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Dressing for the part
Rock Ledge Ranch docents learn to look and act like old-timers
Here's your chance to go back in time.
On March 25 and 27, the Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site will offer orientation sessions for volunteers who not only want to learn about early Colorado Springs country life - so as to share the knowledge with summer ranch visitors- but to look the part, too.
Every year, the site, located in the Garden of the Gods City Park, makes use of close to 100 unpaid helpers, including 40 to 50 children ages 10 and up.
Rock Ledge needs the people to man several buildings and a museum store and to help with special events - such as the Fourth of July activities featuring historic reenactments and the Labor Day old-time baseball game - on the 200-acre property when it opens to the public from June through September.
ōWith declining city budgets, we're very dependent on volunteers,ö commented Helen Muterspaugh, a member of the Rock Ledge Ranch Living History Association (LHA).
ōWe couldn't run without volunteers,ö added fellow member Diana Francese. ōWhole families sometimes get involved. They are wonderful.ö
The LHA is a ōfriendsö group that provides an ongoing docent core, and also promotes the facility and helps prepare new docents in conjunction with the ranch's two permanent City of Colorado Springs employees and the city Volunteer Office.
Adult docents are needed for at least one four-hour shift a week during the 13-week season. For the ōjuniorsö (those under 18), the season is broken in half. One group works the first seven weeks; the second group works the last six weeks. The kids work two three-hour shifts per week.
The Thursday, March 25 orientation will begin at 7 p.m.; The Saturday, March 27 orientation will begin at 10 a.m. Both sessions will be in the Carriage House on the site. People should use the Rock Ledge Ranch entrance at 30th Street and Gateway Road. More information can be obtained at 578-6781, 577-6777 or 385-6520.
In the training, docents learn how to dress and how to talk in the style of the times when they lead tours of different buildings and explain activities. They are also provided with various insights about the areas where they will be working.
On May 22, just before the season begins, the volunteers will go to the Orchard House, where they pick out clothes and shoes appropriate to their ranch personnas from roughly 1,000 old-time items. Rent is $4 per item for the summer.
To bolster the clothing collection, volunteer LHA seamstresses meet monthly. This winter, they focused on pinafore aprons; this spring they'll be working on men's shirts and ladies' blouses, according to Martha Davis, who leads the 20-member group, called the Sewing Bee.
Here are locations and sample activities for volunteers:
* The 1860s Galloway homestead cabin - cooking over an open fire or salting food.
* The 1880s Chambers farm, including the restored Victorian Rock Ledge House - truck farming and irrigating crops.
* The Orchard House, a country home which was built in 1907 by Gen. William Palmer for his sister-in-law - hosting teas or lawn parties.
* The Heritage Shop (museum store) - selling books and items that might have been available in the old days, such as sarsasparilla or stick candy.
ōVolunteers get a sense of what came before us, what life was once like in Colorado Springs,ö Francese said.
ōIt's a wonderful opportunity,ö Muterspaugh said. Her own daughter, now 18, was ōextremely shyö before she joined the juniors program a number of years ago. ōBecause of this program, she learned how to talk,ö she said.
There also are volunteer possibilities at the 1775-1835 American Indian Area, although these are limited to people of Indian heritage, according to the LVA.
Westside Pioneer Article


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Moen Kitchen Faucets Home Depot Kitchen Faucet Installation (2)
Sizes: Thumbnail, Medium, Large.
The main feature for faucet is to get water. You may install faucet with water dispenser at below section. To use this faucet, you need to fill dispenser. The faucet is also eligible to integrate into direct water system. There is no water dispenser, but you need to add small dispenser for soap and lotion. Besides cleaning food, you can wash hand with this soap for hygiene condition. Therefore, that is what you get when installing kitchen faucets home depot.
Luxury Ideas:
© 2019 The Best Home And Design Idea.

subset: commoncrawl


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Touchscreen Operator Interface Panels
AutomationDirect's new EA3 series operator touch panels are available in 8 and 10-inch versions. The EA3 series 8- and 10-inch micro-graphic touch panels are equipped with TFT LCD 800 x 600 pixel displays and a palette of 32K colors for customizing objects, screen backgrounds and displaying bitmap graphics. With 30MB memory, the panels feature seven user-defined function keys, each key with a user-defined red LED indicator. Additional features include a USB type-B programming port, two serial communications ports (15-pin and RJ12) and built-in alarm control setup.
In landscape mode, the panels can display 100 lines of static text, maximum 200 characters wide; in portrait mode the screens can display 133 lines of static text, maximum 150 characters wide. The panels also support 40 characters of dynamic text with embedded variables. The EA3 series panels are UL rated for use on a flat surface of NEMA4/4X enclosures (for indoor use only); panels are powered from a Class 2, 12-24 VDC power supply. The new line of C-more Micro graphic panels is backed with a two-year warranty; prices start at $749.
- 8 and 10-inch versions
- TFT LCD 800 x 600 pixel display
- palette of 32K colors


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I have a feeling of doing this... :D
Pick your spots. Less games more research.
Its really hard to earn. Because there are 50-50 chance to win. If you lose your opposition will gain. This is the logic. But before betting your should search about the team and player well. Hope this will help you to earn some good money.
Money line parlays on CFB. Hardly touch NFL. Strictly CFB parlays with majority moneyline and underdogs spread - never take a favorite on the spread in a parlay.
ef is back. I'm sure EntersoftLabs would like to know.
Hi Bdgess7,
This is the question that we would all love to know there answer to. But unfortunately it's not that simple. Making money off punting is hard work. You must come up with a winning formula and stick to it. It takes discipline and hard work.
Eg: I always back the home team whatever sport (anywhere around the world, any competition, any sport) as long as my simple rule applies. The home team must have a big spread on the line/points spread betting. I'm a firm believer in home ground/court/stadium advantages. The only other rule I apply is that they can't not be rated in the bottom 4 spots in the competition. Its alot of hard work sometimes going through all the markets looking for these bets, but it has worked for me. I'm not saying it's perfect, so ppl don't shot me down. I'm just floating my system out there.
Goodluck my the punting gods be on your side!
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Founded in 2008, the HOOPS Dance provides a high standard training for over 500 students each year. All our classes are led by two foremost dance instructors Elie Fleihan and Rana Saliba, who focus on cultivating the students self-esteem and body coordination with a rich program that let them appreciate the love of dance. Our students are always given the opportunity to perform what they have learned in various events regularly organized or coordinated by HOOPS across Lebanon. The Academy also organized regular dance camps for its students both in Lebanon and Abroad.
The academy offers classes in the following dance disciplines:
In our Hip Hop classes we teach the basics of this style like popping, locking, breaking cutting, isolation and to develop the students' creativity.
While in Creative Dance, the students are encouraged to add their own style to each step they are also taught principal steps from classical and contemporary ballet. This style involves balance, attitude and precision in movements.
As for the Oriental Dancing, it requires sensuality and helps to develop the self- esteem and flexibility.
Age Groups
Achievements & Performances
In 2012, our dance students were regular guests on the Bbeirut program on LBC Moreover, they were also part of choreography for Miss Lebanon Emigrant 2012 , Miss Lebanon 2012 and World Super TopModel 2012 broadcast by MTV. We were also very proud of our team to be selected by Grand Cinemas to perform for the opening of the new STEP UP sequel.
In 2011 the students were part of various dance flash mobs around the country and additionally various performances were organized in HOOPS clubs to showcase our dance performers.
In 2010 the dance academy student's students participated in MTV Live Shows and the Masaya Hamra Street Festival.
Hoops-Club.com powered
by IDS


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|Holy Kitab I Iqan
English translation provided by Bahai World Center
taken from http://www.sacred-texts.com/bhi/iqa.htm
Arabic text taken from
O affectionate seeker! Shouldst thou soar in the holy realm of the spirit, thou wouldst recognize God manifest and exalted above all things, in such wise that thine eyes would behold none else but Him. "God was alone; there was none else besides Him." So lofty is this station that no testimony can bear it witness, neither evidence do justice to its truth. Wert thou to explore the sacred domain of truth, thou wilt find that all things are known only by the light of His recognition, that He hath ever been, and will continue for ever to be, known through Himself. And if thou dwellest in the land of testimony, content thyself with that which He, Himself, hath revealed: "Is it not enough for them that We have sent down unto Thee the Book?" [Qur�an 29:51] This is the testimony which He, Himself, hath ordained; greater proof than this there is none, nor ever will be: "This proof is His Word; His own Self, the testimony of His truth."
And now, We beseech the people of the Bayan, all the learned, the sages, the divines, and witnesses amongst them, not to forget the wishes and admonitions revealed in their Book. Let them, at all times, fix their gaze upon the essentials of His Cause, lest when He, Who is the Quintessence of truth, the inmost Reality of all things, the Source of all light, is made manifest, they cling unto certain passages of the Book, and inflict upon Him that which was inflicted in the Dispensation of the Qur�an. For, verily, powerful is He, the King of divine might, to extinguish with one letter of His wondrous words, the breath of life in the whole of the Bayan and the people thereof, and with one letter bestow upon them a new and everlasting life, and cause them to arise and speed out of the sepulchres of their vain and selfish desires. Take heed, and be watchful; and remember that all things have their consummation in belief in Him, in attainment unto His day, and in the realization of His divine presence. "There is no piety in turning your faces toward the east or toward the west, but he is pious who believeth in God and the Last Day." [Qur�an 2:176.] Give ear, O people of the Bayan, unto the truth whereunto We have admonished you, that haply ye may seek the shelter of the shadow extended, in the Day of God, upon all mankind.


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Category Archives: Resource Center
Generation Peace Youth Network (GenPeace) Statement of Support on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (House Bill 6475 and as Senate Bill 1717) March 5, 2018
Generation Peace Youth Network (GenPeace)
Statement of Support on the Bangsamoro Basic Law
(House Bill 6475 and as Senate Bill 1717)
March 5, 2018
There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. Bangsamoro was an idea. It was an idea to resolve social injustices against Moros. It was an idea to stop the atrocities and armed conflict, to spare life and limb and livelihoods. It was an idea for the Bangsamoro children and youth to have better options and better lives.
The people of Mindanao – Moros, Christians, and Lumads – had suffered more than five decades of armed conflict. But now, we have a golden opportunity to end the historic violence against the children of Mindanao. We have the chance at building just and lasting peace, impartial to creed, color and identity.
The Generation Peace Youth Network (GenPeace), a nationwide network of young peace advocates, believes that these can be addressed by implementing the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) through the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
GenPeace, together with the youth in Bangsamoro, believes that the passage of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, filed as House Bill 6475 and as Senate Bill 1717, will bring peace to the Bangsamoro people and aids in the resolution of the age-old armed conflict in Mindanao. This will institutionalize the politically-negotiated settlement between the Government of the Philippines Peace Negotiating Panel (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The BTC BBL will bring development and boost economic growth noting that the Bangsamoro has forty years to catch in terms of development. This will create opportunities for the youth to cultivate a just and peaceful society through education and participation in governance.
GenPeace supports the passage of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission Bangsamoro Basic Law and its provisions particularly:
- Provisions on youth participation in governance and increasing representation of youth in decision-making at all levels.
- Provisions on promoting and ensuring that the rights of the youth are respected and protected in a democratic society.
- Provisions on creating an enabling environment that promotes lasting peace and contributing to justice and reconciliation.
- Provisions on strengthening support to educational institutions that positively contribute to the youth's formation and institutionalizes a mechanism that promotes a culture of peace.
- Provisions on rehabilitation and development that addresses the need of the youth affected by armed conflict.
- Provisions on the recognition and protection of the rights of the indigenous peoples.
- Provisions on recognition and protection of the rights of women and the importance of women's participation in decision-making.
Investing in the youth is investing in the future. It is an investment towards a diverse Philippine Republic, an investment to a more equitable sharing of power and resources, an investment towards democracy and rule of law. The peace we build is not for our generation now, nor the current Bangsamoro liberation leadership from both MILF and MNLF. The Bangsamoro future belongs to its children—Moros, Lumads, Christians, seculars, and all the youth.
Thank you. Salaam, Kapayapaan!
– – – – –
Provisions on youth participation in governance and increasing representation of youth in decision-making at all levels
Article VI Section 5. Council of Leaders.
- The Bangsamoro Council of Leaders shall consist of the Chief Minister, provincial governors, mayors of chartered cities, and representatives from traditional leaders, non-Moro indigenous communities, women, settler communities, ulama, youth, Bangsamoro communities outside of the Bangsamoro territory, and other sectors.
Article VII Section 6. Classification and Allocation of Seats.
- The seats in the Bangsamoro Parliament shall be classified and allocated as follows:(3) Reserved Seats; Sectoral
- Sectoral representatives, constituting ten percent (10%) of the Members of Parliament, including two (2) reserved seats each for non-Moro indigenous people and settler Women, youth, traditional leaders, and the ulama shall also have one reserved seat each.
Article VII Section 14. Qualifications.
- The Youth representative shall not be less than eighteen (18) years and not more than forty (40) years of age at the time of his/her election.
Article IX Section 12. Rights of the Youth.
- Recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being.
Create the Commission on Youth Affairs and shall define its powers, functions, and composition.
Provisions on promoting and ensuring that the rights of the youth are respected and protected in a democratic society.
Article V Section 4. Other Exclusive Powers.
- Adopt measures for the protection of the youth in the Bangsamoro and the promotion of their welfare, and to create the appropriate office and other mechanisms for the implementation of such measures;
Article VI Section 10. Assistance to Other Bangsamoro Communities.
- Ensure the protection of the rights of the Bangsamoro people residing outside the territory of the Bangsamoro and undertake programs for the rehabilitation and development of their communities.
Article IX Section 6. Human Rights.
- Guarantees full respect for human rights.All laws and policies, including customary laws, shall conform to international human rights and humanitarian standards. The rights under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and otherinternational human rights instruments shall be guaranteed by the Central Government and the Bangsamoro Government.
Article IX Section 14. Rights of Children.
- Respect, protect, and promote the rights of children, especially orphans of tender age. They shall be protected from exploitation, abuse, or discrimination. Their education and development, both physical and mental, shall be fully addressed.
Provisions on creating an enabling environment that promotes lasting peace and contributing to justice and reconciliation.
Article IX Section 3. Transitional Justice.
- Create a transitional justice mechanism to address the legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro people, including the indigenous peoples, such as historical injustices, human rights violations, marginalization through unjust dispossession of their territorial and proprietary rights and customary land tenure.
- The report of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) shall be taken into consideration in the creation of said mechanism.
Provisions on strengthening support to educational institutions that positively contribute to the youth's formation and institutionalizes a mechanism that promotes a culture of peace.
Article IX Section 16. Integrated System of Quality Education.
- Establish, maintain, and support, as a top priority, a complete and integrated system of quality education and adopt an educational framework that is relevant and responsive to the needs, ideals, and aspirations of the Bangsamoro people and the unity of all Filipinos.
- Institutionalize peace education in all levels of education.
Article IX Section 18. Madaris Education, Islamic and Arabic Studies.
- Establish and maintain madaris education within the Bangsamoro.
- Integrate in its elementary and high school education curriculum the teaching of Islamic and Arabic studies for Muslim pupils and students in public schools.
- Enact legislation for the strengthening and development of madaris educational system in the Bangsamoro.
Provisions on rehabilitation and development that addresses the need of the youth affected by armed conflict.
Article XIV Section 1. Rehabilitation and Development.
- Intensify development efforts for the rehabilitation, reconstruction, and development of the Bangsamoro as part of the normalization
- Formulate and implement a program for rehabilitation and development that will address the needs of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)/Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Force (BIAF) members and its decommissioned women auxiliary force, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)/Bangsamoro Armed Forces (BAF) members, and address the needs of internally displaced persons, widows and orphans, and poverty-stricken communities.
Article XIV Section 2. Special Development Fund.
- Provide for a Special Development Fund to the Bangsamoro for the rehabilitation and development of its conflict-affected communities.
Provisions on the recognition and protection of the rights of the indigenous peoples.
Article VII Section 7. Election for Reserved Seats for Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples.
- Reserved seats for the non-Moro indigenous peoples, such as, but not limited to, Teduray, Lambangian, Dulangan Manobo, B'laan and Higaonon, shall be pursuant to their customary laws and indigenous processes.
Article IX Section 4. Indigenous Peoples' Rights.
- Recognizes the rights of the indigenous peoples, and shall adopt measures for the promotion and protection of their rights, the right to their native titles and/or fusakainged, indigenous customs and traditions, justice systems and indigenous political structures, the right to an equitable share in revenues from the utilization of resources in their ancestral lands, the right to free and prior informed consent, the right to political participation in the Bangsamoro Government including reserved seats for the non-Moro indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro Parliament, the right to basic services, and the right to freedom of choice as to their identity consistent with the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and subsisting laws on indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro.
Article IX Section 19. Tribal University System.
- Create a tribal university system within the Bangsamoro to address the higher educational needs of the non-Moro indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro.
- Pass a law recognizing and supporting the indigenous peoples' educational system to be integrated in the educational system in the Bangsamoro.
Article XIII Section 12. Rights of Indigenous Peoples Over Natural Resources.
- Recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro in relation to natural resources within the territories covered by a native title, including their share in revenues, as provided in this Basic Law, and preferential rights in the exploration, development and utilization of such natural resources within their area. The right of indigenous peoples to free and prior informed consent in relation to development initiatives shall be respected.
Provisions on recognition and protection of the rights of women and the importance of women's participation in decision-making at all levels.
Article IX Section 11. Participation of Women in the Bangsamoro Government.
- Enact a law that gives recognition to the important role of women in nation-building and regional development, and ensures representation of women in other decision-making and policy-determining bodies of the Bangsamoro Government.
- Create the Bangsamoro Women Commission
Article IX Section 13. Protection of Women.
- Uphold and protect the fundamental rights of women including the right to engage in lawful employment and to be protected from exploitation, abuse, or discrimination, as embodied in the Convention onthe Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Article XIII Section 6. Gender and Development.
- Recognizes the role of women in governance and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men. It shall guarantee full and direct participation of women in governance and in the development process and shall, further, ensure that women benefit equally in the implementation of development programs and projects.
- Appropriation of at least five percent (5%) of the total budget of each ministry, office, and constituent local government unit of the Bangsamoro shall be set aside for gender-responsive programs, in accordance with a gender and development (GAD) plan.
Generation Peace Youth Network
c/o the National Secretariat – GZO Peace Institute
2/F Hoffner Building, Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108
Telefax +63.02.4266064
Full Text of the 2017 Draft Bangsamoro Basic Law
GenPeace Human Rights Playschool Game Kit
This GenPeace human rights education project is made possible through the Karapatan sa Malikhaing Paraan (KaSaMa) with support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila.
GenPeace Human Rights Playschool provides basic education on the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) as well as providing fun to young people while learning. The educational offering of GenPeace Human Rights Playschool focuses on values, attitudes and beliefs about human rights and respect to dignity. Repackaging formal workshops into facilitated "playshops" highlights significant human rights issues experienced by the youth particularly discrimination based on social, cultural and religious differences.
The Human Rights Game Kit – The design of the interactive games and board game maximizes the use of structured and facilitated playshops. The creative use of structured experiences contributed significantly to create an exciting form of learning. GenPeace Human Rights Playschool focused on utilizing various forms of games to teach UDHR catering to the audience and the need for understanding the concept of human rights in a fun and creative way.
GenPeace Human Rights Playschool Game Kit are also available to partners at Php 1,000.00 for the sustainability of the program in conducting Human Rights Playshops in the communities and public schools.
10 Things: Why Should We Pursue the Bangsamoro Peace Talks?
We are all brothers and sisters not by blood, but by our tears, our suffering, our mourning. I am enraged by the violence in Mamasapano, but will never call for an all-out war. Many who beat on their war drums know nothing about being in a war zone. It is easy to be a commando on Facebook or a Rambo with a signature espresso drink. But war is ugly. Very, very ugly. Uglier than how movies portray it. I've seen firsthand the aftermath of the MoA-AD in 2008.
While the BBL did not in any way trigger the senseless deaths in Mamasapano, it became the primary casualty of a botched military operation against terrorism. Make no mistake, terrorism in all forms should be condemned but having the BBL threatened after the Mamasapano clash loses sight of the opportune moment to build peace and turn swords into ploughshares. Here are some perspectives on why we should see the bigger picture and pursue peace along with our cries for justice.
"Before I end, please allow me to make a short detour to look into areas, this time in northeastern Mindanao, that have been affected by the armed conflict with the CPP/NPA/NDF. Those who have been patiently monitoring this peace process know that it has remained at a standstill for several years now. While there was movement in the informal exchanges that happened late last year, leading to the joint declaration of the longest Christmas ceasefire from December 20, 2012, to January 15, 2013, the prospects of truly moving forward on this peace table remains uncertain." – Teresita Quintos Deles, PAPP
Peace challenge II to the GPH and NDFP: Just drop the charade of peace talks, focus on the doable especially for human rights and IHL
By Soliman M. Santos, Jr.
Naga City, 8 October 2012
[Author's note: This article started to be written several days before the presidential announcement of a new GPH-MILF framework agreement on 7 October 2012 but was finished the day after that announcement. The announced development is relevant to this article's making some key comparisons or contrasts between the GPH-NDFP and GPH-MILF fronts of war and peace. Ironically, the new substantive progress on the GPH-MILF peace front does not change, and on the contrary reinforces, this article's loss of hope in the GPH-NDFP peace negotiations.]
More than one year and seven months after the Government of the Philippines (GPH)-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Oslo Joint Statement (OJS) of 21 February 2011 when they had resumed their formal peace negotiations under the current Aquino administration after an impasse of almost seven years under the Arroyo administration, it is clear from both the verbal and body language of both parties that those supposedly resumed negotiations are going nowhere. In fact, it is probably long overdue to call a spade a spade, to say that the Emperor has no clothes: that the GRP/GPH-NDFP peace talks have long become a charade, that the parties have no real political will to earnestly see the talks through in an honest to goodness peace process.
Better then to just stop the charade or pretense, so as to not continue to raise any illusions or false expectations (if still any) about it among the people. Better to then be guided accordingly and redirect the main effort to something truly feasible and still desirable, even if it is not the most ideal result of "resolving the armed conflict" and "attaining a just and lasting peace." The way things stand, one important thing which is still doable and desirable, even in the face of continuing armed hostilities and precisely because of this, is achieving the best possible "respect for human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL)" in order "to ensure the protection of non-combatants and reduce the impact of the armed conflict on communities found in conflict areas." But even this has to break out of the stalemated dynamics of the peace negotiations, and all concerned, not just the two warring parties, have to find new and better ways of civilian protection.
Low-Intensity Effort and Dedma
It is evident that both parties to this armed conflict, but more so the NDFP to be fair about it, do not have their hearts into their peace negotiations. They show only low-intensity effort to follow through on the supposed resumption way back February 2011 after an already long impasse since 2004. They do not try hard enough to effectively, practicably and flexibly deal with and dispose of real and imagined obstacles in order to be able to proceed from that breakthrough resumption. Worst of all, they imagine or themselves place the obstacles when there really should be none. Theirs is a clear negative example of the recent-day vernacular saying that kung gusto, ay may paraan; kung ayaw, ay maraming dahilan (which may be roughly translated as "if they want it, there are many ways to get it going; if they don't want it, there are many reasons to avoid getting down to it").
Up to now, the impasse since February 2011 is ostensibly due to the main non-substantive issue of the GPH release or non-release of claimed NDFP consultants who are detained. The parties cannot seem to find a way to, as we said, effectively, practicably and flexibly deal with and dispose of this so-called obstacle, notwithstanding various proposals of how to go about or around it. This independent peace advocate made his own specific and fully argued proposal relayed to both peace panels as a "Peace challenge" way back December 2011: [1] to just proceed forthwith to the peace negotiations on the three remaining substantive agenda headings (of socio-economic reforms, of political and constitutional reforms, and of end of hostilities and disposition of forces) for completion with comprehensive agreements over an already agreed time frame of 18 months (e.g. January 2012 to June 2013), [2] accompanied by a "unilateral, concurrent and reciprocal ceasefire" to build confidence and create a favorable atmosphere during the same 18-month period of peace negotiations, and [3] with the secondary non-substantive issues like the release of claimed NDFP consultants to be initially addressed or processed simultaneously or in parallel, not as "prejudicial issues," at a committee level lower than the panels, like the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC), so that these do not unduly draw away the panels' attention from the more important substantive talks.
This specific proposal has not been responded to adequately by both panels, other than a thank you letter of acknowledgement from the GPH Panel Chairperson Alexander A. Padilla of our suggestions as "valuable inputs," but that's about it. The response or more precisely non-response from the NDFP panel side was simple dedma (feigned non-notice), apparently calculated so as not to give any importance or status to certain independent peace advocates (and advocacies) not in their comfort zone. Both sides clearly cannot find it in themselves, cannot find enough will and ways, to just proceed forthwith to the more important substantive talks, as a number of concerned quarters like the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), the Waging Peace Convenors (with last Easter Proposals) and the Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF) have called for over the past months at least since the Christmas season last year. But all we get is dedma.
Strategy and Tactics
Our "Peace challenge" paper of December 2011 already attributed the lukewarm attitude of both sides to earnest peace negotiations to the greater importance they give to their respective current war strategies — whether it be the relatively new and more sophisticated Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) or the old protracted people's war (PPW) strategy of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-New People's Army (NPA) with its current drive towards a strategic (military) stalemate within the five years or so.
But, without negating the root causes of the armed conflict, government responses are also, if not largely, shaped by the main form of struggle adopted by the revolutionary forces challenging it. The CPP-NPA-NDFP has long waged and continues to wage armed struggle as its main form of struggle to overthrow the ruling "semi-colonial and semi-feudal" system and replace it with a "national-democratic" one. Thus, even as it engages in peace negotiations, it does so as a tertiary form of struggle that is subsumed under and must serve the PPW strategy with armed struggle as the main form of struggle. This is why the NDFP is "allergic" or averse to any prolonged ceasefire to accompany peace negotiations. Thus, for the NDFP, "ceasefire" seems to be the hardest word. It's almost like don't even think of proposing to them any ceasefire longer than one week or at most one month.
In the contrary case of the NDFP's tactical ally, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a general ceasefire was one of its first significant agreements with the government in 1997. More importantly, the MILF has long shifted from armed struggle to peace negotiations as its main form of struggle and strategy to achieve its desired Bangsamoro self-determination. The government response has been to constructively engage the MILF (actually itself also constructively engaging the government) mainly in peace negotiations. This engagement, at least on the part of the MILF, is strategic, and not just tactical – as has long been the case in the NDFP's engagement in peace negotiations with the government.
Historically, the NDFP has had only tactical objectives for the negotiations: international diplomatic recognition of so-called status of belligerency (SOB); propaganda; prisoner releases; and more recently to help secure the legitimacy of the CPP, NPA and NDFP Chief Political Consultant Jose Maria Sison internationally in view of their "terrorist" listing. There has been no strategic decision (unlike the case of the MILF) to give peace negotiations a real chance for a negotiated political settlement. This is why we said earlier that it is more so the NDFP than the GPH that does not have their hearts into their peace negotiations. Otherwise, the GPH could also constructively engage the NDFP in serious strategic, not just tactical, peace negotiations just like the case is with the MILF in the GPH-MILF peace negotiations.
As for the CPP's contention that the Aquino regime is "using peace negotiations to hoodwink" the MILF, let it be the best judge of that. For the MILF itself to persist in this particular peace process engagement, notwithstanding its tactical ally's (NDFP's) kibitzing, speaks for itself as to the seriousness of those negotiations. And so can it be with the GPH-NDFP peace negotiations – IF these are strategic, not just tactical, and IF the parties will allow it or treat it so. It is the NDFP however that has articulated more calculatedly a certain political or propaganda line about these negotiations. This line we shall now proceed to engage or deconstruct, as must be done as part of supporting the main thesis of this article to just stop this charade of negotiations and do something sincere/honest instead, with doable concrete benefits even if not of that high policy level of a negotiated political settlement.
High Peace Policy Statements
In the CPP highest policy statement on its 43rd anniversary on 26 December 2011, it said "The Aquino regime has simply shown its lack of sincerity and seriousness in peace negotiations with the NDFP. We should dispel any illusion that the regime is interested in addressing the roots of the armed conflict and forging agreements with the NDFP on social, economic and political reforms. Clearly, it is hell bent on destroying the Party and the revolutionary movement."
And in another CPP high policy message on the 43rd anniversary of the NPA on 29 March 2012, it followed through on this by saying: "The Aquino regime is not interested in serious peace negotiations with the NDFP. Within the framework of its Oplan Bayanihan, it considers peace negotiations only as a means to divide and weaken the revolutionary forces while it escalates brutal military campaigns of suppression to 'decimate' the armed revolution and suppress the people's resistance. Unwittingly, it is inciting the people and the revolutionary forces to intensify their armed resistance and to advance the people's war from the strategic defensive to the strategic stalemate." And there the CPP-NPA shows its slip, as it were, on what their hearts, minds and hands are really into.
If what the CPP saying is true, or if it believes its own propaganda line that "The Aquino regime is not interested in serious peace negotiations with the NDFP," then the logical, honest or even honorable thing to do is to pull out from those negotiations. But no, instead the afore-cited CPP anniversary statement says: "However, we continue to express our desire for peace negotiations in order to prevent the enemy from claiming falsely that we are not interested in a just and lasting peace and also to keep open the possibility that the enemy regime would be compelled by the crisis and/or by our significant victories in people's war to seriously seek negotiations. Indeed, the only way to compel the enemy to engage in serious negotiations is to inflict major defeats on it and make it realize the futility of its attempt to destroy the revolutionary movement, especially the people's army." (underscoring supplied)
The CPP is in effect saying that it/we must continue this charade of peace negotiations if only for the propaganda measure of countering whatever anti-peace image unfavorable to it. But because its heart is not really into it, the CPP then makes its "maraming dahilan" (many reasons) not to proceed with the negotiations: "The formal meetings in the GPH-NDFP peace negotiations cannot be held unless the GPH addresses the prejudicial issues [esp. the release of claimed NDFP consultants] being raised by the NDFP and makes amends." And so it becomes like a self-fulfilling prophecy on the futility of negotiations with the enemy regime that is said to be not serious about it (in fairness to the CPP, there is also some basis for saying this).
Militarist View and Weapons-Driven Approach
The above underscored CPP statement also reveals its rather militarist view of and approach to peace negotiations, as in "compel the enemy" through military pressure to seriously negotiate and grant concessions. This view/approach, aside from the primacy of armed struggle in the CPP-NPA's PPW strategy, accounts for its aversion to ceasefires to accompany peace negotiations. It is extremely hard to see how continued tactical military offensives, rather than a general ceasefire (the case with the MILF), might constitute "specific measures of goodwill and confidence-building to create a favorable climate for peace negotiations." The said view/approach also indicates that the CPP-NPA does not really expect anything significant such as in terms of substantive reforms, and much less a negotiated political settlement, to come out of the negotiations. Otherwise, why invest so many precious lives of its Red fighters?
On the other hand, is the CPP in effect saying that its tactical ally MILF's peace negotiations with the GPH are not serious because of the accompanying ceasefire there which naturally does not "inflict major defeats" on the AFP? Tell that to the MILF. A perusal of the afore-cited CPP-NPA high policy level anniversary statements, particularly the sections on "Urgent fighting tasks," show that there is nothing in terms of urgent tasks for the peace negotiations while there is very much on inflicting major military defeats on the enemy regime in order "to advance the people's war from the strategic defensive to the strategic stalemate."
For example, in terms of "intensifying the people's war,' the afore-cited CPP anniversary statement contains quite specific military instructions or guidance such as this: "We must hamper and prevent enemy intrusions into the guerrilla fronts through ambushes and other actions, including sniper fire, grenade attacks, mortar and land mines. We must destroy the transport and supply lines and depots of the enemy. We must give the enemy forces no rest by launching attacks on their camps and detachments whenever possible, even at night. When enemy personnel hide in fortifications, we can wait for them to take the road and expose themselves to our attacks."
The afore-cited NPA anniversary message follows through on this sort of guidance thus: "Small teams can be trained and employed to use AMFO (ammonium nitrate fuel oil) bombs, plastic bombs, TNT and incendiaries, including modest cigarette lighter, to destroy target objects such as military vehicles, facilities, fortifications and other fixed structures. Land mines, sniping and grenade throwing can be employed to impede enemy troop movement or harass any encamped force [author's insertion: like the one on 1 September 2012 in Barangay Fatima, Paquibato District, Davao City which resulted in shrapnel injuries to 48 civilians, 18 of whom were minors] and gasoline bombs to destroy fuel depots, motor pools and military planes and helicopters. Units of people's militias and self-defense forces are also encouraged to employ indigenous weaponry such as punji-spiked booby-traps, produce explosives from unexploded munitions of the enemy and make use of local tactics in combination and coordination with the full-time formations of the NPA."
The afore-cited NPA anniversary message is titled "Strengthen the people's army and intensify the people's war." The message explains that accent on the NPA: "The Party considers the NPA as the key force for advancing the people's war from the strategic defensive to the strategic stalemate…. It is responsible for annihilating the enemy military forces and laying the ground for establishing Red political power…. The main objective is to wipe out enemy units and seize weapons so that more units of the people's army can be formed. The people's army must seize several thousand more high-powered rifles and other weapons from the enemy." (underscoring supplied)
In other words, the key force which is the NPA is designed such that it must engage regularly in combat, otherwise it will wither away. That is the way it survives and replenishes itself, by paying special attention to seizing enemy weapons that allow it to form more units of the NPA. This seems to be an inordinately weapons-driven approach. And to seize those weapons, the enemy units carrying them must be annihilated or wiped out (the context of course is legitimate combat but it smacks almost of killing primarily for the weapons). There can thus be no ceasefire, particularly one that is unduly long from the NPA perspective. And the peace negotiations cannot be allowed to dilute or distract away from the "Urgent fighting tasks."
Social Costs and Root Causes
But the price for this approach is very costly in terms of precious lives irreplaceably lost, including of the best and the brightest sons and daughters of the people — on both sides and among the civilians caught in the crossfire. One must ask, is it worth it, even from the revolutionary perspective, after more than four decades of protracted people's war and still in the strategic defensive stage? Of course, Sison has his own sophisticated answer by way of saying that "The costs of keeping the reactionary ruling system are far higher than the costs of waging armed revolution. Exploitation and oppression exact a terrible toll on the people and are precisely what drive people to wage armed revolution. We should be able to see the high cost of the violence of daily exploitation to recognize the necessity and lower cost of armed revolution."
There are of course social root causes of the armed conflict, and they can be addressed through the peace process. NDFP-Bicol spokesperson Greg Bañares says "We all dream of a real and long-lasting peace founded on social justice. It can be borne out of the success of the peace talks that leans on agreements that will solve the ills of our society." But, and here is the catch, he says that "peace could also be achieved through the success of the revolutionary war… While the peace negotiation has no clear direction, it is better to go on with the armed struggle." (underscoring supplied) The peace negotiations actually have a clear general direction, which is found in The Hague Joint Declaration of 1 September 1992, the 20-year old framework agreement between the GPH and the NDFP for their peace negotiations. But for the most part of those past 20 years, the peace talks have been going nowhere, especially nowhere in that clear general direction. The parties have only themselves to blame for this, for squandering most of 20 years.
The CPP points the finger of blame at the Aquino regime which it says is not "interested in addressing the roots of the armed conflict and forging agreements with the NDFP on social, economic and political reforms." That may be true but, to be sure, one can only really say that definitively after it has been shown to be such in the practical course of peace negotiations on those reforms. The proof of the pudding would be actual substantive negotiations. But precisely the substantive negotiations on reforms have yet to be conducted. As we said in our "Peace challenge" paper of December 2011, let the substantive talks on specific reforms – not issues like release of claimed NDFP consultants or removal of "terrorist" listing or even the use of landmines – be the litmus test on the sincerity and seriousness of the parties, on who is interested or not in key reforms, and on the viability of their peace negotiations.
"Special Track" for "Immediate Just Peace"
The problem is that the parties do not have the requisite will to even just bring it to the test of actual substantive negotiations. Perhaps this is already indicative of a sense or calculation that nothing would come out of it or, worse, of a policy decision preferring another mode like military victory to resolve the armed conflict. Possibly instructive in this regard is the NDFP proposal on a "special track of immediate truce and alliance on the basis of a general declaration of common intent" which would purportedly "accelerate addressing the roots of the armed conflict." The NDFP "special track" proposal includes a 10-Point Concise Agreement for an Immediate Just Peace (CAIJP) which could be described as a capsulized version of the 10-Point or 12-Point NDFP political program in terms of its basic national-democratic program planks.
Significantly imbedded in the CAIJP, and found in three of its 10 Points, is having a "coalition government." This would presumably include the NDFP which proposes it and which "coalition government" features, among others, "significant representation" of "the toiling masses of workers and peasants" – precisely the basic sectors which the NDFP claims to mainly represent. In addition, "alliance and truce become the modus vivendi of the GPH and NDFP." As a come-on, "The civil war between the GPH and the NDFP shall cease and a just peace shall ensue" as soon as they co-sign the CAIJP.
Ano ang NDFP, sinuswerte? (How lucky can the NDFP be?) Does the NDFP honestly believe that the GPH would deliver to it on a silver platter the core NDFP political program and seats in a "coalition government"? The GPH Panel Chair Padilla has already stated that "the GPH had already rejected this" and that "the GPH will never agree to establish a coalition government or a power-sharing arrangement with the NDFP-CPP-NPA." [On the other hand, it must be noted at this point that the GPH and the MILF have agreed at least in principle and framework, if not also on key arrangements, on power-sharing and even wealth-sharing between the Central Government and a "new autonomous political entity" for the Bangsamoroand called "Bangsamoro."] Does the NDFP honestly believe that the GPH would agree to "alliance and truce" with a force that refers to it as the "U.S-Aquino regime" and is hell bent on inflicting major military defeats on it, if not overthrowing it?
Does the NDFP honestly believe that the GPH will find "common political ground" in the CAIJP's nat-dem catch-phrase flagship programs like "national industrialization and (genuine or revolutionary) land reform," "a patriotic, scientific and pro-people culture," "cancellation of the foreign debt," "reduction of the appropriations for the military and other armed organizations of the GPH," "a truly independent foreign policy" and so on? As it is, the GPH and the NDFP already have differing perceptions or understandings of the "mutually acceptable principles" of "national sovereignty, democracy and social justice" in The Hague Joint Declaration. They are not on the same page, as it turns out, even on these general concepts and principles in their framework agreement. How much more when it comes to nat-dem catch-phrase flagship programs?
There is a sense that the NDFP "special track" proposal was made with the full expectation that it would be rejected as the kind of proposal that any Philippine government cannot but refuse. And so, why propose it in the first place? The answer is found at the end of the CAIJP document: "Otherwise [i.e. if not co-signed by the GPH], the Filipino people and revolutionary forces are more than ever justified to continue the new democratic revolution through people's war…" It all goes back to the PPW strategy. But for the NDFP to say on the other extreme that, upon the co-signing by the GPH of the CAIJP, "the civil war ends and a just peace is achieved immediately," is also to raise false expectations about achieving peace. Institutional peace-building just doesn't happen that way. It begins (or should begin) not with the signing of a peace agreement but even long before that, during the process surrounding the peace negotiations.
Thus far, we have engaged or deconstructed largely the NDFP's political or propaganda line about the peace negotiations, in order to argue the thesis of this article that the negotiations have become a charade. This purposive engagement is because the NDFP has articulated that line more calculatedly, consciously and prominently. In contrast, the GPH has not been as voluble. But actions (or more precisely lack of action) can speak louder than words. The inaction of not trying, or of not trying hard enough, can belie whatever spoken words or intentions. One might say this, for example, about the published statement of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) that "Amidst roadblocks in the GPH-NDFP peace process, the government remains firm on its commitment to attain a final negotiated political settlement with the NDFP." How can the OPAPP even talk about "a final negotiated political settlement" (and raise false hopes like the NDFP does with the CAIJP) when the parties have not been able, for a considerable length of time already, to resume their formal peace talks that still have to cover three major substantive agenda headings?
The parties agreed in an informal meeting initiated by the Royal Norwegian Government (RNG) in Oslo last June 2012 "to continue meaningful discussions of concerns and issues raised by both sides" (mainly about the level of violence and landmine use raised by the GPH, and about claimed political detainees and consultants raised by the NDFP). It is the RNG Third Party Facilitator, rather than the parties themselves, that has been exerting extra effort "to revive the lagging peace process." And yet more than three months have passed, including the European summer vacation season (the NDFP peace panel is based in Europe), without any follow-up meeting on even these non-substantive "prejudicial issues," but there has been no vacation or break on the war front.
"Strategic Stalemate": What is to be done?
And so, all told, there has been for some time already a "strategic stalemate," not in the military situation but in the more-off-than-on peace negotiations. It is about time that these, just like the ARMM, be declared to be a "failed experiment." What is to be done then after just dropping the charade of peace talks? The answer to this question deserves a separate fuller treatment. We will for now, however, outline here some thoughts about just one important particular area of concern and work. Since the parties, especially the NDFP, have their hearts more into pursuing their respective deadly wars against each other, it is also in their respective interest, and more so of the civilian population in the war zones, that the war is conducted in accordance with the rules, basically the rules of human rights and IHL. Proof, though not necessarily the best evidence, of this common interest is their 1998 Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), considered a substantive agreement, the first one and likely the only one. In a manner of speaking, respect for human rights and IHL may be "the only game in town" on the GPH-NDFP front, certainly better than "playing our charade" of peace talks.
Unfortunately, the CARHRIHL's implementation has also been stalemated not only by the stalemated dynamics of the peace negotiations under which such implementation has been subsumed, but also by its stalemate-prone Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) mechanism with certain consensus rules. This is further complicated by each party asserting their respective justice systems in another game of "two governments," and raising again the specters of unconstitutionality and belligerency status. Perhaps the parties may want to consider at least "uncoupling" the JMC mechanism from the peace negotiations, so that the operationalization of the JMC is not dependent or contingent on the state of progress (or lack of it) of the formal peace talks.
Human rights and IHL are ultimately too important to be left at the mercy of the JMC mechanism. As we said early on above, we to break out of the stalemated dynamics of the peace negotiations, and all concerned, not just the two warring parties, have to find new and better ways of civilian protection. The NDFP proposal for a "special track" for "immediate just peace," no matter how politically unrealistic, at least shows that there can be some "thinking out of the box" of the "regular track" of four sequential substantive agenda stages in the peace negotiations outlined in The Hague Joint Declaration and its 1995 implementing agreement on Reciprocal Working Committees (RWCs). Let this kind of "thinking out of the box," creativity and flexibility manifest itself more in the direction of humanitarian protection.
For one, the CPP-NPA-NDFP national leadership should no longer discourage or prohibit its local commands from local-level talks (not local peace talks) that would more expeditiously and effectively address humanitarian concerns arising from armed hostilities at that level. This kind of local-level talks should no longer be proscribed by that leadership as necessarily a counter-insurgency trap to pacify, divide and induce the capitulation of the revolutionary forces. Relatedly, local-level talks initiated by conflict-affected local communities, that seek respect for their own genuine declarations of their communities as "peace zones" that are off-limits to armed hostilities, should not be treated as necessarily a counter-insurgency measure to cramp or limit the areas for NPA tactical offensives. The whole countryside is vast enough for that.
Civil society peace groups like notably Sulong CARHRIHL (Advance CARHRIHL) have tried to make CARHRIHL work even without the stalemated JMC mechanism, albeit Sulong CARHRIHL has focused mainly on work at the local community level, where after all the work is most needed. But of course the broad work of advancing human rights and IHL is not limited to and by the CARHRIHL. The broad array of IHL (and also human rights) advocates who had gathered around the first National Summit on IHL in 2009 have significantly since then taken on and stepped up the work to address the relevant main challenges of: [1] humanitarian intervention especially during massive internal displacement due to armed hostilities; [2] education, information and communications on IHL (and human rights); and [3] monitoring, investigation and prosecution of IHL (and human rights) violations in the context of the armed conflict.
In terms of exploring alternative institutional mechanisms for that last most difficult challenge monitoring/investigation of and accountability for IHL (and human rights) violations, the 2009 IHL Summit for one called on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to develop its own complementary or fallback mechanism to the JMC. It is good that an independent constitutional commission mandated for human rights concerns, with a nationwide offices, and with international links, is giving attention also to the related but distinct field of IHL and to HR-IHL violations not only of the state armed forces but also of non-state armed groups. Seeking rebel accountability is a special challenge in itself due to various conceptual and practical reasons, including "no permanent address."
Conceptually, there is the traditional notion that human rights and their violations pertain only to state agents, not to non-state actors. One of the best evidences and arguments against this traditional concept is the CARHRIHL itself which holds a non-state armed group in the NDFP to standards of human rights and a measure, albeit limited, of accountability therefor. And yet the existing and pending legislation on torture, enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings are by definition limited to only those perpetrated by state agents. Again, perhaps the best evidence and argument against that narrow(-minded) definition is the experience of the CPP-NPA anti-infiltration campaigns of the 1980s where all three crimes were admittedly committed.
There is a CPP-NPA organizational "plea of guilty" to these purge violations but there has been inadequate accountability and redress. It is about time that those collective as well as individual human rights and IHL violations be given a more effective institutional redress in terms of truth, justice and healing for the purge victims and survivors and their families before the moment and memories are lost. Given the passage of time (with the legal rules on prescription, albeit only for prescriptible common crimes, but not for war crimes and crimes against humanity, among others), there should be exaction of at least historical and moral accountability, if no longer legal accountability, such as through some form of "truth commission."
The work of upholding respect for human rights and IHL in the context of the GPH-NDFP armed conflict may be well below the ideal and the high policy level of a negotiated political settlement. But aside from its more immediate value of civilian protection, HR-IHL work has a long-term strategic value and direction of laying better ground (and lowering the costs and antagonism) for a negotiated political settlement when the requisite political will and also paradigm shifts on both sides come about, hopefully sooner rather than later. In the meantime, let's not fool ourselves "playing our charade" of peace talks, and just devote our efforts, energies and valuable time to what can be realistically and beneficially done. This is the new peace challenge on the GPH-NDFP front of war and peace.
SOLIMAN M. SANTOS, JR. has been a long-time Bicolano human rights and IHL lawyer; legislative consultant and legal scholar; peace advocate, researcher and writer, whose initial engagement with the peace process was in Bicol with the first GRP-NDFP nationwide ceasefire in 1986. He is presently Presiding Judge of the 9th Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) of Nabua-Bato, Camarines Sur and Acting Presiding Judge of the Municipal Trial Court (MTC) of Balatan, Camarines Sur.
PNoy Speech on GPH-MILF Framework Agreement
Get it here, or scroll down for full text:
Kagalang-galang Benigno S. Aquino III
Pangulo ng Pilipinas
Ukol sa balangkas ng kasunduan sa Moro Islamic Liberation Front
[Inihayag noong ika-7 ng Oktubre 2012]
Dalawang henerasyon na po ang lumilipas mula noong magsimula ang hidwaan sa Mindanao. Isang siklo ng karahasang umangkin sa buhay ng mahigit isandaang libong Pilipino—hindi lamang ng mga kawal at mandirigma, kundi pati mga inosenteng sibilyang dumanak ang dugo dahil sa alitang puwede namang naiwasan.
Marami na pong solusyong sinubok upang matapos ang hidwaang ito; nakailang peace agreement na po tayo, ngunit hindi pa rin tayo umuusad tungo sa katuparan ng ating mga pangarap para sa rehiyon. Nabigyan ng poder ang ilan, ngunit imbes na iangat ang kaledad ng buhay sa rehiyon, nagbunga ito ng istrukturang lalo silang iginapos sa kahirapan. Nagkaroon ng mga command votes na ginamit upang pagtibayin ang pyudal na kalakaran; naglipana ang mga ghost roads, ghost bridges, ghost schools, ghost teachers, at ghost students, habang tumaba naman ang bulsa ng iilan. Nag-usbungan ang mga warlord na humawak sa timbangan ng buhay at kamatayan para sa maraming mamamayan. Umiral ang isang kultura kung saan walang nananagutan, at walang katarungan; nawalan ng pagtitiwala ang mamamayan sa sistema, at nagnais na kumalas sa ating bansa.
The ARMM is a failed experiment. Many of the people continue to feel alienated by the system, and those who feel that there is no way out will continue to articulate their grievances through the barrel of a gun. We cannot change this without structural reform. Read the rest of this entry
Press Release: Peace Day 2012
Nikki Delfin, Secretariat Coordinator, firstname.lastname@example.com
Youth celebrate Peace and remember Martial Law Day
Groups call for a just and sustainable peace nationwide
Quezon City, Philippines– Youth groups hold simultaneous peace initiatives nationwide on September 21. The date is infamously known as the declaration of PD 1081 or the Declaration of Martial Law but some commemorate it differently. September 21 is also the International Day of Peace, which is signed unanimously by the UN General Assembly.
"The youth can be apathetic but also active agents of social change and its time to bridge the gap. Many are unaware of the armed conflict and the International Day of Peace which is a day of peace, ceasefire and nonviolence," said Mirma Mae Tica, the national spokesperson of GenPeace.
Armed conflict persist in the Philippines and remain an important issue. Consider the following:
– The Philippines experience the most protracted armed conflict and most protracted peace negotiations in this part of the world.
– The country's armed conflicts continues after over 40 years
– In 2008 the country held the world record for most internally-displaced persons at 600,000. That year there were more internal war refugees in the Philippines than in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.
– This year, the world is attempting the largest reduction of armed violence on September 21. Throughout the world, groups are calling governments and armed groups for a day of truce from armed violence.
– The government is pursuing peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and a framework peace agreement is expected within the Aquino administration
– The National Democratic Front peace negotiations are stalled due to issues such as Safety and Immunity Guarantees for rebel leaders.
"We remember Martial Law, and the human rights and humanitarian abuses during the Marcos administration. Our theme 'just and sustainable peace for our future' is our way to pay it forward. We are making it national and the time for peace is now." Tica said.
In Quezon City, Generation Peace Youth Network (GenPeace) leads students and youth organizations, women, indigenous peoples, local government and religious groups in peace rituals and an advocacy fair. Simultaneous peace day events also take place in Butuan, Surigao City, Cebu, Cotabato, Davao, Iloilo, Bacolod, Zamboanga, and Catarman. Activites range from candlelit vigil, art competitions, ceasefire petitions, a photo exhibit, a feeding program, peace rituals and forums. The youth organization also partners with local governments for localized peace resolutions and ordinances.
GenPeace is a national youth network that supports the peace negotiations through peace advocacy, education and empowerment programs. We supercharge youth organizations to become active for peaceful social change. Learn more about what we do at http://genpeace.tk/
We are part of local, national and global networks on peacebuilding: United Network of Young Peacebuilders, Global Youth Movement for an Alliance of Civilizations, Youth Solidarity Fund Winner — UN Alliance of Civilizations, Mindanao Solidarity Network, Waging Peace Philippines, Kilos para sa Kapayapaan at Katarungan, GPPAC-SEA.
Media Kit
Click to download the Youth Media Guide/Toolkit
I. Media Advisory
II. Press Release
III. Background Materials
a. What is Peace Day?
b. Why Support Peace in the Philippines?
c. Peace Day Ceasefire Call
Dear Youth Peace Advocates,
This media kit provides us with some ideas, and information that can help us with our media coverage. We encourage that you engage your local media partners for your peace initiatives. This helps us in broadening the impact of our softcore peace work—popularizing the issue of peace, and making peace a national (not marginal) issue.
Included in this kit: media advisory, which is an invitation for your media contacts. We also included a sample press release, which is what you provide your media contacts to ensure your messages are included in their coverage. We know you can do better than our samples, these only serve as your guide but feel free to Sotto them without conditions (redit, revise, reword, redraft, repackage, etc.)
Lastly, we included some information bonuses through simple Q and A of what is Peace Day, why support peace and our peace day ceasefire call. We are confident that you can use or at the least be inspired by this simple kit to pursue engagement with both traditional and non-traditional media.
Padayon para sa kapayapaan at karapatang pantao!


text:
Corinne Mary (Lindenfelser) Rech, age 82, of Dassel, died Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, at Good Samaritan Society Nursing Home in Waconia.
She was born June 17, 1930, in Albertville, the daughter of Rudolph and Ethel (Jackman) Lindenfelser.
Corinne was a wonderful mother. She loved oil painting and quilting, and enjoyed spending winters in Arizona, as well spending time with her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren.
She is survived by her five children; Rodney (Marlene) Davis of Waconia, Larry (Cheryl) Davis of Watertown, Dianne (Robert) Kenning of Dassel, Janine (Mike) Peterson of Prior Lake, and Jason (Erin) Rech of Waconia; nine grandchildren, Sarah, Kris, Justin, Miranda, Jodie, Amber, Jessica, Christina and Paxton; seven great-grandchildren; three sisters, Shirley Steffens, Jane (Fritz) Widmer, and Millie Freeman; sister-in law Mary Rech; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Corinne was preceded in death by her husband, Ervin, July 10, 2009; her parents; brothers Anthony, Richard, and infant brother Noel; sister Laura; and brothers-in-laws Jim, Victor, and Phil.
Mass of Christian burial took place Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 11 a.m. at St. Michael Catholic Church in St. Michael, with Father Joe as the celebrant. Gift bearers were Sheila Steffens and Pam McRae, and Chrysa Olson, Lisa Lindenfelser, and Elaine Weber were readers. Interment followed at St. Michael Cemetery.
Visitation was Tuesday, Jan. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Peterson Chapel in St. Michael, and continued Wednesday one hour prior to the services at the church.
Pallbearers were grandsons Kris Davis and Justin Davis; and nephews Michael Freeman, Curtis Lindenfelser, Paul Widmer, and Lloyd Eicher.
The Peterson Chapel, St. Michael/Albertville, assisted the family with arrangements.


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Comment 14 for bug 948461
|Ben Howard (darkmuggle) wrote : Re: apt-get hashsum/size mismatch due caused by swapped local file names
Regarding comment #13, I think the concern is moot right now. I was able to replicate the issue with "-o=Acquire:
Failed to fetch http://
Failed to fetch http://
Failed to fetch http://
Failed to fetch http://
Failed to fetch http://
Failed to fetch http://
Failed to fetch http://
Fetched 28.1 MB in 8s (3,261 kB/s)
E: Some files failed to download
new debian package, version 2.0.
size 456104 bytes: control archive= 1639 bytes.
805 bytes, 18 lines control
1330 bytes, 16 lines md5sums
479 bytes, 20 lines * postinst #!/bin/sh
376 bytes, 19 lines * postrm #!/bin/sh
194 bytes, 14 lines * prerm #!/bin/sh
34 bytes, 1 lines triggers
Package: shared-mime-info
Version: 1.0-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <email address hidden>
Installed-Size: 2188
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.3), libglib2.0-0 (>= 2.24.0), libxml2 (>= 2.7.4)
Conflicts: libglib2.0-0 (<< 2.17.2), libgnomevfs2-0 (<< 1:2.24.0), tracker (<< 0.6.90)
Section: misc
Priority: optional
Multi-Arch: foreign
Homepage: http://
Description: FreeDesktop.org shared MIME database and spec
This is the shared MIME-info database from the X Desktop Group. It is required
by any program complying to the Shared MIME-Info Database spec, which is also
included in this package.
At this time at least ROX, GNOME, KDE and XFCE use this database.


text:
Andirons And Grate
These andirons and matching grate were designed to be both functional and decorative. The curved lines of the grate, while being aesthetically pleasing, also allow for differential expansion of the steel without deforming the whole piece. The bars forming the bottom of the grate were fit into slots in the main frame allowing for easy replacement when eventually required. I photographed this piece prior to installation because I also made a fire screen with a permanent 'fender' at the bottom and a three panel top. The center panel of the screen was hinged to allow wood to be added to the fire without the necessity of moving a five foot wide fire place screen.
Also shown is a nice set of fire tools.
Dimensions: Approx. 48" x 30" x 24"


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Value for Money – My prices starts as low as £150 for a simple website which includes your own webmail e.g. firstname.lastname@example.com. I believe wholeheartedly in being transparent about pricing, therefore any additional costs that may be incurred as a job progresses will be agreed beforehand. Overhead costs are cut to minimal as I work from home with no money spent on promotion and advertising. You might get offers from Web-hosts for free design but over time, the web-hosting will cost you more in monthly fees and when you run into a problem there will be no-one to talk to. I can also advise you how to run and maintain the website in the future – so you can make changes/updates yourself instead of paying someone.
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Stare at the picture, stare at the picture
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Particularly, on a day like today, which is turning out to be much like all of last week- the scale arguing with my intense fitness routines, sick children with runny noses and food sensitivities, and the worst of them all ...I forgot my very best friends birthday.
Just stare at the picture, just stare at the picture, just stare at the picture...
But even with another day down in the dumps- the sky is still blue, my babies still laugh, and hopefully my best friend will forgive me.
Especially after I present her with an airline ticket to come see me, as well as a deliciously home baked birthday cake to totally pig out on- Kalii are you reading this?!
Maybe this afternoon I'll take the kids out on the tractor. Nothing says Texas like a toddler on a John Deere. Even if the John Deere is miniature and designed for a butt the size of a 3 year old.


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NPB Around the Horn: Igarashi and Lim's streaks come to an end
by Gen on Jul.12, 2009 @ 11:14 am, under NPB
...Minoru Iwata was removed from the active roster on Sunday with stiffness in his buttocks. According to the coaches, he suffered the injury while pitching against the Giants on the 10th.
...Tigers' manager Akinobu Mayumi celebrated his 56th birthday on Sunday.
...The Buffaloes are the first team in the NPB to give up 400 runs this season.
...Hisashi Iwakuma gave up 4 home runs against the Softbank Hawks on Sunday and has now given up 7 on the year. Iwakuma gave up 3 all of last season.
...Takeya Nakamura hit his league leading 30th home run against the Orix Buffaloes on Sunday. He's now on pace to finish the season with 55 home runs.
Incidentally, Takeshi Yamasaki (RAK) is currently second in the PL with 16 home runs. Over in the CL, Tony Blanco (CHU) leads with 25. Two others are tied for second with 19.
...Ryota Igarashi's consecutive scoreless appearance streak came to an end when he surrendered a run in his outing against the Yokohama Bay Stars on Sunday. The Bay Stars also ended Chang-Yong Lim's consecutive appearance without an earned run streak, when they scored the game-winning run off him in the top of the 9th.
...The media is already talking about how the Giants' magic number is 55.
...The Kobe 9 Cruise beat the Akashi Red Soldiers, 6-1 on Sunday. In doing so, they leave open the possibility of being the Champions for the first half of the season. That is, if the Akashi Red Soldiers can beat the Osaka Gold Villicanes.


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Our wheat breeding programme in conjunction with leading European partners is in progress and is planned to produce varieties suitable for UK conditions. The first of these are now starting to progress through the trials system.
Our spring malting barley breeding programme is well established and is carried out on behalf of RAGT. It is targeted at the European malt markets as well as the UK and is now starting to produce promising varieties with potentially strong commercial prospects.
Planet is a top-yielding fully approved spring barley on the Recommended List and produces excellent quality grain. It is the leading spring barley in the UK and on course to be the most widely grown across Europe. RGT Planet is also gaining a strong following among livestock farmers across the UK thanks to its excellent yield and stiff, plentiful straw.
Triticale is only a small market, however, the winter variety Tremplin (RAGT) enjoys a major role and is marketed through Limagrain UK.


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SIRIUS Satellite Radio late launched a new music tube devoted distinctively to the Grateful Dead on direct 32 and here's it what I detected in retributive the introductory small indefinite quantity of hours. To blow off the new channel, SIRIUS aired a seldom heard tape of a 1974 public presentation from the Hollywood Bowl as well as a parley session with Bob Weir.
In attentive to the freshly else burrow complete the period I was able to music into archived as all right as new interviews with whatsoever of the decoration members, jam out to both bonbon auditory communication that I haven't listened to in a perennial time, and remember beside numerous fans nearly their undreamt of experiences beside the Dead. If you commonly name to yourself as a bona fide Deadhead past I imagine its incident you checked out this facility for your lane trips.
The coolest member nearly this new trough is that it will genuinely create to embezzle form as more than subscribers volunteer their sign on what they what to perceive and yak roughly speaking. Bob Weir even has his own variety named "Bob Weir Behind the Mic" wherever he hosts an hour-long demonstrate to performance and deliberate the country-influenced music from the Dead. Weir won't be the merely Grateful Dead social group associate up to his neck in this channel, it looks like-minded Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, fan and associate Bruce Hornsby, and author John Perry Barlow will be change of integrity in the fun as in good health. You can besides facial expression headlong to sharp-eared unreleased public presentation recordings, live performances, archived interviews with Jerry Garcia, and more.Post ads:
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Personally, my favorite constituent nearly the new tube besides 24/7 right to my popular bang fastening of all modern times is the "Today in Grateful Dead History" portion. This segment will help out you consider pay for to your favourite reminiscences of the Dead as David Lemieux, a Grateful Dead archivist, takes you posterior one day at a case to the events and the music that shaped the music international as we know it present. All in all it looks similar the new Grateful Dead ditch will be programmed as one of my favorites on my You can brainwave the Grateful Dead installation 24/7 commercial-free on guide number 32.
If you brainstorm that you can in fact driblet yourself distant from the new Grateful Dead depression I too suggest checking out Jam_On on warren 17, Jimmy Buffett's Radio Margaritaville on Channel 31 and SIRIUS Blues on dike 74. These are conscionable a smattering of my favourite channels on SIRIUS Satellite Radio that are variety of related to this new warren.Post ads:
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Four students win 30,000 QR in start-up funds at QITCOM
Doha, Qatar – March 23, 2012 – Four young women will be starting their own digital production company this year with funds they won in QITCOM's innovation competition in early March. The 30,000 QR that came with second place will help the documentarians, all students at Northwestern University in Qatar, to produce multimedia projects on current events in the Arab world for foreign audiences.
"We see a lot of international media companies coming to the region to tell stories about the people here, but they often use producers who aren't from the region," said Ashlene Ramadan, during her team's pitch at the competition. "Our company will allow foreign media companies to commission and produce stories about this region that are told by people who actually live here and understand the culture on a deeper level."
Ms. Ramadan is joined on the project by fellow NU-Q students Rana Khaled, Melanie Fridgant and Shannon Farhoud. Previously, the quartet of journalism and communication majors had worked together on the creation of a successful Al-Jazeera award-winning documentary that was featured on National Geographic Music.
Their idea arose after the four noticed the high interest among foreign audiences for high impact visual media on developments taking place across the Arab World. The students saw opportunity in what they identified as a present lack in quality documentaries produced from a local perspective.
Everette E. Dennis, NU-Q dean and CEO, said: "We are extremely proud to see our students using the skills and knowledge they acquired as undergraduates to forge a new path in storytelling and entrepreneurship here in Qatar." He continued, "Northwestern strives to empower Qatar's young people to tell their own stories and make their voices heard. We prepare our students for professional and leadership roles in the country's ongoing media development and provide them with the tools to succeed in today's digital global economy. ICT Qatar's backing of our student's business plan is a testament to that," added Dean Dennis.
On top of supplying the winners with 30,000 QR, ICT QATAR will sponsor and legalize the company, and provide two years of office space for the production house.
Following her team's success, Melanie Fridgant said, "Storytelling is our passion. We want to keep on doing this for the rest of our careers. We have already had success with the documentaries we created and now we have the financial and legal support to create projects and works that catch the world's eye."
Having developed their versatility in storytelling, filming, editing and post-production over four years at NU-Q, the company hopes to close the gap between the East and West using their Arab upbringing and a Western education. Their content will be delivered across a trilingual platform of English, Arabic, and French.
Fridgant, Ramadan, Khaled and Farhoud will move into their new office at ICT Qatar before the end of the year.


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Archiving and logging footage
Save in 3 places
Hard Drive (internal or external)
Online (if you have a website that offers server space or one of the many online backup sites such as www. mozy.com or www.carbonite.com)
Save raw and the finished project. The most important and often most boring job is logging footage. It is important to find the best shots for the project…..more often or not you will need to re-re-edit. If for a client one than one edit will happen.
The more info you put down for each shot the easier it is to find them. Easiest way to put down type of shot (cu 2s 3s cowboy mos…etc), length, people in shot and the scene #+ take # if applicable. Some people take a sentence about the scene, the mood, what action is taking place or effects to added if any. ex. cu 1:30 hero (3h 3rd take) Find the one that works for you and make it standard for you and for your crew. The easier the system the better. Use Excel or any spreadsheet or database program to create your EDL (edit decision list).


text: About This Hypertext February 2005 About This Hypertext Acknowledgements - The Design The Design This hypertext edition was designed and marked up at the University of Maryland by Mike Duvall and implemented by Kate Singer, Site Manager at Romantic Circles. Making extensive use of tables and style sheets for layout and presentation, it will work best when viewed with Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator versions 5.0 and 4.7, respectively, and higher. The HTML markup is HTML 4.01/Transitional compliant, as set out by the World Wide Web Consortium. Parent Section: Scholarly ResourcesParent Resource: The Quarterly Review ArchivePerson: Kate SingerMike DuvallProvinceOrState: Maryland


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Every Friday Scot Lit Fest shares what they've been reading in the past week.
Death is a Welcome Guest – Louise Welsh (John Murray)
The second in Louise Welsh's Plague Times trilogy sees a new character introduced in Magnus who finds himself arrested in London when The Sweats wipes out the majority of the country. Upon escaping with an unlikely ally he figures that going north is the best bet for survival, similar to Stevie in the first book A Lovely Way to Burn. But it's not a smooth ride on the way up north…
Welsh brings a fresh approach to a popular genre in disaster, dystopian drama. You won't see zombies or cataclysmic events here. Instead you'll see the worst of humanity when it tries to hang on for dear life. Though you may miss Stevie from the first book, Magnus more than makes up for her absence in a terrifying journey across the country. It's no surprise that this book was nominated for Bloody Scotland's Deanston Scottish Crime Book of the Year in 2015 and we can't wait to discover the Plague Times conclusion where, without giving too much away, worlds will most certainly be colliding.
Sekret Machines: Chasing Shadows – Tom DeLonge, A. J. Hartley (To The Stars / Simon & Schuster)
Blink-182's Tom DeLonge has made no secret of his plans to create a multimedia empire of sorts, nor has he hid his opinions on the topics of UFOs. Alongside A.J. Hartley, he has written a 700+ page epic that's just part one of his latest project, looking into the topic with such precision and a fine blend of fiction and non-fiction that even the blurb dares to joke that it is a work of "…fiction?"
Well researched, spanning generations and starting in war-torn Europe in the 1940s, it's a story that has so many narratives to jump between, so much to unravel, that it's one of the fastest 700 pages you'll get through. Whether you'll reconsider the technology and possibilities around you, and those from other worlds, is debatable, but for a while you'll get swept along with the ride at the very least.
So, what have you all been reading this week?


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Aircraft: Cessna 152. Injuries: None. Location: Miami, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The student and flight instructor reported that, during their preflight inspection, 4.5 quarts of oil was in the engine sump and the fuel tanks were full. Another quart of oil was added to the engine before takeoff.
About 1 hour 40 minutes into the flight, the engine began to run rough, then quit. Attempts to restart it were unsuccessful. The flight instructor took the controls for a forced landing in a field. The airplane nosed over on touchdown.
During the recovery of the wreckage, the fuel tanks were drained, and each tank contained about one quart of fuel. There was no oil or fuel on the ground under the wreckage. The oil dipstick showed no oil on the stick. About 1-1/3 quarts of oil were drained from the engine. According to the engine manufacturer, the minimum safe quantity of oil in the sump is two quarts.
Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of an oil leak anywhere on the engine or airframe. The engine showed evidence of seizure due to a lack of lubrication. The engine oil and filter were reportedly changed during a 100-hour inspection that occurred three days before the accident. Investigators stated that although the crew reported that they departed with sufficient oil and fuel, the physical evidence did not support that assertion.
Probable cause: The pilots' operation of the airplane with an insufficient supply of engine oil, resulting in engine seizure and total loss of engine power.
NTSB Identification: ERA12LA405
This June 2012 accident report is are provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.


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Hi Kathy,
What a beautifull cat Buddy is,he seems to be copeing with his disability well. How old is he Kathy.?
I saw your show this morning when you wearing the Ronnie Nicole dress, thought it looked great on you and a size 12 well done.You said you were a bigger size but you didn't look it.A couple of presenters were clothes to small for them, doesn't look good, and as you say make the most of your size, doesn't matter if your a 10 or 20 wear what fits you. I wear a size 10/12 at the moment as i slimmed down when i got married last sept.I remember you said you have lost weight with the Slim be drink I will be trying this, as it has really worked with you. Well done.
Take care
Kathy x
It's been a quiet week for me, as I try to shake off a bad cold that has aggravated my asthma.
Charlie and Bex were home on Sunday to celebrate Charlie's 20th birthday – I find it hard to believe we only have one teenager in the family now - we enjoyed a meal together at our local pub and some banoffee cupcakes that Bex baked as an alternative Birthday Cake. They were delicious!
Charlie's birthday always falls during half term, and although none of our three are at school anymore, it also marks the time that we begin to notice signs of spring. It is usually when I'm taking Barney for his walk that I feel the change of seasons, but of course there are often a few false starts before we really get there. We may still have more snow!
I enjoy my moments in the countryside – we are lucky enough to live only 25 miles from the new QVC studios in west London, but with fields, woods and the River Thames on our doorstep.
I now have a decent camera in my mobile phone, and the family laugh that Barney must be the most photographed dog in the world – I'm always taking his picture as we walk together – he seems to quite enjoy posing for me!
I hope you like the ones I've chosen here. I've also added a photo of Buddy, our blind and deaf cat. A few of you have asked after him and although he is now housebound, he seems happy and is doing well.
Our garden is beginning to come to life as well. It's style is very natural (low maintenance!) and we have bulbs popping up all over the place. The snowdrops are in full bloom and the daffodils are almost open. I cut some today to have in the kitchen.
Today was very cold and grey, but we have enjoyed some beautiful blue skies in the last week or so. Billy describes the perfect sky as a 'bluebird' sky when he's in the mountains, and he sent us a gorgeous photo that his instructor took of him on the slopes under such a sky.
You can feel his exhilaration just by looking at it!
Of course, you can only have those conditions if white skies have produced the snow, and when that happens the boys stay in town and use the 'street park' to have some fun.
With the ease of modern technology it is never more than a few days before we hear from Billy, usually with a photo he posts on Facebook. It's a good way to keep in touch without cramping his style!
Tomorrow I must shake off my cold properly, as we are filming a promo film for a new show that I will be hosting every Wednesday at 10am from March 6th. It will be called 'Morning Style with Kathy' and I will be helping you to get the best from QVC fashion – to find the way to make the most of your size and shape, to suit your own style and the way you live your life. I'm really looking forward to it and will tell you much more in my next blog.
Until then, take care and look after yourselves.
Kathy x
8 Comments
February 26, 2013 at 1:09 pm -
Hi Kathy,
February 27, 2013 at 10:24 am -
Hi Kathy
Really enjoyed your interview with Barbara Taylor Bradford today and am looking forward to reading her new book.
Thought you looked fab in the interview, (my husband commented on it which is unheard of, he normally only looks at Hi Tec! )could you let me know the item nos of your top and pendant if they are QVC? I think the pendant may be Clogau?
Also you sometimes wear a burgundy paisley tunic top which really suits your colouring, is that by a QVC designer?
Thanks for your help.
Julie H xx
February 27, 2013 at 10:56 am -
dear cathy, I wonder if you could please let me know where you got the black and white shirt that you are wearing in the 10am show on 27th Feb, it is stunning and really suits you
March 1, 2013 at 8:30 pm -
Hi Cathy, love to watch you on qvc and have seeen you blossom over the past few years.
Can't wait for your new fashion show next week. I'm in my mid fifties and feel I have lost my way as far as fashion is concerned. I think if I buy one more fleece my daughter will cut it up.desperately need help and to get my confidence back in choosing clothes that suit my age. Not make me look like I'm trying to look to young or worse to old. Will be watching on Wednesday.keep up the good work. Sandra x
March 10, 2013 at 5:51 pm -
Hi Sandra. Thanks so much for your comments – I hope you managed to watch our first Morning Style show on Wednesday. If you did, you will have heard me read out some of what you said as it is exactly the sort of problem we hope to be able to help with! Next week's show (and, indeed, the following one as well) will be dealing very much with how to get out of a rut you are stuck in and find a look that suits you and your lifestyle without being too young or trying too hard. I hope you can catch the show, and I hope you don't mind if I mention your comment again.
best wishes
Kathy x
March 10, 2013 at 6:07 pm -
Hi Dorothy
I'm glad you like my shirt – it's from my favourite store away from QVC – Mint Velvet. It's their Melissa Print blouse, £59 and available on their website. I hope that helps. I also hope you might be able to join us for the second Morning Style show on Wednesday at 10am – we have some fashion styles that I think you might like as well!
best wishes
Kathy x
March 10, 2013 at 6:16 pm -
Hi Julie
Thanks you very much – and tell your husband thanks too, I'm honoured!! It was good to meet Barbara Taylor-Bradford and I hope you enjoy reading her novel.
I'm not much help for you with my clothes, I'm afaid. The paisley top that you like is an old Susan Graver one, and the stipey top i wore to interview Barbara is an old one of mine from M and S. The jacket is from Monsoon this season and the pendant – you're right – is from Clogau, item number 607450.
Hope that helps a bit.
Best wishes
Kathy x
PS Is your name really Julie Hoolie?! How wonderful. That's even better than our youngest child, Billy Olley! Or our cat, Buddy Olley. (Get it?!)
March 10, 2013 at 6:22 pm -
Hi Kathy
Thanks for posting on my blog – Buddy is doing really well except for waking us at night with his yowling! My theory is he thinks he's a bat and uses what little hearing he has left to work out where he is by the sound bouncing off the walls!!
He was a present for Bex on her 6th birthday – she is 22 this summer so he's almost 16. We're all getting on a bit – Barney the dog will be 14 this July.
Thanks for noticing that I've lost some weight – it is slow and there's still plenty to go, but Slim-be is making it that bit easier for me. Well done for slimming for your wedding – I bet you had a fabulous day.
take care
Kathy x


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Carmen Hayes shows us her amazing big jugs as she gets her trimmed hungry muff drilled hard and fast
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Jock Itch: Tinea Cruis Fungus Infection
Tinea cruris, also known as "jock itch" or "jock rot," is a fungal infection caused by wearing clothes that are too tight or that do not let air circulate.
What Causes It?
- It usually occurs in damp, dark areas such as folds of the skin –especially in people who are overweight – or if you sweat a lot from hot, humid weather or while exercising.
- Warm weather and tight clothing (which hold moisture and sweat) encourage fungal growth.
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- Burning
- Redness
- Soreness
- Itching on the genitals and the inside of the thighs
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- Wear loose fitting clothing
- Avoid wearing any tight-fitting clothes (stretch pants, spandex, or tights
- Change your clothes every day and washing clothing and bedding in hot water
- Eat healthy because poor nutrition aids in fungal growth
- Apply talcum or other powders may help keep the area dry and prevent fungal infection
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Remember that heat will make the itchiness worse. Additionally, here are some tips to help you relieve and treat your symptoms:
- Run cool water over the affected area
- Place a cold clean washcloth on the skin.
- Take cool showers
- Apply ice packs, or ice cubes in a plastic bag.
- Rub cornstarch on the affected area
- If necessary, use a prescription medication
- Wash and thoroughly dry the affected area
- Apply a thin coat of the anti-fungal product and gently rub in
- Wash your hands afterwards
- Check the product directions to see how often to apply
- Continue to use and apply lotion for one to two weeks after seeing results
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Written By: Teens participating in the Summer Wellness Programs
Reviewed By: Nancy Brown, Ph.D.
Last Reviewed: October 2013