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The leaders of Canada's national political parties all agree on one thing; they do not want to talk about abortion. Yet, with Justin Trudeau's announcement that going forward all Liberal candidates must be pro-choice, abortion is back on their radar screens.
Under Trudeau's leadership, the Liberal Party joins the New Democratic Party in discouraging those who believe in the sanctity of life within the womb from the party folds and from running for Parliament. This leaves only the Conservative Party truly open to those with pro-life sensibilities.
While Justin Trudeau and Tom Mulcair may want to avoid candidates who are solely interested in codifying an uncompromising ban on abortion, party policy that precludes individuals who are not pro-choice from running for office violates a fundamental principle of Canadian democracy.
Representation is a pillar of democracy
As any well-taught sixth grader in the country knows, representation is one of the pillars of Canadian democracy. Canadian citizens have a right to select their representatives to Parliament. Collectively, these representatives should represent the diversity of Canada in race, creed and opinion.
Representatives have a responsibility to listen to the conflicting voices of Canadians on all matters, including those of conscience, even though they may disagree with those voices. The electorate is not well served when political parties pay lip service to Canadians of all views, but then stipulate, as Mr. Trudeau has in an email to Liberal party members, "incoming Liberal MPs will always vote in favour of a woman's fundamental rights."
While it is true that the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the country's last abortion law in 1988 on the basis that the law was unconstitutional, and contravened Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which guarantees a woman's legal right to life, liberty and the security of the person, there are other ways to support pregnant women besides silencing the voices of those who believe that life is sacred from the moment of conception.
Canada needs voices of reason to move beyond polarized arguments
The practice of discouraging, if not down right excluding, those who are pro-life from vying for office implies that anyone who is not pro-choice is incapable of being an effective parliamentarian. There seems to be an assumption that all pro-lifers are radical zealots. This is simply untrue; many people who hold pro-life views and who have reservations about Canada's lack of abortion laws are quite capable of approaching the issue rationally, realistically, and with regard for a woman's right to choose.
Canadians need voices of reason on both sides of the abortion debate at the national level. Perhaps if national leaders were more open to dissenting voices on the topic, and to the concerns of the sixty percent of Canadians who favor some legislative restriction on abortion (such as on sex selective abortion), the debate could move beyond inflammatory rhetoric and polarized arguments. Instead of focusing on universal and unrestricted access to abortion or a complete ban on abortion, Canada could move towards the development of educational and social programs that would held reduce the number of abortions in the country, while at the same time respecting a woman's freedom and right to choose. Too often pro-choice means no choice for a pregnant woman because of a lack of practical support for other options during a difficult time.
National parties that prevent Canadians from running for office based on a single issue shut out many talented, principled, altruistic and reasonable people from participation in the development of the broad range of economic, environmental, legislative and social policies that affect Canadian life.
As Archbishop Cardinal Collins of Toronto noted in his letter to Trudeau, Pope Francis "would have been ineligible to be a candidate" for the Liberals. And, as someone noted on a media discussion board, Mother Theresa would not have made the cut either.
With Trudeau's "resolutely pro-choice" version of Liberal values, the Liberal Party follows the New Democratic Party in an exclusionary practice that has implications for representation in a parliamentary democracy, and at the end of the day, may do little to support women facing the difficult decision of carrying a pregnancy to term.


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What I came up with is a golden plum cake, that would be lovely for morning tea - or even served warm as a pudding with some cream or custard. I used the same concept as an upside down cake, laying some of the plums on the bottom of the cake tin, so that when you turn the cake out to cool, you get the effect of the gorgeous ruby colour. I also chose to bake the plums with a little sugar first, instead of just chopping them up and adding them to the cake batter. What this does is to intensify the flavour and also the colour of the plums.
I think this cake would work really well with any stone fruit - peaches, apricots or nectarines - or even with mangoes. Just see what you have in your fruit bowl if you don't happen to have plums.
Golden Plum Cake
You will need: 8 medium sized plums, 2 tablespoons caster sugar, 250g butter, softened, 1 cup caster sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 eggs, 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour, 2/3 cup milk.
Method: Heat the oven to 200C.
Remove the seeds from the plums and cut them roughly into quarters. Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the plums on the tray. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons caster sugar over the plums and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the plums from the oven and allow to cool a little.
Gently spoon the plums into a bowl, trying not to break them up too much. I use a slotted spoon for this, as it helps the extra moisture drain away - you don't want too much of the plum juice in the cake, just the cooked flesh. Set the plums aside.
Reduce the oven to 180C. Grease a cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper.
Using an electric beater, cream together the butter, caster sugar and vanilla until it becomes fluffy and a little lighter in colour.
Add the eggs one by one and beat till all combined. Now stir in half the flour and half the milk (a spatula is good for this) Repeat with the rest of the flour and milk.
Take the plums and place a few of them on the base of your cake tin - this will end up being the top of the cake and the "presentation" side. Now gently fold the remaining plums through the cake mixture.
Pour the mixture into the cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (this will depend on your oven, so just keep an eye on it) It will be cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
Turn out onto a wire rack and gently peel away the baking paper. Allow the cake to cool and serve as it is - or with whipped cream, ice cream or custard.

subset: commoncrawl


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An ongoing, eclectic commentary on Unitarian Universalism, after retirement from active ministry--as I see it, practice it, and love it, with sidebars on life, love and the pursuit of happiness.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Afternoon services coming to an end
That's about to change. Today and next Sunday are the last times we will meet at 4 p.m. We will meet for worship outdoors on the lawn of our new building in August and, as soon as we can get the occupancy permit, we will move into our new home and begin holding year-round services at 10 a.m. or thereabouts. (This congregation goes on hiatus in July.)
I wonder what kinds of changes this will mean. Most of our folks are eager to begin meeting in the mornings, though a few confess to liking 4 p.m. as a meeting time because they can begin work in their gardens early in the day, at least during the warmer months. Some are just accustomed to the later time and not eager to shift their routines.
So we may lose a few people when we begin meeting at a more traditional time, but overall I think we'll gain many more. Meeting at a non-traditional time sounds cool, sounds radical, sounds like it will attract just the kind of unique folks we're looking for, but the truth is, it doesn't. It's hard to attract families with children to a 4 p.m. service. It's hard to attract any but the most determined to an afternoon service, even though it sounds feasible.
Changing our meeting time is a no-brainer, because of the new building. We have to grow beyond our 75 current adult members, in order to grow our programming and reach out into the community more effectively. But I've seen it become a real point of conflict in a congregation.
In a former church I served, it was a bone of contention that could hardly be discussed. In fact, one woman, a relative newcomer to the congregation, stood up in the annual meeting and cried because changing times meant that her family could not attend all together, since her husband was a member of a local sangha which met at 10 a.m. So the issue went back under the table and didn't come up again until a subsequent minister discovered a rental place that could be used in the mornings. I wonder how it will turn out!
Anyhow, though we UUs often diverge strongly and proudly from tradition, this is one area where tradition serves us well. People expect to go to church on Sunday mornings, not on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Churches that meet at those times do not tend to grow very rapidly; they quickly reach a point where they've exhausted the pool of people who like a non-traditional time and they are unable to retain families with small children because that's not a good time of day for small ones.
So how will my routine change when we have morning services? Well, I'll have less time in the morning for breakfast at a restaurant or to do my grocery shopping or laundry. I'll have just enough time to give the sermon a final polish, to spend a little centering time before going over to the church, to get out of the jeans and into the pantyhose. And instead of coming home after the service and social hour and collapsing in front of America's Funniest Home Videos and Tom Bergeron's attempts at humor, I'll have an afternoon of rest and recuperation ahead of me, with an evening in which I could even go to a movie or a concert. I have not had this opportunity for nine years!
I sympathize with folks for whom a change in routine is difficult, but I've never been too fazed by changes. I tend to look at a situation, say to myself, "well, that's how it is; how shall I approach it?" and then move on. I'm pretty pragmatic about change, even the scariest ones. But lots of folks aren't that way and I understand that. I'm looking forward to whatever the new meeting time brings. I'm especially looking forward to meeting all those new UUs out there on the island who haven't made it to a service yet because they are already busy at 4 p.m.!
12 comments:
- Earthbound Spirit said...
Be prepared to welcome more first-time worshippers! Congratulations on reaching this milestone, too.
- ms. kitty said...
Thanks, EBS, I think that we will eagerly welcome them!
- Shelby Meyerhoff said...
How exciting! It sounds like a healthy change.
Although I don't have a conflict with Sunday morning worship, I do appreciate when I have a chance to worship or participate in a small group at an additional time during the week, like a Wednesday evening. That way, if I am out of town for the weekend or something unusual comes up, I can look forward to some mid-week spiritual sustenance too. Perhaps something like that, if it's not already available, would help assuage the concerns of the minority that don't like Sunday mornings.
- ms. kitty said...
We will very likely do something like that, Shelby. I would like to offer worship at a different time during the week in addition to Sunday morning.
- Mile High Pixie said...
I like Shelby's idea. When I was in grad school, I used to go to church for Sunday 7pm Evensong. I needed Sunday am for working in studio when it was quiet and all the loud, annoying kids in our studio were at home sleeping. I could also use that time for laundry, a habit I still have today. At the same time, 10am is a good time; not too early and not too late. Enough time for a cup of coffee and then out the door.
(Evidently, my Sunday mornings revolve around coffee and laundry.)
- ms. kitty said...
I'm getting kind of revved up about the Sunday evensong idea. Thanks, Pixie! Now it's off to church!
- Joel said...
Whidbey Island has warmer months? Than what? :)
- Ms. Theologian said...
I look forward to hearing how the time change affects things.
I'm a fan, of course, of the non-Sunday-morning time because of social conflicts, which makes me sound more popular than I am. But I do like alternative times, like others suggested. I also like church at night a LOT.
- Masasa said...
I personally think a Sunday evening Evensong might be difficult unless a staff person not involved in the Sunday morning's ministry was leading it. But, an evening Evensong some time during the week does hold a great deal of potential.
- ms. kitty said...
Yep, it will have to be thought through pretty well; it would be asking a lot of the morning team to also put on an evening service. But we'll figure something out. After all, lots of other ministers preach morning and evening on Sunday and hold prayer meeting at midweek as well. My dad did, for sure!
- Joseph Santos-Lyons said...
wy'east is trying to do this (again), and its a rough road i imagine changing the culture. i think however, to be a vibrant church, at least part of your community needs to have a regular sunday morning space. that doesn't mean there can't be great worship at other times.
- ms. kitty said...
Thanks, Joseph. I hope that little group, which I continue to be very fond of, can make a good decision.


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Well okay, maybe not YOU, but there are a lot of those out in traditional and social media who love to do what ever they can to belittle and mock Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Denver Broncos. To be fair, there are those who are fans of Tim Tebow who go overboard the other way. But that discussion is for another post another day. As far as why he is so divisive, and what he does that causes such vitriol? While there may be many reasons behind this, here are the two major ones that I can come up with:
- He is very outspoken about his faith, and that always rubs people the wrong way. The sad truth is that most of our society couldn't publish fast enough and loud enough how great he has been in unexpectedly leading his team to victories if they knew that he was: getting drunk with his teammates afterwards, in a sexual relationship with some Hollywood scarlet, etc. How often does the media bemoan all the bad qualities of athletes, and yet when one comes along who is the opposite of MOST, he is mocked and belittled for it? But that is to be somewhat expected from non-Christians.
- What surprises me most (and maybe it shouldn't) are all the Christians who fall into this category. But maybe it has to do with the fact that we see someone who does what we know we should be doing but have always convinced ourselves that it is impossible – sharing our faith publically and at work. Tim Tebow is an ever present example to all Christians on how to practically fulfill the Great Commission in our own life, and that convicts us.
Now, most who like to criticize Tebow will never say it has to do with either of the two listed above. But most articles, commentaries, tweets, etc. point to one of these two reasons. And at the end of the day, isn't that one of the big problems within our society: taking our own shortcomings out on others who succeed where we fail? It is the idea that if I can blow out someone else's light, mine will burn brighter, which is just not true.
Instead of finding reason's to tear someone down, how about we congratulate them and then examine our own life to see whether or not we are using our talents, gifts, abilities, and blessings as a testimony for God to the benefit and blessing of others?


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The wise, reclusive mountainfolk of Kyrat live their lives according to a powerfully poignant saying. "It matters not if you are ready for November. November is always ready for you." Drink that in for a moment.
Okay, so it's not actually particularly poignant and it's weirdly date-specific, but the Kyratians swear by it nevertheless. And it's especially pertinent right now, because November is rapidly approaching and WE ARE NOT READY.
That, and we've got Far Cry 4 on the cover of our November issue. Kyrat will never be the same again.
Naturally, we're all about them snowy mountain kingdoms this month, because snowy mountain kingdoms are the best at offering opportunities to draw hungry cats to enemy encampments using squishy chunks of meat. And also elephants. Always elephants. Forgetting the mad ramblings for a moment, doesn't Far Cry 4 look grand? That 20 November release date feels disappointingly far away. We've had some more hands-on time with the game, and we're ready to deliver the details.
Elsewhere, we travelled many kilometres (like two, maybe three) to visit rAge, our very own Expo to End All Expos, which we'd forgotten was happening until rAge Friday, when we got an angry early-morning call from a mob of people queuing outside the Dome, anxious to get a crack at delicious nerdy goodness. Apologies, angry mob – it won't happen again. Since we were there anyway, we had a look around and were so impressed that we stayed the whole weekend. Many words were written chronicling our many wondrous rAge experiences. Read them.
This month, we have a grand total of zero previews. At least officially. Unofficially, we have many more than zero thanks to our Future Proof feature, wherein we handily detail – in rapid-fire fashion – all the hottest upcoming games that you should be mentally bookmarking in order to ensure the presence of future-fun for yourself.
Reviews are hot hot hot, with verdicts on some of the year's biggest and best games crammed into the pages of this issue. Forza Horizon 2 races through the hills and valleys and dirty city streets of NAG's collective heart – which is to say it's quite lovely. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a game about killing hundreds (thousands? MILLIONS?) of Uruk-hai indiscriminately (somewhat indiscriminately) and having a great time doing it. There's also some Lord of the Rings in there somewhere. Alien: Isolation is specifically designed to relieve you of various bodily fluids, even when the xenomorph's not around. Super Smash Bros. is every bit the Smash you were hoping it would be. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel gets us lootin' all day, every day, and Hyrule Warriors is Legend of Zelda where all the Legend of Zelda is replaced with mountains of steroids.
Boy, do we have all the hardwares for you this month. Hyper-expensive audio equipment, awesome digital television solutions, yummy GPUs, essential gaming peripherals and more can be found crammed into our hardware section.
If this tickles your interest glands, be sure to look out for the magazine on store shelves this Thursday, the 30th of October. It's our post-rAge issue (which means rAge happened right in the middle of our magazine deadline), so we'd like you to know that an obscene amount of blood, sweat, tears and other fluids went into its making. In other words: THAT WAS HELLISH AND WE'RE SO GLAD IT'S OVER. We do it because we love you. Head on over to Zinio if you'd like your magazine to be 100% paper free.
Please note that due to Unfortunate Circumstances, the November issue will arrive one week late (the 6th of November to be exact) in Bloemfontein, Klerksdorp and Bethlehem.
Let's look at our colourful cover's many delights together. When we're done, there's also a contents page to enjoy.


text:
Buskitten recently posted her lovely old toys on
her blog and they reminded me of my
'Green Eyes', my favorite stuffed animal toy
that I've managed to keep with me since 3rd grade.
Green Eyes went through alot with me and
in 4th grade instead of counting sheep at
night to fall asleep I would softly recite
math multiplications to Green Eyes
hoping that I would remember them!
I grew up in a family without pets and never
realize how much cats would
become a part of my life when I became an adult!
Here's one of my first attempts with
watercolors when I was a child!
Do you still have any favorite childhood toys?


text:
LOVE AND ROCKETS LIBRARY: THE LOCAS COLLECTION is a boxed set of five 7.5 x 9.25 inch collections of Jaime's work from "Love and Rockets Volume One and Two" "Penny Century" and "Whoa Nellie." A great way to quickly access most of Jaime's Locas stories, on sale by the way.
THE ADVENTURES OF VENUS (June 2012, Fantagraphics Spring/Summer distributor catalog) reprints all the previously uncollected "Venus" stories from Gilbert's late, lamented "Measles" anthology. Includes a new "Venus" story. 104 page 7 x 7 inch hardcover.
GOD AND SCIENCE: RETURN OF THE TI-GIRLS (July 2012, Fantagraphics Spring/Summer distributor catalog) reprints the "Ti-Girls" stories from "Love and Rockets New Stories 1 + 2" as well as an astonishing 30-new pages of stories and covers. 144 page full-size hardcover.
FBI-MINI #4 "Before Love and Rockets" (available now) is a premium mini-comic you can request when ordering any "Love and Rockets" book. It contains several late 70s/1980 era posters by Jaime and an "Inez" story by Gilbert, originally published in "Love and Rockets Sketchbook Volume 1." (from THE FANTAGRAPHICS ULTIMATE CATALOG OF COMICS Winter 2012)


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Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Very Quick Catch Up 15th June 2009
The new ceiling in the kitchen/diner is super - the old one was hideous. The next job for the builders is plastering the ceilings of the extension then the plumber will be required.
I've had a great time away and will blog about that when I've sorted out my many many photos. Kitty is gorgeous of course and Jack as adorable and funny as ever.
Just a few photos of what we came home to!
part of the new kitchen/diner ceiling, lowered about a foot
The new door opening into bedrooms 1 and 2 and the bathroom
The old doorway to the old conservatory now blocked off. Look at the lovely mess and dust/dirt!
the new door opening into my room. I don't think I'll be in there just yet!
the new doorway into the sun room from the snug
the same doorway, showing how thick the walls are!
We were a bit depressed really, but I suppose it has to get worse before it gets better and we knew they'd have to knock through at some stage and that it would create an awful mess. Ah well, Jim managed to set up my desk and computer, which is now working as you can see.
Buster was very pleased to be back from the kennels and punished us by eating Jim's mobile phone. Then my hearing aid packed in so I am 'wearing' my old one which is on the blink.
The 2 spotted orchids in the meadow are looking wonderful though, so we took some photos of them in all their glory. Actually I had to leave Jim taking them, as I was being eaten by horse flies. The joys of Ireland:
the multi stemmed spotted orchid, now almost fully out
the single stemmed spotted orchid
this is a close up of the above flower. Aren't the individual flowers beautifully marked? Do click on it to enlarge the photo.
A lovely bit of joy to cheer us up. I must go to bed now and I'll post some of my time away tomorrow.
20 comments:
Welcome home. Glad you had a great visit. I know Buster was thrilled to be back home again. Such lovely orchids - the detail is beautiful. Your extension will be so nice. It will all get cleaned up eventually and you will love that sun room especially.
- 16 June, 2009
- Renee said...
Terrible news BT, horrible.
Bella's husband died on Saturday, our dear Bella.
Renee xoxo
- 16 June, 2009
- marianne said...
Welcome back!
Can't wait to see the pics.
Poor you coming home in such a mess but a lot of work has been domne and soon things will speed up and all of this gets better and better each day and before you know it it will be a little paradise!
lovely orchids
Have a nice day!
- 16 June, 2009
- jinksy said...
I envy your thick walls - mine are little better than cardboard, I think!
Beautiful orchid pics...
- 16 June, 2009
Woohoo....the blog continues, now I have my bedtime read :) Missed you and glad you are back! No time for you to be depressed, you have a cottage to sort ready for visitors!! I am loving the orchids!
- 16 June, 2009
- KathyB. said...
So much work and mess, and pretty soon it will be over. You will be delighted, then soon forget ( well maybe not soon ) the inconvenience and mess....so for now you really do need your rest!
- 16 June, 2009
- Leatherdykeuk said...
Mess is temporary :)
- 16 June, 2009
- Carol and Chris said...
Nice to have you back!!
Awww, the mess won't last forever and it will definitely be worth it in the end when you have your lovely house exactly the way you want it!!
C x
Ps. My Dad is running a competition to win a signed copy of his book 'Snakehead'...pop over if you are interested in entering
- 16 June, 2009
- Heather said...
Don't lose heart and don't work too hard. You must be at the worst part of your extension now and it will soon get easier. Brick and plaster dust is awful and gets everywhere. Those orchids are so exotic looking - beautiful photos. Glad you had such a great time with your family and hope you are having some fine weather to aid the clearing up process. Hope Buster is suitably contrite!
- 16 June, 2009
- Jason said...
Hello mother, how exciting. The mess will pass, at least the work continued whilst you were away!
You were a great help here, and we all appeciated it. It is clear Jack misses you, you had a great time toegther this time. Sometimes "normal" life toegther is so important, school runs and the like.
We asked Jack who should take him to school (ie me or mummy) and he said Gran. He also said can I go and fetch you back! lol. I think you left a great impression.
Kitty is doing well, mixed sleep of course, Sam up yesterday from 3am!
Have fun, see you soon. x
- 16 June, 2009
- BT said...
Oh poor Jack, I miss him too and Kitty, but Jack especially as we really did the close bit this time, not that we're not always close but this was a bit special. I'm glad I was a help, I did try!
I hope you and Sam are managing ok. I'm sure you'll be fine, you both seemed in your element, if tired, of course.
Love and hugs to all,
- 16 June, 2009
- BT said...
Thanks everyone for your kind comments. I know it will be worth it in the end and Jim and I are cheering ourselves up today by working in the garden. It's a cloudy/sunny day, just perfect too.
Renee, such awful news about Bella's husband. Thank you for letting me know.
- 16 June, 2009
- DK Leather said...
yay welcome home momma :-) ~bounce~
Looking forward to seeing the piccies, lovely to see the house coming along xxx
- 16 June, 2009
- soulbrush said...
it's gonna all look fabadabadoo when it is done. that mobile phone, tee hee...sorry but i just had to giggle.hope you had a good time.
- 16 June, 2009
- aims said...
Renovations eat at your resolve to be strong. Somedays they are just too much. But when they are done we soon forget what hell we had to live through.
- 16 June, 2009
- BT said...
Hiya DK, yes, I'm back, photos soon!
Aims, you are so right. We were both a bit down yesterday but a bit happier today.
- 16 June, 2009
- Stampmaiden said...
YAY! BT'S BACK! And what a beautiful orchid. Sigh. Can't wait to see more pics.
- 17 June, 2009
- BT said...
Thanks Linda!
- 17 June, 2009
- Renee said...
BT sorry I jumped on you when you first got home but I know that you needed to know.
Glad you are home.
- 17 June, 2009
- BT said...
I'm so glad you did Renee, thank you. Love to you.
- 17 June, 2009


text:
I had to take my cat to the Vet for a check-up before I could get a refill on her medication.
Poor kitty has lost about 1 pound since January. She has always been small. At the most, maybe 7.5 pounds. But back in January, she was down to 3.7 pounds and now she is at 2.8 pounds. She really didn't have any extra weight to lose.
|August 2, 2014


text:
We can have ECB joining China and Russia buying Gold now! Alan Greenspan's ideas about Gold are getting more popular now. Swiss Gold Referendum can bring SNB into the gold market as well for 1,500 t.
Bloomberg: 1,500 Tons Of Gold On The Line In Swiss Vote To Buy Back Bullion.
"The story about Swiss Gold Referendum has made its way up to the Bloomberg. Now everything depends on the people of Switzerland, but at least we will have the opportunity for the proper discussion about the FIAT Currency systems and Gold. China is not only buying record amounts of gold now, but taking out the best long term mining assets all over the globe. Read more."
TNR Gold Los Azules Copper M&A: Barrick In Talks With Chinese Miner Zijin On Pascua-Lama Investment.
Grant Williams: All You Need To Know About Swiss Gold Referendum.
Great presentation from Grant Williams on this groundbreaking event for the Switzerland and the Gold market! We are close to the very important catalyst point for the Gold market now.
Rick Rules: Capitulation In Gold And Resource Markets.
"Rick Rules gives us the very good description of the Capitulation in the Gold and Resource markets. By my personal observations we just had it in place. Rick outlines the big picture for Resources Sector perfectly. This is why I am personally in this business. Real assets will be needed, particularly if and when we will have the growing world-wide economy. We can discuss all these details all time long and it will never matter before Mr Market will turn - maybe it is happening now.Please pay attention one more time what Alan Greenspan has been talking about FED and Gold! These are truly remarkable revelations at this particular turning point. Read more."
The Telegraph:
ECB Could Buy Gold To Revive Economy.
Declining economic data may "theoretically" leave the door open for the European Central Bank to buy assets including gold and shares
Gold, shares, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) - the European Central Bank (ECB) may turn to buying any or all of these in an attempt to boost inflation in the currency bloc.
Yves Mersch, a member of the ECB's executive board, said that the purchase of these assets was "theoretically" an option for the central bank, which earlier this year resolved to "take further unconventional measures to counteract a length period of lower inflation".
His speech, delivered in German, came as official statistics published on Friday showed inflation of just 0.4pc in the year to October.
Very low levels of inflation were characterised by Mr Mersch as "abnormally low", as price growth remained well below the ECB's target of close to 2pc.
The official said that while there was scope to buy such assets, the ECB is about to embark on a programme of asset-backed securities purchases.
"Every purchase of a security - or precious metal or foreign currency - naturally increases the credit risk of the buyer", he added, noting that the ECB may lack a mandate to increase the risk of its balance sheet.
Mr Mersch, a Luxembourgian, is often seen as leaning towards the position of the ECB's German members - hesitant to pursue monetary stimulus in an attempt to revive the eurozone.
The euro area as a whole has just managed to dodge a triple-dip recession according to data published on Friday, posting growth of 0.2pc in the third quarter of the year.
While the economic data has worsened, so has the mood of forecasters. On Thursday an ECB poll of professional economists showed that inflation and and growth are expected to remain weak. The Telegraph."


text:
Some days are tougher than others. It holds true for all of us. In the adoptive mom, mothering 5 children world, it sometimes feels more like some weeks/months/years are tougher than others. This past year nearly did me in. I started a part time job in the school so I would be on the kids same schedule. It was the first time all 5 of our children were participating in something at one time. We found out my son had a rare heart arrythmia and required surgery. We found out our daughter has a connective tissue disease that appears to be genetic so there may be others that follow. So to say we were at the doctor often is an understatement. We met our family deductible in March. We found out another son has some educational special needs and had the opportunity to handle all of the frustrations and behaviors that come from that with him. I had to advocate for him at school to get him the resources he needs, fight with insurance to cover needed therapies, not to mention the extra time required for anything school work related. The husband was working hard for all of us but that unfortunately included almost every weekend and the challenge of staying connected as spouses in the midst of our crazy. We were walking closely down the road with a dear friend of finding herself without the burden of abuse of her pasts. Another child was struggling with her asthma almost daily as I tried to hold down my new job. Our basement that had never gotten wet flooded twice. It was a lot. Too much. I don't say any of this in a poor me way....just to set the scenery... We all know how well I respond to feeling overwhelmed;) Some years are tougher than others. It was a tough one.
As we emerge from the fog, I reflect back on the choices I made. Some choices are prettier than others. I would spend days totally trusting God's plan for my life. I would be prayed up and faithful and accepting what was to come. I would belt out my worship songs in the morning and raise my hands to God. I would smile through the day and dinner would be on the table and appointments remembered and everyone tucked in neatly at night. Other days, not so much. I would literally lay in bed feeling so overwhelmed and the rolodex of issues we were facing would circle through my mind like the ferris wheel at the county fair...heart test, will my son survive this, surgery or no surgery, genetic testing, marfans or not marfans, will it be life altering or just a nuisance, how much will this and that cost, where will the money come from, will i ever see my husband again or will his job just open up its jaws and swallow him whole, how do i get the resources my child needs, how do i best mother him, make sure no one gets lost in the shuffle, shower and brush your teeth, whats for dinner, who is taking so and so to practice and who is picking them up and will i keep my job since i've missed so many days....worry...worry...worry...what if...research online...more research...there were entire days i didn't ask God one single thing about it because I just couldn't bare what He might say and other days that my world was spinning so fast that there was no way to slow it down enough to hear Him. We ate ramens too many times and my house often looked liked maybe it's inhabitants just moved at a moments notice and left everything everywhere.
I'm not proud to say it because I have never been much to compare myself to others but I would sit and wonder how one family could carry so much and other mom's were on their 3rd vacation of the year and it appeared the most stressful decision they'd made lately was the color 'problem-free purple' or 'spoiled sienna' at the nail salon. In case you couldn't hear from my tone, it created some bitterness and bitterness ain't pretty. On anyone. Even if you just got your hair did.
It really was a perfect storm. Busy. Worried. Disconnected. Burdened.
I started to worry about what the issues my son has would mean for him in school, what would his grades be, how would he be judged, what he would not be able to do...but then I remembered who he is....his gifts and talents and the things he can do better than anyone else and it helped me to direct his energy there. He is amazeballs. I would get daily phone calls from his teacher praising him for what he did right in the day and brainstorming new ways to reach him. She is amazeballs.
I can't tell you how many people prayed for our son's heart. God even placed his teacher in his life, that of course, used to be an RN on the cardiac unit. So far it's been corrective. My husband and I held on to the promise that this too shall pass and worked through the impossible to find time for each other and our marriage. The money never works out on paper. Never. But we made it. Things don't always work out perfectly packaged with a bow on top. But life is messy and it's okay. Real faith comes in the holding on through the stink. It doesn't promise stink won't come. In each moment of our difficulties there were blessings to focus on...there was good in each day.
This is what I know. Even on the days I was weighted down and cataloging everything going wrong in our lives, God was with me. I'm sure he wanted to flick me on my forehead but he never left me. On the days I was able to give my burdens to Him, my family and I operated better. We just did. Because unlike many that think we are not given more than we can handle, I often am. I believe we are. Life is too much sometimes. We weren't designed to handle it alone though. God walks with us. Welcomes it, in fact. We are designed to do life with Him. And others. In community with others. I know that when I'm able to focus my ferris wheel thinking on the blessings from God and the steps we've made I am a much better person. I don't want to show my children that nothing hard ever happens in life. I want to show them that when the hard comes you hunker down, hold on to God and each other, find a way to find the blessings no matter how small and maybe even laugh a little.
The other thing I know is that when I focus on my own issues, my world gets small and when I am able to turn my focus outward, it always gets better. There is always someone else that needs prayer. There is always someone else that needs your advocacy, voice, encouragment. When we focus on others, our problems don't go away but they sure do feel not as big.
In my reflecting upon one of the most difficult seasons of our life, I was able to see that
I have a son that hugs me tight that didn't know how to hug when he walked through my door. I can feel the love pour out of him. I have a son that works hard and jumped 6 reading levels in a semester. I have a son that in a different set of circumstances would have been written off long ago but instead is surrounded by the resources and encouragement he needs. I have a son who's heart could be corrected. I have a son that prays for kid's hearts that cannot be. I have a marriage that is ALL in and works hard to be the security and foundation our family needs. The blessings abound. As the kids would say, #blessed.
Life sure can throw things at us....big scary ugly things. Don't let them steal your focus. God is continually blessing us. They are there. Celebrate your victories, no matter how small. Focus on the good your spouse does....the characteristics in your child that build them up...the positives about your job...and even in the stink....the big scary ugly stink....even in the years/months/weeks and days that are tougher, find the blessings. It's the way a tough day turns in to a less tough one.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
2 comments:
- Amy Cornwell said...
I love this, "I'm sure God wanted to flick me on the forehead but he never left me." Amen sister, he's here for us. And I agree that he does give us more than we can handle. My one caution - the mom who's been on three vacations this year and the most stressful thing is what color she's going to paint her nails? She's got issues too. We all do. It's just that some choose to show what they want to show ;) Praying that the second half of your year is full of abundant blessings.
- August 5, 2014 at 4:35 PM
I love the woman, wife, mother and child of God you are. I am sobbing! I'm so blessed to know you.
- August 5, 2014 at 5:34 PM
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Christmas time is just not the same without a Christmas tree. Having the perfect Christmas tree to decorate and flaunt renews the holiday spirit within us. Before you head out to purchase your tree this year, make sure to keep these little tips in mind for the best find.
The most popular varieties of Christmas trees are: Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir, White Pine, Scotch Pine, Noble Fir and Balsam Fir.
Freshness is the first and foremost criteria while purchasing a Christmas tree.
Always ask the vendor where the tree has come from and how long ago it was cut. If possible, buy a locally produced tree. The tree should be green and healthy with a fragrant smell and moist flexible needles with no trace of drying or browning. Avoid trees with broken branches or damaged bark. Bounce the tree lightly on its cut end if you can or shake it. If needles rain down, do not purchase that tree.
The next consideration is size- Make sure the tree you buy will fit comfortably in your room.Huge Christmas trees are meant only for palatial halls with high ceilings.Alternatively, choose a Christmas tree forest or a Christmas tree farm as a venue of your Christmas party. While choosing a tall Christmas tree, make sure the distance between the ceiling and the topmost part of the tree is enough to allow an ornament or angel to be placed on top. The tree stand should be able to support the weight of the tree along with decorations, lights and ornaments. A real tree will need a stand in which you can keep pouring lukewarm water from time to time to keep it fresh for longer time. Tree with smaller needles and space between the branches will make decorating it easier and ornaments will easily be visible once hung on its branches. Trim the tree well before decorating it and make the boughs parallel to the floor.
Check the bottom of the Christmas tree. Is there enough space between the end and the lowest branches to make a diagonal fresh cut? Cutting an extra inch off the bottom before mounting your tree will greatly help water absorption and ensure your tree lasts longer. Be sure to make this final cut just before placing it in water. If it is exposed to the air for long, the vessels will become blocked.
Artificial Christmas Trees
The short version of how to buy a high quality artificial Christmas tree is:
Height - The maximum height for your tree is the ceiling height minus 6 inches to allow for a star, angel, etc.
Remember, a 12 foot tree takes significantly more decorations than a 9.5 foot tree because the base is much wider.
Width - Your tree will look best if it is 6 to 18 inches from any wall. Use masking tape on the floor to get an idea. Stay away from slim trees for the family tree, you will be much happier with a shorter, better proportioned tree.
When shopping for an artificial tree, quality and price go hand in hand. The more you are willing to spend, the less artificial your tree will look. Less expensive trees, however, can still look very nice once they are decorated with ornaments and lights. Artificial trees come in an array of colors, including less traditional colors like purple and pink, to match any taste. You can also buy a pre-lit artificial tree, with traditional lights or with fiber-optic lighting. Some artificial trees are even pre-decorated.
Safety Rules
Keep your home safe from some common Christmas-tree hazards by heeding these important tips
- Never place your tree near a heat source, such as a fireplace or portable heater.
- If you have small children or pets, trim the lower branches to avoid eye injuries.
- Hang all ornaments that are breakable, have small, detachable parts or metal hooks, or that look like food or candy on higher branches where small children can't reach them.
- Keep pets out of the room in which the tree is placed. Cats are notorious for leaping onto Christmas trees. Keep the tree from toppling by tying it to a ceiling hook. Both cats and dogs can knock down and break glass ornaments, then cut themselves on the pieces. Pets may also gnaw on electrical cords for Christmas-tree lights. Hide cords when possible, or help prevent injury by purchasing a pet-proof conduit, which will enclose cords and wires.
- Avoid using artificial snow sprays, it causes lung irritation.
- Turn off tree lights when you go to bed or leave the house. Use only UL-approved electrical decorations and extension cords, and check that no cords have frayed since you last used the lights.


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New exhibits at Holocaust Museum Houston
Displays contrasts pre- and post-war lives during World War II
Contrasts between the lives of Polish Jews before, during and after World War II are the focus of two new exhibits at Holocaust Museum Houston.
"Scream the Truth at the World Emanuel Ringelblum and the Hidden Archive of the Warsaw Ghetto" and "The Jews of Czestochowa: Coexistence-Holocaust-Memory" open Friday, Feb. 16 and run through Sunday, July 29.
The public is invited to a free preview reception for both exhibits scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15 at the Museum's Morgan Family Center, 5401 Caroline St., in Houston's Museum District.
Visit www.hmh.org/register.asp to register online.
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"Scream the Truth" depicts the horror that faced Polish Jews during World War II, as documented by historian Dr. Emanuel Ringelblum.
In November 1940, Ringelblum enlisted a few dozen men and women to document the life of Polish Jews during the war. They collected documents, diaries, manuscripts and other works created by Jews, Poles and Germans. They called their secret group Oyneg Shabbes (Sabbath Joy), because they met on Saturdays.
Ringelblum described their goals as to "alert the world to our fateour pain and our torment," to maintain contact between Jewish Warsaw and other communities and to collect documentation that would be used to bring Nazi war criminals to justice.
Soon after Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the members of Oyneg Shabbes understood, as did few others, that the Nazis were engaged in the systematic murder of all Jews. Determined that their efforts should survive even if they did not, members of Oyneg Shabbes buried their archive to preserve it for posterity.
Ten tin boxes unearthed in 1946 contained the first cache of the Oyneg Shabbes archive, and two milk cans found in 1950 contained the second. A third cache of documents has not been found.
The exhibit contains 50 framed reproductions of letters and photographs, along with original artifacts from the archive.
The exhibit was produced and is circulated by the Museum of Jewish Heritage A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, New York City, and the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, Poland.
In contrast, the "Jews of Czestochowa" focuses on the city of Czestochowa, Poland h ome today to 260,000 people and the site of the Jasna Góra Monastery (a Polish Lourdes-like destination for Roman Catholics) that was also a major center of Jewish life for centuries.
An estimated 40,000 Jews, constituting one-third of the city's population, lived in Czestochowa just prior to World War II. Fewer than 100 Jews live there today.
The Houston exhibition is taken from one mounted in 2004 to recount the vitality and contributions of the once-vibrant Jewish community that formed an integral part of this important Polish city.
That exhibition consisted of items drawn from the city archives, the collection of the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw and private collections.
The exhibit opens with a vibrant portrait of the Jewish community from the 17th century through the early 1900s, followed by an account of its near extinction during the Holocaust and life after World War II.
The experiences of Czestochowa's 40,000 Jews, and their Christian neighbors, are poignantly illustrated through 348 photographs, maps, artifacts and biographical videos and includes items based on the memories of Holocaust survivors, including Sigmund Rolat, president of the World Society of Czestochowa Jews and Their Descendants.
The two exhibits are sponsored locally by Marcus D. Leuchter, Sterling Family Foundation, American Society for Jewish Heritage in Poland and The Bill and Helen Crowder Foundation.
An accompanying exhibit, "Inspired by Jewish Culture," is a selection of art projects by students of the Malczewski School of Fine Arts in Poland.
Their work was motivated by the original "Jews of Czestochowa" exhibition in 2004. That exhibition is sponsored by Rolat and The Taube Foundation for Jewish Life and Culture.
Opening March 2 at the Museum is "Shanghai: A Refuge During the Holocaust," which was produced by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and documents the experience of more than 18,000 Jews who escaped from Nazi-occupied Europe to Shanghai, China between 1938 and 1940.
Holocaust Museum Houston is dedicated to educating people about the Holocaust, remembering the 6 million Jews and other innocent victims and honoring the survivors' legacy.
Using the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides, the Museum teaches the dangers of hatred, prejudice and apathy. Holocaust Museum Houston is free and open to the public and is located in Houston's Museum District at 5401 Caroline St..
For more information about Holocaust Museum Houston, call 713-942-8000 or visit www.hmh.org.


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Several parts are being switched out for lighter parts which will eventually go on a ww build. What ever that comes off will be saved to go back on the Dogma. I've started looking for frames but I'm not in a rush. I'd like to build a sub 5.5kg goat without compromising on braking power or tire quality. Perhaps veloflex records. Should have all gathered by the coming summer.
So far I've loved what I've read about stork 0.6 but I'd like something less 'common', Raugmer Uberlight
I'm open to suggestions to something along those lines. I'm 72kg and loosing at the moment so weight restrictions aren't a problem.
The budget isn't a huge issue as I'm spreading the purchases. This way it doesn't become lump sum and part won't gather dust.
I'd like to see if I can get it down to 6.2kg, currently it is at 7050g with 2 cages.
I've ordered some parts that should arrive within the week, as a starter.
Tune top cap and screw 4g
Tune skyline skewers 17,5g
Extralite expander UltraStar II 7g
Ax-lightness Endurance Saddle 76g (which has very similar measurements as my prologo scratch pro)
Some 'free' savings:
Zipp 404 stickers X 12 14g
Removed one cage (which goes back on when necessary) 29g
By realistic calculations that saves 218g bringing it down to just over 6.8g
Next, I'll be tuning the RD which will be followed by some test rides on a set of Lightweights
With an ax cockpit, I'd save a further 96g.
I'd love to hear some suggestions and help!
DSC_1499 by canbakay, on Flickr
Can you please combine these and update the original thread. Thank you
Re-introducing my Dogma
Who are you (no off-topic talk please)
Moderator: Moderator Team
4 posts • Page 1 of 1
love the color and build, what size is the frame ? can you share the measurement from center of bb to the top of the saddle ?
@Canbakay - do you ride around Victoria Park on this beauty? I saw someone with a very similar build doing laps round there a few weeks ago?
Lovely ride BTW - one of the better Dogmas that I've seen. Good luck with the WW plans...
Lovely ride BTW - one of the better Dogmas that I've seen. Good luck with the WW plans...
4 posts • Page 1 of 1
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The wheels are coming off the whole of southern Europe
Europe's debt-crisis strategy is near collapse. The long-awaited recovery has failed to take wing. Debt ratios across southern Europe are rising at an accelerating pace. Political consent for extreme austerity is breaking down in almost every EMU crisis state. And now the US Federal Reserve has inflicted a full-blown credit shock for good measure.
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
8:50PM BST 10 Jul 2013
Indeed. The International Monetary Fund has just slashed its growth forecast for Italy this year to -1.8pc. The accumulated fall in Italian output since 2007 will reach 10pc. This is a depression. Yet how is the country supposed to get out of this trap with its currency overvalued by 20pc to 30pc within EMU?
Spain's crisis has a new twist. The ruling Partido Popular is caught in a slush-fund scandal of such gravity that it cannot plausibly brazen out the allegations any longer, let alone rally the nation behind another year of scorched-earth cuts. El Mundo says a "pre-revolutionary" mood is taking hold.
A magistrate has obtained the original "smoking gun" alleging that Premier Mariano Rajoy accepted illegal payments as a minister. The Left is calling for his head but so are members of the Consejo General del Poder Judicial, the justice watchdog.
"Citizens cannot tolerate a situation where the prime minister has received undeclared payments," said José Manuel Gómez, a Consejo member. Much of the ruling party appears tainted by a network of covert funding. If proved, said Mr Gomez, it poses a "very grave" threat to Spanish democracy.
Portugal is slipping away. Professor João Ferreira do Amaral's book - Why We Should Leave The Euro – has been a bestseller for months. He accuses Brussels of serving as an enforcer for Germany and the creditor powers.
Like Greece before it, Portugal is chasing its tail in a downward spiral. Economic contraction of 3pc a year is eroding the tax base, causing Lisbon to miss deficit targets. A new working paper by the Bank of Portugal explains why it has gone wrong. The fiscal multiplier is "twice as large as normal", or 2.0, in small open economies during crisis times.
What is new is that Vitor Gaspar, the high priest of Portugal's shock therapy, has thrown in the towel. He blames the fainthearted for refusing to slash with greater vigour. Needless to say, he still refuses to accept that a strategy of wage cuts and deflation in a country with total debt of 370pc of GDP was always likely to fail.
If Portugal does pull off an "internal devaluation" within EMU it will shrink the economic base. Yet the debt burden remains. This is the dreaded denominator effect. Public debt has jumped from 93pc to 123pc since 2010 alone.
The Gaspar exit has closed a chapter. The junior coalition partners are demanding a change of course. I write before knowing whether President Anibal Cavaco Silva will call a snap election, opening the way for a Left-leaning anti-austerity government.
The Portuguese press is already reporting that the European Commission is working secretly on a second bail-out, an admission that the wheels are coming off the original €78bn EU-IMF troika rescue.
This is a political minefield. Any fresh rescue would require a vote in the German Bundestag, certain to demand ferocious conditions if this occurs before the elections.
Europe's leaders have given a solemn pledge that they will never repeat the error made in Greece of forcing an EMU state into default, with haircuts for banks and pension funds. If Portugal needs debt relief, these leaders will face an ugly choice.
Do they violate this pledge, and shatter market confidence? Or do they admit for the first time that taxpayers will have to foot the bill for holding EMU together? All rescue packages have been loans so far. German, Dutch, Finnish and other creditor parliaments have never yet had to crystallize a single euro in losses.
All this is happening just as tapering talk by the Fed sends shockwaves through credit markets, pushing up borrowing costs by 70 basis points across Europe. Spanish 10-year yields are back to 4.8pc. These are higher than they look, since Spain is already in deflation once tax distortions are stripped out. Real interest rates are soaring.
By doing nothing to offset this, the ECB is allowing "passive tightening" to occur. Mario Draghi's attempt to talk down yields with his new policy of forward guidance is spitting in the wind. The ECB needs to turn on the monetary spigot full blast – like the Bank of Japan – to head off a slide into deflation trap and enveloping disaster by next year. This is not going to happen.
Der Spiegel reports that the German-led bloc fought vehemently against a rate cut at the last ECB meeting, even though Germany itself has slowed to a crawl as China and the BRICS come off the rails.
Markets have reacted insouciantly so far to these gestating crises across Club Med. They remain entranced by the "Draghi Put", the ECB's slowly fraying pledge to backstop Italian and Spanish debt, forgetting that the ECB can only act under strict conditions, triggered first by a vote in the Bundestag.
These conditions can no longer be fulfilled. The politics have curdled everywhere.
Sooner or later, this immense bluff must surely be called.


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Dixiana Farm`s Kenny Lane, a full brother to stakes-winning Ironworks, will make his stakes debut Sunday at Arlington Park.
The once-raced youngster will gun for the $25,000-added Primer, Chicago`s first stakes event for 2-year-olds.
``He`s big and he`s strong,`` said trainer Chuck Werstler, who saddled the colt for his first victory, a five-furlong jaunt in 59 seconds flat.


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Ramona (with much dramatic waving of arms to illustrate her point):
"First, you get a balloon at the store. Then, the air goes out of it the next day and it won't float. Then, your cat chases it." (Large sigh, and decided marching out of the room.)
Atticus was right ... it is just one existential crisis after another around here.


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Well, Saturday was normal but then Sunday was CRAZY good! A set of my pillows was featured on this blog:
By the time I got home from church I had 10 questions about these pillows! All in all I sold 7 sets of pillows on Sunday and 1 set of 3 yesterday! My GA tell me I normally have about 200 views a day to my shop and on Sunday I had over 1,000!!!! Yea!!! Anyway, I now am adverstising on this blog and you should too if you have anything to sell having to do with home decor! It's a great price for a long time.
Finally got my license plate for my new car yesterday! What a run-around they gave me! Gosh!
Planted a garden this weekend and some tulips. My hostas are coming up good and pretty soon will be full and green as ever.
Happy Wednesday everyone!


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This is a view of the bay of Big Bay, where kayakers will set out on one part of their fundraising journey, which will be divided into two trips for safety concerns. (Photo © and courtesy Gene Champagne of Concerned Citizens of Big Bay)
The group -- Carla and Gene Champagne, Ben Kent. Emily Whittaker, Cynthia Pryor, and Bill Kinjorski -- will soon kayak from the mouth of the Iron/Yellow Dog River to the mouth of the Salmon Trout River. This fundraiser will fulfill part of a Fresh Water Future grant of $2,500 the group received last year. The kayakers are also the proposed Eagle Mine Air Quality Monitoring Team.
"The fumes (from the Eagle Mine) are making folks nauseous. Kennecott is venting right into the pristine air up there," says Gene Champagne, author of a recent opinion article on this issue, published in the Marquette Mining Journal on June 3, 2012.
In that article, Champagne writes, "The time has come to seek the best available, and least disputable, science with regards to air quality monitoring for the Eagle Mine in northern Marquette County and any other hard rock (sulfide) mines that follow. To this end. the Powell Township Board, at its May 22 meeting, passed a resolution that calls for an independent, third party air monitoring program for any current and future mines that may affect Powell Township."*
The second part of the kayaking trip will require crossing Big Bay (3.5 miles across), resting perhaps at the black rocks on the west side of the bay, and then continuing around Salmon Trout Point (center of this photo) and into Salmon Trout Bay and the mouth of the Salmon Trout River. Lake Superior can be seen to the right beyond the point. (Photo © and courtesy Gene Champagne of Concerned Citizens of Big Bay)
Two other members of this group, Carla Champagne and Cynthia Pryor, recently requested this independent, third-party air monitoring program for the Eagle Mine at Rio Tinto's Annual General Meeting with shareholders in London, England.**
Concerned Citizens of Big Bay will be collecting donations through July on their Web site and plan to post photos of the two-day kayaking trip on the site as well. The kayakers hope to start the journey, which is weather and wave dependent, this month (or possibly as early as this week). They have a maximum of six kayakers in order to leave little to no footprints and impact upon the private lands they will be launching from.
Concerned Citizens of Big Bay fund many of their activities out of their own pockets, with the help of supporters.
"If you can give a little to our own fundraiser we can hopefully have some added impact to the proper and scientific monitoring at Eagle Mine," Gene Champagne notes.
Click here to donate to the fundraiser on the group's Web site.
Editor's Notes:
* Click here to read Gene Champagne's guest op-ed article, "Science, public relations are two different things."
** In case you missed it, see Keweenaw Now's updated May 23, 2012, article, "Big Bay residents report on Rio Tinto AGM in London."


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|1960, Elvis Presley won his first Gold record for the album 'Elvis'.
|1960, The Everly Brothers signed a $1 million (£1.7 million) contract with Warner Brothers Records.
|1962, Gene Chandler started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Duke Of Earl.'
|1966, Nancy Sinatra was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'These Boots Are Made For Walking', Frank's eldest daughters first No.1.
1967, The Beatles started recording a new John Lennon song 'Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite' at Abbey Road studios, London. John's lyrics for the song came almost entirely from an antique poster advertising a circus performance scheduled to take place in Rochdale, Lancashire, in February 1843. John had purchased the poster in Sevenoaks on January 31 while The Beatles were on location for the filming of the 'Strawberry Fields Forever' promotional film.
1969, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash recorded 'Girl From The North Country' together in Nashville at CBS Studios. The track appeared on Dylan's 'Nashville Skyline' album.
|1970, Joni Mitchell announced she was retiring from live performances during a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. Joni was on stage again by the end of the year.
|1971, James Taylor made his TV debut on The Johnny Cash Show. Other guests included Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt and Tony Joe White.
|1972, At the end of a 14 date UK tour, Pink Floyd started a four night run at London's Rainbow Theatre. Tickets cost £1 ($1.70).
1972, Los Angeles radio station KDAY played two new Rolling Stones tracks non-stop for a day after obtaining stolen tapes from a producer's home.
|1975, AC/DC released their debut album 'High Voltage'. The album featured a cover of 'Baby, Please Don't Go' a blues song first recorded by Big Joe Williams and 'She's Got Balls' which was written about singer Bon Scott's ex-wife Irene - the first AC/DC song for which he wrote lyrics.
1979, Blondie scored their first UK No.1 album when 'Parallel Lines' started a four-week run at the top of the charts, featuring the singles 'Heart Of Glass', 'Hanging On The Telephone' and 'Sunday Girl.'
2005, A 1965 Fender Stratocaster guitar belonging to Jimi Hendrix sold for £100,000 at an auction in London. Other Hendrix items sold included a poem written two weeks after his appearance at the Monterey Festival which went for £10,000 and the first Jimi Hendrix Experience's single 'Hey Joe', signed by all the band sold for £2,000.
2005, Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand made music history after taking two top prizes at the NME Awards. The band, who won best album and best single, became the first act ever to win the Mercury Music Prize, Brit Awards and NME awards in the same year.
|2008, British soul singer Duffy started a five week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Mercy', from the Welsh singers debut album 'Rockferry'. 'Mercy' was the UK'S best selling single of 2008, and won Duffy a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
|February 17th: Born on this day
1905, Born on this day, Orville 'Hoppy' Jones, bassist, singer and cello player with the Ink Spots, who had a 1955 UK No.10 single with 'Melody Of Love'. He Died 18th October 1944.


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Scrip Code: 526371 / NMDC
CMP: Rs. 166.25; Buy at Rs. 160 -164 levels.
Medium to Long term Target: Rs. 187; STOP LOSS – Rs. 153.00; Market Cap: Rs. 65,913.40 cr; 52 Week High/Low: Rs. 280.00 / Rs. 135.60
Medium to Long term Target: Rs. 187; STOP LOSS – Rs. 153.00; Market Cap: Rs. 65,913.40 cr; 52 Week High/Low: Rs. 280.00 / Rs. 135.60
Total Shares: 396,47,16,000 shares; Promoters : 356,84,18,180 shares –90 %; Total Public holding : 39,62,97,820 shares – 10 %; Book Value: Rs. 66.79; Face Value: Rs. 1.00; EPS: Rs. 18.33; Div: 330 % ; P/E: 9.6 times; Ind. P/E: 16.36; EV/EBITDA: 6.70.
Total Debt: NIL; Enterprise Value: Rs. 65,992.69 Cr.
National Mineral Development Corporation LTD: The Company was founded in 1958 and is based in Hyderabad, India. It was formerly known as National Mineral Development Corporation ltd and changed its name to NMDC in January 2008 is an iron ore producer & exporter, operating in Chhattisgarh & Karnataka. NMDC ltd engages in the exploration and production of various minerals in India and internationally. It explores for iron ore, copper, rock phosphate, lime stone, dolomite, gypsum, bentonite, magnesite, diamond, tin, tungsten, graphite & beach sand. The company also focuses on coal and gold properties, as well as platinum group of elements and bauxite. It has iron ore deposits in Bailadila Chhattisgarh, Iron ore mines at Donimalai Karnataka; diamond mines at Panna Madhya Pradesh; magnesite mines at Jammu; & Arki lime stone project in Himachal Pradesh. In addition, the company involves in investing in the development of renewable energy resources, which include wind mill projects of approximately 10.5 MW capacities at Karnataka. NMDC supplied 2.3752 Cr tons of iron ore to domestic industries & had exported 25.63 lakh tons of iron ore. On December 10, 2010, NMDC announced a joint venture (JV) with OJSC Severstal (a vertically integrated steel maker from Russia) to build an integrated 2mn tonne steel plant in Karnataka. This JV will have captive coking coal mine in Russia, while it will have an iron ore mining subsidiary in India. On September 2011, NMDC purchased a 50 % stake in Australian-based Legacy Iron Ore (Legacy) as a cornerstone investor for Rs. 92 Cr. On December 12, 2011 the company incorporated NMDC POWER LTD as is wholly owned subsidiary. NMDC is compared with SESAGOA LTD in India, Cliffs Natural Resources Incorporation and Ferexpo Plc globally.
Investment Rationale:
NMDC management targets its production to reach 40mn tonnes by FY2014E–15E through increased exploration of its existing mines and development of new mines, i.e., Deposit 11B and Deposit 13 in Bailadila and Kumaraswany, respectively, in Karnataka. It is expected that NMDC's sales volumes to post a CAGR of 10.2 % during FY2011-13. With a strong balance sheet along with net cash of about Rs. 20,000 Cr, acquisition of more mining assets overseas cannot be rule out by the company, in September 2011, NMDC purchased a 50 % stake in Australia-based Legacy Iron Ore (Legacy) as a cornerstone investor for Rs. 92 Cr. Also, the company is currently prospecting various mining assets, including an iron ore mine and a phosphate mine in Australia, an iron ore mine in Brazil and a coking coal asset in Russia. However, given that NMDC is a government-owned company, it is not expected to foresee a big-ticket acquisition. Seeking to diversify into steel making, NMDC management intends to diversify its operations by moving downstream through establishing steel plants and pellet plants. Accordingly, on December 10, 2010, the company signed a joint venture (JV) with OJSC Severstal (a vertically integrated steel maker from Russia) to build an integrated 3mn tonne steel plant in Karnataka. This JV will have captive coking coal mine in Russia, while it will have an iron ore mining subsidiary in India. Over 90 % of land acquisition is complete, which gives comfort as land acquisition has been a major bottleneck to Greenfield projects in recent times here in India. NMDC is setting up a 3 MTPA steel plant in Chhattisgarh, and hopes to start its production from 2014, coinciding with the commissioning of facility for the alloy. In a recent presentation to the steel ministry, NMDC has said that it is taking "all necessary steps" to start production from the Shahpur West block in Madhya Pradesh in 2014. Coal Ministry has already given approval to the mine closure plan for the block. The coal ministry had allotted two blocks - Shahpur East and Shahpur West in Shahdol district of Madhya Prdesh to NMDC in 2009. Following this, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between NMDC and Mineral Exploration Corporation (MECL) to carry out exploration in both the blocks. NMDC applied for environment and forest clearance and as per the approved mine plan, coal production is expected to start from 2014.
Outlook and Valuation:
NMDC has advantage in setting up its steel plant as it has a captive source of coal for its steel plant which would help NMDC to hedge itself against price fluctuations, which is almost a certainty event in 2014 as the raw material is getting scarcer and costlier day by day. Domestic steel manufacturers, including Steel Authority of India, is continuously facing the heat of scorching coal prices in international market as its captive source can meet only a small part of the total requirement. NMDC is setting up a 3 Million Tonnes Per Annum steel plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh with an outlay of Rs. 15,525 Cr. It has placed all major orders including sinter plant, blast furnace, and raw material handling systems, steel melting shop and oxygen plant among others. Being a major iron ore producer itself, adequate supply to feed the steel plant is not a matter of concern for NMDC. The company aims to produce over 30 million tonnes iron ore in current fiscal, almost 20 per cent more than in 2011-12 by enhancing production from the existing mines. It has plans to produce 40 million tonnes iron ore by 2014-15. On performance side - NMDC's revenue fell 31 % Y-o-Y to Rs. 2,594.5 Cr in Q4FY12. The fall was on the back of lower sales volume due to damage to Essar's slurry pipeline and volume stood at 6.4 MT compared to 8.4 MT in corresponding quarter of previous year. The company reduced the iron ore prices by 20 % for fines and 3 % for lumps during the quarter which impacted the blended realization which stood at Rs. 4,054/ton ($80/ton) in Q4FY12 compared to Rs. 4,488/ton in Q4FY11. EBITDA of the company plunged by 28 % Y-o-Y to Rs. 1,977.3 Cr in Q4FY12 compared to Rs. 2,739.1 Cr in Q4FY11. EBITDA/ton declined by 5 % Y-o-Y to Rs. 3,090/ton in Q4FY12 compared to Rs. 3,261/ton in Q4FY11. Other Income grew by 23.9 % Y-o-Y to Rs. 546.7 Cr in Q4FY12 compared to Rs. 441 Cr in Q4FY11. PAT too fell by 21 % Y-o-Y to Rs. 1,642.2 Cr in Q4FY12 compared to Rs. 2,098.6 Cr in Q4FY11. On annual basis - in FY12, NMDC's top line impacted by 1 % Y-o-Y to Rs. 11,261.8 Cr as compared to Rs. 11,368.9 Cr in FY11 on the back of the marginal 4 % growth in sales of iron ore to 27.30 MT. EBITDA and PAT improved by 1.7 % and 11.7 % Y-o-Y during the year respectively. However, total expenditure as a percentage of sales declined 200 basis points to Rs. 2,466.1 Cr in FY12E as compared to Rs. 2,722.4 Cr in FY11. This led EBITDA whopping to 1.73 % to Rs. 8,795.7 Cr in FY12 compared to Rs. 8,646.4 Cr in FY11. This was supported by the e-auction sales of iron ore which is priced higher than market prices and the company being the only miner in Karnataka faced the iron ore ban issued on 26th August 2011 in the locality. EBITDA adjusted Other Income grew drastically by 9.75 % Y-o-Y to Rs. 10,812.2 Cr in FY12 compared to Rs. 9,852.1 Cr in FY11. PBT and PAT too grew by 10.6 % Y-o-Y and 11.7 % Y-o-Y to Rs. 10,759.4 Cr and Rs. 7,265.3 Cr respectively during FY12. The company planned capex stood at Rs. 4,655 Cr for FY13 for the capacity addition. NMDC, maintained its EPS at Rs. 18.3 per share in FY12 as compared to Rs. 16.4 per share in FY11. Over the past five years, NMDC has traded at an average EV/EBITDA of 13.7 x, compared to its current valuation of 3.8x FY2014E EV/EBITDA. Valuing the stock at 4.5 x FY2013E EV/EBITDA, a fair value of NMDC comes at Rs. 187 and recommend to Accumulate on dips. In my view NMDC could report EPS in FY13E & FY14E of Rs. 19.10 / sh and Rs. 20.90 / sh, respectively. One could buy NMDC for a medium to long term target of 187.
|SALES (Rs. Crs)
|NET PROFIT (Rs. Crs)
|EPS (Rs.)
|PE (x)
|P/BV (x)
|EV/EBITDA (x)
I would buy NMDC LTD with a price target of Rs. 187 for Medium to Long term. As I always say, I am a long term believer in markets & I do respect the markets and will keep a strict stop loss of 8 % or Rs. 153.00 on every purchase.


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Diffusing Defensiveness – Building Better Behaviors!
As a tactical leader, the ability to diffuse escalating tension, anger, conflicts and defensive behaviors that result in lost performance is critical. Whether through a peer or leadership position, diffusing defensive behavior can serve to create a significantly healthier workplace.
While most individuals have evolved into a norm of defending their ideas, positions and needs, it also has become an acceptable practice to challenge these when one disagrees. To diffuse possible escalation in emotions and counter-productive behaviors, consider low impact, high yield tactics:
- Restating – Take the sentence that has been challenged – or personalized by the other party as a challenge – and restate it, while remaining entirely "issue/subject" centered. Example: "What I am hearing is that (insert subject) is a concern for us. Should we discuss that?"
- Reframe With Ownership Language – Use words that appear less challenging and don't appear to be singling out or pointing at the other person. Use words that invite the other party into a participatory dialogue: we, us, team.
- Avoid Challenge Language – The unfortunate tendency in decaying behaviors is the use of challenge words and phrases. These would be the words used in visual, auditory and kinesthetic interactions that infer one person is better than another. They frequently come across as a direct attack. Words like "however," "you," "but" and "seem to" turn up the pressure to defensive behaviors (a great source on these ideas is Taking the War Out of Our Words: The Art of Powerful Non-Defensive Communication by Sharon Ellison, ISBN #0-9720021-0-3 / US $15.95, Bay Tree Publishing, 721 Creston Road, Berkeley, CA, 94708).
- Remain Behavior-Focused – In responding to the other person, ensure that all your words, gestures and phrasings remain focused on the "behavior" that is at hand and not the actual person. Example: "I'm not challenging you nor making a statement about you in terms of good or bad. Rather, I think we should address the choice that was made…" Another example could be, "I'm not saying you are right nor wrong, good nor bad; we are hear to address the comments that are being made, which are counter productive to our purpose …"
- Model – Make sure you look in that imaginary mirror of life and continually ask yourself, "What does my behavior project to my team, colleagues and customers?" People do tend to model the behaviors of not just others, but the behaviors they see the most and those that are most frequently rewarded!
- Gambit – As a strategic maneuver to position yourself for a greater gain, you may need to either sacrifice a little to get a lot for the greater benefit of the team or buy time for a calming affect, allowing emotions and defensive behaviors to settle down. You may deploy a move such as, "Excuse me for a minute while I go to the bathroom." Of course, you may not need to actually go to the bathroom, but this break will allow you – and perhaps the other party – an unplanned opportunity to calm down, become less personality-focused and become more issue-focused!
Other sources of gambits could be time, other subjects, other people and places.
- Association – Encircle a potentially problem player with only proactive, constructive, optimistic individuals. This overwhelming force will serve either as a soothing behavior adjuster or a motivation for them to leave you, which may be something you actually desire!
- Get Out of the Presenter's Box – I have presented this explosive behavior- diffusing technique before. The space you occupy when presenting an idea is the imaginary "presenter's box." The moment someone challenges you, the tendency is to defend your turf, which only escalates defensive, non-productive behaviors. The next time someone challenges your idea, use this technique: calmly step to the side (out of the box), and when the challenger is finished, politely respond by saying, "If this idea is not an ideal way to proceed, let's explore some other options. What do you feel is an effective way to address this?"
- Plurality of Ideas – When finding yourself at odds with another person, transition the dialogue away from both of your present defensive items and inquire about other ideas. Example: "Aside from the subjects in which we disagree, what are some other ways we could address this issue?"
- Empathize – Offer an empathy-based preface to your logic-based response. An empathy statement conveys to the other party that you respectfully hear them. You are not agreeing nor disagreeing with them, but merely acknowledging their stance. Research finds that sometimes a person's behavior and the escalation in their behavior is a learned response or tactic to gain leverage or recognition with others. By you immediately acknowledging the other person, this may many times serve as a diffusing approach.
- Defer to Another Authority – Sometimes, no matter what your approach, you and the other person are not going to interact effectively. To reduce and occasionally eliminate defensive behaviors, consider if the need for the interaction (subject matter) is greater than the need for you being the engager. If the answer is yes, change the players. Become the leader that is resident within you and have someone else be the facilitator for the sake of performance success.
As a tactical leader, the ability to diffuse escalating tension, anger, conflicts and defensive behaviors will result in increased performance and profitability in your business unit. Residual benefits of diffusing defensive behaviors in your organization will also be seen in the quality of life and a greater sense of balance that everyone experiences.
Dr Jeff Magee
Facebook (Get a FREE copy of my Performance Execution Ebook)


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Guru Ramdas ji and the Yogi's
After Guru Ramdas had taken the gurgaddi he still continued doing lot of physical sewa. Once Baba Sri chand , son of Guru Nanak ji decided to meet Guru Ramdas ji. As soon as the word traveled to Ramdas ji, Guru Ramdas sent his followers to meet Sri Chand ji at the edge of the city and himself left his sewa to meet him. When Baba Sri Chand saw guru Ramdas he was shocked because with his yogic eyes he saw his father Guru Nanak in Guru Ramdas ji. He proclamed you are the image of my father .. you have the light of my father, but your beard is much longer than my father! why is your beard so long ?? Guru Ramdas ji answered - my beard is so long so that I can wipe the feet of the saints like u and he actually bent over to rub over Sri Chand's feet. This surprised Sri Chand ji who jumped back and said even after so many years of 'tap' I have'nt been able to achieve this grace and humility. I have never seen such humility beofre. you are the king. you sit on the throne. you are the king of the yoga. They both enjoyed the meeting after that.
"With the rising of the sun, the Gurmukh speaks of the Lord. All through the night, he dwells upon the Sermon of the Lord. My God has infused this longing within me; I seek my Lord God. 1
My mind is the dust of the feet of the Holy. The Guru has implanted the Sweet Name of the Lord, Har, Har, within me. I dust the Guru's Feet with my hair. 1Pause
Soon the word spread that Sri Chand ji declared Ramdas ji as the yoga king.. the yogi's stated to question what yoga does he knows and what is the throne he sits on ???.. so when they came to Guru Ramdas ji, ramdas ji told them to chant gods name instead of ausetrities and stop violence against their body, and instead of going to caves and leaving everything, live in your "grisht ashram" (homes) and bring moderation to your eating, sleeping and to your sensuality ..don't deny yourself as a human but bring moderation to it and infuse yourself with moral courage ( sahaj yoga) and by these things they will gain union with god.. the way of yoga the celebs have adopted had actually seperated them from god for when they came close/in presence of a woman their equilibrum was disturbed bcos they were still humans.. Guru Ramdas told them to keep their equilibrium day and night by meditation and chanting gods name. and focusing on gods feet.
You may pluck the strings with your hand, O Yogi, but your playing of the harp is in vain.
Under Guru's Instruction, chant the Glorious Praises of the Lord, O Yogi, and this mind of yours shall be imbued with the Lord's Love. 1
O Yogi, give your intellect the Teachings of the Lord.
The Lord, the One Lord, is pervading throughout all the ages; I humbly bow down to Him. 1Pause
You sing in so many Ragas and harmonies, and you talk so much, but this mind of yours is only playing a game
You work the well and irrigate the fields, but the oxen have already left to graze in the jungle. 2
In the field of the body, plant the Lord's Name, and the Lord will sprout there, like a lush green field.
O mortal, hook up your unstable mind like an ox, and irrigate your fields with the Lord's Name, through the Guru's Teachings. 3
The Yogis, the wandering Jangams, and all the world is Yours, O Lord. According to the wisdom which You give them, so do they follow their ways.
O Lord God of servant Nanak, O Inner-knower, Searcher of hearts, please link my mind to You. 4961
- GGS ji pg:368
He further explained.. yoga is acceptance of both polarities ..good and bad .. when there is no good no bad .. ( kaun bhale ko mande) ?? when u accept all of it as god then you merge with god in ecstacy. and this is true yoga.


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The contest is now CLOSED.
Photos can be a potent tool in understanding history. For instance, the image of a little girl running down a bawling, naked road has described the horror of the Vietnam war more eloquently than all the scholarly articles on the subject.
During the ongoing Madras Week, The Hindu invites its readers to use this tool to create a pictorial record of our city.
The photos that make an eloquent commentary on Chennai will be published in Downtown.
Starts - Monday, August 19, 2013 at 11 a.m.
Closes - Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 11 p.m.
Results announced on Sunday, September 1, 2013
- All photos must be original work
- Photos must be taken in Chennai in the last 1 year
- 5 photos per participant
- Photos must be no more than 1.5 MB in size. High resolution images of photos will need to be available on request
- Enter information in ALL fields
- You can vote for as many pictures as you like, but only once per photo
- Photos upload and voting on-line only
- Registration at The Hindu Shutterbug is via email id or Facebook id
Submit pictures, vote for the pictures you like and share them on social media. Encourage everyone you know to participate with photo entries or as voters. All photos will be visible here.


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During your holiday on the resort, many people will take care of you. All of these people will play a big role in ensuring that your trip is everything that you have wished for. However, there are several people that may have a greater impact on your holiday's success; these are your dive crew.
|Michael O.J. Pettersson
|SSI Instructor Trainer # 61226, XR and TXR Instructor # 61226 PADI IDC Staff Instructor # 71320, ANDI Instructor # 512, SSI (NASDS) Instructor, CMAS Instructor
|March 1, 1972
|English, Swedish, Sign Languages
|I have been certified as a dive instructor since 1990. With more than 10,000 dives under my belt, I'm the "grandpa" of the Kasai Village diving team. Since I learned to dive, I've been just about everywhere: diving the cold lakes of my native Sweden, the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, the North Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and around the Baltic Sea. That's a lot of seas! After more than 25 years as an instructor I still have a passion for teaching for courses such as Specialty, XR/TXR Techincal, MK 6 Rebreather and Leadership levels. I think the diving just gets better and better. I wouldn't be able to pick a favorite dive site here; I'd give all of them 3 stars on an average day and every dive site gets 5 stars on a good day. I like to work at Kasai Village Resort because we have a professional working staff. But it's not just the diving; it's much more the team, the locals, the accommodations, the food — they all come together nicely at this one place.
|Joselito "Tata" Cabaron
|SSI Instructor # 65329
|July 31, 1974
|English, Filipino
|I started diving in 2006. I have more or less 4,000 dives under my belt. I like diving here in the Philippines because it is fun and poses a lot of challenges, aside from having different kinds of beautiful reefs and various types of sea creatures.I love working in Kasai because they have the most organized dive shop I have ever seen in my entire diving experience. Teamwork is evident and we have a very nice and accommodating boss. Now i am a SSI Open Water Instructor since October 2013
|Crisheldo "Crish" Ampo
|SSI Instructor # 65330
|October 10, 1985
|English, Filipino
|I had my first dive job in Palau, US Micronesia and then in Puerto Galera. I have more or less 4,000 dives under my belt. I have been working in Kasai since 2007. I like working in Kasai because it allows me to provide for myself my daily needs and career stability. I can see that Kasai will be very progressive in the coming years and I want to be a part of that progress. Now i am a SSI Open Water Instructor since October 2013 and happy to teach Open Water and Advanced Adventurer courses.
|Alex Rey Ebarsabal
|SSI Dive Master
|June 20, 1980
|English, Filipino
|I have been diving for six years now. I started my diving experience back in 2008 at Dolphin House Resort, Moalboal, Cebu. I have more or less 4,000 dives under my belt. I'm working in Kasai Village Diving Academy now because, for me, it is more fun here and the dive shop is very well-organized. I am aiming in the moment for the SSI Divemster rating and will be finished with this level very soon. It is also very nice to work when you have a great, very supportive boss.
|Felix Colubio
|PADI Dive Master # 266216
|January 29, 1986
|English, Filipino
|I've been a diver for six years now. I started my diving experience in Moalboal, Cebu back in 2006. I have more or less 5,000 dives under my belt. I worked as a dive guide in Balicasag Island, Bohol. I've also had a few diving experiences in Apo Island, Negros Oriental. I am having so much fun diving and working in Kasai, spotting both the big and tiny underwater creatures. Kasai provides me with good benefits.
|Allan G. Cuizon
|Compressor Man/Dive Team Assistant/SSI Dive Master
|May 04, 1988
|English, Filipino
|I started working in Kasai in 2009 as a compressor man. I feel privileged that the resort gave me an opportunity to learn scuba diving. It was in 2010 when I took my Open Water Dive Course. My instructor was Kalle, a Swedish diver who was having his on-the-job training in Kasai. In February 2011, I took my Advance Water Dive Course. I'm honored to be a student of Sir Jonas, one of the owners of Kasai Village Dive & Spa Resort. I will be forever grateful and thankful to the resort's management for all the great opportunities and benefits they have given me and my family.
|Romeo "Toto" Domugho
|Boat Crew
|November 10, 1976
|English, Filipino
|I do not have any experience as a boat crew in my employment history. I am an amateur boat crew. I started working in last May 2013, from there on I have been nothing but a satisfied employee. The benefits that the management provide to its employees are all worthy.This job helps me and my family for all our daily needs. I am happy to be working in here and in the upcoming years.
|Jimmy Aquino
|Boat Crew
|May 19, 1981
|English, Filipino
|I have been working as a boat crew since 1997. I started as an extra boat man in a certain dive resort here in Moalboal, then I was offered a work to be a full-time boat crew and the rest are history. Tata was the one who introduce me to Sir Michael for this job opportunity,this work provided me a lot of benefits that I have never experience before. I am very grateful to Tata and Sir Michael for this opportunity. I chose to work here simply because, it is FUN!


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I've always wanted to produce and sell my designs as gift wrap, and yet again Spoonflower has provided the opportunity!
If you would be interested in buying some Rosie Simons Design gift wrap please comment below or let me know via Twitter! (@rosie_simons)
How CUTE are their on site mock ups! It's great for imagining how the designs will look as gift wrap!
Images copyright Rosie Simons 2012


text: Engineered wood, also known as composite wood comprises of a number of wood products made by binding veneers, particles, fibers and strands of wood, together with adhesives to form composite materials. They are modeled to absolute design requirements as per the client's specifications and tested to meet international and national standards. They include a variety of products ranging from plywoods to roof trusses.


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Remembrance Day Ceremonies in Smith's Falls, Ontario, November 11, 2014
Cenotaph Services in Smith's Falls, Nov, 11, 2014.
When this fighter jet came flying at over 400 miles per hour past the Remembrance Day ceremonies in Smith's Falls today, it was quite an eye-opening experience. It came out of nowhere and was just as quickly gone, giving Bill and I pause as to what it would have been like to be in combat on the ground when one of these flew overhead. A very exciting and impressive display.
The rest of the ceremony was very sombre and respectful as we honored our fallen dead from the two major world wars and those who are presently in combative situations, defending our flag and freedom around the world. It really is such an important day and should always continue to be as the generations pass into a time when no one remembers the sacrifices these brave men and women made to protect our country, a lot of them with their lives.
It seems to me that it was a simpler time back then, and a much less-selfish attitude as it was considered honorable and even preferable to go to war then, and to stay behind perceived as cowardice. What happened to our country that we seem to have almost completely forgotten what made Canada so great and well-loved around the world. Our values and morals have changed so drastically in almost a complete 180 degree fashion; and what made us great in the first place has almost been lost.
Except for those who stood in uniform today, and the families of the fallen who will always remember and honor those who were so brave, so honorable; it has become an exception, an anomaly. I am humbled immensely in their presence. You will only see it in movies now, this willingness to die for beliefs and families; a lost character trait that was so common in our land. It makes me wonder what they really died for and how sad it would be for them to see the country we live in today; just barely holding onto the smallest piece of honor and respect by those who survived. No one wants to go to war but when there is no other choice, these people stood up and did what had to be done.
Lest we forget, we will always remember and honor those brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Comments are Closed


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In the Local Opinions section of The Washington Post, David White weighed in on the issue of allowing wine sales in
from out of state retailers. David issues a call to arms of wine enthusiasts against any compromise in the direct shipping bill that would eliminate the provision allowing for direct shipping from out of state retailers. He points out that doing so would "prohibit residents from ordering wine from Internet retailers, joining wine-of-the-month clubs and taking part in out-of-state wine auctions." Maryland
"Such a compromise should be offensive to wine snobs and beer swillers alike.
residents must fight for this bill as it's written." Maryland
On one side are the consumers, on the other are the entrenched and well heeled interests that support the states antiquated three tier liquor distribution system that was originally put in place following the repeal of prohibition.
"The wholesaling industry is quite generous to politicians. Between 2000 and 2006, according to the Specialty Wine Retailers Association, which opposes restrictions on wine sales across state borders, wholesalers contributed nearly $50 million to state campaigns. These donations make perfect sense, since politicians keep the wholesalers in business by protecting the middle tier."
David White is the editor of the daily wine blog, Terroirist.