text:
Pagan Studies
Experiment with your magical practice by learning how to apply art, pop culture, neuroscience, psychology, and other disciplines to your magical work, as well as exploring fundamental underlying principles of what makes magic work. You'll never look at magic in the same way!
The Literacy of Magic Pt 1
Recently Ivo Dominguez Jr published a thought provoking article where he discussed the lack of the literacy in magic in today's Pagans. While I found myself nodding in agreement with a lot of what he had to say (I've observed in the past that there is an increasing amount of emphasis on removing magic from Paganism because it makes Paganism less acceptable to the mainstream*), I also found his use of the word literacy problematic, and by extension it caused me to re-examine his article and some of my agreement with the article in a different light. As a result, I think it worthwhile to examine the concept of the literacy of magic, both in relationship to the word literacy and its variety of meanings, and also in context to the practice of magic vs the "literacy" of magic, which I'll argue are not one and the same (in part 2 of this series). In fact, part of the issue I have with the use of the word literacy is that conjures up the armchair magician, a person has read a lot of books on magic, but has done little, if anything, with that magical knowledge. I would locate the armchair magician on the opposite end of the illiterate Pagan (at least as that illiteracy applies to magic). However, as we'll see, it's simplistic to categorize anyone as literate or illiterate, because literacy itself is a loaded term.
In his article, Ivo uses the definition of literacy that many people use, which is that literacy is the ability to read and write. He also touches on numeracy, which is the ability to do math. Traditionally literacy has been focused on understanding how people acquire the ability to read and write, while also demonstrating how people actually read and write, and it also focuses on how people should think about reading and writing. The problem with this definition of literacy is that it doesn't actually describe what literacy is, but rather describes what literacy is supposed to enable someone to do, as well as defining how literacy should be understood by people engaged in it.
In new literacy studies, the focus on literacy isn't so much about the ability to read, write, or do math, but moreso about understanding and critiquing how institutional standards are applied to determine if someone is "literate" i.e. if someone has the requisite types of skills that enable that person be judged as being literate. Literate activities occur within specific social institutions, and for us to really understand literacy (of any type) we necessarily need to understand the social context that informs the application of literacy. We also need to ask who gets to decide what literacy is, as well as which literacies count and which ones don't count. Finally we need to consider the agenda of the people defining literacy. How does that agenda favor the person doing the defining?
In the excellent book Defining Reality by Edward Schiappa (which overtly has nothing to do with magic, but in my humble opinion should be required reading for any magician), the author explores in depth how definitions are created and points out that definitions aren't "is" statements (i.e. statements that describe the essence of something) but rather are "ought to be" statement, which advocate for specific functional relationships between words and people. In other words, a definition describes how people ought to understand the application of the word to people and the actions people take that fit the definition of the word. Schiappa goes onto explain that definitions are always based in institutions and used as a way to enforce the agenda of the institutions. This is important to recognize because when we use a given word such as literacy what we're really using is a loaded word, which carries with it institutional agendas which may not serve our own interests or the interests of other people. The problem with any social institution is that it inevitably excludes certain people in favor of other people, and in that process categorizes those people and their ability or lack as it applies to the definition of the term. We see this in Ivo's article when he argues the following:
"Although I can say that ease of access to ideas through the internet, bookstores, and Pagan and Magickal events has increased awareness of many social issues, ideologies, religious and theological perspectives, and the vast amount of minutia related Pagan culture and fads, there is an increasing percentage of the Pagan community that is magickally illiterate and innumerate. I'm not saying that people are less serious, less devoted, or less committed to their path. Nor am I saying that the level of discourse has dropped, in fact in many ways it is much more sophisticated in exploring the development of Pagan culture. What I have noticed is that the technical end of things, magick theory, sacred sciences, and the like, are less well known. I've also noticed a trend towards focusing more exclusively on the lore and mythology of a specific people or a specific time at the expense of a generalized understanding of how magickal paths manifest in a variety of cultures and communities."
What Ivo does here is define whether someone is magically literate or not, by what they do or don't know about magic, as well as by what they do or don't know about other related topics, such as a focus on a specific culture, lore, or mythology. He goes on to define what he believes magical literacy (and numeracy) ought to be:
"magickal literacy and numeracy involves an understanding of symbols (the equivalent of letters, numbers, etc.) and of grammar and rules of operation for the manipulation and measurement of subtle forces. Magickal literacy and numeracy also means that a person has a way to read, to reason, to understand, and to make comparisons between magickal concepts, practices, and experiences. Integral to this is the capacity to analyze and to quantify what works, what doesn't work, and why in rituals, operative magic, divination, and other similar practices. Magickal literacy and numeracy are hard to separate from each other, but this last description leans more heavily into the idea of magickal numeracy."
Ivo raises some distinctive arguments, but the problem here is that these arguments are really privileging certain types of magical literacy over other types of magical literacy. And in that process of doing so, we perhaps miss out on the fact that a person could be exploring a literacy of magic, which while not general, still nonetheless speaks to the spiritual practices and experiences that s/he has. When a person chooses to focus on a particular culture, its mythology, and lore, who is to say the person isn't magically literate? S/he may not have the same type of magical literacy that Ivo has, but to assume that the person is magically illiterate is to create an institutional standard that excludes the person from being considered a magician.
Now it can be argued that there is a need to define the literacy of magic, to provide institutional standards, in order to safeguard what magic seems to be, and to ensure that people do have a more general understanding of what magic ought to be, but I'd argue that the problem with such institutional standards again comes right down to who decides what those standards are, as well as who decides what actually is considered magic and what isn't. Ivo acknowledges the difficulty involved in creating an agreeable curriculum:
"This kind of core capability would probably arise from a basic working knowledge of magick theory (laws of magick), metaphysics (philosophy of being and reality), trusted systems (Qabala, Astrology, Alchemy, etc.), and other related frameworks. This may be a good starting point from my perspective, but the next obstacle is in creating an agreeable curriculum. There are so many different approaches, schools, and systems that it becomes almost impossible for any one individual to have time to truly become conversant in more than a small sector of what is available. Moreover, the choices to be made and what is valuable to be included or excluded in such a curriculum would be determined by the sensibilities of the person's starting point. There is also the predicament of finding adequate teachers for each of the topics that are included in such a curriculum."
I'll admit that the core capability that Ivo describes is one that I wouldn't entirely agree with because I'm not entirely convinced for example that Astrology is absolutely essential to developing a core understanding of magic. And therein lies the issue with defining a literacy of magic, because if I were to give you my own idea of what a literacy of magic should be constituted of, it would differ in some significant ways from what Ivo suggests, even at the core level. And as Ivo acknowledges it gets more complicated because there so many different schools, systems, and approaches, that it is hard for a given person to fully learn all of the material already in existence (as well as new material being developed).
It may seem odd when I say that I actually agree with Ivo about the need for a general understanding of magic, but I actually do think its essential to have a broad foundational knowledge of magic in order to really understand it. The reason I've made my argument in this post boils down to this: when we try to typify what magic is and what a "literate" magician is we run the risk of alienating the very people who could benefit from that general knowledge, because we get involved in an institutional exclusion of them based on trying to define what constitutes a literacy of magic that may, as a result, deny the actually literacy of magic those people have already accessed. As a person who's been told a number of times that what I do isn't magic, I can tell you that it is highly discouraging when people pass judgement on what you are doing as a spiritual practice because it doesn't fit within their own definition of magic. That kind of discouragement does not lead a person to want to learn more about magic, but rather can end up driving him/her from the very community s/he had wanted to be part of. Certainly, in my case, I purposely spent several years away from the occult/pagan community because of how certain narrow minded people had acted when they tried to discourage my exploration of pop culture and magic. Fortunately, I didn't stop studying magic, but I took a break from the community because I realized that what I really needed was to continue my experimentation and exploration of what magic could be without having to deal with people who thought they knew better than I what magic ought to be. And when I eventually came back, I had a better understanding of magic and I was still doing the practices that other people said weren't magic, but which I knew were magic. Those magical practices include work focused on pop culture magic, space/time magic and other subjects I've written on, which while not necessarily traditional, nonetheless have been found to be legitimate forms of magical practice by not just myself but also by others.
Defining the literacy of magic necessarily becomes an issue of social institutions defining what magic ought to be and who is or isn't practicing magic, but for us to really understand magic, we need to carefully consider that when we define magic as a literacy we limit our understanding of it as well, in a way that can blind us to the evolution of magic, as well as the understanding of magic as a practice as opposed to a literacy.
In my next article in this series, I'm going to share my own explorations of the definition and literacy of magic, because this has been a pet interest of mine for the last 10 years and this topic is, I think, extremely relevant to the evolution of magic and its relevance in our modern society and culture as well as whether magic can continue to be relevant to the Pagan community. We'll also explore in further depth the difference between a literacy of magic and a practice of magic, which I think is essential in understanding how problematic it can be to apply the concept of literacy to magic.
*I recognize that for some spiritual paths such as Heathen or polytheistic practices, magic is consider to be optional, and as such not every person will feel a need to practice magic or see it as essential for their spiritual experience.
Saturday, 23 November 2013
I am happy to read this exploration of the social constructs around words like literacy and the implications of using words of such. I think it can be very alienating.... and while I agree that there is not a common core for magical learning, and that could be useful, I also see that it could leave a lot of people out of the acceptable magic category. And that is very problematic for me.
For example, I think there are a lot of cultural nuances that are passed down from family to family, ones that are a part of our magical paths even if not identified that way by others. These types of magic would not be included in a system like this, and in essence it would serve to exclude those who call into that category.
So while I can see Ivo's reasoning, I think there are some potentially damaging side effects to this type of black and white thinking in the magical community, especially for those of mixed cultures and people of color.· Taylor Ellwood likes this comment. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
Thank you Crystal. I think that the problem with a common core of magical practices is that magic is so personalized in the end. I actually find it better to examine magic as a process because I think that any given magical act can ultimately be examined as a process. There may be specific contexts that inform that process, but those contexts can actually be included as part of the process.
Saturday, 23 November 2013
Ms. Ellwood,
I believe you have raised some valid points. My understanding is that African Traditional Religions, for example, rely upon a very different metaphysical foundation than heavily Pythagorean and Platonic-influenced paths like Wicca, 'Neo' Platonism, or many forms of eclectic Paganism. It's not just that the spiritual Powers That Be have African names. The metaphysical and theological concepts, the very building blocks of their spiritual universe, are often radically different. Many, like their Heathen spiritual cousins, are loathe to call themselves, "Pagan".
Despite all my reading of the Divine Plato and His Legitimate Successors, for all my practice and devotion, an ATR practitioner might well consider me 'magically illiterate'.
I've said it before: Our Pagan family has grown into a collection of tribes. Thank the Goddesses and Gods for it, but there are some things [like this] about which many will never see to eye to eye. Better to preserve and promote our own systems of belief, in my opinion, than try to evaluate the level of metaphysical knowledge of those outside our own traditions.· Taylor Ellwood likes this comment. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
I agree Jamie and your example is a perfect illustration of why trying to evaluate metaphysical knowledge can be so problematic.
· Jamie likes this comment. -
Sunday, 24 November 2013
Thank you Taylor Ellwood, Your thoughts find welcome and appreciation.
I find the ideas of anthropologist Roger Bastide most enticing when thing about contemporary religious and magical phenomena. Bastides observations and interactions with Brazilian and African ritual seemed to lead to an understanding of the process of institutions, institutionalisation and indeed the carefully managed overthrow (perhaps sometimes temporarily) as a much needed aspect of culture. Seemingly inferring, nay stating, that preist-craft, in whatever form, seems to help communities seek to traverse the passage and integration of the journey between profane and sacred (and back again).
Seemingly, for Bastide, promoting the idea that religions (as institutions) can get seen to resist against religious experiences and become guardians of some form of 'morality' seems a key point.
In introducing (or at least widening familiarity with) the concept of the 'instituant' experiences, Francois Gauthier in their paper 'Rapturous ruptures' give a 'rule of thumb' to play with:-
"the institution is always instituted by an instituant, and that the instituant is always a primary moment in the process of institutionalization."
Proposing that the ritual that forms an instituant process can become a major source of "major disorder, renewal and reorganisation". And in Gauthiers thoughts, sits in opposition to (although not exclusive from) the instituted ritual, which seems to serve in maintenance of the institution.
This tricky business of, perhaps, seeking the wild and vivid and potentially transformative insituant, whilst holding a certain amount of domestication, in order to return – I tend to agree, seems very much part of the practice of the magician.
In "Le Sacre Sauvage", Bastide presents the idea that 'organic' society ritual seems essentially; tuned to the notion of transforming the instituant into the institutional – As a methodology to meet the needs of personal and indeed group transformation, whilst conserving precious resources.
Further, when speaking of the balance of needs and wants, any culture might find its institutions 'degraded' into the guardians of morality (of any sort) whilst the instituant experiences will find expression elsewhere. As Gauthier points out – often with an increase of ferality and wildness.
All this wordage, I quote liberally, to wonder how this might apply to the topic at hand. In seeking a particular institutional approach to literacy (or not, as the case maybe). I think we can benefit from musing on the purpose of our practice and what experiences it seeks to facilitate.
If we consider Bastides observations, then perhaps we can see one form of literacy that provides some framework for experimentation with our practice, whether we explore a long established ritual formula, or indeed something of a more novel creation. It seems to me, that in whatever aspect of our paths we muse upon, in finding a useful framework, which can attend to the needs of the passage into sacred experience (and perhaps back or between, and perhaps renewed and newly illuminated) – we might find language and tools that help us on our way and communicate those process' to others; by example.
Frater Sincea· Taylor Ellwood likes this comment. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
Hello Frater Sincea,
I think you hit on some key points above, especially via the examination of religions as moral institution that discourages experiences that fall outside that institution.
I'm really not in favor of applying literacy to magic because I feel that applying such an institution to magic creates a similar tension as what you've noted above. -
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Thank you Taylor Ellwood,
I do like to play with the idea that we can visualize our frameworks in something of a network of nodes. Through our experiments, our training, our pursuit, we define limitations, opportunities and connections (amongst other aspects). In exploring the arte, we find a way with experience. I might suggest, that the tension of instituant and institution might simply form the construct of where many of us currently (prefer to?) play. We can of course, imagine and manifest other ways/places to explore.
I have often found delight in the similes and metaphors that look to other entities, for inspiration. I remember delighting, many years ago, in hearing Ramsey Dukes speak about magic groups getting seen to go through the phases of life - Seeding, growing, flowering, fruiting and then seeding further afield. Perhaps such comparisons, most especially when presented by Lionel, do hold enticing qualities for Pagans - Perhaps they can help create feelings of assurance, that even in the midst of the chaos of a messy group/temple/coven/order etc ending, some of the scattered idea seeds will take root in unexpected places.
Still, the practitioner can use all of their skills to work amongst the spheres as s/he finds hIr way. But I suspect that the want of institution might ride high, when we see them as structures of success. Letting go of such notions, and finding new ways of doing, might seem a challenge - but the doing proves delicious. And with that, I find myself lit up with an idea for a ritual. So to work, play and exploration I now go.
Frater Sincea· Taylor Ellwood likes this comment. -
Sunday, 24 November 2013
I actually think that we agree more than we disagree but I'd say a close re-reading of my original post is in order for both of us. I actually state clearly that the terms literacy and numeracy were being used as place holders in the discussion. My blog was meant to encourage discussion and I am happy that it has done so. One of the main points I was making was for the need to contemplate what a liberal arts education would look like from a magickal perspective and that is actually major thrust of my post, not the social constructs around specific words. I also specifically said that my quick list of sacred sciences were examples and not proposals. I will do a follow up post to my post. Lore and practices without a theoretical construct to understand how they work is much more damaging to the long term development of communities and the relationship between communities. Please do read or re-read: http://witchesandpagans.com/Pagan-Culture-Blogs/paging-thoth-athena.html
· Taylor Ellwood likes this comment. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
Hello Ivo,
Thanks for commenting. I have read your article a few times very carefully. I would agree that we have some agreement on this topic, but I also think that the application of literacy as a placeholder unfortunately brings with it the institutional baggage which is associated with the word.
And I think that a comment made on this post further illustrates the problem, namely that the Western Magical tradition is just one tradition among many and that trying to build a core magical competency around any given tradition as well as the disciplines within that tradition brings out the possibility of exclusion, and the questions of who decides what is magical literacy and in who's interest is that literacy defined.
Do I feel a similar sense of concern in regards to the place of magic in Paganism? Most definitely and it is something that should continually be examined, because as I'll argue in my next post on this topic, I think that magic is relevant, but defining what is or isn't magic gets complicated fast. -
Sunday, 24 November 2013
One of the problems that I had with Ivo's post was when he reached this point in the conversation:
"I've also noticed a trend towards focusing more exclusively on the lore and mythology of a specific people or a specific time at the expense of a generalized understanding of how magickal paths manifest in a variety of cultures and communities."
When we try to speak about a "general magickal curriculum" or a "liberal arts magickal education", we sometimes forget that we are already speaking from a very specific magickal tradition, what is commonly known as the Western Magical Tradition. Ceremonial magick, Alchemy, Astrology, Hermeticism, all these traditions and more are connected and rooted in this specific lineage, which itself is rooted in a specific historical time and place, the Hellenistic age in the Mediterranean. So to chastise those who choose to engage with a specific people or time period seems to be pretty weak, especially considering that those people might very well be "magickally literate" but choose to focus their energies elsewhere. What comes to mind for me are those who practice reconstructionist traditions: often their first introduction into Paganism and magick is through this heavily WMT-influenced tradition and after spending a great deal of time with it choose to focus on their specific lineages, i.e. Hellenismos, Celtic Reconstructionism, Asatru/Heathenry, Kemeticism, ATR, etc. which, while they each might have magical practices, will come from a very different cultural understanding that will not have any relation to a "general" understanding of magic.· Taylor Ellwood likes this comment. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
This is a part of a reply to a similar comment on my blog page but it applies to your comment as well.
Certainly you do not need a liberal arts education in occult theory to be a devoted follower of a religion, but if you are a practitioner there is great value in understanding multiple systems. There are magickal practitioners that are Heathen. I would say that authors and teachers like Diana Paxson, Kveldulf Gundarsson, and Edred Thorsson are as good as they are because they cross-trained in multiple systems. One of the most interesting conversations that I was a part of included, among others, a spiritualist medium and a spaekona. All walked away with more insights on their practice because we knew enough about various systems to ask good questions and to infer more.
What I am saying is that we are all different as are our practices and that we could improve what we do my exploring broader perspectives.
I have suggested to people within my Wiccan/Pagan community to look to the Heathens and Druids for good examples of devotional work which is usually less developed in my community. I have had Heathen practitioners train with me because of their desire to delve deeper into magickal practices that were looked at askance by their fellow Heathens. Not surprisingly they told be not to tell our mutual Heathen friends. We live in the present and hopefully plan for the future. Though it may not be your calling, I know reconstructionists that do want to develop homegrown theories of magick and my blog is as much for them as for my community. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
I'd maintain that there are a few basic fundamental propositions which make up a 'general' understanding of magic, in both theory and practice, irrespective of any cultural or systemic overlay.
That the various cultural understandings are elaborations or developments of those basic propositions.
In regards to the use of the word 'literacy', working from the basic definition as 'ability to read and write' and modifying it through the adjective "magical" would suggest to me simply the ability to "read" and "write" magic.
any adjective coupled with the word literacy more or less describes the symbol set within which one has the ability write in and read and understand what is written.
So yeah there can be, and in my view, there is a general magical literacy which underlies more specific literacy. One can become proficient in a specific discipline by learning the symbol set and applying that general literacy of magic to that symbol set.· Taylor Ellwood likes this comment. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
Hello Henry,
If literacy is just the ability to read and write that might work, but there's a lot more to literacy than just what it can do, and that's what I've critiqued, because when we apply literacy to this topic, what we're applying is a loaded word with institutional agendas that likely will not empower everyone they are applied to. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
Hi Taylor,
yet that is exactly what literacy does mean. it is the word used to express that certain ability, and I understand the institutional baggage associated with the word. I can see also how those might be invoked in regard to Ivo's though experiment which uses institutional learning, as well as 'institutionalized" forms of magic as part of the analogy. It's when dealing with those specific forms that I'd say, the 'new literacy' ideas come into play. For me, as I mentioned above, there are only a few propositions that underlie magical practices, and those aren't dependent upon any cultural worldviews, but are for the most part universal, perhaps likened to the 'broad foundation" you mentioned, and my ultimate standard/test of magic is "did it work?"
I've been teaching magic theory and practice for a few decades, what I teach leads to the ability to "read and write" magic, and for purposes of a discussion what I teach is magical literacy. I just don't call it that.· Taylor Ellwood likes this comment. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
Hi Henry,
I disagree that literacy is just the ability to read and write, likely because my area of academic studies was in literacy studies, and that particular definition of literacy doesn't seem to work in new literacy studies. The institutional baggage is a necessary part of the definition which needs to be brought out into the open to, among other things, critique and explore exactly what reading and writing really is, but also explores what other forms of literacy there might be. New literacy studies, for example, integrates design in as part of literacy, and that's not something covered in reading and writing.
I agree with you that there are some propositions (or principles) of magic that underlie magical practices (which seem to be universal). Like you I wouldn't call it magical literacy and I don't know that I would characterize what I teach as even being the ability to read and write magic, so much as to practice it, which I consider to be much more than just reading and writing magic. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
when I wrote "read and write" magic, theory and practice were implied, though I didn't make a point of that. In a manner of speaking, to 'write' magic is to practice it, to 'read' it, is to understand what is being conveyed. I may not call it magical literacy but it may be described as magical literacy, at least from my perspective.
Should I understand you to mean that this "new' literacy is an issue of a social institution defining what 'literacy' is above and beyond the general meaning of the term? and so it shouldn't be used due to the baggage associated as a result?
And if part of this 'new literacy' is to explore other forms of literacy, why not a 'magical literacy'?· Taylor Ellwood likes this comment. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
Hi Henry,
I see your point, and I think if you were to describe magic in terms of literacy, i would need to go beyond the surface description of reading and writing. I don't think I'd explore it in that way, but certainly nothing wrong with doing so, provided a more nuanced exploration of literacy is included, which is really why I wrote what I wrote in the first place. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
Just as a clarification, I did not say that the Western Magickal Tradition was the only source for trusted systems, only that it was my starting point. I am encouraging people to discuss what they would count as their trusted frameworks and create their own ways to deepen their work and the work of their community.
I am not concerned about a thought experiment magickal colleges disempowering people or the use of a term as a placeholder in a blog.
From the blog:
"By the way, this college is a thought experiment and not proposal" "There is no existing word that I am aware of in a Pagan/Magickal context that is analogous to the core capacities implied by literacy and numeracy so for the moment I am just adding the word magickal as a way of exploring the question. "
I am concerned so few people that practice magick by whatever they call it in their system/tradition/faith have the tools to analyze and understand what they do on a deeper level so that it can improve and evolve. That is the disempowerment that concerns me.· Taylor Ellwood likes this comment. -
Monday, 25 November 2013
Hi Ivo,
Thanks for the clarification. I really appreciate that you've written that post, because it's gotten some much needed conversation to occur, here and on your blog as well as on the Wild Hunt Blog apparently. I'm looking forward to seeing where the conversation goes.
I've noted that some people feel magic is optional to their spiritual path and a question that arises for me (and perhaps for you) is if it's optional, why is even part of a spiritual tradition or path (To me optional implies that it's not intrinsic to the given spiritual practice)?· Henry Buchy likes this comment. -
Please login first in order for you to submit comments


text:
No, Vino Joe did not make the list. Rumor has it that I finished 8th.
According to Kansas City Wine Examiner Dennis Schaefer, WineOpinions released the list of the top seven wine bloggers according to the wine trade as: [Read more…]
Wine Reviews Tasting Notes and Education for the Non-Snob
by Joe Janish
No, Vino Joe did not make the list. Rumor has it that I finished 8th.
According to Kansas City Wine Examiner Dennis Schaefer, WineOpinions released the list of the top seven wine bloggers according to the wine trade as: [Read more…]
by Joe Janish
Every once in a blue moon (the cheesey-looking thing in the sky, not the beer), I'm asked to do a review of a website in return for cash — what is called a "sponsored review" — via the ReviewMe! service. Whenever I am paid to do such a review, I make it clear upfront (as I'm doing right now). Please note that I never have, and never will, accept money to review a wine — so don't bother asking. That said, the server fees need to be paid every month, so reviewing a website related to wine/food/spirits is, in my mind, a decent way to help pay the bills while retaining my integrity. (BTW I would love to hear your opinion — do you think it's OK to do these sponsored reviews of websites or no?)
So, the website under review is called Buy Absinthe and it is place where, as you might guess, you can purchase absinthe, variations on absinthe, and absinthe accessories.
As soon as you visit the site, you can see right away that it was most likely put together by someone whose first language is French — in fact the top of the site is in French, and you have to scroll down a bit to get to the English text. The left sidebar offers images of absinthe products, each with a link underneath exclaiming "Buy it now!" … you can probably guess that those links lead you to an order page.
If you scroll down far enough, though, there are a few fairly useful links for those who want to learn more about absinthe. Specifically, there are three links for education: one, a thorough FAQ covering common questions (What does absinthe taste like? Is Thujone dangerous? etc.); second, a link to a page with a brief history of absinthe; and third, a simple explanation with image instructing you on the traditional way to serve absinthe. There is also a link to absinthe "accessories" (who knew?) for items such as spoons, glasses, and a "traditional absinthe fountain" (it's not cheap).
The copywriting on all these pages leaves a bit to be desired — the wording was obviously translated and there are numerous grammatical and spelling errors. However, if you can get past that, and you are interested in absinthe, it's a decent if general resource on the spirit.
In addition, there is a Buy Absinthe Blog. Again, the translation of the posts could be better.
As mentioned earlier, the focus of the site and the blog is to get you to buy absinthe, and you can do so easily by clicking on the following link: Buy absinthe here. However, I did not order anything from this site, so I cannot comment on the company's shipping practices, the quality of their products, nor their customer service. Personally, when it comes to digestifs with mysterious backgrounds and hallucinogenic tendencies, my choice is Chartreuse.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
There are 13 products.
Active filters
Terpenes are the main constituent of the essential oils of some plants and flowers, such as lemon, orange and cannabis. In addition, terpenes are a natural diluent, so they are able to dilute any extract, oil or resin.
The "Original Cannabis Profiles" to aromatize and dissolve your extract are combinations of organic cannabis terpenes that we can find in nature also in different plant varieties. The Terpenes offers you the perfect aroma of your favorite cannabis variety.
It is ideal to dilute any type of oil, resin or wax and convert it into a "liquid fluid" format in order to "vaporize" any natural extract with the advantages that this entails to the classic combustion in pipe, bong, cigar and suitable for aromatherapy
Test your extract with our cannabis terpenes of Skunk, Haze, OG Kush, etc. And you will be really surprised. With a minimum amount it will dilute and flavor your extract, leaving it ready for use with a vaporizer... Gourmet Experience!


text:
Apr '14 - Nov '14
After two days of intensive studio we had some conversations surround what the different groups had come up with. Some good work has come out of such a good time but also a lot of questions raised, more work to be done still.
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Studio 19 is a collaboration between UNITEC and Strachan Group Architects (SGA). Third year architecture students are given the opportunity to work along side SGA to design, document and build a project. The Brief from Ngāti Whātua O Ōrākei was to design of a master plan of eight houses for elderly tribe members. One of these houses is to be documented and built by the students.


text:
Chapter XVII.—Council held by Theophilus and the Accusers of John in Rufinianæ. John is summoned to attend, and not being present, was deposed by Them.
When Theophilus entered Constantinople, none of the clergy went out to meet him; for his enmity against the bishop had become publicly known. 1607 Some sailors from Alexandria, however, who chanced to be on the shore, both from the corn vessels as well as other ships, having collected together, received him with great acclamations of joy. Passing by the church, he proceeded directly to the palace, where a lodging had been prepared for his accommodation. He soon perceived that many people p. 410 of the city were strongly prejudiced against John, and ready to bring accusations against him; and taking his measures accordingly, he repaired to a place called "The Oak," in the suburbs of Chalcedon. This place now bears the name of Rufinus; for he was a consul, and erected here a magnificent palace, and a great church in honor of the apostles, Peter and Paul, and therefore named it the Apostolium; and appointed a congregation of monks to perform the clerical duties in the church. When Theophilus and the other bishops met for deliberation in this place, he judged it expedient to make no further allusion to the works of Origen, and called the monks of Scetis to repentance, promising that there would be no recollection of wrongs nor infliction of evil. His partisans zealously seconded his efforts, and told them that they must ask Theophilus to pardon their conduct; and as all the members of the assembly concurred in this request, the monks were troubled, and believing that it was necessary to do what they were desired by so many bishops, they used the words which it was their custom to use even when injured, and said "spare us." Theophilus willingly received them into favor, and restored them to communion; and the question concerning the injuries done to the monks of Scetis was ended. I feel convinced that this matter would not have been so quickly settled, had Dioscorus and Ammonius been present with the other monks. But Dioscorus had died some time previously, and had been interred in the church dedicated to St. Mocius the martyr. Ammonius, also, had been taken ill at the very time that preparations were being made for the convocation of the council; and although he insisted upon repairing to "The Oak," yet his malady was thereby greatly increased: he died soon after his journey, and had a splendid entombment among the monks of that vicinity, and there he lies. Theophilus, it is said, shed tears on hearing of his death, and declared that although he had been the cause of much perplexity, there was not a monk to be found of more exalted character than Ammonius. It must, however, be admitted, that the death of this monk tended much to promote the success of the designs of Theophilus.
The members of the council summoned all the clergy of Constantinople to appear before them, and threatened to depose those who did not obey the summons. They cited John to appear and answer; as likewise Serapion, Tigrius a presbyter, and Paul a reader. John acquainted them, through the medium of Demetrius, bishop of Pisinus, and of some of the other clergy, who were his friends, that he would not avoid investigation, but that he was ready, if the names of his accusers and the subject of his accusations were made known to him, to justify his proceedings before a larger council; for he did not choose to be considered insane, and to recognize his manifest enemies as judges. The bishops testified so much indignation at the non-compliance of John, that some of the clergy whom he had sent to the council were intimidated and did not return to him. Demetrius, and those who preferred his interests to all other considerations, quitted the council, and returned to him. The same day, a courier and a shorthand writer were dispatched from the palace to command John to repair to the bishops, and to urge the bishops to decide his cause without further delay. After John had been cited four times, and had appealed to a general council, no other accusation could be substantiated against him, except his refusal to obey the summons of the council; and upon this ground they deposed him.
References in preceding chapter. Soz. has independent material.
Bible | Daily Readings | Agbeya | Books | Lyrics | Gallery | Media | Links
Short URL (link):


text:
There's been a lot of talk this year about Amazon's presumed iPad competitor (or competitors as the case may be), and I've been arguing for a while now that if any company can take on Apple, it's Amazon. The reason is simple: Only Amazon offers the full suite of ecosystem services--digital music, TV shows, videos, eBooks and audiobooks, apps, and other content--that Apple does. (I discuss Amazon's tablet plans in a recent blog post, Amazon's First Tablet Is A 7-Inch Android Device Called ... Kindle.
Amazon is apparently highlighting this plan prominently in a redesign of its web site, which I first discussed in a blog post late last week, A Tale Of Two UIs: Complex And Full-Featured Vs. Simple And Easy. It's spelled very nicely in the top menu seen on the new site, where you can see the various services Amazon offers, most of which has its opposite on Apple's iOS (iPhone/iPad) platform.
It's interesting to me that these items appear on the top of the new site, whereas the most prominent menu items on the previous design--called "Shop by Department"--are now hidden by default.


text:
David Mastie
David Mastie is, first and foremost, a classroom Earth Science teacher: twenty-nine years of middle level teaching, three years of television teaching beamed into inner cities nationwide, and five years as a high school teacher in Ann Arbor, Michigan.Dave has been invited to sit on Educational Advisory boards for the American Geological Institute (AGI) and the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Presently Secretary-Treasurer of the Educational Division of the Geological Society of America (GSA).
Most recently, because of some high profile publicity over community service presentations to children, Dave has become known as "The Science Wizard." The photo here shows him appearing to do magic to make a key point. Dave wants it known that he doesn't believe in magic. "Magic tries to hide the answer, and we are about doing just the opposite. We are stripping off the disguise, peeling back the hidden layers and exposing what's there. It is these hidden truths that grab me and keep me working toward changing the face of K-12 education in this country."


text:
Google has been working hard to pitch its Apps productivity suite to the enterprise, but has come across a consistent snag: companies are signed up for long-term volume licensing contracts with its competitors, especially Microsoft. What Google has found is that those companies came calling to look at switching to Apps when their contracts were up for renewal, but were otherwise locked up.
But Rich Rao, the company's head of global sales for Google Apps, said that the company wanted to change that pattern and look at how to get users running on Apps before their contracts came up for renewal.
To do that, Google will let those companies still bound by enterprise agreement contracts take advantage of an offer over the course of the next six months that will allow them to use the enterprise edition of Google Apps for free for the duration of their existing contract. What's more,
It's a move that's reminiscent of T-Mobile's initiative to pay the early termination fees for people switching to its network from a competing carrier. That program has proven successful for the Bellevue, Washington-based "Un-carrier," which has pulled users from its competitors.
Providing this incentive could help accelerate businesses moving over to Google Apps at a time when the company is making major improvements to its products with both user-facing features like real-time voice transcription and business-specific features like support for different e-discovery policies. This is also a way for Google to better compete with Microsoft, which already allows companies with existing Enterprise Agreements to upgrade to Office 365 while still under contract.
Of course, all of this free service doesn't come without a catch. Companies have to sign up for a year-long commitment to pay for Google Apps after the expiration of their contract with another provider like Microsoft. After that, they can pay on a month-to-month basis, and switch away from Apps if they want to. While Microsoft lets users pay on a monthly basis, it still requires that users of its enterprise plan sign an annual contract for Office 365.
Switching over means that companies will get access to the collaboration tools that Google has been honing for years, along with a cross-platform, cloud-based system for syncing, storing and working on files together. It's supposed to help people become more productive by improving their ability to work together.
All of that relies on getting users to buy into Google's system, which can be a tough pitch for those folks who have become used to writing documents in Word, handling spreadsheets in Excel and sending emails through Outlook. People who want to use native apps to interface with Google Apps on their desktop are also out of luck: Rao made it quite clear that the company is uninterested in creating apps for desktop computers outside of the browser. (The company is paradoxically okay with offering native apps on mobile devices.)
In keeping with Google's fairly hands-off approach to technical support, the company offers a small amount of assistance to companies making a move and then suggests businesses work with its network of partners to get more help in that regard. It also has a network of customers who can share information about the Apps transition, but companies shouldn't expect a high-touch service provided directly from the company to help get users on board with a new way of doing things.
On the flip side, Rao pointed out that the consumer popularity of Google's products could help it win over customers without having to provide assistance.
"We are in a unique position, in that our consumer usage inheritance makes this actually better for us," he said. "Because we're talking about the same tools that people are using in their personal lives: Gmail and Drive and Docs. And so when they come into work, it's the same tools."
Even if companies aren't sold on the idea that switching software will magically make their users more productive, Google also estimates that Apps for Work will be up to 70 percent cheaper for businesses that switch over. That cost reduction might be enough to get businesses that would otherwise be Office die-hards to switch over.
It remains to be seen what this offer will do for Apps for Work's adoption. Right now, Google has 600 companies worldwide each paying for more than 10,000 people to use Apps for Work, and more than 60 percent of the Fortune 500 companies have at least some people within them paying for the business edition of Google Apps.


text:
Community grants policy
When developing the community grants policy and allocating grants under the policy, the local government and councillors must comply with the local government principles contained in section 4 of the Local Government Act 2009 and the City of Brisbane Act 2010 which are:
- transparent and effective processes, and decision making in the public interest
- sustainable development and management of assets and infrastructure, and delivery of effective services
- democratic representation, social inclusion and meaningful community engagement
- good governance of, and by, local government
- ethical and legal behaviour of councillors and local government employees.
When local governments are developing their community grants policy they should consider how or whether the policy:
- is consistent with the local government's strategic goals as set out in the corporate and operational plans
- describes the types of grants to community organisations that the local government considers to be appropriate
- details the eligibility criteria that community organisations must meet to satisfy the local government that the grant will be used for a purpose that is in the public interest
- outlines how and when community organisations can apply for grants
- outlines the process that the local government must follow when approving a grant to a community organisation
- describes how the local government will ensure that it documents how the eligibility criteria were met or not met for each grant application from a community organisation
- sets out the governance arrangements to formally monitor and report the benefits of the grants program for the community.
Once the community grants policy has been approved by the local government, the council should undertake meaningful community consultation.
The local government must also make sure the policy is available for inspection by the public at the local government office and on the website.
This toolkit can assist with developing a community grants policy.
Last updated: 09 Nov 2021


text:
Are You Looking For Gulf Stream Marble Polishing Today?
Coastal Marble Polishing Inc has over 25 years of experience providing quality Gulf Stream marble polishing services. We specialize in residential and commercial projects, providing our customers with a full range of flooring restoration and maintenance needs.
Our experts are ready to handle any stone restoration job that you may need.
Coastal Marble Polishing - Gulf Stream Concrete Staining
Coastal Marble Polishing can handle any type of stone restoration or floor polishing that you may need for your Gulf Stream home. We also specialize in professional Gulf Stream concrete staining and tile cleaning services. The experts at Coastal Marble Polishing provide everything from a simple tile floor clean and polish, to extensive concrete staining projects in the Gulf Stream & South Florida area.
Gulf Stream Tile Cleaning
Professional Gulf Stream tile and grout cleaning can restore your worn floors, tiles, and grout to their natural beauty. Our professional cleaners use techniques that will dislodge dirt and harmful bacteria from your home while removing stains and discolorations at the same time. With our expert tile cleaning and marble polishing services, we can restore your Gulf Stream home to a beautiful and healthy living environment. We also offer:
Gulf Stream Marble Cleaning
In many upscale homes in the Miami area, marble is used on floors, bath tiles, counter tops, and in some cases on the walls, to give that palatial touch. However, to maintain its look, marble must be cleaned and polished regularly.
The cleaning of marble with its intricate, veined look, should be left to professional Gulf Stream Marble cleaners and polishers. True, one could rent cleaning and polishing machines for use on marble, but this type of equipment, especially when obtained from rental facilities can be unreliable and often dangerous to those lacking the proper training. The end result of such self cleaning and polishing may be permanent damage.


text:
Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
1. Make sure it is set to CSLB Number. Click on the drop down to locate your company's name.
2. Select your company then click on Forgot Password link on the top righthand corner.
click on CONTRACTOR button.
3. Type in your email address and click on the RESET PASSWORD button.
4. Look for the password reset email from email@example.com in your inbox or the spam folder. (If you do not receive a password reset email from the city, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com with your AEC number.)
Click on the Reset Password link.
Show All Answers
1. Click on "Setup an Account" link.
2. Click on CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION button.
3. Fill in all your information. Click on CREATE ACCOUNT button.
4. Fill out your application online at : El Cerrito Business License Application and email it to email@example.com
5. After completing your El Cerrito business license application, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com with your AEC number, your El Cerrito business license number, and your company's email address to enable your eTRAKiT account.
1. Make sure it is CSLB Number. Click on the drop down and select your company's name.
2. Type in your Password and click on the LOGIN button.
Click on Apply/New Permit link.
Select I Agree radio button to agree to the terms and conditions. Click on CONTINUE button.
In Step 1, click on the PERMIT Type drop down and select the type of permit you are applying for then select the Permit Subtype if applicable.
Fill in Short Description, Job Value, and additional requested information about the job.
In the Location section, type in the complete or partial address in the Search Value text box. Click on the SEARCH button.
Select the correct address by clicking on it.
The Location section will change to displaying the correct PARCEL NUMBER and address similar to below:
Make sure the Contractor box is checked.
In the Attachments section, upload your file(s) if applicable.
Click on the Select button.
Browse to the location where you have the file you need to upload. Highlight it and click on the Open button.
Type in a short description in the Description text box. Click on the UPLOAD button.
Click on the ACCEPT button to acknowledge the disclaimer.
Observe your file is now listed as attached to this permit.
Repeat steps in Attachments section above for additional files that you wish to add to this permit.
Click on NEXT STEP button to proceed to the next step.
In Step 2 of the process, verify all the contact information. Click on NEXT STEP button.
In Step 3 of the process, review all the information. Click on NEXT STEP button.
Your application will be reviewed by the city. Click on VIEW PERMIT button and note your new Permit Number for future reference.
Wait for an email from one of the city's Permit Technicians. Click on the https://elcr-trk.aspgov.com/eTRAKiT link to revisit the eTRAKiT website. For login assistance, see FAQ page.
Locate the permit under My Active Permits. Note the clickable amount under the FEES DUES column. Click on the amount.
In the Shopping Cart page, double check to make sure the permit number is correct. Click on PROCEED TO CHECKOUT button.
In the Checkout Summary page, make sure you allow Pop-ups and Redirect for elcr-trk-tst.aspgov.com. Click on PAY BY CREDIT CARD button.
You will be redirected to a new Payment webpage. Please fill in the needed contact fields under Payment Information. Under Payment Method, mark the Credit Card radio button. Fill in your credit card information. Click on the Continue button.
Mark the checkbox for "I authorize payment and agree to the Payment Authorization Terms". Then click on the Pay $xxx.xx button.
If you got logged off, please select your company name, type in your password, and click the LOGIN button
You should see your payment confirmation page now.
Mark I Agree radio button to agree to the terms and conditions. Click on CONTINUE button.
In this Step 1, click on the PERMIT Type drop down and select the type of permit you are applying for.


text:
The Real Bread Campaign slams UK industrial loaf sector on 'wholemeal' and 'wholegrain' misuse
The calls follow an in-depth market report entitled 'A Wholegrain Of Truth' that investigated the content of industrial breads in the UK that make wholemeal (whole-wheat) or wholegrain claims.
The investigation was carried out in the second half of 2012 and looked at eleven UK bread manufacturers. The research went beyond 'wholemeal' and 'wholegrain' claims to products that implied similar nutritional benefits such as 'wheatgrain', 'wholesome white' and 'goodness whole'n'white'.
Wholemeal et al…
The Real Bread Campaign report claimed that manufacturers are misleading consumers on wholemeal products with widespread use of soya flour and refined powdered wheat gluten included in what should be 100% wholemeal according to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998.
"We believe that a mockery is being made of legislation designed to protect the integrity of nutritious and delicious wholemeal bread," the report said.
Speaking to BakeryandSnacks.com, Real Bread Campaign coordinator Chris Young, who compiled the report, said: "We just think it's ridiculous that this is being allowed to happen. It's a real shame that a consumer who wants a pure wholemeal loaf is hard-pressed to find that in a supermarket."
He said that the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) had told the campaign that flour must be a product of a cereal grain, therefore soya flour (a product of the legume) does not fall into this definition.
"This is a ridiculous and confusing loophole in the law," Young said.
A teaspoon of wholegrain
The Real Bread Campaign also said that in light of no legislation on wholegrain uset in the UK or EU, content was regularly low and sometimes non-existent in breads making wholegrain claims.
Findings from the report showed that one 'White & Wholegrain' loaf contained 6% wholegrains and another listed no unrefined ingredients on the label.
"You could effectively throw a teaspoon of whole flour into a bread mix and label it as wholegrain because technically it contains the ingredient," Young said.
"The problem too, is that consumers are often paying a premium for these products."
Legal definitions and regulation a must
"We want clarification – we want the law to be tightened up. Regulation means that everyone knows where they stand – you have a level playing field."
Young said that the call is for regulation as opposed to voluntary measures, which he said have often failed to achieve real change in the food industry.
The Real Bread Campaign has called for a legal definition on 'wholegrain' that includes a minimum percentage of unrefined grain content that can be used along with a requirement for manufacturers to display the percentage front-of-pack.
"We don't think levels are for us to decide as a campaign but it needs to be meaningful and the decision should involve nutritionists – we want someone who has an expert opinion," Young said.
It also called for a review to legislate and define other words like 'wholesome', 'wheatgrain', 'goodness' and 'whole' or prohibit use entirely.
It said a "more robust" legal definition is needed for 'wholemeal' to ensure that nothing more than 100% wheat flour, water, yeast and salt is used. It noted that refined grain products like wheat gluten or soya flour should not be permitted.
No shift yet
The Real Bread Campaign said that Defra and all seven trading standards departments contacted on the above matters believed no issue required further action.
It also said that the Federation of Bakers declined to answer questions put forward.
BakeryandSnacks.com spoke to the director of the Federation of Bakers to get its viewpoint on the report. See HERE.


text: Statement / Asia 01 March 2012 15 minutes Sri Lanka: Government Promises, Ground Realities Sri Lanka's post-war course is threatening future violence. As its 19th session in Geneva begins this week, the UN Human Rights Council has a chance to do something about it. Share Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin Whatsapp Save Print Nearly three years since declaring victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the government has weakened democratic institutions, deepened ethnic polarisation and aggravated the country's long-standing impunity for human rights violations. The former warzones in the north and east are heavily militarised and controlled from Colombo, while disappearances, killings, torture, gender-based violence and other abuses continue with impunity throughout the island. Sri Lankans who speak out about the situation risk reprisal. There has been no progress on accountability for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both the LTTE and government forces during the final stages of fighting in 2009, which the UN Secretary-General's panel of experts found left as many as 40,000 civilians dead. While the government's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) is to be commended for its forthright criticisms of certain government policies – including continuing assaults on media freedom, the militarisation of the north and the failure to implement recommendations of earlier domestic inquiries into disappearances and political killings – it fails to provide the thorough and independent investigation of the full range of alleged atrocities at the end of the war that is needed for a sustainable peace. Nor does the government's "road map for implementation" of the LLRC's recommendations, presented in its opening statement this week, promise to do so. The government claims to need additional time to pursue accountability. Yet its narrow promises, past three years of denial, dissimulation and intimidation of critics, and decades of failure to implement the recommendations of past domestic commissions of inquiry show that what is actually needed is a dramatic change of course. The responsibility now falls on the international community to take up the issue, starting with a resolution in Geneva demanding progress on both reconciliation and accountability according to a strict timetable and with independent monitoring. While the international community should press for real change under that resolution, it should also be prepared – should comprehensive investigations and prosecutions, again fail to materialise – to establish the independent international inquiry that so many domestic and international actors, including the Secretary-General's panel of experts, have long been calling for. At the current session, members of the Human Rights Council should: Support a resolution on Sri Lanka that at a minimum: calls on the government to implement immediately the recommendations of the LLRC report and, separately, to put in place a credible accountability process to investigate all of the grave allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity detailed in the report of the Secretary-General's panel of experts, and to prosecute those responsible; requires that the Council remain seized of the matter in its 20th session and thereafter by requesting the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights or another appropriate UN office to assess and to report back to the Council on the government's progress in implementing the LLRC's recommendations and carrying out investigations and prosecutions; and by requesting the government to report back to the Council on those same matters; calls on the government to invite relevant special procedures to visit the country, including the Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; on violence against women, its causes and consequences; on the situation of human rights defenders; on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; as well as the Working Groups on enforced or involuntary disappearances and on arbitrary detention; and the new Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence of serious crimes and gross violations of human rights. Commit to assess the government's progress at the Council's 20th session and thereafter and, if the government's efforts with respect to accountability still fall short of international standards, to establish an independent international investigation. Make it clear to the government that promises of progress on human rights, reconciliation and accountability are insufficient to meet its international obligations, and that tangible, verifiable changes on the ground are what matters. Council members should seek clarification and detailed corroboration from the government on various claims of progress, including on the issues outlined below. Finally, urge the Secretary-General to establish without delay the review of the UN's own actions during the final stages of the war, as recommended by the panel of experts and agreed by the Secretary-General, now nearly one year ago. Assessing government claims and promises Accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity Government claim In his statement at the opening of the Council's session, Mahinda Samarasinghe, the leader of the government's delegation to Geneva remarked that the LLRC "offers detailed observations and recommendations on International Humanitarian Law issues relating to the final phases of the conflict" and "endorses the position that the protection of civilian life was a key factor in the formulation of policy for carrying out military operations, and that the deliberate targeting of civilians formed no part of it", which "was and remains the position of the Government". He also claimed that: An "enumeration" of the number of people killed in the conflict in the north "is now complete and a detailed analysis will be made known in the near future"; while the government will "further analyse and verify the data gathered in order to arrive at definite conclusions as to civilian mortalities and casualties", a key question is closed: "the story of 'tens of thousands' of civilian deaths that supposedly occurred during the final phase of the humanitarian operation, is very clearly proved to be a gross exaggeration and a deliberate misrepresentation of fact". The government "is committed to a mechanism for gathering and assessing factual evidence" regarding the "several specific episodes" the LLRC viewed as warranting further investigation; and the findings of this mechanism "will be placed before the Attorney-General for a decision in respect of instituting criminal proceedings". Military courts of inquiry – convened by the army and the navy – "have commenced investigations into specific incidents identified by the LLRC", including "the Channel 4 video footages" and "whether any deliberate and intentional attacks were made by the Army on civilians … or on any hospitals or no-fire zones"; and those courts of inquiry will make recommendations with regard to the measures that should be taken against persons responsible. Reality These claims and promises place only a thin veil over the government's unwillingness to conduct genuine investigations into the many credible allegations of wrongdoing by both sides at the end of the war. They also ignore the fact that, as Crisis Group has previously noted, the LLRC report works to exonerate the government and undermine its own limited calls for further inquiry – mostly by accepting at face value the largely unexamined claims of the senior government and military officials who planned and executed the war, and by rolling back well-established principles of international law. Regarding the government's "enumeration" of those killed and missing in the north, Crisis Group's recent blog, Sri Lanka's dead and missing: the need for an accounting, post shows how that exercise raises more questions than it answers about the final civilian toll. The government's argument that the story tens of thousands of civilians deaths is "very clearly proved" wrong, when it has not examined the many sources of information suggesting it may be right, underlines the hollowness of its approach. Similarly, the investigative mechanism and military courts of inquiry promised are limited and devoid of independence. Both efforts appear to be focused on three specific incidents identified by the LLRC and the Channel 4 video footage, not on other critical issues highlighted by the LLRC such as the alleged disappearances of suspected LTTE cadres who had surrendered to or had been arrested by the army, or on the dozens of other allegations deemed credible by the UN panel of experts. In terms of independence, the military is hardly the right body to examine such serious allegations against its own forces - especially when the members of the army court of inquiry are appointed by one of the senior commanders involved in planning and carrying out many of the policies whose legality has been questioned. This virtually guarantees that no senior officer or anyone in a commanding position will be found responsible for serious crimes. If the Sri Lankan military is to win back its good name, only a truly independent investigation, able to investigate all the way up the chain of command, will do. At a minimum, a credible domestic accountability process would include: (1) unqualified public commitments to accountability – expressly from the president and the defence ministry, given the power they wield – including for all allegations deemed credible by the panel of experts; (2) establishment of a new investigative body, independent of the attorney-general, military and president, composed of non-political appointees nominated by both the government and opposition parties, and fully empowered and resourced to investigate and prosecute alleged violations; and (3) substantial progress by the government in investigating specific alleged crimes, including all instances of hospital shelling mentioned by either the LLRC or the panel of experts, as well as the many alleged executions or disappearances of individuals who reportedly surrendered to government forces at the end of the war but were killed or are still missing. Life after the lifting of the emergency Government claim The government routinely highlights the August 2011 lifting of the emergency regulations, which had been in force for much of the prior 30 years, as evidence of compliance with international human rights law and normalisation of life after the end of the war. Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa recently claimed: "Even when it comes to the upholding of law and order, the role of the military has been drastically curtailed with the lifting of the emergency regulations. Day-to-day law and order activities have been completely entrusted to the police. The claim that the military is involved in every aspect of day-to-day life in the current context is a gross misrepresentation of reality". Reality In fact, using his authority under the Public Security Ordinance – the same law under which emergency regulations were issued – the presidentcontinues to give police powers to the military in all districts of the country. The military's day-to-day involvement in making decisions about civilians' political and economic futures, especially in the north and east, is confirmed by Crisis Group's own field research and reports from local civil society groups. Despite recent promises that the "government is committed to withdrawing the security forces from all aspects of community life", there is no sign on the ground of that happening. The defence secretary's claim about the effect of the lifting of the emergency regulations is particularly ironic given the decision several years ago to place the police department under his own ministry of defence. Indeed, the LLRC took up this point specifically, noting: "The Police Department is a civilian institution which is entrusted with the maintenance of law and order. Therefore, it is desirable that the Police Department be de-linked from the institutions dealing with the armed forces which are responsible for the security of the State". More generally, the lifting of the emergency has had little practical effect on life for most Sri Lankans for three reasons: (1) equally draconian and exceptional legislation remains on the books, most notably the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA); (2) the passage of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution in 2010 and other moves such as placing the attorney general's department under the direct control of the president have removed all checks on presidential power and abolished any remaining independence of the police, judiciary and human rights commissions; and (3) the present government has few qualms about operating extra-legally, illustrated by the continuance of "high-security zones" without any apparent legal basis and reports of "secret detention centres run by the Sri Lankan military intelligence and paramilitary groups where enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings have allegedly been perpetrated" as recently noted by the UN Committee against Torture. As a prominent commentator has said, many of the LLRC's recommendations are simply "a reiteration of the basic duty on the part of the Government to implement the existing law and the Constitution". Continuing human rights abuses Government claim On the question of ongoing human rights abuses, the government's primary response is to ignore them or to point to its long-awaited National Action Plan for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, which it is presenting to the Human Rights Council this session. Reality The National Action Plan is wholly inadequate to deal with the scale and severity of human rights abuses since the end of the war. With no provisions to respond to the culture of impunity that perpetuates violations, the plan is part and parcel of the government's strategy of denial. Since the Human Rights Council last met, Sri Lankan civil society organisations have documented dozens of extrajudicial killings, abductions, disappearances and acts of torture – carried out throughout the island. Abductions and disappearances were one of the government's main instruments of counter-insurgency in the final years of the war, targeting Tamils suspected of working with the LTTE, as well as Sinhala and Muslim critics of the government. After coming down in the aftermath of the war, the rate of abductions and disappearances has surged again in the past few months. Political activists and perceived opponents of the government appear to be targets, such as in the 9 December 2011 disappearance of two activists associated with the dissident faction of the JVP (more sympathetic to the plight of Tamils in the northeast) who had travelled to the northern town of Jaffna to organise a protest against enforced disappearances. Individuals who challenge government abuse are also at risk – as demonstrated by the 11 February 2012 abduction of a Tamil businessman in Colombo just days before the supreme court was due to hear his fundamental rights petition alleging unlawful arrest and detention and torture, stemming from his May 2009 arrest as a suspected LTTE member and 28-month detention. There also have been a number of police shootings and cases of excessive use of force against peaceful protestors in the last eight months, including on 15 February 2012 when the police Special Task Force (STF) killed a fisherman protesting against rising fuel prices in Chilaw. All of these abuses further erode the rule of law and stifle dissent. Attacks on the media and on human rights defenders, including in the lead up to the current Human Rights Council session, only reinforce fear and distrust – and make it even more difficult for victims to trust law enforcement institutions. The crippling flaws of the National Action Plan are no doubt in part due to the fact that civil society was largely excluded from drafting the final version despite government claims that it was developed through a collaborative process. The north and east: militarisation, displacement, detention, women's insecurity Government claim The government insists that it is doing everything possible to restore normalcy in the former warzones in the north and east – ending displacement, releasing detainees and reconstructing damaged infrastructure. It also claims to be "committed to withdrawing the security forces from all aspects of community life" and to be "making every effort" to address the needs of women in those areas, who are overrepresented in the population and head tens of thousands of households. Reality Conditions for most of the hundreds of thousands of Tamils and Muslims resettled in the Northern Province remain poor, with limited rebuilding and few economic opportunities. Military installations – including large newly built permanent camps – continue to displace thousands. Nearly 19,000 IDPs remain in camps or transit centres, and more than 110,000 live with host families. Their difficulties are worsened by the heavy military presence: the estimated 150,000 military personnel deployed in the north (the government failed to respond to Crisis Group's request for the official figure) monitor all activities and military leaders have a veto power on all political and development issues. The military has established its own commercial enterprises and competes with northern farmers and businesses struggling to re-establish themselves. The local civilian administration has been deliberately undermined and stripped of any independence. Levels of fear and mistrust between Tamils and the military, between Tamils and Muslims, and within the Tamil community are dangerously high. These conditions contribute to the desperate lack of security faced by women in the north and east, as detailed in Crisis Group's December 2011 report. Crisis Group continues to receive reports from the north and east that women released from "rehabilitation" camps for suspected LTTE members face harassment and sexual abuse from the police and military to whom they must regularly report. While the LLRC report does correctly identify many of the issues contributing to women's insecurity in the north and east – including that women "feel unsafe in the presence of the armed forces, and in most of the resettled areas such presence is not very reassuring to women" – it largely ignored the problem of sexual violence. The government claims that fewer than 900 suspected LTTE cadres are still detained without charge or access to lawyers in military-run "rehabilitation centres". The government still refuses to release the names of those held in its custody, despite this being one of the LLRC's recommendations in its September 2010 interim report, following the many submissions to the LLRC about missing husbands, sons and daughters, many last seen in military custody. The government's own special census for the Northern Province reports 2,635 "untraceable" persons in 2009. Given Sri Lanka's well-documented history of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, there are strong grounds to fear many of the missing are dead. The more than 10,000 "rehabilitated" former detainees who have been released are closely monitored and many are harassed by the military; few have any meaningful economic opportunities. Hundreds more Tamils – some held for years without charge – remain detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act or have now been transferred for "rehabilitation". A political settlement on devolution and minority rights Government claim The government says it is pursuing a "democratic, pragmatic and home grown" approach to the "national question" following a "consensus formula". It also claims to be pursuing bilateral discussions with Tamil political parties and Muslim representatives in parallel. Reality After nearly a year of on-and-off discussions, government negotiators abruptly ended talks with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in mid-January 2012. The government refuses to meet with the TNA until it nominates representatives to the all-party parliamentary select committee (PSC) the government has established as its preferred method of devising a constitutional reforms to address long-standing grievances of ethnic minorities. The TNA has said it will appoint its nominees once the government abides by its promise to agree first on the basic structure of an agreement with the TNA before beginning talks with other parties. As its critics have charged from the start, the PSC has complicated negotiations with TNA, while allowing the president to avoid committing to any proposal for constitutional reform of his own, despite his having the two-thirds majority in parliament necessary to pass amendments. In other ways, too, the government shows little willingness to move toward a negotiated political settlement that would devolve meaningful power to the north and east. On 17 January 2012, the Indian Foreign Minister announced that President Rajapaksa had assured him of his "commitment to move towards a political settlement based on the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, and building on it, so as to achieve meaningful devolution of powers". Two weeks later, the president denied this was true, saying that only the PSC could decide the issue. Government spokesmen have also repeatedly stated that the Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils will never be allowed to use the land and police powers formally granted to them in the constitution. Finally, despite promising for more than two years that elections to the Northern Provincial Council would soon take place, the president has still not announced a date. In the absence of an elected council, the north is governed by a retired general appointed directly by the president. The increased concentration of power in Colombo and in the president's own family seems to indicate the government's real attitude toward sharing power. Related Tags More for you Commentary / Asia Sri Lanka Needs Truth, but Not (Yet) a Truth Commission Commentary / Asia Sri Lanka: Keeping the Storm at Bay


text:
The Sand Musuem opened in 2006 near Tottori Sand Dunes.
In the exhibition room are sand statues made by leading sand sculptors among the world such as Nicola Wood, Baldrick Buckle, Iliya Filimontsev, Alexey Shchitov and more.
The sand statues you are seeing in this panorama is the 5th exhibition whose theme is the Great Britain.
They did not use any kind of adhesive bond to create these statues.
Mold form was built around the display area, and tons of sand and water were poured into the mold. Then the sand was rammed down and dried.
The artists sculpt the compressed sand into these exquisite statues.


text:
What happened in 1987
Updated June 8, 2018 |
Infoplease Staff
The Question:
I'm in 7th grade and I need to know what the postage rate for a first class letter was and also I need to know one top story in 1987 for my life story.
The Answer:
Fortunately, we have all the information you need to answer your quesion on one page, a page devoted to the year 1987. In fact, tell all of your younger and older friends that we have pages on the years they were born as well. Go check them out.
-The Editors
See also:


text:
US, EU to help launch alliance against pedophilia
WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström will launch a global alliance targeting online child sexual abuse, building on the success of cross-border police operations that have dismantled international pedophile networks.
Officials from 27 EU member nations will participate in a ministerial conference Wednesday in Brussels, along with officials from 22 countries outside the EU, including the United States.
The participating nations are making a commitment to caring for victims, enhancing efforts to prosecute offenders, increasing children's awareness of online risks and reducing the availability of child abuse material online.
Representatives from outside the EU are from Albania, Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Croatia, Georgia, Ghana, Japan, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, the Philippines, Serbia, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the U.S., Ukraine and Vietnam.
Last year, a U.S.-led law enforcement operation charged 72 defendants in the U.S. and targeted more than 500 people for investigation overseas in the largest U.S. prosecution of an international criminal network organized to sexually exploit children. The participants allegedly belonged to Dreamboard, a members-only online bulletin board to promote pedophilia and encourage sexual abuse of very young children.
In an initiative called Project Safe Childhood, the Justice Department's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section trains prosecutors in U.S. Attorneys' offices around the United States to help assemble criminal cases against perpetrators of child sexual abuse.


text:
16 mm Gold Vermeil Hoops with Round Tahitian Pearl
Free on orders over 100 € | Standard €3.5
Order it before 12:00 and receive it tomorrow (24/48h)*
These Gold Vermeil Earrings and 16 mm in diameter are ideal for any occasion. We have designed them with our pearl charms to offer a super versatile product.
You can use only the earrings or add the charms and give a more original touch to your look.
We offer other chams with different pearls, which you can buy separately. Discover all the combinations!
Pearls are cultured black from Tahiti. There is nothing as exotic and enigmatic as pearls from Tahiti and French Polynesia. These pearls are dark in color with light exotic hues known as "peacock" shades of green, blue, gray and aubergine. The size of the pearls is 9 - 9.5 mm, they have a very intense luster and a round shape
What is Gold Vermeil?
For a jewel to be considered gold Vermeil, it must meet two conditions, that the base metal be Sterling Silver and that it be bathed in a layer of gold of more than 2.5 microns.
- ORIGIN: Cultured pearls from Tahiti.
- SHAPE: Round
- SHINE: Excellent. Brilliance is the most important quality of pearls.
- COLOR: Black with "Peacock" tones, greenish, blue, gray and aubergine.
- SURFACE: Very clean.
- SIZE: 9 - 9.5mm
- METAL: 18k Gold Vermeil
- Comfortable and secure closing.
Receive personalized advice from our pearl experts. Contact us by clicking the chat button or call us.
Purchase without worries
We only sell online, because we only sell pearls. But the commitment to our clients and our pearls is difficult to match.
Preparation time
Certain designs, such as some of our necklaces where you can choose the type of closure, are hand-strung once the order is placed, so we need one business day to have it ready and ship it the next day. Don't hesitate to contact us if you are in a hurry.
However, the vast majority of products are ready so orders placed before 1:00 p.m. will be sent that same day and the rest a day later.
Delivery times are Monday to Friday, if you need to receive it on the weekend, please contact us.
Spain (Peninsula) and Portugal
- Free standard shipping.
- Free delivery in 24-48 hours on purchases over €100.
- Purchases less than €100: Delivery in 24-48 hours - €5.99
European Union
- Purchases over €200: Express shipping 2 to 5 days - FREE
- Purchases less than €200: Express shipping - €10
Rest of the world
- Purchases Over €250 International Shipping - FREE
- Purchases less than €250 International Shipping - €20
More information
We want you to make your purchases with complete peace of mind, which is why we offer 30 calendar days from receipt of the product to request an exchange or return. For orders placed after November 15, the return period is extended until January 10.
Pearls are the only gems that can be farmed . The pearl cultivation process is so natural that not only does it not pollute, but it also improves the environment in which it is produced. In order to produce pearls, Oysters need clean, pollution-free water . Therefore, the entire industry is dedicated to protecting oceans, rivers and lakes. This makes pearls the perfect jewelry for the 21st century. Know more.
At Secret & You, we work directly with pearl producers and jewelry makers committed to their environments and communities and use recycled and recyclable materials.
High quality cultured pearls
As a brand specialized in cultured pearls, our goal is to offer the best quality pearls at a very competitive price. We source our pearls directly from producers around the world and test them one by one to ensure their suitability.
pearl classification
In order to offer the best option to our customers, in some products we offer pearls of various qualities, for example AA+ or AAA click here to know more
More information


text:
Topic: Fallout RP
I was interested to see if anyone was up for a Fallout RP? I myself have just finished the campaign of Fallout New Vegas, and am quite impressed with Bethesda's recent development. As such I was hoping to start an RP within that area, however I would rather leave this up to discussion rather than start a RP noone will participate in.
-Boba Fett


text:
HMRC are consulting on changing the rules on hot takeaway food to ensure that all food (with the exception of freshly baked bread) that is above ambient air temperature when provided to the customer is standard rated.
Currently the rules are complex as if food is hot because it has just been cooked, such as freshly baked pies or roasted chicken, these items may in certain circumstances be zero rated for VAT purposes.
We will let you know the outcome of the consultation.
Internet link: HMRC consultation