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Saturday, February 28, 2009
Lifestyle changes
As CJ was looking through our Disney pictures he decided to make some life changes in regard to his weight. I am always looking for someone to keep me accountable as I tend to snack in the evening and I too have noticed about a 5-7 lb weight gain that I do not like at all! So, I decided to jump on the band wagon. Truthfully, I have been secretly praying for CJ to have a wake-up call before his health starts to get effected. Once we started talking about his daily diet, I was shocked beyond belief, in fact I think I was speechless! Here is a look at his diet Mon-Fri.
Breakfast from the gas station: Mountain Dew, king-size candy bar, hostess donuts (personally I would have been sick)
Lunch: Fast food from anywhere.
Dinner: whatever I made which I tend to cook on the light side, no deep fried and no processed packaged foods except mac and cheese.
After Dinner: A bowl of cookies, candies or anything sweet we had in the house or a bowl of chips.
Beverages: Diet Coke!
TOTAL COST PER MONTH: $325-375!!! Ouch.
Get the idea.
So, once he told me I have to confess I was broken hearted. As his wife, I feel it's my duty to help him and support him in anyway I can so I immediately went to the grocery store and Wal-Mart. I read every label, choose the best fresh fruit, veggies and lean meat and looked for alternative snacks for him to be able to grab and go... I had a few challenges along the way as my husband is extremely PICKY and he has lost his taste and smell senses due to severe allergies/surgeries. So I had my work cut out for me! I bought him an insulated lunch box so he could bring his lunch and he could nibble throughout the day instead of waiting until he's so hungry that he's looking for the nearest fast food joint. He made me a promise to not be so picky when it comes to breads ( I love whole grain, he likes white). I do buy whole grain white bread for the girls but I really wanted to see if he would eat the brown bread =). I also bought whole grain flat breads and soft tortillas for chicken/pork wraps. Another great alternate is the 100 calories packs, there are so many varieties now, I think I bought out Wal-mart's selection! So here's his new daily diet I thought I would share....
Breakfast: SlimFast protein breakfast bar or a SlimFast protein drink
Lunch: Sandwich wrap or regular sandwich on whole grain bread, baked chips, 100 calorie pack and fresh fruit or celery sticks, carbonated flavored water and a regular bottle of water.
Dinner: Usually Chicken or boneless pork chops, baked potato with baked beans, corn or a salad.
Snack: Skinny Cow fudge bar or Ice cream sandwich (they are fantastic and under 100 calories!!!)
As a result of cooking, chopping, label reading, salt substitutes, no soda, etc... here are the latest numbers....
CJ: total weight loss 14 lbs Goal to lose: 30-35lbs
(He has more energy and his asthma is better!!)
Trevor (Works out at the gym 3-4 days ): 5 lbs Goal to lose: 25 lbs
Amy (along with walking 8-10 miles per week on my treadmill): 4 lbs Goal to lose: 15lbs
Now, Trevor and I are not picky eaters so our new way of eating looks like this:
Breakfast: Cereal with fresh berries and bananas or a hard boiled egg with yogurt or if we're in a hurry I usually grab a Slim Fast protein shake. I will not give up my coffee with fat free creamer.
Lunch: A salad with lots of fresh veggies and chicken breast with dressing on the side or a medium size sweet potato with a tsp. of real butter and a tsp. of Splenda brown sugar. Trevor will at times eat a sandwich on whole grain bread with baked chips.
Dinner: Same as above.
Since I've had more time, I'm cooking more! Before we would eat out about three times a week now, we eat out on Friday nights and Sunday after church. I'm grocery shopping a little more but we figured we're saving around $300 a month!!!
We are also incorporating Prayer. I never thought it was something to pray about but I feel the Lord wants us to keep our bodies healthy and keep things in moderation. I also feel now is the time to do it before we wake up one day to a diagnosis or other health issue related to weight. I thank God everyday my husband makes better food choices not just for him but for us. I will keep you posted on our results!!! If anyone would like any tips or if you have any suggestions PLEASE send me a comment or drop me an email. I'm always open to new ideas and I'm always ready to lend an ear.
God bless!
2 comments:
- Jenna York said...
Make sure to keep your eyes open for high fiber foods. They will keep you fuller longer. I was at the Dollar Tree (cheap me ;). ) and I found fiber one bars (5pack). One bar give you I believe 1/3 of your daily fiber. I also have bought some individual tea packets with added fiber (again 1/3 of RDA). CJ if he likes, could keep water bottles and a box of these handy for a drink. They have no sugar and no calories (or minimal depending on brand). Fiber is incredibly important as we get, excuse the word, older we have to ensure we get the exact amount of that. We don't want to have to go for that colon test!! OUCH! That is the best tip I know of especially about watching weight.
- March 4, 2009 at 5:15 PM
- Jenna York said...
Oh, I forgot to say one more thing! Congratulations to you all on your success so far! It's a hard thing to do! Keep up the good work!
- March 4, 2009 at 5:16 PM


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I can't comment on the 2's,but all I can say is that I have the 3's and they better any monitor I have owned(Spendor,Kef,etc).As far as overkill,what do you mean? I use mine with Quicksilver tube mono's.
Harbeth Speakers
I am downsizing my system from Audio Physic Virgos to Harbeth mini-monitors Could an enlightened audiophile please tell me the difference between the P3ESRand th eolder HL-P3ES-2? In the same breath, would driviing the speakers with CJ MV55 and 17LS be overkill? I have a Linn Classik. I expect the latter would do the job nicely.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Waiting for a day is something that I don't do very well.
But this time I have done really well. For the most part.
My sister comes home tomorrow from her mission to the people of Houston, Texas. They are super lucky to have had her for 18 months! Which has actually been more like 18.5 months.
We are all super excited for her to be back.
It is interesting when you lose a piece of a puzzle you can put it together as many times as you like but it is still missing a piece. We know that she was needed out there and has had a great time and we have been truly blessed while she has been out, but to think of everything that having her back will mean to our family and me is pretty exciting to think about.
Looking forward to a grandiose day tomorrow.
It has been a long awaited day!


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Then, I went here, the census page showing per capita tax rates. In his article, Pawlenty talked about using census data, and this table shows Minnesota in fourth place for all taxes, which his article also cites, so I am assuming that this is the table he's talking about.
I then arranged the GSP data in order according to tax rank, and found the average GSP growth for the top ten tax states, as well as the bottom ten tax rates. To nobody's surprise, the top ten tax states beat out the bottom ten tax states in terms of GSP growth by over half a percentage point, 5.03% per year to 4.47% per year. This isn't a lot, but by Pawlenty's logic, the top ten tax states should be seeing lower growth due to a lack of jobs, so any amount of growth over and above the lower tax states is proof that he is dead wrong.
|Fictional State
|Per capita tax
|Per capita income
|Tax burden
For example, Minnesota is ranked 4th in per capita taxation. Texas is ranked 50th. But the median income for a 4 person household is $72,000 in Minnesota and only $51,000 in Texas. The median Minnesota family would net $60,400 a year. The median Texas family would net $45,500. According to Pawlenty, the Texas family is far better off.


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Fading Acne Scars
Using Ly-na Pearl Cream!
When I first started using Ly-na Cream to help with my skin issues, I was using the one in the green tub and that actually turned out to be REALLY BAD for my skin and only made things worse! I found out later that one of the main ingredients in the green one is vaseline! Gross. So around 2 months ago I switched to the PINK jar that everyone else uses and it's actually working!
I have some nasty before pictures from when I was using the green one still…
|From foundation
|From foundation
Told you it was nasty!
And this is my skin now, no foundation or touching up.
|From Ly-na 2mos
|From Ly-na 2mos
|From Ly-na 2mos
|From Ly-na 2mos
I still have some scarring. Of course it'll take time to get rid of all the scars, but the PINK Ly-na Cream really improved the tone and texture of my skin. My scars used to be super red where I felt like I couldn't go out in public without concealing them, but now they don't bother me so much. Also I discovered that even though they say to use a thin layer, I feel like using like say a couple or a few thin layers makes it work faster [of course without suffocating your face in it]. And it seems to me that when I saw other beauty bloggers using it, they were really slathering it on haha. Or maybe the Ly-na cream is just reallly apparent in pictures..I don't know.
I have a couple extra tubs of Ly-na Cream, if you're interested e-mail me and I'll give you a price quote! > firstname.lastname@example.com
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
I totally answered you in my blog, BUT answered the wrong thing!! I thought you were talking about lower lashline, BUT you were asking what I lined the waterline with. I used Stila Convertible Eye Color in Onyx. it's a twist up black liner on one side, a smudger on the other side, and you can untwist a shimmery white color inside. It's pretty cool. But pretty pricey (the one reason I got it was cuz I got it in a set!).
My favorite eyeliner is Tigi Bedhead Big Fat Fun eyeliner in Black. It goes on SOO SMOOTH! I think I paid $8 for it, cuz my friend gets a cosmetology discount thing. But, ooh! try using that big NYX jumbo pencil as a liner, sometimes I do that.| Posted 9 years, 6 months ago
* Roland says:
I NEED PINK Ly-Na. LOLOL| Posted 9 years, 5 months ago
* annie says:
Omg, thanks for letting us know about the green tub. I told my coworker to get me some pearl cream. I never actually heard about this stuff. But I have been using expensive creams…and I also have bad/red acne scars.| Posted 9 years, 5 months ago
I hope this cream would work!! Your skin really looks awesome!


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Andrew Baker reviews the Kiwi made Perreaux Audiant DP32 preamplifier/USB DAC and matching 100P power amplifier and loves what he hears
Digital Sources
Logitech Ultimate Ears Smartradio REVIEW
The legendary Squeezebox may be gone, but Logitech is back with a very different streamer, writes Gary Pearce.
Line Magnetic LM-502CA Vacuum Tube DAC REVIEW
Andrew Baker reviews the Line Magnetic LM-502CA Vacuum Tube DAC and declares it to be one of the best digital players he's yet heard.
Arcam rBlink Bluetooth Receiver REVIEW
Arcam's rBlink Bluetooth receiver reviewed by Ashley Kramer
ATC CDA2 CD Player/Preamplifier/DAC REVIEW
ATC'S CDA2 CD Player/Preamplifier/DAC reviewed by Ashley Kramer
Pro-Ject Dock Box S Digital Apple Dock REVIEW
Ashley Kramer reviews Pro-Ject's Dock Box S Digital Apple dock
Antipodes Audio DS1 Music Server REVIEW
Gary Pearce reviews Antipodes Audio's DS1 music server
Beresford TC-7530DC Bushmaster Digital To Analogue Converter REVIEW
Gary Pearce reviews the Beresford TC-7530DC Bushmaster Digital To Analogue Converter
QED uPlay Plus Bluetooth Receiver REVIEW (or A Small Audio Saga – Part Three)
Ashley Kramer reviews QED's uPlay Plus Bluetooth receiver
Micromega MyDAC Digital to Analogue Converter REVIEW
Micromega's MyDAC Digital to Analogue converter reviewed by Ashley Kramer
iFi Audio Micro iDac / iUSBPower REVIEW
iFi Audio's new micro iDac and iUSBPower could quite conceivably rule the world.
Cambridge Audio Azur 851 Series REVIEW
Cambridge Audio's flagship 851A integrated amplifier and 851C CD player/DAC reviewed by Ashley Kramer


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Kwame Alexander with Special Guest Steve the Sloth
Name: Kwame Alexander with Special Guest Steve the Sloth
Date: April 9, 2017
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM CDT
Event Description:
KWAME ALEXANDER with Special Guest Steve the Sloth! Sunday, April 9th at 2:00 PM Anderson's Bookshop La Grange A howling wolf, a stalking tiger, a playful panda, a dancing bird - pairing the stunning photography of National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore with the delicate poetry of Newbery award-winning author Kwame Alexander, this lush picture book celebrates the beauty, diversity, and fragility of the animal world. We will also have a very special guest at the event... From Flying Fox Conservation Fund we welcome Steve the Sloth! That's right areal life sloth! Join us for this very special evening. EVENT DETAILS This in-store event is free and open to the public. To join the signing line, please purchase the author's latest book, Animal Ark: Celebrating Our Wild World in Poetry and Pictures, from Anderson's. To purchase your book, please stop into or call the Anderson's La Grange location at (708) 582-6353 or order below.


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PAULOWNIA IS A FAST GROWNIG WOODTYPE THAT IS ORIGINALLY FROM CHINA.THERE IS ONE TYPE THAT GROWS WITHOUT PROBLEMS UNTIL -40 DEGREES.WE START OUR PAULOWNIA PLANTATION IN AUTUMN 2011 IN ROMANIA.TREE SAVING IS A CRISSIS METHOD FOR MAKING MONEY.WITH 20 EURO YOU CAN ALREADY MAKE PART OF IT.THERE IS NO LIMIT TO THE TOP!CONTACT E-MAIL : firstname.lastname@example.com
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Special rates for the minimum of 2000 euro
We can make any kind of deal, if none of our offers is interesting for you. We will try to find a solution and to help you according to your income.That means the deal will be stated in a contract from both sides and then you can start your own saving plan.We can also talk about flexible payment methods and we will try to offer you the best sollution. Just send an e-mail at: firstname.lastname@example.com
Tree pension from 150.000 euro
We offer a Tree pension for the investors that have about 150.000 euro.That means you will do an instant payment of 150.000 euro and starting from the next month you will get paid every month for whole lifetime with 1000 euro per month.
We invest you money in purchasing of land and planting paulownia trees.
After 30 days from paying of the 150.000 euro we start to pay you monthly the pension of 1000 euro.The investor gets monthly the pension for his lifetime.In case the investor dies earlier (than 70 years old), the investor's heir will still get the money but not for his lifetime, just for 30 years.Please send an e-mail for more information at : firstname.lastname@example.com
Tree savings contract for 100 euro monthly
You can sign a tree saving contract with us.You will pay monthly a number of trees that we'll plant for you after the signing of the contract. Here you can see an example of how that works :
your monthly payment for 5 trees = 100 euro from 09/2011 until 09/2012 is a total of 1200 euro per year.You sign a tree saving contract for 5 years which means you will pay an amount of 100 euro monthly, during a period of 5 years, which is a total amount of 60 trees per year. After 2 years we will plant for you the whole amount of 300 trees which you will earn in the time of other 5 years. During this time your trees will grow before you pay all of them.
After the expiration of the 5 five years you will pay nothing else for the tree saving contract.You will just have to wait another 5 years and you will get 36000 euro. If your own trees are not growing how they should, we will give you other trees from our plantation to yours.Your not grown up trees will pass in our ownership and you will get the 120 euro per tree from our plantation.
So you will pay in 1 to 5 years 1200 euro each year, 100 euro each month and 6000 euro for the total period of 5 years.You wait the other 5 years and get 36.000 euro.You can always ask for a earlier payment in those 5 years so that you will not have to wait for the other 5 years but the income will be lower.We will pay earlier than the 10 years with an interest rate of 8% per year.The first earlier payment will be possible after 3 years from the beginning.
So you will pay in 1 to 5 years 1200 euro each year, 100 euro each month and 6000 euro for the total period of 5 years.You wait the other 5 years and get 36.000 euro.You can always ask for a earlier payment in those 5 years so that you will not have to wait for the other 5 years but the income will be lower.We will pay earlier than the 10 years with an interest rate of 8% per year.The first earlier payment will be possible after 3 years from the beginning.
Eingestellt von Agricole agro um 12:16 PM No comments:
Labels: easy money, make money, saving plan
Tree adoption for 20 euro
You could acquire a paulownia tree for 20 euro.For 5 acquired trees you will get an OWNERSHIP TITLE. We plant your tree on our land and look after it for 10 years. In those 10 years you can acquire one or more paulownia trees.You can visit your trees. All of your trees will get a number and the number of them will be in the Title. If you're interested in acquiring a tree, please send us an e-mail at : email@example.com
After 10 years every tree will be cut down and will be seld for wood and you will get 120 euro per tree.
The Plantation
Our first plantation will be near Arad, 60 km from Hungary.We bought 4 hectare for the plantation.
We will plant 600 trees per hectar.
Arad is a very good geographic location, not hard to reach, there are 550 km from arad to Bucharest, 500 km from Arad to Vienna and 300 km from Arad to Budapest.We have an airport in Arad or you cand easily use the airport of Timisoara.Timisoara is at a distance of 55 km from Arad.
Eingestellt von Agricole agro um 12:13 PM No comments:
Labels: investment, plantation, romania
Paulownia is a fast growing arboreal that originally from china is.It is planted in Europe since the Austrian – Hungarian imperial time.Originally it was planted just as ornamental tree but very fast there was discovered also the economical benefits of this tree.
The tree needs about 10 years to grow up and you can gain one meter cubic boards.
Eingestellt von Agricole agro um 12:13 PM No comments:
Labels: earn money, save money, tree
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I am a Christian.... At least that's what I've been saying for the last twentysomething years. It seems, though that the older I get, the more questions I have. Shouldn't I be learning more as the years go by? Apparently not. Instead, the more time that passes by, the more I realize I don't know.
In our church home groups, we have been working through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. This week we discussed chapter 5 - "Serving Leftovers to a Holy God". Ouch. Immediately, we all assume that this could not possibly be referring to ourselves. It steps on toes and we don't want it to be our digits crushed beneath the heavy boot of reality. I could be one of many to chose to take offense at some of the things Pastor Chan has to say, but I don't want to be one of those.
***WARNING: Harsh Personal Opinion to Follow***
I personally know several people who "couldn't" finish the book. I have a feeling it's more of a "wouldn't" finish the book. When the cover plainly states "overwhelmed by a relentless God", who wouldn't want to finish the book? It doesn't matter if you agree with everything or not. In fact, if you did agree with everything, I'd wonder how sincere you truly are. So here's the challenge to those of you who are afraid to finish or even start reading the book - do it! I dare you. I dare you to make the choice to change your life. Don't get hung up on the little things, but get stuck on the big thing: GOD IS CHASING YOU! It's overwhelming because it's supposed to be! We aren't supposed to understand it all. We aren't supposed to know it all. To think we ever will is to deceive ourselves, but to stop trying to understand and know it all is to give up completely.
So here's where I am... Honestly. I know that I am saved. I was bought with a price and that price was great. I know that I was fearfully and wonderfully made and my Maker has a plan for me and that plan is good. I know that He loves me more than life because He gave his up for me. But what do I do with that knowledge? I go through my life day by day and never think about it. What an insult that is to a holy God.
I walked to work today. I'd been avoiding the walk for a long time. It takes time and it takes effort. But yet, when I force myself to get up early and do it, it's rather beneficial. I feel better (once the initial pain of long-forgotten exercise has eased), I sleep better and I get that hour and a half of fresh air every day. Here's my added bonus: I get to spend that time with God. I have 45 minutes in the glory of God's handiwork to meditate on Him. I'd be a fool not to take advantage of that, but again, it's forcing myself to do it.
I leave the house with my iPod in hand. Often I'm tempted to listen to a new album, something Spanish and pop-y, some fun jazz, maybe. Instead, I put on worship. I have to force myself to walk and I have to force myself to focus on God. I'm proud to say that this morning, I did. And the amazing part of it all - God met me where I was. All we are required to do is to take that first step toward His presence and God will rush us with wide open arms. He's waiting, go ahead, give it a try!


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Here is one of the layouts that I made:
I used lots of tags from Elle's, papers from American Crafts (Dear Lizzy Neapolitan and Amy Tangerine Sketchbook), twine from Pick Your Plum, American Crafts Thickers, Jillibean Soup corrugated hearts and Bella Blvd pink chevron tape.
Aren't their products so cute? They were very generous, too, so I have more to use on other pages, cards, etc.
You can see my other projects, read my review and have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Elle's Studio here: http://www.thescrapreview.com/2012/08/summer-lovin-from-elles-studio.html


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Thursday, May 1, 2008
Here we are...
So, it has been a long time coming, but we finally decided to put up a blog to let everyone know what is going on a platine. We just moved into our new location in Culver City and are working on finalizing a new menu, recipe testing, and creating a little store front here.
I am excited about being able to share what is going on at platine as well as some other foodie type stuff. Let the games begin....
Posted by platine cookies at 7:46 PM
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Mom just heard about this place, Healing Hearts. It is a rescue/sanctuary not far from Best Friends in the US. Healing Hearts takes in the disabled ones, like us. She has dogs, cats, bunnies and others all in carts.
Mom is going to do some research and post more about their work here. We are not sure if she takes in other disabilities as well. We have heard that she does not have the financial foundation that Best Friends has. So if any of our readers know about Healing Hearts, or want to do some research about them too, please "speak" and let us know too.
Maybe we can form our own international "cart gang" :-)
Wishing Everyone a Very Merry Christmas!!!
6 months ago


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The defender, who has made seven Premier League appearances this season, believes naming the matchday squad sooner would benefit a player's ability to physically and mentally prepare for a game.
|Man Utd are 5/6 with BetVictor to finish outside the top four
"The old manager used to give you a little bit of an idea if you'd be playing and stuff.
"When you know you're playing, the intensity goes up a little bit more on match day. That's what you need to try to make sure you're doing, even if you don't know you'll be playing – to try to get to that intensity you'd be at when you know you're playing.
"It's hard. It's hard to do that mentally because you spend a lot of nervous energy thinking: 'Am I playing' or 'Am I not playing?' and you're just going round in circles in your head and turning into a madman."
Moyes, though, is keen to stick to his guns and continue the tradition he experienced during his professional career.
He added: "It would be the same for every player if that was the case because I would think that a lot of the teams do that. But that happened to me and I never felt that way.
"We do it in different ways. Sometimes we name it, sometimes we name it late on. I think sometimes a lot of managers leave it so the press don't get the teams too early."


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Excited to announce the date for ANOTHER fun kids workshop this March.
3 super exciting treats will be made in a hands on interactive class for budding chefs and bakers between the ages of 4 and 12.
Below are some pictures from previous classes.
All the details you need to know:
Vanilla Sugar KIDS baking workshop for boys and girls aged 4 till 12.
Date: 28th March 2015
Time: 9.30 till 12.30
Place: Musgrave.
– Chocolate bubbly slice
– Nutella banana sushi
– Olaf Cupcakes
~ All ingredients and utensils are provided.
~ Each item is hands on ensuring the mini chefs have fun while learning and making up their treats.
~ Each Mini chef takes home their goodies as well as a certificate.
Please spread the word and book well in advance as classes fill up very fast- classes limited to 15 mini chefs.
Contact : Safiyya on 0835830029


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Some time ago, RT reported the following: 'Annexation – that's what tens of thousands of protesters in the Middle East are calling new Arab union plans. It comes after Saudi Arabia said it wants to form an alliance with Bahrain, paving the way for an EU-style of integration. Independent political analyst Dan Glazebrook explains why he thinks the Bahraini government is so supportive of the plan (19 May 2012)'.
MSNBC's F. Brinley Bruton recently added that "Saudi Arabia's plan to forge a closer military and political union with other Persian Gulfcountries risks inflaming tensions with Iran, experts warn. Bahrain, a tiny island kingdom which is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, is intent on strengthening its ties to its powerful neighbor. The Saudi spear-headed plan envisions a unified military and foreign policy across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which also includes the Sunni monarchies Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatarand the United Arab Emirates. The proposal is seen as a bulwark against the growing influence of Shiite Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional rival".[1]
Sheikh Fahad Al-Khalifa, the media counsellor to the Bahraini Embassy in London, declared: "We are progressing from the (Gulf Cooperation Council) to a Gulf union".[2] And the Gulf News' Habib Toumi adds that the "proposal to form a Gulf union [figured] high on the agenda of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers' meeting on Tuesday [, 5 June], the GCC secretary-general has said. The meeting, the first to be held since last month's GCC consultative summit in Riyadh, will also review reports on strategic issues and the negotiations between the GCC states and economic blocs, Abdul Lateef Al Zayani said".[3]
[1] F. Brinley Bruton, "Saudi Arabia-Bahrain union plan set to inflame tensions with Iran?" MSNBC (04 June 2012). http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/04/11937264-saudi-arabia-bahrain-union-plan-set-to-inflame-tensions-with-iran?lite.
[2] F. Brinley Bruton, "Saudi Arabia-Bahrain union plan set to inflame tensions withIran?".
[3] Habib Toumi, "Gulf union high on agenda in GCC ministerial talks" Gulf News (04 June 2012). http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/gulf-union-high-on-agenda-in-gcc-ministerial-talks-1.1031538.


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Fish, Dill, and Polenta
Today was pretty stressful, at work and with some personal stuff. On days like this I come home (after a quick stint at Trader Joe's to decompress) and don't really feel like cooking. So even though my plan for tonight was a quick and simple meal, as Love Your Leftovers meals generally are, I opted to go out. But never fear, readers, because here is a meal from the weekend I hadn't had a chance to post yet!
In my effort to include more fish in my diet, I still had not made the quintessential seafood-herb combination: fish and dill. Sometimes I wonder if the person who discovered dill did so soley to pair it with salmon and talapia. It is the perfect summer pairing with some fresh vegetables, or warm and comforting with a cream sauce during a winter snowfall.
Along with this meal comes an old favorite of mine: premade polenta. Of course the loose cornmeal is fabulous, cooked up with some chicken stock and butter to a mashed potato consistency. But there is something special about precooked polenta, served in a roll shape, that not only speeds up making a meal but can be used in different ways than its counterpart. Sliced to the perfect thickness and topped with a dash of your favorite cheese, your broiler and polenta will form perfect harmony and golden goodness. You can even cut it into sticks for polenta fries, or slice is thinly the long way for lasagna-like noodles. Buy some and keep it in your fridge, you won't regret it!
White Fish with Light Dill Sauce and Polenta
1 lb white fish of your choice
Salt, pepper, and lemon juice to season
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh dill
8 slices of premade polenta, about 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder
2 handfuls fresh spinach
Preheat the oven to 400*
Spray an oven proof dish with Pam and lay out the polenta slices. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese. Put in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
Spray a second oven proof dish with Pam. Season the white fish with salt, pepper, and lemon juice and put in the dish. Cook for 10 minutes.
While the fish is cooking, mix together the sour cream, dill, and tablespoon of lemon juice. After the fish has been in for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and cover with a layer of the dill sauce. Put back in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.
Place the fish on a handful of fresh spinach and serve the polenta along the side.
Light, simple and fresh. Dill and fish together as one. A wonderful and quick weeknight meal.
What do you do when you have a stressful day? Do you eat out or cook at home?
April 22, 2010 8:53 pm
I'm so sorry you had a stressful day. If it makes you feel any better, so did I. And my husband did too. Oh well, tomorrow's another day, right… Get some rest tonight and hopefully things will be better tomorrow for all of us!! 🙂
I love polenta and I LOVE dill!! I don't use it nearly enough. This dish looks amazing!!


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My birthday and the Born Again in a Biker Bar eBook giveaway are around the corner. Hollister's annual Lights On Celebration and parade proceed it so I thought it would be a great time to share an excerpt from my memoir relating to the event. If you enjoy this and want to read more you can purchase my book at all major retailers or wait and download it for free on December 9th.
This excerpt is from the chapter titled – Lights On Parade – A Float, Are You Crazy?
Our first year at Johnny's was a whirlwind. The pre-rally led to Halloween, which led right into Thanksgiving, followed directly by the annual Lights on Parade, an event sponsored by our local Downtown Association. Every year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, a parade of floats made by local businesses and nonprofits makes its way down San Benito Street. As with the Rodeo Parade, people line the streets with chairs early in the day so that they will have a good view of the festivities. As a new business owner in Hollister, I resolved to take part in all of its events. Because of my competitive nature, I was determined that not only would we build a float, but that our float would win best in show. I informed my husband that it was something we just had to do, and despite his vehemently disagreeing with me, a plan was hatched to build a float.
Many of our wonderful customers offered to help, but before I could concentrate on the project I had to get through the busiest karaoke night we'd ever seen. The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving was off the hook. The place rocked until two a.m., and then I had to return to Johnny's early to cook a full-blown Thanksgiving meal for our friends who didn't have a place to go. About twenty-six members of the Johnny's family were in attendance, and we had a wonderful time. Tommy said the blessing and thanked God for all of our wonderful customers and friends, as well as a prospering business. Then everyone ate, drank, sang songs, and played games. I was exhausted, but happy to bring so much joy to a great bunch of people. Sadly the workaholic spent most of her time in the kitchen and missed out on the camaraderie. I hadn't come to grips with my overachiever self, who missed out on most of the fun in order to take care of business.
The following Friday I offered up free pizza and beer for our helpers, and the building of the float commenced. One of our customers had a trucking company and not only offered to supply the twenty-five-foot flatbed that would house our float, but he also volunteered to pull it in the parade. Another friend, Dave let us use his Harley-Davidson and volunteered to wear his Santa suit on the float. A wonderful artist friend painted the sleigh, and it was so gorgeous that it looked like it was right out of a Christmas storybook.
We turned the float building project into one heck of a party. When it got dark Tommy rigged some lights and we worked until eleven o'clock at night. It was frosty, but people just put on gloves and jackets and continued to work. We put planks in place and rolled Dave's orange Harley-Davidson up onto the trailer and decorated it with lights and used tinsel as reins between it and the sleigh that Tommy built. We decorated the Christmas tree and put beautifully wrapped presents underneath it. We positioned a light-up snowman on a platform that Tommy built and surrounded it with lights. It was absolutely breathtaking. When we were finished we all stood back and admired our handiwork in silence. We were too awestruck to speak. I finally raised my beer and offered a toast. "To the best friends anyone could hope to ask for. We couldn't have done it without you."
The night of the parade the bar was so packed that I almost skipped riding on the float to stay and help the girls at the bar. I would have missed out on a wonderful experience. Tommy and I sat in the sleigh, and Jeana's daughters sat on the Harley-Davidson, with Dave in his Santa suit keeping watch over them. As we passed in front of the bar, the crowd went wild, and I felt like I was queen of the Rose Bowl Parade. I get goose bumps today remembering it. I got my wish: We won best in show. When I announced to the bar that we were the victors, they all but raised the roof with their cheers. To me it made all the stress and bickering worth it. Tommy may have a different opinion.
We serve a miracle working God. Tommy and I have been together over twenty six years and he has been sober for more than ten. I hope you enjoyed the excerpt. Remember you can download my book for free on December 9th. If you'd like the paperback it is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Of course you can always stop by Johnny's and purchase your autographed copy for $15.00.


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Monthly Archives: January 2011
day 1 of my amani new year
i've dreamt of this day for 2-1/2 years! As i sat at my desk this morning {chai in hand} i couldn't believe it was really true. "God, pinch me! You are so good!" i got to eat lunch with one … Continue reading
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true size of africa
If you haven't seen this before, this illustration is pretty cool…
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my soul is singing!
Hello friends… i am looooong overdue on catching you all up on this blog. Pole sana! It's been almost a full week since i arrived at NBO and things are looking up. The transition has been harder than i thought … Continue reading
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"Nobody owes you a living.
What you achieve or fail to achieve in your lifetime is directly related to what you do or fail to do. No one chooses their parents or childhood, but you can choose your own direction. Everyone has problems and obstacles to overcome, but that too is relative to each individual.
YOU can change anything in your life if you want to passionately enough. Excuses are for losers. Those who take responsibility for their actions are the real winners in life. Winners meet life's challenges head on knowing there are no guarantees, and give it all they have got. Never think it is too late or too early to begin. Time plays no favorites and will pass whether you act or not."
Bottom line, there is no secret sauce. Just you. Your will-power, attitude, and choices. I will make it count. :) It has been a good 2 weeks into the new year! Changes are still progressing because I'm moving forward.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Posted by Charlene Nguyen at 10:35 PM
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Hope everyone's summer is going well! Here, well, it's hot! Today wasn't as bad as some days but it was still right toasty. I did get out and play with the pups a little bit; I took my phone out to take some pictures but of course I forgot. Kona loves playing fetch and is very quick in getting the ball back to me! He keeps me busy out there! I did get this picture of him when I was *supposed* to be cleaning our spare bedroom. Ahem.
But in my defense I did clean it up some yesterday! It has become quite a catch-all room. Books, craft stuff, files, magazines, etc. I was trying to sort through some of the clutter. I did yesterday but today just felt a little over-whelmed(and maybe a little lazy.)
I did accomplish a couple of things today stitching-wise. One of my Facebook stitching groups has a Quick Stitch Weekend once a month, where we find a small design and try to stitch it in a weekend. This month I found an old Pine Mountain pillow kit I got years ago. I think my daughter originally wanted me to buy it so she could stitch it. Well she hasn't stitched in a long time and doesn't really seem to have an interest in in anymore, so I stitched it for her as a surprise while she was with friends this weekend. In fact I am still waiting for her to get home and see it. ☺
I hope she won't be upset that I stitched it instead.
I also pulled out some frames my dad had made for me- I wish I would have written down which designs I had him make them for- and framed an old finish. It was the only one I was pretty certain belonged to one of the frames.
It's "Snow Tired" (duh) by Homespun Elegance. Now I have to figure out what the other frames go to.
I am currently working on a couple of different things- a Grilles by Maryse freebie- "It's Winter Time"( a little wrinkled, sorry)-
And a piece for a friend- "Chowning's Tavern" (an actual place in Williamsburg, VA). I don't have much done on that one yet; hoping to put a few stitches in it tonight.
I recently discovered netgalley.com. It's a site where you can request to read certain books before they are available for sale. The authors rely on you for an honest review of their book and you post that review on their site as well as blogs, facebook, twitter, etc. I am giving it a shot and reading my first book The Water of Life by Daniel Marchildon. I will let you know how it is!
Well, since I started writing this, my daughter has returned home. Once she saw the pillow she remembered the kit. She did not seem upset at all that I had stitched it. ☺
If I am going to stitch I better get to it. Here is a little picture of Ginger as a sign-off.
She's like "Mom, you are taking a picture of me again?"
God bless!
P.S. Finally finished Brooke's Books Summer House a little while back! Here it is-


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Currently // September
AVOIDING eating with most people these days, because the only reason a thin person would eat less than fifty pounds of food per meal is because they're anorexic (right?). Let's all publicly call out thin girls on their inability to consume 5000 calories in one sitting.
Note: I really want to write more about this, but what's more irritating than a thin girl getting all "The Struggles of Skinny Life" over here?
CELEBRATING the return of How I Met Your Mother, NCIS, and Parenthood next week. Three season premiers in four days? It's gonna be legen—wait for it—dary ;)
EATING fried pickles from Sheetz. Yeah, Sheetz... as in the gas station. I felt like I needed to come clean with that, but I don't feel the least bit of shame. Feel free to judge, though. It's very judge-worthy.
FEELING pretty invincible after finally finding a way to get my desk from my second-floor childhood bedroom into our third-floor apartment. It fits perfectly in our little "man alcove" of the living room!
PLANNING to share more about our wedding on the blog while still in the acceptable newlywed/one-year time frame. (That is still acceptable, right? 'Cause goodness knows there wasn't a chance of me having everything together within the first month or two.) I have lots to share!
RENEWING our apartment lease, reluctantly. Don't get me wrong: we love our apartment! We just wish our apartment were ~100 miles west. But in order for that to happen, I'd need a job ~100 miles west... and I haven't had a bit of luck making that happen during the past four months. Bummer.
TAKING ballet classes on a whim. Have I ever taken a ballet class before? Nope. But I've got ten years' worth of training as a gymnast going for me, and I can now coupé and rond de jambe and sous sus with the best of them. I cannot, however, get my hair to do anything that resembles a pretty little bun.
THINKING about how crazy it is that anyone under the age of 24 (myself included) has now spent the majority of their life in the post-9/11 world. Try to wrap your mind around that. The War in Afghanistan has been going on now for the majority of my life. Ridiculous.
TRYING not to hit NC State students with my car on my way home from work every night, but it'd be cool if we all tried this new thing called "looking up from your phone before stepping out to cross the road."
VISITING my sister in the hospital most weekends. She spent six days in the hospital in mid-August, was released for a week, and has been back in the hospital since August 30. In total, today is Day #24 of her hospital adventures with severe ulcerative colitis, and we're really hoping for things to turn around soon!
WALKING around Lake Johnson multiple nights a week with Zach. I got really ambitious one night last week and jogged a third of a mile. Yeah, that's right—I jogged. Bonus: I didn't want to kill anyone when I finished, which means it's probably one of the most successful things I've ever done.
WRITING blog posts in my head, but not actually taking the time to write them on the blog. Oops. I'd like to say that I'll do better, but apart from getting married, I'm not exactly the commitment type. We'll see.


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Reflections on the Cross
Today's world does not seem to care about this event. Not surprising. The world does not seem to care about anything that is transcendent. Indeed one is hard pressed to find a time when it did.
And in the continuous 24/7 news cycle that only focuses on the tawdry and the superficial, it can be depressing.
Hence the cross.
Christ knew this was the world's mindset. He knows that we are going to be distracted. He understands us better than we understand ourselves. So He gives us the ritual of a meal to remind us of this eternal sacrifice that he offered to redeem us. He calls us to participate with Him by remembering what happened and why it happened. He calls us to real conversion by forcing us to consider the real wounds He suffered and the real pain He endured. He tells us to pick up our cross daily and follow Him.
Our cross.
We all have difficulties, challenges, pains, problems, that confront us every day. Sometimes they are major issues; sometimes they are petty annoyances. Yet they pose a threat to our relationships with people and with God. So Christ tells us to offer these problems to the Father in union with His sacrifice on the cross. Join your pain to His and find the meaning of redemptive suffering. Embrace the cross and find peace amidst the pain.
Christ dies for my sins. He loved me that much. and so I am reminded that I must in turn love my neighbor. The message applies to every member of the human race since the dawn of time. He died for all of us, to restore us to the Father, to offer us a means to live in communion with Him for eternity. Thus we must live our lives ordered to his end. We must reach out and respect the dignity of every human person. We must honor and respect the bonds that connect us all. Then we can approach the altar of our God and offer ourselves to Him.
His passion tells the entire story of the Human race. It is time for us to once again listen and understand. Only then can we truly find the good, the true and the beautiful that will give us lasting peace.


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Everybody knows that China's economy, just like Russia's is badly overstated. But by… FORTY PERCENT??
It's actually possible that this sort of news will help the reformers: after all, WoC very rightly points out that a lot of what's holding China back isn't technological (they're smart and they learn fast), but a culture that consistently seems to under-rate what our businesspeople call "best practices." And you can't get any of that without encouraging transparency, etc.
Hat tip: Winds of Change


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Take The Cake
330 posts,
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following 87
330 posts,
47 followers
following 87
Mar 2013 New Zealand Website
Newbie Helloooo Everyone!!!
Hello everyone, I am just new to Cakes Decor, although I have been here and marveled at your creations and looked through your tutorials which are amazing!!! I am totally obsessed with all things cake and just want to learn as much as I can, i'm...


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Well, the flu has payed a nice visit to all of us. We hope it doesn't come back for a very long time. If it does decide to return I hope ALL the boys are old enough to know that when you feel like you have to barf you go (RUN) to the bathroom, don't just sit in your bed.
Don't you feel like your house is so dirty and germy after the flu has run through it? The air feels so stale and smells like "sickness." Guess what I have been doing since before 7 this morning. My house no longer smells like "sickness" but the overwhelming smell of lemon and bleach are not sitting too well with my recovering tummy.
In a previous post I mentioned not getting the flu shot this year. Sunday night around 11:00 I was second guessing my decision. Yesterday my sister e-mailed me this interesting fact. "This is not actually the flu at all but a condition called "viral gastroenteritis". It can be caused by several different viruses including rotaviruses, adenoviruses, and the Norwalk virus. But it is not caused by any of the influenza virus strains. This mean you can get the so-called stomach flu even if you have had a flu shot." That made me feel better. Also a lot of my friends who have gotten their flu shots have still gotten this rotten bug within the last couple weeks. I guess with this bug you can't really prevent it. My hands are red raw from all the washing with soap and water PLUS hand sanitizer but clearly I could have avoided sore hands.
I must say there was a small benefit to having the flu, I managed to lose 4 lbs in 2 days! This just may be the jump start I need to get on track. That is 4 less lbs I need to lose to get to my goal weight!
Enough talk about the flu, if you could catch the flu by reading about it you would all have it after reading my blog lately!
Brittany's plane will be leaving Montreal at 11:15 AM (our time). The flight is 4.5 hours to Haiti. Riley is very worried because of what they learned in school about the earthquake in Haiti. When he woke up this morning he asked if Brittany was going to be OK and if the weather was giving earthquakes in Haiti. Kinda pitiful! I was supposed to be going on this trip but plans changed and am going to go next year instead. I am a little glad I didn't go this time as I didn't realize how much Riley would worry. Maybe when he sees that Brittany made out OK he won't worry so much when I go next year.
Remember to keep her and the rest of the team in your prayers. They will be there for 2 weeks building an orphanage and ministering to the community.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
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Last issue marked the end of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina's first arc, and before jumping into the second, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa takes an opportunity to explore the backstories of some of the comic's minor characters. When I say minor, I don't even mean that they have to be human; titled "Familiars," issue #6 is primarily focused on telling the tales of Sabrina's household familiars, specifically Salem the cat and cousin Ambrose's snakes Nagand Nagaina. Aguirre-Sacasa blends fables and classic witch tales into his own unique mix, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #6 becomes less a filler issue than a surprisingly intriguing look at the past lives of those surrounding Sabrina.
The first tale follows Nag and Nagaina, who were the children of a rich Maharaja; a story about greed and filial betrayal, Aguirre-Sacasa unravels a Shakespearean-influenced plot to kill Nag and Nagaina's new stepmother, only to be sold out by the sorcerer Sorcar whom they put their trust in. All of this is by way of Robert Hack's beautifully detailed artwork featuring ornate Indian dwellings and beautiful colors. Nag and Nagaina are often secondary characters throughout this series, so it's nice to see them getting fleshed out here with an origin story that shows how disturbingly willing the two were to commit a heinous murder.
It also works in a couple of fun references, including a direct mention of Rudyard Kipling – who bought Nag and Nagaina for his nephew Ambrose – and also his story "Rikki-Tiki-Tavi," with a subtle allusion to the mongoose of that tale. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #6 feels like Aguirre-Sacasa's ode to these influential classics, and he certainly adds depth to what could have only amounted to namedropping.
Salem's backstory, though, is longer and more important, which he shares with Nag and Nagaina only after they beg him to do so. Salem was once a man named Samuel, arriving in Salem village without a home or a job after landing at Boston Harbor. Aguirre-Sacasa details a man who loved to sleep with his foster family's servant, Abigail Williams, but who was not responsible enough to help her once she became pregnant with his child. Salem, in retelling this story, doesn't show much remorse for the whole thing either, and Aguirre-Sacasa presents an interesting scenario where Salem the cat, forced to protect Sabrina, is himself an unlikable human being; while one can feel bad for Salem's eternal curse, it's difficult to have much sympathy for him, especially after his story. Aguirre-Sacasa presents characters in Chilling Adventures who are terrible people – they do pledge allegiance to Satan, after all – but who are still compelling primary characters, and with Salem, his past life directly influences his curse to protect Sabrina. Though he's not a good person, Salem is at least true to his word (especially when eternal damnation is the other option).
Salem's story blends a lot of witch tales together; the names all reference The Crucible, but he also throws in quite a bit of allusion to contemporary film The Witch as well with Satan's appearance as a black goat. It doesn't feel like stealing, though, and the appearance of Satan in goat form is terrifyingly documented by Hack, who does a great job with the look and feel of Salem village in this time period.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina doesn't require the backstories of these characters, but Aguirre-Sacasa does such a good job with this issue that the reader doesn't even question the direction here. This issue is dark and often disturbing, and Aguirre-Sacasa doesn't shrink from the most blasphemous moments (like a reference to Satan feasting on an unborn baby). Instead, he proves that the Archie Horror universe is a lot less peaceful than the alternative Riverdale presented in the regular Archie comics; and with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #6, he doesn't even need the regular characters to craft a satisfying issue.


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Posted in South Carolina August 19, 2015
Here Are The 13 Most Beautiful Gardens You'll Ever See In South Carolina
Whether you are looking for someplace to go where you can bring your entire family and not spend a fortune, if you are looking for a new place to relax, destress, and meditate, these gardens are sure to fill your needs. Here are 13 of the most beautiful gardens that you'll ever visit here in South Carolina.
My mom always said that there was time to stop and smell the roses. I believe every single word that came out of her mouth. She was such a wise woman. I believe we should all get out and smell the roses and what better place to do that than these amazing gardens. Which is your favorite? Please let us know in the comments below.


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GLOBE — Globe High School's Kendra Martinez has been nominated by her teammates for the Robotics First Dean's list in recognition of her hard work, dedication, leadership, and outreach in regards to her team.
As a finalist, Kendra will compete in the First tech challenge from April 19-22 in Houston, Texas with 143 other sophomore and junior competitors from across North America.
To have been selected as a finalist in this competition is a tremendous honor that Kendra says would've never been possible without her teammates and Globe High School.


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Friday, August 25, 2017
I will never forget the women of Highland Park Events cinema...
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Capitalism as pratfall.
Capitalism, that great and efficient distributor of goods and services. It has brought us, with its compatriots, colonization and Christianity, oppression and extinction of indigenous cultures, the creation and exploitation of the working class, systematic domination over nature and non-human animals, and other travesties. It's given us over-consumption and species collapse, destruction of ecosystems and then biospheric conditions. It's given us a plastic filled planet, more nurdles than fish. Fukushima. It's given us global inequality as well as the contradiction of both poverty and obesity in the western world. It's given us billionaires and homelessness. It's given us information overload and antibiotic resistance.
You could argue the three C's have also brought us education, health, longer life spans, medical advancements so women don't die in childbirth, moral development (in the western tradition) and democracy. But in reality, those benefits and costs are so unevenly spread throughout society and throughout the world, that democratic capitalism doesn't look so efficient at distributing goods and services after all.
Implicit in the role of the state, is an admission of market failure. A reluctant dance partner to regulation though, the market tolerates the least possible interference. Democratic processes and social action are an engaged audience to the dance. Environmental and social indicators in poverty and ruin locally and globally must condemn the whole. Resource exhaustion, market saturation and credit insecurity show capitalism is eating itself.
Capitalism seems to thrive on self-interest and greed. It taps into the egocentric impulses, the pursuit of the individual. It harnesses a latent Lord of the Flies culture in the homo sapiens primate. Ergo cynicism about the prospect of a benign, fair and utopian future.
But can critical political junctures such as elections or crises, offer potential for paradigmatic change? Wouldn't we prefer that transition to a better model is organic and incremental not violent and brutal, the means justifying the ends? The Global Financial Crisis arguably provided Barak Obama with the opportunity for such paradigm shift and to live up to his messages of change, empowerment and hope. Instead, his legacies included bailouts for the fossil fuel automobile industry and corporate bankers, and increased militarization, so, no paradigm shift, just more of the same. Proving, after all, capitalism is too big to let fail.
New Zealand's upcoming election is another one of those political opportunities where parties bearing the left mantle, in Government, could build incrementally, a vision and a construct for not just trimming the market's branches, but planting a whole new tree. Would that be a politically feasible pre-election policy though? (No). Would middle New Zealand vote for it? (No, after all, 'what are the costs and benefits for me') And would local and transnational businesses stand for it, definitely not.
Is capitalism even redeemable through elections and changing the neo-liberal guard? Can democracy change the fundamental contradictions of market profiteering? Is a better way really possible in our time? What 'better' distributive model is there, that can be achieved without anarchy, violent revolution and the risks of power hungry subversion. If 'property is theft', what's that really mean for the things I currently call my own? What sacrifices are people really prepared to make for some ideal, or Utopian goal? Is there really a chance of transition to a just society that wages peace not war, that shares power and resources, that respects and enables indigenous ways and wisdom, that offers creative and productive freedom for all? Now enters that cynicism again. And fear. Who's going to stop the meltdown of nuclear power stations in a post-modern future, and who's going to clean up the oceans?
Amid the worries of political, social and economic instability, from climate change, system change or war, we are well placed to remember that these conditions are actually the current reality for most others around the world. We're just lucky it's happening to 'them' not 'us'. But in fact, it is happening to us. Just like the frog in the heating pot of water, while we weren't looking, our rivers and lakes have turned to shit, our oceans have been raped by our own fishing companies, homelessness and debt slavery create a new proletariat. Capitalism has already had its pratfall, Donald Trump its biggest clown.
In many ways, capitalism has already failed. It's failed people and the planet. It's failed future generations. It's failed the beauty of life. It's humbled the integrity and mystery of ecosystems. It's degraded humanity. It's failed to live up to its potential and its hype. As Tennyson said, 'from windswept cliff and quarried stone, she cries 'ten thousand types have gone, all shall go'. Like the dinosaurs, and ancient civilizations, capitalism too shall pass. The ruins it leaves in its wake will force a whole new paradigm, sooner or later, whether we like it or not.Christine Rose SA
Wednesday, August 09, 2017
The Mettle of Metiria.
Metiria stood with the Indian Students fighting exploitation and deportation in the sanctuary of the Unitarian Church.
Metiria stood in solidarity with Unite Union workers who took strike action to defeat zero hours contracts.
She has been subjected to a vicious avalanche of manufactured outrage from media pundits, vilified by the rabid right wing and betrayed by opportunists within the left.
Her crime- to fight for the unemployed, beneficiaries and the poor.
A lot of people are sickened by what passes for politics in this country.
Thank you Metiria for being on our side fighting when it counts.
- Joe Carolan, Socialist Aotearoa.
Friday, August 04, 2017
Beyond Jacindamania.
Maria Hoyle for the Anti-Capitalist: With Jacinda Ardern taking over, there is a feeling of hope and expectation, that it will invigorate the campaign, that young people will go to the ballot box for a change… what's your view on what Jacinda might offer?
Joe Carolan: We're in the early throes of Jacindamania [just three days after she took over Labour leadership] and there's a honeymoon period in the media. Established hatchet men like Patrick Gower have been given pom-poms by Steven Joyce to be her cheerleader. I would argue there's another member of the Labour caucus that's in power and his name is Paddy Gower. He seems to be the one who calls which one is their leader! Jacinda is very presentable, there's a generational thing there, she's 37. A lot of young people are saying, 'What was looking very pale and stale and male, with Little and English, now suddenly becomes a generational and even gendered contest'. It becomes Gen Y versus boring old Bill English. So that will have an effect. She's also pretty hip. For us it's whether she is going to be a Corbyn-lite or a Trudeau… (ie. calling himself feminist, crying for the indigenous). Trudeau is presentable – he's on the gay pride marches, nice counter to Trump, saying the right things - yet Canada is doing huge arms deals with Saudi Arabia, doing huge pipeline deals. During Sitting Rock Canada was happy to have a pipeline going through there. So he's Mr Fossil Fuels, Mr Profiteering from arms deals with Saudi.. The same in France with the neo-liberal Macron – young, presentable, does the liberal stuff, yet you look behind these people's politics and it's business as usual.
We've had four or five Labour leaders since Helen. Goff – part of the crew who introduced neo-liberalism to NZ - Little, Shearer, Cunliffe. Let's look at where this Jacinda effect started from. This started from a historically low poll of 24%. You're dying there. But you don't have to die… look at Corbyn in the recent UK election; he started at 26% and the media predicted the death of Corbyn. But Labour got stuck into it in terms of policy and it was the launch of that Labour manifesto that really sparked something. And 2.5million new young people registered to vote, by and large they voted Labour. There was a youthquake around policies like free education, abolition of fees, 10 quid an hour minimum wage. Some real grunty stuff. Because Corbyn doesn't have that much charisma…
M: But he's got integrity
J: Yes, you saw it at Glastonbury, he rocked the place. He is a genuine socialist, he's been in the struggles. He's not a revolutionary but there for the fight. But Jacinda?
M: Some people are saying Jacinda is just style over substance, dismissing her as just another middle class liberal blah blah. We [SA] want something more radical but to be realistic, we don't want National… What are the chances of Jacinda suddenly pulling out something radical, saying yes we will bring in free education for example? Is that a blind hope?
J: It doesn't have to be style over substance. You can have both. Style and substance. If Labour were to announce a bold policy initiative that put clear blue water between them and the rest… Little was a decent man but he dithered, he did some tinkering around union things…. But people were hard pressed to say what he stood for. I wonder if this time they'd be more astute and go, 'If we put in a couple of policies then people would understand there's a real difference here'. I think one of the big failures of the Clark era – they were in government for nine years – was not delivering on free education, abolishing the fees, the huge student debt - and the way that militates against working class people going to university. And the universities themselves turned into money making machines.
This time around the question for Labour is, what are you going to do that's different? Their class basis is middle class and a lot of these people will be looking at uni fees and worrying, so that would be a sensible one to introduce. Their policy at the minute, they say in debates with us, is that they support free education, but in nine years' time! But working class people are saying, if they believe in it why not do it? From January 2018 make university education free for everybody. Why are they so incremental? I think one reason is that they have no fundamental desire there to tax the rich. If you want to do the big initiatives you have to move the wealth from one class to another. Workers are pissed off that Labour supports high taxes for services… but that's not high taxes on the rich but high taxes on working people who I think pay far too much tax anyway. We want to abolish GST and secondary tax and reduce taxes.
Me; That's what I thought was missing from her maiden speech in parliament. She is very impressive; it's what she didn't say that I liked. She didn't say we have to make the economy great, she talked about people. But she could have said right there 'we are going to do something about inequality' and been more specific. Higher tax for the rich, go after international corporations that don't pay any tax here. But she would be wary of scaring people off.
J: Yes, the teary-eyed, nodding empath is a character she does well. But to be a leader, a change agent, you're going to have to say how you are going to do it. When she was asked, does she believe in market capitalism, is she a democratic socialist, she fudged it. She said I am a pragmatic idealist. If you want to actually do these changes you have to say how to do it. Right now we're only in day 3 of Jacindamania… The reality will be teased out in the next few weeks. She won't be able to nod her head and have tears in her eyes… that's not politics. Bourgeois politics that is. I've just come from SkyCity where we unionize 800 workers and we're getting ready to fight for things like the living wage, weekend rates. A lot of our work is based around families.
I was talking to my workers, my delegates – because it's important you're not in a left wing bubble like the a lot of the left, the blogosphere, the media commentators – these working class people are the ones who aren't voting Labour. I know because we have done campaigns to try to get them to vote. Most of these people look at the political class and don't see themselves there. Do they see themselves in Jacinda? No. They say she is presentable, but I still get a sense that she is not from their class.
M: Jacinda isn't a figurehead… it's not enough to be presentable. She has to make decisions every day that affect all of us. So she has to have substance. If you were talking to a young union member, who's pissed off about housing, inequality etc, what would you say to that person as a socialist coming up to the next election? Would you say Jacinda is useless and Labour has betrayed its roots? Vote Green but join Socialist Aotearoa to fight for an alternative?
J: It's important that we look at what happens with the class in the next few weeks. If there is a movement, and if there are some policy changes. If it's a leftward shift that happens. This is a better position than a couple of weeks ago, where the despair around Labour - and the Greens moving to the centre - was infecting everything. And just as people have got excited about Corbyn's reformism and Bernie Sanders, that has infected the rest of the Left and you have seen a growth of all of the left as confidence has increased. So if there's increased confidence and people think National can be beaten (Metiria' stance has been important, her turn to the left, where she stood up for beneficiaries, talked of her own experiences, putting it to the likes of Paula Bennett, raising the issue of people struggling with real poverty), if all of these things are happening you'd have to be a dogmatic sectarian to bury yourself in the sand an go 'fuck this, it's not pure; it makes no difference as they're all capitalists. Real workers who are involved in union struggle know the difference between being paid $20 an hour and $15 an hour. If you are on the sidelines shouting "abolish wage slavery", who the fuck are you? If you are in the union and help people win 20 or 30 percent more they understand then there is something to be gained by organizing. There's been an increase in donations to the Labour Party, 1200 new volunteers…
M: Yet Jacinda hasn't unveiled any policies yet!
J: This is what's critical, seeing what she comes out with. The role of the socialist left is to start putting forward those sensible demands that would benefit working class and middle class people – night rates, weekend rates, like free education, decriminalization of marijuana, a living wage, rent controls and so forth… demands that actually her generation are ready for.
M: She talked about unions and improving industrial relations… I was listening to Checkpoint and they were talking about the 100 or so that have lost their jobs at A&G Price in Thames. So far they've been paid nothing. Wouldn't it be great to hear Jacinda say 'hey, we won't let that happen again!' To say something really specific about working conditions…
J: But it's up to the radical left too, to rise to the challenge and stop being the commentariat. There's a lot we can do in NZ - even under a Tory government we organized, beat them, won the victory against zero hours. If you get organized you can do things. If those Cadbury workers in Dunedin had occupied the factory and produced 'New Zealand chocolate', we'd all have bought it and supported the occupation. This is where the radical left needs to get out of the grumbling, 'boo sucks' mentality. It needs to get out among working people, get some victories so people can feel we can organize and win. So in Thames, if they had occupied that factory, put demands… I mean, there's no statutory redundancy in NZ. But we need to put concrete demands rather than just slagging things off. In all the places we [Unite] have organized, we've got redundancy clauses now for workers. That's achievable. That can be done in the next few months.
M: That comes back to not being sectarian… you can only have these conversations with people when they are no longer in despair. The Jacinda effect opens things up a bit more. So, at what point, in the Mt Albert election you got 190 socialists signed up, under what circumstances would you say we need to stand a socialist candidate?
J: It's important to be clear here. If National were beaten by Labour and the Greens that would be good. That's what working class people think. That's not what sectarian little groups think. We know when we organize workplaces that not all workers are revolutionaries. Reformism is inside the class. It's how workers negotiate daily life, fighting for a bit of improvement. What's most important right now is that confidence has returned and people believe a change is possible. So what side are we on? Are we on the side that goes, 'Boo, she's shite, Joe represented the true 190 socialists in Mt Albert' Or do we engage with those people who are looking to defeat the Nats, enthused by a new generation led by a young woman. It's important to be on the side of our class. Not on the side of Labour and the Greens, but on the side of our class who wants to beat the Tories and win some practical things. That is the juncture at the minute. Will it just be rhetoric and smiles, or can we make them fight for real things for us.
And if a government is elected that doesn't deliver on these things, will people fight for these. I will say, having lived under nine years of the Clark government, we had to fight her to increase paid parental leave. She actually said to Laila Harre 'Over my dead body', regarding increasing it from 12 to 14 weeks. Youth rates, we had to fight. It was Sue Bradford vs Helen in parliament, but the movement was on the streets through Unite union to get rid of youth rates. There were repressive things done by Labour last time: sending troops to Afghanistan, the crackdown on Maori and radical activists in the Urewera raids, the foreshore and seabed... We should remember that is the reality of the last Labour nine years. And in all that time they couldn't deliver a simple thing like free education. This time around there's a bigger radical left, more people in the activist left, outside Labour and the Greens. It might be more dispersed because there isn't a strong left-wing party which I still think we need to organize, something outside of Labour and the Greens. That could stand in elections if it wanted to, but it has to be a party of the movement. Labour could tack left, but the Greens definitely have. There'll be a lot more people than last time to hold them to account because we are suffering. People are suffering. That is our most important role – to put concrete demands and hold them accountable.
Maria Hoyle SA
Thursday, August 03, 2017
From Kakariki to Tui and back again
To recent political viewers, the Green party appears to have taken a sudden swing to the left with the release of their 'Mending the Safety Net' policy. While overshadowed by Metiria's confession that she had undeclared flatmates while on the DPB, the policy itself is more striking than her so-called fraud. After all, anyone who has been on a benefit has probably had to tell a 'white lie' to survive the process.Lavinia.
'Mending the Safety Net' is the first substantive attempt to roll back the social warfare attacks of the 1990's and for a party that has, for the past 10 years, been devoid of socially controversial policy it seems dramatic.
But the Greens were not always so bland. Up until the untimely death of their male co-leader Rod Donald, the Greens were a progressive party championing radical environmental and social policies. Remember, the first lot of Green MPs included Sue Bradford, Keith Locke and Nandor Tanczos!
In those early years the party was made up of environmentalists, social progressives, the disenfranchised (including many ex-McGullicudies), freaks, weirdos and hippies.
However, after the first flush of electoral success in 1999, the Green Party began to be invaded. Invaded by mainstream conservatives who were attracted by the environmental policies (think middle class tramper's), but repelled by the social policies (and the freaks, weirdos and hippies). This group were epitomised by Green MP Ian Ewen-Street – who left the Green Party in 2004 and went on to join National and help write their Blue-Green policies.
Tension grew within the party. By the time of Rod Donald's death in 2005, the party was about 50/50 progressives/conservatives. The ensuing battle for the next male co-leader became pivotal for the party. It was not just a contest between the socially progressive Nandor Tanczos and the centrist populist Russel Norman – it was a significant decision as to whether the conservative invaders could turn the party into an environmental party, and expunge the social progressives, the disenfranchised and the freaks, weirdos and hippies.
The conservatives won. Nandor lost. And as the socially progressive MP's left (Nandor, Sue, Keith, Sue Kedgley) they were replaced with bland, uncontroversial and environmentally focused MPs.
Russel's influence was considerable. And while there is no question Metiria has personal beliefs that uphold the party's original socially progressive views, she did not become co-leader until Jeanette Fitzsimmons stood down in 2009.
The supposedly 'sudden' swing back to socially progressive policies is in response to Russel Norman standing down as male co-leader in 2015 – allowing the now-politically-mature co-leader, Metiria, to assert influence on the party and champion the progressive social policies which have always been dear to her heart. Her boldness is encouraged by her long 15 years as an MP, and a desire to achieve a win for the poor before she leaves parliament.
It is not a surprise that she has made this move. At this time. Not to anyone who knows her. What is a pleasant surprise is that the voters have backed her controversial move. Will the party also support her?
'Mending the Safety Net' is the first substantive attempt to roll back the social warfare attacks of the 1990's and for a party that has, for the past 10 years, been devoid of socially controversial policy it seems dramatic.
But the Greens were not always so bland. Up until the untimely death of their male co-leader Rod Donald, the Greens were a progressive party championing radical environmental and social policies. Remember, the first lot of Green MPs included Sue Bradford, Keith Locke and Nandor Tanczos!
In those early years the party was made up of environmentalists, social progressives, the disenfranchised (including many ex-McGullicudies), freaks, weirdos and hippies.
However, after the first flush of electoral success in 1999, the Green Party began to be invaded. Invaded by mainstream conservatives who were attracted by the environmental policies (think middle class tramper's), but repelled by the social policies (and the freaks, weirdos and hippies). This group were epitomised by Green MP Ian Ewen-Street – who left the Green Party in 2004 and went on to join National and help write their Blue-Green policies.
Tension grew within the party. By the time of Rod Donald's death in 2005, the party was about 50/50 progressives/conservatives. The ensuing battle for the next male co-leader became pivotal for the party. It was not just a contest between the socially progressive Nandor Tanczos and the centrist populist Russel Norman – it was a significant decision as to whether the conservative invaders could turn the party into an environmental party, and expunge the social progressives, the disenfranchised and the freaks, weirdos and hippies.
The conservatives won. Nandor lost. And as the socially progressive MP's left (Nandor, Sue, Keith, Sue Kedgley) they were replaced with bland, uncontroversial and environmentally focused MPs.
Russel's influence was considerable. And while there is no question Metiria has personal beliefs that uphold the party's original socially progressive views, she did not become co-leader until Jeanette Fitzsimmons stood down in 2009.
The supposedly 'sudden' swing back to socially progressive policies is in response to Russel Norman standing down as male co-leader in 2015 – allowing the now-politically-mature co-leader, Metiria, to assert influence on the party and champion the progressive social policies which have always been dear to her heart. Her boldness is encouraged by her long 15 years as an MP, and a desire to achieve a win for the poor before she leaves parliament.
It is not a surprise that she has made this move. At this time. Not to anyone who knows her. What is a pleasant surprise is that the voters have backed her controversial move. Will the party also support her?
Tuesday, August 01, 2017
The prospects of Labour's latest leadership change
In contrast, the media pressure on and stare-down of Andrew Little, leading to his departure, was politics at the speed of light. Time always goes a bit crazy in an election year, and hyperbole, and character attacks on the left are de rigeur. Let's not forget the Donghua Liu lies attacking David Cunliffe, that saturated the front page of the Herald during the 2014 election. We shouldn't be surprised that Andrew Little has been undermined and resigned under pressure.
A steady hand on the tiller is required to navigate tumultuous political waters, full of snapping sharks, but it was apparent that for the time being at least, there wasn't much public confidence in Andrew Little's hands on the Labour Party wheel, and even he didn't have confidence in his own.
Like many Labour leaders before him, most people admit Andrew Little is a 'decent' guy. He's 'a good unionist, sincere, a man with integrity'. But even as the media quickly zeroed in on Labour's negative polls, Little scored his 'own goals' in admitting he was uncertain of his position as leader and by claiming that 'you can't form a government at 24% in the polls'. In fact, despite the decline in support for Labour in the latest polls, the chances of the current opposition parties forming a coalition (pending agreement with New Zealand First), increased while National's support and chance of governing alone further declined.
After the third poll released last night showed a cluster of negative (disastrous?) results, putting Labour in the low 20% vote share, and 'left wing' commentators started saying Andrew Little could and should resign, his departure became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Even then Andrew could have stood his ground and refused to buckle. 'The signs are printed and already erected. The policies are sound. We have to stay the course'. Instead, another Labour leader bit the dust, his 'lack of charisma' failed to ignite the electorate, his confidence (never actually overwhelming) was mortally wounded. "In the interests of the party" he handed the reins to his younger, 'more charismatic' deputy, Jacinda Ardern. Another Labour Party leader is history.
Critics on the left and the right look at Labour's dismal poll results, and the emergency change of leader and ask whether the Party is in terminal decline, in a death spiral, no longer relevant. 'They're on their fifth leader in nine years'. 'They're National-lite, not clearly distinguishable in policy or style – so why not just vote National? And if you want a party that's strong on immigration, vote NZ First; or for environmental policies, vote Greens or maybe ToP'. Gone apparently, are the days of strong binary politics in New Zealand, and Labour's a victim of the spread of choice across the broadly left and liberal vote. And after all, National and Labour are quite alike too.
Labour definitely couldn't afford to poll any lower – without risking key senior MPs. So the departure of Andrew Little probably couldn't damage the party any more than if he were to stay. Even though it's extraordinary (but not unprecedented) for a leader to resign so close to an election, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Looking at feedback online in social and mainstream media, you might think that the appointment of Jacinda Ardern and Kelvin Davis as leader and deputy, was an inspired move, that couldn't have been planned better. Their appointment has given rise to optimism and positivity but concern about the timing. Without irony people are using the Little / Ardern tag line 'A fresh approach' to define what Ardern and Davis offer. Ardern is talking about values and hope. I saw a video where the caucus were actually laughing together and seemed unified and excited (maybe that was nervousness!). That all seemed unusual, and encouraging in itself. Jacinda seems to have got over her reservations about being leader and is rising to the challenge. Can you imagine the courage that must take at this time? Some suggest it's 'greatness, being thrust upon her'. Others say she's jumping on a grenade, using her one (?) shot at leadership in a forced, false start that's doomed this close to an election when the party is so far behind.
The new leadership team say they'll take stock of the campaign and Party position for 72 hours. That's prudent given the polls and the opportunity presented by the media attention and space to genuinely take a 'fresh approach'. As leader, Jacinda will be more able to develop style and substance that's more authentic to her, instead of the sidekick, trailing Andrew Little that she has been so far in this campaign. James Shaw, co-leader of the Green Party said Jacinda's election drastically improves the chances of a rise in Labour's fortunes and a change in government. Though the invisible wildcard in that picture is still Winston Peters not Jacinda Ardern.
The commentariat seem to love comparisons, and there are questions about whether Jacinda's our Jeremy Corbyn or Bernie Sanders, with potential to offer radical alternative policy options, or maybe just our Trudeau (a young, handsome, moderate left / conservatively progressive leader). There's definitely an opportunity for Labour to step away from its current conservative incrementalism that still seeks to ameliorate the worst travesties of capitalism rather than remove them. There's room for a seriously alternative, radical vision, that deals with the causes of entrenched poverty, inequality and environmental destruction that are intrinsic to the neoliberal, capitalist programme, at both national and international level.
Such a radical policy framework for the left could revisit business and capital gains taxes and operational settings, international trade and security arrangements, peace and disarmament, even changes in the definitions and ownership of property, an inversion in the power and wealth imbalance in work relations, fundamental improvements in the rights of nature and the environment, consideration of intergenerational equity. That's what real change could look like. There could be an alternative agenda, but it's highly unlikely. At more local pragmatic level, Kelvin Davis' concerns about prisoners and prisons could be addressed by the decriminalisation of (natural) cannabis, but we'll see whether they're up even for that as part of a 'fresher' approach.
It would take some leader to carry such a different vision in New Zealand, and an increase of about 200,000 votes to get Labour to a strong enough position to implement such a plan. That's a lot of change from the current Labour Party position and a lot of votes.
Christine Rose.
All hitherto existing history of the New Zealand Labour party is a history of ignorance to class struggle.
In recent years the Labour leadership fiasco has been an ongoing fight against the inevitable decline of the 101 year old party as predicted by its former leader David Lange in a 1991 column in the Dominion newspaper.
"TRANS Tasman Labour Party celebrations have become a tad maudlin. The Australian Labor Party celebrates its centennial this year [1991] teetering on the edge of the electoral cliff. The New Zealand Labour party saw its 75th birthday out having gone over the side in large numbers [1990 general election defeat]. It is no great comfort to us that we have to roll aside smartly to deny the National Party lemmings a soft landing.Given there is no warrant to assume immorality the question must be raised as to whether Labour will make it to another significant anniversary. It would be foolhardy in these volatile times to predict what will happen, so I pursue instead the question of what should happen. The obvious question is as to whether there is still a place for labour."(David Lange 15 July 1991)
Indeed this crisis in the leadership is really nothing at all new Lange himself faced a long uphill battle to replace the ill-fated bill Rowling as leader in the early 1980s. considering this I would argue that labour has been going through an on and off leadership crisis since the death of Norman Kirk in 1974 and perhaps has its roots as far back as the founding of its predecessor organization the Social Democrat Party in 1913.
Like any party that is large enough to govern Labour has been long beset by opposing factions from the rather diverse labour movement and exacerbated by the fact that the party attracted liberal opportunists after it began to gain momentum. The root of the problem may be traced back to the Labour movement response to the 1912 Waihi miners' strike. the United Labour party and its associated moderate unionists were critical of this action perhaps due to the moderate party's rejection of the all-important class struggle concept that defines the Anti-Capitalist left from the reformist left. The strike in Waihi was one of the leading factors in creating the labour party we know today a party that in its early years thrived under the leadership of those who had come from the radical "Socialist Party" faction within the Labour movement.
By the early 1980s however Labour was no longer the force it had been in the 1930s to 1940s National had dominated government throughout the mid-century and Labour had struggled to reach the rural working class after the "furlough" controversy of 1943 that weakened the parties standing among the provincial working class. The young up and comers in the labour party became critical of the failure of Kensian economics in the 1970s and believed that something else was needed to bring about the goals of the Labour movement. Crucially however the answer that silver spoon opportunists such as Roger Douglas presented was not Marxism (which we know is unacceptable to the moderate core of the labour party due to the "Class Struggle" foundation that is abhorrent to the opportunists in the Labour movement) but was rather the ill-suited Neo-Liberalism born out of Milton Friedman's rebranding of the stale and dated Classical Liberalism that had brought the workers of the world so much hardship during the great depression. Lange himself an economic lightweight fell for this and the die was cast for the labour party of today.
In the United Kingdom Labour has faced a crisis very much like what we have faced here however the rise of the outspoken Jeremy Corbyn who advocates for Democratic Socialism (an early revision of Marxism that is almost acceptable to the opportunist moderates but not quite) has provided a fresh hope that is almost absent in New Zealand and has been all but ignored by the New Zealand Labour party establishment who continue down the same path to oblivion that they have trod since the 1980s. so with little chance of the New Zealand left being able to follow the path laid out by Corbyn in the UK the New Zealand left and more importantly the Anti-Capitalist left must take a lead in bringing the politics of class struggle back in to the public mind. But for a deeply divided sectarian mess this is a true challenge as ideological purity has become more important than the class struggle itself for many among us. A unified anti-capitalist movement is crucial to progress a movement free from the opportunists who have beset the New Zealand left for the past 30+ years a movement of our class for a better world.
Comrade Eva.
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You are getting Dwarf Puffers also 850R? Nice! How big of a tank are you devoting to them?
I'd really like to have two in my tank, but I won't do that unless I can for sure get two females.
Very interesting, Can not wait to see pictures? Where are you getting them from?
Well, I don't quite know yet. Lol! I've been trying to get my LFS to order them for... well tomorrow will make four weeks. If they don't come through this time I'm not sure what I'll do.
Either way I'll have to wait to save up money to have one shipped to me, or I'll be waiting on the LFS still. It is frustrating really.
Eventually yes.
For me it is a space/outlet availability issue {A bit of MTS rages here } + I am waiting to trim another layer of wisteria so I can plant heavy.
I am going to try 1m/3f in a 20g but I may have to stock slowly and mature each one in a 10 individually as most puffers sold are juvies and are difficult to sex until mature.
That's the plan as it sits at the moment . I won't mention that my two fave LFS both have 2 in stock atm ... Oops
Wet Web Media article about Sexing Dwarf Puffers here.
Last edited by Goes to 11!; 08-29-2012 at 01:32 AM.
Gas mileage isn't everything OIIIIIIIO
Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.
Why pretend there are no stupid questions? Actually, There are many stupid questions: "Should I drink this bleach?" Is just one example.
Having said that, Just because it's a stupid question doesn't mean that it shouldn't be asked. It's better to know.
A warm beer is better than a cold beer. Because nothing is better than a cold beer, and a warm beer is better than nothing.
That link I posted has a few different ways to sex, but like you said most of them are very young when sold. So it would be quite hard to tell.
The only thing I could think to look for would be the wrinkles the males supposedly have, and the roundedness of the females.
EDIT: Dude, that's cruel, dangling those puffers in front of my face like that!! Lol!
Last edited by MandyK; 08-29-2012 at 01:31 AM.
Yup, Everyone kind of looks like a girl as juvies. I might divide both a 10 and a 20 and get 4 and see what I get out of it.
The boys allegedly have darker colors and a dark strip lengthwise down their bellys also.
I was just letting you know they are out there... Sorta :-P.
Suuuuurrreee you were. Haha. I might have to get the number of your store and see if they'd let me freaking order one if things don't start working out.
Originally Posted by 850R
Just a heads up, Puffers are aggressive and have quite the bite, Plecs are not usually suggested as tank mates.
According to 'Tankmates guide' on the site Mandy linked:
Not worth risking IMO but I still look forward to having some with a few ottos.
Striped Raphs are armored and have spines... I doubt there'd be much to worry about with them. Some plecs are armored, as well, and supposedly do well in semi-aggressive tanks. Of course, if you're going to keep these with Dwarf Puffers, you'd have to watch out for them eating them, as the armored cats (not sure about the plecs) can be opportunistic eaters of smaller fish.
Adventures in Aquaria - The KevinVA Story
When in doubt, ask yourself... W.W.L.S (What would Lee Say)?
Have a fish problem? Fill out and post this completed questionnaire in the General Aquarium Forum, when you start a new thread.
Originally Posted by MandyK
If I had a bigger tank I'd def be putting a Green Spotted Puffer in it instead of the Dwarf. Buuuuutt I don't. Lol.
Anyway, if you guys are interested this is the site I've been getting my info from.
I've seen it recommended by two different forum members, so I'm assuming that it is reputable.
I was just looking at that site the other day. Pretty interesting/useful info.
Originally Posted by MandyK
Well, I don't quite know yet. Lol! I've been trying to get my LFS to order them for... well tomorrow will make four weeks. If they don't come through this time I'm not sure what I'll do.
Either way I'll have to wait to save up money to have one shipped to me, or I'll be waiting on the LFS still. It is frustrating really.
Do you have a Petco nearby? I know this isn't the best choice, but I've seen them in their stores before.
I am familiar with plecos yes & as sure as you are Kevin, I am just passing on what the people with puffer experience from the puffer specific forum say about tankmates.
They only list ottos and possibly shrimp [Also possibly a snack] as suitable mates. YMMV but I wont be risking any plecs with my puffers lol
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For the Least of These
Lily's kids
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Lovely Tias
Love the ladies who work here as Tias. Who serve here every day loving and raising the kids here as well as their own. Been so encouraged as my friendship with these tias has grown. They have taught me so much and every day encourage me! Please be praying for these Tias. That God would continue to work in their hearts and bless them for this sometimes very difficult work they are doing here at Casa de Esperanza.
They are the "mommies" to all the kids here. From raising 8+ kids, cooking, cleaning, helping with homework, making sure they are all behaving, sewing, playing, listening, talking... the list goes on and on and on. These ladies are amazing!
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Lily Fluharty
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Make the site mobile compatible (i.e. iPhone, Blackberry)
The site is barely functional on mobile platforms, such as iPhone's Safari and Blackberry's Browser. Make MQ usable on mobile platforms.
11 votes
Admintimschmoyer (Admin, MinistryQuestions.com) shared this idea
2 comments
Yeah, I got the price quote back and it's $4,000 per app. Yikes. I don't have money for that, but I would love to see the app developed eventually (and for cheaper!).
Jon Batch commented
i would like an iphone app for this