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The City of Vancouver plans to boost green building requirements for new residential buildings under seven storeys, including "exceptionally large" single-family homes.
The energy efficiency measures, which would kick in March 1, 2018 if they're approved by council next week, would cut greenhouse gas emissions from the affected buildings by 40 to 55 per cent, according to a city report. The measures include requirements for increased insulation and air tightness, and the use of improved windows, heat-recovery ventilators and more efficient equipment.
The additional green measures would increase building costs by an average of $3.50 per square foot, according to the city.
Sean Pander, a green building manager with the city, said housing affordability is "of critical importance" and suggested any additional construction costs brought on by the policy change would unlikely to be passed on to the buyers of new homes.


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New film Interior Motives explores the links between fashion and interiors
Aug 10, 2019 | By Luke Tebbutt
Mar 28, 2013
This beautiful and intimate, pop up gallery space in New York is by appointment only, and is currently residing in a disused subway staircase in Lower Manhattan.
Discreet in appearance, S2A is accessed through a small red door. Once inside, visitors pay a small fee of $2.50 before being led down a narrow stairwell to the exhibition area. Only three visitors can be inside the gallery at any one time due to its miniature size, making for an experience that is truly "intimate and human in scale," explain British publishing house, Phaidon.
"(It's) a very different experience from the hyperbolic, gargantuan spaces of the blue chip gallery scene further uptown."
The project idea comes courtesy of an anonymous trio of artists, who have decided to keep their identities intact – inspired by the early 20th century art group Société Anonyme, whose key members included Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp.
This is a great example of our our F/W 14 Megatrends forecast Quietude, in which we touch on the subjects of anonymity, and intimate and escapist spaces – away from the bustle of modern life. Find out more about the gallery and current and future exhibitions via the website. – Samantha Fox
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subset: commoncrawl


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Here are photos of Shiprock , near the town of Shiprock NewMexico( for those not familiar with the location). These photos were taken last March in the afternoon. When we return I'll try to get morning shots, hopefully when it not so cloudy and stormy. My first look at Shiprock reminded me of […]
Tag: Photography
Windows&Doors,Aztec Ruins 2
It amazed me is the way the windows lined up from building to building and that goes for the doors as well. This is last photo I published before but it reminds me of the same occurrences at Chaco Canyon…doors walled up when someone dies. Could this be the case at Aztec, I think […]
Windows & Doors,Aztec Ruins
The arrangement of the windows inside the Kiva and the light reflected through them fascinates me. The time spent observing the Sun to get the placement just right…in so many of our ancient cultures it was so important to do that…to take the time. Inside the Kiva
Aztec Ruins 2
These photos speak for themselves I think.
Aztec Ruins National Monument,Aztec New Mexico
For those who don't know(I didn't), Aztec is near Farmington in the Four Corners area. The monument boasts a reconstructed Kiva which I have a photo of. Below is information from the National Park service web site. nps.gov Near Aztec, New Mexico over 1,000 years ago, Ancestral Pueblo people constructed a large planned community that […]
Birds of Cabin Lake pt 3
Here a some more birds and of course a chipmunk! All photos by Michael Poe


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Cliquez pour voir le graph
Cliquez pour voir la ligne de temps
Ligne de temps
En cours
4 Membres
The footprints of natural selection in the human genome
Lluis Quintana-Murci (PI)
The wide range of phenotypic variation in human populations may reflect distinctive processes of selection/adaptation to variable environmental conditions (e.g. climate, pathogens, nutritional resources). The advent of genome-wide datasets allows testing different hypotheses concerning […]
En cours
3 Membres
Human lifestyle and genetic and epigenetic variation
Lluis Quintana-Murci (PI)
The most important cultural innovation witnessed by modern humans has probably been the transition from a hunter-gatherer nomadic mode of subsistence to an agricultural sedentary lifestyle. This transition occurred in many parts of the […]


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We're now two races in to the 2013 racing season, and after these first two races Sebastian Vettel is already making his intentions clear, trying to start the new season where he left off: with victory in the 2012 season. But it has not been without controversy.
After a podium finish for the Red Bull driver in the first race of the season in Melbourne last weekend, hopes were high when Vettel started the Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend from pole position. And it was looking good for a Red Bull 1 and 2, when after the final round of pit stops Vettel fell into place behind his teammate Mark Webber.
Radio orders from the team instructed both drivers to maintain their positions and carry on to the end, conserving their tyres and fuel. But, to great controversy, Vettel had other ideas. Always a competitive racer, he and Webber were engaged in a ferocious battle for first position, and Vettel eventually made the pass stick thirteen laps from the finish.
The race finished with Vettel in first position, Webber fuming in second (and his anger at his teammate was evident even whilst on the podium), and they were joined by Lewis Hamilton in third, his first podium finish for his new team Mercedes. The upshot of this is that Vettel is now nine points clear at the top of the drivers' standings, clearly signalling his intent for this season.
But, even though Vettel has since apologised to his teammate, it's clear that Webber and Vettel will be dealing with the fall-out from this incident for the rest of the season…
For the first English-language biography of Sebastian Vettel, read Meet Sebastian Vettel, published by Souvenir Press.


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It's About You
The Problem
Mayor Emanuel of Chicago was joined by Mayor Castro of San Antonio and leadership from the beverage industry to create an innovative municipal wellness challenge that pit employees from San Antonio and Chicago in a competition against each other, to see who could improve their wellness profile the most, with the opportunity to earn cash rewards. The program was supported by a $5 million grant from the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America.
In years past, City of San Antonio employees had largely ignored the many wellness programs available to them. Only 500-600 employees were participating in these programs. Employees were not aware of or did not understand program benefits such as flex spending accounts (FSA). Last, with over 13,000 employees scattered among dozens of departments and with many not being 100% fluent in English, it was a challenge to reach all employees on a personal level.
The Objectives
aMAEzing Marketing Group was contracted to spearhead an internal campaign to help San Antonio take the win in this competition by communicating the plan and benefits to all eligible COSA employees. In order to count as a participant of the challenge, employees must 1. complete an Online Health Assessments and 2. complete a Biometric Screening or a Preventive Exam. We were also tasked with increasing participation in the Virgin Health Miles program and educating employees on what FSA accounts are and how to use them. One of our challenges included reassuring employees that data collected is confidential and will not affect their employment or insurance.
The Plan
Our first step in the process was to create, execute, and evaluate an employee survey to discover why employees were not participating in the wellness programs and to identify the best ways to communicate with employees. Next we put together a comprehensive communications plan that would allow us to target every one of our audience members from managers to field workers. Our plan included working with partner organizations that were already involved in wellness initiatives and creating new partnerships with community resources.
The Tactics
- Campaign logo and theme – The It's About You! campaign was created to make the message personal. Through internal communications, we requested that employees send photos of themselves engaged in a wellness activity. The response was overwhelming and we created marketing collateral featuring these photos to encourage employees to follow by example. (see logo below)
- Events – As a midyear campaign refresh, we invited employees to come to the heart of downtown to hear City Manager Sheryl Sculley and Mayor Julian Castro speak about the program. We created a fun event with a live band, organic food, and even the San Antonio Spurs Coyote.
- Communications – Numerous communication pieces were created including paycheck stuffers, Facebook, email, website, bathroom banter, direct mail, and the e-Connection newsletter.
- Engagement – In order to keep the employees engaged throughout the campaign, we kept in touch with them by provide a healthy tip of the week through an internal social network and we created a recipe challenge where they could share their favorite healthy food. Last we created giveaways and shirts to give the campaign more visibility.
The Results
On June 4th at our mid-year kickoff, Mayor Julian Castro expressed how proud he was that City of San Antonio employees had taken such a great interest in the Wellness Program. The City now has 3,400 employees participating in at least one wellness initiative – that is nearly a 500% increase from any other year. Additionally, those employees who are participating in the Virgin HealthMiles pedometer program have taken more than two billion steps since January.
With two months left until the end of the challenge, we have reached 13% participation, which means that more than 1,000 employees have taken both steps to participate in the challenge.


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Rat Queens - Image Comics
I've only read volume 1, which I'm pretty sure is issues 1-5, but already I think that Rat Queens is pretty fantastic. It follows the lives and exploits of a group of four crazy adventurers that seemingly want to take on the world and everyone in it. At first I thought that the female characters were so far removed from the stereotypical females that are usually depicted that they almost bordered on to becoming too 'male'. I think that was to do with the ridiculous foul language constantly used, however as the story progressed that thought drifted from my mind and (as was pointed out to me) I probably swear more than they do. Drawing wise, Rat Queens looks fucking beautiful ;) and has so much detail, even in the really small images, which I assume is really hard to do. The characters are all different and develop at various different plot points so it's easy to learn about them and pick your favourite. So far, mine is definitely Dee, not being able to socialise at a party and bringing a book instead is something I can sympathise with and she also has the ability to heal, which is cool as hell. Volume 2 is out at the end of April and I definitely want to find out what happens next.


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I was only 5 years old when my family moved in, so my sketchy recollection is to be expected. Moving day is probably one of those shiny memories of my childhood that is covered in a muck of outdated passwords, old locker combinations and things like "negative b plus or minus radical b squared minus 4ac all over 2a."
That's the quadratic formula. It has really come in handy over the years.
|The front yard. We once had a massive slip-and-slide
out there that attracted kids from all over, and I'm not
sure the grass ever recovered.
Whatever the reason, I don't remember a lot about my first few years at the house. But at least my last few days there are fresh memories. They're from a few weeks ago, when I flew to Arizona to get a final look at the old digs and help my parents move into a retirement community.
My parents don't seem to fit into an official "older, active lifestyle" setting, but my perspective is undoubtedly skewed by my own resistance to aging. My parents started a family a little later than most, but not long ago my dad was following his grandsons around the park, crawling through tunnels and going down slides.
"I may look 60," my dad reminded me recently, "but I'm actually 80."
And so modest, obviously.
If my parents had kids who lived nearby, they might not be moving. But Mom and Dad are in the Phoenix area, while I'm in Texas, my younger brother is in Oregon and my older sister is in Massachusetts. We all get along, despite the appearance that our hometowns were dictated by a 2,000-mile restraining order. Life just took us in different directions.
As for directions back to the house, I didn't need any. Even after living in Texas for 17 years, I've got the muscle memory to navigate through my old neighborhood. And when I pulled up to my parents' house, only the "for sale" sign looked out of place.
|The backyard. The pool was probably too large
for the small area, but we swam in there
almost every day from April to October.
Inside, most of the furniture was gone, but the ranch-style house felt the same. I walked through the entryway and into the family room/dining room, which now has Spanish tile floors but was originally adorned with the rage of the Seventies: shag carpeting.
Glorious, hideous, gold shag carpeting.
"Then we changed to kind of a tan carpeting," my mom said, "because no one wanted to rake the shag."
That's right, we had to rake the carpet. We'd find pennies, marbles, pieces to board games, rubber bands, all kinds of stuff. It was a time when wall-to-wall carpet was considered groovy, and we even had it in the bathrooms.
"Can you imagine shag carpeting in the bathrooms with two little boys?" my mom asked.
No, I can't, and neither can my three sons. But their biggest surprise, when they visited the house a few years ago, was that I didn't have my own bedroom.
I had to share with my brother, and it led to a lot of fun. And fights. And a doorknob getting smashed through a wall.
I walked into that bedroom we shared, turned to my right, and bingo, there was the patch job. I don't remember exactly what led to the door handle getting impaled in the drywall, but my brother and I had many disagreements and settled some of them with wrestling matches. Our parents also gave us boxing gloves. Things happened.
I walked into my sister's bedroom, which in the Eighties was decorated in homage to the musical group Duran Duran. I passed by my parents' bedroom, where I once used the bed as a crash pit for high jumping. And as I went into the family room, I remembered when we roasted marshmallows in the fireplace and singed the carpet.
A trip to the house always raises memories from the muck. But as I walked out the front door a final time, I didn't get struck with nostalgia. I didn't have one of those sitcom final-episode moments where a character takes a long soulful look at everything and then turns off the light.
But looking at the "for sale" sign in the yard, I pulled up a hazy memory of another "for sale" sign from nearly 40 years ago. I can't remember if I was standing by a sign at the house we were selling or the one we were buying, but I remember it felt strange that we were moving to a new home.
Now it feels strange that another family will be living there. We weren't the first family at the house, though, and this next one probably won't be the last. Floors will be changed, rooms will be repainted, more walls will need patch jobs.
This will just be another chapter, and hopefully the pages will turn to more memories too good to be forgotten.
Twitter: @wixonhumor
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Dr. Riek's Martyrs Day Press Statement
Archive for the 'South Sudanese Rebels' Category
Dr. Riek's Martyrs Day Press StatementPosted: July 31, 2014 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in Press Release, South Sudanese Rebels
Gen. Daau Aturjong: I have Officially Joined Riek MacharPosted: May 31, 2014 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in Press Release, South Sudanese Rebels
Tags: Dau aturjong defect, defection of Gen. Dau Aturjong Nyuol
The Text of the Press Statement by Gen Dau Aturjong Nyuol
Comrade Gen. Alfred Gore, Deputy Chairman of the SPLM and Deputy Commander In Chief of the SPLA,ladies and gentlemen of press allow me to welcome you to this briefing.
In 1983 I joined the liberation struggle as a young student of secondary school against injustice, marginalization and humiliation in Sudan and attended a military training at Bonga in Ethiopia and graduated a second lieutenant and from then started fighting the war vigorously against the successive regimes in Khartoum for more than twenty years until I reached a rank of general in the SPLA. I thought we liberated our people from northern domination only to realize the revolution was hijacked by a tyrant dictator upon the death of our leader late Dr. John Garang De Mabior. The hijackers started not only marginalizing our communities but seriously terrorizing them. They killed many innocent people in nine years of Salva Kiir authoritative dictatorship in Juba.
The independent that South Sudan attained through the referendum upon which the secession of South Sudan obtained 98.58% votes against unity of Sudan would have been a driving factor to unite our people and move ahead in realizing the vision of the SPLM and its late leader Dr. John Garang. However, Salva Kiir and his minority cliques in Juba undermined this reality and worked against unity of South Sudanese and started killing our people. In 2010 it was massacre against Dinka of Pagi County just because late George Athor took arms against the regime in Juba. In 2011 Chilluk and Murle tribes were targeted and innocent citizens died. The Fartit of Western Bahr el Ghazal were also targeted in December 2012. All these things happened in eyes of international community and nobody was questioning Salva Kiir. The killing of the Nuer civilians in Juba in December 2013 under pretext of alleged coup attempt led by Dr. Machar indicates the regime has nothing to offer except fabricating lies in order to eliminate its opponents who were critical on how the country is being run.
Now I decided to take arms again to liberate my people since the first liberation is hijacked by a tyrant tribal dictator. I am taking arms again to bring justice, freedom, equality and prosperity to my people. I am taking arms to transform the country democratically and establish federal system where powers and resources are driven by people. I am taking arms to restore rule of law and respect of human rights in my country. My coming out is a well connected strategy and many people are coming very soon. Therefore, my appeal to people of South Sudan, Dinka Community generally and people of Aweil in particular not to support Salva Kiir. Viewing current conflict as Dinka vs Nuer is a gross mistake which may slide our country to disintegration. I am also appealing to the SPLA to stop fighting for Salva Kiir. My appeals go to the democratic forces globally to support the SPLM/SPLA led by Dr. Riek Machar to remove Salva Kiir and establish a new democratic South Sudan. Those who joined the Movement with me in this gathering are;
1/ Hon. Ayii Ayii Akol former MP of National Parliament
2/ Hon. Awaya Awaya Makuei former MP of State Assembly- NBGS
3/ Capt. Garang Ayii Akol former officer of SAF.
4/ Peter Mabior Riny, Youth Leader and Secretary of Aweil Community in Kenya.
5/ Wol Kuac Wol youth leader of Aweil Community in Kenya
6/ Capt. Mawien Dut Chan former officer of SPLA
Thank you for listening
Long life South Sudan
Long life SPLM/SPLA under leadership of Dr. Riek Machar
The victory is ascertained.
Gen Dau Aturjong Nyuol
Biography of Gen. Dau Aturjong Nyuol:
Birthplace: Gen. Dau Aturjong Nyuol was born in Gokmachar Village in Aweil North County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, South Sudan.
Educational Background:
Gen. Dau attended Gokmachar Primary School from 1972-1977. After obtaining Primary School Certificate, he went to Aweil Junior Secondary School in Aweil town and graduated in 1980. He was later accepted at Nyamellel Senior Secondary School and studied there from 1980-1982. Gen. Dau was a brilliant and competitive student throughout his entire school years in primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary schools. He scored high marks in science and social science classes in both Arabic and English languages.
Gen. Dau was very much involved in student organizations and sporting activities. He played football (soccer) and volleyball during his times in schools. Some of his former schoolmates who are currently high ranking generals in the SPLA military view Gen. Dau as caring, courageous, determined, fair-minded, intelligent, honest, and loyal. These inspiring characteristics of quality leadership were evidenced during Gen. Dau's service in the SPLA and in Mading Aweil when he was assigned to command SPLA military and conducted successful operations in Aweil and other areas in 1990s. Gen. Dau was the architect of the first peace agreement between Dinka-Malual and neighboring Messiria tribes. This peace agreement was signed in Wardong, NBGS in 1991, and consequently created a positive peace between Dinka and Messiria tribes. These characteristics are the fundamental core values of Gen. Dau's leadership quality, and this is why Aweil citizens called on him to serve and bring back hope to the people he loves and cares for dearly.
Shortly after Gen. Dau began his studies at Nyemellel Senior Secondary, the second civil war erupted in Sudan between Anya-nya II and Khartoum regime after President Nimieri failed to implement the Addis Ababa Peace Accord. To end Khartoum exploitation and marginalization of the people of Southern Sudan and other areas, several students, political elites, military officers, and ordinary citizens from Southern Sudan and other marginalized areas joined the Anya-nya II Movement that later became known as the SPLA/SPLM. As a result, Dau joined the Anya-nya II Movement to add his voice in call for democracy, equality, freedom, and liberty in Sudan. This move cut Dau's intention to pursue higher education short, and he began a new career in military service in which he spent his youth and manhood in the SPLA military uniforms. His unwavering commitment, courage, and dedication earned him a rank of the Major General in the SPLA military and also promote his popularity, making him a likeable and trusted leader in Aweil.
Language proficiencies:
Gen. Dau is fluent in his native 'Thongmonyjang (Dinka)', Arabic, English, and conversational in Nuer dialect.
Military Career Highlights and Accomplishment During the SPLA Struggles and Post CPA:
• Gen. Dau attended the SPLA Military College in 1984 in Bonga, Ethiopia. He was graduated as a 1st Lieutenant in Shiled One cadres. As an officer, 1st Lt. Dau was deployed to great Upper Nile region and fought numerous successful battles against enemy in Jekou and Malual Gaouthoi.
• In 1985, Dau was deployed to Eastern Bahr El Ghazal region of Abyie and Twic areas as a Deputy Commander of Nile Battalion.
• In 1987, Gen. Dau became Commander of the Nile Battalion.
• Gen. Dau participated in several battles in Equartoria in 1991.
• He was a commander of the Mobile Forces that fought in Morobo and other areas in Central and Western Equartoia from1994-95.
• Gen. Dau participated in the last and major battle war in Raja, Western Bahr el Ghazal.
• He was the only commander who managed to withdraw with all military equipment when SPLA decided to withdraw after months of recapturing and losing Raja City to the Sudanese Armed Forces.
In summary, Gen. Dau has been a combat officer for 22 years. Below are the some of military positions he had held in the SPLA from 1984 to 2010:
• Commander of the SPLA 7th Brigade.
• Commander of the SPLA 10th Brigade.
• Commander of the SPLA 11th Brigade.
• Commander of the SPLA 12th Brigade.
• Commander of JIUS Unite in Khartoum.
• Commander of the SPLA Heavy Artilleries.
Military Trainings and Administrative Courses:
• Graduated from the SPLA Military Academy as a 1st Lt. in Shield One, Bonga, Ethiopia (1984-1985).
•Completed general Military Administrative Training at Iowa State University in Iowa, USA (2004).
• Completed courses in International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights, and Conventional Military Training in Khartoum, Sudan (2007-2008).
•Completed Conventional Military Training at John Garang Memorial Military Academy, Juba, South Sudan
Rebels' Response to Francis Mading Deng's Statement to the UN Security CouncilPosted: May 6, 2014 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in Featured Articles, History, Press Release, South Sudanese Rebels
Tags: mabioor Garang de Mabioor
By Mabioor Garang de Mabioor, Addis Ababa
Response To Statement by the Permanent Representative of South Sudan to the United Nations (UN), Dr. Francis Mading Deng, to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), May 2, 2014
The address to the UNSC by the Permanent Representative to the UN, Dr. Francis Mading Deng, presented the Government of the Republic of South Sudan's (GRSS) response to the concerns raised by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navi Pillay and the UN Special Advisor on Prevention of Genocide Mr. Adama Dieng. Instead of addressing the root causes of the conflict and proposing a just solution; the Permanent Representative of the GRSS to the UN went ahead to defend the violent (genocidal) campaign of the government known as the Juba Massacre, while heaping blame on what he termed as rebels.
It is highly regrettable that such a renowned personality with such an illustrious career as a diplomat, a prominent elder, and scholar would defend a massacre that took place before the eyes of the whole world. It is ironic that almost exactly to the twentieth anniversary of the Rwanda Genocide the former UN Special Advisor on Prevention of Genocide would be giving a speech in defense of a massacre on the floor of the UNSC. This amounts to a moral and professional betrayal of his previous duty as the UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, and of the principles on which the UN was founded.
The UN Permanent Representative of the GRSS started with remarks in which he invoked democratic principles of legitimacy stating that; "It is indisputable that the Government must bear primary responsibility for protecting its citizens without discrimination on ethnic or any other ground, and be accountable in that regard." The Permanent Representative is either naïve about the genesis of the conflict, or is complacent in trying to cover up the crimes against humanity that took place in Juba between the 16 – 18 of December 2014.The UN Permanent Representative for South Sudan seems to forget that the conflict arose because of the government failure to do exactly what he suggests is the responsibility of the government. He goes on to say: "However, that cannot justify placing a democratically elected government on the same moral, political, and legal grounds with a rebel group using violence to overthrow that Government."
The objective of what the Permanent Representative has labeled as rebels is not to overthrow the government using violent means; it is instead, a war of resistance against a government that without provocation killed, according to an International Crisis Group (ICG) report 10,000 and other online sources 20,000 of its own citizens in three days based on their ethnicity. It is worth noting that wether it was 10,000 or 20,000, it is the quality of the crime rather than the quantity of the crime that is appalling. The government committed these murders in the name of thwarting a coup that has now been shown to be unfounded. This however, has not stopped the Permanent Representative from continuing to push the coup narrative, in order to discredit genuine voices for change in the country.
The coup narrative has been rejected by the world, as reflected by the statement of the assistant secretary of state for African affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield in her report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on South Sudan crisis: "We've not seen any evidence that this was a coup attempt, but it certainly was the result of a huge political rift between Riek Machar and the president." The people of South Sudan at the grassroots level have also rejected the coup narrative and the only reason their voices are silent is for fear of victimization from the authorities. This fact became even clearer after the Army Chief of Military Intelligence testified in court that he could not connect the four to the alleged coup, leading to his dismissal.
The coup was fabricated by President Salva Kiir and his inner circle in order to purge the leadership of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), a leadership he saw as a threat to his underhanded plan of holding on to power through illegal means. This plan started to become apparent when the president on the 15th of November, 2013 illegally dissolved the structures of the SPLM: "The SPLM has dissolved itself by itself, it is only the office of the Chairman that cannot be dissolved; nobody can dissolve it" he remarked. This is illegal.
The massacre in Juba occurred in the wake of this fabricated coup, I don't see the connection between an alleged coup attempt and the need to massacre thousands of civilians (women and children) in cold blood. The Permanent Representative's argument of the legitimacy of the government is a diversion to draw attention away from the fact that the massacre of between 10,000 and 20,000 innocent civilians brings this very legitimacy into question. This was what brought the legitimacy of Mohamad Morsi into question, and more recently it has brought the legitimacy of Viktor Yanukovych into question. The President of the Republic of South Sudan has murdered more of his own citizens than these two Presidents combined. This begs the question: how many citizens does President Salva Kiir have to murder before his legitimacy comes into question?
The UN special Representative for South Sudan is either misleading, or being misled when he asserts that; "The President also spoke to me about the constructive discussion he had with US Secretary of State, John Kerry, to whom he expressed his willingness to meet with rebel leader Riek Machar in the interests of speedy end to the war." Though this is very courageous on the part of President Salva, the record sadly shows that the president is not for peace as he continues to keep foreign mercenaries in the country in violation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoH).
The recent appointment of the former Governor of Northern Bahrgazal, Gen. Paul Malong as the Chief of General Staff and Marial Nuor as Chief of Military Intelligence, both architects of the Juba Massacre and other atrocities prior to the 15th of December, is a further indication that there is no desire for a "speedy end to the war". The recent Massacre of 190 trainees and their families in Mapel, Western Bahrgazal State, as reported by Sudan Tribune (on April 26, 2014) is a testament to their brutality and also another indication that the government is not for peace.
In regards to the Agreement on the Status of Detainees, although we salute the courage of the President when he released the four detainees, the fact that more pressure had to be put on the government to allow the four SPLM leaders to travel is an indication that the President is not sincere about his respect for national judicial process and a desire for a "speedy end to the war." It is not the speed with which we achieve peace that will end the suffering of the people of South Sudan, but a just and honorable peace. The violation of the two agreements signed between the SPLM and the GRSS sets a treacherous precedence for any future agreements that may be reached between the two parties.
The leadership of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) 70% of which has deserted the government has no policy of recruiting child soldiers as alleged by the Special Representative who unambiguously said that: "on specific issues raised by the reports of the High Commissioner and the Special Advisor, the allegation that both sides are recruiting child soldiers is an example of the moral equivalency that clouds the facts and the need to place responsibility where it belongs."
This is paradoxical, and in order to understand this paradox we have to again revisit the root cause of the conflict. As already mentioned, the murder of between 10,000 to 20,000 innocent civilians in Juba was the catalyst that led to the White Army Uprising. In an article for the New York Times (on April 03, 2014) Journalist Jackie Fortin interviewed one of the White Army local militia referred to only as Mr. Wiyual; "…we are fighting the government for killing people," he went on to say; "we aren't fighting for Dr. Riek."
The Juba Massacre has militarized the youth of Nuer ethnicity in their cattle camps and villages and they are understandably angry. The troops that are under the Command of Comrade Dr. Riek Machar are regular SPLA Soldiers from various divisions that upon hearing of the Juba Massacre rebelled and captured Bor Town. The cycle of revenge started almost immediately with reprisals in Akobo and Bentiu where more innocent civilians lost their lives, in all these cases the loss of life is regrettable and unjustifiable; however, we must acknowledge that the catalyst for all this is the Juba Massacre that the government is trying to cover up.
The fact is, that had Comrade Dr. Riek Machar and Comrade Taban Deng fallen victim to the dastardly plot to murder them in the name of a failed coup, we would be in a more dismal humanitarian situation. There would have been no leadership on the ground to attempt to organize this anger felt by the Nuer youth in their cattle camps and villages. The White Army local militia could have gone on an unchecked orgy of killings that would have taken a long time to stop and would have led to an unending cycle of reprisals. The leadership of the SPLM – SPLA is trying against all odds to turn the current crisis into an opportunity by organizing the anger caused by the Juba Massacre and turn it into an opportunity to bring about fundamental change in the country.
The bold stand by Comrade Dr. Riek Machar to organize this anger demonstrates leadership, in a time where historical leaders are shying away from their responsibility to the people. The stand of Comrade Dr. Riek Machar, Comrade Taban and many more Comrades is what has created a glimmer of hope, an opportunity to turn this despicable tragedy into an opportunity to reconcile our communities at the grassroots level. The failure to do this since 2005 is a major contributing factor to the current crisis as old grievances from the days of the civil war are still haunting us.
The President of the Republic of South Sudan admission that he formed a private army outside of the SPLA is on record. It was reported in the Sudan Tribune (February 17, 2014) that; "…the president tried to justify the formation of the unauthorized army, saying the intention was to have…a reserve force…in the event that military action was needed…" He went on to say; "…it was on this basis that somebody mobilized and recruited some youth…" This is the very private militia that was used by the presidency to commit the atrocities in Juba that plunged the fledgling nation into the abyss.
It is difficult to understand how the President could form any credible "high level committee, chaired by the former Chief Justice, to investigate gross violations of human rights and hold accountable those found responsible"; the same person that trained and equipped the militia that went out on a rampage killing between 10,000 to 20,000 people in three days. The president according to the UN Permanent Representative also said, "anyone targeting members of the Nuer community in his name was against him". This is a clear indication that the president was aware of the crimes being committed, and his response was feeble in the face of such heinous crimes.
The UN Permanent Representative for South Sudan has accused what he terms as rebels, "of massive abuses and ethnically targeted massacres," which he claims "have become a conspicuous part of their war strategy." The leadership of the SPLM – SPLA in a historic conference in Nassir held from the 15 – 18 of April, made it clear to the world what the SPLM – SPLA is struggling for. The SPLM – SPLA is struggling to establish a federal system of government in fulfilment of the aspirations of the people of the Republic of South Sudan. The allegations made by the UN Permanent Representative are baseless, and are tantamount to propaganda.
Then after malevolently accusing the SPLA forces of committing atrocities the Permanent Representative goes on to justify a massacre that recently took place at the UNMISS camp for IDP's in Bor. The "war was provoked when the Youth of Bor town heard the IDP's in the UN compound celebrating the capture of Bentiu by the rebels," it is regrettable that the former United Nations Special Advisor for the Prevention of Genocide would justify a massacre committed along ethnic lines. This is double standards.
The Permanent Representative also claims that "the Government sees UNMISS as a critical partner in South Sudan", this is in contradiction to the statements made by the President of the Republic of South Sudan as reported by the BBC News Africa (on 21 January, 2014) in which the President claims he "…did not know when the UNMISS was brought to South Sudan, they were brought as a parallel government with the government in South Sudan;" he then went on to say "they fell short of naming the chief of UNMISS as a co-president of the Republic of South Sudan."
The reality is that the Government of the Republic of South Sudan has abdicated its responsibility to the people of South Sudan to the United Nations. The government antagonizes UNMISS and yet they expect them to "…protect civilians, deliver humanitarian assistance, and promote respect for human rights." This is the work of the government, and it is the failure to deliver the peace dividends nearly a decade on from the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (in 2005), that has also contributed to the conflict as the youth feel they have nothing to lose.
There is no excuse for the current state of institutional collapse in the Republic of South seeing that there was tremendous social and political will, both internally and externally. The governments of the IGAD countries and those of Troika spared no expense in providing opportunities to the young state for capacity building. The Republic of South Sudan has not been short of "understanding, compassion, and support in building a nation that can ensure peace, security, and development for its people" as the UN Permanent Representative for South Sudan would like the world to believe.
The Permanent Representative would also like the world to believe that "the reasons why charges against the four accused were eventually dropped was to foster efforts towards peace and reconciliation. The truth however, is that the case against these detainees was weak and the judge was going to throw out the case. "The Government has noticed that the court is going to prove that we are not guilty" stated former political detainee and legitimate Secretary General of the SPLM, Comrade Pagan Amum upon his release.
The government after supposedly releasing the detainees in the name of "efforts towards peace" detained their passports and denied them travel for medical treatment in violation of their civil rights and liberties. "The reason they didn't travel is because some of them are giving irresponsible statements, and we did not cancel the case, but we dropped the process. So if they do not change their attitude we will reopen the case again," stated the Minister of Information. This kind of intimidation and aggressive posturing does not build confidence, and is in principle an obstacle to peace.
The way forward out of the current political deadlock, and military stalemate is to have an honest, all inclusive dialogue that will address the root causes of the conflict. The solutions of the past have not worked, solutions such as "…balancing accountability with mutual accommodation" as suggested by the Permanent Representative is what has not worked in the past and has led to current dissatisfaction with the system. This is the reason that the masses of South Sudanese are now demanding a federal system of governance, which is what they have bravely fought for since 1947.
In conclusion, the "forgiveness and reconciliation" that the Permanent Representative is referring to cannot be achieved unless we address the root causes of the conflict. The current crisis in the country started as a crisis within the SPLM, which after December 15, has become an alarming national crisis. It is awfully disappointing that Dr. Francis Mading Deng a distinguished personality with such an illustrious career as a diplomat, a prominent elder, scholar and the former UN Special Advisor on Prevention of Genocide would defend a massacre that took place before the eyes of the whole world on the twentieth anniversary of the Rwanda Genocide.
Cpt. Mabior Garang de Mabior
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
May, 2014.
Is Gordon Buay the New Presidential Advisor to Salva Kiir?Posted: November 29, 2013 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in History, Press Release, South Sudanese Rebels
The leadership council of former SSLM/A congratulates President Salva Kiir
To the "Faceless" NGO Worker: In Jonglei, David Yau Yau is a problem and the Problem is David Yau Yau.Posted: November 8, 2013 by Deng Dekuek in Featured Articles, Opinion Articles, South Sudanese Rebels
Tags: Bor, david Yau Yau, Facts, Jonglei, ngos in south sudan, Rebels, Security, south sudan, UN, UNMISS
By E.E. Dantès
Firstly, if one cannot stand up by putting a face or their name to a statement they believe in, maybe they should not state or write it at all. That said, I would like to respond to some things raised by the unnamed author of "South Sudan: In Jonglei, David Yau Yau is not the Problem."
(1) The author wrote, "In post-independence South Sudan the majority of rebel leaders have been Nuer and there have been no, insignificant (sic), Dinka rebel leaders; the biggest tribal group in South Sudan, occupying both presidential posts to date. Why should they rebel?"
This is a laughably sad condescending statement. For the record, (a) In post-independent South Sudan, there has been only one president, so the "both" the author is referring to does not make sense. (b) Equating a presidential post to be a satisfactory factor of not having a grievance is as an absurd statement as saying that African-Americans have no grievances because Obama is the president. It is plain silly to say that Jieng (aka Dinka) have no reasons to rebel because the president is a Jieng. This statement infers that Jieng are the SOLE beneficiaries of the presidency, this is a falsehood something many NGOs working in Jieng homeland can corroborate. (c) Ido not know how one determines significance of rebel leaders but I think there was a certain George Athor not so long ago whose personal grievances were not amalgamated to mean a greater cause of Pigi his home county.
(2) …"but at a much lower scale the motivation of the Murle is the same as Palestinians, who want their own state within South Sudan.The Murle and DYY are also not the only ones in todays South Sudan who are campaigning for greater self-determination – just take a look at the ongoing low-level shilluk rebellion against the Dinka in Upper Nile State."
Wow! Really? (a) There is an ocean between Palestinian issues and Murle – they cannot be compared whatsoever even in a context of this supposed notion of self-determination by the Murle people. The two causes are incomparable – even the ideological definition of self-determination is different among the Palestinians and the Murle (on a personal note, I think it is an insult to the Palestinian cause). (b) In addition, the supposed rebellion against Jieng for self-determination in Upper Nile is just a palpable fib. This is perpetuating falsehood of big bad Jieng,hell bent on destroying and colonising the minority. Firstly, the Upper Nile State is a home to three peoples, Collo (aka Shilluk) Kingdom, Jieng and Naath (aka Nuer). The Collo Kingdom is the home to some of the most influential people in the history of Sudan namely: Dr. Peter Adwok Nyaba, Pagan Amum, Gen. Oyai Deng Ajak, Dr. Lam Akol (leader of SPLM-DC) and Baguot Amum (Pagan's sister and wife of late Nyancigak, SPLA Commander from Murle). Secondly, historically the Collo lived on the west bank of the river Nile during the British colonial times while Jieng and Naath lived on the eastern bank. However, during the wars, people were continually displaced and subsequently Collo settled along the eastern bank resulting in frictions with Jieng around the areas of Lul and Anakdiaar. Thirdly, in relation to various rebellions in Upper Nile, namely that of Gabriel Tanginya and Johnson Oliny, these were not specifically against Jieng or Nuer but against the government in Juba. Tanginya was unhappy with the terms and rewards of incorporation into the SPLA. Oliny on the other hand was unhappy how his ancestral community was treated. Oliny's community straddles the Sobat River, which marks the southern border of Upper Nile State and northern border of Jonglei State. During rainy season, the people migrate from one side of the river to the other, essentially crossing state borders. The community therefore fell through the bureaucracy as the two state governments passed them back and forth and not accepting them into one state. This was not the fault of Jieng or Nuer community but that of the government. Fourthly, no Jieng has ever been a governor in Upper Nile in post-independent South Sudan. Therefore using Upper Nile State as an example shows how the author has no understanding of the issues in South Sudan.
(3) "I have no sympathy for DYY I don't know how many crimes he has committed and few people do……….. Very few Murle people actually subscribe to DYY's political agenda, if such a thing can be said to exist, but he has become a last resort for community protection among the Murle."
This is a glaringly contradictory statement from the author who equated Murle's grievances with Palestine's cause and Yauyau's stated political agenda as similar. The author stated that Murle wanted a state of their own in South Sudan something, which Yauyau actually said was an objective of his rebellion. Therefore, how can the author back away and say that Murle do not subscribe to Yauyau's political agenda? The author also says, Yauyau has become a resort for community protection, against whom?
(4) …"the forced disarmament campaign exacerbated the tensions targeting the minority group, the Murle."
This is an astonishingly dishonest statement from the author. I do not know whether the author is aware that Anyuak, Jieng, and Lou were the first to be disarmed in 2006 in Jonglei and Murle were not. Small Arms Survey reports are quite insightful. Just to give a bit of context, in 2005 Lou Nuer and Jieng of Duk clashed for the first since peace was agreed between Jieng and Nuer. The government for whatever reasons decided between January and March in 2006 to forcibly disarm people. It conducted a preferential disarmament campaign targeting in Jonglei, Nuer, Jieng and Anyuak. Jieng and Anyuak handed their weapons in peacefully although woman, girls and children suffered abuses in the rural areas and were promised compensation by then Governor Philip Thon Leek. That promise was not kept. Nuer on the other hand refused citing the fact that Murle and Jikany Nuer of Upper Nile still had arms. This led to a confrontation in May in which 400 SPLA and 1,200 Lou Nuer were killed. SPLA committed many atrocities as a result while the UN, many NGOs and commentators turned a blind eye. Nuer blamed Jieng and the government because the General, Kuol Dim, who was in charge of disarmament in Jonglei was a Jieng.
Thereafter, Lou repeatedly harassed Duk County until in May 2007 Jieng of Duk ë Padiet retaliated and looted 20,000 heads of cattle and killed unknown number of people. Here is a summary (Most of it from Small Arms survey, News Reports, IRIN Website, International Crisis Group and academic journal articles):
Jan – May 2006:
SPLA disarms Jieng and Anyuak peacefully, Lou resists, and 1,200 are killed. Lou Nuer rearms within 18 months (ICG).
May 2007:
Duk ë Padiet clash with Lou over grazing rights resulting in Jieng looting 20,000 heads of cattle.
July 2007:
Murle attack Akobo. Hundreds are killed (no concrete figure is given).
October 2007:
Murle abducts two children from Bor County.
Nov. 2007:
Murle kills 8 and steals, 7,000 heads of cattle in Padak in Bor County. The Murle raiders are pursued but they ambushed the pursuers and kill 21 Jieng while they lose only six.
Jan 2008:
Murle attack Anyuak in Pochalla County, kills 26, and takes 105 cattle.
Then due to census and other things 2008 threats by Jieng of Bor County to raid Murle things quiet down.
Jan. 2009:
Murle attacks Lou in Akobo kills 300.
March 2009:
Murle attacks Wuror and kills 600-750
March 2009:
Lou attack Murle in Lokuangole and kills 450
April 2009:
Murle attacks Lou in Akobo and kills 250
May 2009:
Lou attacks Jikany in Upper Nile and kills 71 (Nuer against Nuer).
August 2009:
(a) Lou attacks Jieng in Wernyol in Twic East County twice killing 11 and 47 on each occasion.
(b) Murle attacks Lou in Mareng killing 185.
Sept 2009:
Lou attacks Duk ë Padiet killing 167.
Then everything goes relatively quiet because of referendum and the elections and 2010 passes without major incidents in Jonglei.
Feb. 2011:
Murle attacks Wuror County and kills eight.
April 2011:
Lou Nuer attack Lokuangole, in Pibor County kills 200 Murle.
June 2011:
Lou Nuer attacks Gumuruk and Lokuangole, in Pibor County, 400 Murle and 398,000 heads of cattle looted. Nuer Youth also reports on the Internet that Jieng has joined them.
August 2011:
Murle attacks Wuror County and kill 750 Lou Nuer.
Dec 2011:
Murle attacks Jalle in Bor County and kills 42
Jan. 2012:
(a) Lou Nuer attacks Lokuangole and Pibor and kills between 1,000 – 3,000 Murle.
(b) Murle attacks Duk county and kill 47 people while they are under attack! One thought they would be busy defending themselves!
Feb: 2012:
Murle attacks Anyidi in Bor County and kills nine Jieng and in retaliation, Jieng in Bor Town kills seven.
March 2012:
Murle attacks Nyirol County and kills 30 Lou Nuer
March 2012:
Murle attacks and kills 225 in Ethiopia and within Jonglei.
If one does the math, it is quickly apparent that the Murle are not a targeted victim minority that the author makes them out to be. It is quiet clear that they are very aggressive and have been the primary source of instability in Jonglei at least since the signing of CPA in 2005.
Jonglei State has many problems stemming from weak governance at both state and national level. Certainly, taking sides and misinforming the world will not help the local people whether they are Jieng, Naath or Murle. The fundamental problem in Jonglei lies in the fact that the state is vast with no strong civil administrative institutions. (1) All ofSouth Sudan is aggrieved, from a bad government. (2) Ethnicity is used as an excuse for impunity. When Abel Alier was the Head of HEC in 70s following Addis Ababa Peace Agreement, the Equatorians cried "Dinka! Dinka! We want Kokora (re-division of Southern Sudan)." When Joseph Lagu headed HEC everyone cried, "Madi! Madi! How many are there? (Madi being a minority group)."Since 70s, South Sudan is being slowly Balkanized. (3) Nobody knows why Murle is fighting unarmed Jieng civilians. When Athor went to the bush, he had personal grievances and the whole of Atar (his home constituent) did not follow him because their issues are not personified in Athor. However, Yauyau has been used to excuse Murle's atrocities against other civilians. People say Yauyau has a grievance (what is it? And against whom?), and then they add that he is standing up for his community (really? What if those in Pigi, Duk, Twï, Bor, Wuror, Nyirol, Pochalla and Akobo – frequent victims of Murle start standing up for themselves, what happens?). (4). All guns must be laid down at all cost either voluntarily or forcefully and people have to talk or else everyone should be left to their own devices the latter being Somalianization of Jonglei.
(5) David Yauyau is a problem in Jonglei State if not the major problem in Jonglei State primarily because of his sponsors in Khartoum (see Eric Reeves' blog from comprehensive analysis). He is exacerbating pre-existing tribal tensions into something much bigger by politicising it with illogical demands of separate statehood for the Murle. If the UN and NGOs want impunity to end in South Sudan and all rebellions to die out like the M23 inD.R. Congo, then they must do to Khartoum what UN did to Rwanda. The West must impose embargoes and sanctions to deny people like Yauyau supplies and sources to continuously fuel the rebellion. The UN and NGOs must stop the glaring biased approach with they have adopted in South Sudan and must stop undermining the South Sudanese government in the name of selective human rights protection.
The Leadership Council of the Former SSLM/A Thanks President Kiir for Pardoning Maj. Gen. Gabriel TangPosted: October 8, 2013 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in Press Release, South Sudanese Rebels
Memorandum of Understanding: Yasir Arman Statement August 4th, 2012Posted: August 5, 2012 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in South Sudanese Rebels
Statement about the Memorandum between the SPLM-N, the UN, the AU and the Arab League on Humanitarian Assistance to the South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
This evening, August 4, 2012 in Addis Ababa, the SPLM-N delegation signed the memorandum with the African Union, the Arab League and the United Nations on humanitarian assistance to the war affected civilian populations in Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains/South Kordofan. Our main consideration is to respond to the catastrophe and the crisis that is one year old now as a result of Khartoum denying access to the needy displaced persons. This is the second memorandum we have signed with the tripartite group. The first was on February 18, 2012 and it did not work. Our main reservation on this memorandum is that the whole operation is dependent on the consent of the Government of Sudan to give access to the SPLM-N controlled areas. We have a long experience with the Sudan government and if we don't betray our memory and our experience, the Sudan government is not going to delivery on this memorandum and they will put all obstacles on earth to fail it. The only window of opportunity and hope is that the African Union and the UN Security Council and the activists all over the world will continue to put pressure on the Sudan government to seriously and timely implement this document, otherwise half a million from the civilian populations in the two areas will become hostage in the hands of Bashir and the National Congress, who will continue sentencing them to death. General Bashir's intention is to lift the pressure on him by signing this document and to put up all obstacles. It is not to operationalize it until the end of the rainy season, and as usual, he will go on summer offensive by early November. We signed the document hoping it is going to work and no one can blame the victims but rather the perpetrators.
Yasir Arman
Secretary General, SPLM-N
August 4, 2012
Press Release from the SSPLM/A Rebels: Regime Change in South Sudan is NecessaryPosted: June 17, 2012 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in South Sudanese Rebels
Tags: the ssplm/a
Fellow comrades in the liberation struggle of our people and nation, country mates and friends in global Revolutions; it is a profound gratitude on behalf of the revolutionaries to eloquent {our} position {as} of SSPLAM on the necessity of revolt, and our continue the commitment for regime change, in the republic of South Sudan.
We {SSPLAM} never reached, and never have any plan to reach a deal with the SPLM regime as it has been speculated by some few individuals within the ranks and structure of the revolutionary force. The so-called people who surrender themselves to the corrupt and the tribal Government of South Sudan did so, on their own individual capacity, but not as organization. Those are the rotten potatoes within the revolutionary organization, and they made up such a decision to safe guide their individual interests, which is against the will and interests of the organization.
SSPLAM is a revolution organization of the people and people's choice and interest is final; therefore, those who surrendered to the Government force are afraid of their fate. This is because the revolutionary movement is on the restructuring and reorganization process, as well adapting of policies of deployment, whereas the right person is deployed in wright place, more so, investigating of some series of cases pertaining the abuse of power and office.
Those who sensed, they are guilty and are in great fear of the cause of justices, as well in fear of losing their ranks and position within the structure and the system of the Revolutionary organization. To cover up their entire shame, decided to surrender to the Government, and preached a wrong doctrine that, they have signed a peace deal with the government on behalf of the Revolutionaries.
SSPLAM is a democratic movement, and our principal objective is so clear, that is to strive for the achievement of political and economic self-determination for all South Sudanese in United Country. Therefore, we are ready for peace and progress in Sudan, Africa, and the World at large, but this very peace will not be achieved (by) under, the current regime in Juba.
To achieve lasting peace as well political and economic self-determination of the people of this great Nation, it is vital to change the SPLM's regime, as this is the only option, and a way forward, for this country, and us.
We (SSPLAM) will therefore continue to forge unite of common purpose and work together with democrats, as well human rights conscience Revolutionary forces in the Country, to bring regime change in south Sudan.
Attached is our "officialdom Communiqué, on the necessity of the regime change in South Sudan"
For Peace, Justices and Prosperity for All;
Cde. John Sunday Martin
ADC for foreign Affairs (Office of the Chairman and Commander In Chief)
The South Sudan people's Liberation Movement Army (SSPLMA)
E-mail: sspla.foreignaffairs
Reasons behind the defection of Maj. Gen. James Duit YiechPosted: May 7, 2012 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in South Sudanese Rebels
Tags: Gordon Buay, James Duit Yiech, James Duoth Lam
Reasons behind the defection of Maj. Gen. James Duit Yiech
For Immediate Release
Joint Statement of SSDF, NDF, SSLA and SSDA
Date: 07/05/2012
The leadership of South Sudan revolutionary forces would like to clarify to the world the reasons behind the defection of Maj. Gen. James Duit Yiech with one hundred and thirty soldiers to the forces of corruption (SPLA) on May, 05, 2012. The media of corrupt government in Juba fabricated and concocted reasons behind his defection to deceive the people of South Sudan in away to make it appear that a large number of revolutionary forces surrendered to the forces of corruption. In fact, Maj. Gen. James Duit Yiech defected to the forces of corruption with only one hundred and thirty soldiers. What is reported by the forces of corruption that he defected with two hundred and fifteen soldiers is untrue.
Prior to his defection, the leadership of revolutionary forces held an emergency meeting in Maban to discuss the consolidation of military alliance of all rebel Movements and the need to establish a political organ that would serve as basis of National Transitional Council (NTC). The meeting discussed mobilization and strategy of the liberation struggle and concluded the followings points:
1. The success of any armed liberation movement depends on the effectiveness and efficiency of its mobilization strategies to reach out to the target groups for support in terms of human resources to voluntarily join its operations to faster its liberation purposes.
2. The dissolution of the current government of the Republic of South Sudan so as to be replaced by a national broad-base, multiparty system of government, agreed upon by all the political forces, revolutionary forces and civil society organizations.
3. To install and promote the culture of respect for human rights, and democracy, as well as good governance and rule of law for the benefits of all citizens of South Sudan.
4. In order for revolutionary forces to be effective in spearheading a national liberation struggle against the regime in Juba, it was agreed that they needed to extend their operations to Greater Equatoria. Since Greater Equatoria is the heart of SPLM regime and also the seat of National Government, fighting the regime within Greater Equatoria territories will hit the regime in Juba so hard that both the international community and South Sudanese community will feel the presence of revolutionary forces.
5. The restructuring of the military command of revolutionary forces is a prerequisite for the operational successes against the forces of corruption. It was agreed that old commanders must be replaced by young and educated officers in the field. It was also agreed that high school, college and university graduates must replace the less educated in commanding the battalions of revolutionary forces to fight effectively. The idea of replacing old commanders with young ones was precipitated by the notion that no organization—be it political or none-political—could ever be effective in society, and successfully executes its programs, as well as attain its vision, without proper organizational structures.
6. The revolutionary forces need to identify ethnic groups in South Sudan that are marginalized and are subjugated by the SPLM regime in order to be the backbone of the revolutionary forces.
As a result of the points agreed upon by the leadership of the revolutionary forces in the meeting, Lt. Gen. Gordon Koang Chol ordered the replacement of Maj. Gen. James Duit Yiech and Brig. Gen. James Duoth Lam. The former is a sixty eight year-old man and the latter is sixty seven and both are too old to effectively command. As it was agreed that young and educated officers must command the battalions of the revolutionary forces, Lt. Gordon Koang appointed university graduates from North America to replace Maj. Gen. James Duit Yiech and Brig. Gen. James Duoth Lam.
The new policy of replacing old commanders with young and educated officers didn't sit well with James Duit Yiech and James Duoth Lam. Their defection to forces of corruption on May, 05, 2012 was caused by their rejection of accepting to serve as military advisors instead to command the battalions.
The defection of the two old men will not affect the revolutionary forces and it is a blessing in disguise because the transformation of military structures within revolutionary forces will be realized without them. People may wonder whether Salva Kiir will keep sixty eight and sixty seven year olds in the ranks and file of his forces without violating the law of retirement. It is a normal practice among civilized people all over the world that people approaching seventy can no longer serve in the army. If Salva Kiir would rely on using outdated soldiers like James Duit Yiech and James Duoth Lam, it follows logically that the young and educated officers of the revolutionary forces will defeat the forces of corruption without spending much energy.
The allegations made by the regime in Juba that the revolutionary forces are being supported by the government of Sudan are lies and James Duit Yiech was prepared and advised to make false accusations to suit the propaganda of Juba. We would state, in no uncertain terms, that the forces of SSDF, SSLA, NDF and SSDA do not receive any financial or military support from Sudan government. The main supplier of our forces is the regime of Salva Kiir whose forces defected to the rebel forces with cars and weapons. The cars shown on South Sudan Television are SPLA army cars and do not belong to forces of James Duit Yiech. Maj. Gen. James Duit Yiech and Brig. Gen. James Duoth Lam defected to the forces of corruption without cars. The corrupt regime of Juba gave them SPLA cars to take pictures in order to consolidate its false accusation that the Sudan government supports the revolutionary forces. The truth is that James Duit Yiech defected to the forces of corruption without cars.
In conclusion, we would like to inform the people of South Sudan that James Duith Yiech and James Duoth Lam defected to the forces of corruption because they rejected to be replaced by young and educated officers who would safeguard the democratic revolution. It is the belief of the revolutionary forces that young and educated South Sudanese should be the one commanding the forces because without educated military officers, it would be difficult to preserve democratic government in South Sudan after the total elimination and destruction of Salva Kiir's regime. To prepare the South for democratic transformation, the leadership of revolutionary forces decided to replace all field commanders of the rebel forces with officers who graduated from universities and Colleges. After the defection of James Duit Yiech, the forces of SSDF in Maban, Longichuk and Maiwut counties are now commanded by university graduates from North America.
1. Lt. Gen. Gordon Koang, head of SSDF
2. Maj. Gen. James Gai Yoach. Head of SSLA
3. Maj. Gen. Johnson Olony, head of SSDA
4. Maj. Gen. Thomas Thiel, head of NDF
Email: email@example.com
The line is drawn: EITHER YOU ARE WITH ME OR AGAINST ME. If you are on the side of Salva Kiir, prepare yourself for war. When I say that change in South Sudan will come from barrel of the gun, I am not joking. Nobody in this world will convince me that war is bad.
SSLA AND SSDA APPOINTED MAJ. GEN. DAVID YAUYAU AS JONGLEI COMMANDERPosted: April 15, 2012 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in South Sudanese Rebels
Tags: david Yau Yau, south sudan, ssda, ssla
For immediate Release
SSDA and SSLA military leadership, Jonglei, South Sudan
April, 15, 2012
The leadership of SSDA and SSLA appointed Maj. Gen. David Yauyau as the overall commander of revolutionary forces in Jonglei state today on April, 15, 2012. Maj. Gen. David Yauyau returned to revolutionary forces after discovering that the government in Juba is a tribal entity which does not believe in democracy and ethnic equality. After signing an agreement with the government in Juba in July, 2011, he realized that Salva Kiir is not a man of peace but a tribal bigot and a corrupt person who doesn't care about the future of South Sudan.
The leadership of SSLA and SSDA congratulated his timely return to the revolutionary forces and is now commissioned to lead the forces of SSDA and SSLA in Jonglei state. He is also charged to bring Nuer and Murle youth together and direct their energies towards regime change in Juba. Maj. Gen. David Yauyau is a very popular figure in Murle community and he is highly respected by the Nuer in Jonglei state. There is no question that he will manage to liberate the entire Jonglei state from Kuol Manayang Juuk who is currently terrorizing the Nuer and Murle communities.
The leadership of SSLA and SSDA is therefore urging civilians to evacuate Bor town in ten days. The revolutionary forces will attack Gov. Kuol Manayang Juuk in the town to liberate the people of Jonglei from tribal bigotry and corruption. All civilians in Bor should leave the town for their own safety before the revolutionary forces attack.
The SSDA and SSLA also warn all civilians not to travel by car between Bor and Juba towns. Starting from April, 20, 2012, no vehicle would be allowed either to go to Bor town or Juba. We give civilians five days to make necessary arrangements to evacuate their belongings before the road is closed. Civilians can use cars before April, 20, 2012 which is the deadline to close the road between Bor and Juba. Any vehicle which would attempt to leave Bor town after April, 20, 2012 will be responsible for any misfortune that will inflict it. Our forces will not be responsible for the welfare of civilians who refuse to heed our warning that no car should travel between Bor and Juba after April, 20, 2012.
For contact:
Information Department
SSLA and SSDA headquarters
Jonglei, South Sudan
Email: email@example.com
|Al Jazeera Video: South Sudan captures prisoners of war from North
Sudan Tribune
April 15, 2012 (JUBA) – South Sudan's army says it has brought 14 prisoners of war from Sudan's army to Juba after capturing them during fighting in the disputed oil region of Heglig. Comments on the Sudan Tribune website must abide by the following …
|Sudan, S. Sudan clashes rage on
Daily Monitor
By Machel Amos & Agencies (email the author) Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) locked horns with southern troops at a new battle front on the crumbly borders yesterday, officials have said. The SAF attacked police posts at Kuek in South Sudan's Upper Nile state …
|Official: Sudan attacks S. Sudan
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A military official says Sudanese troops attacked and briefly occupied a border town in South Sudan as clashes continue between the two nations. South Sudanese military spokesman Col. Philip Aguer said Sudanese forces were …


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Frequent Links
Fenchurch Street railway station
|Fenchurch Street 12px
|London Fenchurch Street
Main entrance on Fenchurch Place
Location of Fenchurch Street in Central London
|Fenchurch Street
|Local authority
|City of London
|Managed by
|Station code
|DfT category
|Number of platforms
|Fare zone
Aldgate 10px [1]
Bank-Monument 10px 10px
Liverpool Street 10px 12px
Tower Gateway 10px
Tower Hill 10px
|National Rail annual entry and exit
|11px 16.086 million[2]
|11px 15.746 million[2]
|11px 15.189 million[2]
|11px 15.976 million[2]
|11px 15.676 million[2]
|11px 15.093 million[2]
|11px 16.675 million[2]
|11px 16.937 million[2]
|11px 16.843 million[2]
|11px 18.244 million[2]
|Railway companies
|Original company
|London and Blackwall Railway
|Great Eastern Railway
|London and North Eastern Railway
|Key dates
|Listed status
|Listed feature
|Front block
|Listing grade
|Entry number
|Added to list
|14 April 1972
|Other information
|Lists of stations
|External links
London Transport portal
Fenchurch Street, also known as London Fenchurch Street,[4] is a central London railway terminus located on Fenchurch Place, off Fenchurch Street, in the southeastern corner of the City of London. It is one of the smallest railway termini in London in terms of platforms but one of the most intensively operated.
Fenchurch Street is the London terminus of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line, with services to destinations in east London and south Essex; all services on the line are currently operated by c2c. Uniquely among London termini, Fenchurch Street does not have a direct link to the London Underground, although a secondary entrance on Cooper's Row (also known as the Tower entrance) is close to Tower Hill tube station and Tower Gateway DLR station, while Aldgate tube station is also nearby.
Fenchurch Street was formerly one of a select few UK stations managed by Network Rail, but is now managed by c2c.[5] [6]
|This section does not cite any references or sources. (October 2012)
The station facade is of grey stock brick and has a rounded gable roof. In the 1870s a flat awning over the entrance was replaced with the zig-zag canopy seen today. Above, the first floor facade has 11 round-arched windows, and above these is the station clock.
Fenchurch Street has four platforms arranged on two islands elevated on a viaduct. The station operates at capacity, especially during peak hours. To avoid overcrowding of the station, trains arriving during the morning peak period use alternate island platforms whenever possible. Office blocks (including the 15-storey One America Square) have been built above the station platforms in two places with only one short section of canopied platform and another short section of exposed platform.
The station has two entrances: one located on Fenchurch Place, just off Fenchurch Street itself, and another on Cooper's Row, near Tower Hill. The main station concourse is arranged on two levels connected by stairs, escalators and lifts. There is a ticket office and automatic ticket barriers at each entrance and retail outlets located on both levels of the station.
The station was the first to be constructed inside the City of London; the original was designed by William Tite and opened on 20 July 1841[7] for the London and Blackwall Railway (L&BR), replacing a nearby terminus named Minories that had opened in July 1840.
The station was rebuilt in 1854, following a design by George Berkley, adding a vaulted roof and the main facade. The station became the London terminus of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR) in 1858; additionally, from 1850 until the opening of Broad Street station in 1865 it was also the City terminus of the North London Railway (NLR).
The Great Eastern Railway (GER) used the station as an alternative to the increasingly overcrowded Liverpool Street station for the last part of the 19th and first half of the 20th century over the routes of the former Eastern Counties Railway.[8] The L&BR effectively closed in 1926 after the cessation of passenger services east of Stepney (now Limehouse). When the former Eastern Counties lines transferred to the Underground's Central line in 1948 the LT&SR became the sole user of the station. The line was later electrified, with services commencing on 6 November 1961 and a full electric timetable being introduced on 18 June 1962.[9]
Fenchurch Street station was the location of the first railway bookstall in the City of London, operated by William Marshall.
Connection to the Underground
In the 1970s Fenchurch Street was considered an integral part of the proposed Fleet line (now called the Jubilee line). This would have brought it into the London Underground network. An extension from the end of the existing track terminus at Charing Cross to Fenchurch Street via Aldwych and Ludgate Circus would then have seen the line go on to a destination in east London, most probably via a new station at St Katharine Docks.
Political wrangling delayed the extension, despite being considered the highest priority transport project in the city, and when in 1999 the extension was finally completed as part of the Jubilee line, the route did not go through Fenchurch Street but instead went south of the River Thames before cutting back northwards at North Greenwich. Fenchurch Street remains isolated from the Underground network, although within close walking distance of Tower Hill tube station and is shown on the tube map next to Tower Hill's marker.
Accidents and incidents
- On 1 August 1859, two trains were involved in a low-speed head-on collision at Fenchurch Street after an arriving North Woolwich service erroneously passed a red signal and struck a stationary Tilbury service. No-one was injured.[10]
- On 28 November 1860, a track defect caused the first four carriages of a departing train to leave the line at low speed. No-one was injured.[11]
- On 24 June 1872, a service arriving from Bow came into collision with the buffers at the platform end at Fenchurch Street, resulting in injury to three passengers.[12]
- On 17 August 1872, two people were injured when their service collided with an empty train being shunted out of a siding.[13]
- On 2 September 1903, 11 passengers and one crew member were injured when a train hit the buffers as it arrived at Fenchurch Street.[14]
- On 3 February 1912, approximately 86 people were injured when a train hit the buffers as it arrived at Fenchurch Street from Pitsea. It was estimated that 860 passengers were aboard at the time. Driver error and excessive speed were blamed for the incident.[15]
- On 26 January 1927, 10 people were injured in a head-on collision and subsequent derailment caused by defects in the signal detection and signals at Fenchurch Street.[16]
Since 1996 Fenchurch Street is served by the train operating company c2c owned by National Express, with services towards east London and south Essex. The typical off-peak service consists of eight trains per hour (tph) arriving and departing Fenchurch Street:
|Stopping pattern
|via Basildon
|not stopping at Limehouse, West Horndon or Pitsea
|via Basildon
|all stations
|Southend Central
|via Ockendon
|all stations
|via Rainham
|all stations
During peak periods there is an increased service with additional trains operating between Laindon and Fenchurch Street whilst others run non-stop to and from Benfleet.
London Buses route 40 serves the station.
Cultural references
|This section does not cite any references or sources. (October 2012)
- Fenchurch Street is one of the four railway stations featured on the standard UK Monopoly board. The others are Liverpool Street, Marylebone and King's Cross.
- The character Fenchurch in Douglas Adams' So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish was named after Fenchurch Street station, where she was conceived in the ticket queue.
- The name of the clothing brand Fenchurch is derived from the station.
- In Jerome K. Jerome's novel Three Men on the Bummel, the characters start their journey in Fenchurch Street station.
- In the 2005 film Green Street, Fenchurch Street is used to represent Manchester Piccadilly station.
- In the Book Dracula, by Bram Stoker, Dr. John Seward and Mrs. Mina Harker take the Underground to Fenchurch Street after they have met for the first time.
- ^ "Out of Station Interchanges" (MICROSOFT EXCEL). Transport for London. May 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-03-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Station usage estimates". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
- ^ "The National Heritage List for England". English Heritage. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
- ^ "Station facilities for London Fenchurch Street". National Rail Enquiries. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ^ "Stations Run by Network Rail". Network Rail. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ^ "Commercial information". Our Stations. London: Network Rail. April 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ^ NetworkRail.co.uk – Fenchurch Street
- ^ "Economic influences on growth: Local transport". A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5. 1966. Retrieved 19 March 2008.
- ^ McCarthy, Colin; McCarthy, David (2009). Railways of Britain – London North of the Thames. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-7110-3346-7.
- ^ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=2368
- ^ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=3876
- ^ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=3335
- ^ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=3376
- ^ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=657
- ^ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=1217
- ^ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=659
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fenchurch Street railway station.
- Station information on Fenchurch Street railway station from Network Rail
- Train times and station information for Fenchurch Street railway station from National Rail
|Preceding station
|National Rail National Rail
|Following station
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#REDIRECTmw:Help:Magic words#Other
| Abandoned plans
#REDIRECTmw:Help:Magic words#Other
| style="vertical-align: middle; width: 30%; border-top: 1px #aaa solid; border-right: 1px #aaa solid; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; color:inherit; background-color:#f2f2f2;"#REDIRECTmw:Help:Magic words#Other
This page is a soft redirect.Preceding station
|15px London Underground
| style="vertical-align: middle; width: 30%; border-top: 1px #aaa solid; border-left: 1px #aaa solid; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; color:inherit; background-color:#f2f2f2;"#REDIRECTmw:Help:Magic words#Other
This page is a soft redirect.Following station
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text:
I'm a big fan of Vipassana meditation, which is a free course organized for people who want to learn about meditation in a comfortable, quiet and safe environment over a 10-day period. I went when I had some time before Peace Corps in 2008 and I really enjoyed it. Meditation can seem like a confusing concept, but I found this retreat really easy to understand and very well run.
You can read more about my experience here and here, but I wanted to share some thoughts from Daniel who talked with me a few weeks ago before he went on the retreat himself. He just completed the retreat earlier this month and I thought you might enjoy hearing what he had to say. I just asked him a few questions and he gave some great answers:
Why did you want to do this retreat?
I saw the Dhamma Brothers documentary and was intrigued. Not sold - just curious. I'd also been exposed to Asian philosophy before. I liked that Vipassana was avowedly NOT religious.
Were you nervous?
I was very nervous. In the days before the retreat I kept trying to justify flaking out. I got close several times. I was seriously afraid that this could be a cult. Mostly, I think, because the whole course was free. Who does that? If you're giving away a week-long course with food and board, surely you are in the business of mind control. But I kept telling myself to just be curious about this thing.
Was it rewarding?
It was immensely rewarding. Not in the sense that I got out and had a smile permanently tattooed on my face, or that I decided I wanted to worship someone. I felt noticeably better in a way that feels sustainable. Meditation is a practice, and after 10 days you really are able to begin the practice solo.
What would you tell someone who is thinking about going, but they are a little nervous?
I would never try to talk someone into doing a Vipassana retreat. If they don't want it, they absolutely could not handle it. But to someone who is curious but hesitant, I'd say go for it. Don't commit. That'd be silly. But go and give Vipassana a chance for ten days. Ten days. It's sounds long, but you'll have the right combination of business, rest, challenges, and support. No one will ask you to do anything weird, no one will ever even kind-of push you to give them your money, and if you really hate it, you can leave without any trouble. But, if like almost everyone else who went on my retreat, you're a nice, normal, curious, nervous person, you've got ten short days to lose and a whole lot to gain.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us Daniel, it's awesome that you had such a great experience!
If you want to learn more about Vipassana meditation, you can visit their website at dhamma.org and sign up for a retreat of your own at any time. Good luck and let me know if you ever need any help!
Have questions? Ask us on Facebook!


text:
Apple is separating the new smartphones into its usual low-cost versus high-cost categories, with big differences between the two models coming down to the camera, display, and battery life.
iOS 13 & watchOS 6 Now Available
Apple Announces 8th Annual iTunes Festival in London Scheduled for September
"The iTunes Festival in London is back with another stunning line-up of world class performers and tremendous new acts," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. "These live shows capture the heart and soul of iTunes and we love bringing them to our customers in the Roundhouse, as well as to the millions of people watching all over the world for free."As with past years, free tickets for the concerts will be avaliable through iTunes in a lottery system. The iTunes Festival will also be broadcast via Apple TV, iOS app, and the iTunes desktop application.
The 8th annual iTunes Festival follows the first U.S. iTunes Festival at South by Southwest (SXSW) this past March, which was held at the Moody Theater. The iTunes Festival in London last year featured performances from a number of artists including Justin Timberlake, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Jack Johnson, and Jessie J.
Top Rated Comments(View all)
Right because no one goes to SXSW, Bonaroo, Coachella, Firefly, etc. You really should understand what true music festivals (well, the music part, heh) are about before you start posting facetious messages with rolly eyes. Most music festivals are about new and break out artists, not bland top 40 and has-beens.
Ah the smell of music snobs in the morning.
Clearly I have been listening to "fake" music because it wasn't personally deemed as true by some poster on the internet.
Apple today announced (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2014/07/21Apple-Announces-Eighth-Annual-iTunes-Festival-in-London.html) that it will hold its eight monthlong iTunes Festival in London this year,
Eight months long! That's quite a concert series!
Oh. It's Apple's eighth month-long concert series you say?
With an irrelevant and boring line-up like this, I don't feel bad about not being able to attend. Not even sprinkled with a dab of nuance. Perfect.
Inoffensive and bland, like chili made for patients recovering from surgery.
Thanks, Apple!
While this is great for people in the UK, Ireland, and France...
...it would be nice if Apple were to show the Silicon Valley some live music love.
After all, they're causing horrible jams on Wolfe these days with construction!
U.S. got it's first iTunes Festival this year at SXSW, I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes their annual venue. Festival of the arts, much more suitable than self-serving Silicon Valley.
Blondie, Hynde (Pretenders, not solo), and Plant (Zep and solo, I'll toss in Honeydrippers as a novelty) were great in the 70s/80s but it's 2014. They are not the musicians they were back then. I have a lot of their older stuff, still listen to it, but would not want to see them live today. It would ruin all my good memories.
Beck has *some* great stuff, though he's generally overrated because of it. All the mediocre and awful stuff gets a pass.
But the bottom line here is when Moron 5 is the headliner you know you've got a stinker on your hands.
Eight months long! That's quite a concert series!
Oh. It's Apple's eighth month-long concert series you say?
I don't think anyone would have eyes wide open enough to last eight straight months at a series of concerts...thanks for noticing the error! It's fixed now.
With an irrelevant and boring line-up like this, I don't feel bad about not being able to attend.Yeah, it does seem rather bland and boring. I'm not feeling left out seeing that line up.
Granted, I know they're not in the business of starting the next Lollapalooza, but if Apple is going to continue down this music path, they should innovate their playlist instead of focusing on top 40.
Yes, they should clearly not pick bands people listen to and, instead, pick ones people have never heard of. That's totally the way to get people to go to your show. :rolleyes:
[ Read All Comments ]


text:
This is a tough question for me because it's both broad and limiting at the same time. Broad because it could almost cover anything from something fun and care free to something serious and personal. It's limiting because I have to pick THE thing. I guess that's good though too because it requires careful consideration of the answer I wish to give.
The thing I've wanted to do but haven't is something I've talked about here before and spoken to Carlyn about several times, as well as some family members and that's make a concerted effort in my job search. The problems that I have which have prevented me from doing so include, the comfort and security of being in something I know. The fear or insecurity of starting at a new place where I have no time vested, no connections and little to no experience. Laziness. The desire to come home and spend my free time doing something more enjoyable than a job search. The fact that because of my computer issues I need to go elsewhere to update my resume and have the ability to send it out to places electronically. I can use obstacles as easy excuses to not do it.
I also don't have a good or clear idea about what I'd like to go to. What I might have a passion for. There's a bit of a feeling that my desire to find a new job revolves more around the desire to get away from where I am now as oppossed to the desire to go to something else. I worry about how I'm supposed to come off as excited or eager to go somewhere else when my drive is more motivated by what I am hoping to get away from.
I guess the easy answer is that finding a new job is not something I want to do. So how do I turn it into the thing I want to do? And not just make it something that I will eventually be compelled to do once I reach the end of my rope with where I am now?
Some things I want in a new job not in order of preference:
1. Either a job where I can focus on my job and not have to worry about management of others OR where if I have to worry about the management of others I have some say on the others who work with/for me.
2. A job where the people are invested in working together and helping eachother. Where you can give thanks and also feel appreciated for what you do.
3. I would like to occassionally travel. Get out of the typical work space and experience something new and challenging that I can face with creativity and excitement, rather than being in the same mudane spot all the time.
4. I know I mentioned that there is a fear in learning something new and a comfort in knowing what you do. I would like a job though that has a balance between that learning and comfort. Maybe I'm asking for everything here, but it would cool to have a comfortable environment that challenges me to learn things and use the things I've learned. I don't want an overwhelming pressure or stress of failure. But I want the pressure that comes with a creative pursuit.
5. I would like a job that gives me the financial security I desire, which is the ability to pay off all my college loans and pay for all my living expenses while being able to save towards the dream of owning my own home. To have the vision of my own home be tangible and reachable and not just seem like some dream I have no plan for and no hope for reaching other than by dumb luck.
So perhaps this post is getting off track relative to the initial question, but the exercise I've started is one I'd like to continue. I want to better understand the things that motivate me. Both the things I want and absolutely wish to avoid. Decisions and concessions will have to be made. I don't think any job fits into an exact cozy picture of my personal preferences or desires. I would like to find a job though where I see myself going forward though, personally and professionally and not just standing still.
I realize I have to figure some things out so that come this time next year I can have a different answer to this question. One that I don't internalize to the point where I make it personally imposing.
ON a side note: I've updated my blog challenge post which required me to post old pictures of myself with a few older photos. So on a good note, that's something I wanted to do and have done. =)


text: Well, I definitely wasn't expecting to be writing this post today, but I know better than most that you can't really control when the news about something is going to get out. So, yes, the New York Post got the scoop on this new record label I'm working on. They got a few things wrong, though. For starters, contrary to what they reported, we do actually already have a bunch of bands signed up, we just aren't announcing them until we launch. We're not in stealth mode or any of that nonsense, but the simple truth is that the site isn't going to be ready for a few months and so I'm probably not going to say much about it until we're closer to launch. That said, if you're a sponsor interested in getting involved, drop me a line. I'd love to tell you all about RCRD LBL. P.S. - Thank to everyone who emailed, called, or IM'd today!