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The Battle of Algiers (Italian: La battaglia di Algeri; Arabic: معركة الجزائر; French: La Bataille d'Alger) is a 1966 Italian-Algerian historical war film co-written and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo and starring Jean Martin and Saadi Yacef. It is based on events during the Algerian War (1954–62) against the French government in North Africa; the most prominent being the titular Battle of Algiers, the capital of Algeria. It was shot on location and the film score was composed by Ennio Morricone. The film, which was shot in a Rossellini-inspired newsreel style—in black and white with documentary-type editing—is often associated with Italian neorealism cinema.
The film has been critically celebrated and often taken, by insurgent groups and states alike, as an important commentary on urban guerrilla warfare. It occupies the 48th place on the Critics' Top 250 Films of the 2012 Sight & Sound poll as well as 120th place on Empire magazine's list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.
Algeria gained independence from the French, a matter which Pontecorvo portrays in the film's epilogue. The film concentrates on the years between 1954 and 1957 when the guerrilla fighters regrouped and expanded into the Casbah, the citadel of Algiers, which was met by French paratroopers attempting to regain territory. The highly dramatic film is about the organization of a guerrilla movement and the illegal methods used by the colonial power to contain it.
A subject of socio-political controversy, the film was not screened for five years in France, where it was later released in 1971.
The Battle of Algiers reconstructs the events that occurred in the capital city of French Algeria between November 1954 and December 1957, during the Algerian War of Independence. The narrative begins with the organization of revolutionary cells in the Casbah. Then partisan warfare between Muslims and Pied-Noir in which both sides exchange acts of increasing violence leads to the introduction of French army paratroopers to hunt the National Liberation Front (FLN). The paratroopers are depicted as winning the battle by neutralizing the whole of the FLN leadership through either assassination or capture. However, the film ends with a coda depicting nationalist demonstrations and riots, suggesting that although France won the Battle of Algiers, it lost the Algerian War.
The tactics of the FLN guerrilla insurgency and the French counter insurgency, and the uglier incidents of the war, are depicted. Colonizer and colonized commit atrocities against civilians. The FLN commandeer the Casbah via summary execution of Algerian criminals and suspected French collaborators and use terrorism, including bombings, to harass Europeans. The security forces resort to lynch mobs and indiscriminate violence against the opposition. French paratroops are depicted as routinely using torture, intimidation, and murder. Pontecorvo and Solinas have several protagonists, based on historical war figures. The story begins and ends from the perspective of Ali la Pointe (Brahim Haggiag), a petty criminal who is politically radicalized while in prison and then recruited by FLN commander El-hadi Jafar (Saadi Yacef, dramatizing a character based on himself).
Lieutenant-Colonel Mathieu, the paratroop commander, is the principal French character. Other characters are the boy Petit Omar, a street urchin who is an FLN messenger; Larbi Ben M'hidi, a top FLN leader and the film's political rationale for the insurgency; and Djamila, Zohra, and Hassiba, three FLN women urban guerrillas who effect a terrorist attack. The Battle of Algiers also features thousands of Algerian extras; Pontecorvo's intended effect was the "Casbah-as-chorus", communicating with chanting, wailing, and physical effect.
The Battle of Algiers was inspired by Souvenirs de la Bataille d'Alger, by Saadi Yacef, the campaign account of an FLN military commander. The book, written by Yacef while a prisoner of the French, was FLN morale-boosting propaganda for militants. After independence, Yacef was released and became part of the new government. The Algerian government backed a film of Yacef's memoir; exiled FLN man Salash Baazi approached the Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo and screenwriter Franco Solinas with the project.
Yacef wrote his own screenplay, which does not have any conversations or plot, which the Italian producers rejected as too biased towards the Algerians. Although sympathetic to Algerian nationalism, the Italian businessmen insisted on dealing with events from a neutral perspective. The final screenplay of The Battle of Algiers has an Algerian protagonist and depicts the cruelty and suffering of French and Algerians.
Despite its basis in true events, The Battle of Algiers uses composite characters and changes the names of certain persons. For example, Colonel Mathieu is a composite of several French counterinsurgency officers, especially Jacques Massu. Saadi Yacef has stated that Mathieu was actually more based on Marcel Bigeard, although the character is also reminiscent of Roger Trinquier. Accused of portraying him as too elegant and noble, screenwriter Solinas denied that this was his intention; the Colonel is "elegant and cultured, because Western civilization is neither inelegant nor uncultured".
For The Battle of Algiers, Pontecorvo and cinematographer Marcello Gatti filmed in black and white and experimented with various techniques to give the film the look of newsreel and documentary film. The effect was convincing enough that American releases carried a disclaimer that "not one foot" of newsreel was used.
Pontecorvo's use of fictional realism enables the movie "to operate along a double-bind as it consciously addresses different audiences." The film makes special use of television in order to link western audiences with images they are constantly faced with and always depicting the "truth". The film seems to be filmed through the point of view of a western reporter, as telephoto lenses and hand-held cameras are used, whilst "depicting the struggle from a 'safe' distance with French soldiers placed between the crowds and camera."
Pontecorvo chose to cast non-professional Algerians he met, picking them mainly on appearance and emotional effect (as a result, many of their lines were dubbed). The sole professional actor of the movie was Jean Martin, who played Coloniel Mathieu; Martin was a French actor who had worked primarily in theatre. Pontecorvo wanted a professional actor, but one with whom audiences would not be too familiar, which could have interfered with the movie's intended realism. Martin had been dismissed several years earlier from the Théâtre National Populaire for signing the manifesto of the 121 against the Algerian War. Martin had also served in a paratroop regiment during the Indochina War as well as the French Resistance, thus giving his character an autobiographical element. The working relationship between Martin and Pontecorvo was not always easy, as the director, unsure that Martin's professional acting style would not contrast too much with that of the non-professionals, kept arguing with his acting choices.
Sound—both music and effects—performs important functions in the movie. Indigenous Algerian drumming, rather than dialogue, is heard during a scene in which female FLN militants prepare for a bombing. In addition, Pontecorvo used the sounds of gunfire, helicopters and truck engines to symbolize the French methods of battle, while bomb blasts, ululation, wailing and chanting symbolize the Algerian methods. Gillo Pontecorvo had written the music for The Battle of Algiers, but because he was classed as a "melodist-composer" in Italy, it required him to work with another composer which was undertaken by his good friend Ennio Morricone.
Pontecorvo resisted the temptation to romanticise either of the antagonists. The attacks committed by the French and the FLN alike are both portrayed. The movie's essential fair-mindedness is perhaps its most striking and skillful feature. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for three Academy Awards (in non-consecutive years), including Best Screenplay (Gillo Pontecorvo and Franco Solinas) and Best Director (Gillo Pontecorvo) in 1969 and Best Foreign Language Film in 1967. Other awards include The City of Venice Cinema Prize (1966), the International Critics Award (1966), the City of Imola Prize (1966), the Italian Silver Ribbon Prize (director, photography, producer), the Ajace Prize of the Cinema d'Essai (1967), the Italian Golden Asphodel (1966), Diosa de Plata at the Acapulco Film Festival (1966), the Golden Grolla (1966), the Riccione Prize (1966), Best Film of 1967 by Cuban critics (in a poll sponsored by Cuban magazine Cine), and the United Churches of America Prize (1967). In 2010, the movie was ranked sixth in Empire magazine's "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema".
Not all reception was positive. In France, Cahiers du cinéma devoted a special feature to the film consisting of five articles by critics, philosophers, and film scholars, wherein the negative assessment of the film was cast in such strong terms that it undermined, on moral grounds, the legitimacy of any critic or analyst who did not condemn the film, let alone anyone who dared consider it worthy of filmic attention."
The movie produced considerable political controversy in France and was banned there for five years. The topic was controversial because there were differing views on whose side the film was on. Many in France felt the film was too sympathetic to the Algerian view and may be why it was not screened for many years. "A moving film that presented events from the Algerian point of view."
Pontecorvo said "The Algerians put no obstacles in our way because they knew that I'd be making a more or less objective film about the subject. The French authorities, who were very sensitive on the Algerian issue, banned the film for three months." Threats from fascist groups prevented screenings of the film for four years despite Pontecorvo's attempt to make a politically neutral film.
The release of The Battle of Algiers coincided with the decolonization period and national liberation wars, as well as a rising tide of left-wing radicalism in Western nations in which a large minority showed interest in armed struggle. Beginning in the late 1960s, The Battle of Algiers gained a reputation for inspiring political violence; in particular, the tactics of urban guerrilla warfare and terrorism in the movie were supposedly copied by the Black Panthers, the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front. The Battle of Algiers was apparently also Andreas Baader's favourite movie.
Antonio Caggiano, archbishop of Buenos Aires from 1959 to 1975, inaugurated with President Arturo Frondizi (Radical Civic Union, UCR) the first course on counter-revolutionary warfare in the Higher Military College (Frondizi was eventually overthrown for being "tolerant of Communism"). By 1963, cadets at the (then infamously well-known) Navy Mechanics School (ESMA) started receiving counter-insurgency classes. In one of their courses, they were shown the movie The Battle of Algiers. Caggiano, the military chaplain at the time, introduced the movie approvingly and added a religiously oriented commentary to it. Anibal Acosta, one of the ESMA cadet interviewed 35 years later by French journalist Marie-Monique Robin described the session:
They showed us that film to prepare us for a kind of war very different from the regular war we had entered the Navy School for. They were preparing us for police missions against the civilian population, who became our new enemy.
During 2003, the film again made the news after the Directorate for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict at the Pentagon offered a screening of the movie on August 27, regarding it as a useful illustration of the problems faced in Iraq. A flyer for the screening read:
How to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas. Children shoot soldiers at point-blank range. Women plant bombs in cafes. Soon the entire Arab population builds to a mad fervor. Sound familiar? The French have a plan. It succeeds tactically, but fails strategically. To understand why, come to a rare showing of this film.
According to the Defense Department official (Directorate for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict) in charge of the screening, "Showing the film offers historical insight into the conduct of French operations in Algeria, and was intended to prompt informative discussion of the challenges faced by the French."
At the time of the 2003 Pentagon screening, legal and "pirate" VHS and DVD versions of the movie were available in the United States and elsewhere, but the image quality was degraded. An Italian film restoration had been done in 1999. The restored print allowed Rialto Pictures to acquire the distribution rights for a December 1, 2003, theatrical re-release in the United Kingdom, a January 9, 2004, theatrical re-release in the United States, and a May 19, 2004, re-release in France. The film was shown in the Espace Accattone rue Cujas in Paris from November 15, 2006, to March 6, 2007.
On October 12, 2004, The Criterion Collection released the movie, transferred from a restored print, in a three-disc DVD set. The extras include former US counter-terrorism advisors Richard A. Clarke and Michael A. Sheehan discussing The Battle of Algiers's depiction of terrorism and guerrilla warfare and directors Spike Lee, Mira Nair, Julian Schnabel, Steven Soderbergh, and Oliver Stone discussing its influence on film. Another documentary includes interviews with FLN members Saadi Yacef and Zohra Drif.
The high definition version was released by Criterion on Blu-ray Disc in 2011.


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Today's blog post regards outsourcing managing your rental properties to a professional property manager. Many landlords avoid hiring out the management of their properties for a variety of reasons. Primarily, the are concerned with the price and the loss of control that they will have over their properties. This post discusses a handful of pros and a couple of cons to hiring a property manager. I, myself, and guilty of hesitating to hire a property manager because I want to save the costs in order to pay off these properties quicker. However, I am quickly realizing it to me much more prudent to hire that job out!
8 Rookie Landlord Mistakes
This post is aimed at new and aspiring real estate investors that want to purchase rental properties. Like most things, newbies will undoubtedly make a lot of mistakes. But, even small mistakes when you own a rental property can be quite costly. This blog post discusses 8 easy to make mistakes and how to avoid them.
Real Estate / Life Update
This post is an update on my current real estate projects. I had to turn over a rental property last month, which was very frustrating because the tenant left the property in very bad shape. Fortunately, I was able to find a very good new tenant. We just listed a completed rehab last week that I anticipate to sell very quickly after the Holiday weekend. I've also listed a condo for a client in Mt Pleasant last week, which I also think will sell very quickly. Finally, we've recently bought a new project downtown that will be an amazing house. It needs an absolute ton of work, but I think it will be stunning when completed. I also anticipate it to be very successful from a business perspective, as well. Remember me if you're interested in buying or selling residential, commercial or investment real estate in Charleston, SC!
Are You Still Renting? STAHHP!
The Charleston are's population has been burgeoning. Everyone knows it. It's partly due to the fact that our little city is so livable, but it is also due to the heavy influx of industry that we're currently seeing. I think new industry should be welcomed with open arms to strengthen our local communities. However, when you experience an influx of new residents, you will certainly see an affordable housing shortage. That has been the case here in Charleston recently. Unfortunately, house prices have skyrocketed and that has made many millennials unable to buy. They have to resort to renting and the rental rates in the area have been increasing just as aggressively as home prices. Today's post is about why it is impractical to continue renting in today's market. I know it isn't easy to buy a home, so we will follow the previous statements up with some information on how you CAN buy a home more easily than you think you can.

subset: commoncrawl


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I don't know about you but I have always felt excited at receiving an invitation. A sliver of thrill travels up my spine and miraculously manages to find its own convoluted route to my voice. People in the know ( my family) tell me that my voice hovers between a quivering and a breathless tenor while accepting the invite. In the event of having to decline the said invite the voice teeters on the edge of melancholic anger, the anger directed at whoever is the cause for the 'sorry, we will not be able to make it' . The melancholy is of course, reserved for myself.
Wedding invitations elicit a mixed bag of response. If the card is accompanied by a box
of , well ,anything- mithai, chocolates, badam ki giri, even cardamom and mishri, true happiness is felt. Here, one is slightly foggy about the routine- is the card opened first to check out the who what when of the wedding or is it the box that gets preference. The sneaky suspicion is that it is the box. The red /yellow cellophene covering is ceremoniously unwrapped and the cover lifted. A sigh of pure ecstacy is released if it is mithai. The bliss of taking a peek at the diamond shaped kaju ki katli, or, even better, at the moss green pishta burfi ,and the thrill of renunciation that one will not be eating the mithai is unmatched. Next in the pecking order come the chocolates. They work well for the children and their friends and are packed off in the 'chocolates section ' of the refrigerator. The badams come a humble third because of their prosaicness and their association with health benefits , though it is they that are actually consumed first. Cardamoms, well, I know the cost of ilaichi is no laughing matter but still...I do wish people would go in for mithai- for the reasons already mentioned above.
An unaccompanied card is looked at with slight misgivings and a tut of sympathy. It reinforces the argument of the school of thought which holds that 'One is a lonely number'. Misgivings because ,'what will the actual marriage be like ...' and sympathy as in, ' poor things...' The daughter invariably , and more so lately, professes herself to be in total and absolute agreement with the austerity drive. The husband, fence sitter till now, jumps to her side. Since political correctness is the order of the day and it is just so incorrect to declare oneself in love with mithai and bhaji dabbas that I , perforce, swallow both misgivings and sympathy and agree that it is so nice and in keeping with the times that people have stopped sending boxes. Family receives this in disbelieving silence but by then I am happily mulling the possibility, in silence of course, that may be the oversight will be remedied at the marriage itself.
However, what is truly upsetting is the latest trend of sending electronic and phone invites. You know the ones that urgently solicit your presence at the bhoomi pujan of the ultra delux apartments coming up on Sohna Road or whichever road/expressway. What is upsetting is that there is no mention of breakfast/lunch/tea/dinner and whatsoever no mention of any laddoo ka dabba. All that is mentioned is that one will get a 10% discount on the booking amount if one is among the first five to give a down payment!
What really took the cake the other day was an invite in my mail. It stated that in the X institute pursuit of excellence they, on the occasion of teacher's day, were cordially inviting me to be present to receive an award for my contribution to said excellence. You can imagine the swell of pride in this public affirmation of my excellence, till then visible to only a few. Stat I ring up the husband, the son, the daughter and share with them the tidings. That the tidings are met with stunned silence I take no note of. Next on the to do list is a beautifully worded acceptance mail . In short it states that yes, I would be honored to receive the award from an institution of such impeccable and unimpeachable reputation. Here, I nudge away the inner voice which tells me that I have never heard of the thingy. Now I have ,I inform the inner voice. The next day the institute reverts. They are absolutely delighted with my acceptance of their invitation. Would I like to pay the charges for attending the event by credit card or would a demand draft work better?


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Board of Directors Meeting
20 January 2013
Called to order at 10:21am and adjourned at 1:39pm.
Board Members in Attendance
Attended by Jay, Sheri, Neal, Jared and Heather in-person.
Absent board members: none
Old Business
Game Jam Panel
30-40 people, room packed.
Was really beneficial to students. Tons of great feedback.
Power Dinners
Wednesday the 23rd, at Wideload, 9-10 game company execs, likely 2 of our board members to be present.
Discuss sponsorships, get ideas about who we can bring in for sponsors.
Get events ideas from studios, ask for support.
New Business
Budget Overview
2012 Final
We ended the year positive
Caution: more expenses next year as we transition to the chapter formally paying for Meetup and web hosting
We were off budget this year but it was the first year.
Board members should be sure to collect receipts for all expenses.
2013 Forecast
Planned for four sponsors throughout the year (Jared)
Planned for workshops
Charity mixer at the end of the year
Conference, Chicago Game Jam expenses, etc. based off last year.
Budgeted in board meetings, power dinners, etc.
To achieve this: get the workshops going, paid event every other month.
Motion to approve the budget made by Jay, seconded by Heather, unanimous.
2013 Events, first six months
Global Game Jam
Mentors: two types
Scheduled mentors Saturday (come talk to these audio guys from 12-2) get help, etc.
Friday Night mentors who go around and advise
Support GGJ
GGJ Play Party
Structure it so teams can demo their games, then open it up for people to play them after the presentations.
Educational content – Judges from GGJ, producers of studioheads give feedback
Ask execs at power dinner to come give critiques, offer to support a top game (space, mentorship, monthly progress meetings, etc)
Location: DePaul
Date: Thursday February 21
Avengers Alliance/OUYA
Avengers Alliance postmortem, OUYA gets 30 minutes of speaking
Location: 1871
Also in March: Game tourney for people not at GDC
C2E2 (Tech Week replacement)
Inc IGDA Chicago logo in brochures, website.
Event is shifting towards games. They would like to do panels with us, offered us an expo space for showing games (30 x 20)
Either C2E2 brings down costs or we look at sponsors to offset the costs.
Perhaps partner with similar groups/retailers/etc
Perhaps run a suburban event in April, as well, for those not going downtown for the conference.
Would like to talk about devs bringing their games to the platform (Bizspark)
Sponsored event (30 minute presentation, possibly pair with a postmortem)
Taste of Chicago Games – Games Showcase
Location: suburbs?
2013 second half:
Late September / October – Chicago Game Jam
December – Charity Mixer
More Ideas:
Arcade event where past and present industry leaders in Chicago talk arcade biz
Jared will talk to the Temple Run folks about possibly coming out for an event.
Student event with classes for resumes, etc.
Working Group Status
Use Basecamp!
We should seek someone to be in charge of suburban events and take ownership of it (High Voltage.) We should address this at the next power dinner.


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So, this guy walks into a bear…
A guy literally (literally literally, in fact) walked into a bear the other day because he was so engrossed in texting. Now bears, especially the ones in the half-ton range, are not particularly known for their stealth. They don't tiptoe and — to put it bluntly — they smell. If you don't see them coming, you're apt to either hear them or pick up their, um, scent.
Our Californian did none of the above. What he did do, when he finally wrenched his gaze from his mobile, was run like hell. (Not advised, of course, because although not stealthy bears are surprisingly fleet of foot.)
We really need a sniglet for people roaming the streets so engaged with their cell phones that they're oblivious to their surroundings. A sniglet is a term that isn't in the dictionary but should be. Essentially, it's a licence to make words up. But only when you really need to — and it has become apparent that we really need a word for this common phenomenon.
A while back, a couple of readers sent a message (which we read responsibly seated at our desks) suggesting that we needed a sniglet for this very phenomenon, not necessarily bear-related but for the common state that would make an event like this possible.
We've had a few suggestions: cell-outs, phoneys, cellots, cell zombies, i-blivious… but nothing that really seems to capture the phenomenon perfectly.
Come on — stop texting and playing Angry Birds for long enough to send us a sniglet!
Comment here, tweet to @tao_of_grammar or email us.


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Chinese Pennisetum
(Pennisetum alopecuroides)
Progressive Control Pest
Chinese Pennisetum is a tufted, perennial grass that forms large tussocks around 1 metre in height. It has long, hairless, wiry leaves. Flower heads are purplish, bristly, cylindrical spikes that look like small bottlebrushes.
Reasons for the Strategy
Chinese Pennisetum is generally unpalatable to stock. It is capable of invading productive pasture land and reducing pasture productivity. It is difficult to identify, especially in young plantation forests.
Chinese Pennisetum is assessed at "3" on the infestation curve. There are a number of sites in the Lee, Sherry, and Slippery catchments. The low incidence of Chinese Pennisetum in the Tasman-Nelson region, extensive areas of suitable habitat, and the potential for it to cause significant adverse effects, mean the benefits of progressive control far outweigh the costs.
To reduce the distribution and density of Chinese Pennisetum in the Tasman-Nelson region during the term of the Strategy.
Alternative Measures
The alternative option of "do nothing" or relying on voluntary control will not achieve the objective of reducing the distribution and density of Chinese Pennisetum, and will result in significant additional costs to the community with respect to lost production and the increased cost of control in the future. Requiring total control is not practical, even given the low number of sites. There are a number of Chinese Pennisetum infestations in plantation forests that will continue to be difficult to eradicate.
Strategy Rule for Chinese Pennisetum
The occupier shall destroy all adult and juvenile forms of Chinese Pennisetum on land that they occupy. A breach of Strategy Rule 5.3.5 is an offence under Section 154(r) of the Biosecurity Act 1993.
Biosecurity Act Requirement
No person shall knowingly sell, propagate, breed, release, or commercially display Chinese Pennisetum, under Sections 52 and 53 of the Act.


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Good Day LA – Fox News in LA asked Dr. Galardi to share with them some tips for rediscovering "the reason for the season."
Facing Life From A Place of Abundance
Abbondanza: Seven Italian Secrets for Thriving, No Matter What Life Throws At You – ranked #3 of all new thought leaders interviewed.
Life School Interview -http://thisislifeschool.com/community/videos/video/21-tonigalardi-091012.html?groupid=13
Thriving in an Economic LifeQuake – SoCal News. Dr. Galardi was asked to share advice to SoCal News viewers about small life change that can help you thrive during times of economic chaos
In part two of the Fox News series Thriving in an Economic LifeQuake, Dr. Toni Galardi gives an exercise for removing anxiety from your body when fear comes up around money issues.
Dr. Toni recurring on Socal News after her hair was flat ironed by her hairdresser!
ABC TVs Seven Live on "Sex Addiction: Is It Real?" – the show went off the air so link has expired.
KUSI Good Morning San Diego – Keeping your New Year's resolutions – Dr. Toni Galardi describes a four step plan for how to make positive changes by working on one goal for the year.
Connecting the Dots – One Minute technique from Dr. Galardi's new book "The LifeQuake Phenomenon"
RADIO INTERVIEWS( short list)
The Aware Show with Lisa Garr – 90.7 FM Los Angeles – 4 times
Inner Vision with Dr. Nita Vallens -90.7 FM Los Angeles, 3 times
Chat with Women Radio KKNW 1150 AM Seattle -Alpha Women radio show – "What advice would you give Oprah?"
"Healthy Advice" – Dr. Gene Steiner KRLA, Los Angeles
"Your Health Matters" – Dr. Tony O'Donnell KXAM – Los Angeles, now on KABC
Radio Interview with Tom Cox on procrastination available as a download
Healthy Living and Weight Loss with Bonnie Mechelle
Interview with Dr.†Galardi†on Natural Health Radio by Dr. Jim†Blumenthal
PRINT – Newspapers, hard copy magazines, and online
AOLhealth – Click here to read an article on AOLhealth where Dr. Galardi was asked to give tips and advice for adapting to a move.
AOL.com -†article on "how men and women relate to economic stress differently."
The News & Observer – An article in The News & Observer in which Dr. Galardi was asked for her advice on the optimism one can see in the economic crisis at hand.
Awareness Magazine – Environmental LifeQuakes – Click here to read an article that Dr. Galardi was asked to write for Awareness Magazine on going green between your ears.
MORE Magazine – Boyfriend's Online "Hobby" is Becoming a Problem – An advice column that Dr. Galardi was asked for expert advice from, geared toward women who are over 40.
Interview with journalist on smart phones: are we too dependent on them?
Health Magazine Dr. Galardi was interviewed on social media addiction ( see link above)


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Component supplier Drew Industries Inc. pointed to the effects of higher material costs and continued weakness in its core markets as the White Plains, N.Y.-based firm reported a 77% decline in third-quarter profits.
"The current economic environment continues to be extremely challenging," said CEO Leigh J. Abrams. "Declining real estate values, lower stock prices, volatile gas prices and the lack of credit have made consumers extremely cautious, which in turn impacts the housing market and purchases of discretionary big-ticket items, such as RVs. In response to slow retail sales, RV manufacturers have significantly reduced their output.
He added, "Despite these conditions, we have remained profitable throughout 2008."
Drew, parent to RV and MH suppliers Lippert Components Inc. and Kinro Inc., reported net income during the quarter fell to $2.6 million from $11.1 million a year ago. Sales in the period, ended Sept. 30, declined 28% to $124 million from $173 million despite the July 1 acquisition of Seating Technology, which added $7 million in revenue.
For the nine months, net income dropped 37% to $20.9 million compared $33.3 million in the year-ago period while sales were down 18% to $434 million from $531 million.
Drew's RV segment reported third-quarter sales of $86 million, down 33% from $127 million the previous year, while operating profit declined 73% to $4.6 million from $17 million.
"We expect that conditions in the RV market will not improve in the coming months," said Abrams.
President Fred Zinn noted the impact of materials costs would continue to factor into fourth-quarter performance.
"Our raw material costs have recently declined from their peak levels, largely due to the global economic downturn," he said. "However, we still have higher-priced raw materials in inventory, which we will be using through early 2009 based on current sales levels."
Zinn said despite current conditions, Drew remained in an acquisitive mode while implementing cost-cutting measures to offset market weakness.
"With our strong balance sheet and solid cash flow, we continue to pursue expansion opportunities through market share growth and new product introductions," he said.
Zinn also reported that Drew had received an order to supply components for more than 2,500 park model homes being purchased by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) for disaster housing.
Component supplier Drew Industries Inc. pointed to the effects of higher material costs and continued weakness in its core markets as the White Plains, N.Y.-based firm reported a 77% decline in third-quarter profits.


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|How tall is Hilton Armstrong?
What is his height in inches & feet?
Is he tall? Then, how tall is he?
Or is he short?
Find it out here.
Here are some information about Hilton Armstrong's height.
Name: Hilton Armstrong
in Meters: 2.11 m
in Centimeters: 211 cm
in Inches: 83.0707 in
in Feet: 6.9208 ft
in Feet & Inches: 6ft 11in
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About Hilton Armstrong.Hilton Armstrong is an American professional basketball player. The height of Hilton Armstrong is 6ft 11in, that makes him 211cm tall.
Hilton Armstrong Compared To My 5ft 10in (177cm) HeightHilton Armstrong's height is 6ft 11in or 211cm while I am 5ft 10in or 177cm. I am shorter compared to him. To find out how much shorter I am, we would have to subtract my height from Hilton Armstrong's height. Therefore I am shorter to him for about 34cm.
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"No One Warns You About the Amount of Mourning in Growth" ~ Author Unknown
Change hurts like hell and growth is fucking uncomfortable. We often glorify 'change' and 'growth' with the majority of the focus on the end result, while we carelessly chalk the process up to mere 'necessary struggle.' As we've scaled thru the trenches and we made it on the other side. I dig it, but right now I'm in the thick of this 'changing/growing' phase. Therefore, the universe is sitting my ass down forcing me to do some serious internal reflection and some gut wrenching soul checking. The past few weeks I've experienced quite a bit of loss…in many forms. The losses have been consecutive. They've been sudden. They've been unexplainable. They've been uncontrollable. I wasn't ready for them. I'm still not….


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Aphasia is a complex communication disability which is sometimes known as dysphasia. It can happen after a stroke or other damage to the language parts of the brain such as a tumour or road accident.
People with aphasia may find it difficult to use speech, to understand the communication of other people, to read and write and sometimes to use numbers. However, intelligence is not affected.
Aphasia is different for each person. Some people can have severe difficulties and can feel locked inside their head unable to make sense of what other people are saying to them and unable to express simple messages. Other people have problems with spelling, reading single words or long sentences. Many people with aphasia have problems in finding the word they want to say – like having something on the tip of their tongue all the time.
Aphasia can make it difficult to join in social conversations, to read newspapers or letters. Watching television or using the telephone can be hard. Writing a birthday card or asking for bread in a shop can
be impossible for some people.
Each person experiences aphasia differently but most people say that they feel extremely frustrated that they can no longer communicate in the same way with the people around them.
There are lots of things you can do to support people with aphasia to communicate better. If you want to have some training please contact us, there may be a Speakeasy course that you could attend. However, there are a few simple things that will make it much easier:-
How to help someone with aphasia?
- Slow down and don't rush
- Say one thing at a time
- Shut out background noise
- Don't interrupt
- Don't fill in words unless you are asked to help out
- Use pen and paper for drawing and writing
- Check that you both understand the conversation
- Use any way possible to communicate


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I offered commentary when I had insights to share from my own experience or research, as well as offering an explanation of some of the answers provided by COBRA.
According to COBRA....
- The so-called Illuminati is not one group. It is a network of individuals loosely aligned for a cooperative end, often referring to themselves as "The Circle" or "The Family."
- The 9th planet mentioned in COBRA update from late January is not planet X.
- Nibiru is disinformation pushed by Zecharia Sitchin.
- The sleeping giants in stasis chambers mentioned by COBRA is similar to what David Wilcock revealed according to his insiders. According to COBRA, some of these beings didn't want to wait for the changes. Instead, they went into stasis so they could wake up around the time when the Event occurs.
- Soul transfer technology was allegedly invented by the military in the late 20th Century that has the capacity to "remove" a soul from a body, and transfer it into another body. COBRA says that while this can happen with regard to brain mapping, the soul itself is not "stored" in a computer to then be transferred into a clone body. He does say that the forcing of one soul into another body can happen, however. His statement corresponds to the body as an antenna concept proffered by researchers such as Bruce Lipton and Dewey B. Larson. According to the theory, the body acts as a type of focal point for consciousness, which seems to use DNA as an antenna or receiver, contrary to theories that claim the soul is created by DNA. This notion of consciousness using the body as a focal point explains the peculiar phenomenon of Organ Transplant Memory Transference, wherein aspects of a donor's personality are transferred to the recipient. According to the theory proffered by researchers, the tissue of the donor is still "calibrated" for the original consciousness or soul, which receives the memory and subconscious programming of the donor consciousness, transmitting it to the recipient. Here is a quote from one such case that exemplifies the phenomenon.
Case 3: murder mystery involving donor is solved by an organ recipient
An eight year-old girl, who received the heart of a murdered ten year-old girl, began having recurring vivid nightmares about the murder. Her mother arranged a consultation with a psychiatrist who after several sessions concluded that she was witnessing actual physical incidents. They decided to call the police who used the detailed descriptions of the murder (the time, the weapon, the place, the clothes he wore, what the little girl he killed had said to him) given by the little girl to find and convict the man in question (2). - Source
- While the Cabal have some capacity to transfer souls to other bodies, they aren't doing this as much anymore. But if a soul was transferred to a cloned body, there is effectively no perceivable difference. It is very hard to tell an organic soul-body bound from an artificially induced one. For all intents and purposes that soul is now using the body, as if it was its original vehicle. Soulless clones used by the Cabal, for various purposes, are more mechanical and easier to detect.
- COBRA says black magic is the "intentional manipulation of energies with negative purposes," which my own research agrees with. Let me expand on this by saying black magic is the manipulation of consciousness energy via the power of illusion and free will choice. The following can be a bit disturbing, but once understood fully, will impart knowledge so as to dispel any power of black magic. Black Magic, at all levels, is designed to create a thought-form within a victim that gives their power to the magician. False flags are one form of mass black magic ritual, the goal being to create a false version of reality in the victim's mind that deceives them into participating in the plans of the magician. In other words, black magic is a fraud, a deception designed to dupe or trick the victim. The 9/11 false flag attack is an example of a false reality being created by ritual: that 19 hijackers under the direction of Islamic terrorists, took over commercial airliners and flew them into targets in the US for Jihad or holy war. This false idea, once accepted as truth within the victim's mind, causes them to give up their sovereignty to the government under the false pretenses of protection. As we said, the false flag or black magic is an attempt to deceive an individual so they give up their power to the magician. In the case of false flag attacks, the black magician now has the consent of the people — their willing participation — to realize the NWO dark agenda. The people literally become pawns of the black magician by way of their false beliefs. Satanic Black Magic rituals, such as the sacrifice of a child or innocent is similar to a false flag, in that the point of the ritual and torture is to deceive the victim into believing that the magician has real magical power, when they do not. The magician performs all manner of displays, including the torture of other people in front of the victim, to compel them to believe the magician has power. When the victim is killed during an extremely traumatic event, the soul of the victim will believe that the magician has control over them even in death, and through the power of the victims belief, the soul is trapped in the etheric realm, which can then be used by the magician. The now dead soul of the traumatized victim believes they have no choice but to do the bidding of the black magician, but in truth, the power of their belief is the only thing holding them to the earthly planes. Finally, even subliminal or subtle conditioning can be thought of as a form of black magic, which incepts or implants false beliefs in the victims mind, which will then become subconscious programs that manipulate the personality. Given all this, the key to protecting oneself from black magic is gaining self-knowledge and acting in your sovereignty, which COBRA seems to agree with. All black magic is founded on deception, therefore developing the skills to discern the truth, so that one can recognize deception when it is encountered is the key. This will prevent us from becoming potential victims giving into black magic via the power of our belief. And the more bravely we seek the truth, in all ways — even in the dark places of this world — the more immune we will be to mental manipulation, otherwise known as black magic.
- COBRA's answer to the next question reinforces what was just presented.
Lynn – Are Magic and mind control intimately related? And if so, why? I understand that magic is some sort of advanced spiritual technology.
COBRA – Yes, exactly and of course mind control needs to take into account the principles of magic, actually basically the mind control that the dark forces use is a combination of magic and technology.
- Here are some of my insights into how technology and magic are unified: The term technology means: the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. The scientific knowledge, in this case, is the knowledge of consciousness, what some have called Atlantean psychology. Since consciousness creates reality through the application of free will, magic is simply the use of consciousness to realize or effect a goal or intention. The primary tool we use to realize goals or desires is the mind, via imagination, inspiration and thought, fueled by emotion and feeling. Black magic is most definitely connected to mind control because all black magic is founded on using the consciousness of the victim for the purpose of the magician, as we just described. Given this, white magic is the use of one's own mind to affect reality, whereas black magic is the use of another's mind to affect reality. We usually call it "magic" because we do not recognize that it is a form of spiritual technology. The terms used are semantic, the concept is the key unifier, which as we stated earlier, is simply the application of knowledge for a practical purpose. When you use your consciousness to realize desires, you are effectively using "magic" or spiritual technology — two terms describing the same concept. The point I am making here is that the mind is how magic is performed. When we turn our "minds off," we leave ourselves open to subliminal manipulation, or mind control, wherein we become instruments of the Cabal. As such, gaining self-mastery and using your mind completely, makes us immune to the trappings of deception, mind control, or black magic. And simultaneously enhances our white magic abilities.
Related The Programmable Mind - An Extraordinarily Powerful 6 Minute Video from Bruce Lipton
- COBRA says white magic "is the use of will to direct energies into the positive purpose," which is what we just described above. It is a positive purpose because no one is harmed. Therefore, to do white magic is to be harmless. To do black magic is to harm others by definition because abrogation of free will is a central tenant to black magic.
- Here's one example of misconception regarding the Sphere Beings. I'm curious where this data came from. Here is the question posed to COBRA and his response:
– The Sphere Being Deception –
The Sphere Beings are a group that gained notoriety on the internet from the postings of Corey Goode. It is claimed on the internet that his mistake is that he made the assumption that the Blue Avians were actually the Sphere Beings. The Blue Avians are a group from the Lyra constellation that appear to the people of the surface of the planet who have most potential to aid in the evolution of humanity. The Blue Avians are what we consider a 6th dimensional race. The Sphere Beings are a group of very large reptilians who are basically the father race of the Draco factions that are currently holding out on our planet.
The Sphere Beings have created an outer barrier in order to delay the situation for as long as possible. Their main tool of deception is their ability to mimic voices to channelers and other telepaths. They usually latch on to legitimate information in order to pervert it. Their goal was to make as many people as possible in the awakened community believe that they were the creators of this galaxy. Cobra can you comment about this? What is your information. Is this information accurate?
COBRA – This is absolutely not accurate. The Sphere Beings or any connection or any connection to the Sphere Beings. They are not reptilians. They have absolutely no relation to the reptilian race. That's as much as I can say.
- Here is another interesting response from COBRA regarding partial disclosure:
Richard – Corey Goode pointed out that while the (Secret Space Program) SSP Alliance Council and the Earth Alliance have the same goal – full disclosure and release of advanced technologies – there are very different agendas over how to achieve this aim. Many in the Earth Alliance want to spread out disclosure of the truth over a 100-year period, and in the meantime allow China and other Eastern nations to become the new hubs of the international business and high finance. He pointed out that while the Earth Alliance and the SSP Alliance represent the full spectrum of humanity, they have been deeply fragmented in negotiations over what should be done to disclose the truth to the rest of humanity. Many in the Earth Alliance believe it would be irresponsible and foolish to move forward with a massive document dump, which would overwhelm the populace. Another issue discussed was that the Earth Alliance has been infiltrated by the Cabal/Illuminati operatives who have been given access to all of the documents that have been prepared for dumping into the public arena at some point. This was a cause of great concern for the SSP Alliance Council, who believed that it would enable the Cabal/Illuminati to devise ways to neutralize the impact of such documents at the time of their eventual release. All of this sounds to me as a master Cabal plan to make us believe that we are not ready for the entire truth so we should accept another 50 or 100 years of their diabolic rule while they conveniently "fade way" into the sunset, the background free on any responsibilities and fault! What is you take on all of this Cobra?
COBRA – First the more advanced part of the earth alliance is not promoting limited disclosure. They are not promoting 100 years of Eastern domination. It is there are certain dynastic Chinese families that do want that but they are in minority. This is not such a big problem as Corey Goode has stated, so there is no need to be afraid of this limited partial disclosure. It is not going to happen because the light forces are pushing for full complete and total disclosure and only that will happen. And they will keep on fighting until that happens. They will not give up. They will not suddenly change their minds and shift the course, it's not going to happen. (Thank you very much. Yea)Related Partial Disclosure Is NOT an Option | Unity, Kindness and Creating Tolerance for Diversity
- COBRA's comment regarding the ego:
Richard – What is the purpose of the ego?
COBRA – The concept of Ego is an Archon creation. The concept of ego is a belief of a separate entity and the incarnating soul.
Richard – So how would you go past that or how would you defeat that.
COBRA – Defeat what? (the ego, that perception we're given) You don't need to fight with the so -called ego. You can just be who you are. Express that explore that and transform that. That is what is needed.
- I found this section to be quite revealing, here are some of my comments: The notion of the ego is a point of great confusion in the awakening community. COBRA says, "The concept of ego is a belief of a separate entity and the incarnating soul." Meaning, that one's belief that there is a separate entity other than the incarnating soul creates the ego, or the separate self, which is another way of saying the ego is a fictional or illusory entity created by the belief in separation. In other words, how we choose to understand ourselves, the beliefs we have about who we are, molds identity and generates the separate ego. We can describe this more simply as the sense of self, who we think we are, our knowledge of self. If we conceive of ourselves as separate from the creation and the evolving soul, this creates a consciousness of lack, separation, leading to selfishness or service to self philosophies. But since the separate self or separate ego is created by the belief in the illusion of separation, the goal is not to defeat the ego, but to unite it with the soul, a process of gaining self-knowledge that dissolves false beliefs. This is transcending separation consciousness so as to develop unity consciousness. In COBRA's vernacular, this would simply be an expression of who you really are. Another way of thinking about it is by recognizing that when we are in lack, fear, or acting selfishly, we are breathing life into a false identity, which in turn causes more identification with the ego instead of the soul. Therefore to transcend the ego is to search for and make contact with your true self, which naturally heals trauma, removes programming, and reorients identity away from the false self to the true or higher self, the I AM presence as COBRA puts it.
- COBRA on personality:
Richard – Cobra in one of your previous interviews with the Prepare for Change group it was said – that a soul's agenda is to return with the Source once again. What happens to the soul's individual personality when this happens?
COBRA – The personality gets absorbed back into the soul because you never were a personality. Personality is just a reaction of the soul on the primary anomaly. It's a secondary function of a being. It is not the primary function of a being.
Richard – I understand. Thank you. Once the soul evolution is complete and once it leads back to its source, what happens then.
COBRA – When the being is back to the source it becomes one with the source again.
Richard – What is it able to do then? Does it continue to evolve, or is it finished.
COBRA – The source is always dynamically expanding and the evolution never ends it's just the deepening of itself. the source deepens it's connection with itself through the totality of existence.
- My thoughts on what COBRA said here: the definition of personality used by COBRA here is similar to that of the ego, which fits the standard definition of "the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character." Since the ego or sense of self is created as a function of pure awareness and the tension differential of the incarnative experience (indwelling a body), a personality can be likened to the unique qualities of expression as a result of perceiving reality through the body and mind. For example, one may identify their personality as liking one thing or another, but in truth, these preferences are molded by perception through the body vehicle. Once the body and mind, using a general definition, cease to exist at the moment of death, then the pure awareness of the soul can rejoin back with source in a holistic fashion. Using COBRA's definition, the essence of a soul is undifferentiated creative potential, a type of hologram of the source itself. Since the creator or source is infinite — in referring to the latin prefix not, and finite referring to discrete objects, together meaning not finite or absolute — then the destiny of the soul is always to return back to pure unity within the source. And as such, the animation of a personality (the union of body, mind and soul) would cease as the creator spark returns back to the fullness of light. As creatures, this seems confusing, and it is because the personality and identity we have now exists within the illusion of creation, the dream of the creator, which is one of the higher spiritual truths one can make contact with. But in short, we can think of our lives here like a grand role-playing exercise. The roles we play (our personalities) come and go, but the essence of who we are (the soul) continues on to breathe life into another role for some future play.
- COBRA's response to this question suggests that the body acts as a focal point for consciousness, entraining or synchronizing on to the body and mind to incarnate:
Richard – What is the criteria that is met by the body host in order to accept by the incoming soul?
COBRA – The body itself needs to be suitable for the incoming soul to come in. The right vibrational frequency, the right body type and there needs to be a certain higher purpose for that exchange to happen. (Thank you very much).
- COBRA stated that the food and water we drink is an important factor in dealing with chemtrails, which harmonizes with my own researcher.
And there are still other intriguing points to consider in the transcript below.
- Justin
Source - Prepare For Change
Cobra is a Pleiadian contactee and has been in contact with the underground for over 35 years. He has been told to remain anonymous by The Resistance and has ongoing communications with beings from Planet X that assist The Resistance Movement. As an earthly representative of the Agarthan network and the light forces, he strives to prepare humanity for the up and coming event horizon.
Our intention is to dissipate fear, clear up any misunderstandings, and add insights into what is really happening behind the daily headlines. For more background you are invited to read his blog archive totaling 549 entries to this date. See: 2012portal.blogspot.com
To Listen via MP3format click below
Transcript of the March 21, interview posted on March 27, 2016
Lynn – Welcome ladies and gentlemen to our new monthly Cobra interview. Your host today are Lynn and Richard. Our goal with these Cobra interviews and with our website is to inform, educate and prepare for upcoming events. We will keep comments and chats to a minimum so that you can get the most from what you are here to hear; your questions and Cobra's perspective. http://2012portal.blogspot.com. Please remember that no one has all the answers all the time. Remember that your own internal guidance is the key and always go with what resonates with you. For those new to our website; www.prepareforchange.net and/or Cobra I would suggest you go to the media archives at www.prepareforchange.net and listen to the introduction interview done August 28, 2015 where more background on Cobra is given. And the follow up interview that was done on 10-18-2015. The team at Prepare For Change are all devoted volunteers. No one receives compensation for work done. We have had many upgrades to our website in the past few months thanks to the very skilled and dedicated volunteer team. There are upgrades that have been costly and we count on your support to help maintain the monthly recurring bills. This team of computer wizards are putting the finishing touches on our new radio/media page which will feature our Cobra interviews and more. With the interviews on the web-site you will be able to listen any time that you want 24/7. Please use the donate button in the right hand column of the website. Now I would like to welcome back our warrior of light and liaison with the Resistance Movement (RM), Cobra. Welcome Cobra.
COBRA – Thank you very much. I'm glad to be back to prepareforchange.net interviews.
Lynn – Wonderful. Were happy to have you. Today we've got some very challenging questions. We have some listeners that are quite astute at asking questions and they're getting a little more difficult with the day, so this might not be the 101 variety of interview. We'll do our best to answer all the questions. OK. (OK) So I'm going to read a preface to the first one:
The Illuminati is not a real Group. It is just a label. There are 3 main groups that make up the Illuminati: The Masons, the Jesuits and the Rosicrucian's. So, if your intention is to be part of the Illuminati you need to be part of one of these groups and you need to be wealthy. No poor person ever gets to be part of the Illuminati. The Illuminati has recently changed its name. Cobra can you share the new name with the listeners?
COBRA – I did not receive any confirmations they have changed names. Because they never called themselves with the name Illuminati. They usually call themselves the circle or the brotherhood, the family even. This is how they call themselves to each other, and this has not changed.
Lynn – OK. Are the Zionists and the Khazarians the main branches of the Illuminati and have the Illuminati divided the world not by countries but by regions?
COBRA – It depends of which group are you speaking about. The World domination is mainly the domain of the Jesuits which has managed to infiltrate the governments of the vast majority of countries around the world but the more economic and finical aspect of this is in the hands of the Rothschild's faction. They have infiltrated their people also. Each of those groups have their own regions or divisions of their world, how they divide the world based on their interest. All of this is going to be transformed at the time of the event. So it's even not so much important how they would like to divide the world among themselves because all this is going to change.
Lynn – Is Israel the grand puppet of the Illuminati?
COBRA – I would say the vast majority of countries around the world are puppets of the illuminati or should we say of the Cabal. Illuminati is just one aspect or one label which we give to a quite complex network of individuals that form shifting alliances within that network.
Richard – In the recent reports you posted on your 'Portal 2012' website on Jan 27th 2016 you called 'Planet X' and said that the 'planet X' is 0.75 earth masses and in a recent California Institute of Technology report posted on January 20th 2016 titled 'Evidence of a Distant Giant Planet in our Solar System' says 'The 9th Planet' is 10 times earths' masses, has an orbital period between 10,000 to 20,000 years and is 60 billion miles from our Sun. Is this planet X that you reported on months ago?
COBRA – No it's not exactly because what the scientists released in January is just a theory or shall we say, theoretical model that tries to describe and explain the behavior of certain objects in the Kuiper belt. It's not exactly the correct model. In fact, one Japanese scientist has created a far more accurate model which is much closer to the truth and I have posted a link to that scientific paper on my blog and you can find it there.
Richard – Great I remember that. Thank you very much.
Caltech Researchers Find Evidence of a Real Ninth Planethttps://www.caltech.edu/news/caltech-researchers-find-evidence-real-ninth-planet-49523
Evidence for a Distant Giant Planet in the Solar System
Richard – Scientists have discussed a second sun. Is this true? What do you think?
COBRA – There is a certain theory about, I would say a small star in which is orbiting around our sun or shall I say we have a double star system but this has not been proved and based upon the intel that I have on the RM it does not exist. (OK, thank you).
Lynn – What is Nibiru and who inhabits it?
COBRA – Nibiru is a label which is a complete disinformation. It has been created by Illuminati agent Zecharia Sitchin to confuse people.
Related Zecharia Sitchen Was Wrong? | The Myth of a Sumerian 12th Planet: "Nibiru" According to the Cuneiform Sources
Lynn – OK. So there isn't any such planet as Nibiru?
Related Zecharia Sitchen Was Wrong? | The Myth of a Sumerian 12th Planet: "Nibiru" According to the Cuneiform Sources
Lynn – OK. So there isn't any such planet as Nibiru?
COBRA – There is not such a planet and not such an object inside the solar system.
Richard – Thank you. There are many reports of dormant giants being discovered and awakening in caverns around the world. Are these claims accurate?
Related Videos of Sleeping Giants In Stasis Chambers Ready To Awaken Whistleblower Claims
Related Videos of Sleeping Giants In Stasis Chambers Ready To Awaken Whistleblower Claims
COBRA – Yes, some of those claims are accurate. Those giants are put into stasis in special chambers which are triggered by a certain vibrational frequency. I would say certain intensity form of sub-atomic particles and energies from the galactic center which is the earth, those chambers get triggered and those beings then are then awakened from hibernation and many such cases have been taking place lately around the world. Militaries of most countries or shall we say of the major countries have been suppressing that from the mass population. And whenever that happens the military went there and just suppress the whole thing. And yes it was happening quite much lately.
Richard – That's amazing. Are they a positive nature these giants?
COBRA – Most of them yes, but some of them no.
Richard – Why are they waking up now? Because of the galactic central sun's activity.
COBRA – Because …. they went into those chambers. They didn't want to wait for a change. They have put themselves into hibernation to spare…. so not to wait too long on this planet and now when the change is happening they have interest to take part in this change. But they were not expecting that the surface population will be taken hostage to such a great degree and now they are taken hostage by the Chimera group.
Richard – What was their actual function. What is these beings …. what is the function to wake up in this time period to do within this time of the planetary liberation process?
COBRA – They wanted to participate in the shift. They have various agendas. Some of them were quite positive and some of them not so positive. But they were not expecting that the amount of control and suppression on this planet would go that far. All of them were captured and are now actually hostages in the various militarily bases around the world. (Wow. Thank you very much.)
Lynn – Cobra, I'm going to read a long comment that contains questions. Just bear with me.
COBRA – Yes, but if you want me to answer questions, you need to go one by one. (It will be).
Lynn – This person states: A trusted friend came with me came with the following information and there's going to be a you tube video within our link transcript that people can refer to for more information.
ILLUMINATI CELEBRITIES EXPOSED The Clones PT 1 Re work
Pay attention to the 10 1/2-minute mark. It states that non-human beings have given man technology of the Military Industrial Extraterrestrial Complex or M.I.E.C. to remove a soul, transfer it to another body and then kill the old body. This is done though an occultist magic-technology call soul transference. So now basically the NSA can download your memory and emotions in a computer and then place it into a new clone. This person claims that when she did a ceremony with Mother Earth Creator, she showed her what was being done to ALL PEOPLE WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE, YOUNG AND PURE. She was shown how the dark ones took our souls and manipulated our soulless bodies that were under heavy physiologicalcontrol. These entities have compromised us all whether we want to believe it or not. Just because they took our soul did not mean that we were doing evil things. This happened without our consent as very, very young children. When we "wake up" and finally walked the path less traveled we are restored again. The NSA has been given E.T. technology and we are now able to create clones of us without a soul and this claim is admitted to in the above quoted video. Then this person goes on to state: "It was shown to me that this is the truth and I stand by it 100%."
Cobra, can you comment on this.
COBRA – I would agree to most of this. There are some things that are not happening exactly as people stated. Yes, the Cabal has technology for a long time to transfer soul from one body to another body. It was happening massively during the Archon invasion from 1996. And it was happening massively and is much, much, much less now. They are not storing the memory on the computer, the soul essence on the computer. They can map the brain and memory connections inside of the brain so they can have Iiwould say, like a dynamic photo of an inner happening of the person. It does not mean they capture the essence. The essence of the soul person can always be set free and can be liberated. No matter what they do, they are not able to stop this process. Thanks to the actions of the light forces especially the RM this is not happening as much, and has decreased almost to zero.
Lynn – Thank you for that answer Cobra. On a related subject, how would you identify a clone and its intent?
COBRA – If you are speaking about a soul-less clone you would feel that mechanical artificial energy and there would be no living being interaction. If you are speaking about a soul that was forced into a clone body with technology, it would be very hard for you to tell the difference.
Lynn – So is there a legal and moral responsibility that we have with all the many clones that many be walking around and living among us on the surface of our planet today if this is accurate?
COBRA – You would need to specify this question.
Lynn – I'm looking at this from the point of view of a human. Do we have any moral or legal responsibility in our interactions with these cloned beings?
COBRA – If there is a soul in a cloned body, it is the same as a soul in a born body. There is actually no difference. If we are speaking about a soulless clone, all those soulless clones will be removed from the surface of the planet after the event because this is not the highest purpose for them to exist here.
Lynn – Well that would make it a whole lot easier on the humans. Thank you.
Richard – Cobra, on the same topic. Do rocks, plants, water, planets, galaxies, universes and even suns have souls or spirits?
COBRA – Yes, every planetary or cosmic body has a higher entity which is ensouled in that body. So every planet has a soul or a higher self. Every galaxy, every star has a higher angelic being that is taking care of its evolution of the particular body, that star body.
Richard – Thank you very much. What are the fundamental differences between those souls and a soul that inhabit a human body? (Would you specify your question which souls you are speaking about.) What is the evolutionary, the difference between the soul that inhabits a human body and the soul that inhabits a planet or universe?
COBRA – The soul that would inhibit the planetary body is much, much, much, much higher level of evolution. It would be hard to compare those 2.
Richard – That's what I wanted to know. Thank you very much.
Lynn – Cobra, why is the City of Los Angeles in the USA named Los Angeles which in Spanish means City of Angels and what is the significance of this specific city in the Planetary Liberation Movement?
COBRA – It is simply because in the 18th century when this city started to grow it was part of the Spanish community and there was a church a sanctuary a church of angels, the holy Mary that you would call in the current terminology then this city grew and now it is one of the major energy vortexes for the planetary ascension process. The dark forces wanted to suppress this. Los Angeles was center of very strong energetic attack in 1996 which wanted to destroy the energy vortexes of Los Angeles. And healing of that attack hasn't been completed yet. (Thank you).
Richard – Cobra, since animals are innocent beings and do not have ego or sin, are the Animals also trapped within this prison Matrix system or can they come and go as far as souls.
COBRA – They are also trapped but they don't feel that. Because their sphere of movement is much smaller. For example, animals don't have a desire to leave the planet because most animals in their lifetime they don't have the desire to expand their freedom so much. They don't actually feel they are in a prison except those that are trapped because of human beings in cages and exploited by human beings for various purposes.
Richard – I understand. Thank you.
Lynn – Cobra, the resemblances between Archons and Demons are almost exact. After studying their behaviors, I have no choice but to conclude that they are one and the same. Do you agree with this?
COBRA – I would say demons are lower Archons. I would say Archons are the top demons, the most powerful ones.
Richard – Why has the fate of Satan and Lucifer been censored in the past Cobra interviews?
COBRA – It is not the highest purpose to answer this question.
Richard – OK.
Lynn – Why do all advanced extra-terrestrial civilizations pay such close attention to genetic lineage?
COBRA – Not all of them. Only those who are not spiritually awakened enough and put too much attention on the physical plane.
Richard – What is the quantum probability control?
COBRA – It is a concept which states that it is possible to control quantum random function. Of course it is not possible. You can predict it to a certain degree. You can group it with sophisticated with mathematical equation, but basically it is impossible to completely predict or anticipate what the quantum function will do. (Thank you)
Lynn – I have a Preface to the next question:
"Black Magic: Satanists Rule the World, Not Politicians, Bankers or Military Heads" this is an established fact. The few people in alternative media and even our awakened spiritually established community is talking about. It needs to be brought to the light so that we don't miss the point and properly understand the true source of our spiritual battles. It seems as if the biggest trick that the Devil ever played was that 'He Never Existed' is working out well for him. In order for our listeners to fully understand what we are saying here we are adding an important You Tube channel video to our transcript for further study on this. My question is: would you describe what Black Magic is?http://prepareforchange.net/2016/02/14/black-magic-satanists-rule-the-world-not-politicians-bankers-or-military-heads/
Related The 40-Day Season of Sacrifice: March (19th or 22nd) to May 1st | Manipulating the Collective Consciousness of Humanity Using Mass Black Magic Rituals
COBRA – Intentional manipulation of energies with negative purposes.
Richard – How do you effectively protect yourself and release yourself from black magic attacks and its effects?
COBRA – Simply by dis-engaging yourself from that vibrational frequency. So you need to find what within you is attracting those and release all attachment to negativity. This is#1 and #2 – which goes deeper is to cancel all past agreements on a soul level between you and the dark forces and #3. to protect yourself. There are various techniques of protection. If you do important mission and when you are more exposed, you need to follow protection protocols quite strictly. (Thank you very much)
Lynn – Are Magic and mind control intimately related? And if so, why? I understand that magic is some sort of advanced spiritual technology.
COBRA – Yes, exactly and of course mind control needs to take into account the principles of magic, actually basically the mind control that the dark forces use is a combination of magic and technology.
Richard – What is the meaning and ultimate use of the blood during magical rituals?
COBRA – Dark forces use this to strengthen their energy fields but it's basically just their misunderstanding of the life force. (Thank you)
Lynn – Could you please define what 'white' magic is?
COBRA – White magic is the use of will to direct energies into the positive purpose.
Lynn – Since the adversary is now heavily using black magic on the most active light workers as a mean to stop them, would you recommend the use of 'White Magic' as a method of defense for the Light Workers & light Warriors?
COBRA – White magic is not just a matter of defense, it's matter of creation and manifestation of a positive future. Of course this is something to recommend if someone understands what he is doing. (Thank you)
Richard – It recently came to the light that the Zika virus was patented in 1947 by the Rockefeller's Foundation and now the Zika virus outbreak, from a virus no one ever heard of before. It is said that there is a link to the release of genetically engineered mosquitoes. It is said that the same area where the GM mosquitoes were released in 2015 is the epicenter for the Zika outbreak. This has potential disastrous unintended consequences which now threaten life across the Americas. Is this virus a real threat or just another fear mongering strategy perpetrated by the Cabal to distract us from the real issues that are happening all around our world.
COBRA – This is not a real threat. It is an engineered fear generating mechanism and it is not important at all. (Thank you very much).
Lynn – OK Cobra, I'd like to ask you about the Bundy family. The incident happening at happening in the 'Hammond Ranch' in Oregon USA. Is this a real Government Vs Patriots incident or is it just another Cabal fear mongering related distraction?
COBRA – The dark forces have manipulated genuine feelings and genuine resistance against the Cabal to twist the whole situation in a way that would actually trigger the response of the militia. It's like a psychological testing you might say.
Lynn – Are those Bundy individuals related to the infamous BUNDY Illuminati blood 13 families?
COBRA – They have some distant relation but the Bundys' that were resisting the Cabal are not part of the Illuminati. (Thank you.)
Richard – Judge Anna Von Reitz said within the alternative news channels communities that as of -01/01/2016 a new President of the New Republic of The United States, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford has been sworn in and that all corrupted traitor congressman, senators and chief justices were being quietly replaced. It is also said that no sovereign nation associated with the AIIB or the BRICS is allowed to recognize Pentagon Dark Hats controlling military operations as being representatives of the free will of the Republic of the United States citizenry as of 1/1/2016. Is there any truth this?
COBRA – I cannot confirm this because when the Republic is around you will see it in your lives directly. (Got cha). It will be very evident and there will be no doubt. And it will happen at the time of the Event and not before.
Lynn – Is there going to be a U.S. election this year with the current cabal appointed puppet candidates and therefore endure more years of a Dog and Pony shows of this sort or are we really going to really experience change this year?
COBRA – I cannot give any statement when the Event will happen. So if the event does happen before the election, there will be no election. If The Event happens after the election, there will be an election.
Lynn – Do you see the possibility that Hillary may be arrested before the election?
COBRA – Yes, of course.
Richard – Cobra, Regarding the petition that you announced and you wanted us to make viral for the 'Secret Space Program Disclosure'. Some Prepare for Change members have noticed and reported many obstacles that have prevented them from signing this petition, and worst, we have noticed a constant 're-adjustment' of the numbers of signatures in the petition, sometimes dropping of signatures from 50 to 75 signatures to sometimes as much as 5,000 to 7,500 signatures dropping at once! How do we EVER achieve ANY type of critical mass with any of our petitions if the Cabal is manipulating all the petitions on the Internet in this manner?
COBRA – OK. The purpose of this petition was not to reach very high numbers and the critical number has been reached and a certain process has been initiated because of this petition. I will post more about this when the time is right. So we must not get frustrated if the Cabal is starting to block all those efforts because each time they do this, they violate certain protocols and because they violate those protocols this will have long lasting effects in the final surrender and negotiation process. It is actually speeds up the process of the Event.
Richard – Excellent. Thank you for that.
Lynn – Do the Cabal have total control of Switzerland?
COBRA – No.
Go to the Secret Space Program Disclosure Petition at Change.org (to sign the petition). As of 3/20/16 – 28,019 supportershttps://www.change.org/p/vladimir-putin-disclose-all-the-secret-space-programs-and-release-all-the-hidden-technology
Richard – Is it true that after the fall of ancient Egypt the pharaoh's bloodlines migrated to what is now Switzerland, along with their enormous wealth and established residence there . . .
COBRA – No, it is not true.
Lynn – Ordo Templi Orientis, the Order of Oriental Templars or Order of the Temple of the East—What do you know of the O.T.O. Order?
COBRA – They are not templars. It is simply a magical order which was created by Allister Crowley and they are following certain philosophy that has been greatly misunderstood and also has been manipulated by the Cabal. (Thank you).
Richard – It is said that Barbara Bush, wife of George Herbert Walker Bush, who served as the 41st President and mother of George W. Bush who served as the 43rd President of the US is the granddaughter of Allister Crowley. Allister Crowley was a Mason, a known bisexual, an occultist, magician and a well-known Satanist who earned the title of the "most wicked man in the world". He wrote the Book of The Law, that was later use as the foundation of the Satanic bible and he also wrote many other Satanist books. Is this true?
COBRA – Most of it, yes.
Richard – The part about Barbara Bush being the granddaughter.
COBRA – Yes, they are related. (Thank you very much.)
Lynn – Cobra, you said in your last interview that Supreme Court Judge Scalia was murdered. Was this by the dark forces?
COBRA – It was a conflict within two factions of the Cabal and he was murdered as a result of that conflict.
Lynn – So that was the reason he was murdered because of the conflict?
COBRA – Yes.
Richard – Are archons able to turn towards the light and change to do good instead?
COBRA – Yes they are.
Lynn – According to Karen Hudes, who works for the World bank, the world today is run by a coalition of the rule of law in the 'board of governors' of the IMF and the World bank. Is this correct?
COBRA – First, she is not working for the world bank anymore. She used to work for the World bank, #1. #2 – The ones who run the world outwardly are the Jesuits, not the World bank and not the IMF.
Richard – Will you please explain to us who are the cauliflower ear faction of the Illuminati and what is there specific function? (repeat)
COBRA – I have no information about that particular faction.
Lynn – OK Cobra, he next question has a Preface to it:
– The Sphere Being Deception –
The Sphere Beings are a group that gained notoriety on the internet from the postings of Corey Goode. It is claimed on the internet that his mistake is that he made the assumption that the Blue Avians were actually the Sphere Beings. The Blue Avians are a group from the Lyra constellation that appear to the people of the surface of the planet who have most potential to aid in the evolution of humanity. The Blue Avians are what we consider a 6th dimensional race. The Sphere Beings are a group of very large reptilians who are basically the father race of the Draco factions that are currently holding out on our planet.
The Sphere Beings have created an outer barrier in order to delay the situation for as long as possible. Their main tool of deception is their ability to mimic voices to channelers and other telepaths. They usually latch on to legitimate information in order to pervert it. Their goal was to make as many people as possible in the awakened community believe that they were the creators of this galaxy. Cobra can you comment about this? What is your information. Is this information accurate?
The Sphere Beings have created an outer barrier in order to delay the situation for as long as possible. Their main tool of deception is their ability to mimic voices to channelers and other telepaths. They usually latch on to legitimate information in order to pervert it. Their goal was to make as many people as possible in the awakened community believe that they were the creators of this galaxy. Cobra can you comment about this? What is your information. Is this information accurate?
COBRA – This is absolutely not accurate. The Sphere Beings or any connection or any connection to the Sphere Beings. They are not reptilians. They have absolutely no relation to the reptilian race. That's as much as I can say.
Richard – The U.S stock markets seem to have a 'mind of their own' not following any of the traditional economic data reports any more. Doesn't matter how bad the economic indicators look and break lower and lower historical records. It does not matter if ALL of the world stock marketers are crashing, the U.S stock markets just keeps thriving and going higher & higher. This is obviously a bold and complete manipulation of the U.S. stock markets by the Cabal and it seems that it is a lifeline and a very good source of income for them. Is this manipulation of the stocks markets going to end at any time soon or are we going to have to wait until the time of the Event when the stocks markets will be completely shut down for good?
COBRA – We will have to wait for the Event for that. (Thank you)
Lynn – Cobra, has the Federal reserve been taken over by the US treasury or is this just another rumor?
COBRA – This is just another rumor and it is not based on truth. (Thank you.)
Richard – Pope Francis seems to be cooperating with the light forces in many fronts. Is he doing it willingly out of a sudden 'change of heart' or is he being forced by the light forces to 'play ball or else'…or is he just positioning himself as a 'good guy after all' so when the 'Event' happens he & the Vatican can get away with most of the horrific crimes they have committing to humanity throughout millennia?
COBRA – First you need to state where exactly where he is cooperating with the light forces. He is a Jesuit and he wants to put a friendly face so that he will survive at the time of the event he wants to save his own skin and the skin of his fellow Jesuits. And I don't see much concrete positive action from his side.CONTINUE READING @ prepareforchange.net
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Maravilla Gardens Wedding - Camarillo Wedding
When I learned that Hope and Mason were getting married at Maravilla Gardens in Camarillo, I was beyond thrilled. Maravilla Gardens is an amazing wedding and event space with wildflowers everywhere, big trees and great overall space! Hope and Mason's details made their wedding very personal and it felt like everyone enjoyed their wedding immensely.


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Qinuo Electronics Co., Ltd is a leading manufacturer of remote control in China. Products range includes remote control, remote control duplicator, remote master, wireless transmitter and receiver ect.
Found in the year of 2005, we have sell our products mainly to Europe, Middle East, South-ease Asia and America. There are more than 100 designs for you to choose, and more over, we have ourown R&D staff to meet you requirements of OEM and ODM.
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Being proved by SGS International Certification and CE, we would like more trust from you. Business is not all. Come to us for a nicer corporation.


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Many modern families are unconventional and have similar challenges and triumphs, as portrayed on the popular sitcom, Modern Family. The show humorously depicts the life of family patriarch, Jay Pritchett, who is navigating a second chance at happiness with his much younger second wife, Gloria, and her precocious son, Manny. Jay has two grown children, Claire and Mitchell, who experience plenty of family drama with their own partners and kids.
As is the case with many real life families, the characters on Modern Family are learning how to get along with each other, as well as understand and accept individual differences among family members. For example, Jay struggles with culture and age differences with Gloria, a native of Columbia. Manny is chubby but sees himself as a ladies man. Mitchell and Cameron are a gay couple with opposite personalities, who are raising an adopted Asian daughter. Claire and her husband Phil struggle to maintain an open and honest relationship with each other and with their three kids, each of whom are vastly different in personality.
Modern Family is praised by television critics and fans alike for its depiction of average family life. The show has won many prestigious entertainment industry awards for best or outstanding television series, acting performances, directing and editing.


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Outside the Box: Raymond M. Wong has always felt different. He was Chinese, skinny, shy, and he never seemed to fit in. Then a trip to Hong Kong changed his world, and he finally found a place where he belonged: with a family he didn't know he had.
The journey of a lifetime paved the way for him to become a husband and father, and in the process, he discovered his passion. Experience this journey with award-winning author, Raymond M. Wong, and win free prizes at this event! The presentation will be held in the Garden Room.
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text: Marc Anthony seems to be moving on from Jennifer Lopez. Four months after their split, he was with a mystery "beautiful blonde" as his date at a recent dinner celebrating the nuptials of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia honcho Charles Koppelman and Gerri Kyhill. Also at the 583 Park Ave. bash for the onetime EMI North America CEO and his bride were Frederic Fekkai, David Steinberg, Allen and Deborah Grubman and finance guru Lauren Krueger.


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INSIGHT designed a unique state-of-the-art 15,000 square foot building for our client. The facility features daylighting, "plug and play" HVAC and electrical systems housed beneath a raised accesible floor system. This system provides total flexibility and enables the occupants to move utilities to desirable positions without the expense of electricians and mechanical contractors.


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The United States Postal Service and UnitedStatesZipCodes.org provide local zip code directories through their websites. Additionally, users can input a zip code and get that zip code's location.
UnitedStatesZipCodes.org allows for broader search terms. Searching for "Kings County," for instance, returns a map showing all zip codes located in Kings County, New York. The address, city and state must be entered to return a result on the United States Postal Service website as well as UnitedStatesZipCodes.org.
The United States Postal Service website also returns results for "ZIP+4." The ZIP+4 refers to a more specific location than the standard five-digit zip code, however, UnitedStatesZipCodes.org does not provide Zip+4 results.


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Research Repository
Factors affecting job satisfaction: an empirical study in the public sector of Saudi Arabia
Alsemeri, Hamed Ateg (2016) Factors affecting job satisfaction: an empirical study in the public sector of Saudi Arabia. Other Degree thesis, Victoria University.
ALSEMERI Hamed - Thesis.pdf
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This research examines the causes and effects of job satisfaction among public sector workers in Saudi Arabia. A Job Satisfaction Model was developed based on theories supporting factors in job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and intention to leave and the research questions were tested within the scope of the model. A range of intrinsic and extrinsic factors was proposed to analyse causes affecting job satisfaction, while the effects were examined in terms of organisational commitment and intention to leave.
|Item Type:
|Thesis (Other Degree thesis)
|Additional Information:
Doctor of Business Administration
|Uncontrolled Keywords:
|attrition, public service, public servants, intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors
|FOR Classification > 1605 Policy and Administration
Faculty/School/Research Centre/Department > Graduate School of Business
|Depositing User:
|VU Library
|Date Deposited:
|01 Jul 2016 06:58
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|01 Jul 2016 06:58
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'When I arrived in India, I understood what culture shock really means,' says Yuanyuan Guo, a Chinese student who moved to India in 2013 to work as an intern for an international organisation.
First days
Her first internship abroad was definitely a life changing experience. Guo, a 22-year-old Chinese master student in Euroculture, describes her first impression of India as disappointing. 'I was stuck at the airport for more than two hours. The guy who was supposed to pick me up was late, so I had to wait there,' she recalls. 'I was very annoyed,' she adds.
Although she visited tourist attractions in order to explore the country a little bit the next day, Guo was still in a bad mood. 'There was nothing there, let alone the fact that it was full of garbage. I couldn't really understand why this place was in the list of the country's tourist places.'
After the initial shock wore off and despite the fact that her stay hadn't gotten off to a very promising start, Guo tried to focus on India's positive side. The family that she stayed with also helped her adapt quickly to the new culture.
'They were very nice and they treated me as if I was part of their family as well,' she says. 'They actually made me realize how friendly and nice Indian people are.'
Soon, Guo began to enjoy her time in India and the Indian lifestyle. 'They are very relaxed and they have a lot of free time, whereas China is developing so fast that people are just working without enough free time to meet their friends or to relax in general.'
She also liked Indian music. 'We went dancing with my friends very often. Even when I went back to China, I was constantly checking if there were any Indian dances or concerts that I could go to.'
Although Guo enjoyed her stay in India in the end, she couldn't help but notice some of the country's problems. Poverty is common and many Indian people don't have an adequate standard of living, 'I was surprised when I found out that even the fact that their living standards are very low doesn't seem to be a problem for them.'
However, the most striking thing for her was how many people relied on begging. 'The majority of them were mothers with their kids. I think many of them have turned begging money from others into their profession. I felt really bad about this part and I think it definitely needs to be terminated somehow in the near future. The organization I was working for was planning to implement some strategies in order to fight this problem, however it is high time the government did something about it.'
No regrets
Although many of her Chinese friends were having a really rough time in India and wound up returning to China earlier than planned, Guo didn't. 'I was trying to enjoy every single moment and I even kept a diary to write down all the amazing experiences I had there.'
Guo hopes to go back to India one day. 'I miss those days a lot. I know that such a trip isn't ideal for the majority of people. However, for me, it was a unique experience and I learned how to behave in a multicultural environment.'
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Story Club South Side
Tuesday December 15th • 8PM
Story Club South Side
Co-Prosperity Sphere • 3219 S Morgan St
$10 suggested donation
Show starts at 8:00 PM
(Open mic sign up starts at 7:30 PM)
There are 3 or 4 open mic slots available. Open mic participants will have 8 minutes to tell a story. Open mic sign-up starts at 7:30pm and host Andrew Marikis will start the show at 8pm. Co-Producer Will Hindmarch will draw names for the slots. Entrance is free, with a suggested donation of $10. This event is BYOB, so we suggest stopping by the iconic Maria's Packaged Goods just up the street for your beverage needs. Also, our show is the only show in Chicago that is BYOP—Bring Your Own Pie. Next-door to Maria's, you can grab a meat (or veggie) pie to-go at the award winning Pleasant House Bakery.