text:
Four days after the government's Competition and Markets Authority reported evidence that supermarkets are misleading customers with confusing pricing promotions, and announced a series of measures to improve compliance, bring greater clarity to shoppers and simplify the regulations, a reader from Shirley sent a link to another report.
Strengthen the adjudicator's role
Food suppliers and farmers are being increasingly squeezed by a bitter supermarket price war according to insolvency specialists Begbies Traynor. They report that the number of food suppliers and farmers in significant financial distress has risen 54% since last year as they bear the brunt of supermarket price wars, demands for rebates and late payments. In the second quarter of this year, 1,622 food suppliers were struggling to make ends meet and of those, 89% were small suppliers, said Begbies Traynor retail expert Julie Palmer.
It is difficult to find information about giant retailers' profit margins – the only relevant snippet came from City Insider (below): Instead of accepting the 'squeezing' supplier margins as business practice, the government spotlight should fall on the supermarkets' profit margins and a fair price for suppliers – the brief of the groceries ombudsman should be extended, enabling Christine Tacon to regulate this sector more effectively.


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I've been caught by a thought today. It seems to me that for a lot of special interests that I consider nefarious, a key strategy is to divide people — even persons. Divide the human interest. Create a smokescreen of issues, fabricated and real, potential disasters that are dealt with by Other people on a daily basis, bullet points on what kind of people fit into what tribes and bullet points on how to hold one's own in an unmediated mock trial against a member of a tribe that has been sold to one as "opposing."
Then, just in case too many well-meaning sponges get swayed by the power of counterargument or disarmament, the powers that be give us Games that humans invented over a hundred years ago and hotties that always seem either muted, self-edited or too unconscious to be either, lest we impressionables get to thinkin'. The advertising culture has become so entrenched in sports that we can no longer imagine a major professional league (which includes the NCAA, as it simply redirects the "professionalism" from player to promoter) that is not wholly owned by corporate interests. Don't get me wrong, the public is the entity funding the erection of all the new arenas and stadia, but alas, no ownership is conferred with such generous gifts.
Speaking of semi-private erections, the sex industry, and by that term I do not mean anything relating to actual sex, which continues to be assaulted by an ongoing mind-fuck intended to sell everything but human intimacy, but instead I of course refer to the virtual sex industry, is by now asymptotically ubiquitous. When you find a product being advertised to you without the overt or barely nuanced claim that this product will get you laid by either a hot chick or dude or by your begging-for-it hand as you lust for what's beyond the mirror, you let me know. The "hot" formula has become so twisted that Maxim magazine just gave its paying subscribers and newsstand suckers a Hot 100 one-two punch to the podium of Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez. Seriously. Is nothing sacred?
But getting back to that division thing, its main purpose is obvious: to divide people from their wealth. This is done pretty easily, as persons' wealth tends to correlate with their options. The more wealth gets concentrated at the top, the fewer options the rest of the people have. People that have few options (or see themselves as having few options) see giving their labor away for pennies on the dollar as more desirable than starvation. Everyone has basic needs, but it wouldn't do to have a massive population that only buys what it needs, so the owners have to manufacture wants in a mass of people critical enough to influence the rest of the people. You know, to divide all of the people from what could remain of their wealth.
A key tactic in the success of a divisive campaign is convincing individuals to detach from their environment. People must not see themselves in the struggles of others. They must not identify with other human beings — instead they must be shown what makes those sufferers different. The people who got mowed down in that Aurora movie theater aren't like you, because you didn't go see the third Batman flick the night before it opened. But if you did, don't worry, because you don't live in Colorado. Ok, but these people brought a baby to the showing. You wouldn't do that, right? See! You're not like these people, and it almost certainly couldn't happen to you.
The same goes for all the bombings you see in other countries. I mean, that wouldn't happen to you because you aren't proximate to the "wars." What's that you say, the Boston pressure cookers on the street? Oh, well go ahead and tell me the last time you ran a marathon. See? You're not like those people, those unfortunate ones. No, you are blessed, just so long as you don't identify too much with the unfortunates. Detach and survive.
But, of course, it could happen to you. Every moment you exist in the world you could be the victim of random or targeted violence. So be afraid. You've seen what we do to protesters, right? Now see, that really could be you, if you were dumb enough and hated freedom enough to join those angry people in complaining about their lot that they've inherited through their own unwillingness to just work harder. But you're not like them — those angry, lost souls who are pushing a socialist agenda, which by the way is totally what the Eastern Bloc was if you just don't look anything up and unquestioningly take our word for it. And you will, because you don't want to get beat down by our brute strength that you should be in lust with by now anyway, thanks to your conditioning.
See that? You're not like them. You're like this other group of people that should spend energy bickering with other groups within the same dwindling economic class over whatever issue we tell you is on the line and whatever rights we insist are endangered. But beyond that, eat our salty, genetically modified foods, drink our beer, go into debt to drive our cars (but don't drive them if you've drank our beers, pretty please), take out loans that we service but for which we are not on the hook to go to college and beyond to get watered-down degrees that by now must have a median ROI that is in the red, which is exactly where you'll always remain, but don't worry about it because it's just the way it is and you're totally immortal but you're gonna die someday so go big or go home while we go big and have you bail us out. Buy our flatscreen televisions and subscribe to the biggest cable package you can find, because somewhere in that fifteen-hundred channel list is a sliver of happiness that you didn't even know you wanted, but do not consider the ever increasing bill that comes with it.
Get the highest high-speed internet because just super-fucking-fast won't satiate you because who knows when you will want to masturbate to videos of Giada de Laurentiis swirling some gelato while you download the latest episodes of your favorite twenty-six podcasts and stream the latest Katy Perry song that we've pathologically Rorschached into emotions of tall, ravenous women with racks so unlikely that they happen to be multiple standard deviations from the mean of fit, dateable ladies whilst also being the actual mean of American women as a whole. Think about that. That'd be like if dudes' members got bigger and longer as said dudes got fatter, but somehow Ryan Gosling was still hung with the average length and girth of the entire population, including those using those performance enhancers known as shitty diets and lack of exercise.
My point is that it seems a strange dichotomy that our owners are trying to plant within us. On the one hand, detach from your fellow human, it won't happen to you, keep it moving, but on the other hand, fear everything. Remain in a constant fear of, amongst other things, the Other, so that you can not act rationally or in your best interest. But also detach, which connotes a dialing down of emotional doses. The dogma thus appears to be: "Be afraid, do not be joyous, surprised or sad, and we'll get back to you on whether you can be angry, disgusted or contemptuous, and, if permitted, where you shall direct your anger, disgust or contempt. But whatever you do, do not care." The whole thing feels incongruous. I guess those that are less responsive to fear are the ones targeted for detachment. The marriage of fear and detachment seems like honey wrapped in motor oil. I can't figure out how to describe it. Just quit voting to fund arenas for billionaire owners.

subset: commoncrawl


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Architectural Technician
- Recruiter
- Conrad Consulting Ltd
- Location
- Salary
- £35000 - £40000 per annum
- Posted
- 02 Jun 2017
- Closes
- 30 Jun 2017
- Ref
- 1705-74
- Contact
- Jade Halil
- Sector
- Architecture
- Function
- Architectural Technician
- Job Type
- Permanent
Conrad Consulting is delighted to be working with an exciting architectural practice who specialise in private and commercial projects with a strong environmental design policy.
Due to an increased demand for their expertise, they are now looking to recruit an Architectural Technician to commence work in their Billericay office.
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The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:
* Experience in Residential projects- Essential
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* Knowledge/Understanding of housing legislation
* Ability to work well in a team
* Proficiency with AutoCAD is essential. Knowledge of Revit & Sketch Up will be an advantage.
Candidates wishing to apply will have plenty of drive and enthusiasm combined with initiative, good communication abilities, job running experience and excellent design skills.
This is a fantastic opportunity to strengthening your career from day one on a variety of one off, exclusive projects.
To apply please contact Jade at Conrad- 01728 726 120 or email over your updated CV
Similar jobs


text:
(LO2:) I created this very quick test to show how I will animate the water flooding the Lily pad. I was worried that it would be difficult because it's a water effect but from my previous concept art I figured just using this darker colour of green creates the illusion of water flooding – it's quickly animated to show the speed of the water flood. I will use this to base my final animation water test.
(LO1:) I filmed my own feet with the same boots of my character. I used a wonky patio tile to try and capture the girl falling back after slipping on the edge of the lily pad. It took me a few tries to capture the right movement. The character in this scene is slowly moving away 'from the eel'. I will use this reference a general idea of where the feet should be positioned – I'll edit and give it more personality with inbetweens and exaggeration.
(LO1:) Hitchcock is well known for his focus on the hands. His characters often have close ups to the hands, which reveal intimate details about the scene. There is a lot of personality and character. We can get a sense of who these two characters are. The hands can reveal just as much expression as the face.


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Health care based on priorities is lost in decentralisationBMJ 2005; 331 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.331.7510.235 (Published 21 July 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;331:235
- Aleksandar Dzakula, research fellow (adzakula{at}snz.hr)
EDITOR—Decentralisation of the health system was applied in all transition countries in the 1990s.1–3 In most countries it was encouraged by the necessity to reform the inherited model of health organisation and to achieve the final goal—an efficient and fair health system. Croatia has special experience in decentralisation, primarily because of its geographical, political, and administrative circumstances but also because of its decentralised health system during the socialist regime in the 1980s.
Firstly, Croatia is a country with extreme differences between its regions. The income per head in the richest region is 10 times that in the poorest region.
Secondly, decentralisation reforms were not based on analyses of the problems and assessment of resources but on maintaining the framework within which they were implemented. Such implementation of the changes resulted in a complete change of the essence of the local health system, whereas the given framework imposed limitations on the development and changes, instead of fostering them.
Thirdly, decentralisation was implemented without having organised a local network of professionals that would work on the local level and would be able to manage local health needs.
Decentralisation is always a challenge in any health system and is mostly looked at as a series of political and organisational measures. Unfortunately, the expectation that decentralisation will ensure successful professional activities is often overlooked in the analyses. Furthermore, the measures and the purpose of decentralisation are often not recognised as important elements of political culture. The primary purpose of decentralisation—health care based on the real priorities and resources—therefore remains marginal.
Competing interests None declared.


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Yesterday was an extraordinary day, for so many reasons. And who better to tell you about it than my brother Joel? Therefore, I am yielding my podium, for a short time only, so he can share his (our) story with all of you. The Maya villages visited high-up in the mountains of Chiapas (in chronological order) were: Tenejapa, San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan. Take it away Joel—
Maya Life
One day, the right day, can transform you deep into the bone.
That should be considered a good day. A very good day.
At the beginning of my good day, our exuberantly animated guide spoke with deep familiar knowledge, almost reverence, about the Maya people he loves.
Especially praising their unflagging, communal pride.
My experience is sullen Maya vendors haunting the streets of Merida and San Cristobal, begging and selling their wares.
Never a smile from them.
Perhaps, perspective transformation begins with a smile.
I mean, maybe it always does.
I cannot share all that Alex told us while driving those curving mountain roads – up into the lush forests, and down into the valleys – but he held me with his words. A man with little time to teach, he powered his words with passion and conviction. I listened, and he made me eager to meet, really for the first time, this people of historical mystery. Most important to me: an indigenous people.
A proud, fiercely proud, people.
Our first stop was a town having its market day.
Nothing too unusual. We have seen several 'mercados' since coming to Mexico. Except.
Except, something was different. Immediately different.
As we wandered tiny pathways defining imaginary stalls, I began to watch the Maya faces. They looked at us with wonder, but more evident was their amusement. We became victims of their amusement, leaving behind a series of giggles and laughter. We became their source of entertainment.
And I felt good for it.
It feels good to be laughed at in just this way.
We walked on, until a small procession approached from the local church.
This day, I would come to feel how much the church pervades Maya life, but not at first. Mine was a gradual awakening. But ultimately, a revelation worthy of the day. The kind that transforms perspective.
One must first understand the role of Catholicism in Maya life, and only a simple metaphor can suffice: Catholicism is but a cast of characters with which to revisit Maya beliefs. A new story to tell old truths. And man, do they tell a great story, one that I might – finally, at this old age – actually believe.
But for this, we moved to the second town. And there, it was all about the church itself. The most incredible sanctuary I have ever seen; the most remarkable display of living spirituality I have ever experienced.
No photographs please.
Seriously. I could tell you a gruesome story about this, but I won't.
At last, my skills are needed. Only a writer can tell you about this place.
But be prepared. The local Maya ousted the role of the priest, they burned the confessional, and their altar is devoted to their most revered saint: Big John. Big John is John the Baptist, a shepherd like themselves, and, after all, bigger than Jesus because Big John baptized Jesus. And third, after Big John and Jesus, is little John … because the Spaniards arrived with two differently sized statues.
Does this make you uncomfortable? It certainly enraged the Spaniards.
I love it.
So, what you must realize before entering: this church belongs to the people.
The pews are also gone, since: no priest, no mass.
Seriously, there is only communing with the Saints.
Pine needles carpet the floor. It is like sitting in the forest to pray.
Candles light the sanctuary like a scene from Camelot.
And the people. My god, so many people. This is not a special day. This is not the Sabbath. This is an ordinary Saturday, around mid-day, but the church is filled with Maya sitting in small groups, facing and communing with a preferred or necessary Saint (each installed like a Coney Island fortune teller in his own private, glass-enclosed booth.)
They drink 'pox' (pronounced 'posh',) a rum made for religious purposes, but the point is to confess and commune and then burp up the badness. Coca-cola is a better alternative, in some respects, especially for the kids.
If you are inclined to cynicism or ridicule, don't.
I swear to you, this was the most sacred place I have ever been.
And, people were smiling. Still smiling at us. Still giggling. And offering us pox.
How can I tell you about the live chicken, smudged over the candles and meant to absorb the animal spirit that is causing a spiritual sickness? How can I tell you the fate, right there in church, of that chicken? I cannot. Because, unless you were there, you would not understand the reverence involved.
But know this. I came out of that church a believer in the sacred once more.
So much more happened. So much laughter and smiling. So much community.
But there was a third stop.
The best of all.
At the end of the road, just before the dense forest, we stopped and entered a small adobe hut. Smokey and dark, confined and cool, occupied by two Maya women, old and young, tending a coal-burning fire, atop which a large round platter was baking bluish-black tortillas. We were invited to sit at a munchkin table with munchkin chairs, close to the cooking. In the coals, a small ceramic pot of beans was heating. On the table, a small packet of ground pumpkin seeds and a block of rock salt awaited. Dangling from a roof beam, a caged parrot expostulated his irritation. The women methodically pressed and cooked ground corn meal into perfect tortilla circles, placed several in a basket, and passed them on to us. We filled them with beans and pumpkin seed meal, but winced at how hot they remained. We were given roasted plantains, straight from the coals, and corn, also straight from the coals. We drank tiny cups of hibiscus wine, and felt satiated by their generosity.
I kept hearing that biblical injunction to entertain strangers, for they may be angels. I looked at this pure simplicity of life and witnessed religion as a living force. And I thought: Big John is pleased.
There is still magic to be found in Mexico—we found a big dose of it yesterday. Photographer's note: The Maya are a proud, and sometimes fierce, people. They are not open to having their pictures taken, or having the interiors of their churches (or religious ceremonies) photographed. Those tourists that have succumbed to temptation have been dealt with harshly in these remote and traditional villages. I asked for, and was granted permission to take all of the images presented here. My special thanks to our guide Alex, and his longtime friend Maria (and her family), for their acceptance, knowledge and generosity in sharing Maya del Mundo (The World of the Maya) – SFD
Alex – Owner/Operator and Tour Guide Extraordinaire
for 23 years at
Cielo y Tierra Tours (Heaven & Earth Tours)
http://firstname.lastname@example.com (safe to ignore warning of possible phising site)


text:
Lenovo has announced the release of it's new 'Smartbook' called Skylight, billed as a combination of a smart phone and a netbook is due to launch here in Europe later this year.
"Skylight combines the long battery life and connectivity of a smart phone with the full web browsing and multimedia experience of a netbook to create one of the first devices in this developing smartbook category. Consumers want choices."
Said Peter Gaucher, the executive director for mobile internet product management at Lenovo.
The ten inch HD screen allows full screen viewing of webpages much like all netbooks, but unlike other netbooks it also comes with in-built 3G and Wi-Fi and along with the thickness of your average smartphone and coming in at a weight of only 2lbs makes the Skylight just as portable as your phone but you can pack a lot more into your bag.
The big difference between this netbook and any others on the market is that it runs Lenovo's own operating system based on a widget interface, instead of the usual Linux or Windows.
The Skylight comes preloaded with 18 widgets such as Facebook and Twitter, along with widgets for downloading videos and music.
The amount you can download is fairly limited, with the device only giving you a 20GB storage capacity. Although this isn't enough for having many media files stored on your machine, it's more than enough for day to day use as a smartbook/netbook hybrid and is a comparable storage capacity to smartphones such as the iPhone.
Although the storage isn't much, it's not really an issue – the slim and sleek design is so appealing and portable, the battery life would be on par with the average smartphone, with an always on battery designed to charge at night and last you the day, it also takes away from the need to carry mobile broadband sticks in your pocket or remember to take them with you.
It will be interesting to see how the Skylight does in the coming year with Apple dropping hints about its upcoming iSlate, which is rumoured to start the tablet PC revolution and essentially kill off the netbook, Microsoft also launched several tablets from the likes of Archos and HP at the CES today which may begin to take big chips out of the netbook market.


text:
A Mother Always Remembers…
I remember:
The first time I felt you move.
The first time I saw you.
Crying the first time I was left totally alone with you and I realized it was my job to keep you safe and alive. I was scared to death. I still am.
Sleeping with you and nursing you as a baby.
Taking you to Ft. Rucker ER in the middle of the night with croup.
What a beautiful baby girl you were – literally. Everyone knew it – all they had to do was look at you. And then you would smile and cackle and they really loved you.
That your first word was "light."
Singing "Five Sleepyheads" every single night for 4 years straight. Reading One Fish, Two Fish every night for at least 2 years. And I still am able to recite The Cat and the Hat for Ezra now because of you.
Moving into our first apartment together at Fieldcrest in Dothan. For the first time you had a yard to play in and we spent hours at the pool playing. For the first time I was a single mother. For the first time I had my own apartment – with you.
The night you fell into that pool upside down with a swim ring on (because you didn't listen to me and stay off the deep end ladder) and had to be pulled out by your ankle. And I put you right back into the shallow end before you had a chance to be scared.
Your wide, scared eyes from your car seat the time I hydroplaned and wrecked on the way to take you to daycare. You never made a peep while the car was spinning, when we hit the tree (a very small one with the back bumper, thank goodness) or even after I got you out. You didn't know what to think, so you just took it in stride and trusted me. You were 1.
The first time you ever flew. You were 2.
The first wedding you were in. You were 2.
The time you cut your hair while I napped on the couch. You were 4. I still have the hair – dated.
The second wedding you were in. You were 4.
When you broke your tooth at Aunt Maug's and how cute you looked when you smiled with that chipped front tooth.
Being the tooth fairy.
You dressing up in Monna's clothes for a tea-party at First Presbyterian preschool – complete with hat and pearls. I have pictures.
When you broke your ankle in kindergarten. Twice. I still have both casts.
Taking you to Disney World, Epcot and Universal Studios for you 5th birthday.
Field day, relay races and "We Are The Champions" in Miss Stevens' class.
The third wedding you were in. You were 8.
Reading Harry Potter to you… and then you reading them to me.
Going to the Peanut Festival and the beach every year with April, Jess and Tim.
Your sprinkler birthday party in our front yard.
Your first prize winning photograph.
The poem about America you had published.
Taking you and Anesia to tour the USS Alabama – and watching a live news broadcast.
Going to Dauphin Island just the two of us on Saturdays. Stopping at the farmer's market stand on the way home.
Going to Orange Beach just the two of us. We walked along the beach and you caught hermit crabs with the other kids at night.
Mardi Gras in Mobile. I still have a jar full of our coolest beads.
That you used to ride your bike everywhere, and I let you – as long as you had the walkie talkie and stayed within its range.
All the hermit crabs you had. Well, most of them. And the other pets – Miles, Snidge… the good ones.
The second time you flew. You were 12.
Your 13th birthday party in our back yard… with the unbreakable piñata and shaving cream fight.
How well read and articulate you are.
Your art.
Your photography.
Your writing.
I know how smart you are.
I know how strong willed and defiant you are.
I know how talented you are.
I know how much potential you have.
I know how good you are.
I know because I made you and raised you. For good or bad. For both of us.
But I need you to know these things as well.
I need you to know that, at 20, your life is really just beginning. It may not seem like it, but it is. I know this because I have lived your lifetime with you. I remember it all. And I know exactly how long it takes for 20 years to pass.
As your mother, I need to know you are making the most of it. It will go by so fast and I don't want you to take it for granted. You still have plenty of time. If you take advantage of it.
Don't short change yourself, Greta. Please.


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2 months ago
I like your model pose Dana, very perfect!
So weird that there were no people and it was like a ghost town. Beautiful building though! Thanks for sharing! Miss you. I'm heading to Arizona to visit Bev and Ron on Friday, tomorrow. Getting excited.


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So what's it like being the mother of two boys? Landon is cool, calm and happy most of the time. Liam has a lot of energy and will try anything. Absolutely anything. Sometimes I get a little tired, but most of the time my life is pretty awesome. I love hanging out with my boys.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Me and my boys
Posted by The Miguel Family at 8:21 PM No comments:
Family Pictures
Poul was able to take some family shots of us when he was here. Some of them turned out pretty well despite the fact that we were melting the the heat.
Posted by The Miguel Family at 8:20 PM 1 comment:
Our Stay-cation
After Roland finished with his 6 weeks in the clinic he had 4 weeks off. It was amazing. Besides the trips to New Hampshire and Utah and the end of the 4 weeks we mostly stated in Dallas. Our normal routine would be to get up, go running, go swimming and hang out with the boys. I got really spoiled because I got to run without the jogging stroller. One outing that was really fun was boating with the Andersons and Wilkinsons. It was so nice to get some relief from the heat. Roland and I wake boarded and Liam and I got to tube together. Liam really enjoyed the tubing. He didn't want it to stop. I was pretty proud that I got up on the wake board after the 3rd try. All in all it was so nice to have Roland home. It made it much easier for me and it is always nice to have quality family time.
We watched this boy get cuter and cuter
Went on many walks. Can you tell that TX is in a drought? Check out the grass.
1st time tuber
Mom, I'm not feeling so well. . .
Landon even joined in. Yes he is wearing a girls life jacket.
One of his many walks around the Village. Can you tell that anytime you go outside you melt? So glad it is getting cooler.
Posted by The Miguel Family at 8:20 PM No comments:
Poul Comes to Visit
Poul came to visit last week. It was awesome! It was just what I needed since Roland had started school again and I was a little stressed. I definitely needed the help and it is always nice to have your brother around. We did lots of fun stuff. We went swimming, Top Golf, made yummy dinners, went out to some great BBQ and went to a Red Sox game (more about that in a later post). The only complaint about the visit is that it was too short. We miss you Poul. Come back soon!
I just love this picture of Liam!
Top Golf! As you can see it was more fun for the adults than for Liam and Landon!
Liam giving Landon a kiss. Cuteness.
Reading stories before bed.
I love that they are both smiling!
We love you Uncle Poul!
Posted by The Miguel Family at 7:51 PM No comments:
3 months! What the what?
Landon is now 3 months. Actually this post is a little late so he is more like 3 1/2 months. How did this happen? The time is flying. Here are somethings he loves:
- His fingers (They are always in his mouth)
- His pacifier (Liam never took a pacifier and man that thing works wonders)
- His Mom and Dad
- His brother
- Bath time- I love how he kicks his legs and moves all around. He is so cute!
- His swaddle- He still loves to be swaddled before he goes to bed. It calms him down so fast.
- Talking/Laughing
Our little Landon is such a great baby. He is growing up way too fast. Just this afternoon he flipped from his tummy to his back three times in a row! So he really isn't a teeny-tiny infant anymore. We love you Landon!
Totally working the double chin
Landon already knows how to fold his arms
Chilling in the swing
His blessing outfit.
Tummy time for both Liam and Landon!
Posted by The Miguel Family at 7:22 PM 1 comment:
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Our Little Runner!
Liam loves to run. Quite often he will be running around our apartment yelling, " I'm running, I'm running, I'm running." Whenever we take him for a "walk," he runs the whole way. And he is fast. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping up. The other day he was trying on my running shoes and I just had to take a picture of our little runner.
Posted by The Miguel Family at 12:26 PM No comments:
Monday, August 22, 2011
At the beginning of August I made a surprise visit to New Hampshire to see my family. It was pretty much amazing. No one knew I was coming except for my twin brother Poul and it was so fun to see everyone. I have to say my mom and Gretchen had the best reactions. My mom was up at Girls Camp and Poul, Kirstin, Jimmy and I went up to surprise her. Jimmy's mom was at Girls Camp as well which was great because she was able to arrange everything. So we met Karen ( Jimmy's mom) at the entrance and walked to the fire pit where my mom was. Before my mom saw us Karen took Landon and handed him to my mom. My mom thought it was Lucy until she saw me and Jimmy holding Lucy. Then she exclaimed " Oh, this is Landon!" And because it was loud Landon started screaming and we were all crying. It was a great moment.
We surprised Gretchen at the airport a few days later. Poul and I made the trip to the airport and when Gretchen landed he kept saying "we are coming" instead of " I am coming." Gretchen wonder who we was and Poul said it was Peder. So when we got to the airport Poul went to the gate to meet her (and told her that Peder was in the bathroom). I waited near baggage claim. When they came down the steps it was awesome because Gretchen was distracted by her phone so I ran up and surprised her. She could not believe that I was there. She took my face in her hands and was said," How are you here?" Another wonderful moment.
This will definitely be a trip I will remember for a long time. And although it was short I was able to see my wonderful family and friends and just enjoy being in New Hampshire.
Mom with grandson (first time she met him)
Peder and Christy.
Some of the Great Grandparents
Cousins-Lucy and Landon are four days apart.
Posted by The Miguel Family at 6:30 AM No comments:
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1.Bleecker St. Subway
2. The Strand
3. My Sublet in Williamsburg
4. JMZ train entrance
5.The Diner (press photo - not me)
6.The view from my sublet window every day
7.The uppermost portion of my school building
Dad: "What is all that noise?"
Me: "Oh yeah, remember I moved to New York?"
Re: Street musicians on a Sunday afternoon whilst walking to the train and talking to my father.
Number two from the top not a library folks but rather The Strand bookstore in my first favorite of places in New York City, Union Square. I had my back to the fiction section and yet perhaps I should study some Judaica as the sign beckons. I picked up some of my future professor's work that I haven't tackled yet. This term I am taking a workshop class with Jonathan Safran Foer who wrote Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. So yes by workshop he will be giving me his thoughts on my actual writing. I am also taking a craft class in which I study works of fiction with Darin Strauss who wrote Chang and Eng which you must please, please read. It is beyond amazing. It is excellent to have reading as I get better suited for dining alone for the first time in quite some time. Though I don't mind it one bit I have a personal tendency to watch people if my hands are not filled with a book and I don't think the said people like it very much.
There are many wonderful things that have been said to me recently from my father wondering about the noise to painters in Greenwich Village wanting to paint me.
And then the sentimental of all words spoken is my Virgin America clerk (a nice little old man) who did nifty things to my baggage to charge me less saying, "We've lost an Angeleno but we've gained a writer."
Yes, he asked why I had four bags and I explained my situation and no sooner were those sweet words spoken than I was getting moved out of my cramped middle seat to a row right behind the first class cabin by a window all by myself so that I could "work"....on a rather crowded plane. And if you haven't flown Virgin America please do make it a point. They bring you food or cocktails if you so desire when you want it. You just order on the screen. This very same screen hosting hundreds of music (most of which are impressive offerings) and movies and free/premium television. I found myself wide awake the entire trip re-reading Denis Johnson's Jesus Son, memorizing the Western mesa, and watching the sun fall somewhere over the flat plains of Middle America, the small town electricity faint as bits of mirror.
I was wide awake with joy, fear, and a bit of shock. Even still this is all coursing through me and should be I feel. My smile is still splitting at the seams at its own leisure. Upon arrival I took a cab to my sublet in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It's a pre-war townhouse walk up with hardwood floors and a dominant color of white. The renter of which (I found on craigslist with fingers crossed) is a very nice and very gorgeous Ford model who literally just departed for Greece. I'm around the corner from the mouth of the JMZ train so my days and nights are filled with the sounds of buses stopping and starting, the train hissing on its rails, cab driver's personal life soundtracks, and a couple who like to stop and fight outside my window. I'm doing my best to not yell down and suggest they break up already.
These are all lovelies though (minus the couple) even when my face is washed by a wave of exhaust and I am fifteen blocks off course. It all seems perfectly right and I am absolutely smitten with the aesthetic of it all. The brick townhouses and brownstones, the kids break dancing on the stairs, and the sight of books and crosswords in peoples fingers on the subway. Anywhere else I would notice more that my feet are blistered, bloody even in parts, and that I've just walked several miles. Right now though, I am just happy to be here.
I start classes on the 2nd of September and until then I feel my days will be much as they have been. Filled to the brim with walking aimlessly, train hopping, permanent apartment hunting, and reading/dining regularly at The Diner. This joint has fantastic music, food, and looks like the interior of a train perhaps because it is a circa 1920's dining car with exposed layers of paint, wood, and gorgeous tile work. It's the closest thing in sight and I'm a lucky girl because it's so great I wish it was my dining room minus the less interesting strangers. The interesting ones can stay and believe me there are walking stories in this city sprouting out of every corner and subway like wildfire.
But now kids, it is time for me to step out into the noise, take the carefully torn out scrap of the inevitably difficult Sunday New York Times crossword and find myself some dinner and maybe even a drink.


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Does charitable action change poverty?
Why should Australians, or citizens of any developed nation, donate their time, energy, and money to social causes which do not affect themselves? It is easy to see that apathy reigns for the modern Australian in regards to social issues. When governments decimate foreign aid budgets, reject those seeking asylum, and the world's richest continue to increase their share of global wealth, it is understandable for group mentalities to waver towards the opinion that each individual must rectify their problems without the aid of others. When it appears everyone else is focused on self-servicing, the only logical conclusion is...Read More


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Although we moved out 8/13 and LL had 30 days to communciate any issues and/or return my security deposit with interest (Sept 13th), she missed that deadline-no communication at all, no explanation provided. Finally, I sent a certified letter on Sept 29th, what I'm calling my second demand letter. I cc'd the Realtor as well. FYI, in CT, unless the LL can prove that she was unable to send the security deposit back due to extreeme circumstances (hospitalization for instance), I can sue for twice my security deposit.
Oct 7, LL prepares a letter and a check for me, mails it certified mail on Oct 10th. I'll call it 3 weeks past due; I got it today. Enclosed was approx 82% of my security deposit and within the letter, a breakdown of 4 charges:
-removal of the wood stove pipe (invoice attached)
-gutter cleaning (ESTIMATE attached-no invoice)
-broken window cranks (no documentation)
-broken hinge/frame of living room louvered doors (no documentation)
Leaving the wood stove discrepancy aside a moment, I am miffed about these "charges" that I view as bogus hits against my security deposit.
1-gutters? nothing in lease requires me to clean them, they had plants growing in them when I moved in. I emailed LL about having them cleaned-no response, but she was always bad with communication. Locally, one can easily get someone to clean gutters (per some recent Facebook posts) for $50-$65. She is withholding $125.
2-window cranks? I can only guess that she is referring to one of the kitchen crank windows that is "stripped" and won't open unless someone pulls it from outside. Her "handyman" looked at it, at my request, on her dime, and deemed it too expensive to fix-it'd have to stay as is. Crank in bathroom and Master bedroom windows (one each) that aforementioned handyman replaced parts of using generic and not the window manufacturer parts that never worked right? His "talents" were few and far between. As I told the realtor during my final walk thru, I strongly suspect that he has been commiting fraud, billing the long distance LL for work never done.
3-broken hinge/door frame? the one set of louvered doors was loose on the bottom hinge, we always kept it open as they rub against the new floor installed over an existing floor (you can see swish marks in the floor from a prior tenant). The screws in the hinge were coming out and rusty. Really?
Kicker is that there is no clear info on the window cranks or door hinge and she's dinging me $300 for those items alone?
Back to the contraversial wood stove: the lease was clear: anything that the tenant attaches to the building, if not removed (remember I had written permission to have the stove installed)becomes a permenant fixture to the property and therefor the LL's property. She chose to have it removed-so why should THE TENANT have to pay for her choice?
I will call my divorce/tenant-landlord attorney and ask for a free consultation. I am tired, I need to sleep on this. Another idea, per my limited Internet research is to send another certified letter, stating my position above and demanding the remaining monies that I feel are rightfully mine. I just want to be done with that horrible LL, but fair is fair!


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Imagine going off to college for the first time. You're looking forward to real independence. You're a bit anxious about the academic challenges. You're excited about meeting new people . And, you can't wait for the serious partying to begin!
But one thing you weren't prepared for was anti-Israel activities on campus. There's a table out on the quad, with a sign that says: "From the River to the Sea, Palestine must be free!" When you figure out that that means the Mediterranean sea and the Jordan river, you realize that there's no room for Israel. Then one day, on your way back to your dorm, you're stopped by students wearing army costumes who harass you. When you ask what's going on, you're told: "Now you know what Palestinians go through at Israeli checkpoints every day!" A lecture is scheduled by the Israeli ambassador to the US, and just as he begins to speak, protestors wearing Kefiahs begin chanting "End the Occupation!" A Jewish coed, running for Student Senate is disqualified from serving because she went on Birthright and this proves she cannot be fair to all students. After the shooting of an unarmed black man by the police in a nearby city, you attend a rally organized by Black Lives Matter, and you are shocked to see signs that accuse Israel of genocide against the Palestinians. When you ask what one thing has to do with the other, you learn a new word: "Intersectionality." You're told that racism, sexism, homophobia – constitute an intersecting system. Uniting oppressed groups – in this case African Americans and Palestinians – strengthens them against the dominant power structure – the police, and the Israelis. Pretty soon, you learn another new word: "Pinkwashing." As in, "Israel is guilty of pinkwashing by claiming it is LGBT friendly – but it's just a tactic for covering up its mistreatment of the Palestinians." One day you're handed a flyer that urges: "Say Yes to BDS." You soon learn that those letters stand for Boycott Israeli products, Divest from financially supporting Israel, and impose Sanctions on Israel to punish it for the occupation of Palestine. In the college newspaper you read about a professor who taught that Israel perpetrated the attacks on 9/11 and against Charlie Hebdo, and brought down the Malaysian Airlines flight 17. Then you go to hear the Green Party Candidate for President speak, and in addition to her plea for the environment, you are puzzled by her condemnation of Israel's policies of occupation, apartheid, assassination, illegal settlements, blockades, building nuclear weapons, indefinite detention, collective punishment and defiance of international law – which are met with loud cheers and applause by those in the audience.
At first, you're confused. Then you're upset. But you're not really sure who to be mad at: Arab students on campus? Left-wing organizations that seem behind all these activities? Or your parents and your Hebrew school for lying to you about what a terrible country Israel really is?
What's happening on campuses across America is part of a war against Israel and the Jewish people that has been going on for a hundred years - long before there were any settlements in the West Bank and even before there was a State of Israel.
For 25 years, the Arabs tried to fight wars of extermination. In 1948, on the day Israel declared its independence, Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon and Iraq attacked the Jewish state intending to drive the Jews into the sea. In 1967, Egypt and Syrian and Jordan again prepared for a war to destroy Israel. And on Yom Kippur, in 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack against the Jewish State. In each case, Israel absorbed the blows and went on to victory. It finally became clear to the Arabs that we were too strong, and they could not defeat us on the battlefield.
If the Arabs could not destroy us physically, then they would try to break our spirit. Way back in March of 1920, Arabs attacked an outpost of Jews in the Galilee, in Tel Hai, killing 6, among them soldier and pioneer Joseph Trumpeldor. Less than a month later, riots broke out in Jerusalem with 5 Jews murdered. A year passed and there were attacks in Jaffa that killed 47 Jews, including the famed Hebrew author Yosef Haim Brenner. From these early events, it was clear that the Arabs would not accept Jews living among them. Over the next century, there would be thousands of attacks – by the Fedayeen in the 1950's and 60's; hijackings in the 70's, throwing of rocks in the 80's and 90's, the blowing up of busses and cafes in the 2000's, and knife attacks in the 2010's, along with the random shooting of thousands of home-made rockets across the Gaza & Lebanon borders. And all this time, there were brutal murders of Jews. This past June, in Kiryat Arba, a Palestinian broke into the home of a Jewish family and stabbed to death a 13 year old girl, Hallel Yafa Ariel, as she slept. The Arabs don't think that they will destroy Israel by murdering one Jewish girl. What they do think they can do is cause the Jews to lose hope, and leave. But while they have been able, time and again to break our hearts, after a hundred years they have not been able to break our spirit.
And that's why the Arabs have turned to a third tactic – after all-out war, and terrorism. They have tried to turn the world against Israel and impose a solution favorable to the Palestinians. You will remember 40 years ago the notorious UN resolution that stated Zionism was a form of Racism. Today, BDS resolutions have been adopted by church groups and by certain businesses. Even some entertainers refused to appear in Israel; and pressure others not to do so.
So what are you supposed to do when you walk across a college campus and you're confronted by these attempts to de-legitimize Israel?
First, let's play a little game of Jewish geography. Where are you from? Jericho, Long Island. No, before that. Born in Manhasset, at North Shore. No, before that. Grandparents came from Brooklyn… Before that. Great-great grandparents came from Russia somewhere. And on the other side from a Shtetl in Poland. No, go back as far as you can. I don't know…
Well, 3700 years ago, Avraham ben Terah – our ancestor Abraham – settled in what we now call Israel. (As a matter of fact, he lived and was buried in what we now call the West Bank.) We were there until Jacob and sons moved to Egypt during a famine and were enslaved. Two hundred years later, Moses and Joshua brought us back, and we lived in Israel for 600 more years. The Babylonians exiled us for two generations, but some of us came back, and we lived in Israel for another 500 years. The Romans drove many of us out. But we never forgot who we were and where we came from. On Passover and Yom Kippur we always sing "Next Year in Jerusalem", and every single day for 2000 years we prayed that God would bring us back to our home. Truth be told, some of us never left. You can go to Peki'in in the Galilee, the home of the Zaynati family – who, for 2000 years remained in the land. And they were not alone. Christians came and went. Muslims came – and stayed. But the Jews were always connected to the land of Israel, both in body and in spirit.
In the 1880's, Jews were able to return home in significant numbers. Thousands came from Eastern Europe, and from Yemen. During the 20th century, a few million Jews made their way to Israel – some escaping pogroms, some Holocaust survivors, some driven out of Arab countries, some from the Soviet Union. On our trip this summer, we met with a remarkable woman. She was born in Ethiopia. Thirty years ago, when she was just 10 years old, she and her brother walked through Ethiopia, and through the Sudan to get to Jerusalem. Her people knew they came originally from Israel, and it was their dream to one day return. When her water ran out, this 10 year old drank mud to stay alive. She was ultimately rescued by the Mossad, who were sent to bring her home. Today a growing number of Jews from France, are making strides before it's too late. Now, half of the 13 million Jews in the world live in Israel.
Here's what you need to know: The Arabs think the Jews don't belong in Israel. Like Helen Thomas, they say: "Go back to Poland and Russia where you came from." Israel is where we came from! The Arabs think that Palestine was taken from them and given to us after the Holocaust, because the world felt bad for the Jews. But that's because they don't know, and they don't want to know, history. But we need to know it. Israel has always been the home for the Jewish people. You weren't lied to in Hebrew School. It's the Arabs trying to deny our connections to the land of Israel, who are lying. You need to know that, and you need to confront lies with the truth. You and I have chosen to live in America. Jews in America played an important role in Israel's founding, and in strengthening the State of Israel today. And Israel plays a critical role in our lives as Jews here in America, reminding us of who we are, and making us proud to be Jews.
But is what they say about genocide and settlements true?
Genocide is the worst crime there is – the extermination of an entire people. But anyone with half a brain knows that that is not what Israel is doing.
Bernie Sanders condemned Israel for its killing 10,000 Palestinians in the last Gaza war. Actually, his numbers were way off. 2000 died – half of them members of Hamas and other terrorist groups. And none of the 1000 innocents would have died, if the terrorists hadn't used civilian neighborhoods to launch unprovoked attacks on Israeli cities,
In 1967, there were a million and a half Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Today there are 3.7 million. In 2013, 39 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army. In 2014, leaving aside those killed in the Gaza War – started by the Arabs, 94 Palestinians were killed in clashes with the IDF. Those are not the statistics of extermination. Maybe the Arabs can fool the world, telling a big lie over and over again. We Jews know something about genocide. Shame on anyone who accuses Israel of doing to the Palestinians what the Germans did to the Jews.
The President of the United States – along with much of the world – believes that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are the main obstacle to achieving peace with the Palestinians.
Some Israelis believe that Judea and Samaria are integral parts of the Land of Israel – how can you tell a Jew that he or she can't build a home where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived, and were buried? Other Israelis say that peace is more important than land; whatever the historical and religious connection, the settlements should be evacuated and given back if that's what's preventing peace. It's a serious and important debate.
But here's what you need to know. There was a Palestine Liberation Organization back in 1964 – before there were any settlements. The conflict is not about settlers occupying Arab land in the West Bank. It's about Jews living and governing any land from the river to the sea. The Arabs won't even acknowledge that there is a Jewish historical connection to the Western Wall. It's not Hebron alone that they demand. It's Tel Aviv. The settlements are not the reason there is no peace. It's the Arab refusal to accept that the Jews have any right, to any of the land. That's where a President of the United States – interested in the Peace Process has to start: Getting the Arabs to acknowledge that Israel is the national home of the Jewish people.
When the early Zionists dreamed of retuning to Israel, their slogan was "A land without a people for a people without a land." Or so it seemed from far away in Russia. When the pioneers arrived, they found another people there. Most Jews were willing to be good neighbors; most Arabs were not. Back in 1909, Jews had to form Ha-Shomer, an organization of watchmen to protect the first towns and villages from Arab attacks. In 1920, Ha-Shomer morphed into the Hagana – the Hebrew word for Defense. And in 1948, the Hagana became the Israel Defense Forces. It's always been about defending ourselves, not attacking or occupying another people.
There is another people in the land. To be honest, I wish they weren't there – but they are. It's contrary to Jewish values to get rid of them. We'd prefer to live with the Arabs in peace. That aspiration is actually written into the Israel Declaration of Independence. But for 68 years, we haven't found a partner who shares that dream.
The Middle East Arab-Israeli conflict is among the most complex and difficult ones in the world, baffling diplomats and statesmen for a century. Yet it can all be reduced to one simple fact: In 1947 the United Nations voted on a partition plan that would have divided the land and created two states – Israel for the Jews, and Palestine for the Arabs. The Jews said Yes, and the Arabs said No. That's all you need to know. Had the Arabs said Yes back in '47, there would have been a Palestinian State, there would have been no wars, there would have been peace.
There is a long history since then of the Arabs saying No. Following the Six Day War, the Israelis said: We'll give back the Golan Heights, and the West Bank, Gaza, and the Sinai – in exchange for peace. The Arabs gathered in Khartoum and said: No peace, No recognition, No Negotiations! (In 1979, when Anwar Sadat was willing to make peace, Israel ceded all of the Sinai to Egypt.)
As part of the Oslo peace accords, Prime Ministers Rabin, and Barak and Olmert were willing to give back more than 90% of the West Bank, plus land swaps. But Arafat and Abbas would not say Yes.
In 2005, Prime Minister Sharon, sensing there was no partner for peace, unilaterally withdrew all Israelis from the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian response was to elect Hamas, which began shooting thousands of rockets into Israel.
The Arabs will say that the Jews stole their land in the West Bank, and are brutally occupying the Palestinians there. The Israelis will remind you that Yehuda and Shomron (as Jews call it) was an integral part of our history and religion going all the way back to David, and to Abraham. For security reasons, the Israeli Army controls much of the West Bank, and Palestinians are subjected to someone else controlling their lives. This is not good for them, or for Israel. But until the Arabs are prepared to live together in peace, that's how things will be. It's all up to them. What the world calls "occupation" will end when the Arabs stop trying to put an end to Israel.
On our trip to Israel this summer we visited Rachel's Tomb, one of the holiest sites in the Jewish religion. The Tomb is in Bethlehem, which is now part of the Palestinian Authority. To protect Jewish worshipers, Israel had to surround the Tomb by an armored fortress, because a number of years ago, Arabs looted and burned another Jewish site, the Tomb of Joseph. You don't see similar fortifications at the Golden Dome of the Rock, or at Al-Aksa Mosque. Jews don't prevent Muslims from praying at their holy sites – unless the Arabs use the Temple Mount to throw rocks down at Jews praying at the Western Wall. Yet to keep the peace, Jews are forbidden to pray on the Temple Mount. Over a million Arabs are citizens of the State of Israel, yet the Arabs continue to demand that no Jew can live in what is historically and religiously a part of the ancient land of Israel, in what they call Palestine.
Israel is certainly not perfect. Like any democracy, Israel's government makes its share of mistakes – both minor and grievous. The United States of America has been around for 240 years, and still hasn't worked out its racial issues and tensions. Israel, too, is not a perfect society. Yes, its Arab citizens face discrimination, (as do some of its Jewish Sephardic, and Ethiopian citizens.) If you think America's political system is dysfunctional, compared to Israel's, it's down right utopian. And the lack of separation of "Synagogue and State" in Israel leads to many injustices regarding Marriage and Divorce, Conversion, and Burial and even Prayer for the non-Orthodox.
But remember that in only 68 years, Israel has had to fight 13 wars – some of them for its very survival. And while doing so, it has brought in, and settled millions of immigrants.
It is necessary to criticize a country when it does something wrong. But there's a line today where criticism of Israel crosses over into anti-Semitism. How do we know where that line is?
Natan Sharansky tells us about "the 3-D's Test." If criticism of Israel involves De-Legitimization, Demonization, and Double-Standards – then it's anti-Semitism. De-Legitimization is when people say that the very existence of the State of Israel is a crime; that the Jewish people, alone of all peoples in the world, – have no right to their own country. Demonization is when Israel and the Jews are characterized as evil and satanic. That they are Nazis, that they purposely kill babies, that they drink blood, that they control the media, the government and the economy. Double-Standards are when Israel alone of all nations, is singled out for condemnation, ignoring that Syria has killed almost a half-million of its residents, that Saudi Arabia beheads adulterers, and Iran executes homosexuals.
Anti-Semitism is on the rise today, and it comes in three distinct colors – Brown, Red and Green. Brown is a reference to the Brown Shirts of the Nazis. This form is right-wing and it is ultra-nationalist. It is sometimes even connected to classic Christian hatred of Jews, seeing us as Christ-Killers, but also as "the Elders of Zion," scheming to control the world. Red is the color of the flag of the Radical Left, people who identify Zionism with Capitalism and Colonialism. Green is the flag of the Islamists – like Hamas – who use traditional Muslim anti-Jewish ideas – for example, that the Jews are descendants of Pigs and Monkeys. We have to listen carefully to what people say about Israel and the Jews. And whenever we hear one of the 3 D's, we need to realize that we are facing not legitimate criticism of Israel, but Jew-hatred.
Let me share three stories I heard on our trip to Israel this summer.
May, 1948. Israel had just been declared an independent nation. The Egyptian army was moving up the coastal road, headed for Tel Aviv, to destroy the Jewish State in its first days. Standing in the way of the Egyptians was the small Kibbutz of Yad Mordechai. The Kibbutz was named for Mordechai Anilevich, the 23 year old leader of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising against the Nazis in 1943, an uprising that held off the German Army for almost a month. The Kibbutzniks had only 130 defenders. For six days they blocked the Egyptians from moving on Tel Aviv. 26 of those Kibbutzniks were killed and ultimately the Kibbutz fell to the enemy. But by the time it did, the Israeli Army had organized its fighters and weapons and headed south, intercepting and stopping the Egyptians. Because of those 130 defenders, Israel survived.
June 1967. The Jordanian Army entered the war with Egypt and Syria. Jerusalem became the focus of a great battle. The Jordanians were entrenched above the city in their fortifications on Ammunition Hill. To secure Jerusalem, the Israelis had to take the Hill. They arrived at 2:30 in the morning. We walked in the trenches. They are chest high, and just shoulder-wide. The Israelis ran single file in the dark. When the lead soldier ran into the enemy in the trench or a bunker, there was a fight to the death. When the first man fell, the man behind him had to step on his fallen body to continue forward. By dawn, 36 Israelis had died – and Ammunition Hill was captured. From there, Israeli troops moved down to the Old City and the Western Wall. Jerusalem was once again united.
August 2016. We visited the town of Sederot – less than one mile from the Gaza Strip. In the proceeding 10 years, 10,000 rockets have been fired into the city. When a rocket is launched from Gaza, a siren goes off in Sederot. The citizens have as little as seven seconds to get to a shelter before it hits. Every home has a shelter. Every bus stop has a concrete shelter attached to it. Every playground is built with a shelter. The police station has a display of some of the rockets that landed – either harmlessly in a field, or fatally onto someone's roof. We stopped for lunch at a mall in Sederot. Life went on as usual, in this town of 24,000. Here's the amazing thing: The people stay. Some might say that this is because they can't move – who would ever buy their homes? But you could also say that the people of Sederot stay because they know that if they leave, Ashkelon is next, and then Ashdod, then Rehovot, and then Rishon and then Holon and Bat Yam – and then Tel Aviv. Israel is counting on them.
Seredot is on the front lines of the ongoing war against Israel, and the Jews. But so is the American college campus. And whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not, we're all part of the forces that are defending Israel. We don't have to hold back the Egyptian army for six days; we don't have to crawl through trenches and capture fortified Jordanian bunkers in the middle of the night.
What we do have to do, is know who we are, and where we came from, and what the truth is. And when we're confronted with lies, and hate, we need to stand up proudly, and let our voices heard.
Israel, and the Jewish people, are counting on us.


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ECKAN volunteer director named
OTTAWA — Lindsey Fincham has joined ECKAN as the agency's director of community engagement. She will oversee the administration of the ECKAN Volunteer Center, the Youth Action Council and Youth in Government programs, and other related services in ECKAN's nine-county service area. Fincham has served for eight years as director of operations for Humanity Reads, three years with the U.S. Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan, and four years with the Hollings Center for International Dialogue.
Monday, Feb. 16, 10 a.m.


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Wanna keep staring in your eyes;
But how do I look at them,
You never see me at all.
Give the warmest hug to you;
But how do I hold u,
You never come close to me.
Wanna caress your long hair;
But how do I play with them,
You never allow me to do so.
My heart is longing to see you,
To hear You,
To touch you,
To love you.
Stare harder & you wont see anything;
Just one glance & you"ll find yourself.
The warmest hug if you wish,
I could arrange a bear from the North Pole;
Just a second of my presence should warm your heart.
There are better toys to play with,,y my hair;
Just the wind dancing through every lock n wave
& then kissing ur face is quite playful in itself.
Some things in life
Don't look to see, touch or be heard;
Just needs to be felt………by d heart!!!
I would love to see me in your eyes;
In that just one glance.
But want to stare at for once;
To create my whole world in them.
A north pole bear can hug me with the warmth;
But can it give me the jitters,
That only your arms can create.
Your presence makes me want you all the more.
I would stop the wind if it dare touches your hair;
I would turn myself into one and play with them.
Some things in life are to be experienced;
Heart will store them as fond memories to cherish forever.
…to be contd!!!


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Saturday, May 3, 2008
Built to Spill - You in Reverse (2006)
"When I was a kid I saw a light
floating high above the trees one night
thought it was an alien
turned out to be just god."
The force which propels the listener on this record is ignited from the first guitar riff on the opener, "Going Against Your Mind". The nine minute beast gets you shaking. The instrumentals have inertia from the onset and remain captivating through all the peaks and troughs of the record. The five year pause in recording was clearly spent constructing a silo to launch all the emotional stock and creative surplus gathered during the time off. Both the terrestrial grit and the oceanic isolation of Built to Spill's You in Reverse make one feel at home and familiar throughout the record. Expectations of a five year hiatus can be difficult to meet, especially in a rapidly changing musical world (internet sharing), but that was apparently no factor in the return of these Idahoans. Nothing is ever feigned: It's real. Bands like Built to Spill separate America's rock from the rest of the world. Dig it.
Labels: Built to Spill
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text:
"Practice what you preach, professor," said Chase. "Stand up for tolerance instead of hate."
New York, New York (PRWEB) December 10, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, Christie's at Rockefeller Plaza, 7pm - 10pm
In addition to being the co-founder of Tibet House, Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Buddhist studies at Columbia University in New York City. In 1997, TIME magazine named Thurman one of the 25 most influential Americans due to his close relationship with the Dalai Lama and his work in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West (1).
The protesters claim that Thurman has used this influence and fame to support the Dalai Lama's illegal ban against prayers to the Buddhist Deity, Dorje Shugden. According to the protesters, the Dalai Lama has instigated a campaign of persecution amongst Tibetans in exile around the world, including those living in New York City, whereby they are forced to abandon their generations old prayers to the Buddhist Deity Dorje Shugden or face serious discrimination and ostracism from within their own communities. This includes being refused entry to stores, restaurants and medical facilities, as well as being dismissed from their government jobs on account of their religious faith. This was exposed by Al Jazeera in 2009 (2). The protestors state that this systematic persecution is still in full force today and that the Dalai Lama and his key supporter Robert Thurman need to end this rather than encourage it.
In an October 2014 interview with PRI's The World, Thurman's Columbia University colleague, Modern Tibetan Studies program director Robert Barnett, confirmed the existence of an official prohibition of Shugden prayers by the Dalai Lama himself. Barnett told PRI, "that Shugden practitioners in the Tibetan exile community have faced persecution. And [Barnett] says the Dalai Lama's administration hasn't dealt with that very well" (3).
"We are asking Professor Thurman to stop condoning the Dalai Lama's illegal and immoral ban of the Shugden faith," said Colin Chase, a Manhattan businessman and the official spokesperson of the International Shugden Community (ISC), the group organizing the protests.
Chase went on to say, "If Professor Thurman were a true friend of the Dalai Lama, he would tell him to do something to stop the discrimination that's taking place instead of encouraging it." An irony of this, Chase said, and another instance of what the ISC is calling Thurman's hypocrisy, is that the professor recently published a book entitled Love Your Enemies.
"Practice what you preach, professor," said Chase. "Stand up for tolerance instead of hate."
1. Robert Thurman Official Website, http://www.bobthurman.com/bio.php
2. Al Jazeera, 'The Devil Within' 2009, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqa2DeOIEQM . http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2008/09/200893014344405483.html (script).
3. Bell, Matthew. PRI's The World, Oct 31, 2014 "Breakaway Buddhists take aim at the Dalai Lama." http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-10-31/breakaway-buddhists-take-aim-dalai-lama


text: I have an 18 month old Canon EOS 70D. This morning it was working fine while alternating between Manual and AV modes when it malfunctioned. Now the exposure meter needle, when in any mode other than Manual or Fully Automatic, is fully to the right hand side. All images are totally over-exposed regardless of aperture, shutter speed or ISO settings. Is there something I have set incorrectly, or must I send it in for repair. I think I have a two year warranty, but not certain of this.


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PARKLAND (CBSMiami/AP) – Two weeks after a deadly mass shooting rocked their schools and changed their lives forever, students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland head back to class.
Wednesday morning a long line of cars lined up in front of the school to drop off students an hour before classes were scheduled to begin.
Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie said 95% of the student attended school Wednesday and only 15 students, so far, had requested information on transferring out of the school.
PHOTOS: Students Return To Stoneman Douglas High
As students arrived earlier in the day, about 50 uniformed officers were on hand to greet the students and provide an atmosphere of safety.
"This is a picture of education in fear in this country. The NRA wants more people just like this, with that exact firearm to scare more people and sell more guns," said David Hogg, who has become a leading voice in the students' movement to control assault weapons. "I know one of those bullets could be shredding through me if I was misidentified as a school shooter."
Members of the Broward County Police Benevolent Association handed carnations out to students as they entered the school.
"This is not a day that's focused on the curriculum and learning of a traditional school day, it's a day of unification, it's a day to unite the Marjory Stoneman Douglas family so everyone can get together and begin to work through the healing process. It's going to be a long and difficult one so we can get back to some sort of normalcy. The students need to be with each other and be in school, our teachers love our kids so that's going to help everyone," said Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie.
Classes lasted from 7:40 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. and that schedule through the rest of the week.
Casey Sherman, a 17-year-old junior, thinks the schedule was a good idea so kids can "get it over with," and not worry about it all day. Up until 11:30 p.m. working on preparations for the March 14 national school walkout against gun violence, she said she's not afraid to be returning, "just nervous."
"We did go through a tragedy," said Sherman, who walked in holding hands with her boyfriend. "It was terrible but if you let it stop you … it's not how you go down, it's how you get back up."
Then she saw all the officers.
"Oh, wow, there are a lot of police," she said as she pulled up to the entrance. "Oh my goodness, yeah that is a lot."
Jesse Vandereems was on the third floor of the building where the shooting happened said going back for the first time was 'okay'.
"I guess you could describe it as okay but I'm gonna miss the people who I knew," said Vandereems.
Many of the students said the focus of the national debate on new gun laws has helped them process the traumatic event, and prepared them to return to the scene.
Alexis Grogan, a 15-year-old sophomore, was nervous going back — like it might be too soon to go on as usual without slain friends like Luke Hoyer, who sat two seats behind her in Spanish. But their fight to strengthen gun control laws have buoyed her spirits.
"I am so proud of how the kids at my school have been fighting because we all want change to happen and, as we see the progression, it really shows us that people do care and they do hear what we have to say," Grogan said in a text message.
Eleventh-grader Samantha Grady, 17, was shot in the chest and grazed on the back. She said although she was very nervous to return, she said it was something she felt she had to face.
"Thankfully, the one thing that I was like, even if I had to skip, I was never going to go back in the freshman building. But thankfully, we don't have to. So I don't have to be put into that situation. But just going back into the same classroom, not classroom, but with the same people, in missing two. That's going to be hard to adjust to," she said.
For Madison Geller, returning Wednesday offered an opportunity to get back into a routine, in spite of her fears.
"When I walk in there, I'm going to replay the whole thing in my head. But we have to come here and try to learn," the high school junior said. "This week we will try to be comfortable and get back into the same routine."
Tuesday night Stoneman Douglas High Principal Ty Thompsom tweeted out a message of support.
Looking forward to tomorrow Eagles! Remember our focus is on emotional readiness and comfort not curriculum: so there is no need for backpacks. Come ready to start the healing process and #RECLAIMTHENEST 🦅🦅🦅🦅
— Principal Thompson (@PrincipalMSD) February 27, 2018
Wednesday morning, Thompson tweeted:
Good morning Eagles: here is today's schedule. Everyone will start in 4th Block as we RECLAIM the NEST pic.twitter.com/wxQYnemIWi
— Principal Thompson (@PrincipalMSD) February 28, 2018
Building 12, where the shooting took place, is closed to students. Students who had classes in Building 12, where the shooting took place, were placed in other parts of the campus.
"I have three, maybe four classes in that building, it's a place I've gone into every day for the past three years and to see it, was very weird, very surreal," said student Emily Melamed.
The county plans to ask the state legislature for funds to tear it down and build a new classroom building on the campus.
The school district had plenty of counselors on hand, about 150, at the school for any student, teacher, or staff member needs to talk. They also had about 40 therapy dogs, according to Runcie.
The superintendent said while it is a difficult time, they continue to be inspired by their students.
'We've seen the worst of humanity but we've also seen that followed by incredible acts of humanity," said Runcie. "We continue to be inspired and amazed by our students."
For those needing counseling, these are just some resources offered by Broward schools: browardschools.com/crisissupport
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)