong-ho, former ambassador to the UK, even went as far as to suggest than an Arab-Spring-style revolution could be in the horizon for North Korea. He also blamed Kim's nuclear program as the trigger for people's growing anxiety and discontentment.
Thae served as the chief of mission at Pyongyang's embassy in Britain until he escaped from the country last year.
Thae also testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee this week where he told Congress in Washington that it might prove more effective to disseminate more information in the isolated country than to spend billions of dollars in military capabilities. He said that's a better way of "educating the North Korean population."
He said such helpful information would include destroying the myth that Kim is "God."
Even if there's a real threat that violent protests could spark in the country, Thae warned "that there is no doubt that Kim Jong Un would stomp it out mercilessly with his forces, even tanks."
Thae also urged the U.S. in his speech to use "soft power" over force so that the lives of thousands of South Koreans need not be sacrificed in the event of an attack.
CIAniggers know better than to attempt a military intervention against Best Korea. Even getting a puppet government into power via a Cold War style revolution is risky though. Hopefully Kim will be able to keep stomping out the manufactured dissent and attempts at subverting the legitimate Korean government.


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Clinging to the Original Hospice Mission - Part Three:
Standards of Clinical Practice
Adhering to accepted standards of care for clinical practice is vital to all aspects of health care delivery, end-of-life care included. Whether staff is determining how to administer a medication, how to advise patients and their families about care, when to start or stop an intervention, etc., following the accepted standards
Expanded Role for Nurse = Minimal Physician Involvement
In hospice, there is an extremely expanded role in practice for the nurse, who consults with a physician rarely. The widespread and expected use of standing orders in hospice decreases physician consultation. The extreme rarity of physician visits to the bedside of terminally ill patients in their own home prevents the physician from confirming the status of the patient through his or her own assessment. A physician working with a hospice relies upon the reported assessment of the nurse and then makes his orders.
The public is not aware of the minimal physician involvement in most hospice cases. Although the standards require reqular Interdisciplinary Team meetings which include the hospice medical director, physicians have been known to be reading or writing during meetings and not listening to the discussions going on in the meetings which discuss an individual patient's care. Attending physicians may simply "rubber stamp" whatever the nurse requests in order to decrease his or her involvement in the case, thereby reducing time expended on a patient who is going to die anyway.
Some physicians psychologically "wash their hands" of the patient and merely write the orders as a formality. While some attending physicians are extremely involved in their hospice patients' cases, most physicians have minimal involvement. The lack of physician involvement in most situations is hidden from the public, however every hospice nurse knows that this is the way it works in many cases.
Attending physicians are mostly involved in their ongoing medical practice, seeing patients or performing hospital rounds. Some physicians may not wish to be too involved in their hospice cases since they mistakenly (but humanly) view a terminal illness as their failure to cure the disease in the first place. They may also have a difficult time dealing with death, dying and the emotion turmoil that surrounds the end-of-life care arena. Physicians are human, and their emotions may affect their involvement or lack of involvement in these cases.
The U.S. hospice system was created by Congress to reduce costs to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers; it envisions a decreased level of physician oversight and places great trust in the professional nursing staff. The safeguards built into the system demand that standards of practice be followed every step of the way. If symptoms are not well-managed or any other problems arise, then the nurse must consult with nursing supervisors and/or the physician for input, and this is done by many nurses.
The number of nurses involved in any one case may work to help resolve distressing symptoms since one nurse may have the clinical expertise to solve a problem while other nurses may not. Once a solution is provided by the nurse with superior clinical skills, other nurses may simply follow along with the determined plan of care. However, some nurses may not contact the physician as needed, but try to "wing it" on their own, sometimes with limited knowledge and clinical skill, sometimes with an agenda in mind. It only takes one nurse or other health care worker to derail the process. In health care, there is really no room for error. Life, health and death are literally in the hands of the health care worker; in hospice, these hands are most often the hands of the nurse.
Because there is an extremely expanded fairly independent role for the nurse working in hospice, and because there are some nurses who have an agenda to hasten death in the terminally ill, hospice administrators, boards of directors, nursing supervisors, physicians and the families of patients need to be vigilant to assure the ethical delivery of end-of-life care. A hospice administration that emphasizes and enforces ethical delivery of end-of-life care will have superior services.
We have seen that in some situations, failure to promptly treat infections in the terminally ill can hasten death.
Adherence to Clinical Standards Emphasized in Health Care Training Schools
When students enter nursing or medical school, instructors make every effort to weed out any student who does not meet the standard for caring for patients. Students who score below 80 percent will be failed out of a course. Students who exhibit carelessness, poor judgment, lack of punctuality and who are not dependable are thrown out of school. Even students who are sick too often and miss too many days are thrown out, sometimes after only three days of absence. The reason for removing these students? Assuring top quality patient care in the health care system. Students are drilled in proper technique, clinical knowledge and encouraged to develop good clinical judgment: all for the well being of the patients to be cared for.
Medication Administration
Physicians and nurses learn about the five "rights" of medication administration: right patient, right drug, right dosage, right route, right time and interval between dosages. Take any one of these factors and modify it; you get a "medication error." Wrong patient getting a medication is obviously life-threatening in some circumstances. Giving the wrong medication to a patient is equally life-threatening in some circumstances. Wrong dosage, either too high or too low may threaten life, harm the patient or result in failure to successfully manage distressing symptoms. Wrong route can be fatal, harmful or result in faliure to successfully manage symptoms. Wrong timing can cause overdosage or inadequate medication to successfully manage symptoms, resulting in a pain or other symptom crisis. Giving the medication in too short an interval equals overdosage and may cause death, especially when strong narcotics are involved.
Liquid morphine is one of the most common medications used in hospice care. Standing orders for commonly used liquid morphine drops often include something like "give 5 to 20 milligrams (mg.) morphine PRN (as needed) every 2 to 4 hours. May titrate per protocol." (or a variation on that.) What such a standing order does is allow the nurse to vary the dosage dramatically without calling the physician. For example, the nurse could give 5 mg. of morphine once every four hours or longer. On the other hand, the nurse could give 20 mg. every two hours. What is the difference in dosage? If a patient gets the 5 mg. every four hours, that equals 30 mg. total in 24 hours. If the patient gets 20 mg. every two hours, that equals 120 mg. in 24 hours. The difference is drastic, and if the nurse increases the dosage without medical justification, or quicker than allowed by the standards of care for titrating (increasing) the dosage, harmful side-effects can result, especially respiratory depression and decrease in the blood pressure (both of which can be fatal).
Morphine (in the "instant release form" is normally metabolized within four hours, so it is usually given again in four hours. However, the large majority of hospice patients are elderly patients with compromised kidney and liver function. Due to decreased kidney and liver function, medications given to the elderly often linger longer in their system and act for a longer period of time. Giving morphine in intervals shorter than the time in which the patient can excrete the morphine and its by-products allows for a build up or overlapping of dosages; the patient may actually be experiencing twice or more of the dosage given.
One might say, " the patient is getting 5 mg. of morphine every four hours," but the patient has the equivalent of 10 or more mg. of morphine circulating in their system. For this reason, clinical assessment of the patient is mandatory and modification of the medication regimen is warranted when adverse effects are observed. Family and/or patient representative must be vigilant in not only observing the effects of medications upon their loved ones, but also trusting their instinct about what is going on. They need to learn as much as they can about all aspects of care and be realistic about what can be expected.
Families may not be able to objectively observe the changes occurring in their loved one. Families may not have the knowledge base to properly assess what is going on with their loved one. Distressing signs and symptoms which arise may be due to the actual dying process but also may be due to adverse effects from inappropriate medication administration or failure to provide the appropriate medication, treatment or intervention. Something as simple as raising the head of the bed or providing oxygen may be all a patient needs.
In other cases (of extremely low blood pressure, for example) simply moving the patient up in bed very quickly can cause instantaneous death. Failing to provide oxygen, keeping a patient flat when they need to have their head raised up, not assisting a patient to eat or drink (when they can absorb them), giving a patient food or fluid (when they can't absorb them), not responding to significant changes in the rate of breathing or blood pressure (when the patient is not actually actively dying) ... all of these violations (and many others) of the standards of care can result in premature death of the terminally ill. Failure to use emergency antidotes for narcotic overdosages can result in untimely deaths. In fact, most hospice nurses never use Narcan which can effectively relieve the adverse changes in patients who are overdosed with a narcotic. Most nurses fear that use of Narcan may result in a pain crisis by suddenly erasing the pain-relieving effects of the narcotics.
Need for More Nurses and Better-Trained Nurses
There is a growing need for education within the nursing school and medical school environment, hospice staff training, continuing education and simply, more nurses. Due to the long-standing practice of many health care institutions to short-staff, overwork and in some cases, outright exploit their nursing staff, many nurses do not encourage others to enter the field. It is commonly known that even those nurses with great dedication may get "burned out" from working so hard for so long, that they can no longer provide care to the best of their ability. Many "burned out nurses" leave the field completely.
The nursing shortage is at crisis levels in the United States. Many hospitals, nursing homes and hospices simply cannot find enough nurses to staff the cases they have at the level which would adhere to the standards of care. In other words, there are not enough nurses practicing in the areas needed to meet the needs of the patients. Although the health care industry will loudly protest to the contrary, the problem is self-created by health care corporations which have systematically and routinely violated the rights of their staff, often blackballing the nurse who stands up for patient rights and the standards of care. The American Nurses Association has published numerous accounts of problems encountered by nurses in the field.
"75 percent of nurses surveyed feel the quality of nursing care at the facility in which they work has declined over the past two years, while 56 percent of nurses surveyed believe that the time they have available for patient care has decreased." "In addition, more than 40 percent of nurses surveyed said they would not feel comfortable having a family member or someone close to them be cared for in the facility in which they work. And over 54 percent of nurse respondents would not recommend their profession to their children or their friends."
While the nursing shortage is at crisis levels in the general field of health care, the shortage in hospices is even more pronounced. There are only a limited number of nurses or physicians who feel comfortable working with the dying. Many nurses are simply either afraid or repulsed by the thought of working with the dying. They must confront their own mortality and the sometimes bleak reality which death presents. Those who overcome their initial pre-conceptions about working with the dying discover that the field offers one of the most rewarding work environments with great opportunity to see tangible results from one's interventions. By intervening with clinical expertise, the palliative care nurse is able to relieve suffering and bring peace to patients and their families.
When shortages exist within the nursing field, and especially within the hospice industry, the ability of hospice agencies to address the needs of all its patients may be hampered. Not only do hospice agencies have to deal with a general shortage of nurses, they also must struggle with the limited reimbursement provided by Medicare, Medicaid and/or private insurance companies. Working within these constraints, most hospices pay their nurses noticeably less than nurses with comparable training working in hospitals or even nursing homes.
These factors further reduce the number of nurses willing to work in the field. Most nurses who work in the field do so out of great dedication and love for the patients they serve. One encouraging sign is the development of palliative care instruction in nursing and medical schools. As the years go by, more and more schools are including end-of-life care in the curriculum. Hopefully, this will result in more nurses entering palliative care as their career focus.
In health care, everything that is done, i.e., every "intervention," must be thought out and carried out to further the best interests of the patient. In every health care setting, the normal focus or concern is that interventions be carried out in a way that improves the patient's health and well-being. Concerns about cleanliness, sterile technique during certain procedures, and faithful implementation of a physician's order dominate most nurse's thought process as they go through their day. However, there are some hospice staff who misuse interventions with the consequence that a patient's death is hastened. This is in stark contrast with the dedicated hospice professional. The contrast is so complete, that many simply disbelieve that such intentional harm to a patient could ever be done, however the news accounts are full of stories about people eager to hasten the death of the severely disabled, chronically ill or even the terminally ill.
Failure to Follow Accepted Standards of Clinical Practice
also see the Hospice Patients Alliance Main Topics section
for explanation of all the standards of care in hospice.
Also see: Failure of HMO to allow Antibiotic Treatment of Patient with Infection"
Also see listed point number 3 of:
Poor, Elderly, Disabled Veteran Euthanized Against His Will"
The Chicago Tribune, by Amanda Vogt, 10-03-01
".... The projected nursing shortage will coincide with nearly 50 percent of the population being age 55 or older ... "This cohort will be making end-of-life decisions, including demanding the right to die at home," ... "If we don't account for this group, we face mass warehousing of the elderly." Efforts to alleviate the hospice nursing shortage are complicated by two factors: low pay and the need for more experienced nurses. Hospice nurses earn 20 percent to 50 percent less than their colleagues in other fields, industry experts say. .... "
USA Today, 8/19/01 ".... Sean Reynolds died nearly seven years ago.
His was just one of about half a million deaths from cancer within the
nation's hospices. But patient advocates say his was also among the
many deaths that go horribly wrong each year in hospices that are
struggling with nursing shortages, financial pressures and the same
systemic problems that lead to medical errors. .... "
Sydney Morning Herald: 12/02/02 by Greg Roberts
Also see: Life, death tug of war in Florida courtroom
Family fighting husband's efforts to disconnect wife's feeding tube
WorldNetDaily.com by Diana Lynne: 11/13/02
End-of-Life Care Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Advanced Practice Nurse
Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Co. available online
from www.harcourthealth.com
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Swiss Re reports first-quarter consolidated Group net income of USD 1.1 billion, on track to deliver on financial targets 2011-2015
May 04, 2012
OTC Disclosure News Service
Zurich, Switzerland –
· Very strong Group result with all Business Units contributing positively
· Return on equity of 15.3% above five-year financial targets
· Strong Group combined ratio of 84.9%
· Successful April renewals with strong growth and rising prices
Zurich, 4 May 2012 — Swiss Re reports very strong first-quarter net income of USD 1.1 billion in comparison to a loss of USD -665 million in the year-earlier period. This result was driven by strong underwriting, good investment performance and lower-than-expected major natural catastrophe claims in the period. The three Business Units – Reinsurance, Corporate Solutions and Admin Re® – each positively contributed to the Group result.
Michel M. Liès, Group CEO, says: "We had a good start to the year with a very strong result in the first quarter. This reflects our ability to perform and grow as prices rise and an excellent asset management result. But we also benefited from an absence of major claims from natural catastrophes. All Business Units contributed to this result. Going forward, we will now seek to reap the benefits of our cycle management, with a focus on profitable growth."
Strong Group combined ratio; shareholders' equity rises by USD 1.6 billion
Premiums earned increased by 21.7% to USD 6.2 billion (vs. USD 5.1 billion) as a result of the recent strong renewals. Swiss Re reports a return on investment of 4.0% for the Group as a whole (vs. 3.9%) despite a market environment that continued to be volatile. The return on equity for the first quarter was 15.3%, with a positive contribution from all Business Units. The Group combined ratio was a strong 84.9% (vs. 163.7%) in the first three months of the year. Earnings per share increased to USD 3.33 (CHF 3.08) from a loss of USD -1.94 (CHF -1.84).
At the end of March 2012, shareholders' equity was USD 31.2 billion (vs. USD 29.6 billion at end 2011), following the issuance of two innovative contingent capital instruments that are accounted for as part of shareholders' equity. Book value per common share was USD 87.59 (CHF 79.17) vs. USD 86.35 (CHF 80.74) at 31 December 2011.
Strong Reinsurance results
Net income in PC Reinsurance was an excellent USD 660 million (vs. USD -632 million), partly due to benign natural catastrophe experience. Net premiums earned increased by a very substantial 38.2% to USD 3.1 billion in the first quarter of 2012 (vs. USD 2.2 billion). This strong growth was driven by the successful January 2012 renewals, which included a substantial contribution from large solvency relief transactions. The combined ratio was a very strong 85.0% (vs. 171.0%).
LH Reinsurance delivered solid results: net income was USD 209 million (vs. USD 14 million). The business benefited from an increase in premiums and fee income, as well as a favourable mortality and morbidity experience compared to expectations.
Given the current challenging market environment, Swiss Re sees opportunities in both PC and LH Reinsurance to offer capacity for capital relief, adverse development, structured life and large natural catastrophe covers.
Very good performance from Corporate Solutions with strong premium growth
Net income in Corporate Solutions was USD 84 million (vs. USD -42 million). Net premiums earned increased 28.3% to USD 531 million in the first quarter of 2012 (vs. USD 414 million). This increase was driven by a successful writing of new business. The combined ratio was a very strong 84.7% (vs. 123.9%). The result benefited from an absence of claims from large natural catastrophes. Corporate Solutions continues to grow in line with its strategy to focus on large commercial business as a lean global player, based on the same costing, underwriting quality and portfolio steering for which the Group is well known.
Positive Admin Re® results
Admin Re® reported an exceptional net income of USD 174 million (vs. USD 47 million). The result was supported by a number of one-off items in the quarter, including realised gains of USD 61 million and a one-time tax benefit. Swiss Re will continue to steer the Admin Re® portfolio to optimise capital and returns. In addition, gross cash generation remains an area of focus.
Annualised return on equity significantly above financial targets
Swiss Re has achieved an annualised return on equity of 15.3% in the first quarter, which is significantly above its five-year financial targets 2011-2015. George Quinn, Group CFO, says: "With the new Business Unit structure in place, we will move the Group's capital towards areas where we see the opportunities are the most attractive. This will better position us to both capture strong growth and deliver the sustained improvements in returns necessary to achieve our five-year targets."
Successful April renewals
Swiss Re experienced very successful April renewals, which are mainly focused on Asian business. Renewals in Japan were excellent, with Swiss Re benefiting from very strong rate increases in natural catastrophe-related business. The Group was able to build on its strong client franchise and benefit from the clear commitment it had given to the Japanese market last year immediately after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Also other markets in Asia, such as Korea, saw strong and profitable growth. Overall, volumes went up by 14% for the April renewals and the fully economic price quality of the renewed portfolio improved by 17 percentage points.
Swiss Re is well positioned
Michel M. Liès, Group CEO, says: "The excellent performance of our businesses in the first three months demonstrates that we continue to make the progress necessary to achieve our financial targets. We will manage risks prudently while supporting existing and new clients with our capacity and our expertise. We aim to capture the opportunities we see arising from the hardening of the PC reinsurance market, strong economic growth in the emerging markets and the challenge of regulatory changes such as Solvency II."
Rolf Tanner
Head of Media Relations a.i.
Telephone +41 43 285 7171
Eric Schuh
Head of Investor Relations
Telephone +41 43 285 4444
For more information about Swiss Re please visit our website www.swissre.com.
Notes to editors and cautionary note on forward-looking statements
The above news release has been provided by the above company via the OTC Disclosure and News Service. Issuers of news releases and not OTC Markets Group Inc. are solely responsible for the accuracy of such news releases.


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Nia Blue Belt Training
April 11, 2020 Move2Center in Seattle, Washington, US
About the Nia Blue Belt
Blue Belt, the second level of Nia education, explores how to create healthy relationships through body-centered communication. This intensive introduces the next set of 13 Nia principles, which focus on the mental, emotional and spiritual realms of the body. While the White Belt curriculum focuses entirely on awareness of physical sensation, Blue Belt applies these skills to explore internal sensations as perceived through – but distinct from – physical sensations in the body.
Blue Belt Principle #1: The Joy of Being in Relationship, integrates the sensation of Joy with the awareness that Joy is something outside the self, which we can invite into our physical experience. As a result, we begin to deepen our ability to listen with clarity and sustain awareness of details outside our body.
Meet the Trainer
Britta von Tagen
Notes About this Training
Start: Saturday, April 11, 2020 - 4:00 pm
End: Friday, April 17, 2020 - 3:00 pm
Training Cost: $1,599
$799.50 registration fee + $799.50 instruction fee
PLEASE NOTE: A $799.50 (USD) Registration Fee is required to reserve your space. The instructional fee of the Training (plus any applicable taxes) will be collected by your Trainer. Please note: some trainings may be subject to additional taxes when required by law.


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4391 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33966, United StatesFollow Capt. Pete's Diving Outfitters log a dive with us message us Booking Request
Listing Unclaimed. Claim Listing.
If you've been diving in the southwest Florida area you have probably already met Capt. Pete, otherwise known as Peter Williamson. Pete has been an avid scuba diver since the age of 12 but the obsession goes back even farther. "My father got his open water SCUBA certification when I was 6 years old", Pete says, "This was the perfect age to get me hooked. A six year old boy's dreams of the underwater world aren't too far off. It really has been just as exciting as I imagined it would be." Pete has a strong background in the sport of scuba diving and in the diving industry. Capt Pete found the perfect part-time job when he was going to college on Florida's east coast -- working in a dive shop. He was hooked from the start and got involved in Dive Shop Management. He is an SDI, TDI & NAUI Instructor and holds a USCG 50 ton Masters License. "Capt. Pete's is more than just a catchy name," Pete jokes, "I had my own dive boat and have the Coast Guard license." Pete's Dive BoatIt's a natural progression for him to have his own dive shop in the Ft. Myers/Cape Coral area where he grew up. "I want my customers, my friends, to have the most fun and best experience possible. We have the largest selection around and at the best prices," Pete says, "But what really counts is the customer service. That's me standing behind the counter, me personally diving with you, and my name on the door. I don't forget that you're here to enjoy this as much as I do." Capt. Pete has dived in nearly 20 different countries and has thousands of dives under his belt. Join him as he continues to explore new horizons and old favorites.
Open Water Diver or equal rating
Open Water Diver, or equal rating
Adventure Diver, or equal rating
Adventure Diver, or equal rating
Advanced Open Water Diver, equal rating
Adventure Diver (or equal rating) + CPR & First Aid trained within past 2 years
Open Water Diver (or equal rating) + Advanced Open Water or equal rating + Rescue Diver (or equal rating) + minimum 5 PADI Specialty courses
Divemaster or Assistant Instructor + EFR Instructor + certified over 6 months + CPR & First Aid Training within past 24 months + medical statement signed by physician
United States
|6.14 km
ON SHORELINE (0ft)
United States
|6.24 km
Greenbriar Lake
United States
|22.45 km
Boat Ramp
United States
|24.6 km
Alva Boat Ramp
United States
|24.65 km
Yellow Button Lake
United States
|26.7 km
United States
|27.14 km
M.A.Y. REEF (20ft)
United States
|27.31 km
MAY REEF (22ft)
United States
|27.78 km
ROCK REEF 3 (24ft)
United States
|33.78 km
ROCK REEF 1 (24ft)
United States
|33.87 km
ECA REEF (24ft)
United States
|33.92 km
ROCK REEF 4 (24ft)
United States
|33.99 km
WIGGINS PASS 3 MILE C & D (27ft)
United States
|34.03 km
ROCK REEF 2 (24ft)
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|34.08 km
The list reflects the locations visible in the map. Please zoom out


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More news
The EDQM is renewing its call for expressions of interest to join the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) as an independent scientific expert. Professionals from national authorities (e.g. pharmacopoeial authorities, official medicines control laboratories, licensing authorities and inspectorates), the private sector (pharmaceutical or chemical industries), academia, research organisations and other experts are encouraged to apply. This is an ideal opportunity to take part in the work of the Ph. Eur., to network with professionals with various backgrounds and from all over Europe and beyond, and to help shape Ph. Eur. texts, internationally-recognised quality standards for medicines.
More information on Ph. Eur. Members and observers.
Latest products and services
How to order
Via our web store at store.edqm.eu in order to benefit from free handling charges (on publications only). Alternatively, you can send your order to the EDQM Sales section by:
- post: EDQM – Council of Europe, 7 allée Kastner, CS 30026, 67081 Strasbourg, France
- e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Invoices can be paid by credit card via internet or by bank transfer.


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Steam Release Button:
-The Steam Release Button is UP in the SEALED position
-The Steam Release Button is DOWN in the VENTING position.
-The steam release button will automatically set to the Sealed (up) position when you put the lid on.
If for some reason it's in the Venting (down) position gently turn it until it releases & the button pops up. It's really more of a "flick" than a turn. Don't force it or it could break off!
-For a controlled pressure release, (where you release the steam in bursts so liquid doesn't spew), just press the button part way down, release, press again. Once you know it won't spew you can do a Quick Release.
-For a Quick Release press the steam release button all the way down until it clicks. This will lock the botton in the venting postion so that you don't have to physically hold it down the whole time.
Screen Captures of pgs 11 & 12 of the updated online manual:
(click images to see larger images)
Float Valve:
When the float valve is in the Down position it's flush with the lid.
When it's in the Up position it pops up out of the hole & sits above the lid.
Settings/Using the Knob:
The knob turns & pushes in.
When you first plug in the IP one of the functions will be flashing.
(If your pot has been sitting awhile & your display has gone blank just push the knob in to get started)
Turn the knob to cycle through the different functions until the one you want flashes, then press the knob in to select that function.
The Display will show you the adjustments you can make for that function and a box will be flashing around one of the adjustment options.
Press the knob in to select it, turn the dial to desired setting, then push the knob in to lock in the setting.
Turn the knob to move to the next setting & repeat the above steps for the other settings.
Press the Start button to start the Instant Pot.
Programs & Times:
Time Format: 00:00
The number before the colon is hours;
the number after the colon is minutes.
Custom Temperature Settings:
The temp can't be adjusted on pressure functions,
only on the non-pressure settings (except Steam & Sterilize)
Functions on Left Side of Display, from Top to Bottom:
(*Note: The times and temps below are what show on my Ultra's
display when I select them.)
Pressure Cook: Same as "Manual" on the other models.
Time Range: 00:00-6:00 hours
Pressure: High/Low
Time Range: 00:00-6:00 hrs
Pressure: High/Low
Time Range: 00:00-4:00 hrs
Pressure: High/Low
Time Range: 00:00-4:00 hours
Pressure: High/Low
Time Range:00:00-4:00
Pressure: High/Low/No Pressure
(No Custom Temps for "No Pressure" setting)
Slow Cook:
Time Range: 00:30-20:00 hours
Pressure: No Pressure
Temperature: Low (185 F)/Med (194 F)/High (208 F)/Custom (104-208 F)
(Page 8 of the manual is incorrect. The minimum time is 0:30 NOT 2:00)
Time Range: 00:01-00.30
Pressure: No Pressure
Low (185 F)/Med (194 F)/High (208 F)/Custom (104-338 F)
(Pg 9 of the Manual is incorrect. It doesn't say that Saute has a custom temp setting but it does)
*NOTE: The temp range for Saute on the Ultra is lower than the temp range on the Duo.
The Duo has a range of 275-410 F;
The Ultra has a range of 104-338 F.
Time Range: 00:10-99:50 hours
Pressure: No Pressure
Low (185 F)/Med (194 F)/High (208 F)/Custom (104-194 F)
Functions on Right Side of Display, from Top to Bottom:
Time Range: Automatic (not adjustable)
Pressure: High/Low
(the cook time is set automatically based on the contents, and is for white rice only)
Time Range: 00:00-4:00
Pressure : High/Low
Time Range: 00:00-4:00
Pressure : High/Low
*There's a 45 minute pre-soak built into the multi-grain function.
This is for any cook time you set, and there is no way to disable it.
The pre-soak is necessary to soften the hard grains before cooking.
Otherwise they won't cook properly and could clog the anti-block
shield and float valve causing problems with the Instant Pot.
Time Range: 00:00-4:00 hours
Pressure : High/Low
(Pg 9 of the Manual is incorrect-Cake does NOT have a No Pressure option)
Time Range: 00:00-0:30 minutes
Pressure : High/Low
Time Range: 00:00-4:00 hours
Pressure: Low/High/No Pressure
Temperature: Low (230 F)/High (239 F)/No Pressure (181.4 F)
No Custom Temps for "No Pressure" setting.
If you want to customize the temp use "Ultra" instead.
(Temp info isn't in the manual. I wrote to Instant Pot to get it.)
Time Range: 00:30-99:30 hours
Pressure: No Pressure
Temperature: Low (91 F)/Med (107 F)/High (181 F)/Custom (104-176 F)
Ultra: This function is the most customizable.
Time Range (with Pressure): 00:00-06:00 Hours
Time Range (No Pressure): 00:01-99:30 hours
Pressure: High/Low/No Pressure
Temperature: Low (131 F)/ Med (197 F)/ High (208 F)/ Custom (104-208 F)
(Page 8 of the manual is incorrect-The max time is 99:30, not 99:50)
Keep Warm:
The maximum time in Keep Warm is 24 hours.
After 24 hours the cooker will automatically turn OFF.
The Keep Warm ON/OFF function can be used at any time during the cooking process.
The Delay function allows you to delay the start of cooking.
The default time for Delay is 6 hours, but it can be adjusted
to any time between 00:10 (10 mins) and 24:00 (24 hrs).
You can delay the cook start for all the cooking functions
except for Yogurt and Saute.
Restoring Factory Defaults:
To return to the factory default setting for a specific cooking program, rotate to a specific cooking program, press the central dial to enter the program setting mode, then press and hold the Cancel key until the cooker beeps.
For a full reset of all cooking programs to return the cooker to the factory default settings, removing all customizations, return the cooker to standby mode by pressing 'Cancel', then Press and hold the Cancel key until the cooker beeps.
To adjust the 'Altitude' follow these steps:
-Return the cooker to the 'Standby' mode by pressing 'Cancel';
-Press and hold the central dial until the cooker beeps and enters into the system-level settings change;
-Rotate the dial to 'Alt' and press to select and rotate to the desired altitude units in feet or meters;
-When the altitude unit is selected, press the central dial to enter 'Altitude' adjustment mode, rotate the central dial to make the adjustments; Once the adjustments are made, press the 'Start' key to save the system-level settings changes and exit.
The Altitude must only be set once for all programs. Once the altitude is adjusted, it will apply to all programs.
Using the Ultra to Sous Vide:
-Place your food in a vacuum sealed bag & put it in the Instant Pot liner.
-Add enough water to the pot so your bag of food is fully submerged.
It's best to start with water as close to your target temperature as possible.
-I place a glass lid on the pot to keep the heat in. You can also use the IP lid.
-Settings to Sous Vide:
Use the Ultra setting.
Temp: Custom/ Select a temp between 104-208 F.
Pressure: None
Set your cook time.
Press Start.
*Ultra has a temperature accuracy of +/- 5°F or 4°C.
With sous vide cooking you put your food in a vacuum sealed bag & cook
it by submerging it in temperature controlled water. This requires a much
longer cook time than pressure cooking. It's a "low & slow" method.
This method is especially good for meats that you don't want to over cook.
After cooking meat you can do a quick sear on it in a really hot pan.
You can put your food into either a vacuum sealed bag or a ziplock bag & use *water displacement to get most of the air out.
To do this you put your food in a ziplock bag but don't seal it all the way. Then you put the bag into water (but don't let water into the bag) to force the air out. Get as much air out of the bag as possible & then seal it up.
*Water displacement is also called The Archimedes Principal. This page has directions & photos to explain how it's done:
There are many online sites where you can find the temp & cook times for sous vide foods.
"Serious Eats" is my favorite:
Links to More Info on the Ultra:
Video: How To Use The Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1 by Ground Leaf
Video: Non-Pressure Cooking Features of the Ultra by Ground Leaf:
Video: Set Up Your Ultra for Sous Vide Cooking by Instant Pot Tips
Ultra Beginner's Manual/Quick Start Guide by Paint the Kitchen Red:
Printable Chart for the Ultra Settings by Jim Atwood:
Venting & Sealing for the IP Ultra by Jen Neefer:
Ultra Manual (Updated & Compressed for Faster Loading):
Ultra FAQs:
Ultra Product Info:
Ultra Review by Pressure Cooking Today:
Ultra Review by Hip Pressure Cooking:
Ultra 6 Qt Review by Spice Cravings
Ultra Review (w/Sous Vide Test) by Pressure Cook Recipes:
Video: The Duo vs The Ultra by Jeffrey Eisner
Instant Pot Model Comparison by Hip Pressure Cooking:
Ultra Manual + Program Guide & Error Codes by Hip Pressure Cooking:
Click Image to PIN IT:


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I make mine in the stand mixer. It does all of the mixing and kneading for me. Then I transferred to a bowl to rise.
You can add almost any addition you like. I prefer spinach bagels and the bagelry is almost always sold out of them by the time I get there.
1 1/4 cups water
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
6 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon instant yeast
Add ins:
Chopped spinach. I used 1cup frozen (processed fine in the food processor) and slightly adjusted the water to under the 1 1/4 Mark.
1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 cup raisins
Whatever you like in your bagels.
4 quarts water
1 Tbsp Baking soda (this is optional and not part of the original recipe, gives a nicer shine and browning)
1 Tbsp Baking soda (this is optional and not part of the original recipe, gives a nicer shine and browning)
Combined 1 1/4 cup water, flour, sugar, one teaspoon salt, coconut oil, and yeast in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Also throw in your ad inns here.
Using the dough hook mix on low speed or speed two of a KitchenAid mixer, for about eight minutes. When it's done you should be able to tear off a small piece and pull it and it look like a translucent windowpane.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise for two hours.
Punch the dough down place it on a lightly floured work surface and using a dough scraper divided into pieces. This will make about six normal size bagels, or as I prefer, 10 to 12 small bagels.
Stretch each piece into a sausage shape and join the ends to form a circle laying it on a floured surface to rest for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 475° F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or, as I do, just lightly dust your baking stone w cornmeal if you're using a baking stone.
Bring about 4 quarts of water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot. Boil the bagels two or three at a time until they rise to the surface of the pot, about one minute. Flip it over and boil another minute. Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and place them on the baking sheet.
Here you can get the bagels water wet into toppings like sesame seeds, poppyseeds, space dried onion flakes, space coarse salt, space or whatever you like.
Bake in preheated oven until the bagels begin to brown 15 to 20 minutes. I put mine in for more like 25, watching them do they didn't burn.


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Being a principal for a day is not exactly easy, as 14 local businessmen and women found out recently. Even though their days started at 8 a.m. and ended at 11:30 a.m., it was more than enough to give these local residents a taste of what Jasper County school principals and vice principals go through every day of the school year.
They were greeted with smiles and with shirts bearing the Jasper County School District logos - and with immediate issues needing to be taken care of.
For Sheree Darien of Regions Bank in Ridgeland, the day started with discipline. Leroy Dinkins, vice principal of Ridgeland Middle School, filled her in on what to expect during her day at the school.
"We'll start with those who need to be seen immediately, then we'll take a tour of the middle school, and then you'll have meetings before lunch," he said before calling in the first student to the office.
The disciplinary session ended with one student being suspended for being disrespectful and loud in the hallways (not a first offense), two girls sent back to class with warnings, a boy being sent back to class with advice not to rough-house with other students again and another student being told the difference between "accidentally" and "on-purpose" in the matter of the rough-housing incident.
Just a normal day in the middle school.
"Most of the problems are with seventh grade, for some reason," said Dinkins, as he walked Darien through the facility. "In sixth grade, they're still young, they really don't have their footing in the middle school. Seventh grade is a tough year, because they're in-between. They're becoming teenagers. By the time they've gotten into eighth grade, they're more settled, more comfortable with themselves and they're starting to focus on what they want to do in life. It makes it easier on everyone."
Darien greeted children she knew with hugs and questions about their families, asking about their grades in school. She dealt with the disciplinary issues with compassion, talking to the children, asking about what had happened so that she had a more solid feel for what was happening.
She said that she was a little taken aback by the discipline issues, but realizes that every child is an individual - and that every individual has problems from day to day.
"Not everyone has a great day all the time, and when you're that age, it gets kind of magnified," Darien said.
"There's such a great need for exposure to options beyond what they've been exposed to," said Darien, when asked about her experience as principal. "They need to know about options in our area, they need exposure to the world in general. Some of these kids have little or no real-world interaction with adults."
She was pleased with her day at the school, and said that she wanted to do more.
"It was interesting," she said. "I want to do whatever I can to inspire, to encourage them. I would certainly do this again at the drop of a hat."
Most of the 14 principals attended a breakfast at Palmetto Electric in Ridgeland last Thursday, where superintendent Vashti Washington and several school board members, including board chair Kathleen Snooks, thanked them for their time and their willingness to explore the schools and interact with the students.
"This worked out really, really well," Washington said. "We're hoping to continue this program, and to get more community members involved in the schools."
Principals for a day:
Kristian Creasy, McDonald Marketing Manager
James Chisolm, retired military
Gary Mazzanna, Mazzanna Lawn & Landscaping
Christopher McCorkendale, Hargray
Kathy Nelson, Bluffton Today
Celia Beauchamp, Coastal Carolina Hospital
Myra Ingram Collins, United Way
Ron Wilson, Sun City HHI
Sheree Darien, Regions Bank
Johnny Youmans, Center Court
Nicholas J. Woodruff, Hargray
Becca Ross, Hargray
Andrew Shea, Coastal Carolina Hospital
Priscilla Drake Jenkins, Jasper County DSS


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Amar Hospital is passionate about delivering the highest standards of healthcare. Be it the finest Doctors, cutting-edge medicine, state-of-the-art infrastructure or nursing with a smile. We believe what makes us even more remarkable is our spirit – the way we treat our patients with the utmost respect and compassion, like our own family members and friends. The dream of Amar Hospital nurtured and grew within Dr. J.S. Bahia, the founder and Managing Director of Amar Hospital, until the point of inflection happened in 1997.
Dr. J.S. Bahia, an ambitious personality, turned his dream into a reality - a dream where quality healthcare is given, where pursuit of clinical excellence is a daily endeavour. Amar Hospital started its journey as a 60 bedded hospital in Patiala (Punjab) in 1997 amidst much scepticism; earlier private healthcare institutions were unknown and were not doing cutting edge work. Now it is an amazing story of success, achievement and most importantly, dreams realized. Amar Hospital has endeavoured to reach where it is. Today, Amar Hospital is one of Punjab's premier healthcare providers and is NABH accredited.
Now,the joining of Dr. Amarjot Singh Bahia, has brought in a new vision wherein Amar Hospital has stepped ahead to enter the new era of healthcare by extending to a 150 bedded super speciality hospital with 36 critical care beds, 3 Modular Operation Theatres, and a fully equipped Cardiac Cath Lab. Amar Hospital has succeeded in being more than just a quality healthcare provider. It has been a major player in scripting the medical landscape of the state. To enhance performance and service to customers, Amar Hospital always strives to transform its procedures and processes.
|Anaesthesia Type
|Chances Of Repeat Procedure
Medtravels ensures bridging the gap and providing accessibility for patients to interact directly with healthcare service providers. We remain committed to connecting all stakeholders across geographies, and focusing on taking Healthcare beyond boundaries.
We are one of the first few organizations in India to be NABH certified. This itself speaks out loud about the services and facilities we provide to our clients.
We ensure to bring you the best in terms of both healthcare quality & affordability. We value our customers so providing the best of services to them at an affordable price is our objective.
Based on your reports, we provide you consultation(s) or opinion(s) from top-notch doctors & consultants without any charges.
Travelling outside of your home country can be a rigorous affair. So, here we are, to guide you through all the necessities such as – Medical Visa, Air Bookings, Accommodation, Air Ambulance, Pharmacy, Medical Loan, Leisure Travel.
We have global coverage in terms of Healthcare Providers. We provide you hospital options from – INDIA, SINGAPORE, THAILAND, MALAYSIA, TURKEY & the list goes on
We don't charge you anything. You come for treatment and pay the hospital directly.


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As someone who found her dress within an hour of the first shop, I felt inclined to share my dress story. As the blogger, I'm finding it very hard not to talk about my experiences in organising my wedding.
When you first walk into a store, sometimes it can be daunting; you don't know where to begin or everything might look the same to you. It can even stop you from taking your time to try some dresses on. Some people find it hard to visualise themselves in a dress and thus get impatient in browsing the store.
When I first walked in with my mum and siblings, I didn't know where to begin and every dress looked the same to me. My mum picked up a couple of gowns and told me that they were the styles I had been looking at online.
When I tried on the first dress, I thought 'my gosh, I feel amazing in this'. I then tried on the second, which was the one that my family preferred. The first dress, however, had stolen my heart – maybe because it was the first bridal gown I had tried on – but nevertheless, it made me feel fabulous and that was the one I went for.
It took under an hour to look, try on and purchase my gown and it was so hard to keep it a secret from my family and friends.
Some of you might think that maybe I did it too quickly and I should have been patient and looked at other dresses. My husband and I organised our wedding in two months, and so we didn't have the luxury of taking our time. I would advise others to take their time in choosing a dress, however, if you find one as quickly as I did, and makes you feel special, then it's a bonus. I can imagine that it can get frustrating going from one store to another and finding it hard to make a decision, that's why at Just A Day we have a huge selection available in many sizes, ready to be tried on. I have had no regrets and I felt a million dollars on my wedding day. Nearly two years on, I still love talking about it.


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Major Boost- Arsenal On The Verge Of Signing Star Attacker Better Than Alexis Sanchez
Goonersden brings you news from top football news sites from the likes of ESPN, SkySport, Daily Mail, Daily Star and Metro… We also Analyse football, player, transfer and predict Arsenal starting line-up.
According to reports, Arsenal have been given a potential boost in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Independent suggests the African is not joining any Chinese Super League outfit despite recent rumour that the Gabonese may be very close to completing a £62million transfer.
The forward has also been strongly linked by several outfits as a transfer target for Arsene Wenger's side, who urgently require the service of a top quality player in attack as it seems like Chilean Alexis Sanchez is heading for the exit.
Recently, the Independent claimed the Chilean forward could be heading towards Manchester City in a matter of days, while the same oufit have reported today that United want to hijack the move.
Notwithstanding, the Daily Express have claimed in a report a possible offer from Liverpool, so it looks clear there are lots of suitors for the 29-year-old South American as he moves closer to the exit.
The Gunners surely have to do something pretty fast to bring in a replacement this month, even if they do eventually keep Sanchez until he exhaust his deal in the summer.
Aubameyang's brilliant form for his German side would make him ideal in the third half in Arsene Wenger's team, so supporters will be hoping the side now lure him to the Emirates as it seems like he's not going to China.


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An artist, Unger grew up dodging Nazi bombs in his native London, enduring "enough near-misses to take life less seriously than most people." After art school, he moved to Canada, where he became art director for the Mississauga Times. He also drew editorial cartoons, and came to the attention of the Universal Press Syndicate, who "told me I should be doing comics, since my work for the Times was so comical," he said later. His panel cartoon featured a frumpy everyman — so much so that he didn't want to name him. The syndicate did, though: "Herman".
"Everybody knows themselves when they see Herman," Unger said. "We all think we're so different and we're not." The panel was a ground-breaker, according to industry pundits. Unger "had a real idiosyncratic style and just an off-kilter way of looking at the world," said Andrew Farago, curator of San Francisco's Cartoon Art Museum. "I can't imagine 'The Far Side' from Gary Larson catching on the way it did without Jim Unger blazing the trail." The panel was in more than 500 newspapers when Unger retired to the Bahamas in 1992; the panel was revived in 1997, mixing "classics" (read: reruns) with new material. Unger died May 29 at home in Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. He was 75.


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Done in Zbrush Time: 1h30Blog Read More
Done in Zbrush Time: 2hBlog Read More
Head sculpt for a game project I'm working on. I have finished the low-poly model and am currently texturing. Will…Blog Read More
Here's a new WIP of mine, sketched using Dynamesh in ZBrush. I based this character of Crazyjn's character which you…Blog Read More
Worked some more on his shirt…Blog Read More
Just a small (still unfinished) ZBrush sculptBlog Read More
Been working on this sometime now… and it's still going on! Concept design sprouted from my own imagination, just from…Blog Read More


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Digitalis parviflora
1 litre pot
Full sun or partial shade
Well drained, humus-rich soil
Flowers May-July
Customer Feedback
This foxglove is a beautiful native from Spain, its a very easy plant to grow but looks so striking. Its a real 'must have' architectural plant without taking up all the space! For us its the colour, it is so unusual, a real rusty bronze shade which will look wonderful with orange, reds and yellow. A real winner in the hot border. The bees love it, and its a biennial but progressively there will be plants every year with self seeding. Compact in form and reaches a heaight of 60cm+.


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01304 373 984
Modern End Terraced
No Onward Chain Complications
One Double Bedroom
Gas Central Heating
Double Glazed
Small Conservatory
Courtyard Garden
Awaiting EPC Rating
New to the marketplace and exclusively via Jenkinson Estates is this modern end terrace home in a convenient location close to town. The property is available without any onward chain complications. An ideal home for anyone looking for their first step on the property ladder or as an addition to a buy to let portfolio. The property is in need of some modernisation in parts but never the less offers good space and layout. The property accommodation comprises a kitchen to the rear, a sitting room which opens out onto a small conservatory which then leads to the rear garden. The first floor offers one double bedroom with built in wardrobes. The well appointed shower room completes the internal accommodation of this home. Externally there is a paved rear courtyard. The property has a gas central heating and is double glazed. All viewings are strictly by appointment and exclusively via Jenkinson Estates.
Below is a breakdown of how the total amount of SDLT was calculated.
Descriptions of the property are subjective and are used in good faith as an opinion and NOT as a statement of fact. Please make further specific enquires to ensure that our descriptions are likely to match any expectations you may have of the property. We have not tested any services, systems or appliances at this property. We strongly recommend that all the information we provide be verified by you on inspection, and by your Surveyor and Conveyancer.