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Mr Chairman, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates and Observers, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me first of all to welcome you to this Ninety-fourth Session of the FAO Council My good wishes are indeed even warmer than usual, a whole year has passed since your last session, and this year has been marked, for the world and for FAO, by many events that will have repercussions on your debates. The Council has always approached its tasks with remarkable wisdom and energy. What is more, its proceedings are traditionally conducted in an atmosphere of friendly dialogue, even when opinions diverge and the debate becomes lively. Todays circumstances require that you bring into play not only the resources of your intelligence and determination but also those of your heart. Solidarity, enthusiasm and friendship are more necessary now than ever, hence the very special cordiality with which I welcome you today
Your agenda includes a discussion of the state of food and - agriculture. I do not wish to anticipate your debates; I shall, therefore, mention only one problem, which cannot fail to influence decisively the climate in which the present session opens. I mean of course the drop, for the second year running, in the world cereal harvest, the first time in forty years that such a thing has happened. As a result, consumption has exceeded production. It has therefore been necessary to draw on the surpluses held mainly in North America and which has brought reserves down below what FAO considers the bare minimum needed to ensure world food security. At the same time, prices have soared; a rise of 40 to 50 percent is more than enough to put a brake on imports by the poor countries. Cereal production must increase next year if the balance is to be re-established, particularly if reserves are to return to a level of security, which is around 18 percent of annual consumption.
This year has also been marked by a series of horrendous natural disasters - not to mention all the man-made disasters - Bangladesh springs to mind, and the floods that have devastated the Sudan, terrible hurricanes that have swept the Caribbean, Central America and the Philippines, the cataclysmic earthquake that has shaken southern China and the huge desert locust infestations now covering the Maghreb countries, the Sahelian Zone of Africa and the Near East - they have even reached the Caribbean.
With regards to this last scourge, the campaign against it, which just has to succeed, is expected to cost 240 million dollars. The generosity of donors is indeed praiseworthy; FAO for its part has been playing a unique and altogether indispensable role as a centre for information, consultation, organization, coordination, and mobilization of resources. Our Emergency Centre for Locust Operations has been intensely active for, when donor countries want to harmonize their policies and action, they turn to FAO. We have held no less than 17 such meetings of various groups and bodies, and the work which has begun so well must be vigorously pursued, since unfortunately the danger is not over yet.
Not only the locust threat but also the other disasters I have just mentioned call for action from our Organization in its fields of competence. This situation could not have arisen at a worse moment.
First of all, the resources of the International Emergency Food Reserve - IEFR, as we call it - are now almost exhausted. Many emergency operations had to be conducted in 1988; most of them covered relief for refugees. It is essential that the Reserve be replenished very quickly, and I appeal here to donors to get the Reserve back into a position to fulfil its appointed task.
Secondly, the services FAO provides to its Member Nations have been restricted by the fact that its cash resources were cut by 20 million dollars in 1988. It had already, as you will recall, suffered a reduction of 25 million dollars in 1987. Over the last two years, therefore, we have been short of 45 million dollars, needed for the execution of our programmes. Since 1987, we have had to leave many vacant posts empty, pare down travel, cancel more than 50 meetings and 25 percent of the total number of publications, etc. Despite this effort, the reserve of 35 million dollars accumulated through careful management has melted away, and we began 1988 with a deficit of 47 million dollars. This led to new cuts, new savings, abolition or freezing of posts, additional reductions as regards consultants, travel, etc., elimination of another 50 meetings and more than 80 publications. When all is said and done, it is our basic programmes that are affected by these cuts: technical study or consultancy missions, training programmes, etc. Even locust control is coming up against staffing problems The reviews that used to spread technical knowledge and carry the message of the Organization - including Ceres, Unasylva and the World Animal Review - are disappearing from ministries of agriculture, universities, business establishments and decision-making centres.
Yes, it has been a hard year, a bad year, in which we have had to make harsh but unavoidable decisions, some of which have inevitably led to unrest among our staff. This was the case with the elimination of the language courses, which affected hundreds of our colleagues, or the fifty percent reduction in the number of telephones, a measure which obviously complicates their work. We are constantly having to make difficult choices.
All this stems from one and the same cause, namely the delays in paying contributions - particularly those of the major contributor. In September 1988, unpaid contributions amounted to 152 million dollars, of which 107 million were due from that country alone.
This situation would, moreover, have been far worse but for the fact that many of our Member Nations have taken exceptional measures to help us. Some of them have foregone their share in the cash surplus for the 1984-85 biennium. Yes, we had a cash surplus in 1984-85, and in 1987-88 we are deep in a cash flow crisis. Many have settled their contributions to the last cent. I am pleased to state that, with one exception, the eleven major contributors have all met their obligations. I should like to thank them.
Our very special gratitude goes to our host country, Italy, which, on top of all else, has transferred to our Technical Cooperation Programme an additional contribution of 30 million dollars for the current biennium, of which 15 million have already been paid in 1988. I am sure that the other 15 million will be paid in 1989, very soon. Moreover, we have just received 2 million dollars from the Italian Government, representing a reimbursement of the rent due for the buildings we occupy. I should like to thank the Ambassador of Italy for this too.
These efforts and this generosity are helping us to cope with the crisis and to do our work as well as possible under the circumstances. But the situation remains very serious and may even become still worse in the next few months. In the end, our core activities may well be threatened. I shall return to this point during the discussion of agenda item 12.
There is one simple remedy for this situation; to put everything to rights and to allow us once more to perform our mission in full, all that is needed is that Member Nations pay their contributions without delay and without unnecessary complications. A little goodwill, that is all. I urge them with all my heart to do so, on behalf of the hundreds of millions of poor peasants for whom our help is essential if they are to make any progress in development.
We are convinced that developing countries need FAO now more than ever. The most serious of the evils besetting them is undoubtedly indebtedness. At meetings of the International Monetary Fund and other organizations, many developed countries have expressed their concern and repeatedly declared their goodwill. Some of them have gone further in attempting to find solutions and have already taken concrete measures. Despite this, developing countries continue to totter under the weight of the debt burden, which entails a serious threat to agricultural development.
To service
their debts, these countries can only rely on their export earnings. The
latter, however, come mainly from primary products. The price of raw materials
is therefore of paramount importance to these countries; it may be said that
their lives depend on the price of these commodities. With very few exceptions,
as you know, there has been a downward trend in real prices for nearly three
decades; for most basic commodities, they are lower today than in 1960. This
decline is particularly marked for agricultural commodities, even if a slight
temporary rise can be seen here and there, as happened recently with cereals,
as I mentioned earlier, with sugar, or again with soybeans, because of falling
production in the United States, and also with vegetable oils, It is obvious
that countries depending on exports of one or two commodities for which the
prices are very depressed - cocoa, for example - can no longer meet their
obligations. At present debt servicing alone absorbs more than 40 percent of
the export earnings of many
Faced with this untenable situation, many countries in distress are forced to try to obtain rescheduling of their debt. They also need fresh money to keep their economies going. And so they ask for help from agencies such as the World Bank or the IMF. These agencies, which cannot, of course advance money on a grant basis, make a point of protecting their loans with highly specific guarantees. They demand that countries receiving loans reduce their expenditure and practice austerity, in what are called structural adjustments. This means that in countries with agriculturally- based economies (as is the case virtually throughout the Third World) the State is forced to reorganize and retarget its policy on agricultural development, credit, prices, social services and so forth as part of an overall effort to modify the pace. Frequently this sort of overhaul is a real necessity, but the operation is all too often launched headlong without sufficient prior examination of the ensuing social repercussions. This is what happens when a country is obliged to pare costs for health and education and forego subsidizing inputs such as fertilizers. It is almost always the little people, poor peasants, who bear the brunt. In any case, we have witnessed the birth of a completely new phenomenon in the history of development; in countries whose economies are primarily based on agriculture, the de facto expression of structural adjustment is the radical redefinition of agricultural policy under the influence of the financing agencies.
To become more efficient whilst avoiding the harmful consequences mentioned above, the structural adjustment process must bow to the following imperatives: consideration of social factors and human resources; equitable distribution of both the costs and the benefits of adjustment; and an effort to educate the entire community to understand and accept the terms and options of adjustment programmes.
We believe that UN agencies should, in meeting requests by interested countries, pool their vast body of data and experience, and offer these services to help countries with their policy formulation and operations, in accordance with the above considerations.
Allow me to stress one significant aspect of this kind of concerted action. There is one institution whose specific function is to advise governments on their agricultural policy and that institution is FAO. In the review of FAOs activities requested last year by the Conference and which I will get back to in a minute, much stress is laid on the need to reinforce this advisory role and give greater prominence to studies on agricultural policies. So it would seem reasonable, in envisaging structural adjustments in agricultural economies, that the Bank and interested governments have systematic recourse to FAO for independent opinions backed by long years of experience. And yet, this is not at all the case. Surprisingly, FAO is hardly ever asked to intervene in this process.
Concrete studies on agricultural policies are currently underway by the World Bank in over 35 countries, Unless there can be an overlap between parallel FAO and World Bank work in this domain, such efforts on our part will remain platonic, theoretical and without real impact. Common sense demands that the World Bank and interested governments enlist FAO as a partner in these reviews, offering advice on pending decisions. The Organization would be particularly well-qualified to conduct one-time micro-economic studies on, say, the marketing of a specific commodity, agricultural credit, and the like. Perhaps one reason why such services are rarely solicited of FAO is because it is the finance and not the agriculture ministries which normally deal with the Bank. In any case, governments should insist that FAO be associated with the formulation of new policy guidelines in this domain.
These problems along with many other major issues were raised at the FAO Regional Conferences this year, all five of which turned out successfully. In preparing the Programme of Work and Budget for 1990-1991, I shall be giving the fullest consideration to the views expressed at these meetings.
In 1988 other important meetings were held, particularly the sessions of the Committee on World Food Security and the Committee on Forestry, the reports of which are before the Council. You will have the opportunity to examine these at your leisure. But, with your permission, I should like to elaborate further on the work of the Programme and Finance Committees.
The most important of the tasks before these Committees was unquestionably the preparation - I repeat: the preparation - of a review of certain aspects of the Organizations goals and operations, in order to enhance the Organizations efficiency, as recommended by Conference Resolution 6/87. The two Committees, working jointly, were authorized to be assisted by experts selected for their professional competence and experience, with due consideration for balanced geographical distribution. In parenthesis, the Conference requested the two Committees to conduct a review of FAO activities; it decided they should be assisted by experts. The Conference awaits presentation, through the Council, of the report of the two Committees. Responsibility for this lies with the two Committees, In the course of the session you will be hearing a detailed progress report on this work. I am happy to be able to announce forthwith that the Committees, who have certainly taken their task to heart, have arrived at convergent views and unanimous decisions on the main points: the choice of experts, the definition of their terms of reference, working methods, organization of the review, and so forth.
The experts got right down to work. They came here in July to learn the facts, to talk to my colleagues, to observe our work, and to contact the organizations with whom we cooperate. Some of them are here now. The Secretariat, which I had placed entirely at their disposal, has been happy to supply information, to answer questions and to open its books to these experts. I should mention that several Member Nations have made contact informally with the experts, meeting them for lunch or on various other occasions. This is altogether normal, since the experts are free to do as they please. They informed us that they had been contacted several times by Member Nations and that many of them had received documents. So we cannot say that the experts have had any difficulty in hearing the opinions of delegates who wished to meet them. This is just to let you know that the experts have been able to make contact with the delegates; they have not been obstructed. The experts are not of course under the authority of the Secretariat; they are under the authority of the members of the Programme Committee and the Finance Committee; they were appointed by those Committees and will report to them.
The work is therefore going ahead as planned. I must, however, point out to the Council that the scope of the review has gone a bit beyond that determined by the Conference.
Indeed, as the Conference had perceived the review, it was only to cover certain aspects of the goals and operations of the Organization. I have said more than once that our FAO is not a soulless machine but a living organism in which all parts work together. It therefore seemed obvious to me that with this narrow scope the review was bound to be incomplete. I therefore took it upon myself to suggest to the Programme and Finance Committees that the review be broadened to include FAO field operations and administrative questions as well, The Committees interpreted this proposal as the expression of a sincere desire to take a fresh look at, to review and, where necessary, to reform the full spectrum of FAOs operations with the goal of enhancing efficiency. Considering this objective to be in line with the spirit if not the letter of the Conference Resolution 6/87, the Committees agreed to expand the scope of the review.
So 1988 was the year of the experts. Next year will be Council and Conferences year for discussions and decisions. Our Organization is, as you know, no more and no less than a cooperative of Member Nations. It is therefore of the utmost importance that the major decisions shaping its future be the outcome of undivided consensus, following the good example set by the United Nations General Assembly. The good of the Organization demands a spirit of real tolerance on everyones part; no one group should attempt to force its viewpoint on others.
In this kind of undertaking, flexibility and pragmatism are the qualities we need. It is best to wait patiently until the experts and the two Committees have completed their mission, at which time Member Nations will have concrete proposals to examine, to evaluate, to discuss, to adopt, to reject or to modify. A waiting-period involves no danger: the Organization is not in the emergency ward.
The remaining items on the Councils agenda really do not require any comment from me at this stage. World Food Day, as you shall be hearing, was marked by significant celebrations. Here at FAO Headquarters we had the privilege of receiving two illustrious guests and hearing their words: the President of the Republic Portugal and the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic.
You are aware - I was just speaking of it - of our host countrys generosity in the face of our present difficulties. In his speech the Head of the Italian Government announced another marvellous piece of news - the law just ratified by the Senate authorizing the construction of new buildings, which will allow us to house the full Secretariat in a single building complex. Our host country has thereby earned anew the right to our gratitude. The new Headquarters accommodations, among other advantages, will greatly facilitate contacts with the Representatives of Member Nations.
Mr Chairman, I have dealt at some length, of necessity, with certain internal FAO problems. Before concluding, I should like to return to more general matters and situate in a wider perspective the desperate problems I spoke of at the beginning of my statement the world food situation, indebtedness in the developing countries and structural adjustments
There is no question that some events in the developed countries this year are going to have a profound effect on the future of the world in general and our world in particular.
Only a few days ago, the people of the United States elected a new President, We all know that his action and that of the office-holders he will appoint cannot fail to have a decisive effect on the course o events throughout the entire world, not to speak of the effect on our own Organization.
We have all
been watching with keen interest the developments in the other superpower, the
Internal changes in each of these two modern colossuses are matched by a profound transformation in their present relationship The first signs and the first fruits are already visible Further successful developments of this détente can liberate great forces of regeneration and renewal in international relations and multilateral cooperation, to the benefit of the whole world.
Meanwhile, in Europe we are witnessing the growing impetus of the move towards the targets set for 1992, and, subject to certain differences in approach and opinion, towards an even more closely united Europe. This too can have great and beneficial consequences for the entire world.
However, in the poorer countries the prospects are on the whole rather bleak. A former African Head of State recently went so far as to declare that Africa, in the depths of its profound misery, is moving backwards as the rest of the world forges ahead. Some of you may find that excessively pessimistic, but the message I take from this is that Africas destiny, like that of the other poor countries across the world, lies in the hands of it people and its leaders.
If these peoples own efforts to surmount their difficulties and to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps are matched by a spirit of openness and solidarity on the part of the developed world, then our dreams will know no bounds. This, and nothing less than this, is needed to wrench humanity from the threat of famine, wretched poverty, underdevelopment, and the inexorable destruction of the environment.
Fortunately, with the advent of new advances in biotechnology and avowed national interest at the highest levels to reconcile development with the protection of our environmental heritage, we may cherish some optimism about the future. FAO stands ready to play its full part in such endeavours.
Mr Chairman, I have finished. As I said at the beginning, the problems of the moment demand amicable and concerted action in which our hearts as well as our hands play their part. It is my most fervent wish that an atmosphere of harmony, goodwill and... will characterize the work of this Council, 'and that we may thus advance the cause of those teeming multitudes whom it is our mission to serve.


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Immokalee Workers Interview
Immokalee Workers: Trader Joe's Victory, Campaign Turns To Publix Supermarkets
Earlier this month, Trader Joe's and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) announced they have signed an agreement that will formalize the ways in which Trader Joe's will work with the CIW and Florida tomato growers to support the CIW's Fair Food Program. The efforts to push the farm worker living standards above slave labor is gathering momentum in Florida. Now efforts turn to Publix supermarkets. The 28 billion dollar supermarket giant has refused to pay a single penny more to help end farm worker poverty. The Fair Food Program campaign has shifted its focus onto Publix and we get an update from Jake Ratner and CIW member Elbin Perez.
- We finally won with Trader Joe's and its extremely important for us.
- One of the main tactics we use is protest. We were planning an enormous protest the day Trader Joe's opened their first Florida store about 30 miles from Immokalee in Naples.
- With that pressure, the day before they opened the store, they signed an agreement with us.
- Historically some received some poverty wages there are no rights in the fields and workers have had no voice in the work place. What are rights without enforcement.
- Workers are now seeing an increase in their paychecks in the form of a bonus that they are receiving from companies like Trader Joe's.
- Currently we're also asking Publix to do the same thing and to sign on to the Fair Food Agreement.
- What we're calling for is a fast. A fast to begin outside of the Publix headquarters which is located in Lakeland Florida. There refusal to participate in these agreements will result in more hunger from more workers.
Guest – Elbin Perez, Coalition of Immokalee Workers member.
Translator: Jake Ratner -son of co-host Michael Ratner. Jake graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He's traveled and studied in Cuba and Bolivia, South America. He now works with the Coalition of the Immokalee Workers.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Charles A. Converse House (1870)October 30th, 2009 Posted in Gothic, Houses, Norwich
The Col. Charles A. Converse House is a striking Gothic Revival villa on Washington Street in Norwich. Built around 1870, it was first owned by Col. Converse, who was one of the founders of Hopkins and Allen, a major gun manufacturing company in Norwich. In 1907, the Converse Art Gallery, an addition to the Slater Memorial Museum donated by Col. Converse, opened to the public. The Converse Homestead property also has a barn built around the same time as the house.


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Cheryl James is reclining poolside at a los Angeles hotel, talking about her late friend Tupac Shakur. "There's no telling what happened to him during that period when his mother was on crack," says James, the Salt of Salt-n-Pepa. "Who knows who was telling him, 'You piece of crap; you'll never be shit'?"
Suddenly there is an angry shout from the pool: "Mommy!" James bristles. Her 6-year-old daughter, Corin, swimming nearby, apparently heard the last sentence. "You're right, Boo," says James. "I was trying to express something, but I got carried away. A bad word is a bad word, and I made a mistake."
Corin narrows her eyes. Finally satisfied, she dives back underwater. James leans forward in her chair. "She's like the curse police," James whispers. "She'll hear you two rooms away. I don't curse a lot, but sometimes I get so passionate." She laughs and tells a story about Salt-n-Pepa's upcoming album, Brand New: "There were a few s-h-i-t words that we said, and you know how they bleep things out in radio versions? We did it on our album. You listen to it, and just before some s-h-i-t words, you hear bloop."
James cackles. Calling the record Brand New is barely an exaggeration. After a phenomenal four straight platinum albums, Salt-n-Pepa have split with their creator, mentor and producer, Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor. James herself co-produced and co-wrote nine of the 13 songs, including the current single "R U Ready," and recorded most of the album in her home studio. After more than 10 years in the business, Salt-n-Pepafinally have complete freedom.
But that's not the half of it. The biggest difference is that James feels she is getting closer to her true calling. What she really wants is to spread the word, capital W. So on Brand New, you might still hear "Gitty Up," a patented SNP-style sexual romp, co-written by Rick James, but you'll also hear "Hold On," a hallelujah-shouting gospel song featuring Christian R&B singer Kirk Franklin.
Lounging by the pool in cutoff jeans and a bikini top, James talks about her group's new direction with almost evangelical zeal. She is supposed to be the quiet member; it is Sandi Denton (Pepa) who is the loud one, always at the center of attention. But when James speaks of her faith, she can't control herself. Her eyes grow wide; her voice booms. Salt-n-Pepa are her mountaintop, and she is shouting.
All of which has created a tiny glitch.
"I don't want to do another Salt-n-Pepa album," says James. "The only way I would want to do another Salt-n-Pepa album – and I told Pep this – is if she would respect the fact that I don't want to do any more 'Shoops'; I don't want to do any more 'Gitty Ups': 'If you can respect me just wanting to do inspirational and/or gospel music, then I would do another album.'"
And what did Pepa say?
"She was quiet," James says with a laugh. "She was basically . . . quiet."
Pepa is laughing. she is seated between her longtime friend and partner, James, and Spinderella (Dee Dee Roper), the group's DJ and surrogate kid sister. They are at a table at the posh L.A. hotel they checked into yesterday. "They had us up in the Radisson," says James. "Yo, honey, that's not gonna happen. We have been through too much. All we ask is that we fly first-class and we have a nice hotel. That's all we ask."
And so the ladies lounge in style. Tonight, SNP will attend the premiere of How to Be a Player, and in two days they are scheduled to perform on the new talk show Vibe TV. At the moment, however, they are resting. And laughing. It seems that the threesome went to a comedy club last night, and one stand-up, not even knowing that Salt-n-Pepa were in attendance, started singing "Push It." "It was, like, old school," says James. "We was like, 'We're in with the old school.' " They all bust out laughing again.
The funniest thing about "Push It," SNP's first big hit, in 1986, is that it started out as a joke. Azor came up with the synth line and, thinking it was too corny, James and Denton added the "Ooh, baby, baby" to mock it. Denton even walked out of the recording session.
But there's no making fun of it now. It made them millionaires. "Know what I'm saying?" asks Denton. And then the laughter starts all over again.
Initially, "Push It" was released as the B side of "Tramp," but when a West Coast DJ flipped the disc over, "Push It" ended up selling a million copies and helped to make the album it was on, Hot, Cool and Vicious, go platinum. Salt-n-Pepa's run began in earnest.
After the record's release, the original Spinderella, Pamela Greene, got married and quit. Azor discovered Roper, then in high school, who jumped on board and has completed the group's triangle all the way through A Salt With a Deadly Pepa (1988), Blacks' Magic (1990) and Very Necessary (1993). Now, with Brand New, Salt-n-Pepa are simultaneously old school and stars of the video age – no easy feat, considering the relatively brief life expectancy of most hip-hop careers. (Heard anything from Monie Love lately? Dream Warriors? Yo Yo? Exactly.)
"We're not just three dumb girls from the ghetto who got lucky," says James. Denton interrupts. "I see the look on people's faces as they get it," she says. "It's, 'Damn, y'all ain't no joke. Y'all are still here.' "
Not that it's been easy. This is the music industry, after all, and they are women – black women, at that. As they have persisted, they have taken firmer control of their business. It is no coincidence that many rap artists are forced to wear more hats – artist, producer, business person – than musicians in traditionally white genres just to make sure that their interests are protected.
"They're racist more than they are greedy, believe it or not," says James of record companies. "They'll sit on your record in a minute, just to make a point. We've had comments come back to us that people from companies in charge of our records say, 'We've gotta get those girls in line.' 'We're grown women who've been in this business for over 10 years. And you feel like you have to put me in line? What is it about you, when you look at me, that makes you think I have to be put in line? I am in line.' "
And then there's the current climate, not just in the rap world but in society at large. In many ways, Brand New is a reaction to the tumultuous last few years. Sure, Salt-n-Pepa are savvy enough to know they can't abandon the franchise altogether. There is "Gitty Up" and "Boy Toy" for those who want it down and dirty. But in addition to the gospel track "Hold On," there is "The Clock Is Tickin," a rock tune about domestic violence inspired, in part, by the O.J. Simpson trial. And there's "Imagine," which features Sheryl Crow (yes, you read it right) and is about confronting prejudice.
The reality is that Salt-n-Pepa see what is happening. They have lost friends. And now, as James insists, it is time to minister. They were close with both Shakur and the late Biggie Smalls, and, even in retrospect, the women are not sure that there was anything they could have done to help prevent the stars' deaths. James wrote Shakur numerous letters while he was in prison, encouraging him to turn his life over to God.
"Tupac was a young man who had a lot on his mind," says James. "He was going through this transition, and it ended up that somebody who was not the best influence for him came and got him out of jail and paid his bail."
"That's what the record companies encourage," adds Denton. "That's a meal ticket for people. I know, for Biggie, he didn't have a clue it was going to be like this. In his lyrics he was witty with it: He didn't really kill a lot of people, and this and that. He talked the talk in his music, but I know he didn't have a clue that it would get like this."
"The challenge to those who are still here, carrying on," says James, "is that if you're going to talk about that part, then what's the solution?"
And then, for a short while, no one says a word.
Singing about sex is rock & roll's oldest obsession. So, before they decided to have a message to their madness, Salt-n-Pepa were talking about sex. Which seems pretty obvious, especially if you look at the song titles. "Let's Talk About Sex" springs to mind. In fact, about the only people who don't seem convinced of this fact are Salt-n-Pepa themselves.
"It depends on your mind-set," says James when the topic is broached. "When I listen to 'Gitty Up,' I think of two people on the dance floor, dancing. It depends where your dirty little head is at."
Denton quotes from the song: "I keep it hot like a block full of hustlers/We can make it blaze like us/Bless you to death/Wanna freak me from the back?"
"Wanna freak me from the back"? Excuse me?
"'Wanna freak me from the back' means dancing, but if you have brain dirt . . ." says James. She stares. "Most men think like that," she adds. "Most men will never believe 'Push It' was never about sex."
She's right. Most men wouldn't believe that.
"And that's why the record went No. 1," says Denton. "Everybody thought it was about sex."
"But the song was about dancing," says James. "It was about pushing it on the dance floor."
So what about "Shoop"? "I wanna know, how does it hang?. . . /Come on, gimme summa that yum, yum, chocolate chip, honey dip/Can I getta scoop?" Surely that is sexual?
"But we do it in such a cute way," says Denton. "The way we say it and the way we portray it, it looks and feels so fun and clean. It doesn't feel like you're just nasty."
Sandi Denton is backstage at the television taping, leaning over a pool table, dressed in tight camouflage shorts and a T-shirt, knotted below her breasts, that reads pervert. In her cleavage is a tattoo of a scorpion; around her bellybutton are the words HOT PEPA; an Egyptian eye keeps watch from the small of her back. She runs the cue ball all the way down the rail and slams the eight ball into the corner pocket. Dee Dee Roper winces. She has just lost her third game in a row. Denton twirls the cue like it's a medieval sword.
Both Roper and Denton love games. Each owns her own bowling ball (Denton's is hot pink), but it is futile for Roper to try to outgame Denton. She might look as if she just stepped out of a Russ Meyer-style movie (Sandi Denton as, say, Urban Vixen), but in reality, she is a big kid. She has a pool table at home; she cajoles her band mates into hours of Scattegories and the children's game Steal the Bacon; she performs magic tricks.
Denton is the lone member of SNP who does not immediately retreat from her stage persona when the lights go down. Although it can't be proven, it's a safe bet that her wild hairdos over the years have much to do with the fact that there is always a cellular phone, with its accompanying static, at the side of her head. At one point during an interview, the phone rings. "That was a cute call," she says when she hangs up. "Ooh, you would die if you knew who that was." She is pressed to tell. "No way," she says. "I would be fried."
"Pep is the same on- and offscreen," says Roper. "That's just her personality."
"I'm gonna be in miniskirts at 50," agrees Denton. "Tina Turner."
The interesting thing about SNP is that unlike the majority of their contemporaries, their personas are not born of the artists' upbringing. The streets of New York's Brooklyn (James and Roper) and Queens (Denton) have never filtered into their musical image. When they are together, they listen mostly to old soul, like the O'Jays and Marvin Gaye, rather than hip-hop. Which makes sense, considering that in the R-rated universe of hip-hop, Salt-n-Pepa have always been PG-13 (adult situations, sexual content, occasional language). They sell playfulness and sexuality, never urban realism.
"It's not that I don't want to talk about it," says Roper, who grew up in the projects. "I still have family out there, and I still visit. I have great memories; I have not-so-good memories. But I'm not stuck on it."
All three women now live far from their old neighborhoods. James is on Long Island; Denton and Roper are in New Jersey. Their childhoods, however, left indelible impressions, as much for their families' staying together as for any tough financial times. For Denton, life was easiest. She was born in Jamaica, the seventh of eight kids in a strict, fairly well-off West Indian family, then moved to Queens as a young child. Education was paramount in her house. One sister is now a lawyer; another, a geologist. Other siblings own businesses.
What Roper remembers most about her childhood in the projects is music. From the age of 8, she was a dancer in the East New York Theatrical Workshop; she was the fifth of six kids, all of whom were musical. Her father (who worked for Con Edison before falling into a manhole and injuring his leg when Roper was in high school) had painted the living room red and black – it was the age of disco, after all – and his turntable featured a lighted ball that would splay patterns about the room. Childhood was toughest on James. She was the middle child, at first closer to her older brother than to her sister. But her brother began to be influenced by the streets, and the two kids could no longer relate. To make matters worse, her father, a subway conductor, was drinking.
"I love my dad now, but back then, me and my dad were bitter enemies," James says. "If we weren't having a confrontation, there wasn't much else we were saying to each other."
Finally, her brother was arrested for robbing a woman. Despite the fact that it was his first offense, he was sentenced to a juvenile facility. After that, his problems only got worse: He was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and now lives in an institution.
"I gradually watched my brother deteriorate – his mind," says James, talking publicly about her brother for the first time. "There was a lot of confusion in my home – a lot of physical drama, a lot of mental drama."
James' mother, Barbara, a retired bank manager, agrees. "She had more than her share of turmoil, more than a child should," she says. "But Cheryl is very strong and willful. She's such a quiet warrior."
It is a description similar to the one that Cheryl uses when speaking of her mother, whom she considers her hero. It was Barbara James who held the family together, who helped Cheryl's father to stop drinking and gave him and his daughter the close, loving relationship they have today. It is a story made more remarkable by the fact that as a 9-year-old child, Barbara watched her own mother get gunned down by a police officer who had chased one of her siblings into their home.
"Losing her mother and then losing her firstborn to mental illness but maintaining her faith and being such a loving mom – that's the ultimate in womanhood," says James of her mother. "I watched her with my father – always fighting for his respect and fighting for her independence as a woman. That drives me to maintain my spirituality."
And that, in turn, is what rubbed off on Salt-n-Pepa.
The strength of Salt-n-Pepa has always been in the differences – the group exists somewhere in a valley between the polar personalities of Salt, Cheryl James, and Pepa, Sandi Denton.
"Sandi pulls me to the edge," says James. "She's like, 'Live, diva, live. It's OK.' And I love her for that. But then I snatch her from going over the edge. I'm like, 'Come back, honey. You're going to drown if you take one more step.' "
The pair met in 1985 at Queensborough Community College, in Queens. Denton had bleached-blond hair, safety pins in her ears and the attention of everyone on campus. James was an introvert, a self-confessedly somber, almost depressed person. Somehow they became best friends and, later, partners in the Salt-n-Pepa Corp. (Roper, as Spinderella, is an employee.)
Through it all, Denton and James have stayed the closest of friends. When Denton had her son, Tyran, James was her Lamaze coach. After the birth, James went into the hallway and cried uncontrollably.
This makes you wonder whether the group could ever suddenly end. The strength, remember, is in the differences. But sometimes these differences create problems. For one, Denton is defensive about being portrayed as just a party girl. "There is a business side to me and a spiritual side," she says. Practically speaking, the problems are small points to be laughed about between best friends. Let them grow, however, and they might just stretch Salt-n-Pepa to the breaking point.
"I'm spiritual, too, but 'Gitty Up' is a great song, know what I mean?" says Denton when the issue is raised. So what really happened when James said that she next wants to make a gospel or inspirational SNP album or no album at all? "I was very quiet when she said that," says Denton. "This is my life. I don't want to stop here. Cheryl's planning on breaking contracts and all kinds of stuff with that attitude."
James has a simple answer. "God," she says, "is bigger than contracts."
In the beginning was the word – words, actually – and the words all belonged to Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor. So did the music. Virtually everything did. Azor was even, for a short while, going to be Pepa.
"You wanna know what's real funny?" asks Azor. "The original Salt-n-Pepa was gonna be me and Martin Lawrence. He couldn't rap, so that died out. Then it became me and Cheryl. But then I said, 'Hey, it would be better if there were two girls.' I was brainstorming all the way around."
Azor and James were boyfriend and girlfriend. She was light-skinned (Salt), and he was dark-skinned (Pepa). Both worked at a Sears in College Point, Queens. Martin Lawrence worked there, too. So did Kid 'n Play. And, of course, Denton; James had gotten her the job. Soon, James and Azor came to Denton with the offer to be Pepa, and a hip-hop band was born. Calling themselves Supernature, the three released a single, "The Showstoppa," before changing their name to Salt-n-Pepa.
"I don't like to say it, but they just took direction," says Azor of the group's beginnings. "It was almost ridiculous. I had the dance steps, clothing, hair. What the hell?"
But he adds: "I knew they had it. They had what it took to do it."
An album deal followed, but things were still rough. For one, the group wasn't always comfortable with Azor's lyrics. To this day, says James, the line "If she wanna be a freak and sell it on the weekends" (taken, ironically, from "None of Your Business," the only SNP song ever to win a Grammy) makes her "gag." But the main problem was that Denton and Azor had completely fallen out. According to Denton, Azor twice threatened to kick her out of SNP: once when she was late for a show, the other when she scoffed at his demand that she use her own royalty points to pay Roper's salary.
"At the time, they were a couple, and Cheryl didn't pay," says Denton. "Only I ended up paying points for this girl, for Spin. I did it. But I never let that go. Cheryl says, 'I want to give you back the money,' because she knows I took that through this whole career with me."
Azor doesn't dispute the claim: "Yeah, that's all true. But she's gotta tell you why. If I'm sitting in a parking lot, and you're late because you decided to make a detour with your boyfriend, I have a problem with that. Her boyfriend was giving her trouble, and she brought the trouble to the band. Take that shit somewhere else. So I said, 'I can replace your ass.' "
Denton stayed. What deteriorated was Azor and James' relationship. "Hurby was like a Svengali to me," says James. "We were boyfriend and girlfriend; he was my manager; he was my producer; he was my world. I was wrapped up in him. Too much. It wasn't healthy."
To make matters worse, Azor was less than faithful. After things had passed the breaking point, he had a child with another woman, and his partnership with James was over. "I knew I couldn't fix it," Azor says. "I wasn't at the point in my life where I wasn't going to not mess with every girl that caught my eye."
The year was 1990. Remarkably, the group stayed together. "How did we do that?" asks Azor. "We all had bills." He laughs. "What do you want me to tell you?" The end, however, was in sight. Salt-n-Pepa began fighting even more over creative control.
"Hurby's a talented man, but it comes to a point that you have to understand that we are talented also," says James. "He could have gotten other groups and be out there just reigning supreme if it was all about Hurby."
Finally, for 1993's Very Necessary, the two sides split the album down the middle. Azor's hit was "Whatta Man"; the women's was "Shoop," the only one of their selections that Azor liked. "All their other songs we fought over," says Azor. "I hated them."
For Brand New, Azor did not come to the table. He still receives one-third of the profits (originally, his royalties were one-half, but that changed in 1993), but he decided that, creatively, enough was enough. "I felt that if they wanted to be free, they should be free all the way," he says. "If it works, it's all yours. If it fails, it's all yours."
They have led us through some horrendous fashion periods, Salt-n-Pepa, so it seems only fair to request a tour.
"We were very confused," says Denton. "We've had so many bad ones."
"We were looking at some old pictures, and I just started cracking up," says James. "We were in tears."
"The Madonna period was pretty bad," offers Roper.
"And the trendy one where I used to wear the big hat," says James. "Oh."
"The funny glasses," says Roper.
We are clearly on a roll.
"Color contacts," yells Denton. "Asymmetrical haircuts . . . the ghetto haircuts." She laughs. "The polka dots."
James looks offended. "The polka dots were cute when they were out," she says.
"I have a feeling, in a few years we'll look back at now and laugh again," says Roper.
"I know I'll laugh at this curly red hair one day," says James. She seems to be over the polka-dot comment.
"The funny thing is," says Denton, "in a lot of those pictures, we actually look older."
James leans back in her chair: "You know what? Less is more." She nods her head thoughtfully. "That's what we learned," she says. "Less is more."
All right, I want a big diva finish," yells Cheryl James.
It is rehearsal time for tonight's Vibe TV performance, and, as usual, Salt-n-Pepa are falling into their respective roles. James, the mother, is directing; Denton, the wild aunt, is dancing across the stage even though the music has stopped; and Roper, the daughter, is off to the side, sucking her thumb.
It's a habit that Roper indulges in when she is left alone, a strange metaphor for her position in a band in which, after 10 years, she admits to still feeling like the new kid. When she first joined the group, she literally was a kid. Her parents wouldn't let her sign on. James, Denton and Azor sat down with the Ropers in order to convince them that their baby would be safe. The band hired a tutor, and, after shows, Roper would cry in her room because she had a curfew.
Today, Roper, like her two band mates, is a mother. It is her turn to worry. Her daughter, Christenese, is 4. Christenese's father is the basketball star Kenny Anderson. Having two famous parents was weighing on the young girl's self-esteem, so Roper enrolled her in karate classes to give her a sense of control. She will soon receive her first belt.
How to protect their kids is a topic that comes up repeatedly with the members of Salt-n-Pepa. All are single mothers. Roper and Anderson broke up shortly after the birth of Christenese; Denton split with the father of her son, Tyran, before the birth ("We broke up from Day One," she says. "Pregnant, gone"); James was briefly engaged to Gavin Wray, Corin's father, until Barbara James told Cheryl that she should follow her heart, not a misguided sense of duty.
"I'm glad I said that, but it was a tough decision, because I like the father," says Barbara. "It just wasn't right for her. And now the child adores her father. She gets so much love from both sides."
None of the members of SNP is currently involved in a romantic relationship. The stakes are different, they say, now that they have children. Denton, who recently (and amicably) ended a six-year relationship with Treach of Naughty by Nature, sat her son down to discuss the topic of future relationships.
"I said, 'Whoever's around has gotta love you,' " says Denton. "And he said, 'But they gotta love you, too, Mommy.' "
Intro, music, mayhem. that's how quickly the fans rip out of their seats when Salt-n-Pepa rip into "R U Ready," the first single off Brand New. One note and the TV soundstage becomes a nightclub. And why not? It's all here: the hip-hop attitude, the dancing, the pop sensibility, the slinky cocktail dresses, the energy. By the time the group unleashes its big diva finish, the fans are in heaven.
"You can't fight Salt-n-Pepa," says Denton, laughing.
"It's where the women rule, baby," answers James.
As the program fades to black, the crew surprises SNP with a cake commemorating their 10 years in the music business. Forget the slight math problem – Hot, Cool and Vicious came out in '86 – what matters is the sentiment. Salt-n-Pepa have endured.
The women wander to their dressing room to slip out of their stage personas. It has been a long day, but this is only the beginning of the push for Brand New. When it is done, they will be left with uncertainty. At one point they talked with CBS about producing and starring in their own sitcom, but that fell through. There are other possibilities.
"Our girl Roseanne has always been interested in producing a sitcom for us," says Denton. "That might happen. I don't know about Salt sometimes. She's drifting away from everything. But I'm still very interested."
More than being interested, Denton has taken small roles in the films Joe's Apartment and First Time Felon to help feel out a career switch. Granted, she is impetuous (after visiting Paris and loving the vendors selling crepes, she contacted the city of New York about operating her own cart in Manhattan), but you get the feeling that she is serious about keeping her options wide open.
Backstage, James changes into a denim dress and heads back to the hotel with her daughter. Roper and Denton plan to watch a pay-per-view boxing event tonight, but James will probably stay in. Offstage, they sometimes need to go their own ways. Certainly the making of Brand New didn't help matters.
"At a point, it felt like betrayal or abandonment," says James of her relationship with Denton during Brand New. "She'd cancel studio time. Or not show up. Or not call me. And I was working so hard. But she's a grown woman, and I have to separate from her in that way. I have to not let it affect me so . . . deeply."
Which might explain how each member of Salt-n-Pepa is treating this new album. Any record could be a band's last, but this time, it really could be the last. They are nervous, excited, a little scared to think too far down the line.
For her part, Roper has other plans. She has opened a salon, She Things, in Queens; she plans to get a license in massage therapy and open a spa, too; and she has recorded nine of the 12 tracks for a Spinderella solo album, to be released on Jireh Records, Salt-n-Pepa's label.
For Denton and James, the stakes are higher, if only because they are more firmly planted. More than a decade since they began their partnership with Azor, he has graduated to vice president of A&R at Universal, a division of MCA. "You know, God bless Hurby," says James. "We're just glad we got the opportunity to prove it's not all about Hurby. That's all we ever wanted."
They have proved their point. Salt and Pepa, the individuals, now run Salt-n-Pepa, the band. The moment is finally all theirs. They talk about how much they love each other, and when they do, it is with obvious sincerity and emotion. Whether that love will keep them together is anybody's guess. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
This story is from the October 16th, 1997 issue of Rolling Stone.


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For sale small commercial building Calle El Conde, Colonial City of Santo Domingo.
In 1961, Trujillo announced it would make it pedestrian to put it to the height of several famous capitals such as Paris.
Because the Earl Street was the main artery of trade, social, artistic, political of the Republic, the historical street of the ancient splendour of Mexico City is today dominated by tourists, bar & grill, brasseries, happy hours, shops, jewelry, money changes, bets, buscones, benches calling center, gift shops...
This street is a representation of the Dominican and tourist life in Santo Domingo. On December 8, 1990, to be part of the Zona Colonial heritage, it was declared by the Organization of the United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
That the count is and will always be El Conde, his name already is an established commercial point which, according to the times, pass, are or always arrive you will have your safe investment in the most famous shopping street of Rep. Sun.
Buy this small 2-story building.
Currently in the first level of nearly 200 meters of solar, 176 meters of solar building 2 276 levels + roof terrace where you could build a third level.
Currently the first level has a commercial use, obvious we are in the calle El Conde and the second is enabled as a residence, a cosy apartment.
On the first level: Local commercial double-height, can build a mesanine, with 2 spacious showcases, good space of width of its 2 spacious showcases, several internal spaces of store sizes and adequate space for shops and flow of customers in the business you want to put. Spacious internal courtyard that make for light and ventilation, 2 fleets of bathroom, area office, tank, machine room, 2 staircases, the main connecting from the outside of the building independently with the second floor. The internal goes by the backyard as connecting, if so your taste but you can close, with the second floor.
On the second level it has with apartment 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, terrace or patio, spacious colonial balcony overlooking the street El Conde, kitchen, room, dining room service etc.
Don't miss this opportunity, the colonial city and its Street El Conde are commercial relaunch, which now can buy at this price in 1 to 2 years will be worth three times, already investing


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The Tri-State Transportation Campaign and Eastern Environmental Law Center filed suit today in State Appellate Court against the NJ Department of Environmental Protection's approvals of the NJ Turnpike Authority's plans to widen the Garden State Parkway one lane in each direction from exits 30 to 80.
New Jersey is seeking to use federal stimulus money to pay for the Parkway widening. The Campaign warned against using stimulus money for the project and released a list of other "shovel-ready" projects that would provide more and better congestion relief while stimulating the economy.
"Funding highway expansion projects to stimulate the economy represents a lose-lose. Investing in mass transit and fixing our crumbling roads and bridges will produce more jobs, reduce traffic congestion, and have less impact on our natural resources," said Kate Slevin, executive director of the Campaign. "According to the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, mass transit construction and maintaining our existing roads and bridges generate, respectively, 19% and 9% more jobs than building new roads."
The environmental documents for the Parkway project indicate that portions of the wider road will be filled with traffic as soon as construction is complete (see MTR #552).
"The Turnpike Authority has not made the case that this project will provide any long term congestion relief, nor has it seriously investigated more effective, cheaper alternatives," said Kyle Wiswall, general counsel for the Campaign.
Tri-State is challenging NJDEP's approval of three permits, a Freshwater Wetlands permit, Waterfront Development permit and a Coastal Wetlands permit – all three approved without public notice.
"The New Jersey Turnpike Authority's application fails to justify the expansion of the Parkway through some of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the state, including the shore's tidal wetlands and the Pinelands Preserve," said Wiswall.
The organization cautioned that neither the Parkway nor the NJ Turnpike are eligible for federal stimulus funds, noting that neither project has undergone the legal scrutiny necessary to receive federal dollars. Both projects are currently on the state's proposed economic stimulus list but neither has undergone environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA approval is necessary to receive federal funds.
Specifically, the group's suit contends that the permit applications:
- Do not accurately characterize current traffic conditions, ignoring that serious congestion occurs only on summer weekends;
- Fail to take dropping traffic volumes into account, instead relying on outdated and incorrect projections;
- Ignore the secondary impacts, or development that will result in the corridor due to the expanded capacity;
- Fail to seriously consider alternatives to widening, such as mass transit and traffic management. Alternatives such as these could achieve the same goals, including job creation, without wasting money and resources or threatening critical wildlife habitat with sprawling development.


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The swivel spray feature allows you to adjust the water where you need it. The faucet filter has an added layer to trap sediment and an improved activated carbon filter. The replacement filter for this PUR FM-3400 faucet filter system is the PUR RF-9999 (1072398700544) faucet filter. Includes one 3 stage water filter replacement.
Item:# 51759


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Look Back in Anger
No Recession Chic on Milan Runways. Instead, '80s Are All the Rage
Wednesday, March 4, 2009; Page C01
MILAN, March 3 Anger is rarely pretty -- a fact that explains the unpleasant state of so many of the fall clothes unveiled in Italy's fashion capital over the past seven days.
Designers have plenty to be upset about, considering that the global economy is spiraling downward. And American retailers have become villains here for running fire sales on so much designer merchandise that for a while Saks Fifth Avenue took on the look of a souk.
Out of that disgruntlement has come a longing for more decadent times and a desire to lash out -- only there's no one readily available to absorb the blows. One can't exactly kick AIG in the knees. The angry zeitgeist has led designers back to the 1980s.
For fall, designers have taken a shine to more pronounced shoulders, the hard-rock style reminiscent of hair bands like Metallica, the sexual aggressiveness promulgated by Studio 54 and a vulgarity that grows out of insecurity and fear. The missing element in all of this '80s regurgitation has been the hedonistic pleasure that made that period seem so glittering and fabulous (often aided by drugs).
The irony of the fashion industry looking back 20 years is that the '80s were not a particularly attractive time for clothes. Although women were flexing their power -- both professional and purchasing -- they did not look especially good doing it in acid-washed jeans, teased hair and poofy skirts. The designers of the day included folks such as Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana, who popularized tailoring so razor-sharp that it could draw blood if folks pushed in too close in a crowd. This was the "greed is good" period of fashion. If there was any sort of metaphorical message in these clothes, it was this: Stay back. Screw you.
Designer Roberto Cavalli noted, in a statement, that he believes in looking a recession in the eye and fighting back. Presumably a woman should do that while wearing one of his black jersey studded dresses or a pair of lace-up black jeans.
The designer has had his share of problems this season. The Italian company that produces his secondary line, Just Cavalli, filed for bankruptcy protection and as a result the designer announced that he was canceling the show. A few days later, the licensee filed a lawsuit against the designer for publicly maligning it. (His signature collection was unveiled as planned.)
Except for Versace, none of the designers made much of a success of this '80s revival. Anger has the ability to inspire and motivate. And while it may not necessarily be the healthiest emotion, it can certainly be a powerful one. But more often than not, the anger was self-defeating.
When styles are revived, there are two firm rules:
1. They should never return in precisely the same way. They must be tweaked to appeal to modern eyes or combined with something else to make them fresh.
2. They must look more expensive than anything that could be pieced together with a little help from H&M, Gap and Goodwill.
Dsquared offered a collection that was a visual mash-up of Guns N' Roses meets disco. Models marched down the runway in shredded bouclé jackets, cropped denim coats, faded plaid shorts, wrinkled evening gowns and oversize knit caps. They were wearing all this at once. Along with ropes of giant crystal necklaces. While clutching venti Starbucks coffees because they were out partying all night.


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Hi, On Tue, 2008-09-23 at 09:49 +0100, Simon Riggs wrote: > I'll look at doing that. We need the SUSE builds also. I actually built 8.3.4 on SLES 10.2 on..err..Friday, while building Fedora/RH RPMs. 8.3.1 spec of SLES is broken IMHO, and it requires special attention from someone who is experienced in packaging (me :-) ) and who is familiar with pg code.. I fixed spec file. The only remaining issue is libpgport.a. If someone who is familiar to PG code can comment on how this file is built, I can push that spec file to my repo, so that Simon or others can continue maintaining it. That file is built on Fedora/RHEL, but I'm not sure why SLES skips it. I need that file for Slony-I on SLES,since AFAICS Slony version is 1.2.6 on SLES :-( I don't have access to that SLES server. I'll ask my friend to post the spec to me, and I'll let you know about the status. Regards, -- Devrim GÜNDÜZ, RHCE devrim~gunduz.org, devrim~PostgreSQL.org, devrim.gunduz~linux.org.tr http://www.gunduz.org
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If you have access to palm fronds where you live, you can make this fantastic fall pumpkin craft from Karah at The Space Between. What a beautiful way to take something from nature and transform it into home decor!
Do you have a DIY Fall Decor post on your blog that you'd like for us to share? Send us an email with the link and we'll see if we can add it to our series. Send your email to amy (at) MomsToobox (dot) com.


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Lincoln's Sword
by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald
Cover Artist: Thomas Canty
Review by Lucy Schmeidler
Eos Mass Market Paperback ISBN/ITEM#: 9780060819279
Date: 01 August 2010 List Price $7.99 Amazon US / Amazon UK / Show Official Info /
Lincoln's Sword is alternate history in which the objective events are the same as in our experienced world; the "alternate" aspect is the magical underpinnings that let those with the Sight see alternate futures and try to bring about the least bad. The sword of the title is mostly symbolic; that is, it is an actual sword, but it doesn't kill or maim anyone. It has strange properties, bearing at times brownish stains that can be scoured away but then reappear, or will suddenly show fresh blood, and it tends to bring bad luck to those who possess it, and often an early death, but not through its direct agency as a sword. The main thrust of the story is to choose one's path carefully, on the basis of the likely results of one's actions.
In the Doyle-Macdonald version, Mary Todd Lincoln is a powerful sibyl, who has true visions of alternate futures but cannot affect the course of history. She is helped, however, by two people who can travel through time and act on the knowledge she has given them: her best friend, Mercy Levering Conkling, and a mysterious "Mr. Thomas."
There are many scenes of people going about their normal activities, mostly soldiering on both sides in the Civil War, but presented in Doyle and Macdonald's sure voices as real people living real lives. This is not your usual alternate history, but if you like your real world history spiced up with a touch of fantasy, this is probably the book for you.
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Last edited by AnthoniusII; April 17, 2017 at 03:35 PM.
They are so cool that I'll stop using blood effects in battle!
It would be a tragedy any dirty layer on such beautiful uniforms!
Compliments here I see some of the best models of TWC's history! Great, great, great and again great work!
Side note:
Am I an old moron, or is it really a transparency effect that produced by the colors under the chain-mail? I see reddish and green shapes on maile in models wearing red and green tunics!! This is absolutely awesome!
Oh My God, Anto! I start thinking that actually you are Raffaello Sanzio revived!
Last edited by Diocle; March 16, 2014 at 10:29 AM.
Thank you...Is true that the entire team contributed the best parts of their work in the other faction rosters.
And all those parts became alive under the exelent work of Leif Erikson that put his entire talent on these skins!
We were waiting for him to make the preview because he is the one that deserved this honor most.
But unforthunatly he is kind of inactive the last few months. We hope he is well and prosper. So please rep Leif most of all for this "wonders"!
Amazing preview. Teicheotae are probably going to be my favourite one: having good archeres and heavy infantry with swords and shields in one unit, it is just amazing, that may beat in my eyes even the varangians Ialso really like the colourfull armour on the third capitain in the row (btw. for some reasons I am not able to see all the characters, it seems that image is just too big).
LEIF ERIKSON did these skins!!
And yes starting with Varangians and expanding to some other troops, chain mail is kind of transpartent to show the tunic under it!
In order to see biger images you need to adjust the view of the site pages by holding (i think) Ctrl button and use the moust roller.
I do not mind the colour I like them as well. However, I still prefer the unusuall archer/heavy swordsmen combination whcich Techeiotae offers.Aritmou soldiers are victims of the dark purple color we chosen for them! But they are as good as Techeiotae!
Btw. its amazing how realistic looks the faces of the units.
Thanks that worked.In order to see biger images you need to adjust the view of the site pages by holding (i think) Ctrl button and use the moust roller.
Great job team and I hope that the mod will be ready soon for others to enjoy the astonishing work has been put into it!
I mean if Anthonius permits, we can post some pics with the marching Imperial army
The Imperial Tagmatic Army Preview is out!!!!!
TOTAL WAR HELLAS UNIT PACK V1.7 released-NEW MACEDONIAN,EPIROT PONTIC AND SELEUCID UNITS ARE HERE!!!!(CLICK)
TOTAL WAR HELLAS SPARTA-ATHENS-PTOLEMIES AND BAKTRIANS released!!!! (click)
"Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity". Hippocrates
There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance. Hippocrates
"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are." Bertolt Brecht
"The doctor sees all the weakness of mankind; the lawyer all the wickedness, the theologian all the stupidity." Arthur Schopenhauer
"Nowadays historians generally agree that the Macedonian ethnos forms part of the Greek ethnos;hence they also shared in the common religious and cultural features of the Hellenic world"M.Opperman
under the patronage of jimkatalanos.Proud member of the fellowship of CBUR project-TGC/proud member of East of Rome mod
Quem faz injúria vil e sem razão,Com forças e poder em que está posto,Não vence; que a vitória verdadeira É saber ter justiça nua e inteira-He who, solely to oppress,Employs or martial force, or power, achieves No victory; but a true victory Is gained,when justice triumphs and prevails.
Luís de Camões


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গুরুত্ত্বর্পূণ শিল্পসমূহ
Many new jobs – mostly for women – have been created by the country's dynamic private ready-made garment industry, which grew at double-digit rates through most of the 1990s. By the late 1990s, about 1.5 million people, mostly women, were employed in the garments sector as well as Leather products specially Footwear. During 2001-2002, export earnings from ready-made garments reached $3,125 million, representing 52% of Bangladesh's total exports. Bangladesh has overtaken India in apparel exports in 2009, its exports stood at 2.66 billion US dollar, ahead of India's 2.27 billion US dollar.
Eastern Bengal was known for its fine muslin and silk fabric before the British period. The dyes, yarn, and cloth were the envy of much of the pre-modern world. Bengali muslin, silk, and brocade were worn by the aristocracy of Asia and Europe. The introduction of machine-made textiles from England in the late eighteenth century spelled doom for the costly and time-consuming hand loom process. Cotton growing died out in East Bengal, and the textile industry became dependent on imported yarn. Those who had earned their living in the textile industry were forced to rely more completely on farming. Only the smallest vestiges of a once-thriving cottage industry survived.
Other industries which have shown very strong growth include the textile industry, pharmaceutical industry, shipbuilding industry, information technology, leather industry, steel industry, electronics industry and light engineering industry.
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|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|7 - 30 nights
Marvel at the view of the lush green hillside down to the pristine sea at Villa La Breeze, a top tier luxury destination in the lovely Porto Cervo area of Italy. Porto Cervo is located in the Gallura region, on the northeast coast of Sardinia. Created by Prince Karim Aga Khan, at the end of the 1950s, Porto Cervo quickly became a haunt for the international jet set. Villa La Breeze is one of the best choices to soak in this fabulous part of the world.
Villa La Breeze features a whole list of perks to please even the most discerning world travelers. Have a splash in the grand swimming pool while your entourage lounges around on the deck. You can also take a relaxing soak in the outdoor hot tubthe perfect way to unwind after the flight. The grounds also include great choices for alfresco lounging and dining. The villa is family friendly and includes an impressive childrens playground. Or maybe its just time for a little sway in the hammock?
The interiors of Villa La Breeze are contemporary and sleek with bucolic Italian accents. The fittings and decor consist of terracotta, the finest granite rock and refined Sardinian ceramics. The pristine white couches around the fireplace make a great spot to curl up with a good read or a little game between friends. The formal dining area offers an almost fairy tale setting for a delectable meal. The fully equipped kitchen features stainless steel appliances and a breakfast table.
Five fabulous bedrooms accommodate up to ten guests at Villa La Breeze. Each of the bedrooms features an en-suite bathroom for ultimate privacy. A variety of sleeping options are offered from double beds to bunks, so there is something for everyone.
While a guest of Villa La Breeze, you will be just minutes away from the Pevero Golf Club, the Porto Cervo Tennis Club and several beaches. At nearby Costa Smeralda, you will also find designer boutiques, spa hotels, as well as fine restaurants and exclusive nightspots. The unique laid-back charms of Sardinia await!
Copyright Luxury Retreats. All rights reserved.
Bedroom 1: Double bed, En-suite bathroom
Bedroom 2: Double bed, En-suite bathroom
Bedroom 3: Double bed, En-suite bathroom
Bedroom 4: 1 Twin bed, 1 Bunk bed, En-suite bathroom, Television
Bedroom 5: French bed, En-suite bathroom
Fully-equipped kitchen
Dining area with seating for 6
Decorative fireplace
Air conditioning
Swimming pool
Pool fence
Jetted tub
Veranda with lounge area
Terrace with lounge area
Children's playground
Alfresco dining
Parking: 2 cars
Extra Cost (advance notice may be required):
Villa pre-stocking
Airport transfers
Activities and excursions
Points of Interest:
3km toPorto CervoTennis Club
7 km to Pevero Golf Club
7 km to Cala Di Volpe
Beach Access:
3 km to Cala Granu Beach
7km to Spiaggia del Pevero Beach
8 km to Phi Beach
31 km to Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB)
Maximum 10 guests
Non-smoking villa
Pets are considered
Children welcome
Advertised rates may vary according to the season and duration of stay


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Student Internships
Internships at KMBC are for college students who are interested in a career in broadcasting. Internship positions are for course credit only and do not pay salary or any monetary compensation.
REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE:Prospective interns must: Receive course credit for their internship. Have a faculty supervisor approve and supervise the internship. Interview for the internship.
Prospective interns must complete the KMBC-TV Internship Application Form and submit it with a resume detailing work experience and education. A portion of the application must be completed by student's faculty supervisor.
Internships are available for all semesters throughout the year. Students should apply for internship positions during the cycle listed below.
July -- August for Fall Semester November -- December for Winter Semester March -- April for Summer Semester
Send your application and all appropriate paperwork to:
KMBC-TV Internship Program 6455 Winchester Ave. Kansas City, MO 64133
KMBC-TV INTERNS MUST: Work a minimum of ten (10) hours per week. Wear a KMBC-TV Intern ID badge at all times while working in the building and on production shoots representing the station in the field. Park their personal vehicle in visitor's public parking lots surrounding the building or on the street. Cover all personal transportation costs associated with the internship position. Adhere to the dress code policy as outlined by their KMBC-TV supervisor. Complete all paperwork assignments associated with the internship as determined by the faculty supervisor. Complete an exit interview with their KMBC-TV supervisor at the end of the internship.


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Fans Groups Plan Protest At Owls Board
Fans groups Time To Go, the Shareholders Association and Wednesdayite have planned a protest against the Owls board before tomorrow's home match against Walsall.
The groups issued a joint statement today to outline the protest plans, which are to be held due to a lack of response from the club with regards to details over the future of the Owls.
The trio issued an initial statement last week to call for a response from the club 'over conflicts of interest that we see as preventing the current board from taking unbiased decisions regarding the immediate future of SWFC.'
And after receiving no communication from the club, the fans groups have called for action to be taken against the board - starting tomorrow night on Parkside Road (by the directors car park opposite the south stand) between 6-6.30pm.
The full statement reads: 'On 19th November Sheffield Wednesday fans groups Wednesdayite, the Shareholders Association and Time To Go issued a statement calling for an immediate response from the club. The statement principally related to concerns over conflicts of interest that we see as preventing the current board from taking unbiased decisions regarding the immediate future of SWFC and the ongoing search for a lifesaving investment package.
We concluded this statement with a clear warning that the lack of an appropriate response would lead to the escalation of actions against the current board. Wednesdayite have carried out an on‐line survey of members and an overwhelming majority of respondents have backed an escalation which includes protest as well as other action. As the club have failed to contact any of the fans groups or issue any kind of response to the statement we have no alternative but to follow through with our plans.
Protest action will begin at tomorrow`s game against Walsall.
We strongly encourage anyone in support of protest action to gather on Parkside Road by the Directors car park between 6pm and 6.30pm tomorrow (23rd November). Depending on weight of numbers a briefing will take place at 6.30pm when we will outline our protest plans for the evening.
We encourage all participants to follow our brief and to only protest within the relevant laws and regulations.


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Anyone have thoughts on
"The Last Of The Mohicans?"
I recall it as a very patriotic, inspiring, romantic film.
Three cheers for "Braveheart," the portraits of Longshanks and his son were so politically incorrect. And accurate.
"Blade Runner?" Was that conservative, or just a good movie?
Which "Blade Runner"? There are currently 4 or 5 versions out there. Some of the versions are drastically different from others.


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Welcome to Chess Weekend! As someone who has not only organized and directed but also has played in tournaments, I wanted to design events that players would enjoy. What you as a player will notice about our tournaments, is that the quality of the conditions will be first rate. Boards and sets will be provided at all Chess Weekend tournaments, our hotel sites are selected with care so that they are spacious, well lit, well maintained, and will have plenty of dining options nearby. Our Saturday evening rounds will end early to allow the participant to either play in one of our blitz side events, or go out and eat with friends and see the town.
If you know of a location where you would like to see one of our tournaments, please contact me, and I will be very glad to see if it is possible to place an event in your area.


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Tuesday July 10, 2012
British actress Sienna Miller has just given birth to her first child.
The 30-year-old gave birth to a daughter in London over the weekend. E! network reports showbiz's latest celebrity baby is named Marlow.
The new arrival is the first child for Sienna and her partner, 26-year-old actor Tom Sturridge who began dating the beauty shortly after her split from Jude Law in 2011.
One year on, rumours began to circulate that the couple were expecting.
Sienna confirmed the good news to British Vogue in March, saying: "I'm feeling fine. It's all progressing nicely, and it's very exciting".
Read full story
Photo: © Getty


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Review: Mai Mai Shinko to Sennen no Mahou (Mai Mai Miracle)
Over twenty years ago, amidst the backdrop of a rural Japanese town, My Neighbor Totoro explored both the boundless imagination and the underlying fragility of childhood, setting the standard for the genre. Mai Mai Shinko to Sennen no Mahou (released as Mai Mai Miracle in English) takes many cues from that film, but diverges from the established path to present something fresh and worthwhile while simultaneously feeling like a spiritual partner. The influence of the former thus takes away no credit from Mai Mai Shinko – which earns itself a place for consideration alongside the best films in its category for its delightful and often poignant exploration of the wavering emotions of childhood. Though released in 2009 to a commendable run in Japanese theatres, the film remains somewhat obscure in the English-speaking community, presumably due to the humble plot description and unassuming art. I can safely say, however, that like-minded readers of my reviews will almost certainly find a hidden gem in this charming little film.
The film is set in a quaint countryside village during the post-war years of Japan, a time and place where a box of coloured pencils could evoke awe in the school yard, while televisions were still a rumour. In this homely setting, a young girl named Shinko, a creative and friendly child, pursues the friendship of a new transfer student from Tokyo with curiosity. This transfer student, Kiiko, is initially reclusive and somewhat frightened at her new classmates, but Shinko makes her best effort to transfer her bottomless pit of imagination into her new friend and welcome her to the fold. Shinko's particular obsession is with imagining her town as it was a thousand years earlier – when it had been the capital of Japan, according to her grandfather, and when there almost certainly must have been a girl of the same age. Shinko and her group of friends bond over this shared interest and support each other despite the moments of tragedy which come.
A variety of narrative threads are weaved throughout the film, but its core strength is the endearing treatment of its characters and not any suspense within the plot. Shinko in particular is a strongly realized character, a realistically exuberant child with a mind that is constantly in the skies, and all of the characters are handled with a similarly sensitive touch. The film shifts perspective occasionally between its characters as it explores a variety of miniature stories, one of which even takes Kiiko's imagination back to the feudal era, where she imagines what life would be like as Japanese royalty, while the others are more firmly rooted in the daily lives of the characters (and in the climax, their personal tragedies). Despite the constant shifting of this plot, the film manages to avoid a feeling of aimlessness due to its elegant pacing and strong writing – a scene never outstays its welcome, and a character never feels like padding. Much like My Neighbor Totoro, there is a very satisfying sense of minimalism in this film, and our focus on a few small stories of a small cast amidst the vast fields of the Japanese countryside is a very enjoyable contrast.
What the film also does extremely well is present how the sometimes harsh realities of life are filtered through childhood innocence in a remarkably nostalgic and believable manner. Concepts of familial conflicts, respect, and even death, appear in the movie at various times and are captured perfectly in the curious manner that a child would interpret and respond to such things. The climax in particular is a very satisfying depiction of how a child would deal with a personal tragedy they do not yet fully understand, and I was very impressed by it. With that being said, not all of the narrative threads are equally polished – the aforementioned recurring flashback to a similar girl who lived a thousand years back clearly intends to build to a finale, a merger of the stories of past of present, and while the film does attempt this towards the climax, the final resolution is just a few steps short of the poetic merger that such an idea could have achieved.
The director of the film, Sunao Katabuchi, was an assistant director on Kiki's Delivery Service, so it isn't a surprise that many elements of Hayao Miyazaki's style of direction have found their way into this film as well, particularly in the quieter moments of the film. For Mai Mai Shinko, Katabuchi chooses a very elegant and minimalistic style of direction. The art style is beautifully simple with any flourishes reserved for character expressions rather than flights of fancy. The music, though sometimes lacking in variety, complements the film well, dominated by charming orchestral strings, crisply recorded, with occasional piano and vocal interludes. The final song which closes the credits, though it has a somewhat familiar sound and makes use of contemporary "breathy" singing, is pleasant, and more importantly, works very well to close off the story. Indeed, while there may be minor flaws at plenty of moments in this film, what is important is that Katabuchi knows how to put together a film in a cohesive, natural, and flowing manner, something which does not always come easy to inexperienced directors whose films often wander or feel unsatisfying.
Once again, I am left with the conflicting feeling of satisfaction for having a discovered a little-known gem along with disappointment that it it not more well-known in the first place. As I mentioned at the start of this article, I have often championed My Neighbor Totoro for being the greatest exploration of childhood – of both the joys and fears of being a child. Mai Mai Shinko, though it may make a few missteps along the way, is a fine film which hits many of the same notes with equal care and sensitivity. Katabuchi has earned himself a follower.
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She still made him nervous. No, more… caught off guard. Unbalanced.
If she walked into a room, the curve of her chin aggressively opinionated, she became his center, with all her fire and artistry and grace and ruthlessness. Scattering his world into a million tiny pieces of light.
He hated disarray. He was precise to the point of obsession.
Yet when she smiled, everything twisted again. It was all clearer, yet more complicated. Harmony and chaos at once, like a jewel with unnumbered facets.
And he felt that he would give a thousand lifetimes, just to see her smile forever.


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Want to learn to make jam and pickle vegetables? Now's your chance! I'm giving a canning class today, Sunday, June 21st from 3-6pm in my Montreal kitchen. The class costs $30 but you get $10 off your first class when you sign up through Bookalokal. You'll leave with … [Read more...] about Canning Class Today: Organic Strawberry Jam and Pickled Eggplant
how to can
Preserving Life: Stories through canning
I got in a fight with a canning pot while making strawberry-rhubarb jam. The canning pot won, as shown by the giant burn on my right hand. The perfect balance of sweet and sour was what I was looking for - maple syrup, honey, brown sugar and a little lemon. It was all about the … [Read more...] about Preserving Life: Stories through canning
"What do you do with 30 Lbs of Cucumbers?" Part 3: Dill Pickles
In between sushi meals, I pickled. There's a whole lot of energy in sweetened and vinegared white rice, it turns out. Finding a good basic dill pickle recipe, however, turned out to be tricky. Now I know I should have gone either to my Joy of Cooking or to the US National Centre … [Read more...] about "What do you do with 30 Lbs of Cucumbers?" Part 3: Dill Pickles
Canned and Pickled Everything
The person who gave me the copy I have of the 1948 Joy of Cooking and a cast-iron skillet came to my house for lunch. It had to be one heck of a thank-you lunch. The 1948 freaking Joy of Cooking, for goodness sake! (I edited that sentence...) So we had soup, yes, one of my … [Read more...] about Canned and Pickled Everything
Sticking Things In Cans (Well, jars, really…but it wasn't such a "jarring" experience)
Today I learned to can. I'm a very strange girl in her 20's who obsesses about things such as canning. I've been trying to find someone to show me the wonders of this jar-art all summer. Well, I understand already how wonderful it is, so maybe more the intricacies of canning was … [Read more...] about Sticking Things In Cans (Well, jars, really…but it wasn't such a "jarring" experience)


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Eliette Markhbein
Paint, paint always paint paint when you have nothing to say paint when you don't feel like it paint anyway. Paint like you breathe guts ripping blood rushing to escape to feel whole to soar. Paint to shut up pain despair anger the edge of the precipice the void. Paint till your spirits explode your thoughts liquefy till fear exits.
Eliette Markhbein was born and raised in Paris and lives in New York. A practitioner of the open studios, she enjoys working in the company of other artists. Her paintings are instinctive, the mirror of a rich and questioning interior landscape and her exploration of the powers of creativity to recover from trauma resulted in an Artist Residency at the Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Center where she sustains patients with brain and spinal cord injuries by painting with them. Markhbein's paintings inform her work at the hospital as much as her work with patients informs her personal painting.


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My Checkist For Cookware that Lasts More than 10 Years
My kitchen is the most important room in my house. I always want to ensure that everything that goes into is is of the best quality and durable. That's why I always ensure that I carefully select the best cookware that I can afford. Living by this rule, I have been able to acquire cooking sets that have lasted over 10 years. This has meant extra savings and not having to worry about having to dispose of kitchenware frequently. My steps to finding quality and durable cooking cookware sets are as follows.
I always check the brand of the cooking set I'm about to buy. I have made the mistake of trying out too many brands before. This led to a waste of time and money. I try to be loyal to a specific brand unless if find one with better quality kitchenware.
I also check to see what other customers say about a particular piece of kitchenware before I invest in it. Reviews always come in handy. Positive reviews tell me that the kitchenware is worth investing in. However, even with positive reviews, I always try to find any negative reviews on the cooking set I'm interested in. It's a way of ensuring I know exactly what to expect when I buy the item, you can visit this site for detailed information, Cook with Tina.
Another thing I check when buying cookware is the materials it's made from. Cast iron, stainless steel and aluminum are my favorite choices due to their heat retention and dispersion. They are also easy to clean. I also go for cooking sets that have an inner coating of ceramic or are seasoned. It makes them non stick.
Finally, I always check for warranties placed on the cooking sets I buy. Longer warranty periods are best since I know that I can get a replacement if something goes wrong. However, warranty comes after I'm sure that I'm getting the best quality for my investment.


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Houston, TX (PRWEB) April 23, 2013
Josh Schultz has examined over 3000 Forex systems, been involved with some of the top traders in the industry, and is the moderator of two of the most respected trading forums in Forex. His system "Forex Profit Model" has caught the attention of ForexProfitModelReview.com's Stan Stevenson, prompting an investigative review.
"There is important information in the introduction DVD of Forex Profit Model about both the physical package and the private Trading Floor access, which could be sold as a complete beginner's course all on its own," reports Stevenson. "People will learn the necessary skills to trade Forex profitably, beginning with Part One which will teach them how to use the MetaTrader 4 platform, how to open a demo account, use the different menus, drawing tools, save templates, and other tips and tricks using the platform."
While users do have to study the materials, Forex Profit Model is not their typical self-study course. There will be weekly webinars, an extensive member's area filled with reports and additional training, and Josh Schultz will be there to answer any and every question they have personally. The four DVDs explain the concepts involved in analyzing the markets, such as the different sessions, charts, candlestick patterns, time frames, and more.
"After the Forex Profit Model review we found it is the most consistently profitable model for trading I have ever seen. This is not a digital product that you download, give a quick read and forget. This is an extensive course consisting of DVDs, trading manual and other resources which will be delivered to your door," says Stevenson. "It is the most proven system you will ever find for trading Forex profitably. By the time you have watched the DVDs and read the manual, you will know how Forex trading works and be able to trade the Forex Profit Model system; it's simple to learn regardless of what your experience is."
"Josh Schultz has coached and worked with some of the top traders in the business and is the in-house trader for "Tradeology", the most read Forex newsletter in the business. Affectionately called the "PIP Whisperer," he is one of the few people in the world to have access to one of the largest trading competitions in the world. His is simply the best proven and tested system to stand up against every trading condition and still consistently produce money, month after month. Forex Profit Model has been thoroughly tested and proven to be a winner!"
Those wishing to purchase Forex Profit Model, or for more information, click here.
To access a comprehensive Forex Profit Model review, visit http://forexprofitmodelreview.com/forex-profit-model-review


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The Ohio Grandparent/Kinship Coalition
(OGKC) is an organization consisting of
kinship caregivers, kinship caregiver
advocates and agencies throughout Ohio.
We need you at the table!
OGKC seeking members to join us !
Ohio Grandparent/Kinship Month
Click here to see the
Resolution signed by
Ohio Governor John R. Kasich and
Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor
Click here to read about latest legislation
pertaining to grandparents. Am. Sub. H.B 279
KPI remains in Ohio budget !
Thanks to all who contacted legislators and encouraged them to keep KPI in the state budget! If you have experienced a disruption in your KPI payment contact your county Children Service Agency for additional information.
OGKC Purpose:
- Educate kinship caregivers and agencies regarding state and national programs /issues affecting kinship caregivers
- Advocate at local, state and national levels for support of kinship families
- Provide a networking system for caregivers and agencies
- Link caregivers with services in their communities
- Connect new kinship care programs with speaker's bureau
- Conduct statewide conferences
Click here to download OGKC flyer. Feel free to reprint/duplicate and distribute.