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Last September, when I was researching a profile of Rajeev Goyal, an American development worker, I asked what he thought about the book "Three Cups of Tea." Rajeev and I were walking through the hills of eastern Nepal, where he had organized a number of projects over the past decade, including the construction of five schools. "Three Cups of Tea" is one of the bestselling books by Greg Mortenson, a mountaineer whose Central Asia Institute claims to have built or significantly supported more than a hundred and seventy schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Rajeev paused for a moment. "It seemed to be mostly about the author, about everything he accomplished," he said slowly. "And that story is about quantity, about the number of schools built." Rajeev said his own work had convinced him that construction projects are overvalued, and sometimes can even have a negative impact on a community. People might become dependant on outsiders, and corruption can become a problem. Building materials and methods may be inappropriate, especially if money comes from far away and there's little oversight. Foreign-funded structures have a tendency to overuse cement, which can change local construction patterns in environmentally damaging ways, especially in dry parts of Central Asia. Rajeev believed that teacher training and other cultural factors often have more value. "A good teacher sitting under a tree can do more than a bad teacher in a new building," he said. "That's why I don't want to do school construction anymore. It might have been a mistake. It's a good instinct, as you want to help, but maybe it's not the best thing."
I asked about his impressions of Mortenson. "I kind of felt sorry for him," Rajeev said. "That was my reaction reading the book. He must have low self-esteem."
This conversation took place seven months ago—long before the recent episode of "60 Minutes" that accused Mortenson of fabricating key sections of his books and wildly exaggerating the impact of Central Asia Institute projects. Jon Krakauer's "Three Cups of Deceit," published online this week, is even more damning. He quotes many former C.A.I. employees who are scathing in their criticism of Mortenson, including board members who resigned in disgust. According to Krakauer, in 2009, C.A.I. spent 1.7 million dollars to promote Mortenson's books, taking out full-page ads in publications like the New York Times, and chartering private planes for him to attend speaking events. The non-profit purchased tens of thousands of copies of "Three Cups of Tea" and "From Stones Into Schools" from commercial retailers, which meant that royalties would be paid to Mortenson, who doesn't donate such proceeds to C.A.I. Krakauer quotes a memo from a lawyer at the firm Copilevitz & Canter, who examined C.A.I.'s tax return and warned that the I.R.S. could cite Mortenson for receiving excess benefit from a charity. The memo explains that as C.A.I. had been doing this for years, Mortenson "could face a total liability ranging from $7,868,746.31 … to $23,606,238.62."
I didn't realize how prescient Rajeev Goyal's analysis was until I read Krakauer's report. It's clear that Mortenson is a deeply troubled individual—although at this point people may have difficulty feeling very sorry for him.
For years, I've found it hard to talk about Mortenson's books. They often come up in conversation, because I'm a former Peace Corps teacher who lived in Asia for more than a decade. And yet that experience made me wary of any simple narrative that involves an American helping people overseas. Like many volunteers, I often felt overwhelmed and ineffective; it took two years of diligent study just to gain a decent facility with the Chinese language. I was still making cultural mistakes up until the day I left. If anything, I felt most positive about the Peace Corps experience because my impact was limited—I left without building anything, or changing the culture, or revolutionizing classroom patterns in my school. I always viewed it as an exchange: there was some value to my teaching, and in the meantime I learned a great deal from my students, colleagues, and friends. It seemed a tiny part of an incremental, long-term process, as China engaged with the outside world. And the key element was that the Chinese remained in charge—it was up to them to improve their country.
I decided to profile Rajeev because I felt comfortable with his attitude toward development work, which had started during his own years in the Peace Corps. He was not a self-promoter; despite having organized an impressive water project in the village where he served, Rajeev's story hadn't found its way into the American press. He tended to be highly critical of his work, and he talked more about failures than successes. He often referred to key lessons he had learned from villagers. He had resisted the impulse to expand, because he recognized how hard it is to have a positive effect in even a small community. Most important, he had made a real commitment to Nepal. He had lived there for years, mostly at the village level, and he spoke the language fluently.
I've never seen evidence that Greg Mortenson exhibits these qualities. He's the hero of his books, and he believes in scale, speed, and the constant need for more money and more construction. He shows no special knowledge of Pakistan or Afghanistan. In fact, he spends very little time in Central Asia, as Krakauer's report illustrates. Mortenson refused to be interviewed by either Krakauer or "60 Minutes," and as of yet he has made few responses to the allegations. But even his limited statements have been telling. Outside magazine asked Mortenson whether he had fabricated the dramatic opening episode of "Three Cups of Tea," citing the testimony of both American climbing partners and local villagers, who said that Mortenson had not been there during the period he described. Mortenson blamed any confusion on the local culture, explaining, "It's worth noting that in the Balti language of northeast Pakistan, there is little or no emphasis on tenses, and 'now' can mean a few minutes, weeks, or even a whole season. The Balti find westerners' emphasis on time confusing."
I know nothing about the Balti language, but I recognize the tone of Mortenson's statement. It's the kind of simplified generalization that tends to be made by an individual with a shallow understanding of a language and a culture. Chinese also has no past tense; does this mean that the people don't understand time? Or that history is unimportant, or that they speak of the past without accuracy? Such analysis is disrespectful; it's a way of exoticizing and infantilizing a foreign culture. In this case it also seems highly evasive.
Another reason I've always had trouble talking about Mortenson's books is that it's hard to give an alternative for people who feel the need to act. Even before the reports of C.A.I.'s mismanagement, I saw little value in this model of development. It's centered around a foreigner, and the foreigner has no special expertise in either education or Central Asia. Even a balanced and reasonable individual is likely to fail in this situation. Mostly, I don't believe that problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan stem from a lack of money or a lack of school buildings. There are deep-rooted cultural issues, as there are in any part of the developing world, where obstacles tend to be complicated and localized. Contact is the most critical starting point—it helps to have foreigners living in and learning about these places, just as it helps to have Central Asians studying abroad. As knowledge deepens, the people involved are more likely to find solutions to local problems. But most folks who read "Three Cups of Tea" are not interested in living in northwestern Pakistan and learning how to speak Pashto. They want to donate money from a distance, and they want to be part of something that shows tangible, physical results, like a new school building.
In recent days, some have defended Mortenson by noting that a number of C.A.I. schools were built and are still functioning, and they claim this is better than nothing at all. But there's no reason to set the bar so low. One of the main problems with N.G.O.s is a lack of accountability, because donors and journalists tend to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm bothered by the inaccuracies in Mortenson's books, especially because there's a pattern of disrespect for local culture. The worst is his claim that he was kidnapped by the Taliban, which now appears to be a twisted version of a trip in which he was actually hosted by generous villagers. I hope that Viking, his publisher, responds to these allegations in some meaningful way. But I find it more troubling that countless journalists have profiled Mortenson in strictly hagiographic terms. This is partly because they've taken quick tours of model schools; as any teacher will tell you, a visitor doesn't learn much from a walk-through and a few translated conversations with hand-picked students. Krakauer didn't have to do much digging to find evidence of mismanagement at C.A.I., where many former employees spoke openly and critically. ("Greg regards CAI as his personal ATM," said a former treasurer for the organization.) In 2002, four board members resigned, but it took nearly a decade for their complaints to become public.
A number of years ago, a wealthy friend of mine considered investing in Bernie Madoff's hedge fund. But his family's policy is that they won't invest in any company until they speak to a number of former employees. They talked with people who had left Madoff's Ascot Partners, and they concluded that something didn't feel right, so they put their money elsewhere. When I heard this story, it reminded me that any good journalist should follow this strategy when he's writing about a company. And after the revelations of the past week, I'll be sure to apply the same standard to any N.G.O.
Photograph courtesy Central Asia Institute.


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Genre | Immersive Sim / First Person Shooter, Role Playing Game
Developer | Eidos Montreal
Platforms | PC, OSX, PlayStation 3, XBOX 360, Wii U
Website | http://www.deusex.com/
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a first person shooter with role playing elements in which the player takes control of Adam Jensen, a mechanically augmented security consultant working for the mechanical augmentation corporation Sarif Industries. Adam is tasked with various missions which take place in various levels that allow the player to roam around, talk to people, and approach the objectives in a variety of ways with a variety of tools. The player can also shoot a basketball.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution features seventeen weapons, nineteen augmentations, fifteen side missions, twenty five main missions, crates that can be stacked on each other, four boss fights, four kinds of grenades which can be used as mines, thirteen kinds of weapon mods, one nightclub, nine consumable items that recharge health or energy, robots, and a bomb. Augmentations include the ability to punch through some walls and the ability to move silently. The player can take cover behind objects and move from cover to cover with a button press.
Throughout Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the player encounters situations that necessitate infiltrating various areas. These areas have multiple entrances that are accessible in different ways. Often one way is a vent behind a box, the other is a locked door around the side, and the third is a guarded main entrance. The player can move and climb on crates, hack into computers, hack open locked doors, engage in combat, use stealth to avoid enemies, and use other strategies, allowing the player to choose how to approach situations. The game can be completed without killing more than four people, and the player can also kill almost everyone if desired. Some characters make note of who the player has or has not killed and react differently to the player based on this. The game's plot also alters depending on who the player kills, and on other actions the player takes.
The graphics in Deus Ex: Human Revolution are in a realistic style, with the exception of a golden tint that accompanies everything. They depict locations like Detroit and Singapore, enemies, allies, and neutral people, weapons, crates, and robots, including riot control robots. The sounds in Deus Ex: Human Revolution include conversations between various characters, including some conversations where the player can choose what Adam says, and gunshots. The music in Deus Ex: Human Revolution features techno style music, ambient style music, orchestral style music, and breakbeat style music.
The player earns experience points in Deus Ex: Human Revolution by accomplishing objectives, killing enemies, and incapacitating enemies. Headshots and melee takedowns grant more experience. Non-lethal takedowns provide more experience than lethal takedowns. The story in the game features questions of what it is to be a human versus being a machine. One character in the game speaks with a thick stereotypical accent. In Detroit, the player meets with members of an urban street gang. The game allows the player to turn off objective markers, item highlighting, the crosshair, and button prompt icons.

subset: commoncrawl


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I like to call the Mr Clean Magic Eraser cleaning pads the 8th wonder of the world! As miraculous as this little tool is, I still come across people who remain ignorant to its existence never mind the endless usefulness of these amazing wonders!
Made from the raw product called Basotect and produced by the worlds largest chemical company BASF in Germany, this material is most commonly labeled as the Magic Eraser but is private labeled under endless names.
I now refer to this "tool" as the 8th wonder of the world as it goes against all logic in its amazing abilities to clean surfaces and stains where traditional cleaners and cleaning cloths prove ineffective.
Use the secure Amazon link to get yours now
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Cleaning Pads, 8-Count Box
As a professional detailer and business owner I know that time really is money. I am on a continual search to constantly find ways to deliver better results with less effort and in less time....
I have been using these amazing "tools" in my professional detailing business and continue to find more and more uses. Delivering better results in the detailing process while at the same time saving time and effort is a winning combination.
(See YouTube videos at bottom of page for some of my professional tutorials using the Magic Eraser)
Interior Car Cleaning Uses:
Exterior Car Cleaning Uses:
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Cleaning Pads, 8-Count Box
The Mr Clean Magic Eraser is an amazing and useful "tool" by itself...but you can take it to the next level by using it with an effective cleaner.
Below are the (2) cleaners I use professionally and will enhance your cleaning efforts of the Magic Eraser:
Meguiar's D10101 Detailer All Purpose Cleaner Gallon
Meguiar's D10801 Super Degreaser - 1 Gallon
The (2) cleaners above are professional grade cleaners and since they are used by professionals, they are concentrates and come in gallon size only. Due to the fact that I have so many uses for each of them, I think most people will find more than enough uses when cleaning their cars or even around the house.
For more comprehensive product description and uses, you can use the following links regarding these (2) cleaners:
Want to learn more and more free auto detailing tips?
Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and pass this information along by sharing to your favorite site or blog; I bet you know of at least one other person that would benefit from this info.


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When we usually bring you news of a new bike, the manufacturer is usually trying to tell you how stiff it is or how comfortable it is or how light it is. But Islabikes is doing things a bit differently, selling its new bike based on its sustainability.
>>> Islabikes launches its most 'pro' kids' bikes yet
Well, to put things more accurately, the company isn't selling the bike at all. Instead, the Imagine Project will see Islabikes make children's bikes that are then rented by families, and when the child grows out of the bike, the parents send the bike back to Islabikes which then renovates the bike before sending it out to another family.
Watch: how to teach your child to ride a bike
As well as providing families with bikes for their kids, the Imagine Project is about changing the way that people think about products in general, realising that the modern throwaway culture where products are chucked in the bin as soon as they stop working is putting an unsustainable toll on the planet's resources.
>>> Is this the world's first aero bike made from bamboo?
The initial range,which will be unveiled when the project is up and running (in the meantime you can register your interest here), will be simple utility bikes sitting alongside the company's existing range, but the company is making the project open source, inviting contributors from outside to get on board and help the project to develop and grow


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Airfix 1/48 Bedford MWD Kit First Look
By Mark Nickelson
|Date of Review
|July 2015
|Bedford MWD
|Kit Number
|Primary Media
|Very useful subject, fine detail throughout, all-styrene assembly, alternate parts
|See text
|Skill Level
First Look
The Bedford MWD served a host of military utility truck roles during WWII, and served through the 1950s. Bedford, Vauxhall's truck division and thus a grandchild of General Motors, produced nearly 67,000 of these 15 cwt (3/4-ton) 4x2 trucks for the war effort, starting in August, 1939. An MWD could carry 10 infantrymen or a two-pounder antiaircraft gun or, of course, 1,500 lb of freight.
The MWD was powered by a 3.5L OHV inline 6-cylinder engine through a 4-speed gearbox. Gear ratios are not stated but top speed is described as 95 kph (59 mph). So we're probably looking at a long-stroke, low-rev, high-torque setup here, appropriate to this vehicle's missions. One charitable website calls the engine "powerful"—it's rated at 72 hp. Apparently the MWD is popular with 1:1 scale restorers in Europe, who find it an easy truck to work on.
Clearly, this little truck will fit into any Allied setting you are creating in 1/48 scale, whether FEBA or flightline, whether CBI, Libya, Europe or the Pacific. Or even Korea or Southeast Asia.
Airfix have (sic) stuck their corporate toe in the 1/48 military vehicle market already, with modern Land Rovers and other interesting vehicles used by ground forces in the current Middle East wars. The MWD and the 1934 Albion petrol bowser are their first WWII vehicles in 1/48. Along with the Tamiya vehicles in this scale and an occasional resin kit from Ploesti, Romania, well, for me it's a 50-year dream come true.
There are 95 parts in this kit, seven of them clear and the rest gray. The instructions are printed in color and the graphics are the most elaborate I've ever seen in a plastic kit. There are a few small decals, and guidance for markings for a 1940 camouflaged truck with canvas cab for ground forces and a 1943 RAF metal cab truck. There's no paint color chart, but the fifth or sixth time I skimmed the instructions, I confirmed what anybody would assume: the paint numbers scattered through the instructions refer to Humbrol colors.
You can build the MWD with an open or covered bed and a canvas or metal cab. The canvas cab trucks can be built without top or doors, and the windshields can be folded down like a Jeep. The bed cover comes in several pieces, unlike most kits this size. I will be interested to see if I can assemble the bed without seam problems.
The uncovered bed is built with different pieces. The steel cab truck builds with a firewall/instrument panel casting that has the windshield frame molded onto it. A corresponding part for the canvas body truck, less windshield frame, is also supplied.
Two parts are supplied for the tailgate curtain, one fully extended with some molded-in drape, and one furled. The tailgate itself can be attached closed or open.
The engine comes in two halves plus an oversize air filter that was an important part of the truck's procurement specs, as though somebody anticipated operations in hot, sandy locales. There is an alternate open bonnet if your truck is getting serviced.
The tires (oops, I meant to say tyres) are styrene, and slightly bulged on the bottom. They are molded separately from the wheels, simplifying one classical painting task.
I even enjoyed the box art, a view that suggests adding a length of stout rope around the front bumper of a steel cab truck. The truck and other ground equipment are departing the hardstands after arming up a flight of Lancasters, seen taxiing away in the background.
Remember the Oldsmobile commercial? This is not your father's Airfix kit.


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Your wedding is that special time when every detail is important, including the comfort of your guests. Will your ceremony or reception be at a location with inadequate or inconvenient restroom facilities?
Why not consider one of our many Luxury Restroom Trailers as an option for your guests on your wedding day? After all, you don't want your guests to have to go down the street to use the facilities. Our technicians will make sure that is taken care of, including on-site attendants if needed.


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Dropping into the In Search of the Palaeo Shaman Thread today, I see yet another discussion about boats has arisen. Well, not even a discussion so far as I am able to tell, for I am unable to see how it bears any direct relevance to the thread in question. The most recent post doesn't seem to say anything more cohesive than "established school of thought on shamanic influences - very poor, unproven stone age boats RAH RAH RAH!"
Whilst I would not dispute how ancient peoples got from A to B is very much of relevance to this forum, the name of the forum is archaeologica not erm... "boatalogica". Whilst unproven theories about stone age boats may be a fascinating topic for some, I am concerned that there is an overemphasis on woolly New Age speculation of a nautical nature around here, or so, I hasten to add, it seems to me.
I was once in a gangster rap girl group called Meerkat Molls (see wikipedia) which, as Blonde Gullible Babe, our unofficial leader often stated, was very much a democracy: any of us could contribute songs for future performance or recording by the whole. The problem was that for every song written by me, Mel, Victoria or Gerri, Blonde Gullible Babe would have come up with twenty and already have us rehearsing our bits before we knew what was going on. We should have piped up of course, but we didn't and so the whole thing got like too much hard work and not enough fun, so I packed it in. It feels like a similar situation applies here.
Oh crap - I don't fucking know.
Maybe I'm wrong, but not so long ago we had a situation where every topic seemed to descend into lengthy posts about ancient dildos and men knowing what's good for'em slurp gurgle drool etc, and I'm afraid to say that I'm getting deja-vu here in terms of an agenda that may not always be appropriate to the subject. It would be somewhat absurd, would it not, if I posted in every thread with some spurious ancient shamanic angle (actually, I probably used to be a bit guilty of that).
I've no wish to rain on anyone's parade (specifically Beagle, Min, Cogs, KBS, Rokcet Scientist, Rich, Danaan14 and John - I do enjoy more of your comments than not, in general) but I used to enjoy this place and recently every time I sign up I seem to end up in yet another boating thread …. and I don't find all of it terribly interesting (general thrust of boating digression, not specifically Beagle's, Min's, Cogs', KB's, Rokcet Scientist's, Danaan14's, Rich's and John's posts) and am wondering why I bother coming here at all. If this ends up being my last post (feels like it right now, though I suspect that's improbable) I've been hanging around here [url]http://no_fucking_boats.net/forum/[/url] a lot of late so that's where I'll most likely be. Please feel free to join me.Well, I don't know about the Ukraine circa 1200 but Siberian shamans blah blah blah blah...
If anyone wants to disagree, please do so. If anyone thinks I have a point, I really would appreciate some support.
(With apologies to War Arrow).
Glenda Slagg


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We have been taking a look back at the Top Ten moments of 2015. Today we announce one a the top moment of 2015 as we look forward to making more memories in 2016.
We hope you all enjoyed the holiday season and Happy New Year.
Coast Guard made its first trip to the podium at college sailings premier event since 1966 as the Bears placed second at the Gill Coed Dinghy National Championship to win the Oxford University Trophy.
The Bears started the final day of the biggest event on the calendar in second place after a strong opening day of competition. In the first several races of the day, Coast Guard and regatta leader Yale University continued to sail consistently, putting more points between them and the other sixteen teams.
Avery Fanning, Robert Turley, and Hannah Herring were second in B-Division with 110 points, just six points behind the 2014 College Sailing of the Year Graham Landy of Yale University. Impressively, they only finished outside of the top-10 twice during the entire eighteen race series.
In B-Division, Nikole Barnes, Jennifer Lane, and Andrew Britton were third with 145 points. They had seven finishes in the top-5, including four individual race wins. Dana Rohde also helped the team qualify for the finals.
Coast Guard combined for 255 points and second overall, winning the Oxford Trophy. The Oxford University Yacht Club team and its captain Jeremy Thomas presented this trophy in 1954 on the occasion of the first of a continuing series of college regattas between British and North American teams held alternately in the United States and Great Britain every two years.


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That's the word people keep using when they talk about Hurricane Harvey and its devastating aftermath.
If you've seen the images all over the news and social media, you understand why. The storm was a Category 4 when it hit near Corpus Christi, Texas, with sustained winds of at least 130 miles per hour. The storm has since stalled, dumping feet of rain over the state's Gulf Coast.
And it's not over.
An additional 15 to 25 inches of rain are expected over parts of Southeast Texas over the next two or three days, with some areas seeing as much as 50 inches in that time.
In short, the people of Texas need our help, now. Here's a list of nonprofits on the uBack app that are actively sending people, supplies and services to the area. Pick one or spread the love across them all.
To support shelters and emergency relief: Donate to the American Red Cross and Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services.
To provide food: Donate to the Houston Food Bank and the Food Bank of Corpus Christi.
To contribute to long-term recovery efforts: Donate to Catholic Charities USA. "Long-term recovery is an integral part of Catholic Charities' holistic approach and we work tirelessly to ensure individuals can live their lives with the dignity we all deserve," according to a statement on the organization's website. "This service is provided to the community regardless of religion, social or economic background."
To help animals: Donate to the Houston Humane Society. The organization is working to marshall care and shelter for animals in the region. The San Antonio Humane Society and the Houston SPCA are also working to help in areas affected by the storm.
To help provide medical supplies: Donate to Heart to Heart International. For more information, click here.
To help provide personal hygiene kits to flood refugees: Donate to International Relief Teams. For more information, click here.
To donate diapers: Donate to the Texas Diaper Bank. Most people don't realize diapers are not provided by disaster relief agencies.
To offer a room or space to stay: Airbnb has set up a website to facilitate the sharing of space in the wake of the storm. You can find space to stay or offer a room.
To donate blood: The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center allows you to make appointments online to collect donations.
If there's an organization that isn't on our list but should be, please let us know. Send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Losing fat can appear impossible, but it isn't really. So education and inspiration are the keys to making a productive changeover to a much healthier lifestyle. There are a lot of issues you can find out about bodyweight reduction if you're willing to take your time.
Adding exercising is essential to shedding bodyweight. It does not take as significantly workout as folks are very likely to imagine in purchase to keep excess weight below management. Most men and women basically do not have enough time to workout. By just parking a tiny further back again in a parking whole lot or walking instead than driving to the retailer down the avenue, you will give your metabolic rate a boost and your body a small workout. Just adding a limited going for walks distance for every day can include up to a sizeable weight loss in excess of time.
Numerous folks have excellent luck with bodyweight decline by signing up for Nutrisystem. These companies usually supply foods that go together with their diet plan strategies as effectively as assist from people who have misplaced excess weight. Make positive you can afford to signal up for one of these applications: you can get the same final results if you do some analysis on your very own and cook dinner your personal foods.
An superb fat decline idea is to take in loads of egg whites and not the yolk in the center. Yolks are higher in cholesterol and excess fat. By ingesting egg whites you'll get loads of quality protein.
Sustaining a minimal human body bodyweight is considerably less difficult when foods consumption throughout the afterwards evening hours is averted. This may possibly seem to be like a hard issue to avoid, but it is in your greatest desire to do so. The foods you take in prior to laying down for bed does not get burned as rapidly because your metabolic charge has slowed down in preparing for rest. Hold by yourself active in the night.
Now that you've got gotten a good concept of what it takes to drop that weight, it is time to set this guidance to the take a look at. Ideally, you have learned how to approach weight reduction in a wholesome way so that you can now commence your road to a more healthy entire body.


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Tree Pruning in Charlotte
Regular Maintenance of Trees
The habit of tree pruning and trimming services for regular tree maintenance is a habit that many people should adopt. While trimming allows plants, trees and shrubs to be designed and shaped well, pruning treats damage fungi and molds on trees. Some people have their gardens and homes landscaped but neglect the regular maintenance of trees.
They do not understand the services they can receive from companies and how they can benefit. Just like machines and houses, trees require proper maintenance so that they can be in the best condition. Treescape has expert tree services in Charlotte and Gastonia that will best assist you.
Pruning Classification
People that seek services seek for about four general types of services. Two of which deal with trimming and others deal with pruning. The first type of service is trimming, also known as fine; it involves several cuttings to improve the tree's appearance. The second type involves cutting the tree to help in improving the tree's overall structure.
The third type is the hazard pruning or safety. Heavy or loosely hanging branches are removed due to safety considerations. When these branches grow too low, they become risky and dangerous. Identifying such type of branches is difficult; this is why it is important to find help from top companies like Treescape Charlotte, NC.
Crown Reduction
The fourth type will involve crown reduction; it deals with removing branches on the sides or on the top of trees. It prevents trees form going above utility lines or damaging roofs and allows for sunlight and air to reach the inner branches.
Tree trimming services, when done by trained professionals ensure that the trees are serviced efficiently and correctly. Doing it yourself may not be advisable, there could be loosely hanging branches that could easily fall when slightly touched. Pruning professionals have been well trained and have the know-how to identify and go about such branches.
Benefits of the Tree Pruning Services
Old branches are prone to fall off; this poses danger to people and properties alike. Other than the regular tree inspection, tree services will also be important after a storm when trees have been exposed to extreme weather conditions. To keep branches from posing danger, pruning is recommended.
Landscape surroundings and their properties will also look really beautiful when its trees are serviced. The properties worth will also increase. A well-maintained garden can add so much property value for someone that would like to sell their home.
For environmental enthusiasts, trees are more than the big, green and moving creatures; they have very important roles and should be well maintained on a regular basis. The service is not as easy as appears. It is a very risky situation which should use the proper equipment and tools to prevent accidents. Calling on tree trimming professionals will always be the right call. They will be able to inspect your home and find the best way to keep it clean


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Thank you to the Catholic Women's League (C.W.L.) for giving CNEWA Canada the opportunity to speak at their recent National Convention in Calgary.
During the convention, the C.W.L. of Canada presented a check to CNEWA for $16,346.13.
I was pleased to accept the donation and thank the Catholic Women's League for their ongoing support. I was also able to update attendees on conditions in the Middle East. Christians are few but mighty in these countries and play vital roles in interfaith dialogue, health services and aid to those in need. We thank the C.W.L. for the hope they bring to Holy Land Christians through their prayer and donations — and by spreading the word about CNEWA.
Earlier this summer, CNEWA Canada organized its 6th annual Pilgrimage to the Holy Land for C.W.L. members and CNEWA Canada donors. During the trip, they visited two projects that help women and families in the Holy Land: Shepherd's Field Hospital and Infant Welfare Center.
These Christian institutions can to do the good work they do because of the ongoing generous support of donors such as the Catholic Women's League. Thank you!
Tags: Canada CNEWA Canada
On 10 September 2016, more than 260 people attended the "Baptism by Fire" fundraising dinner in Canada in at the Madison Convention Center near Toronto. People from different parishes and different backgrounds attended — including local bishops and clergy. We gathered together for a common cause — supporting Christians in the Middle East, mainly in Iraq, Syria and Egypt.
Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Toronto and CNEWA Canada, the event raised funds that will support CNEWA's work in Syria and Iraq, and projects in Egypt run by keynote speaker, the Rev. Henri Boulad, S.J.
Some memorable quotes of the night:
If you'd like to lend your support, visit this link. You can also read more about CNEWA's work supporting Christians in the Middle East in recent editions of ONE magazine, including this in-depth look at displaced Iraqis and this report on Cardinal Dolan's pastoral visit to Iraq last spring.
We want to highlight the amazing efforts of the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Student Union (ACSSU) of Canada. This group is making a difference to help Iraqi and Syrian refugees — and doing it in a very dramatic and thought-provoking way.
From 16-19 November, in an event dubbed "Life of a Mesopotamian Refugee," students in the greater Toronto area camped in tents for three nights on different university campuses. These young people wanted to raise awareness and be in solidarity with refugees from their homelands. They also collected donations, which will go towards CNEWA Canada's efforts to assist refugees.
This student initiative was featured in a video on CityNews television in Toronto. It was also in newspapers, including an article in the Catholic Register.
You can still give to this fundraiser. Learn more by visiting their webpage here. You can also give today to Syrian refugees through CNEWA.
A blessed Advent to you! I am happy to share with you about CNEWA's recent collaboration with Salt + Light Catholic Television in Canada. CNEWA's president, Msgr. John E. Kozar, was interviewed and featured in "The Francis Effect," Salt + Light's latest documentary.
As Salt + Light described it: "'The Francis Effect' takes a critical and in-depth look at how an ancient institution (the Catholic Church) is rapidly changing under the leadership and vision of Pope Francis...exclusive interviews with prominent Catholics and non-Catholics reveal that Francis is having a profound effect on the world as well."
You can learn more about CNEWA's work with Pope Francis and how the Holy Father's leadership has an effect on the Middle East and the whole world. I invite you to view this special clip of Msgr. Kozar from the documentary:
Msgr. John Kozar, CNEWA (The Francis Effect) from saltandlighttv on Vimeo.
To watch the full documentary or to purchase a copy, visit "The Francis Effect" webpage. If you would like to support Christians in the Middle East through CNEWA, please give online.
And we invite you to remember, in a special way, our suffering brothers and sisters in Iraq.
Thank you for the generosity and your prayers!
During our journey to the Holy Land with Catholic Women's League of Canada members in July, we visited some places that Pope Francis had visited during his pastoral visit to the Holy Land from 24-26 May 2014. It was special to follow in his footsteps, praying where he prayed and hearing the stories of people who had encountered him. I thought I'd give you a taste of it through pictures.
Jordan River: We visited the Baptism site on the Israeli side of the Jordan River, where Pope Francis prayed and met with refugees, the sick and disabled. At this place, we renewed our baptismal vows.
Bethlehem: His Holiness Francis stopped spontaneously at the wall separating Israel and Palestine and silently prayed. We also took a moment to pray at this spot.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre: Pope Francis met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the meeting in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, their predecessors.
Western Wall: Pope Francis prayerfully placed intentions in the wall and embraced his Argentinian friends, Jewish Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Muslim leader Omar Abboud. We also offered our prayer intentions here.
Yad Vashem: We visited the Hall of Remembrance where the pope gave an impassioned speech which began with "Adam, where are you?"
Upper Room: Before leaving the Holy Land, His Holiness celebrated Mass in the Upper Room. We prayed together in this room, where the Last Supper took place and where the Holy Spirit descended upon the Twelve Apostles at Pentecost.
Tags: Pope Francis CNEWA Holy Land Pilgrimage/pilgrims CNEWA Canada
During our pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Catholic Women's League members from Canada, we met a unique group of Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel. They make up a small but important community.
The leader of this community is Rev. David Neuhaus, the patriarchal vicar for Hebrew-speaking Catholics. Father Neuhaus has an interesting background. He grew up an Israeli Jew and was baptized Catholic at age 26. Four years later, he joined the Jesuits and became a priest.
Father Neuhaus spoke with us about the reality of Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel. After Israel became a state, people began to immigrate there in the 1950's. You would assume that all these people were Jews. But the church in Israel began to notice that some of these people came to church on Sunday looking for a Mass!
Thousands of Catholics came to Israel with their Jewish spouses and families. They all spoke Hebrew. Father Neuhaus says this was something of an anomaly — Hebrew was the language always associated with the Jewish religion and Christians never used Hebrew.
The challenge at first was making Hebrew a Christian language — Mass, prayers, theology and catechism in Hebrew. Overall, that was quite successful.
The biggest difficulty has been transmitting the faith to Christian young people in a place where Jews are the majority. These children live fully immersed in secular Jewish society with no signs of Christianity anywhere. Many marry Jews and never come back to the church. So one of the church's main focuses is children and youth ministry.
One of the aims of this church is to build unity among Arabic-speaking Christians and Hebrew-speaking Christians, and also to foster reconciliation among Christians and Jews. In its humble way, the vicariate is taking one step at a time to do just that.
This Hebrew-speaking vicariate also has a special outreach to the migrant population of Israel. Father Neuhaus is also the coordinator of the pastoral care for migrant workers and asylum seekers. This includes workers mostly from Asia, including Filipinos, Indians and people of other nationalities.
Many of these workers care for the children of the Jewish people, along with the elderly, the sick and the handicapped. The vicariate provides them with a space for community and Masses in their native languages. The children of these migrant workers end up going to school in Israel and learning Hebrew. These children also require support to nurture faith.
There are also asylum seekers who come from Africa — mainly Eritrea and Sudan. Unfortunately, Israel rarely grants refugee status to asylum seekers, so these people live in limbo. Good priests, nuns and pastoral workers do their best to care for this community's needs.
During our visit, we joined the Hebrew-speaking community for Mass. For the Rev. Vincent Pereira, the chaplain of our pilgrimage, it was a unique experience to concelebrate Mass in Hebrew. There were three special things about the Mass:
During the sign of peace, it began with the presiding priest, since the priest represents Christ. He shook hands and it moved through the congregation from the front row to the back row. It was interesting symbolism — peace starts with Christ, and he spreads his peace to everyone.
Another detail was that they used matzo (traditional unleavened bread) instead of the regular white hosts that we use in North America for the Eucharist.
Finally, they gave us books and we sang with them and prayed the Mass parts in Hebrew. No, we didn't learn Hebrew in a day — but we used books where Hebrew was transliterated into English to make it easier to follow. The music was beautifully performed by their seminarian Benny.
One thing that Father Neuhaus said stuck with me. I will try to take it to heart. He said that having a hard life doesn't mean that you will not find someone who has an even harder life than you. So please reach out to them, open up and be generous towards those who have less than you.
Read more about the Hebrew-speaking vicariate in this article in ONE magazine.
Tags: Middle East Christians Israel Holy Land Catholic Holy Land Christians
Recently, CNEWA led a pilgrimage to the Holy Land along with members of the Catholic Women's League of Canada. One of our aims was to encounter the local Christians. In Haifa, we had the privilege of hearing the story of the "House of Grace" from the founders' son, Jamal Shehade. CNEWA has partnered with the House of Grace for many years, supporting their various initiatives.
The House of Grace began 32 years ago as a humble ministry of Kamil and Agnes Shehade. Shortly after they married in the early 1980's, the Shehades began to take in ex-convicts, providing a home for them in their small two-bedroom apartment. Eventually, their ministry grew into an abandoned church that they renovated and named the House of Grace.
Mr. and Mrs. Shehade had five children, who also lived with these former offenders. They grew up treating them as a part of their family — and, at times, even babysitters.
It is a difficult transition for those released from prison, as they are often ostracized by society and can easily fall back into negative behaviors. For many former prisoners at the House the Grace, it is the first time they are treated as human beings with dignity, rather than lowlifes or criminals. At the House of Grace, they are shown what a real "home" is like.
People of different faiths — Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze — live together at the House of Grace. They celebrate each other's feasts and learn one another's traditions. Eventually, they begin to understand and respect each other, even if they don't always agree — which is rare in a society where there exist many deeply held prejudices.
We heard from one House of Grace resident who says their ministry has given him a new lease on life. He is very thankful to the people who gave him support and helped him to look positively toward the future. He has since obtained employment in construction, and is now focused on building a better life for his family.
We also learned that the House of Grace has a Canadian connection. As a young person, Kamil Shehade spent a year and a half at the Madonna House apostolate, a house of hospitality in the small town of Combermere, Ontario. Archbishop Joseph Raya sent Mr. Shehade to Canada when he noticed that the young man was going down a dangerous path in life. This experience greatly influenced Mr. Shehade — in his faith and in his attitudes toward community and the people within who are marginalized or reviled.
A few years ago, I spent two weeks at Madonna House. So I understand the ministry of the House of Grace, because it has the same open-door warmth that I experienced at Madonna House.
Unfortunately, Kamil Shehade died of cancer in 2000. He was only 46 years old. But his wife Agnes and his children have continued the work of the House of Grace with the support of staff and volunteers. Together, they live out the Gospel simply — with kindness and love, changing one life at a time.
To read more about their inspiring work, see this article from ONE magazine.
Tags: Middle East Christians Pilgrimage/pilgrims Holy Land Christians Canada CNEWA Canada
We had an amazing visit to the Holy Land recently, joined by members of the Catholic Women's League. I'd like to share with you some stories of our visit.
On 3 July 2014, our group was privileged to visit and speak with current mayor of Bethlehem, Ms. Vera Baboun. She is the first female mayor of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Our group was mainly composed of women leaders from the Catholic Women's League in Canada, so it was a unique experience to visit the mayor, herself a Catholic woman and a leader.
Ms. Baboun is a passionate woman of faith. She shared with us a quote from a homily by the former Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, James Beltritti, that touched her personally during a tough time in her life and resonated with all of us: "Blessings and grace only reside in the womb of suffering. Learn how to give it birth."
As a widow and mother of five children, Ms. Baboun has experienced great hardship in her own life. But this perspective helped her to focus on the blessings that come from and with such difficulties.
She discussed with us Bethlehem's unfortunate status as a gated city. As part of the West Bank, it is under occupation by Israel and surrounded by a separation wall. And, metaphorically speaking, she shared that the faith is now walled as well:
"The wall breaches the path of faith between the moment of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the moment of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. We have a young generation in Bethlehem now who do not know the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, [which is] ten minutes away by car. …
"It is not only Bethlehem that is walled, but the message of our faith, our Lord, and love and peace is walled as well. I'm terrified for this fact. It's a walling of the message, not only the walling of a city."
"The wall breaches the path of faith between the moment of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the moment of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. We have a young generation in Bethlehem now who do not know the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, [which is] ten minutes away by car. …
"It is not only Bethlehem that is walled, but the message of our faith, our Lord, and love and peace is walled as well. I'm terrified for this fact. It's a walling of the message, not only the walling of a city."
She also spoke about different injustices that the Palestinian people face due to the conflict with Israel — for example, water shortages, ongoing confiscation of property and limits on people's movement. As a minority group, Palestinian Christians are also often caught in the middle of conflicts between Jewish and Muslim populations.
We can keep the Star of Bethlehem burning by sharing the story of the "living stones" — the Christians of the Holy Land. They keep the faith alive and bear their cross every day. She urged us to please carry the cross of Bethlehem with us wherever we go. We left inspired and touched by her words.
Tags: Bethlehem Holy Land Christians CNEWA Canada Women West Bank
On 29 June 2014, I will be blessed to travel for the second time to the Holy Land with members of the Catholic Women's League (C.W.L.). We are visiting Israel and Palestine for nine days on a spiritual pilgrimage and to learn about local Christians and Christian organizations.
The Catholic Women's League of Canada has about 90,000 members in parishes all across Canada. Through the initiative called Velma's Dream, they are currently supporting two projects in the Holy Land: the Infant Welfare Centre in Jerusalem and Shepherd's Field Hospital near Bethlehem, both of which we will be visiting.
Velma Harasen, former national president of the C.W.L. and namesake of "Velma's Dream," will be accompanying us. Ms. Harasen also came with us last year. Her vision is to encourage the Catholic Women's League to continue to support the poor in the Holy Land.
Our group also includes Betty Anne Brown Davidson, the current C.W.L. national president; Carl Hétu, CNEWA Canada's national director; the Rev. Vincent Pereira of the Archdiocese of Ottawa; and participants from as far west as British Columbia and as far east as Quebec.
I look forward to this exciting trip, as we walk in the footsteps of Pope Francis, who made a recent pastoral visit to the Holy Land in May. The Holy Father encountered local Christians, prayed with them and lovingly listened to their stories.
Two of last year's participants shared some reflections on the trip:
"I am so grateful for this trip on so many levels — to experience the land where Jesus chose to minister, to deepen my faith in God by reflecting on his presence in me … to see what life is like as a Christian in an area of struggle." – Angela Pomeroy, Kelowna, BC
"Wherever we went, we were continually reminded of the life of Christ in the sacred stones of the buildings we entered, but also in the "living stones," the Christians we were so fortunate to meet. These people, living in Israel and Palestine, are desperately trying to maintain and preserve the Christian presence in the Holy Land." – Chantal Devine, Caronport, SK
"I am so grateful for this trip on so many levels — to experience the land where Jesus chose to minister, to deepen my faith in God by reflecting on his presence in me … to see what life is like as a Christian in an area of struggle." – Angela Pomeroy, Kelowna, BC
"Wherever we went, we were continually reminded of the life of Christ in the sacred stones of the buildings we entered, but also in the "living stones," the Christians we were so fortunate to meet. These people, living in Israel and Palestine, are desperately trying to maintain and preserve the Christian presence in the Holy Land." – Chantal Devine, Caronport, SK
We will post an update on the blog during our trip, so stay tuned!
Learn more about Velma's Dream on our website.
Tags: Pilgrimage/pilgrims Holy Land Christians Canada CNEWA Canada Women
The Catholic Women's League (C.W.L.) of Canada is generously supporting projects to aid poor Christian families in the Holy Land through CNEWA Canada. Members of this fine organization — including Velma Harasen, C.W.L.'s former national president — were able to visit these projects during our Holy Land Pilgrimage.
The video above highlights the good work of two of CNEWA's partners in the Holy Land:
The Infant Welfare Center in Jerusalem assists teenagers with learning disabilities and helps them to stay in school, as well as providing support for their families and teachers.
The Shepherd's Field Hospital in Beit Sahour (near Bethlehem) provides much-needed health care to pregnant women, new mothers and their babies — including many of the poorest in the region.
Click here if you'd like to contribute to "Velma's Dream."
Next year, from 29 June – 9 July 2014, CNEWA Canada will again extend to C.W.L. members the opportunity to join us on a pilgrimage. We will visit the holy places of the Bible, meet Holy Land Christians and witness the good works of our many partners in the region. If you are interested, visit the trip page for more info. You can also watch our Holy Land pilgrimage promo video.
Tags: Holy Land Pilgrimage/pilgrims Donors Holy Land Christians CNEWA Canada


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Toronto based sculptor and painter Donnas Zekas, has participated in numerous exhibitions including solo, duo and group shows. She is represented by Dimension and The Al Green Galleries as well as Rue Pigalle.
The artist began by immersing herself in sculpting workshops, then while attaining her diploma at the Toronto School of Art broadened her focus to include a variety of painting mediums. Zekas went on to study visual arts at Loyalist College, the Haliburton School of Fine arts and with various professional artists in North America and Europe.
Zekas continues to experiment with new techniques including the multi-layering of acid washes, patinas, pastels and paint, ultimately creating a diverse body of work and a fundamental artistic process.


text: Toggle navigation The Harry Potter Lexicon Home Blog Lexicon Podcast Harry Potter Minute Essays Sources Support the Lexicon Feedback About the Lexicon Credits Privacy Policy Terms of Use Characters Harry Potter Albus Dumbledore Lord Voldemort Severus Snape Sirius Black Hermione Granger Ron Weasley Draco Malfoy more Places Hogwarts Diagon Alley Privet Drive Ministry of Magic HQ The Burrow more Magic Spells Potions Magical Objects Magical Plants more Events Harry is sorted into Gryffindor Battle of Hogwarts Death of James and Lily Triwizard Tournament more Things Quidditch Hogwarts Express Wands Daily Prophet Aurors Currency Converter more Creatures Dragons Hippogriffs House-elves Goblins Centaurs more Sources The Harry Potter Novels Other Potter Books Interviews Other Canon more Essays The Death Eaters: A Guide To Who Was Where Famous Wizard Cards Albus Potter and the lesson in Quantum Mechanics more Lists Magical People Government Wizarding Atlas more Tags disappointment Home disappointment # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy are prevented from changing the result of the First Task • Event 24 November 1994 Having agreed a plan of action and using the Experimental Time-Turner, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Severus Snape go back to the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament (CC2.7, CC 3.7, CC3.8). Hermione blocks Albus Potter from using a Summoning Charm on Cedric… Read More Amos Diggory, arriving at Harry and Ginny Potter's home with Delphi, forces a meeting • Event After having several appointments to meet with Harry Potter at his office in the Ministry of Magic postponed, Amos Diggory comes to Harry and Ginny's house the night before the start of term to beg him to use a Time-Turner to save his son Cedric. He… Read More # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


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England's cathedrals are booming writes Simon Thurley. Photography by Anthony Coleman
England's cathedrals are booming. Last year 12 million people visited them and two, York and Canterbury, were among the nation's top historic visitor attractions. But their appeal is not just for the day tripper; people still like worshipping in them - a lot. With superbmusic and creative liturgy, cathedrals are full at Christmas and Easter, and are bucking the general decline in churchgoing. On top of all that, in last month's budget, George Osborne gave them £20 million for repairs.
It's great for the Church of England to have such a success story and it's great for the cities that have a cathedral in them. These buildings are the crème de la crème of our architecture and history, encapsulating every known style of building and the work of just about every great architect from the Saxons to the present day. They are also a very particular and unusual type of building in European terms. Driving through France, every town seems to have its cathedral, large austere churches, almost always locked up, and looked after by the French government. Other than Osborne's unexpected and no doubt verywelcome cheque, English cathedrals receive no money from the government. They are independent self-governing entities reliant on tourism, worshippers and philanthropists to keep going. is is, of course, why they are open 365 days a year, eagerlywelcoming both people who come to gawp and those who come to pray.
Today there are 42 Church of England cathedrals; in France, before 1801, there were several hundred, and even now there are nearly a hundred in use. English medieval cathedrals were at the centre of huge and very rich dioceses. This meant that they were proportionately richer than their French cousins, whose geographical spread was much smaller. Crucially it also meant that the resources for building were correspondingly larger. English cathedrals are simply much bigger than most in France, and quite often much more elaborate. Because of the richness of its carving, a single bay of Lincoln Cathedral, for instance, probably cost twice as much as a bay of its French equivalent.
But the uniqueness of the English cathedral is not just about economics. At the Reformation there were 17 cathedrals, all of which (apart from St Paul's, which was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London) survive today. Half were actually monasteries, meaning that the bishop was also an abbot. The rest were run by canons and a dean while the bishop kept an eye on his diocese - which is how our cathedrals are all run today. Henry VIII converted a further fi ve monasteries into cathedrals in the 1530s. This explains why many English cathedrals, unlike those in France for instance, have cloisters and other monastic buildings. It also explains that most delightful and English phenomenon - the cathedral close. English cathedrals are set in a sort of green surrounded by the domestic accommodationof various monastic officials. The whole cathedral has a sense of being an enclave, a haven of peace and calm in the middle of a city. This is quite unlike anything you will find on the continent, where it is usual to turn the corner of a street and suddenly beconfronted by the bulk of a cathedral sprouting out of the townscape. English cathedrals are very rarely in the centre of towns, but in precincts set slightly to one side - as at York, where the Minster is in a corner of the city or at Durham, where it stands on a hill overlooking the main part of the town.
Another unique feature of English cathedrals is their incredibly long and relatively low naves. The length of English churches was to provide the maximum possible space for subsidiary altars. This is difficult to see today, since the Reformation cleared the naves and aisles of medieval clutter, giving a falseimpression of what a cathedral originally looked like. St Albans Cathedral has a nave 80m long, andWinchester Cathedral is the longest Gothic cathedral in Europe. The lowness of English cathedralceilings or vaults is also really noticeable. Westminster Abbey has the highest nave vault in England at 31m, but even one of the lowest in France, Notre Dame in Paris, is 33.5m tall. What this means is that structurally, continental masons could not build high towers because their buttressing was concentrated on supporting the nave ceilings. In England, architects and masons focused their skills (and their buttresses) on extremely tall towers. On the continent even the largest cathedrals are crowned by little lead-covered timber spikes, whereas Salisbury has a spire 123m high. At Lincoln (another town where the cathedral is set aside on a hill overlooking the town) there is the astonishing triple vision of west-end towers at 61m a piece and the soaring central tower, England's tallest at 83m. And of course we must not neglect the incredible feat of theoctagon at Ely built in timber in the 1320s. It can be seen for miles around looming out of the fenlands.
Big, rich, long, low, crowned with soaring towers and spires, and set in immaculate closes, England's cathedrals stand apart in the history of European architecture. But this is not readily apparent to the ordinary visitor. Even though cathedrals are still used for the purpose for which they were built, it is difficult to understand them as they would have been used in the middle ages. This is because after the Reformation, and for 450 years since, the way these buildings are used has changed. Many architectural features that had specific liturgical functions now seem to be decorative add-ons rather than integral parts of everyday worship.
Most important among these were the west fronts, architectural backdrops to the most important ceremonies of the church held over Easter. Anthony Coleman's wonderful photographs on the following pages brilliantly record these glorious episcopal gateways. In an age before printed books, let alone television or the internet, these stupendous facades were the interactive, multimedia focus of the church year. Most contained brightly painted sculpture telling the key stories of the Christian church. Many, however, were much more than that. Passages and staircases wind their way into the west fronts of Exeter and Wells, for instance. These were to allow the choir and musicians to stand hidden behind the facade and sing and play music at key moments. I have squeezed my way along the passages behind the facade of Wells and peered through the little openings tucked away in the forest of sculpture (there were 176 enormous statues in niches on the west front originally). Through these holes on the great feast days trumpets blared and angelic voices sang.
The statues would have originally been brightly painted and gilded, their faces incredibly life-like. On Palm Sunday Christ's entry into Jerusalem was re-enacted and the whole painted facade would have come alive with singing and triumphal trumpet blasts. The great west doors, rarely used in medieval worship (people normally entered at the side) were swung open and processions of huge richness would pass through. Crosses and relics were held aloft, censers swung enveloping everything in incense, candles spluttered while gold-laced damask smothered the priests. This was the most extraordinary spectacle people would see in their lifetimes. And incredibly, with all that colour and sound missing, those west fronts in their denuded state still have the power to move and amaze and still, in my opinion, rank among the greatest architectural achievements of England.
Simon Thurley is chief executive of English Heritage and author of The Building of England (William Collins, 2013)
Readers' comments (1)
There's a rather obvious mistake in this article: ' At Lincoln (another town where the cathedral is set aside on a hill overlooking the town)' - What do you call a settlement with a pre-20th century Cathedral? It's not a town is it? Lincoln is a city and has been for at least 700 years.
I realise the predominantly London-centric readership of the AJ will most likely not even have heard of Lincoln, nevermind visited it, but I strongly recommend you do.
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It was around midnight, on the day of California's Democratic Presidential Primary (in 1968), when Senator Robert Kennedy and his supporters learned that he had won.
Celebrating his victory at LA's Ambassador Hotel, RFK concluded his last speech with these words: "Now it's on to Chicago, and let's win there."
Move the video forward, to 3:00, to see him say those words.
While the crowd is still celebrating, and chanting his name, people learn the news that RFK has been shot. Joy turns to confusion as people at the podium ask for a doctor.
Historical footage, at the Ambassador Hotel, June 4-5, 1968.
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WASHINGTON, May 23 (UPI) -- Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife Lynne, gave birth to a boy Wednesday in Washington.
Samuel David Cheney, who weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces when he was born at Sibley Hospital, is the Cheneys' sixth grandchild, ABC News reported.
"The vice president is pleased to be a grandfather for the sixth time," spokeswoman Megan McGinn said.
Mary Cheney, 38, an executive for AOL, and her partner, Heather Poe, a former park ranger, have been together for 15 years and live in Great Falls, Va., The Washington Post said.
Mary Cheney and her family have resisted turning her pregnancy into a public debate.
"It is not a political statement. It is not a prop to be used in a debate by people on either side of an issue. It is my child," she said.
The vice president told CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer he was "out of line" when he asked Dick Cheney during an interview to comment on a Focus on the Family statement questioning the propriety of an unmarried couple having a child.
The Cheneys' other daughter, Elizabeth, has five children with her husband, Philip Perry.


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Assignment 1: Web site design and implementation Effective communication is at the heart of web-based development. In this assignment you are asked to design and implement a web-based resource, focusing on a particular communication problem that would be best-addressed through the medium of the Internet. You may choose any problem area for your study, the only restriction being that the material contained in your site should be acceptable in legal and ethical terms (i.e. it should not contain content of a defamitory or offensive nature, such as pornographic or racist material etc.). The submission is divided into four parts: 1. Project definition 2. Site plan 3. Implementation 4. Evaluation Parts 1,2 and 4 should be compiled into a single report, submitted with a cover sheet through the usual channels. Part 3 must be viewable on the student web server (Calcott) from the date of submission. The URL for your site should be clearly stated in the header of your report.
1: Project definition This part of the submission should describe the background to the application area you have chosen, and explain the information transfer and communication problems that your web site aims to address.
You should provide a profile of the target user group and explain the nature of the information to be communicated to them through your website. You should justify the need for, or advantages of, a web-based solution in this case (as opposed to alternative approaches such as, say, traditional paper-based methods) and describe (using specific examples) how the use of multimedia will help in achieving your objectives. Within this section of the report, you should also make it clear that you are aware of, and fully understand, the legal and cultural issues surrounding your choice of domain and web development in general.
2: Site plan This...


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Most recent media:
International outlook and joint innovation: two INRA nominations strengthen two bold commitments
INRA President Philippe Mauguin has named Christine Cherbut Deputy Director General for Scientific Affairs. She succeeded Olivier Le Gall as of 1 April 2017. Philippe Mauguin also created the position of Vice President for International Policy, to which he has named Jean-François Soussana. In line with Mr Mauguin's mission and vision, and in the framework of the stated objectives of the 2025 INRA orientation document, Christine Cherbut and Jean-François Soussana will work closely together to develop an ambitious scientific strategy and reinforce the Institute's partnerships at the national, European and international level.
Christine Cherbut, the Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs, has, until now, acted as Scientific Director for Food, Nutrition and Bioeconomy at INRA. She also chairs CIRAD's scientific committee. Three major areas will shape her mandate: providing support for a research policy which balances finalised and fundamental research; accompanying INRA's digital transformation, from research issues to methods and practices; strengthen INRA's ties to society to develop a culture of joint innovation. She will carry out her duties by pursuing the application of the priorities of the 2025 INRA orientation document and by ensuring adhesion to the Institute's demanding and necessary ethics framework. The European and international dimensions of these different areas will be included in the Institute's policies in collaboration with the Vice President for International Policy.
Jean-François Soussana, Vice President for International Policy, was, until now, INRA's Scientific Director for the Environment. He assists in the steering of international research projects. He is a recognised specialist in grassland ecology and carbon/nitrogen cycles. He has been a member of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since 1998. In the framework of his new mandate, he will formulate INRA's international strategy around three priority areas: international policy that reinforces scientific priorities and the impact of INRA research, updated tools for European and international cooperation, and strengthened research and expertise capabilities for INRA on global issues.
Over 4,600 INRA scientific publications in 2016, 28% of which are co-published with an EU member state and 33% with a foreign country outside Europe. These publications reflect not only the internationalisation of research but the scientific excellence and the international reputation of the Institute. "It is essential that we further reinforce our European commitments, our scientific partnerships at the international level, and that we play a major role in the elaboration of research strategies which meet the global challenges of sustainable development in the areas of agriculture, food and the environment," stated Philippe Mauguin, President of INRA. Christine Cherbut and Jean-François Soussana will work to reinforce INRA's scientific excellence and the impact of its research.


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The effect of caffeine on fertility has been debated through the decades. While the connection between heat and reduced sperm count seems clear, there is no similarly clear relationship for caffeine. Excessive caffeine intake, as part of a collection of other unhealthy exposures, has been associated with adverse effects on sperm. There is no consistent evidence, however, linking moderate consumption of caffeine to reduced sperm quantity, quality or motility.
Sperm Quantity
When consumed in excessive amounts, it is possible that caffeine might adversely impact sperm production. A study in the April 2010 issue of "American Journal of Epidemiology" reported that the number and concentration of sperm were slightly reduced in a group of 2,554 young Danish men with a high intake of caffeinated cola -- more than 14 0.5-liter bottles per week. However, the high-caffeine men also tended to have more unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drinking alcohol and eating less nutritious food, so it is unclear whether the effects of sperm were due to caffeine or these habits. Other studies have found no relationship between sperm quantity and caffeine consumption.
Sperm Motility
Sperm motility influences its ability to actively swim and propel itself through the female reproductive tract. When sperm is directly exposed to caffeine in a laboratory, sperm motility is increased. However, this stimulatory effect has not been found in any studies involving caffeine consumption in men. In a report by the Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility published in the September 2013 issue of "Fertility and Sterility," this committee of experts concluded that caffeine consumption in men has no effect on the concentration of motile sperm.


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Lincoln academy test results thrown out after DfE investigation
The mathematics Sats results of a number of pupils at Hartsholme Academy in Lincoln have been declared invalid following a "maladministration investigation" by the Department for Education.
Some 23 students' 2016 Key Stage 2 mathematics paper 3 results have been thrown out after the recent inspection by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA).
A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Following an investigation into the administration of the 2016 Key Stage 2 tests at Hartsholme Academy in Lincolnshire, a decision was made to annul the mathematics paper 3 results for a number of pupils."
DfE references to maladministration include actions such as "test papers being incorrectly opened, pupils cheating, over-aiding of pupils by test administrators or changes being made to pupils' test scripts by someone other than the pupil."
The DfE, responsible for the STA, refused to disclose the full investigation report and findings when contacted by The Lincolnite on multiple occasions.
Education trust CEO Carl Jarvis has said that students will not resit exams, and after internal investigations the school is "confused" about the findings.
In 2013, Hartsholme Academy was named as the nation's most innovative primary school, six years after it transformed an unsatisfactory rating by Ofsted to its current Outstanding rating.
The incident will affect the academy's ranking in the education league tables.
Ratings by the Department for Education published in December for the percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard (scaled score of 100 or more) in writing, reading and maths is just 13%, compared with the local authority average of 51% and the national average of 53%.
By comparison, 2015 league tables highlighted the school as far exceeding national average performances, with 100% of pupils marked as achieving level 4 or above in reading, writing and maths.
Academy "confused"
Carl Jarvis, CEO and Executive of academy sponsor New Dawn Trust, told The Lincolnite: "We remain extremely confused about the STA investigation.
"Procedures were correctly followed and the school also conducted an internal investigation which concluded that everything was correct and in place. Everything was found to be as it should be.
"Some, but not all the results have been annulled, but the STA are not giving us the report detailing the reasons. The school is in a position where we have no right to appeal, there is no appeal process.
"We are in a quandary at the moment and are confused about the situation, but we continue to be a strong learning institution.
"Some 23 papers have been annulled and there was no reason given, it was just passed as 'maladministration'.
"There will be no further assessments of the students. The parents of those affected have been spoken to individually."


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Wall of doorsOctober 25th, 2011 in member junk
I had went to an auction where I purchased a hodge podge of lumber/cabinet doors/pieces/luan, etc. I had no idea what to do with it, but it was really good wood. Selling our home, we needed to remodel part of the basement, I used the cabinet doors and flipped them different ways to make the entire wall out of doors. Once painted it was really nice. I have since put pictures or empty frames sparadiocally on the wall for decoration.
I used other pieces of the wood to make this bathroom counter top, which eventually had a vessel sink placed upon it. The backsplash of the countertop are wooden shims that unfortunately I had to purchase at a hardware store.
Pattern or design used: My own design
posted in: member junk
Comments (8)
Michael Posted: 4:49 am on November 7th
BillyJo Posted: 8:44 pm on October 28th
Posted: 6:30 am on October 28th
Be Well,
Sue Posted: 6:27 am on October 27th


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It's difficult to keep up with the many seemingly different ills facing us. What helps reduce frustration and increase understanding is when we're able to group those with a singular root cause. It's also empowering since the way to solve them many be similar.
Take the following recent problems over the past month that have been in the news – on food, immigration, education, energy, and jobs/wages/unions.
While very different problems, the root cause is pretty much identical – corporate power and rights.
President Obama in late July signed into law S. 764. Dubbed by opponents as the "Denying Americans the Right to Know," or DARK Act, the bill nullified the laws of Vermont, Connecticut and Maine requiring the labeling of genetically engineered foods. It also preempted the genetically engineered seed labeling laws in Vermont and Virginia which allowed farmers to choose the seeds they wanted to buy and plant. The law also struck down Alaska's law requiring the labeling of any genetically engineered fish or fish product, passed to protect the state's fisheries from contamination. To top it off, passage the DARK Act deters other states from following in the health, safety and democratic footsteps of Vermont, etc.
Over 90% of Americans support clear mandatory GMO labeling, yet President Obama defied overwhelming public sentiment despite his promises during his 2008 presidential run that he would support the labeling of genetically engineered food. It's ironic when this bill was signed – a week after the Democratic National Convention – where the Democratic leadership portrayed themselves as leaders of the party of the people. Not quite.
Trade groups representing the Big Food industry like the Grocery Manufacturers Association and biotech corporations like Monsanto supported the DARK Act. According to OpenSecrets.org, Senators who had voted on a procedural vote in favor of the Senate bill received more than twice as much in political campaign contributions (or investments) from the agriculture lobby than those who voted against it ($867,518 for the supporters vs. $350,877 for opponents).
The President justified the DARK Act's massive hijacking of local democracy on the grounds that the bill would create national standards for labeling of GMOs. The bill, "directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a national mandatory bioengineered food disclosure standard," The "disclosure standard" includes consumers having to scan a QR code on a food product to find out about genetically modified ingredients, or call a 1-800 number. There's no certainly even these measures will happen for another 5 years.
So the national standards are at the lowest common denominator possible – providing much less protection to the safety of our food and health of our citizens.
The bill is just another example of how powerful corporations and moneyed interests have usurped what remains of our representative democracy.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last month the end of using corporate prisons to house federal inmates. The DOJ made the decision after determining the facilities were both less safe and effective at providing correctional services than those run by the US government.
This is a step in the right direction. But the decision applies to a mere 13 DOJ-run facilities, which detain a small percentage of all those currently held in US. It doesn't apply to state prisons – many of which like in Ohio are run by for-profit corporations. And it won't affect prisons run by other federal agencies – including those that detain immigrants. These facilities will continue to be run by giant for-profit corporations, the two largest of which, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and the GEO Group, receive half of all their entire revenue from federal contracts.
The U.S. deports over 300,000 people annually and holds approximately 400,000 people in immigrant detention facilities across the country at an annual cost of over $2 billion. More people have been deported under the Obama administration than under the Bush administration. Part of the explanation for this is what's known as the "immigrant detention quota" or "bed mandate" – a law passed in 2009 during a decline in the undocumented immigrant population to maintain a level of 33,400 beds on a daily basis (raised to 34,000 in 2013).
The quota system triggered an increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement strategy by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to fill the beds. Pressure increased to place most of the beds in corporate-run detention centers. CCA and GEO Group did their part by lobbying to expand the corporatized system and make sure they profited from imprisoning people. Those two corporations alone have invested more than $11 million in lobbying in recent years. Together, they operate eight of the ten largest immigrant detention centers. GEO and CCA combined operate 72 percent of the privately contracted ICE immigrant detention beds.
So while the DOJ announcement is a step in the right direction to close federal prisons, CCA and GEO have managed to continue locking down the bulk of their profits by ensuring that the "bed quota" system remains in force and that most of those beds of undocumented immigrants are in their detention centers.
In late July, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT), a charter school in Ohio, finally complied with an order from the state to turn over attendance records. At issue is whether 15,000 students are actually engaged in 920 hours of "learning opportunities" required each year to justify the more than $100 million it receives from Ohio taxpayers.
A preliminary look by the Department of Education last spring found that ECOT students spent, on average, only one hour participating in online work each day. Five hours per school day are required to reach the state's minimum 920 hours of "learning opportunities" annually. ECOT maintains that the bulk of student "learning opportunities" take place offline, but there are no records to prove it. ECOT claims state law doesn't mandate keeping such records, and has filed suit for "purposefully discriminating against them."
ECOT has been a major beneficiary of laws and regulations regarding charter schools and, of course, a major beneficially of huge contracts. These are directly related to their political influence.
William Lager, ECOT CEO, made political contributions/investments of $2.36 million between 2000-2015. The bulk of these gifts have gone to House and Senate Republicans who've been defenders and cheerleaders for ECOT.
It's been a darn good investment as these same cheerleaders and defenders are paying dividends to block any serious audit of the school's books and present any claw back of millions of taxpayer dollars that seem to have been wasted.
As reported today on Cleveland.com, a Virginia wind-power development company, Apex Clean Energy, hopes to erect four wind farms in the northern Ohio. Two state laws, however, are preventing the company from committing to the investment. One of them is the 2014 legislation freezing for three years a mandate for investor-owned utilities to tap renewable energy sources. Two bills currently in the state legislature would extend the freeze on renewable energy standards or make them permanent.
Other states are rapidly moving ahead in wind energy. In Iowa alone, more than 3400 wind turbines generate 5700 megawatts of electricity – 28% of the state's total electricity generation, the equivalent of 1.5 million homes. If you drive across Iowa or southern Minnesota, as I did recently, you'll witness the future – hundreds of wind turbines. Wind energy developed roots in Iowa because there wasn't much political influence from oil, gas and coal corporations.
Not so in Ohio.
Those industries have locked down the Ohio legislature with campaign investments, lobbying and funding for bogus science touting the wonders of "clean coal" and questioning the long-term sustainability of wind and solar energy generation.
This hurts our pocketbooks, environment and what's left of our democracy.
The decline of organized labor has contributed to the loss of jobs and decline of wages – for organized workers to be sure, but also for nonunion private sector workers.
A just issued report from the Economic Policy Institute, timed for release near Labor Day, researched the amount of money nonunion workers would have earned in 2013 if union membership in the private sector stood at 1979 levels.
The report concluded that wages for men would have been 5% higher, or $2700 higher per year. For nonunion men with lower education, it would have been 9% greater, or nearly $3200 annually.
Why? Because unions provide workers collective power when approaching management. Without that collective power, or in the case on nonunion workers the threat of forming a union, workers have little leverage over job protection, wages, benefits and workplace conditions and input.
Of course the rules in our nation apply very differently to individuals wanting to join together to form a corporation compared to forming a union. To form a corporation, a group of individuals merely come fill out a form, pay a filing fee and voila, they are recognized by the state as a corporation. Being recognized as a union is much more difficult that merely filling out a few pieces of paper and writing out a check. The union certification process involves more hoops than circus animals must jump through.
It didn't use to be this way. A separate piece of legislation at the state level had to be passed to form a corporation during the first several decades of Ohio's history – which was similar to the process in every other state. The rise of corporate power before, during and following the Civil War changed all that. Now, it's just about as easy to form a corporation as it is to get a dog license.
If it were as easy to form a union as it is to form a corporation, the power imbalance in our nation would tip much more toward the rights of working people and their families and communities. It's a good lesson to remember on this Labor Day weekend.
These are just a few of the many issues and problems facing us, our families, communities, nation and world from the growing power and never intended constitutional rights of corporations. If won't change one iota if all we do is prepare more in-depth reports of problems or simply try to manage the abuses by accepting that corporations have the same constitutional rights as human persons.
That has to change…fundamentally. The way forward is amending the constitution to end never-intended inalienable constitutional rights and the doctrine that political money is equivalent to "free speech," as defined in the We the People Amendment.
Join AFSC, Move to Amend, and people from all over the country in this growing movement.


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The next community update on the Scone Bypass and town revitalisation plans will be 6pm Tuesday 30 April 2019, Council Chambers, Liverpool Street, Scone.
There is no need to RSVP– just come along.
Construction of the Scone bypass is a significant development for the Scone community.
This project is being undertaken by the NSW Government through Roads and Maritime Services (RMS), who have contracted Daracon to undertake construction.
More information about the project is available on their website:
RMS website
If you have further questions about the bypass project, contact Daracon's Community Liaison Representative by email or phone 1800 870 751.
The bypass presents both opportunities and challenges for Scone.
Upper Hunter Shire Council and the Scone Chamber of Commerce and Industry are holding events to keep people informed and give them an opportunity to ask questions about the bypass projects and hear what preparation is in place to take advantage of the changes this will mean for Kelly Street.
We are learning from the experiences of other regions that have had bypasses and will continue to seek this advice. The Councils we have contacted include Mid Coast (Nabiac, Taree Bulahdelah) Cessnock (Branxton) and Great Hume (Holbrook).
To find out about upcoming events view the Scone Chamber website or Council's event calendar:
Scone Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc.
Event Calendar
Council's Scone Town Revitalisation Committee has been meeting regularly and will soon be releasing for community comment and feedback, draft plans for a major landscaping and beautification upgrade of Kelly Street.
The committee's minutes can be viewed within the minutes of Council's Ordinary General Meetings and Agendas
Council Meeting Minutes
There are a number of other projects including the Scone Golf Course upgrade, White Park undercover arena, and work at Bill Rose Sports Complex, where improved facilities will bring people into town. For more information on these projects search this website.
Upper Hunter Shire Council is a local government authority and provides an extensive array of services including health and building; town planning; aged care; sporting and recreational facilities; roads; libraries; waste collection; airport facilities; saleyards; public venues; water; children, youth and families and tourist information.
Upper Hunter Shire is located in the Hunter Region of NSW, approximately 250km north of Sydney. The Shire is predominantly rural and encompasses 8,100km2.
PO Box 208
Scone NSW 2337
Phone: 02 6540 1100
Fax: 02 6545 2671
135 Liverpool Street, Scone
34-40 Vennacher Street, Merriwa
47 Mayne Street, Murrurundi
After hours emergencies for roads, bridges, animal control,
water, sewer & landfill
Phone: 02 6540 1199