text:
Contemporary Security Policy, Vol. 16, No. 1, Spring 1995.
Over the past three decades, a global set of norms and rules of behavior has been developed in the area of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. These norms and rules can be viewed in terms of a global regime, consisting of the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and various supplier agreements.0
However, the global regime is currently under challenge and in the process of significant change. The 1995 NPT Review Conference will determine whether this pivotal agreement will be extended, and if so, under what conditions and for how long. Simultaneously, negotiations have finally begun on a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), and discussions are taking place on a proposed cut-off on the production of fissile material. Each measure is of major significance, and they are closely interlinked.
For the Middle East, in general, and Israel, in particular, these measures and proposals, and the future of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime are of major importance. Although Israel has never acknowledged the possession of nuclear weapons, the reactor in Dimona has been producing plutonium for many years, and Israel is generally credited with a nuclear option. Other states in the region, including Iraq, Iran, Algeria, and Libya are widely suspected to be pursuing nuclear weapons, and, unless checked, this will eventually lead to a Middle East with many nuclear powers. This article is designed to examine the Israeli position in response to the changes and initiatives in the global non-proliferation regime, and to explore the growing role of a regional approach to supplement and reinforce the global regime in areas where this regime is particularly weak.
Israeli policies and interests with respect to the NPT are mixed. On the one hand, the national interest is served by a robust NPT and the strengthening of obstacles to proliferation. Israeli national security and regional stability would be severely threatened if a number of states in the Middle East acquire nuclear weapons. To the extent that the NPT and other elements of the regime have served to slow or prevent this process, these factors have contributed to the Israeli national interest.
At the same time, Israel is a major NPT "holdout", along with India and Pakistan. In the view of continued threats to national survival, Israeli decision makers view the maintenance of an ambiguous nuclear option as necessary for deterrence. In addition, the verification framework, based on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is seen as inadequate to insure that the other states in the region do not obtain nuclear weapons.
The Middle East is still a region characterized by a high level of conflict and warfare. Although the Arab-Israeli peace process has produced some possibilities of change, the potential for conflict remains high. The Arab states maintain a major advantage in the quantity of conventional weapons, and, in the past decade, have been able to increase the qualitative level of these forces. Israeli conventional strength is generally judged to be sufficient to deter most potential attacks from individual Arab states. However, this is not the case regarding "worst case" scenarios, consisting of a large scale combined attack, led by Iraq and Syria, and, potentially, including additional forces and advanced platforms from the Saudi inventory. In the event of a major change in the Egyptian regime, the rise of a fundamentalist or radical state, and the renunciation of the 1979 Peace Treaty, Egyptian participation in such an attack cannot be ruled out.
For four decades, Israeli military and political leaders have viewed an indigenous nuclear response as the best means of deterring such threats to national survival. Israel is a small and narrow state, with no strategic depth and highly vulnerable population centers. A full scale conventional attack, particularly before reserve troops are mobilized, could readily overrun the state, and reach the major cities in a few hours. This geographic reality led Ben Gurion to initiate the development of a nuclear option and "weapon of last resort" against full-scale attacks that threatened the survival of the state.1
A number of Arab states have also developed or are seeking to develop non-conventional capabilities. Chemical weapons were used in the 1960s by Egypt in the war in Yemen, and by Iraq in the war with Iran, while Syria, Libya, and Iran have also produced large inventories of chemical weapons. Iraq, Syria, and Iran have acquired ballistic missiles capable of delivering both conventional and non-conventional warheads. Most importantly, the rate of nuclear proliferation has increased. Iraq was within grasp of a nuclear weapons capability when the United States attacked and destroyed many of the Iraqi nuclear facilities in the 1991 Gulf War, but the Iraqi program could reemerge as soon as international sanctions are lifted. Iran has also sought to accelerate the development of a nuclear infrastructure, and Algeria has sought to acquire the necessary technology. Most recently, theft of fissile material from sites in Russia and the former Soviet Union (FSU) may provide Iran, Iraq or Libya with a short cut to nuclear weapons. Thus, the Israeli nuclear option is now also seen as a deterrent against Arab non-conventional weapons.
As long as these conventional and non-conventional capabilities and threats remain, Israeli leaders will continued to see the nuclear option as a necessary deterrent and guarantee of national security. Shalheveth Freier, who was head of Israel's Atomic Energy Agency, describes the policy of nuclear ambiguity as providing "a sense of reassurance to Israelis in times of gloom" and "to serve as possible caution to states contemplating obliterating Israel by dint of their preponderance of men and material."2 In other words, the nuclear capability remains a necessary "weapon of last resort".
Beyond the issues of deterrence and national security, Israel has always viewed the international non-proliferation regime as inadequate and even counterproductive in the Middle East. The lack of confidence in the verification system operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency was clearly demonstrated in the 1981 attack on the Iraqi nuclear reactor complex. When Israeli representatives and officials voiced concerns regarding the Iraqi nuclear weapons program, they were told that Iraq was a signatory to the NPT, and there was no cause for concern.3 From the Israeli perspective, the NPT and IAEA provided legitimacy and a cover for Iraqi efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.
The Iraqi experience demonstrated that the IAEA safeguard system is unable to insure "timely warning" of a nuclear weapons program. Although some improvements in the safeguard system have been announced, the IAEA is still limited both technically and politically. As long as most states in the Middle East are non- democratic and largely closed societies, verification will continue to be particularly difficult. As became clear in the case of Iraq, and seems to true for Iran as well, under authoritarian regimes, with large areas, it is possible to hide major weapons development programs, both internally and from outside inspectors and even overhead reconnaissance.
In addition, the structure and political activities that take place within the framework of the IAEA are a source of concern. The Arab and Islamic states exploit the IAEA and other international organizations for political purposes, demanding support for anti-Israel resolutions. While many Arab states (including Iraq and Libya) have been elected to membership on the Board of Governors, and their representatives play a major role in the IAEA structure, Israel has been blocked from such activities.4 This factor has served to reduce the confidence of Israel in the IAEA even further.
Despite the continued reliance on a nuclear option, the weaknesses of the safeguards system and the reactions to violations, the Israeli government views the NPT and the related regime as important factors in slowing or blocking proliferation in the Middle East. While not an NPT signatory, the indefinite extension of the Treaty is in Israel's national interest. However, for the reasons cited above, there is no reason to expect any change in the Israeli position in the next few years.
In contrast, Egypt, along with other Arab states, have sought to link support for NPT extension to Israeli acceptance of this agreement. The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Amre Musa, embarked on a major public campaign designed to create pressure on Israel. This issue was a major agenda item in Musa's visit to Israel in September 1994, and he sought support in meetings of the Arab League and the United Nations General Assembly.
As a result of this campaign, some analysts have suggested that the US should pressure Israel into signing the NPT.5 Although Israel receives substantial aid, both military and civil, from the United States, over the past thirty five years (since US spy planes first detected construction of the reactor at Dimona), Israel has not yielded to pressures in this area, and this policy is likely to continue. Some American decision makers have sought to pressure Israel into accepting limitations on its nuclear program, but these pressures have been consistently rejected, and this situation is not likely to change.6
Alternatively, there has been some discussion of Israeli acceptance of the NPT, but as a nuclear weapons state. Bundy, Crowe and Drell argue that most countries in the Middle East tacitly view Israel as a nuclear power, and the rest of the international community should do the same. In turn, they argue that such recognition would lead Israel to be more open and transparent regarding its nuclear capability. This proposal, however, is unlikely to be acceptable to Israel, other states in the Middle East, or to the United States government.7
The security assurances that have been discussed in the context of NPT extension are also insufficient to meet Israeli security concerns. Such assurances are described as attempts to provide states that view nuclear weapons as essential to their national security with alternatives. In 1968, as part of the efforts to gain ratification the NPT, United Nations Security Council Resolution 255 specified that the nuclear weapons states would assist non-nuclear states that were threatened with attack.8 (These are known as "positive assurances', in the sense that they require positive action by the NWS, in contrast to "negative assurances", in the form of pledges not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons.) Recent post-Cold War discussions have also considered collective security assurances involving the five nuclear powers, and the US, in particular, including the possibility of an broader UN Resolution or international treaty. In addition, there have been discussions of expanding the "no first use" pledges of some of the nuclear powers.9
In considering the value of security assurances, both positive and negative, Israeli leaders recall the past cases of failure of security guarantees, even from the United States, particularly during the events preceding the 1967 war. Then, despite the Egyptian blockade of the Red Sea and the perceived threat of imminent invasion from Egypt and Syria, the US and the other major powers took no action. After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, the U.S. did act, but only after six months of domestic and international negotiations to gain support, and this reinforced this emphasis on self-reliance. Analysts such as Dore Gold have also questioned the reliability and desirability of such security guarantees in other situations, such as the Golan Heights.10 Unless vital and immediate US interests are at stake, promises of American military involvement and security assurances are not considered to be sufficiently credible, and not an acceptable alternative to an independent deterrent. (Quester and Utgoff note that the American commitment to the defense of Israel is linked to the "persistent rumors that Israel had 'a bomb in the basement.'"11 From this perspective, if Israel were to relinquish its nuclear option, the credibility of American security guarantees would actually decline.)
In the effort to reconcile the interest in the long-term or infinite extension of the NPT regime with a refusal to sign this agreement under current conditions, the Israeli government has signalled a willingness to include limitations on nuclear weapons in a broader Middle East peace settlement. The centrality of a Middle East Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (MENWFZ), including all the states in region, and based on a dedicated system of mutual inspection and verification, has been reemphasized.12 In addition, Israel has taken an active role in, and expressed support for a number of new initiatives, including the proposed Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
The concept of a global Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) has been discussed for decades. Indeed, the proposal for a complete ban on the testing of nuclear weapons was considered in the 1950s, and at the time, the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT), which banned testing in the atmosphere and under the sea, was considered as a first step towards a CTBT. However, the verification of very low yield tests, (one-tenth of a kiloton and below), as well as the Cold War and continued weapons development, blocked progress for many years.13
With the end of the Cold War and the steady reduction in nuclear stockpiles, the possibilities for the negotiation of a CTBT have increased. In July 1993, after many years of debate, the US government announced a full moratorium on nuclear testing, and the U.S. Congress has set a goal for completion of negotiations by September 30 1996. On August 10, 1993, the 38 nation Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva gave its Ad Hoc Committee on a Nuclear Test Ban a mandate to begin negotiations, and intensive negotiations began in January 1994. China, which is attempting to close the technological gap with the US and Russia in this area, and continues to test, has opposed a rapid agreement. In addition, the French government is under pressure from the military to resume testing.14 Other sources of conflict result from the proposed prohibitions on simulations and hydronuclear tests, complex verification issues and questions regarding peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs). While a draft "rolling text" was tabled in September 1994, it is heavily bracketed and many disputes remain to be resolved.
Substantively, the CTBT is not strongly linked to the issue of horizontal proliferation and the NPT. A number of states, including Israel and Pakistan, are generally credited with having a nuclear weapons capability, even though they have never tested a weapon. Testing is not considered to be a necessary requirement for the development of first-generation nuclear weapons, and a ban on testing would therefore not pose a significant obstacle for states seeking to achieve the status of nuclear powers.
However, the CTBT is indirectly and politically linked to NPT extension. Article VI of the NPT states that the signatories agree to "undertake to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control." For many years, the non-nuclear weapons states, led by India and Mexico, have demanded that the nuclear powers meet their obligations to limit "vertical proliferation" under the NPT, and make substantive progress towards nuclear disarmament. This was a major issue of contention in the Fourth NPT Review Conference that took place in 1990. Critics argue that the continuation of testing and the production of new weapons worked in the opposite direction, increasing the gap between the NWSs and the NNWSs.15 In addition, supporters of the CTBT have argued that an end to testing would provide moral support for efforts to pressure NPT holdouts to adhere to the global non-proliferation regime. It follows that agreement on a CTBT would, to a limited degree, support the viability of the NPT.16 Indeed, initial negotiations on the preamble to the CTBT have included discussion of a specific reference to this measure as "a step towards a nuclear free world".17
For Israel, consideration of the CTBT is based on both procedural and substantive issues. Although the Israeli government has sent observers to the negotiations in the CD, Israel has been denied membership in this organization.18 In addressing the CD on the issue of the CTBT, Israel's Ambassador Itzhak Lior noted the hope that in the future, "Israel will be able to address the CD in the capacity of a full member."19 Without active participation in the negotiation process, Israeli officials will find it difficult to approve the final product. Acceptance of Israel within the CD would clearly improve the potential for Israeli ratification of the Treaty. The political importance of acceptance as a full partner and participant in international organizations and institutions, particularly those involving security issues, is a central factor in Israeli foreign policy, and outweighs the substantive impact of specific measures, such as the CTBT.
Substantively, Israeli officials support an "effectively verifiable" and universal ban on "nuclear test explosions".20 Israel has signed and ratified the 1963 PTBT, and its policy of "deliberate ambiguity" with respect to the existence of a nuclear deterrent does not require testing.21 (Indeed, testing would mark a radical change in policy and the end of this carefully developed policy, while creating numerous political problems.) At the same time, a comprehensive test ban would not have an impact on the Israeli nuclear capability.
However, for much the same reason, the benefits of a CTBT are also limited. The pace of proliferation and the nuclear programs in Iraq, Iran, Algeria, or Libya will not be affected. The impact of a CTBT on regional norms, and as a means of strengthening of the application of the global non-proliferation regime in the Middle East is also likely to be minimal.
The verification systems that are being proposed for the CTBT, in general, are also unlikely to have an impact on Israeli policy. Israeli representatives at the CD have supported "the establishment of a verification regime aimed at assuring compliance", including a system for global monitoring, detection, and identification of nuclear explosions, and "non-routine event- triggered consultation."22 However, efforts to include intrusive and challenge inspections to verify proposed bans on test simulations and other activities are problematic, and lead to fears of abuse. Here, as in other cases, challenge inspections can be used to gain access to sites that are unrelated to verification of the specific terms of the treaty. Thus, Israeli policy favors relegating such inspections to very rare cases under very precise conditions.
In addition, the institutional and organizational aspects of the CTBT are important from the Israeli perspective. As noted above, the structure and operation of the IAEA have created significant political and substantive difficulties. The Swedish draft of the CTBT proposed that the IAEA become the agency for implementing and verification, and Mohammed El Baradei argued that CTBT verification would be "fully in line with the Agency's statutory objectives."23 Israel, however, would be more likely to agree with the American and Chinese positions that call for the creation of a new and independent agency for this purpose. The Israeli position states that "the prospective CTBT organization should be ... professional and impartial. Its structure should enable each State party to exercise its rights in the various organs, on an equal and non-discriminatory basis."24
Finally, the Israeli position on the CTBT will also be influenced by the degree to which acceptance and ratification are seen as "opening the door" for increased pressure on Israel to sign the NPT. As noted, ratification of the PTBT did not have a measurable impact on Israeli policy or external pressures with respect to the NPT. However, the PTBT was negotiated in 1963, well before the NPT. In contrast, the CTBT is designed to strengthen the NPT regime. To the degree that Israeli political and military decision makers perceive the CTBT as closely linked to the NPT process, they may seek to avoid creating expectations of a change in policy.
In July 1992, the United States government announced a halt to the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons, and other countries were asked to adopt this policy. President Yeltsin responded that Russia intended "to proceed with the program for the cut-off of weapon-grade plutonium production" and to open discussions with the US "concerning the cut-off of fissionable materials production for weapons."25
In a speech to the United Nations on September 27, 1993, President Clinton proposed the negotiation of an international agreement to halt fissile material production. This initiative was discussed further in the context of the annual meeting of IAEA Board of Governors and endorsed in a unanimous decision of the United Nations General Assembly.26
Supporters of this initiative claim that a "legally enforceable, multilaterally negotiated, and credibly verifiable" prohibition on the production of fissile material would be of major importance to the global non-proliferation regime.27 Paul Leventhal argues that such a cut-off agreement is the best way to prevent proliferation.28 Rauf argues that a fissile material cut- off, together with a CTBT, could provide unprecedented international oversight over the nuclear weapons states, and demonstrate their commitment to Article VI of the NPT.29
In January 1994, the Conference on Disarmament appointed Canadian Ambassador Gerald Shannon as "special co-ordinator on the issue of A Ban on Production of Fissile Material for Nuclear Weapons or other Nuclear Explosive Devices". In March 1994, the CD issued a progress report which concluded that states "are favorable to negotiations", and are interested in proceeding even before a CTBT agreement is reached.30
However, the initiative is still quite vague; fundamental questions and disputes remain regarding the scope of such a ban, as well as the status of existing stockpiles. In a report issued in August 1994, Ambassador Shannon noted that preliminary discussions in the CD had failed to produce an agreed mandate or the establishment of a negotiating committee.31 A number of states, including Egypt, Algeria, Iran, and Pakistan have demanded that the proposed cut-off include provisions for declaration and verification of existing stockpiles,32 but this is opposed by the US and other Western states. This position would require participating states to reveal the extent of their capabilities and place the under a system of international inspection. The "threshold nuclear states" (India, Pakistan, and Israel) are unlikely to accept these requirements, so that any potential benefits from the cut-off proposal for non- proliferation would be erased.
Mechanisms for international monitoring and inspections are also under discussion, and Feiveson notes, "without verification, the prospective Parties to the cut-off would have little confidence that the other nuclear weapon states or threshold countries had actually halted production."33 Remote "national technical means", such as satellite based infra-red sensors, could be used for some verification tasks, and could determine whether plutonium production reactors are in operation. In cases where the information is ambiguous or there appears to be evidence of attempts to interfere with the remote systems, on- site inspections would have to be authorized.
Alternative routes to the production of fissile material would be more difficult to detect and monitor, particularly for states that operate civil nuclear facilities. Uranium enrichment facilities, such as centrifuge bannks and plutonium reprocessing plants, would require on-site monitoring, but this could also be based on sensors and video devices broadcasting continuously to external monitors. However, as the experience of the IAEA in Iraq has demonstrated, detection of undeclared facilities is difficult, and this problem is likely to limit the effectiveness of a fissile material cut-off agreement.
In addition, the lack of an effective response to violations and the threat of "breakout" will continue to limit any international regime. The problems of enforcement demonstrated in the cases of Iraq and North Korea with respect to the IAEA will be no less complex with respect to a fissile material cut- off agreement.
As in the case of the NPT and the CTBT, Israeli policy on the proposed cut-off on the production of fissile material is based on an assessment of how this measure is likely to affect the Israeli nuclear option, and on the question of verification. No official public position has been taken, but according to press reports, Israeli officials did not reject the Clinton initiative, and are considering its potential impact as part of a large package which includes "explicit reference to parallel search for secure, just, and stable peace in the Middle East".34 One anonymous source was quoted as saying that "Israel does not have a problem with the initiative and can live with it".35
Indeed, Cohen and Miller, among others, have urged Israel to endorse the fissile material cut-off proposal.36 This initiative would allow the undeclared nuclear states - India, Pakistan, and Israel - to maintain existing capabilities and stocks of weapon- grade fissile materials. In contrast to the NPT, which would require Israel to give up its nuclear deterrent, a cut-off would leave this capability intact for a number of years, until the effectiveness of the weapons is eroded. In this way, Israel would maintain its nuclear advantage over the Arab states for a number of years.37
Israeli officials are likely to reject the proposals of Cohen and Miller that "Israel should cap its production of weapons- usable nuclear materials, while the Arab states and Iran should reinforce their declaratory commitment not to produce nuclear weapons by accepting the authority of the IAEA to make special inspections at both declared and suspect nuclear facilities."38 Declaratory commitments from Iran and Iraq are dismissed as worthless, and credible verification in these states is difficult to envision.
There is also concern that by agreeing to an unverifiable fissile material cut-off, Israel would be establishing a dangerous precedent. Former Science Minister Yuval Neeman, who is also a prominent member of the Israeli scientific and technical community, warned that Israel must avoid a process that will require dismantling of its power. In commenting on the cut- off, Neeman argued that "We must be careful not to enter into an atmosphere of Messianism .. and not to lose our protection with a single unnecessary signature."39 From this perspective, a cut-off is seen as a step "down the slippery slope" leading, in the longer term, to the end of the strategic deterrent, and endangering the survival of the state.
Israel will also pay close attention to the institutional mechanisms created to monitor and verify compliance with the cut- off. As noted above, the IAEA is viewed as a political organization, in which the Arab and Islamic states, and their allies, can successfully bloc Israeli participation in governing institutions and can gain support for anti-Israel resolutions and actions. If the IAEA is a central player in monitoring the cut- off, or a similar institution is created, this will not inspire confidence in Israel, or lead to a willingness to take major risks. If a cut-off agreement is accompanied by an entirely new institutional structure for verification and enforcement, in which Israel has the same rights as other states, and which is immune to the political manipulation that has characterized the IAEA, the Israeli view may be more favorable.
Beyond the direct implications of the CTBT and cut-off, these initiatives are designed to strengthen the NPT-based global non-proliferation regime. However, for Israel, this global regime and the international organizations that are central to its operations are problematic. Reflecting the importance of this issue, Freier notes that "Israel is especially wary of initiatives and interferences by international organizations. These lift preferred issues out of context and pass resolutions by majority votes...".40 The creation of new global institutions, or granting of new powers to existing ones, such as the IAEA, is anathema to Israeli national interest.
As a result, since the 1970s, Israeli policy makers have favored regional approaches to arms control and non- proliferation, and the government has supported the development of a Middle East Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (MENWFZ).41 Regional agreements and regimes can be tailored to local conditions and requirements, and verification procedures would be based on mutual and direct inspections by each of the parties. In addition, a regional framework would be able to encompass limits on both conventional and non-conventional capabilities, in contrast to the global regime.42
Following the 1991 Madrid conference and the beginning of the Arab-Israel peace negotiations, Israel and a number of Arab states have participated in the multilateral negotiations on Arms Control and Regional Security (ACRS). In addition to bi-annual plenaries, the ACRS process includes frequent intersessional activities, workshops, and demonstration projects. These meetings focus on a wide range of issues, including confidence and security building measures (CSBMs) and verification (for limitations on conventional as well as nonconventional weapons).
The ACRS, in which arms control is linked directly to progress in the overall peace process and to Israeli national security, has become the focus of Israeli arms control policy.43 In contrast, the proposed CTBT and fissile material production cut-off are part of and designed to strengthen the global regime and the NPT system, and are not linked to the ACRS agenda.
As Israeli policy makers seek to shift the focus of activity
from the global regime to regional frameworks, these new global
initiatives are steps in the wrong direction. From an Israeli
perspective, the benefits of a CTBT and fissile-material cut-off
will be minimal, the costs, at least for the cut-off, will be
high, and the overall thrust of both is misdirected. Although
forced to respond to these initiatives by external political
considerations, that have more to do with maintaining good
relations with the United States and other powers than with the
substance, the primary hope for Middle East arms control lies in
the negotiation of regional measures. Such measures, under
discussion in the ACRS, are not focused exclusively on nuclear
weapons or any other isolated issues, and can encompass the broad
security concerns that are essential to any effective arms
limitation regime. Thus, whatever the outcome of the NPT Review
Conference, and the CTBT and cut-off negotiations, the major
direction for Middle East arms control will continue to be
towards development of regional regimes.
Research assistance for this article was provided by David Litvack.
0- For an overview of regime theory, see Robert Jervis, "Security
regimes", International Organization 36, Spring 1982, pp.357-78;
Charles Lipson, International Cooperation in economic and
security affairs", World Politics 37, October 1984, pp.1-23; and
Janice Gross Stein, "Detection and Defection: Security 'Regimes'
and the Assessment of International Conflict" International
Journal 40, 4, Autumn 1985, pp.599-627. For an application of
regime theory in arms control, see Gerald M. Steinberg, "U.S. Non-
proliferation Policy", Arms Control: Contemporary Security
Policy, Volume 15, No. 3, December 1994
1- The limitation of the nuclear option as a "weapon of last
resort" is widely recognized, even by critics of Israeli policy.
For example, Bundy, Crowe and Drell note that, "... the
underlying motivation for the Israeli bomb is clearly the reality
of vastly outnumbering unfriendly neighbors. The fact that the
Israeli bomb is not for casual use is evident both in the
desperate conventional battles that have been fought without its
use and in the intense Israeli commitment to conventional
strength." McGeorge Bundy, William J. Crowe Jr., Sidney D.
Drell, Reducing Nuclear Danger: The Road Away from the Brink (New
York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1993), p.84
2- Shalheveth Freier, "A Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) in the
Middle East and its Ambience", unpublished manuscript (Revised 14
July 1993)
3- Freier, ibid
4- The exclusion of Israel in the decision making process is
inconsistent with the assumption that in international security
regimes, decisions are collective and all participants play a
role in creating norms and rules of behavior. See Stein,
"Detection and Defection: Security 'Regimes' and the Assessment
of International Conflict", p.604
5- See, for example, Bundy, Crowe, and Drell, Reducing Nuclear
Danger: The Road Away from the Brink
6- Yitzhak Rabin reports that in 1965, the US first sought to make
the supply of conventional weapons conditional on Israeli nuclear
restraint. Similarly, in 1968, the US sought to link the supply
of F-4 combat aircraft to an Israeli agreement to resume American
inspection of all military research and development
installations. The implication is that the primary focus of the
American demand was the nuclear installation in Dimona. See
Rabin, Pinkas Sherut, (Hebrew),(Tel Aviv: Ma'ariv), pp.129; 236-
7- Bundy, Crowe, and Drell, Reducing Nuclear Danger: The Road Away
from the Brink p. 67. A similar option is considered and
rejected by Molander and Wilson, who note that such a policy
would stimulate the nuclear programs of the Arab states and Iran.
Roger C. Molander and Peter A. Wilson, "The Nuclear Asymptote: On
Containing Nuclear Proliferation", RAND/UCLA Center for Soviet
Studies, Santa Monica, 1993, pp.42-45.
8- George Bunn and Roland M. Timerbaev, "Security Assurances to Non-
Nuclear-Weapon States", The Nonproliferation Review, Vol. 1, No.
1, Fall 1993
9- George H. Quester and Victor A. Utgoff, "No-First-Use and
Nonproliferation: Redefining Extended Deterrence", Washington
Quarterly, 17:2, Spring 1994, pp.103-114
10- Dore Gold, US Forces on the Golan Heights and Israeli-Syrian
Security Arrangements Memorandum no. 14, Jaffee Center for
Strategic Studies, Tel Aviv University, August 1994
11- George H. Quester and Victor A. Utgoff, "U.S. Arms Reductions
and Nuclear Nonproliferation: The Counterproductive
Possibilities", The Washington Quarterly, Winter 1993, p.131
12- The Israeli government initially endorsed the concept of a
MENWFZ in the 1970s, but this was considered a very distant and
unrealistic goal under the conditions that existed at that time.
With the peace process and the meetings of the working group on
arms control and regional security, the importance of the MENWFZ
has grown. See Israeli Foreign Minister Mr. Shimon Peres,
Address at the Signing Ceremony of the Chemical Weapons
Convention Treaty, Paris, January 13 1993. For a detailed
history of Israeli policy, see Daniel Mustacchi, Can a
Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone be Established in the Middle East? If
so, under what conditions? M.A. Thesis, Department of
International Relations, Hebrew University, Jerusalem; September
13- In 1974, the US and Soviet Union agreed on the Threshold Test
Ban Treaty, setting a limit of 150 kilotons on underground tests,
but ratification was blocked by the absence of reliable
verification techniques.
14- The French position is that universal acceptance of the NPT must
precede the CTBT, for as long as small states and regional powers
are able to acquire nuclear weapons, France must be able to
expand its arsenal in order to stay ahead. Policy makers argue
that only when the nuclear efforts of other states are frozen
will France be able to halt its own nuclear program.
15- For a counterview, see Donald G. Boudreau, "On Advancing Non- Proliferation" in Strategic Review Volume 19, Number 3 (Summer 1991), pp 61-67. Boudreau rejects the "unproven nexus between testing and proliferation."
16- For a strong presentation of this case, see Bundy, William J.
Crowe, and Drell, Reducing Nuclear Danger: The Road Away from the
Brink (New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1993); and
SIPRI Yearbook 1990: World Armaments and Disarmament, (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1990), p.548.
17- Nuclear Proliferation News, Vol. 94, No.5, 10 June 1994
18- An august 1993 proposal submitted by Australian Ambassador Paul
O'Sullivan to admit an additional 23 states, including Israel,
was blocked by US, since this would also have admitted Iraq. In
subsequent discussions, Iran has opposed admission of Israel.
The US and Russia have indicated a preference for keeping
membership limited in order to avoid creation of procedural
problems resulting from a much larger group of participants. It
should be noted that the CD operates by consensus, so that
additional participants could complicate decision making. See
Nuclear Proliferation News, Volume 94, Issues 1 to 8, 1994.
19- Statement by Ambassador Itzhak Lior to the Conference on
Disarmament, June 2, 1994
20- Ibid.
21- In 1979, US early warning satellites detected a "mysterious
flash" in the South Atlantic near South Africa. This has often
been attributed to a joint Israeli-South African nuclear test,
but no evidence of this has ever surfaced, and the technical
information does not indicate that the signal was caused by a
nuclear explosion.
22- Ibid.
23- Arms Transfer News, Special Issue 18 March 1994
24- Ambassador Itzhak Lior, June 2, 1994
25- Cited by Harold A. Feiveson, "A cut-off in the production of
fissile material", in Strengthening the Non-Proliferation regime:
1995 and Beyond Oxford Research Group, Current decisions Report
Number 13, Oxford, December 1993, p.35. Feiveson notes that
three Russian production reactors were still operating in 1994.
26- United Nations General Assembly Resolution 48/75L, 16 December
27- Tariq Rauf in "Should the NPT be Extended Indefinitely?: A Panel
Discussion on Nuclear Non-Proliferation: The Challenges of a New
Era", Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC,
November 17-18, 1993, p. 42-44
28- Paul L. Leventhal, " Plugging the Leaks in Nuclear Export
Controls: Why Bother?" in Orbis Volume 36, Number 2 (Spring
1992), pp. 174-175:
29- Rauf, pp.28-49
30- Nuclear Proliferation News 15 April 1994
31- Gerald E. Shannon, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of
Canada, "Report of the Special Co-ordinator on Cut-off to the
Conference on Disarmament:, Geneva, August 4, 1994
32- Nuclear Proliferation News, Volume 94, Issue 11, 16 September
1994, p.2
33- Feiveson, "A cut-off in the production of fissile material",, p.
34- Ha'aretz, October 5, 1993 p.1
35- Aluf Ben, "Conflict in Israel regarding the Clinton Initiative
to Freeze Plutonium Production" Ha'aretz, December 28, 1993 p.1
36- Avner Cohen and Marvin Miller, " How To Think About - And
Implement - Nuclear Arms Control in the Middle East" The
Washington Quarterly Volume 16, Number 2 (Spring, 1993)
37- The have been a number of reports of minor radioactive leaks at
the Dimona reactor, and the Israeli press has published
allegations that cancer rates among Dimona are higher than the
national average. Such problems are not deemed sufficient to
lead to pressure to shutdown the reactor, or to provide a reasons
for acceptance of a fissile material cut-off agreement. See
Ha'aretz, January 11, 1994; and Ma'ariv, 29 April 1994, (Musaf
Shabbat, pp.2-4).
38- Cohen and Miller, p.110
39- Ha'aretz, May 18 1993
40- Freier, 1993
41- See Avi Beker, "A Regional Non-Proliferation Treaty for the
Middle East", Security or Armageddon: Israel's Nuclear Strategy,
Louis Rene Beres, editor, Lexington, Ma., Lexington Books, 1985
42- See Gerald Steinberg, "U.S. Non-proliferation Policy", Arms
Control: Contemporary Security Policy, Volume 15, No. 3, December
43- Gerald M. Steinberg "Arms Control and Regional Security in the Middle East", Survival, Vol. 36, No. 1, Spring 1994; pp.126-141


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Have you ever been skiing down a slope somewhere, feeling good about life, when suddenly an absolute pro has come tearing past you with one of the smoothest and most refined ski techniques you've ever seen? When this sort of thing happens, it can make you feel less good about life. It can make you feel like a mediocre skier. It can make you feel like a total bloody amateur. And, let's face it, nobody likes feeling like a total bloody amateur.
Right, so what's the best way of progressing from rookie skier to master? Well, if we're being upfront and honest about it, with ski lessons and practise. We'd recommend that you'd book yourself some skiing lessons with a professional instructor who can pinpoint your weaknesses, polish up your technique, and turn you into a shiny mountain diamond.
Skiing Lessons In The UK: Where Should You Go If You Want To Learn To Ski Before Your Trip?
12 Things You Should Never Do When You're On A Skiing Lesson
Lessons, though, aren't exactly cheap. Even the most affordable of ski lessons can set you back a fair old bit, so it's not always financially viable to go full on with the lessons every time you go on a skiing holiday. Yes, in an ideal world you'd have free one-on-one ski tuition from the moment you were born to the Olympics where you won gold in every single ski event but alas…we don't live in an ideal world.
Step forward: the internet. The internet is bursting at the seams with good, bad, and terrible instructional ski videos. There's videos on there that can help you to execute basic ski tricks, and there's videos there that can teach you how to ski in general. To help you separate the useful ones from the less useful ones, here's some of the very best ski lesson videos on YouTube (that focus on normal on-piste skiing).

subset: commoncrawl


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Clear Out the Chaos Featuring a 144Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time, the 24-inch VG248QE LED Full HD monitor delivers the best performance for fluid gaming and movie playback. Now with GamePlus, keep track of game times with the built-in timer function overlay and also enable a crosshair onscreen.
Key Features
- 24-inch Full HD LED-backlit 144Hz display 1920×1080for brilliant HD-quality visuals in both 2D and 3D
- GamePlusdisplays a crosshair overlay and in-game timers to enhance your gaming experience
- 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms Trace Free II Technologyfor smooth motion playback for movies and games
- 80,000,000:1 ASUS Smart Contrast Ratiodelivers the darkest blacks and brightest whites for true-to-life images
- Full height, tilt, and swivel adjustmentsfor the most versatile 3D monitor to provide the most comfort
- DisplayPort, Dual-link DVI-D, and HDMI portsfor multi device connectivity
Play as fast as you can
The ASUS VG248QE monitor shortens the time it takes for rendered frames to display on the screen. Lower monitor latency improves the signal processing between your system and monitor for quicker response time. The 144Hz rapid refresh rate speeds up the frames per second to deliver ultra-smooth motion in even the most chaotic action scenes. The response time is also reduced to 1ms to eliminate tracers by controlling voltage levels when driving liquid crystals thus ensuring fluid and clear video playback—more than twice the frame rates of standard LCDs.


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On a recent trip we stopped at the shore of a lake in Colorado. The rocks there were incredibly eye-catching because of the hues of red that were interspersed with rocks of other colors. Many of the rocks were blood red, and one looked like a slice of red velvet cake, perfectly cut as if for a party. That particular rock made me smile because I had never seen anything like it. What was most amazing to me was that with all the beauty of the shore and the mountains across the lake, the rocks under my feet were the most captivating. I wondered what the origin of these rocks might have been; what mountain had they come from? How long had they been there? Though inanimate, I wondered what story they could tell. In all this, it seemed to me that each one was giving glory to God in its own way, especially the one that resembled a slice of cake.
The apostles were so overwhelmed by being in the presence of the glory of God that they became speechless; it was probably because they were so overwhelmed by the mystery and the glory of God that they became 'verklempt.' But these three did not need to say a word. The very rocks were crying out of the glory of God which had appeared amongst them. Mount Tabor was never the same, nor would the world be: the Son of God had been revealed and was now headed to Jerusalem to further glorify the Father. However, we discover that the silence of the apostles was only when they were completely awed by the Transfiguration event. They began to ask questions on the way down the mountain in an attempt to understand. Surely such an encounter made a deep impression and changed them, even if they could not yet understand it.
May we draw strength and courage from the immeasurable light of the love of God! May we bring that light into our world through our good works, our patience, our perseverance, our kindness, our trust, and our prayer! May we do what we can to take the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the glory of God when we are in places which reflect His beauty in nature, which often is right in our own backyard! And may we give praise to our God who reveals Himself in the glory of His love! Let us continue to meet in His heart! Peace!
©Michele L. Catanese
*I have to give credit for this description to Fr. William Hart McNichols who taught me this (in quoting Paul Evdokimov in his book Orthodoxy) while helping me to grow in my understanding of iconography. The icon just below the quote is one of Fr. Bill's works, Hagia Hesychia Jesus Christ Redeemer Holy Silence. It can be found at http://www.fatherbill.org/all-categories/product/283-hagia-hesychia-jesus-christ-redeemer-holy-silence. By the way, some reproductions of Fr. Bill's icons can be found on a new medium, glass, and are ready for purchase, just as the giclees and plaques are available. See http://www.fatherbill.org/glass-art-prints for more details. These are truly beautiful so do check it out. (Remember by promoting his work I get no remuneration. I do get the pleasure of sharing the wealth of his work, however.)
The photos are mine, all taken in Colorado.
The first painting is The Transfiguration by Bl. Fra Angelico, and is located in St. Mark's in Florence, Italy. This image was found at http://www.joyfulheart.com/easter/images/fra_angelico_entry425x620.jpg
The second painting, The Entry into Jerusalem was pointed by Giotto and can be found at https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Entry-into-Jerusalem-Giotto-di-Bondone. The original is found at the Arena Chapel (Cappella Scrovegni) in Padua, Italy.


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S&P Strategic Futures Indices are investable long/short strategy indices designed to reflect an exposure to rising or declining price trends. They provide the opportunity for investors to gain access to alternative beta through transparent, rules-based strategies and benefit from historically low correlations to traditional asset classes like stocks and bonds.
April 08 2020 - April 09 2020 , Imperial Hotel Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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VMFS Datastore missing
After successfully install of ESXi 3.5 server, my datastore1 disappeared unexpectedly after first or second reboot. Is possible to be because of my "hacks" in "Advanced Settings", but I'm not very sure about that. Looking in /var/log/messages I spotted some very strange errors:
Error Stream from partedUtil while getting partitions: Error: The partition table on /dev/disks/vmhba0:0:0:0 is inconsistent. There are many reasons why this might be the case. However, the most likely reason is that Linux detected the BIOS geometry for /dev/disks/vmhba0:0:0:0 incorrectly. GNU Parted suspects the real geometry should be 953869/64/32 (not 121601/255/63). You should check with your BIOS first, as this may not be correct. You can inform Linux by adding the parameter disks/vmhba0:0:0:0=953869,64,32 to the command line. See the LILO or GRUB documentation for more information. If you think Parted's suggested geometry is correct, you may select Ignore to continue (and fix Linux later). Otherwise, select Cancel (and fix Linux and/or the BIOS now). Geometry Known: 0
Seeing that, I tried to rescan all the partitions of the my disks with
vmkfstools -V
Running this command I get another error/warning
Oct 22 09:21:14 vmkernel: 0:00:00:24.772 cpu7:1220)LVM: 5579: Device vmhba0:0:0:3 detected to be a snapshot:
Oct 22 09:21:14 vmkernel: 0:00:00:24.772 cpu7:1220)LVM: 5586: queried disk ID:
Oct 22 09:21:14 vmkernel: 0:00:00:24.772 cpu7:1220)LVM: 5593: on-disk disk ID:
Oct 22 09:21:14 vmkernel: 0:00:00:24.772 cpu7:1220)ALERT: LVM: 4482: vmhba0:0:0:3 may be snapshot: disabling access. See resignaturing section in SAN config guide.
About "resignaturing" I found a good article in Vmware Knowledge Base http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=9453805 which solved my problem.
You should enable resignaturing on ESX host:
1. Log with VIC Client
2. Click on ESX Host and go to Configuration -> Advanced Settings -> LVM
3. Set the value of LVM.EnableResignaturing to 1
4. Click ok (save)
5. go to Configuration -> Storage Addapter and press Rescan Adapters
6. Now you should see your old "missing volume" appearing with a name starting with "snap-"
7.Click on ESX Host and go to Configuration -> Advanced Settings -> LVM
8. Set the value of LVM.EnableResignaturing to 0
9. Click ok (save)
10. Now you should rename your datatstore with the old name and you are done.
Now both errors disappeared from my message file, and my datastore is back.
Good Luck!


text:
Every year tech companies spice up their CES booths with so called Booth Babes. Every year reports appear about attendees complaining about the sexy booth decoration.
CES 2013 is half over and besides 4K and wearable technology, booth babes are again one of the attractions. Not everbody is though happy with the CES 2013 booth babes. BBC has a report up again that focuses again on condemn booth babes.
There are again the same arguments that booth babes are degrading women in general and that they are a distraction. It is a mute discussion. We are living in a sexed up society. Booth babes are just one small part of this. I am all for what the female CES attendee said at the end of the BBC report that you can watch below: CES booths should also have topless men. Why not? Abercrombie & Fitch stores have male models with ridiculous abs since years. Below the BBC video is a nice CES 2013 Booth Babes video collage from Unbox Therapy.


text:
(change location)
Welcome to Coast Dental. Our dentist in Buckhead - Atlanta works with a caring team to offer comprehensive dental services to help you look and feel your best. Give us a call at (404) 237-5330 to see how we can help you.
We want to make it as easy as possible for you and your family to receive the dental treatment you need. At our dentist office in Buckhead, we offer both general dentistry services and specialty dental services. Whether you need a smile check-up or require extensive dental work, we'll answer all of your questions in a relaxed, friendly setting.
Here is a sampling of the services offered by our dentists in Buckhead - Atlanta:
A great smile starts with us.


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Since his death on Nov. 23, Wayne State University Police Department Officer Collin Rose has had over $55,000 donations in his name, his squad car has been memorialized, his murder has been charged and vigils and funeral arrangements have been set for this week.
WSUPD has 54 employed officers, all college graduates and Officer Rose was the first WSUPD officer to die in the line of duty. Officer Rose was shot on Nov. 22 near Lincoln and Brainard Street in Detroit.
That night, 31-year-old suspect DeAngelo Davis was arrested three hours after the shooting and as of Nov. 25, was charged with first-degree murder.
Davis was held without bond at Wayne County Jail and faces up to life in prison without parole. Davis was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, three felony firearm charges and being a habitual offender.
Wayne State Police Chief Anthony Holt said no weapon was found during the arrest and the investigation is still ongoing.
A candlelight vigil for Officer Rose will be held on Nov. 29 in Gullen Mall at 6:15 p.m. The vigil will include a moment of silence at 6:30 p.m. when Officer Rose was shot in the line of duty.
Visitation and Funeral
A public visitation will be held on Nov. 30 at Ford Field stadium from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A funeral for Officer Rose will be held on Dec. 1 at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in St. Clair Shores, Michigan at 10 a.m.
For more information, visit Officer Rose's obituary.
Donations in memory Officer Collin Rose
WSU is accepting donations in Officer Rose's memory to support WSUPD online. WSU student, Brent Steinacker started a GoFundMe on behalf of Nicole Salgot, Officer Rose's fiancé. Steinacker set the goal at $55,000 to assist paying for Officer Rose's funeral expenses and memorial services. In four days, the GoFundMe has raised $54,639 by 967 donors.
Detroit Dog Rescue hopes to also support Salgot, who works at the Rescue, with a fundraiser at Tony V's Tavern on Nov. 29. (See flier)
His last service
Gift of Life Michigan, a nonprofit geared towards organ and tissue donation for health transplants, announced that Officer Rose has donated his organs which will help up to 75 people through use of his tissue.


text:
Bicyclist Pocket Guide
- Details
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 25 January 2017 15:52
- Written by Admin
Our Bicyclist Pocket Guide provides essential information every person riding a bike in GA needs to know.
Topics covered include:
- Legal status of bicyclists
- Rules of the road & state laws pertaining to bicyclists
- Safe cycling behaviors and practices
- What to do in the event of a crash
The 7th edition of the Guide is made possible by generous support from:
Trouble viewing the embedded feedback form? Try this link.


text:
This page may be outdated - fetching fresh content
You can now save our site to your phone as an app, and browse offline.
Click here for details
Who are Kambu?
Our History
About Kambu Health Services
Our Board of Directors
Annual Reports
Kambu Policies
Our Staff
Ipswich Clinic
Goodna Clinic
Laidley Clinic
Kambu Early Years Learning Centre
Family Wellbeing Service
Booval Clinic
Ipswich and West Moreton Areas
Patient Registration & Aboriginality
Kambu Membership
Upcoming Events
Kindergarten - Statement of Fees
Expression of Interests
Our Clinics
Our Preventative Approach
Clinical Software System
Transport Services
Kambu Health - Ipswich
Child Health Check Ipswich
Adult Health Check Ipswich
Specialist and Allied Health Services
Kambu Health - Laidley
Adult Health Check Laidley
Child Health Check Laidley
Specialist and Allied Health Services
Kambu Health - Goodna
Child Health Check Goodna
Adult Health Check Goodna
Specialist and Allied Health Services
Hearing Health Worker
Children's Services
Hearing Specialists
Social Health
School Health Checks - Year 8-12
Men's Group and Health Checks
Promoting Preventative Health
Value our Elders
Sing and Grow
Family Support
Deadly Mums
CFC Promo Video
Kambu Midwife
Water Safety Classes
Support We Offer Staff
Jobs with Kambu (Vacancies)
Traineeships Available
Institute for Urban Indigenous Health
West Moreton Hospital and Health Service
TAFE Queensland South West
Local Councils
Representation on Other Boards
Connecting Health in Communities
Collaborative Research & Reports
Our History
Kambu Health was founded by a group of local residents; Ken Dalton, Cecil Fisher, Roberta Thompson, Faye Carr, Bill Robertson and Doreen Thompson, to address the growing health needs of the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Originally, there was a meeting called by the people of the community to get a housing co-operative to be incorporated with the Southern Suburbs Football Team.
The health service was run from a room in the home of Doreen Thompson. It provided culturally appropriate health care by doctors who traveled up from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service in Brisbane, for one day a week.
It was later moved to the Red Cross Centre in Foote Lane. The staff at that stage consisted of a Doctor, Nurse, Bookkeeper, CEO of Housing and the President of Kambu Housing.
In 1975-76, a house was purchased by the housing co-op, and the medical staff moved into one of the rooms there. It was from there the Doctor and Sister would go to Wacol Hostel and conduct an outside clinic. They called this clinic the 'Kambu Les Davidson Medical Centre' and was opened by Senator Neville Bonner on the 3 July 1976.
The growth of the co-op and the medical centre was such that there was soon a need to expand, so a new medical centre was built beside the old nursing house at 27 Roderick Street, Ipswich. The staff now consisted of a doctor, nursing sister, bookkeeper, CEO and medical receptionist.
Later on the medical centre grew to such an extent that they needed to employ more people. By 1985, the staff increased to two nursing sisters, a health worker, CEO and bookkeeper.
In 1988 the medical centre became incorporated in its own right and was named the Aboriginal and Islander Community Health Service Ipswich.
By 1994 the staff had increased again to a CEO, Finance Officer, doctor, two health workers, a trainee health worker, a driver, nutrition field officer, trainee receptionist and trainee admin assistant, all managed by a community-elected Board of Directors.
Today, Kambu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health employs close to 70 staff (not including contractors, visiting Allied Health staff and medical Specialists), and provides comprehensive medical and specialist services to the Ipswich and surrounding areas. Clinics are now located in Ipswich, Goodna and Laidley.
Kambu Health are located in Ipswich, Laidley and Goodna. The area is home to the Jagera, Yuggera and Ugarapul people.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Corporation for Health
Our Clinics
Website by 61 Design


text: House can be sold w/furniture for $660,000.. Custom brick home on over acre lot in a cul-de-sac setting .NEW ROOF! Main lvl parking.This exceptional estate offers unbelievable features including a beautiful entry w/soaring ceilings, designer office/study, warm & inviting great room w/fireplace, impressive dome ceiling in formal dining room.Covered deck off dining room that overlooks the private, flat backyard. Enormous kitchen w/2 islands, tons of counter space. Kitchen opens to cozy keeping room with a fireplace. Sumptuous master bedroom featuring stunning tray ceilings w/elegant master bath, his & her vanities.Upstairs offer 3 spacious bedrooms, 2 full baths.Daylight basement is the perfect spot for entertaining, in-law suite or just family fun. Bsmt has a media room, den w/fireplace, bonus room, guest suite & 2nd full kitchen, a covered patio w/hot tub.Other features of this incredible home are central vac & security. Bsmt garage has been converted to gym but can be converted back.


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Concepts and Ideas for Commercial Purposes
Desigual Madrid
Desigual retail system DESIGUAL
The system configure a segmentation of the space in faces, these faces transform the perimeter into a continuous zigzag of elements that make possible a multiple functionality: graphics, information, product display and storage, and changing rooms. The physical limits go beyond a visual perception of product and function, mixed with the idea of brand and attitude. Random and full possibilities are parameters that make it fully functional and characteristic.
A Desigual Paint party 008 was done on the shop in the 22 of November of 2004, Code: panel x person, controled colour palette, no buffing
Copyright © by Martí Guixé


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Q : Hey there, Look I know you get people bombarding you with messages telling you how they can get you ranked on Google, and if you you pay them 10,000 pound they may or may not rank you in 3 to 6 months..! sucks right? How about I put a video commercial in front of EVERYONE that is LOOKING for your business service in the areas you cover... and more to the point what if I do some work FREE for you to prove I am the real deal and not some kind of all talk no action type of guy.... sound good? Get all the info and some live proof here http://abouttrillions.com thanks .Dean.
No Answer Yet.


text:
Comments from bigjoe59
Showing 651 - 675 of 961 comments
Hello From NYC-
I refer to the Oct. 1955 opening of Oklahoma to the Dec. 1972 opening of Man of La Mancha as the prime roadshow period. so from its opening Nov. 1963 to when the roadshow policy was discontinued the Dome hosted many a reserved seat engagement. to which my question- can anyone remember a roadshow engagement at the Dome that did not have a souvenir program?
to Escott O. Norton-
thanks for the reply to my inquiry. to which I want to make sure I understand your reply. so are you saying that although the Chinese is now a state of the art IMAX theater following its Sept. 2013 reopening that it still faces the same problem as the Ziegfeld in Manhattan? a companion question. since its reopening have there been any "big" films that had almost sell out crowds? when the theater reopened last Sept. its new sound and projection was highly lauded by everyone. yet from the posting by the person who saw Catching Fire on Sun. two days after it opened the person was shocked the theater was at the most 20% full. to bad if that's the case.
in Manhattan many theaters have discount rates for shows before 12 noon but the Ziegfeld is not one of them. so if a "big" film opens at a number of theaters in Manhattan that offer the discount rate I will see it at the Ziegfeld because while it may sell out at the smaller theaters I know no matter how critically lauded the film is the Ziegfeld will be at the most 25% filled.
to Ed S.–
it is certainly sad especially since I remember the Mayfair/Demille as one of the prime roadshow houses from 1955-1972(its last roadshow was The Shoes of the Fisherman Nov. 1968).
to which a question. after I discovered this wonderful site the last week of Jan. 2012 I created a project for myself. said project being to find the 1st theater built in Manhattan brick by brick from the ground up with the intent of showing movies or flickers as they were called. using this site the oldest I was able to find is the Crescent which was located at 36 W. 135 St. and opened on the site the night of Dec. 16, 1909 as a combo picture house and vaudeville theater.
I contacted the New York Historical Society and asked them since if anyone could say authoritatively they could. guess what? the Reference Librarian e-mailed back and said even they are a tad fuzzy on the 1st purpose built brick by brick from the ground up movie theater in Manhattan. since whatever "movie theaters" existed in Manhattan in the first several years of the biz were music halls, vaudeville theaters, legitimate theaters or decent sized unused retail spaces that were simply converted to show films you would think the first purpose built brick by brick from the ground up movie theater would have been made note of in the press of the day.
to Coate-
again many many thanks for the list of the other D.C. houses the studios used for roadshow engagements. it was rather kind of you to do so. added to the Uptown list you kindly provided for me I guess this covers all the prime Oct.1955-Dec.1972 roadshow engagements. also when you have a spare moment I would greatly appreciate your take on why Circus World's roadshow run at the Uptown lasted only 3 weeks whereas other hyped roadshow epics which likewise received critically mixed reviews sometimes lasted 15-20 weeks.thanks in advance.
Hello From NYC-
in Manhattan the Ziegfeld is still in my opinion the theater to see a big action and or science fiction/fantasy film. this is for both sound and projection which brings me to my question.
no matter how critically well received a film might be and no matter how popular it is with moviegoers the Ziegfeld is never very full even at optimum times like Sat. or Sun. screenings. this is of course due to the fact that every action/science fiction/fantasy film opens on 2,000-3,000 screens on the same day. now I'm assuming no film which plays the Chinese will be playing in another theater in the immediate Hollywood area. but there is all of L.A.. so even with the recent upgrade at the Chinese does it in fact have the same problem as the Ziegfeld?
I remember last Nov. a poster mentioned he and friends went to a Sun. afternoon screening only two days after it opened of Catching Fire and the theater was at the most 20% full.
to Coate-
many many thanks for your detailed list. it was quite kind of you. since you appear to be quite well versed on the subject a two part question.
*during the prime roadshow era(Oct. 1955-Dec.1972) Manhattan had 7 large 1st run venues that the studios used for roadshow engagements-Criterion, Loew's State, RKO Palace, Demille ,Warner, Rivoli and the Loew's Captiol. while it would be nice to have as detailed a list per the Uptown for all of D.C.'s roadshow houses that's asking a bit much so could you at least name what other D.C. houses were used by the studios for roadshow runs.thanks.
*I'm not saying it was Oscar material or one of the
best large scale action epics but Circus World's
3 week roadshow rum seems inordinately short. I
don't know how long its roadshow run at the
Warner Cinerama was but it was way longer than 3
weeks. you would figure with all the pre-lease
hype for CW and whatever advance sales were in place
before opening night what's up. again I'm not
saying it was Oscar material or one of the great
large scale action epics but there were a number
of roadshow epics in New York that got a mixed
critical response but still ran for 15-20 weeks.
so what's with CW's 3 week D.C. roadshow run?
to Al A.–
as always thanks for your reply. while I am happy this theater is still alive and well as stated in my last e-mail as hard as I have tried I can't remember the last time this theater hosted an exclusive engagement. so i suppose it had to be before the opening in 2,000 to 3,000 theaters on the same day trend started. for instance were Close Encounters of the Third Kind(Nov. 1977) and The Rose(Nov. 1979)exclusive runs?
to Al A.–
as always thanks for your reply. while I am happy this theater is still alive and well as stated in my last e-mail as hard as I have tried I can't remember the last time this theater hosted an exclusive engagement. so i suppose it had to be before the opening in 2,000 to 3,000 theaters on the same day trend started. for instance were Close Encounters of the Third Kind(Nov. 1977) and The Rose(Nov. 1979)exclusive runs?
Hello to Al A.–
you have always been kind to answer my inquiries so here's a good one that I have not been able to find the answer to but I bet you know it. even after studios abandoned the reserved seat exhibition policy they still opened their "big" films in one maybe two theaters in Manhattan. so do you know the last exclusive engagement this theater hosted? I'm speaking of new films so the Oct. 1996 exclusive run of the restored "Vertigo" doesn't count.
to Bill H.–
thanks for the other titles from when the studios still used the Ziegfeld for exclusive 1st run engagements. since this theater is the place to see widescreen films that's why it was frequently sold out years ago. it was the only theater in Manhattan if the not the city playing a film.
which prompts two additional questions-
*as I stated in my post if people had no trouble finding and getting to the theater 20-25 years ago how is it "off the beaten path" today?
*what was in fact the last exclusive 1st run engagement of a studio film at the Ziegfeld? the special 2 week runs of Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog before hey opened wide don't count.:–)
to AL A.–
after posting my query I looked up on Amazon and both a vhs and dvd of CAGS have been released. I am surprised I never came across either when home video stores were all over Manhattan.
also a new question you're going to need to put your thinking cap on for. in the NYC metropolitan area countless theaters were designed by premiere movie theater architects Thomas Lamb and John Ebberson. so many I figured how did either one have time to eat or sleep. and this isn't even counting other theaters they designed across the country. now rather recently I read that after their careers were up and running both created firms that had architects other than them. so that many of the movie theaters attributed to "Thomas Lamb" per se may have actually been designed by someone else in the firm. this sounded reasonable to me since I can't imagine how either Lamb or Ebberson could possibly have designed and coordinated construction all the theater attributed to them.
to which my question- how can one find out how many theaters attributed to either Lamb or Ebberson were actually personally designed by them? much in the same vein as how many buildings, monuments etc… attributed to the firm of McKim/Meade/White were actually designed by McKim, Meade or White?
to robboehm-
I suppose we all have different takes on what's "off the beaten path". being a native life long New Yorker nothing is off the beaten path for me.
per you comment the Ziegfeld is only two blocks from Radio City Music Hall. also when the Ziegfeld was still used by the studios for exclusive 1st run engagement people had no trouble finding it. you should have seen the block long lines for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The Rose among others. likewise the restored Lawrence of Arabia, My Fair Lady & Vertigo.
so if people had no trouble finding/getting to the theater 25 or 20 years ago they shouldn't have any trouble today.
I was thinking about all the roadshow engagements this theater hosted in the prime Oct. 1955 to Dec. 1972 period. one in particular came to mind "Cast A Giant Shadow" released by United Artists and starring Kirk Douglas which opened here the Spring of 1966.
to which my question- of all the films which played this theater on a roadshow engagement CAGS is the only one I have never seen on home video vhs let alone dvd or blu-ray. I have always wanted to see the film to judge it for myself. could there be some legal hold up as to why its never been out on any home video format.
to CConnolly1-
like you I always like going to the Ziegfeld for the quality of the projection and sound. plus like you I am surprised the theater is still in operation. the overhead most be sizable. I'm guessing the reason the theater is still open as a 1st run venue is that Bow Tie Cinemas would have a revolt on their hands if it was twinned, demolished or converted to other use.
also no matter how well reviewed a film is and no matter how popular the film might be with the public there's a very simple reason why the Ziegfeld is rarely if ever at capacity. any film it shows is also playing at probably 12 other theaters in Manhattan.
and might I be so bold as to ask you a question- you are not the first person to refer to the Ziegfeld via "its location is well off the beaten track". how is a theater on 54th St. off 6th Ave. off the beaten track?
i live in NYC and the price for first run films is already WAY TO EXPENSIVE. so like 3-D this is simply a way to soak more $$$ out of the audience. this is especially true since at the Bway & 84 St. multiplex you're forced to pay for a "reserved seat" even if there's only 10 people in the theater.
Hello to my fellow posters-
there are a number of roadshow engagements that had souvenir programs but I do not have in my collection. hence my question. other than EBay does anyone know of a website that sells movie memorabilia? of the handful of sites selling movie memorabilia that I've seen the only programs listed are the ones I already have.
I recently read "Movie Roadshows" by Kim Rolston and I was amazed at the number of such films that had souvenir programs I have never come across. any help would be appreciated.
to techman 707-
the not sending out of messages noting someone has responded to a comment is happening again. I did not receive a note in my inbox that my entry on souvenir programs had been replied to by you..
to Ed S.–
the prime roadshow era was from the Oct. 1955 opening of Oklahoma to the Dec. 1972 opening of Man of La Mancha after which the studios discontinued the policy. I have 137 souvenir programs in my collection. I have to admit a dozen or so of that number are not actual souvenir programs sold in the theater lobby but fancy brochures the studio released to publicize the film.
of the 125 souvenir programs in my collection
13 are hardcover.other than the hardcovers in my collection the only other one I know of is for Porgy and Bess which played the Warner.
of the 13 I own two are from films which opened when this theater was the Demille a prime roadshow house. namely Spartacus and Hawaii.
the other 11 are-
The Alamo Around the World in 80 Days Ben-Hur(1959) El Cid The Greatest Story Ever Told How The West Was Won King of Kings(1961) Mutiny on the Bounty(1962) My Fair Lady South Pacific The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm
a bit of info on just how elaborate these hardcover programs could get. both the Ben-Hur and Spartacus programs had a fold out with several watercolor paintings of scenes from the film. and to top that the King of Kings program included a sealed package of 8x10 color photo portraits of the main actors in the film.
to William-
thanks for the info. as you state the 179min. cut was just used in previews and was cut to 158mins. for the premiere roadshow runs like the one at the Capitol. so however long the film's roadshow run was at the Capitol the Dodge City sequence was intact the entire run and was only cut for the general release prints which went to neighborhood theaters around NYC.
to techman 707-
I asked around so to speak and Cheyenne Autumn's premiere engagement at the Loew's Capitol was a traditional roadshow engagement with 2 shows during the week and 3 on the weekend. unfortunately it didn't have a healthy or long run. still since it was a traditional premiere roadshow engagement I just can't imagine it not having a souvenir program regardless of the length of said engagement.
a further question about Cheyenne Autumn. was the engagement of the film which opened Dec. 1964 a traditional 2 shows during the week and 3 on the weekend roadshow engagement?
to techman 707-
thanks for your reply about roadshow engagements having souvenir programs. the reason I ask is simple. I have approx. 135 souvenir programs in my collection starting with the one for the 1925 silent version of Ben-Hur. most I bought at the theater when I saw the film others at memorabilia shops in Manhattan and L.A..to which with all the memorabilia shops I've been too and all the online sites selling such stuff I have never come across souvenir programs for such prominent roadshow engagements as The Diary of Anne Frank(RKO Palace),Cheyenne Autumn (Loew's Capitol)and Gigi which played the Royal which was normally a legit theater. these are just a few of the prominent roadshow engagements in the 17 year period mentioned for which I have never come across a souvenir program. so I wondered if quite possibly they didn't have one hence my question.
my fellow posters have always been most kind in answering my questions. this time I have a good one on a subject that I find interesting.the prime roadshow period was the Oct. 1955 opening of "Oklahoma" at the Rivoli thru the Dec.1972 opening of "The Man of La Mancha" also at the Rivoli. now in this a bit over 17 year period the studios heavily used 7 Times Square theaters for their roadshow engagements(Criterion, Loew's State, RKO Palace,Demille,Warner, Rivoli and the Loew's Capitol). which is where my question comes in. Regardless of how good a film turned out to be if a film played at one of these 7 theaters it can be classified as a prominent release. so can anyone think of a prominent roadshow engagement at any of the 7 theaters named above that did not have a souvenir program? every roadshow engagement I ever went to had a souvenir program so I can't imagine a prominent roadshow run not having one.
I can't stand the reclining seats the 84th multiplex has. for one if you a big person and I don't mean overweight just big your leg is constantly pressing up against the button with opens the chair. its almost impossible if you are a big person to just sit in the chair in a regular fashion comfortably.
also the pricing at 84th St. is highway robbery. ticket prices for 1st run theaters in Manhattan are already to high. yet the 84 St. forces you to pay more for a "reserved seat" even if there are only 5 people in the theater.
thanks for the info on Cheyenne Autumn. another question. from when i went with my parents to when i started going by myself one thing i always liked about reserved seat engagements was buying the souvenir program in the lobby during intermission. i have approx. 135 in my collection most of which i bought at theaters. others were purchased in memorabilia stores. which is where my question comes in. did Cheyenne Autumn have a souvenir program? i can't imagine a big epic like CA with a big director and big stars released on a reserved seat engagement not having a souvenir program. yet in all memorabilia stores i have been to and all the online memorabilia sites i have looked at i have never seen one. in fact there are a few others big even award winning reserved seat films i have never come across a souvenir program for. i always thought roadshow engagements and souvenir programs were inseparable like peanut butter and jelly.


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Numerology Could Explain What It Means to See Repeating Numbers on a Clock (12 Pics)
Posted on Jun 24, 2016
Have you ever looked at the clock or your wristwatch to see the numbers match? You know, numbers like 11:11 or 12:12? Have you ever wondered why this happens so frequently? Here are some possible explanations.
1. The Phenomenon
This phenomenon occurs in a very peculiar seventy-one-minute cycle that keeps repeating itself over and over.


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The Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville cordially invites you to our
70th Annual Holiday Party
Hyatt Regency Louisville
Friday, December 9, 2016
Cocktails 6:30 p.m. • Dinner 7:30 p.m.
RSVP to Robin Durham (robin@BIALouisville) by Friday, December 2, 2016
Attire is black tie optional. The Hyatt has reserved a block of rooms at the special rate of $119. (Deadline for room reservations with the Hyatt special rate is 11/25/16.) Please phone the Hyatt at 581-1234 to make reservations and ask for the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville rate. Room requests are subject to hotel availability.


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Are you looking for Carolers in Wakefield, West Yorkshire? Our catalogue includes 16 acts available for hire in Wakefield. Among our top requested categories this month: wedding bands in London, jazz bands in London, string quartets in London, swing bands in London, DJ Hire London London, wedding venues in London., wedding bands in Manchester, DJ hire in Manchester.
Pop Up Choir (Gospel)
Recent review: Pop up choir absolutely made my wedding ceremony personal and emotional! Highly recommend!
TF Productions
Recent review: An amazing show. Non-stop entertainment from the moment you arrive. Fantastic girls night out.
Gospel Touch Northwest
Recent review: Great singing, but it would have been good if the choir had all sung with the congregation and also more songs at the beginning. Lovely people though, thank you.
Belles Voix
About: Belles Voix is a 6 piece female vocal ensemble based in Staffordshire, UK. With a broad repertoire and stunning sound, the Belles will add class to any event.
Clubland Entertainments
About: Clubland Entertainments are an Entertainment Agency based in Lancashire and Cumbria. We have been established for over 20 years. We provide all types of entertainment throughout the UK including DJ...
Stacey Lynn
Recent review: Stacey was brilliant from start to finish. She answered all my Questions before hand and was more then willing to meet my request! Thank you Stacey!
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Pippa Langhorne
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The Noelles
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Picks and Pans Review: Crossing to Freedom
CBS (Sun., April 8, 9 P.M. ET)
An English gentleman (Peter O'Toole) is vacationing in France when the Germans invade in 1940. The reluctant hero leads a flock of children out of the country, aided by a local woman (Mare Winningham with a snarled French accent).
The costuming and the photography are good. And O'Toole is marvelous, with his beautifully cadenced diction and his air of compassion and civility. But he's freighted in more ways than one by the escaping tykes. Following their tedious peregrinations is like watching a large family of ducks taking a long waddle.


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Earlier this year my husband Mark and I were searching holidays online not knowing the destination we wanted to visit. We just knew that we wanted somewhere with guaranteed sunshine. We'd heard many good things about Mykonos, and I'd seen so many ridiculously beautiful photos on Pinterest. We decided it looked like the place for us. Earlier this month we holidayed there for a full week and loved every second.
Normally when we go away we like to book the flights and hotel separately so we aren't constricted at all. This time we booked everything through Thomson in their January sale and I could not fault them. Everything was so simple and travel went smoothly.
As Mykonos is a small island, our transfer from the airport to our accommodation was only ten mins. A dream after waking up at 3am to catch our flight.
We stayed on Ornos Beach at the Ammos Hotel which had been recommended to us by my parents who had previously stayed there last year and I cannot rate it enough. We didn't realise the hotel was a five star until we got there! As soon as we arrived we were treated so well. They gave us a complimentary upgrade and we were put up in a lovely sea view room with a balcony. It was a right treat to spend a morning watching the sun rise from the terrace and later on in the afternoon having pre-dinner drinks on before heading out. I have so much to say in this post I think i'm going to have to do a separate one about the hotel!
Mykonos Town
The hotel is situated about a 5 minute drive into Mykonos Town. We caught the bus a couple of times but opted to walk mostly as it only took 20 mins.
Mykonos Town itself is just absolutely stunning. Everywhere you turn there is a photo opportunity. The white wash buildings with their blue awnings mixed with the vibrant pink trees dotted about it's just like something straight off of a postcard.
You can see how I found it so hard to choose which photos to feature on this post!
The windy, tiny streets means it's so easy to get lost in them which we didn't mind at all as around every turn there was something new to see.
Now, Mykonos is known for being a bit of a party island, and in recent years has been taken over a little by the rich. Amongst the amazing streets there are mostly designer shops which I thought did spoil the vibe a little (I'm not one for designers!) but that is the only negative I would say about the town. It was so clean and beautiful.
On every street there are a number of lovely looking restaurants. We dined out every night and I'll do a separate post with my recommendations of where and what to eat shortly too.
Quad Bikes
Wherever you go in Mykonos there are quad bikes and scooters. I lost count of how many places I saw with them for hire outside!
The weather when we were there was pretty amazing. We only really had one morning where it was overcast and so we decided to rent a quad bike for 24 hours. This cost us €25 which was an absolute bargain.
Having a vehicle allowed us to do a lot more exploring of the island. We visited Agios Sostis beach where we'd heard all about a taverna called Kiki's. I'll write more about our experience in the restaurant blog post, however I will say this was totally worth the 20 minute drive over. The small beach next to it was stunning.
Paradise Beach
We also popped over to Paradise Beach one morning to take a look around. Paradise Beach is a well known party beach in Mykonos. We got some pretty good snaps here, however didn't stay long as we much preferred 'our' beach in Ornos (it seemed less crowded!)
The Windmills and Little Venice
A trip to Mykonos wouldn't be complete without seeing the windmills and sitting in a bar in Little Venice with a cocktail whilst watching the sun go down.
Little Venice is a great place to spend your evening. There are plenty of bars and restaurants lining the water overlooking the amazing sunset each night. We spent an evening before dinner at a bar called Scarpa where I had the most delicious cocktail. They had an extensive menu filled with traditional and original cocktails it was so hard to choose which one to try! Mark went for a chilli whiskey flavoured one which also went down very well.
The windmills are definitely worth a visit, they look so beautiful under the pink orange sky of a sunset too, however be warned, they draw out more crowds at that time and I found it so hard to get photos without some random stranger in!
Ornos Beach
Our hotel was situated on Ornos Beach which is absolutely beautiful with soft sand and clear blue water. I'll write more about the hotel in another post, but if you're thinking of visiting Mykonos I highly recommend staying in Ornos. The beach is filled with sun loungers, however it didn't ever feel too crowded. Restaurants and bars also line the sand with food from Sushi to Italian and you can't move for cocktails!
The town of Ornos is small with a number of different food outlets, shops and bakeries. The bus to Mykonos town is frequent and takes about 5 mins for about €2.50.
We much preferred to stay in Ornos as we had the best of both relaxation but we were away from the town and the crowds some what.
That's it! Phew, I'm sorry for all the photo spam.. I couldn't help myself. When I got home i had over 500 photos to go through!
I hope you enjoyed it. Hotel and restaurants review blog posts coming shortly, watch this space!
Hannah x
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Go Go Gadget Blog Post!
The best ones are shiny, futuristic, and especially functional. They make every job easier and often more enjoyable to do. Pulling out a cool tech piece can make your work more fun, and potentially safer, too. Have a look at a few of our favorite gadgets.
This compact, durable device doesn't necessarily make your job easier, but it definitely keeps you safe. RF monitors are becoming required equipment by more and more carriers. The FS8500 has two modes, measure, and monitor. In measure mode, the field strength is continuously measured. This is used to make sure that a site is safe to be in before work begins. Then once you're working, switch the unit over to monitor mode, where the fieldSENSE will alert you if any sudden changes in exposure occur.
A key feature in the fieldSENSE unit that sets it apart from others is that it shows the percentage of exposure level above 100 percent. Other units top out at 100 percent, but the amount of time you can safely work in 100 percent exposure is very different than the amount of time you can work in 250%. The fieldSENSE makes it clear what exposure level you're in, to keep you safe.
Here's a gadget that's packed full of features to help you work faster and smarter. This laser measurement tool can measure distance, area, volume, slope, height tracking, and more.
Pair it with the powerful iOS app and you can make detailed sketches and instantly mark measurements onto a photo of the jobsite. It connects via Bluetooth to your device and sends the information immediately. The full color screen is bright enough to see outside, and the camera feature can be used to zoom in on a point to measure. Check out the video overview to see it in action.
Johnson Self Leveling Cross Line Laser Level
This is an economically priced self-leveling laser level kit that makes getting straight and square lines simple. All you have to do is place the device on the included tripod and flip the knob. The internal pendulum is released and will steady itself into a perfect horizontal and vertical line.
It's great for hanging shelves, cabinets, photos or tile. Plus it's made by Johnson, a long-trusted name in levels, so you know it's good. See the video to learn more.
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Last week I had a "Wow! I'm in Japan" moments. It was on the coach ride home from a school trip in Nagoya and I'd just woken up and looked at the stunning scenery outside. In that millisecond I'd remembered I was in Japan, something I used to do in the first few months of moving here. The journey back from Nagoya was reminiscence of when I first saw the green mountains, sea views and rice fields of Fukui nearly two years ago. Now, I'm seeing the world around me in a different light, with the eyes of someone who is leaving and wants to take it all in before I no longer can.
I will be leaving Japan next month and feel like I'm chugging closer and closer to the top of an emotional roller coaster. I'm sure it will breach when I get on a train to leave Echizen for the last time. At that time, I'll allow the tears to flow but in the meantime I have a lot to do; forms to fill out, ceramics to send home, clothes to throw out, a car, bike and snowboard to sell and sayonara speeches to give.
I've left places I've loved before, and it's not easy as a place is the setting for so many memories. After four years in Cambridge, I had to leave my antiquated house, my friends and all that went along with them – playing tennis in the afternoons, formal dinners and bike rides along the river. I remember it was a sad journey home, but that is just a reflection of how good a time I had there. If the same theory goes for Japan, I could be crying the whole 12 hours flight back, but hope I won't be!
The physical packing up and turning the key in the door of my flat will be a poignant moment. The moment that connects the present tense 'I live here' to the past tense 'I lived there.' I've decided to delay packing up my stuff until the last couple of weeks, so I can enjoy the last month with looking at my flat's bare walls and empty shelves and feeling like a stranger in my own home.
Yet, as my friend whose read "The Power of Now" has told me, I have to live in the present. To enjoy every day and not reminisce about the past or worry about the future. It's not easy to do, but knowing I've made the most of my time here; travelling far and wide, making close friends and hopefully inspiring a few students along the way.
With only some vague ideas of what I'm going to do when I get home, I will have time to reflect on my Japanese experience by continuing to write this blog, talking to anyone who's interested and sorting through the thousands of photos I've taken (including way too many of rice fields and flowers).
I don't like making a big deal out of farewells, but I know it's important to do them well. Of course I'll be able to keep up with my friends on-line, but it isn't the same as drinking together on Friday nights and laughing until our sides hurt. What will keep us together are the good, the bad and the embarrassing memories made in here, like the time I misjudged where I should sit in this photo!
Before I leave Fukui, I want to spend as much time as I can with my friends here. Yet at the same time I'm mentally adjusting to stepping back into my old life, with a new pair of shoes. I'm excited to make up for missed time with my friends and family again but apprehensive about experiencing what they call 'reverse culture shock', but is probably less of a 'shock' and more of a gradual readjustment to a different lifestyle. It's going to be a big change, but one I'm looking forward to embracing the ups-and-downs of.
One friend who went through this process last year said, "It all becomes like a dream." Well if it does, it will be one of the best dreams I've ever had.