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Carbet Falls
Carbet Falls offers the opportunity to discover a different side to the island of Guadeloupe. If you want to explore beyond the spectacular beaches, resorts, and dining that draw most travelers, there is another side of the island that will be firmly planted in your memory: national parks. In French, the name is Chutes du Carbet, and these are a series of waterfalls along the Carbet River in Guadeloupe National Park. As one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island, these impressive waterfalls attract more than 400,000 visitors per year. Located on the lower slopes of La Soufriere Volcano, this is a popular spot for Guadeloupe hiking.
Carbet Falls also has interesting historical significance. Christopher Columbus made a note about the falls in his journal during 1493. There are three separate waterfalls set in the tropical rainforest. All three aren't easy accessible, so some visitors settle for not seeing all of the Chutes du Carbet. The first and highest waterfall plunges more than 410 feet. Persistent visitors will hike a long, steep trail to see this waterfall, the most impressive of all three. Because this part of Guadeloupe National Park isn't the easiest to reach, it doesn't receive as many visitors as the second waterfall.
The second cascade is known for its convenient accessibility and welcomes the most visitors. The view of this 360-foot waterfall is what most travelers think of when they hear Carbet Falls. The path to reach this site is paved and well designed. The difference between these first two waterfalls is only about 50 feet, and the second option is impressive as well. Less adventurous travelers will want to visit only this second cascade, while others might set out to see all three. It is only recommended that experience hikers attempt to see all three, as there is some challenging terrain to cover in the rain forest.
The third Chutes du Carbet is small in height at only 66 feet, but has the greatest water volume of any waterfall on the whole island of Guadeloupe. This waterfall is especially recommended only for experienced hikers. Only accessible on foot, this part of the Guadeloupe National Park has a reputation for being especially challenging. If your fitness is good and you want to give it a try, it might be an idea to hire a local guide. A knowledgeable guide can help you to stay on course, suggest what to pack along, and will illuminate certain details about the rainforest that you might not otherwise be exposed to.
In recent years, there have been some problems at Carbet Falls as a result of earthquakes. If you're planning a trip, be sure to read up on the latest information about the Guadeloupe National Park to be sure that the waterfalls are able to be seen by visitors. One of the most stunning sites on the island, Carbet Falls in itself makes the trip to Guadeloupe worthwhile. Take a day away from the stunning sandy beaches to experience a different perspective on this gorgeous tropical island and you won't regret it.
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Let's say you want to have access to clean energy but you don't have a house that has the right roof orientation. Or you don't want to pay for an entire system up front. Or you're a renter.
Community solar is an option.
"It allows all those people to collect together and essentially serve as owners of a facility and take that solar power from one facility and share it among multiple owners," said Ken Sheehan, director of the Division of Clean Energy at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
"I'm still able to decide that I want to use clean energy and I can save money while doing so and kind of make a really positive step for my community," said Melissa Kemp, northeast policy director for Cypress Creek Renewables.
In May, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law called the Clean Energy Act to increase the state's renewable energy portfolio. The act requires the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to establish a community solar pilot program. That's why energy stakeholders were present at a meeting to give their input.
"Special attention has to be made to make sure that everyone has access to the concept," said Robert Wallace, president and CEO of Power52 Energy Solutions.
Wallace says community solar was designed to give low- and middle-income residents, or LMI, access to renewable energy.
"One of the things we did in Maryland is we wrote in that about a third of the policy has to be for LMI families. And in order for a project to qualify for LMI status, it had to serve at least 51 percent of capacity had to be for LMI households," said Wallace.
His company trains vets and at-risk individuals on how to build clean energy projects and then helps them to find employment.
"Educating folks on what's the benefits of renewable energy, why it's important, access, credit," Wallace said. "It creates a complete circle. Not only are they trained, but they have employment. If they have employment, they can build credit. If they can build credit, then they can buy a house or property and it breaks that cycle of poverty."
He's planning to bring this concept to New Jersey, and that's why he wants to make sure New Jersey's community solar project talks specifically about how to serve low- and middle-income residents.
One question is, where will these solar facilities go?
"In the last five to six years, New Jersey has had one of the most, or the most, restrictive siting policies in the northeast region in terms of where solar can go. It's really only been allowed on the most impaired sites, so brownfields, landfills, roofs and parking lots. And that's a really good thing. We support development on those sites," Kemp said.
The question of changing possible land use was a hot topic.
"The first version says the site has to be within two miles of where the off tickers are. Well, most urban centers or underserved cities don't have 12 acres of land available to put a site in. You don't have new roofs that have a 20-year warranty to put a rooftop system in. So you're severely limiting their access to clean energy by writing that provision," Wallace said.
He said those are the little things that need to be addressed.
"One of the arguments that's been raised so far today is to limit the distance to making sure you're in the same electric company's territory since they're likely going to be the ones to run the wires from the solar panels to the load. There's an idea of keeping them all within one unit," Sheehan said.
Sheehan says they're hoping to iron out those details and finalize the pilot program in the next six to nine months.

subset: commoncrawl


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Is there an efficient way to work out how many factors a large number has?
Choose any 3 digits and make a 6 digit number by repeating the 3
digits in the same order (e.g. 594594). Explain why whatever digits
you choose the number will always be divisible by 7, 11 and 13.
Find the number which has 8 divisors, such that the product of the
divisors is 331776.
A number N is divisible by 10, 90, 98 and 882 but it is NOT
divisible by 50 or 270 or 686 or 1764.
It is also known that N is a factor of 9261000.
What is N?


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2019-10-15 20:00:00
Dear BTEX users,
Opening time of recharge: 14:00:00, October 17, 2019
Opening time: 14:00:00, October 18, 2019
Open AXF/USDT transaction pair
Axfunds (AXF) went online from a POW public chain in December 2014, and upgraded to POS mechanism in April 2017, transitioned from the initial asset equity COINS to asset and application virtual COINS. Launched in January 2015 were more than the mainstream of Chinese currency RMB exchange outfit, after multiple markets put call conversion and policies of the waves, the ebb tide condense a lot have a consensus on cash in the process of users and the contribution to the software and technical maintenance personnel of the business model, constantly introduce new application scenarios, gradually improve the construction of the ecological environment.
American fund AXF, the star of 2015 yuanbao, led the coin up, took the lead to increase over 380 times, led the 100 times market of the ingot, has the advantage of full circulation, no free coin, has the huge consensus team that insists on holding the coin for a long time, has the software staff has been developing the application, is the rare hundred times coin of yuanbao without zero. There is a basis for a re-explosion.
Website: axfunds.com
Blockchain browser: http://188.8.131.52/
Total circulation: 84 million (circulation rate 100%);
[risk warning]
Digital currency is a kind of high-risk investment, please be careful to buy, and pay attention to the investment risk. BTEX will select premium currencies but will not be liable for guarantees, compensation, etc.
BTEX reserves the right of final interpretation of the above contents.
If you have any questions, please consult the staff in the telegraph community or WeChat community (there may be a delay in the reply from the customer service little sister at the weekend, please understand);
BTEX exchange official website: https://btex.me
BTEX client download link:https://btex1.com/pub/app
BTEX community:
Telegram: https://t.me/btex_com
WeChat community: btex002 btex003
BTEX team
October 15, 2019


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If you can do max effort effort upper body pressing work, such as bench presses or incline presses, how come you can't do any type of max effort upper body pulling work? You can, but I hardly see it ever done for reasons unknown.
Here is a pull up performed with 100lbs attached to a chin up/dip belt.


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Christian School Accepting Girls in Delray Beach, Florida with Behavioral, Emotional or Academic Issues
Parents, as you look for a Christian boarding school for girls in Delray Beach, Florida, know that we are praying that you will consider Lakeland Girls Academy. Although our school is not in Delray Beach, Florida, we humbly ask you to look into what LGA has to offer.
Situated in Lakeland, Florida, just an hour southwest of Orlando, LGA is easy to get to from Delray Beach, Florida and from anywhere in the country. Teens attend our program from Florida, even though they may be looking for Christian boarding schools in Delray Beach, Florida.
Get Help, Before Your Child Gets into Lifelong Trouble in Delray Beach, Florida
LGA is a Christian boarding school for teenage girls and a member of the well-known Teen Challenge program for at-risk teens. Teen Challenge has been an effective boarding school for teens for the past 60 years.
A Boarding School for Girls that Lovingly Turns Around Bad Behavior and Improves School Grades for Girls from Delray Beach, Florida
We engage the girls in individual and group counseling sessions each week. Girls in our boarding school get life counseling from mentors and staff in the course of activities and daily life. We also include parents in periodic Family Weekend events to work toward unity for the entire family.
LGA provides a safe environment for girls to grow and mature. For many troubled girls, academics takes a backseat to the other issues in their lives.
While we give priority to emotional growth and healing, we also provide a quality accredited education. We emphasize individual learning. Once the girls have individually mastered one concept the next can be started without having to wait, so students are able to either catch up or get far ahead in school. Teachers are made available to parents for updates on their daughter's academic progress.
Activities Here Have a Therapeutic Purpose
We recognize that sending your daughter to a Christian boarding school in Delray Beach, Florida or anywhere else for assistance is a tough decision, but one that can bring hope to your family. Please visit the rest of our website and contact us to learn how we can help. Girls at Lakeland Girls Academy enjoy a wide variety of activities, all of which are designed for growth.
A daily schedule and assigned tasks encourage discipline and responsibility, while intramural sports and outdoor activities keep teens active and promote character. Girls become thoughtful and mature individuals as they sample activities from choir to speaking to community service and cultural events.
|More about Christian boarding schools for girls near Delray Beach, Florida:
Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 64,150.
Excerpt about Christian boarding schools for girls near Delray Beach, Florida, used with permission from Wikipedia.
Lakeland Girls Academy is a Christian boarding school offering hope to the parents of troubled girls from Delray Beach, Florida, even though it is located in Lakeland, Florida.


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Employment Opportunities
Thank you for considering Alchemist CDC! We have no open opportunities at this time.
Internship Opportunities
Alchemist CDC regularly works with college and university students (pre and post-graduate) to offer them an exciting opportunity to work directly with community members. Students gain hands-on work and service experience, and Alchemist's projects benefit greatly from the knowledge and enthusiasm of its interns.
It's wonderful to see Alchemist volunteers and interns go on to do exciting new things, and it's safe to say the experience one gains working with us can help build careers in community service. For example, Amy Edmonds, who completed an internship with us, went on to work for the Ecology Center's Farmers' Market EBT Program as Program Assistant and is currently an Analyst at the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UCSF. Some other intern success stories include one who went on to work for an urban gardening non-profit educating youth on gardening; another has served on our board of directors for six years.
Alchemist CDC is also open to crafting an internship position around your academic and career goals, focusing on such skills and programs as: Policy change, community outreach and engagement, social justice collaboration, vacant lot revitalization, marketing, evaluations, and social media.
Current internship opportunities:
Farmers' Market Intern — an outgoing, conscientious, and reliable morning person to facilitate processing of CalFresh benefits so that EBT card users can buy fresh produce; to deliver health and nutrition information. We are especially looking for interns with Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday morning availability.
CalFresh at Farmers' Markets Internships at the following markets:
- Central Farmers' Market
- Florin Farmers' Market
Internships are in 4 month terms
COMPENSATION: Unpaid. Mileage/transportation reimbursement provided up to $100/month.
Alchemist CDC works at 9 farmers' markets in Sacramento County to facilitate the use of Calfresh (food-stamps) benefits through customers' Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. We provide a scrip system that is easy to use for both customers and vendors. The CalFresh program (also known as SNAP, EBT or food stamps) offers qualifying lower income individuals financial assistance in purchasing food for themselves and their families, but it takes facilitators like Alchemist CDC to make it possible for the benefits to be used with the vendors at farmers markets who aren't set up to process electronic payments. Our work gives CalFresh beneficiaries access to fresh, local, affordable produce and brings additional customers to help the markets and farmers thrive.
This effort aligns with Alchemist CDC's vision of a vibrant, equitable and diverse urban Sacramento. Farmers' Markets are a great asset to communities, benefit surrounding businesses, and can lead to improved health for area residents.
Major Tasks:
Staff CalFresh scrip distribution table at one farmers' market each week.
- Promote program to farmer vendors at markets.
- Inform customers about CalFresh eligibility and application guidelines.
- Staff information table at occasional community events.
- Ensure compliance with Federal guidelines for accepting CalFresh.
- Develop and implement strategies for community outreach to promote Farmers' Markets to CalFresh recipients.
Required Skills:
- Must be at least 17 years of age. Must be a High School graduate or equivalent (GED/CHSPE) .
- Bi-lingual a plus
- Must be courteous and outgoing, and enjoy meeting and talking with new people
- Basic math skills are very important.
- Detail oriented and highly organized
- Self motivated with good work habits. Able to stay on task without constant supervision.
- A plus if you are able to transport equipment to market each week (fits in most cars).
LOCATION and SCHEDULE:
Most work will take place at the market. The market locations/times with available internship openings are:
- Central Farmers' Market, located on W & 8th Streets in Sacramento under the freeway, 8:00am-12:00pm on Sundays
- Florin Farmers' Market, located at Florin Road & 65th Street, 8:00am-12:00pm on Thursdays
You will additionally be expected to work four hours/week (usually on a weekday during regular business hours) for conducting outreach or office hours.
HOURLY COMMITMENT: ~10 hours/week
To apply email your resume to: Emma Burke, Program Coordinator, Alchemist Community Development Corporation: emma(at)alchemistcdc(dot)org


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XTREME BRAKE new Heavy Duty Braking System, builds upon the durability and increased stopping power of the Express Brake™. XTREME BRAKE showcases a more solid construction and new innovations to produce the most cost-effective and durable heavy duty brake on the market.
- Uniform Thickness Lining
- Increased Lining Surface
- Superior Construction
- Stainless Steel Components
- Eliminate Core Hassels
- Increased Stopping Power


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Today's Guest Desserts feature was submitted by Rowaida, who you may remember also submitted this Halloween and this Christmas dessert table a few months ago. Well, she's back at it and designing dessert tables for her friends and their children to celebrate Easter. I'll let her tell us a little about her table.
from Rowaida: Yesterday had some friends with their kids over for lunch and made a simple Easter dessert table. Want to share it with you. Hope you like the photos. I only took a few. I baked and decorated the cupcakes, egg shape cookies, and small cakes, made it simple with spring colors. The tablecloth is Cath Kidston. [We] had jelly beans and egg chocolate favors for the kids in colorful small buckets.
Thank you for submitting your Easter dessert table, Rowaida! It's so colorful and the striped linens add great contrast to the overall design.
Do you have a recipe, project, or giveaway to share? Check out the Submissions page to see your work featured on Sweet Tooth.


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Cars sorted by lowest price
Saturn SL For Sale in Washington
There are 2 vehicles listed
Inventory Page 1 of 1
We've found 2 Saturn SL for sale in Washington at low prices, and some others at auction. Some of these SL may be sold. Most of these bargains were manually chosen specially for people with low budget searching for where to buy a cheap Saturn SL in WA at prices below $1000, $2000 or under $5000 dollars. These Saturn vehicles weren't automatically fetched from data feeds scattered through the web. If you are selling a used SL in WA at a very cheap price, and would like to list it here for free, please join us. At Autopten, we are constantly searching for those car dealers from Washington selling the most affordable used cars to promote and help them to get in touch with buyers able to buy these vehicles.
2 Photos
This Saturn SL needs minor repairs. I don't have the time or money to fix it. Take it home for less...
7 Photos
Really low, low, low price for a 1-owner car. If you are seeking for an economical basic transportation...
- 1-Owner Vehicle
- Finance Available


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This will surely be an interesting year for Game Engines. I predict some won't survive.
Epic has announced their new $19/month licensing plan for UE4, which means that Epic just did to Unity what Unity did to GarageGames when it made Unity free for Indie developers and later made Unity Mobile free as well.
I'm really enjoying working with Unity. And the announced features for Unity 5 look promising indeed.
I hope Unity finds a way to stay competitive with Epic.
Edit: Now Crytek has thrown their hat in the ring. And they only want $10 a month. The guys at Unity need to get working on a solid response.


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Have you ever wanted to start a BIG project or up-level in some way but found yourself unable to cross the finishing line? Well, I want to share some insight that no one ever tells you about going BIG and what to do about it.
This week I start promoting my first ever virtual summit and feeling terrified would not be far off from the truth. I've been beavering away since February, working long hours with sometimes one meal a day but guess what? That has NOT been the hardest thing.The hardest thing has been pushing past fear, resistance, doubts and insecurities when they come up because they WILL and DO come up.
They come up because you KNOW it's important, not just to you or God but to those who you will touch and so you wrestle with your sense of worth. It shows up because you are UP-LEVELING and stepping out of your comfort zone, you are literally BECOMING a different person and your old self wants to keep you safe.It shows up with the words "who do YOU think you are?" or sometimes even, "if you do THIS, your life will never be the same again".
I have had to face and deal with all these and more along the way, and even as I SHARE this child with you all, I am aware of the flutter in my heart and the hitch in my breath. BUT…
I press the button to promote anyway because the worst thing I can do isn't to be afraid, or to be unsuccessful but to NOT be a blessing.
And that's a really powerful lesson I learnt, faith-inspired ACTION trumps thought. If you pay attention to what happens just before you up-level in some way there is always some inner resistance, it feels like an actual physical wall that wills you to come no closer. It's basically saying "STOP, don't move an inch closer or something really bad is gonna happen". If you pay attention to it then it's got you, you'll get into the place of all those negative thoughts and limiting beliefs arguing with you. That's when you NEED to take action, no matter how small, to keep the momentum going.
Another really important trick is ACCOUNTABILITY, doing a joint project like a summit naturally involves a level of accountability with everyone involved and of course the clock. But if it's YOUR project no one should be more invested in it's success than you – that means you HAVE to be wiling to push yourself even further and maybe do something that feels uncomfortable for you. As I said, it's not really about you, it's about standing up for God and being a blessing to others.
I can safely say that putting this altogether has TRANSFORMED me, it's made me pay attention to myself in new and diverse ways and hone in on areas of limitation that are potentially keeping me stuck. One thing that I will say and which I reiterate during the summit is that we often fall into the FAITH or WORKS camp – but it's the space between the two where all the am-may-zing stuff happens.
So I have a question for you,
I'm excited to share the #AbundantLivingSummit with you because it WILL be totally amazing for you IF you join us for the 18th. I invite you to join me and 20 other amazing women of God as we share God's truth, wisdom and insight on Living Abundantly in ALL areas of your life. It will be five days and twenty-two power packed sessions to take you to the next level spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
We will be talking about how to get breakthrough, deliverance, healing and results by focusing on the 5 Key areas of living an abundant life:
1.Spiritual Growth and Faith Formation
2.Emotional Well-being and Inner Healing
3.Practical Mindset and Applied Personal Growth
4.Body Image and Physical Health
5.Unlocking your Purpose and Potential
This summit will teach you both HOW TO get the breakthroughs you need to access the John 10:10 promise AND understand what is personally keeping YOU stuck in getting there.
So here's the registration link again, register now for your FREE ticket and I'll see on the 18th.
Blessings x


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Did your parents drop off a roll of film in the 70ies in a one dollar shop for cheap development and you just found it on your attic? In this case your images might look like if they were taken on color implosion. Colour implosion fears the grain of an 800 ISO film combined with the effective speed of a 100 ASA film. On top we pre-treated it so the color coupling system partially collapsed. With this grain and these light desaturated colors no one will think that you are still shooting digital. Welcome to the world of unpredictable truly analog results!
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Most of us have probably received a text message riddled with grammar mistakes and misspellings. Part of the problem may have been due to laziness. But another potential reason might have been because the text was sent by someone who was texting while also trying to balance his hands on the steering wheel, barreling down the road.
Neither activity -- texting and driving -- can be done properly when the two are put together. But the lack of focus while driving the vehicle has the potential to end lives. But a lot of people still do it. In fact, more than half of high school students nationwide admitted to texting while driving, according to a recent study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Inexperienced drivers especially need to limit distractions when behind the wheel, yet that is the age group that is most likely to text while driving. Now, instead of simply discouraging the activity, driving instructors will be able to say that texting and driving is illegal. Eliminating distractions wherever feasible can go a long way toward keeping everyone on the roads safer.
Texting while driving has been a problem for years and as technology continues to expand and more and more people use cellphones, the problem has the potential to get even worse. From a legislative perspective, there is only so much that can be done. If people want to text and drive, then they will do so, and not much -- not even the law -- will stop them. But that does not mean that an effort should not be made to deter people from engaging in this life-threatening activity.
Governor Kasich recently signed into law a statewide texting while driving ban. More specifically, House Bill 99 establishes that texting while driving is a primary offense for anyone younger than 18. That means that an officer can pull over a minor simply because he or she was texting while driving, as opposed to requiring they are pulled over for something else first. First-time violators will receive a $150 fine and 60-day license suspension, and they will receive a $300 fine and have their license revoked for one year for any additional violations.
For citizens older than 18, texting behind the wheel is a secondary offense, meaning that they must first be pulled over for another traffic violation before being cited for texting. HB 99 does not apply to situations such as emergency and navigational use or for public safety vehicles in need of technology's assistance.
I am confident that the more people become aware of this law -- and the dangers associated with texting (or e-mailing, tweeting, Facebooking, etc.) while driving -- safety will improve on Ohio's roadways. When the law goes into effect, Ohio will become the 39th state to ban texting while driving, definitely a step in the right direction.
Rep. Landis may be reached by calling 614-466-8035; e-mailing email@example.com; or writing to State Representative Al Landis, 77 S. High St., Columbus.


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What is the difference between sparkling mineral water & soda water?
The terms soda water and sparkling mineral water tend to confuse people. Understanding the differences or similarities can help you make a decision on which to drink. Carbonated waters are in fact the same, whether they are termed soda or sparkling.
Soda water and sparkling mineral water are waters containing carbon dioxide. Nonsparkling mineral water is water with the carbon dioxide removed. Club soda, often confused with soda water, can have salt added, but sparkling mineral waters and soda waters are pure. With no extra additives, all carbonated water is processed the same way.
The primary differences between soda water and sparkling mineral waters lie in their marketing. Soda water is often promoted as a mixer for other drinks, while sparkling mineral water is often marketed as an upscale alternative to flat water.
Common Uses
Despite being the same drink, the two waters are traditionally used differently. Soda water is used as a mixer for alcoholic drinks and as a stain remover. Sparkling mineral waters are used as a drinking water alternative. Sparkling mineral waters are often flavoured with citrus fruit such as lemon or lime.


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Posted 24/11/2016
Drive - Daniel H Pink - Canongate
The world of Procurement faces a series of challenges when thinking about issues of drive and motivation, measurement and reward. It cuts across us in a number of ways. We are often measured on performance in areas such as price variation; we have personal measures of delivery perhaps on projects completed or addressed or new ideas brought forward; we measure supplier performance for OTIF and quality and price reductions. Within all that measurement and carrot and stick rewarding, many of us recognise that the concept is, somehow, flawed.
Daniel Pink explores this in Drive by introducing us to the concept of progression in how we are motivated. Recognising early, survival based motivation for humans as Motivation (approach) 1, he explores Motivation 2 (the carrot and stick we are all familiar with) and then introduces Motivation 3 as a concept.
Rooted somewhere in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Motivation 3 is described as a three-part approach, utilising concepts of autonomy, mastery and purpose. When these three facets are used as the motivational framework, higher levels of achievement can be attained as individuals are more able to contribute.
At a simple level, this seems to resonate with our broader experience: well-motivated individuals do produce better outcomes, and that often happens when a loose framework is available which contain ideas and ownership of approaches, alongside a sense of a shared common purpose.
He also draws out the conflict which can exist when Motivation 2 approaches collide with Motivation 3. Again, this is something we see in an environment where advanced, thoughtful procurement approaches are being put in place where the core measures are still based on purchase price variance. Inevitably, the drive to meet a simple figure produces conflict when the more advanced approaches produce a broader spread of nuanced improvements, often with far greater impact. The larger prize is lost to meet the shorter term carrot and stick needs.
Although the implications for this at an individual level can be seen, there is room for further exploration of what this might mean in a business to business environment, where the same Motivation 2 concepts are used as performance monitors (although arguably this could be seen as Motivation 1. - perform or be removed as a supplier).
When we are looking at developing strategic relationships (proper ones - genuine contribution to strategic direction, as opposed to being a 'big' supplier), the direction of travel is always towards Motivation 3, seeking joint working for the greater benefit of both organisations through a loosely structured and guided framework. When this works well, the results are generally spectacular, in unexpected directions.
In our work on Category Management, we can see that the best results here occur in scenarios which can be described as Motivation 3: a category manager, developing mastery of their subject and of category management, using the process and concepts as they want to adapt them, seeking the best outcome for the organisation at a broad level. When this is done, the outcomes are transformative.
Drive is a well written book, exploring an area with some challenge within it and delivers both concept and suggestions for practical adoption. The only downside is the frequent summing up, which can start to feel like the current approach in documentary TV where the volume of summary outweighs the volume of input. In the case of Drive, we'd suggest working through that as the insights it provides are very worthwhile.
Tagged by topic: Book Reviews , Category Management , Procurement Leadership


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Page 24
After latihan I sat and chatted with people for a bit. Rashid Carre came up to me and said he'd viewed my website and to come visit the next day. Also after Sunday latihan, people gather at a Warung close by, which is run by my Eco village woman, Murtianna. She is a gorgeous, sunny, sweet Indonesian lady who looks maybe 28 but is 46! I couldn't believe it! But she has two teenage daughters so I have to, I guess.
Lunched with Hermia, her son Somali and his wife, two other volunteers, Halimah and Michael and Halim and Maya.
Then went to rest, which turned into a process. I felt the masculine aggressor within and the feminine victim, but gently. But then there was a kind of physical shift in the base of my spine and I felt something release. That's all, except that Bapak said to me, "The story is over. It's not a personal story any more, it's a universal story". That means if someone needs to hear something, then a part of my story may come up, in suitable form. I've been conscious that my story is finished - as if I've got to the core of the issues that the story has been showing me - and I pray that all that needs healing and sorting, gets done here. Again, Bapak said that by healing myself I heal the world, but, again, I do not get that. How? But I don't get any clarity on the how of it. Every time Bapak is around I feel he is really here with me; it also feels so normal and natural and comfortable. Like greeting a friend. I hardly question the fact that it is all in spirit as it has a sense of reality about it that I cannot explain.
Monday 19/3/12
Last night I had a dream in which I went to my father's house. I remember that before we got to the house there was an area outside the house filled with empty boxes, just left there, higglety pigglety: from moving in? Or for moving out? I don't know. I was with someone. We somehow started a fire. I felt we had to put it out as it was dangerous. And then I was in the house. There was some talk about the landlord, but I forget what.
My father seemed happy but a bit doddery or demented. He was living with two others, a man and a women, both much younger than him. He would have been in his late 70's/80. They were all moving out. The house was filthy, like it had never been cleaned or tidied or cared for. I thought it was nice that the two younger people had let my father share the house with them, but none of them had lifted a finger to keep the place clean and in good condition. In fact, it appeared that I was left with what was a mammoth task, and I began to hoover the grimy, filthy carpet. But their hoover was in bad shape. It too hadn't been cleaned and the nozzle to clean with was the wrong kind, it was a small round one, bunged up with old dirt. So I had to clean the hoover and change the top to the large flat kind. Then it began to clean. The carpet under the filth was a rusty red colour. It looked like good quality wool. While I was doing this I realised that Emiria was in the house. At first I thought she was there to help me clean, but I soon realised that she was cluttering up the house some more with her stuff.
By the end of the dream I'd managed to clean only a part of one of the rooms… and there were many, many rooms to do.
The early morning school assembly was cool. Lovely to see the kids perform their stuff. The quality of their work is amazing, actually. Very intelligent children and versed in all the different subjects they study. All heir music, art, theatre, English and other studies seem to be of high quality.
Tuesday 20/3/12
Last night as I lay in bed, I was blessed with another spiritual experience when a smallish ball of light entered me and I was taken to my spiritual home. I felt at the same time cleared of my past, just as, the day before, I'd felt Bapak tell me it was finished. The two realities of spirit and here/matter combined and I felt I was in both realities at the same time. I was told, this is how I can live now. In the spirit realm I was greeted with immense love and congratulations – again, there was this feeling from spirit of gratitude to me for work done whilst, for my part, I feel only huge gratitude for this immense gift. It felt like they were saying I'd come through immense tasks in this life.
The dream I'd had was explained to me. My father's house, so dirty, was the body I had taken on (laden as it is with ancestral flaws) and I had managed to clean some of it, although not much according to the dream. But last night I was set free of that house. I was given my name again – Arifa - and I was shown that I am one of the mothers; which means the mothering energy in the world. I then felt my baby, who didn't want to be born into such misery. I was told that I was born to take on a lot of humanity's woes, and by clearing it in myself I was also clearing it in the world (though each time I hear this I don't feel I understand how, at all, especially when I look around me and see that the world appears the same and full of incredible pain, far more than I have ever experienced.)
It felt like last night was like an end, or 'full stop' to a large part of myself as I've known me as well as the beginning - but of what? So this will unfold, I guess. I do not feel capable of understanding yet. But I have begun, or embraced, the feminine (utilising my right brain now) and have maybe left the masculine, symbolised by the leaving of my father's house. I guess I was trying to be a woman but not understanding the feminine. All I can do is be as open and willing as possible - to accept and grow into the new.
In my dealings with people here I find I am understanding them better. It's the feminine in play. I can see the difference, and it's really interesting to observe. Before, when someone said or did something different to my experience, I wouldn't understand and often I would react and take things personally, getting hurt or feeling angry or stuff. But now I am able to work things out in myself; something happens now and I begin to talk myself through it, learning to understand what it feels like, or means - wow! Now I understand that my 'over-sensitivity and reactive nature' was! Lack of understanding, a lack of processing from my right brain. I still have far to go.
Thursday 22/3/12
It's evening. Had a latihan. These latihans are so strong and deep. Tonight I was shown how I am drawn to attach to others, not to Source, i.e., to remain in my own flowing spiritual expression. I didn't realise how much I seem to attach to others, or need their approval, etc. Being connected to my own flowing latihan/energy and following 'God' or the Source - not sure how to call what I am feeling - God seems not right somehow. Anyhow I was shown how to connect my I - that straight up and down flow that is through me - with the Great Source rather than whoosh my energy all over the place, either at others or soaking in stuff from others. I guess you could call it being self contained. It feels like there's a pillar of light in which I reside, but I dissipate it by wanting to connect to others for my nurture (the old way I worked, looking all over the place to satisfy my needs). It's all there, within this flowing energy, which gives me all I need, and is true connection.
I'd seen Ibu Rahayu in Pamalang when we went there for latihan before I went to Bapak's grave. Ibu was looking older and frailer, but radiant. When I saw her, I felt a burst of light and joy. This was the first time I had seen her and not felt dark and disturbed, so I was rather thrilled and grateful. But here in Kalimantan it's like the family are here even when they are not.
Friday 23/3/12
I walked home after doing latihan with a sister who had had a fall. I felt tired and lay down, started to feel Spirit very strongly. I was asked to receive how I experienced God when I was born, just one week old. I did and felt encased in spirit: complete and one with Spirit. Then when I was two weeks old, specifically at night, the first night I was home from hospital and left alone all night. I felt hungry and abandoned, overwhelmed by loss of it all - mother, Spirit. Then I was asked how I experienced God when one year old. I felt deserted and depressed. No connection. Then at the age of three when I was with my South African Nanny; and I was feeling that my nanny was God, in the sense that I attached the good feelings of love and Spirit to her. Then I was asked how I experienced God after the trauma of losing my Nanny, and the feeling was of madness, grief and despair. Then I was asked to receive, where was God in me at all those stages, and I felt God there the whole time, whether or not I was able to access the feeling. Then I was shown how it was with Grandpa. I felt shame, anger and confusion, because Grandpa was showing me love and giving me attention and I wanted it, but not like that! Then I was shown how God helped me through those times by taking me out of my body when it got too much. I was also told that I was guided in my inner at the time and told it was what I had to go through.
Then I was given a huge healing of my childhood and baby. I felt it all being cleansed from my being. Then I was asked to check how was my baby now at all those stages we had gone through, and each time I felt whole and connected to God. It was incredible. Like, in computer terms, I was rebooted, without stain and connected to God. I feel unbelievably blessed by this gift. It is without a doubt the biggest gift ever.
And so it goes: I'm so busy on the one hand, yet constantly finding myself laying on my bed going through some of the deepest purifications I've ever experienced. The energy here is so thick with spiritual energy that it is possible to move mountains. My life is being reshaped, put right, as Bapak said at the grave. I am understanding how upside down I've been. And what he means.
This is what 'heaven on earth' feels like. I'm in heaven, hell and earth here. That God accompanies me to my hell and sorts it all out has me grateful beyond words. I feel Bapak near me all the time - the real Bapak, in Spirit, not the 'Bapak says' Bapak that pisses me off (why should I be pissed off about that? Perhaps because it takes us away from the real Bapak who can accompany us in our inner feeling? "Ya, ya," says Bapak. "You worry for Bapak, but you don't need to. Bapak can take care of himself." Aaah, ofcourse! I nod my head and worry less; perhaps I won't get pissed off now, on Bapak's behalf!) Anyhow the spirit Bapak guides me lovingly; he is like my loving guide through to my true nature. I feel so much faith and trust in God and this process which is beyond my wildest imaginings of a best case scenario healing. So much has shifted. So much that is not me is leaving. I am dropping off who I am not, and what disconnected me. A true Arifa is emerging.
Saturday 24/3/12
I wake up knowing I am loved through all eternity by God… but I do a little check. How does my baby/child perceive God. It's true! I feel love. All I feel is love.
What I forgot to say in yesterday's writing, was that after 'Mammy,' my black nanny, I presumed God only loved the good and hated the bad. She was religious and had taught me that 'God loves good little girls and not bad ones' - something like that. Her leaving had been traumatic and involved me finding her with her husband. This wasn't allowed and he took her away, but not before being very angry with me, so I was bad.
Yesterday what I felt and know is that God is love. To be connected with God is to be connected with love, and everything that is connected is connected to love. Simple as 'the rain that falleth on the just and the unjust' God is love. God is like the rain, all through us. We are the judges of what we consider worthy or unworthy… we decide what we think is worthy of 'God' and unworthy. God is the rain. It is. Love, pure and simple.
So it was me that disconnected with that love. Trauma, shock, pain, shame, guilt, erroneous beliefs, etc.
The pillar I had been feeling and receiving about recently… that comes up from below my feet, through me up out of my head to beyond me: that is the "I".
That is what I am now asked (and wish) to live in. I was told that this is like the central pillar in the Kabbalah's Tree of Life., to read about it when I get home. It's what Bapak talks about when he says to surrender to the One Almighty God. It is like a shaft of light that flows through upwards and downwards like the inner breath of the being.
Later I rested and did some more spiritual work. I've been feeling a pain around my lower ribs behind the left lung. I asked what needed healing there. The feeling of my attachment to him came strongly (still!). What I understood was that my worth as a woman was attached to him, caring for him, I guess. I let my attachment to him go, completely. I received that my worth is in myself/God. It felt so much more self-contained, not beholden to circumstances, and I realised it was the first time I can remember experiencing a feeling of real self-worth that wasn't attached to action or a person outside of me.
Then I felt my thyroid - very strong. A lot of fear and anger and mixed emotions of a child, not understanding. It was also shown to me that it was about faith and the lack of it. "How can God let me suffer like I have?" was the question and the child's conclusion, "Because I'm bad." I was told to go to my soul and let my soul explain to my child what the suffering had been about.
My soul began talking. I felt an inordinate amount of love from my soul towards my child. I felt my soul as a masculine energy at this point. He told my child that he had made mistakes in former lives and with the help of this body and these circumstances, was righting them. It had been done. My soul was so proud of this child for her strength and endurance, for surviving and for being so loving and beautiful a being. Together, we saw how much faith it had taken! That we, indeed, had had faith. And my child was beaming in pride in herself. She was saying over and over, 'I'm good.'
Wednesday 28/3/12
Emily is leaving unexpectedly, and for a while I considered staying on before eventually deciding against it.
Interestingly in the latihan yesterday I had felt that this process had been for my mind, which can be very controlling (rather mindy in fact!) I had felt where my mind's need to control came from; the child feeling out of control and insecure in the world. So I let go and felt a lot of compassion for my child as it left. I felt a sense of letting my mind surrender. Let it be open and wide and empty - to receive. In effect allow myself to not know, be in the unknown, trusting I will be guided. I also felt my mind's desire to rule. I was aware of a strong male energy that felt Islamic, which then got lighter.
After that left I began to walk in a completely new way. It started as a swaying of my hips from side to side which seemed to be unblocking the tension I hold in my hips. Then I began to walk slowly, swaying from side to side, in such a feminine way. Slowly and deliberately sashaying and swaying my way around the room. I could feel the tension release all around my lower spine, around the waist and my hips. My legs felt lighter. I didn't
realise how stiffly and straight and unbending my walk was - rather masculine? It seemed that my aches and pains around the hips and legs were melting away with the walk.
Thursday 29/3/12
I realise today that I am glad I am going home. Even as I am utterly grateful for this journey; especially the inner one, I feel happy and relieved that I will not be staying much longer. I'm kind of wondering how this deep healing time will manifest in my future life. Will it change my world around, will I be different and in what ways? Will it even be noticeable?
Another amazing latihan. I felt my lower back was broken from burdens of guilt and felt it leave, how loose it felt after and how much lighter I felt.
Friday 30/3/12
It's night. I woke up very dizzy this morning. Perhaps dehydrated as it was hot all night; the rains didn't happen to cool the night. Drank copious amounts of water all day and, eventually, the feeling faded and I felt normal.
More spiritual work came: I was lying down. Since my leg had been hurting recently I asked how parts of my body functioned and how should they: the actual words I use are: how does … worship God…then I ask: how best can … worship.)
Right Hip: Self judgement and condemnation. (No surprise) It felt like I had made mistakes and had to pay for them for ever. It was like God was asking me, gently: Did I make the mistakes over and over or did I learn? I answered that I did learn and sometimes I made them over and over. The response was: So why aren't you proud of yourself for making the effort to improve, time and time again? I didn't know. I realised that I had got stuck in hating myself for my mistakes and not balancing it with loving myself for my achievements. Aha! Self-esteem! I then felt bathed in love and self respect and how it felt to value myself.
Left Hip: I felt so sad that my children had grown up. I yearned and grieved for the past and my little babies. I cried and let go.
Right and Left legs and Buttocks: cleared some heaviness from them.
Sex organs: Did a big healing of Ancestral heaviness and wrong doing. Also heavy with Ancestral grief.
Womb & Reproductive Organs: That was huge. So much grief held there at not being a mother anymore, and I didn't realise it until I did the left hip. I cried and cried and just let the grief out.
It was such a powerful thing to do. I would like to continue doing it on other parts of my body. Note to myself to continue, either here or when I get back.
Saturday 31/3/12
How do I marry the spiritual experience of such depth, breadth and fineness and the compound, with its good, bad and indifferent. I guess I need to ask spirit:
This is what I wrote from spirit: We said for you to really look at and behind people's masks. This is what you are doing. Very few people are 'real," i.e., connecting in loving ways to themselves and to others. So they make comfortable places in which to hide and live, and so do not grow. If you can bear to see the hard ones for you, you will grow more. For, again, the hard ones trigger things for you, like cliques. You did that too with your children. A safe place to be. It's still hard for you to embrace rejection – because of early childhood/baby abandonment. It makes you yearn for inclusion in every situation/area in which you find yourself. You still need to forgive and love yourself more so you don't feel separate in yourself when faced with outside rejection.
(It's true… I want to be a part of everything)
Inside is growing up well, but not yet firmly connected to self-love and self-acceptance. When that happens you will be at peace anywhere, any circumstance and with any rejection outside. It just won't affect you.
Everyone and everything is there to teach you who you are, and who you are not. It is up to you to take each gift and grow more loving inside. Then you will love, accept and have compassion both inside and out.
The people you don't like struggle, like you, to face their demons, and hide from them too, like you. Different proportions. Different stories. Same essential ingredients. Some are fast asleep. Some half-asleep. Some are waking up. Very few are awake.
You are waking up. Be glad of that.
(Thank you – I don't feel so cross)
When you are cross it's because you are not feeding yourself from God/inner, but trying to feed from others. This is such an important lesson for you to learn.
(Oh… I remember doing work on that! Oops! I really need to be aware of that and work at it)
Write a book about motherless children. All the wisdom and understanding will teach you as you write. This is what you do when you get home. Make it really about coming home to Mother God, which is lost in society. To help all the traumatised children of the world. Do it with spirit; then it will work. These notes are a part of it.
You are one of the Mothers of the world. Time to feed your children. Make it courageous. Make it real. Make it from the right place. People will come to help you -not the writing, but you - to grow. The right people. Souls. It's time to branch out. We will show you the way. Have faith and follow.
Sunday 1/4/12
Another incredible latihan. I shall miss them!!!! I can only pray to still have such incredible latihans whereever I am. Each one is like the University of Latihans.
6 p.m: I went to rest. I closed my eyes and 'saw' three paths in front of me. The left side path was the path of Art. The right side path was the path of the Healer. And the middle path was the path of Surrender to God/higher force. I realised I was to choose a path. I chose the middle path; of surrender. I really felt this was the only path I could truly follow. I was shown that if I'd chosen the left path I would have chosen my desires in this world. With the right path it was my desire to Be God.
Then I was shown how my father had moulded me and how, because I wanted to be loved, I took on what he had told me I was. Then I felt it lifted from me and I felt more in myself and in spirit. Then I was shown my sister. I was shown a dark bird on top of her head. I was shown how I had taken on that dark bird as my own; again because I wanted to be loved by her (and she'd rejected me) so I had tried to be like her. I was unable to get love and connection from my mother, so I'd tried with my father and sister. That too was lifted from me and I felt a real shift. A shaft of light shining through my head and through me. Then my maternal grandmother came, then her husband, my grandfather. I was shown how they were traumatised by their lives and had traumatised in turn; passing it on to their children and, through my mother, to my sister and me. That too was lifted, and I prayed that all that I too had passed on would also be lifted from my children.
Interestingly, I didn't see or feel my mother. Perhaps this comes later? My feeling is that it's the hard one!
As it all lifted I felt a sense of being me, becoming me, free from the influence of my ancestors and sister. But I also got the feeling that I don't really know who I am.
A feeling of strong spirit flowed through all my body, connecting me deeply to the earth, through my feet, and the sky, through my head. I felt like a pillar of light. After that ebbed, I was told to be very quiet and rest and sleep and allow the huge healing to shift my body into its new beingness.
I think I slept but not deeply. I remember a conversation I had with Harris earlier. He said a few interesting things. He was talking about what Bapak had said:
One: That when you are perceived as bad, for instance ((or good, or rich or famous) that is what you become, and that is all the perceiver sees.
I found that really interesting and elucidating.
Two: That Bapak had said that the reason Bapak had been able to take the latihan and grow was because he surrendered so much to God.
Three: I think he said Bapak had said this, but I'm not sure: the way to Heaven is through Hell. Again, I like this one too. I can relate. It reminds me of a Lennon quote: The deeper you go, the higher you fly.
Evening: I took a trip in spirit. When Bapak talked much earlier about taking a trip to the Source in the three weeks he meant here, whereas I was expecting to go to the seven heavens or something. But I think this is what he was talking about.
I haven't felt the personality of Bapak for a while; perhaps it was just a welcoming ploy earlier, or perhaps I don't need to feel a personality behind the spirit or I just needed to know it was Bapak at the beginning.
I was taken through the baby and back to before I was born - like the opposite of birthing. I found myself in a kind of bubble/chamber. I was my soul/spirit making my decisions about being born in the vehicle of Vivien (my birth name). I was feeling how it felt. Spirit or spirits were talking with me about the journey ahead. Here it gets fudgy, but I do remember understanding that my life was about Surrender: That my body was so good for what I needed and that my soul loved me (body/this personality/me) so much, so deeply and had learnt a lot with me.
Then, at some point I was asked to be with my soul, to know it in truth. I felt so ashamed of being full of faults and frailties. It was at that instant I realised that I had rejected connection with my soul out of shame. That my soul loved me in every way possible.
I also learnt that it was two-way. The lessons the soul was learning in this incarnation was just as hard as the lessons I, this unique, one-off person, Arifa, was learning. My fears felt quietened and the strange quality of being both soul and immortal and person and mortal is quite a huge development in understanding for me.
The pain in my lower back - which I fear is cancer - came up. It seems it is an old wound from another life with Grandpa, who was my friend then, but who betrayed me and stabbed me in my back in that spot. I forgave him and asked forgiveness.
Tuesday 3/4/12
More and more I wonder at the blessing and curse of Subud. It is both… such a danger if not used right… like fire. Such a blessing if you take it. Then I remembered something else Harris had said. He said he saw blobby shapes in latihan, on the floor…he explained; as Subud people lose their drive and become blobs themselves. Something like that. Aldous Huxley was opened then left. He said that he felt it was good for three years and then it turned against one. That, perhaps, was his experience. I feel that I have only survived my time in Subud by not following 'the Subud way' and by very clearly believing I should surrender to God, not Subud, as well as having the courage to question the morals and judgements so rife in Subud. But why, after leaving for three years, did I return and why do I stay. Not for the belief structure.
I have a great respect for the latihan… yet I do find myself doing what I call spirit work alone and in a far deeper manner than just with latihan alone. It's how it has developed in me over the years and, with courage and faith, I have followed. So I don't see myself as a Subud member as such, although I still go to Subud. I love my Subud family (what's the saying: I can love some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time). My family and my Subud family are the people close to me who by virtue of that bring me my daily lessons in living and loving. When I can really love 'all of the people, all of the time' I imagine I shall be free. But, until then, I need my family to show me what my strengths and weaknesses look like. It could be a church, or a society - all are valid. It's Subud. The latihan is different. It's connection. I am so grateful for it. But do I believe it is the only way, or even the best way. No. It happens to be a part of my way.
Wednesday 4/4/12
Thank goodness Murtianna woke me at 4 a.m. I'd set my phone to go off, but hadn't realised the clocks went back an hour on the Sunday. Being incapable of resetting my phone to Indonesian time, I had just been deducting four hours every time I looked. We waited in the dark for the taxi… which was late. I panicked a bit. Murtianna phoned the guards to see what was happening. The car arrived 15 minutes late. I got to the airport with time to spare and was soon up in the air looking down at the river that snaked through central Kalimantan.
Still flying over Kalimantan I experienced a vision. I had just closed my eyes for a bit and I saw women behind veils, they grew older in front of my 'eyes' and their veils were a part of their faces, kind of etched into them. I felt sad that so many women's voices have been silenced (like my brain was) in a world that is only sitting in the masculine aspect. Ideally the 'God and Goddess' need to become equal partners. In effect, we all worship the male aspect of God. In my book Eve and Lucifer, he said, that in his home God was a trinity: father, mother & child. I guess that is what I consider to be the manifestation of 'God' - not just the masculine. I have used the word God a lot, but this is because I don't know a better word. I wish I did as I don't actually like using that word. It's perhaps a laziness that I do.
Anyhow, I was musing that all the prophets of yore were men, when the inner voice said 'There were female prophets too." People don't see them as such, because the female qualities aren't revered like the masculine. But what about Mother Theresa, Joan of Arc, Mother Mary, Mary Magdelene . . .
And with that I fly out of Kalimantan.


text:
I recently discovered that lots of people, me included,
are feeling lots of stress about the current political
situation. I reduced my stress using Logosynthesis and
felt much better.
I have known for a long time that I hate watching
snarky characters putting each other down on TV shows.
Until recently I considered that a sign of being uncool
and a personal weirdness. I just posted an article
about how those things are related and you can read it
Meanwhile Letting It Go: Relieve Anxiety and Toxic
Stress in Just a Few Minutes Using Only Words is in the
book cover design stage while I am completing the final
details of the extra material for the book. I am
excited about the early reviews.


text:
I searched for warmth More than my lamp could give I longed for company More than my shadow could be In my heart I traveled Though my feet barely moved
We thought we were good, Tried to keep everyone happy Cause they seemed to be all we had. Made lots of sacrifices - Anything to prove selflessness; Even laid down
I cry with no tears; I scream with no sound. Maybe there are tears and sound, But you don't seem to notice. It's like there's a wall between us But
One... Two... Three... My heartbeat slows with each count As I lay face-up on the ground. No, I'm not staring at the ceiling; But I'm staring At flashing images of
I'm finally here. Or so, I think. In my moment of dishabille, Everything seems oddly familiar: The cheery chatters, The peering parents, Not to mention the weird noise that I


text:
Driving through the West of Turkey was one of the most wonderful travel experiences – without knowing much in terms of what to expect from the landscape, we saw the earth rising up to snow-capped mountainous peaks, dip low into fertile valleys, open up to reveal beautifully placid lakes, and sink into the cyan-blue of the mediterranean sea. All of this intermittently occupied by Roman and Byzantine ruins, dusty little Turkish towns and the wonderfully warm Spring sun, often bathing the landscape in golden hues. Turkey is just a gorgeous country, and a road trip is the best way to see just how diverse and gorgeous it is.
We had lived in Istanbul for a couple of months last year during the off-season and while tourists gradually started wandering up our street looking for the Museum of Innocence towards the end of our stay, we packed our backpacks and took the road when it was still relatively quiet in the rest of the country (which is perhaps one of the best parts of the road trip).
DISCLAIMER: Our quirky cats get to stay at my mom's house when we do cool things, but for this road trip my mom and her fiancé actually joined us allll the way from South Africa, so they got handed over to a friend. So technically not "two cats at mom's", but this itinerary still made the cut. 🙂
Day 1: Into the Woods
Istanbul – Bolu
We picked up our car and fought our way into Asia and out of Istanbul (a seriously crazy city to drive in or out of) until we found the open road hugging the narrowing East end of the Marmara Sea, mountain peaks with with snow hugging the opposite shore. We were barely out of Istanbul and it was the first taste of the beauty of the Turkish landscape that we would soon encounter in abundance.
A few hours later we arrived at Yedigöller ('Seven Lakes') National Park – a beautiful, mountainous area covered with lush forests and wildflowers and lakes and rivers. We followed our noses up the mountain, where it got greener and greener, higher and higher, colder and colder, until we were driving into a magical white flurry. Even higher it started snowing just a bit harder and we felt like this must be the road to heaven. We stopped to admire the freshest, softest, whitest snow, and eventually made our way down the mountain while the snow covered everything we just saw under her veil.
Day 2: The Cotton Castle at Sunset
Bolu – Pamukkale
A very long drive ended in the Denizli district, with the white travertine of Pamukkale glistening against the side of a mountain in the distance. We arrived there just before sunset, at about 18.30, which happened to be just perfect, because all the buses had already left with all the other tourists, it was the perfect time for photographs (the sun reflects very harshly on the white surface of the travertine), and it was open for three more hours.
Pamukkale, meaning 'cotton castle' in Turkish, is a site where natural hot springs and travertines were formed against the side of a mountain. It cascades down in naturally-formed terraces, each filled with pleasantly warm water, appearing brilliantly blue against the white of the limestone. It has been used as a spa ever since the ancient city of Hierapolis was built above it over 2000 years ago. We wandered through these ruins and the wildflowers that grow around them, all bathed in sunlight, and then we dipped our feet in the milky warm waters of the Cotton Castle.
Day 3: Secret Turkey
Pamukkale – Fethiye
We set out to visit Kaklık Caves the next morning (all the while giggling because it sounds a lot like 'shit' in our native language), understanding it to be like a small Pamukkale in an underground cave. We arrived at a tiny gravel car park (again, the only car), found some lone person who issued us 5 lira tickets (less than 2 USD!) and we followed the slippery wooden steps downstairs. By downstairs I mean we followed them under the earth. Before we even submerged into the cave we could see the brilliant, aquamarine-blue water glistening in the sun. And then it felt like we had stepped into a sauna as we traversed what seemed like an other-worldly terrain. It was wonderfully maintained and spectacularly beautiful, we were the only people there and we all agreed that Kaklık Caves can definitely hold its own next to its much more famous sister-site.
We then headed over to Laodikeia, still in the Denizli area, which is another significant ancient city – it's claim to fame is that it is home to one of the 'Seven Churches of Asia' mentioned in the Bible's Book of Revelations. It is an enormous site – its excavated ruins sprawled over hectares of green grass, framed by snow-capped mountains and overlooking a lush valley dipping into a river below. We roamed around, welcoming the hot Spring sun, before we hit the road again.
It was a short drive to Fethiye, but one of the most scenic legs of the trip. We followed the windy road through the mountains, stopping halfway at a roadside pitstop to drink some tea on a somewhat rickety porch overhanging yet another breathtaking valley with snowy mountains looming before and behind us.
Feeling lucky and happy.
Day 4: Mediterranean Blue and Abandoned Villages
Fethiye & Kayaköy
After a scenic drive around Fethiye's coast, which is as zigzaggy as it is beautiful, we headed over to the ruins of a Greek village abandoned after the Greco-Turkish war in the early 20th century. Tucked away in between steep mountains, the romantically overgrown, roofless houses sit like ghosts on the mountainside. But we were also greeted with the sounds of live folk music and laughter, the wafting smell of grilled lamb burgers and aubergine, and the sight of families picking herbs and flying kites amid the fallen homes. This is a place where a community gets together and we happily joined in, strolling in the bright sun through weeds and wildflowers, with the mediterranean blue in sight from the top of the hill. The memories of this afternoon has become one of my happy places where I escape to from London's gloomy weather (read a blog post just about our afternoon in Kayaköy).
Day 5: Good food and great AirBnB hosts makes up for terrible tourist traps
Fethiye – Ephesus
It was a leisurely drive with a lot of kodak moments, before we ended up at 'Mary's House' in Ephesus. This is supposedly where Mary lived out the last days of her life – a little Catholic shrine tucked away in the mountains around Ephesus. We went because we were there and it was in a guide book. But they make you pay a ton (mandatory 'donation') for seeing the tiniest little shrine, and we were all grouchy about it and would say that it is definitely not worth it. All our good-weather luck had also run out, so we mumbled something like 'screw mary's house' and got out of there.
Our spirits were lifted when we arrived at our AirBnB home – a beautiful, cozy cottage with friendly dogs and cats and a wonderful host. So, with a new cheerier disposition we headed off to explore the tiny, picturesque town of Şirince, whilst eating Dondurma in the rain (the chewiest, bestest, most delicious kind of ice cream ever). Şirince is said to have been occupied after Ephesus was abandoned in the 1400s, supposedly by freed Greek slaves, who named the town Çirkince ('Ugly' in Turkish) to deter others from following them. It was renamed in 1926 and it means 'Pleasant' instead!
After picking up some wine in Şirince and Turkish pizza in Selçuk (bigger town closer to Ephesus) we had a cozy night in, already reminiscing about our roadtrip.
Day 6: Not being able to believe our eyes
Ephesus – Bursa
We approached Ephesus tentatively and with much expectation. Apparently the world's most complete ancient city, with only something like 12% excavated after 150 years of excavations. It is really difficult to fully understand its colossal, ancient magnitude when you're there, and even more difficult to really relay what it feels like.
Ephesus did not disappoint. It was really an unforgettable couple of hours under the sun. It's a very rare and special place, and we would highly recommend it.
Also. There are cats. Everywhere.
Just chilling on ancient things like they've been there for ages.
I am not even kidding when I say we saw a cat giving birth right in front of a gift shop. A truly eye-opening and terrifying experience which I try to not think about to much…
It was also the first time we actually felt like we were encountering tourists (probably because lots of mediterranean cruises stop at Ephesus). So being there in off-season was definitely one of our finest moments.
Day 7: Home Sweet Home
Bursa – Istanbul
After a quick trip up to the ski resort on Uludağ ('Sublime Mountain' in Turkish) into thick fog and deep snow, we headed home to Istanbul, ending our road trip on high note with a game of pool at our local Billiard place in Cihangir.
After nearly 2000kms, roughly 30 hours of driving, and a week of on and off-road adventures, we can confidently say that not only is Turkey as beautiful, diverse, and friendly as everyone says it is, it is also a perfect place for an unforgettable roadtrip.


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We value parental input very highly. We are always looking for parents to join our Governing Body, which offers a way to be involved in the direction that Kate Greenaway takes moving forwards.
Each term parents meet with their child's Key person and contribute to identifying 'next steps' for their child's learning and development. We encourage families to contribute to children's Scrapbooks with photos, drawings and comments from outside of nursery.
We regularly hold 'Bring a Grown Up to School' weeks where we invite family members to join us in the nursery to participate in (or lead) activities and encourage families to attend our themed Saturday Stay and Plays (including science, messy play and Summer and Winter Socials).


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- You Are Here:
- Home
- Your Government
- Community Development
- Planning
Gilroy's Planning Division, which includes Code Enforcement, is committed to developing and implementing programs to support the city's General Plan. Staff promotes sustainable development and encourages quality design and livability of residential neighborhoods, commercial areas and industrial zones within the city's urban sphere. Our team provides a variety of services to fulfill the objectives of the General Plan, provide efficient permit processing services, and encourage public participation in the land use process.
The Planning team is responsible for implementation of Gilroy's General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, adopted specific plans and other associated ordinances. Typical activities include, but are not limited to:
- Respond to public inquiries related to land-use and property development regulations.
- Provide solution-oriented customer service to support economic development opportunities whenever possible
- Review land-use entitlement applications (e.g. tentative map, conditional use permit, annexation, general plan amendment, architectural & site review permits) for conformance with adopted policies and regulations
- Administer the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for environmental review related to planning and development proposals
- Update and maintain the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance
- Provide staff support for Historic Heritage Committee and Planning Commission
- Through Code Enforcement, resolve land-use related violations.
IMPORTANT NOTICE - Reestablishment of RDO Interim Exemption Process
On June 17, 2019, the City Council approved Resolution 2019-37 which reinstates the use of the Residential Development Ordinance (RDO) Interim Exemption process, thereby allowing acceptance of new residential development applications citywide.
The resolution states as follows:
"Gilroy City Code Section 30.50.60 (b) (2) I. entitled 'RDO Interim Exemption for Projects on Properties without Previously Awarded Allocations' shall be implemented with no specified implementation timeframe or numeric allocation of available units."
These provisions will be implemented on all new residential development applications, until further notice.
For additional information, please contact the Planning Division at (408) 846-0451.


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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid proposed a rule on Wednesday that makes changes to several aspects of the Medicare payment program. The proposals were part of a wide-ranging, 1,600-plus-page proposed rule issued by the CMS outlining Medicare payment and policy changes for hospitals in 2015. A final rule is scheduled to be published August 1. The policies would be effective October 1.
Under the proposed rule the payments for inpatient treatment at acute-care hospitals will decrease by $241 million in fiscal year 2015. The proposed rule would affect over 3,000 hospitals nationwide. In addition, the CMS proposes increasing Medicare payments to long-term-care hospitals by 0.8% in 2015, a bump of $44 million. The change in payment methodology would affect 435 facilities. Under the proposed payment rule, hospitals that successfully participate in Medicare's quality reporting system and meet the criteria for the meaningful use of health information technology will see a payment bump of 1.3%. However, because of the penalties meted out to the hospitals that don't, the CMS is projecting an overall reduction in payments.


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Unfortunately, yet another listing for another "EX RARE" silhouette on ebay makes claims that are so far-fetched that no one with any understanding of attributions would make or believe them. Here is what the listing says:
1820 American Gold Leaf Silhouette EX RARE John Wesley Jarvis
We have an extremely rare and choice silhouette made circa 1820. We believe the artist is John Wesley Jarvis. Let's get the measurements out of the way: frame 63 x 73mm, inside opening 41 x 51mm, thickness 12mm. This frame is solid brass and not brass over wood.
I always disassemble silhouettes from their frames in order to take better photos and to check their condition. However, I did not put my paws inside this one, as the backing cardboard seems to be original with its peripheral retainer still in place. I believe it has been this way for the last 200 years. And the artwork, itself, is nearly in the condition it was made. I absolutely saw no reason to disassemble it and risk damaging this silhouette.
Jarvis worked in many style and medium. One of them is what many writers call "etching on gold leaf" silhouettes. That is not accurate. Those writers just followed the footsteps of previous writers without doing any research themselves. Soon this "etching on gold leaf" (false information) was etched (no pun intended) in stone. This artwork on glass was produced just like those 19th century silhouette glass mats with gold and black designs. Many call it eglomise; I just call it reverse painted glass, unless real gold foil is used. Our silhouette seems to be yellow in color, but in person it shines a true reflective mirror gold.
Anyways, this is a reverse painted silhouette that was backed with gold leaf. Jarvis sold these for a fin, while he sold the plain reverse painted silhouette for a buck. Do not mistaken this silhouette for those Continental silhouettes of similar artwork. They were made in the late 1700s and look nothing like this American counterpart. Even the mediocre continental works are so much better than the best Jarvis. This silhouette is primitive compared to those of British and Continental works.
I am sure there exist a few Jarvis of this style and medium somewhere, but I have not been able to find a single specimen. People write about it, but where art thou? This work is exceedingly rare and this piece should find a home in a museum or in a very refined private collection.
Okay, let's look at the "attribution" for this antique silhouette. First, the seller claims that the artist John Wesley Jarvis made this silhouette which "many writers call 'etching on gold leaf'". He says that the claims of "many writers" is "not accurate" and "false information". Well, in her groundbreaking book Shades of Our Ancestors, Alice Van Leer Carrick said that Jarvis and his partner Joseph Wood "made profiles on gold leaf, shadowed a little by hatching". Ms. Carrick's description comes directly from the written memories of William Dunlap, an artist and art historian who saw the works of Jarvis first-hand and knew him personally. Mr. Dunlap was pretty specific in how Jarvis made his gold leaf silhouettes. Dunlap's description surely sounds like there was hatching (otherwise known as etching) on the gold leaf. Where is the "shadow[ing] a little by hatching" in this one–whether on the gold leaf or on the black paint? If there isn't any, why is this seller so sure that his silhouette is by Jarvis and that Jarvis didn't create his silhouettes using the technique recorded by an artist who knew him and saw his work? Surely Wm. Dunlap knew and understood the techniques Jarvis was using.
Although most antique gold leaf silhouettes on glass are Continental, the seller claims that the Continental ones "were made in the late 1700s and look nothing like this American counterpart." Well, for years I have owned a German gold leaf silhouette that was made in the 1830s and is framed in the same stamped brass frame as this EX RARE silhouette and is just as "primitive" as the seller's silhouette.
Lastly, the seller admits that he has never seen a single specimen of Jarvis' gold leaf silhouettes. So, where is the attribution coming from? Obviously, it is coming completely from his imagination. The seller claims that the many writers who followed Ms. Carrick (quoting Jarvis' friend and colleague, William Dunlap) did no research themselves….so, where is the seller's research? Attributions and these kinds of conclusions must be backed by tangible evidence.
My personal opinion is that a seller who proclaims to know it all is more dangerous than the average generalist antique dealer who admits to not knowing everything. At least the more humble dealer alerts you that you need to look elsewhere for an answer or attribution. This dealer can make the average buyer feel false comfort in buying from him.
ellen writes, "I really love your blog. I want to get notifications when you have new entries. I am in love with the Susannah Paine picture! Thanks for all the great and engaging information!"
Thank you ellen! There should be a button to the right side of the blog page that says "Follow Blog via Email". Press that and you should be set. I appreciate your comment and interest!


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We get giddy when we work on new products, and practically dance around the room when we introduce them to our customers. We're still bouncing around about the new items we announced back in January! But we've turned the music back up for another dance party in celebration of our new coconut milk vegan soaps.
We wanted to offer soap to our vegan friends that had the same benefits of our goat's milk soaps, so we went to work. Coconut milk is moisturizing, has antibacterial properties, and can sooth dry, irritated skin. One of our customers tested a bar and says it helped her psoriasis and eczema symptoms.
And like our goat's milk soap, the coconut milk soap is fresh – we crack open the coconuts and make it ourselves.
Our coconut milk soaps are available in bars and loaves.
Those looking for an unscented bar look no further than Kon Tiki. This moisturizing bar is perfect for any member of the family and has no added colors or fragrance. Lavender lovers rejoice because we have a vegan variety for you, too. If you have a request, contact us for pricing and availability of a loaf in your favorite fragrance.
Vegan or not, give these soaps a try. Your skin will thank you.
To learn more about Noir Naturals visit us at www.NoirNaturals.com.


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Tidal Wave Pillow in Sea Blues
This reversible pillow features our Tidal Wave fabric. This design began as a simple wavy mark in Rebecca's sketchbook. The subtle shifting tones come to life with the woven texture.
16" x 20"
77% Cotton, 23% Nylon
Signature exposed brass zipper
10/90 down feather insert included
Woven in Pennsylvania, sewn in New York
This pillow is available as a fabric here.
If this pillow is out of stock it will be made to order in 2-4 weeks


text: Authorities are stumped as to the rising number of finds of animal sacrifice remains. However, I, your blog host, am not. It's spells, i.e. magic or witchcraft. Traditionally, animal sacrifices play a role in various African Traditional Religions were the animal is offered to a spirit or deity as part of a ritual. However, when animals are dumped like this it's usually part of a spell.


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J. and Junior enjoying one of our rare sunny days.
Yesterday Dave and J. went to our first farmer's market. He did well, selling over 100$ worth of soap. We are almost out of soap. I have two small batches curing at the moment, but it's not enough. Tomorrow I'll have to make a few batches, and really everyday for awhile. I'm not expecting to be successful every weekend, but one has to be prepared.
Yesterday Dave and J. went to our first farmer's market. He did well, selling over 100$ worth of soap. We are almost out of soap. I have two small batches curing at the moment, but it's not enough. Tomorrow I'll have to make a few batches, and really everyday for awhile. I'm not expecting to be successful every weekend, but one has to be prepared.
"Red Green" and his new tool. Mixing soap.
Dave thought he had invented a new way of stirring the soap, but it didn't really work well. He had a small paint mixer on the end of a drill, but it didn't make the soap trace any faster. I really don't know what the deal is with those stick blenders. Why they work so well. But like most soapers know they overheat fast. I have two identical ones and alternate them all the time during the batch and still they get really hot. Really I'd need another one for good measure.
Soap taking waaayyy too long to trace.
Today we went for a drive to the Bear River farmer's market. It was nice. It was smaller than ours but still nice, with lots of nice people. I love Bear River. Most of the buildings are on stilts, it's so cool.
J. in Bear River today. Notice the building in the background on stilts.
Bear River Farmer's market.
We left some of our soap in a local boutique there. Another local boutique approached me last week to carry our soap. She tried one bar and fell in love with it.
Well we've been having a few goat problems lately. First Cindi Lou is not still not being cooperative on the milking stand. Still pooping while I'm trying to milk her, squirming, jumping etc... just being a regular pain in the beeehind!
Next Febe has been having udder problems the last month or so. A few weeks ago she had a broken blood vessel in her udder. The milk was full of blood. Yuck! It's not dangerous to her or us, but needless to say, drinking pink milk is not very appetizing, let alone knowing it's blood.
So we called our trusty vet. He told us to take the kids off and milk her several times a day. That's kinda hard when you're working fulltime. I did what I could, but the kids refused to take the bottle. I ended up leaving them on her.
After 7 days it cleared up completely. Yesterday I noticed that it's back again. It's not as bad as last time. Dave never even noticed. I did. I figure it'll only take a few days to clear up this time, but it's still a pain in the buttocks and a waste of milk.
Next kidding season mark my words!!! I AM BOTTLE FEEDING THE KIDS!!!
Did ya'll hear me! Next spring I want you guys in blogging world to remind me of these words!
This year's greenhouse.
Tundra and Moocher playing around. Dave has finally finished the other end of the pasture.
Our son is growing up. Sigh.....he's actually mowing the lawn.
Growing up. Sigh...
Every morning when I milk Febe and fight...uh...I mean milk Cindi Lou, Tigger waits patiently for his treat....the strip cup. To people who don't know what that is, it's the cup you use to put the first three squirts of milk from each teat. This milk is used to get rid of bacteria that is harbouring in the teat and to check the milk for clumps, nastiness and blood. Cats don't really care about all that. I spoil the cats though. I usually fill the cup with milk, not just a few squirts.
Tigger having his snack.
Anyway I digress...Tigger waits patiently for the cup. He sticks his head in and drinks to his little hearts delight! Down to the last drop. The first few times, he actually would jump on the stand and curl around Febe's legs. After he got stomped on and kicked off he now waits at the bottom of the stand.
We moved the meat kings and laying hen chicks into the big pen. It's amazing to see the difference in size. They're the same age yet the meat kings grow so much faster!
Meat king in the front and laying hen in the rear.
We had to move the older hens, so that meant they needed new laying nests. So voila! Milk crates! It works actually very well and they've stopped picking at the eggs.
Our new nest boxes!
Well it's time to go separate the kids from their moms for the night.
Have a Blessed evening


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Choose from our Holden Beach rentals and spend your vacation on our clean, white sandy beaches. Holden Beach, NC was voted one of America's top 10 family beaches! We can help you find the perfect vacation rental home and to enjoy a memorable stay.


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Getting to know passionate and knowledgable people is among the many positives of this blog. Below are bits of their shared expertise and information that could prove helpful.
For Florida Veterans – From a 22-year Army veteran who prefers to remain in the background, two links for Florida veterans: VAwatchdogtoday.org and the American Legion Department of Florida.
Tax Credit Ending – Contributor and orginator of the My Last Tour Series, Air Force SMSgt. Rex Temple, sends this link and reminder that the Veterans Tax Credit is scheduled to end soon. Veterans who served overseas in the past two years are probably eligible for an $8,000 tax credit when purchasing a home. Under the extension passed late last year by Congress, a contract must be signed by April 30, 2011, but applicants have until June 30, 2011 to close the deal. Check with professional tax preparers on your eligibility. For tips and important military tax information, visit here.
Military Bloggers in Japan – Milblogging.com is aggregating military blogs being written from Japan that are covering the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The newest military blog is written by an airman stationed at Misawa AB who goes by the name of Scotty D: I'm big in Japan. (hat tip-From my position on the way) On Living Overseas and My Life in General is a military spouse blog written by a Navy wife named Nancy. In her latest post, she writes about what the earthquake has taught her.
Army Clarifies Purple Heart Rules – A report from National Public Radio journalists Daniel Swerdling and T. Christian Miller. "Acknowledging that commanders have sometimes wrongly denied the Purple Heart to soldiers who suffered battlefield concussions, the Army plans to issue new guidance to clarify when such recognition is warranted, Army officials said Wednesday. In addition, the Army is planning to prioritize appeals from brain-injured soldiers who feel they should not have been turned down for the medal, a hallowed military honor that recognizes those injured in combat."
And here's the USA Today article on the same topic. A tip of the hat to Steve G.
Veterans on the Green – The University of South Florida Student Veterans Association is holding a Golf Classic at USF's golf course, The Claw. It's scheduled Saturday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fee is $75 per golfer and includes a shirt, golf cart, greens fees and dinner. For details, email email@example.com or call 813-974-1725.
Filed under: Air Force, Health - Physical and Mental, Military families, Navy, Non-Profit Organizations, Radio, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), U.S. Army, Veterans, Veterans Administration | Tagged: American Legion Department of Florida, Daniel Swerdling, Japan, Japan humanitarian aid, Milblogging.com, Military Bloggers in Japan, National Public Radio, NPR, postaday2011, Purple Heart, SMSgt. Rex Temple, T. Christian Miller, TBI, Traumatic brain injury, United States Air Force, United States armed forces, University of South Florida Student Veterans Association, USAF, VAwatchdog.org, VAwatchdogtoday.org, Veteran, veteran benefits, Veteran Housing Tax Credit | 1 Comment »


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DIVERSITY of markets and supply base and maintaining a thorough understanding of customers emerged as key pathways to building resilience in unpredictable agriculture export markets at a recent industry forum in Darwin.
Hosted by National Australia Bank agribusiness personnel, the Export and Trade Forum delved into the major challenges, opportunities and considerations for those looking to overseas markets.
Justin Slaughter, managing director of Austrex, one of the largest livestock export businesses in the world, said the inherent volatility of the live cattle industry meant it was very important to have a number of markets and supply bases.
Austrex has played a significant role in exporting livestock from Northern Australia for many years and also sends breeding stock from the south to China.
The company also exports from other cattle producing origins.
"In this business, there are a significant number of risks and things that can change that are outside our control," Mr Slaughter said.
"We try to focus on what we can control.
"That starts with an in-depth understanding of markets. Do your due diligence on markets and the customers you are dealing with."
Sanctions in Russia, ongoing policy changes in China and financial crisis in Indonesia were a few examples he gave of where it was important to know what was happening in markets you are supplying.
Mango producer Marie Piccone, managing director of Manbulloo, said for her company, exporting via their own brand Mango Road, was an attempt to build in diversity in order to manage risk.
Manbulloo has a 320 hectare farm near Katherine, along with three other Queensland farms, enabling it to harvest KP and R2E2 varieties from September to February.
It has an eight-year supply contract with Coles.
"We spent a number of years analysing what sort of value we were able to extract out of markets overseas," Ms Piccone told the forum.
"A major risk for horticulture is there is not enough value in overseas markets, especially with close Asian markets, so that the producer and exporter, and the importer, have some sort of profitability."
Social media, and the havoc it can play with reputation, was also raised as a major modern-day challenge.
Head of the Northern Territory Government's Northern Australia Development Office Luke Bowen said the recent Brazilian beef corruption affair showed the power of social media.
"Within nanoseconds, social media had the world shutting down Brazil's markets," he said.
The live trade ban implemented in Australia in 2011 also demonstrated its potential.
"Social media was just starting to flex its muscle then and our the cattle industry was in no way present on social media so it was open season," he said.
"The government panicked. We all know what happened.
"These are major risks that are real today - the way social media can self propagate and we can see a market shut down as a result.
"We can be undone just like that."
Australian beef had a great reputation internationally but was not a big player on the world market, Mr Bowen said.
"We are a niche, premium supplier and our competitive advantage in this space isn't going to last forever," he said.
"Our competitors are getting smarter with their food safety systems and there are plenty out there quite happy to see us knocked off the perch."
Variable supply and the effect that had on reputation was also an issue from horticulture's perspective, Ms Piccone said.
"What often happens in open markets where there are no quarantine protocols is that a number of exporters pop up around Australia and take advantage of available product at a given time, sending it out," she said.
"Still, in 2017, Australia has a reputation for being opportunists and having variable supply.
"Quality, supply and volumes is all based on what is happening here in Australia rather than planned programs and commitments.
"In terms of an overall Australia brand in horticulture, the big questions are about whether we will be reliable.
"That makes us fickle. In horticulture, our Australian brand is all over the shop."


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Many events in history mark disaster situations where data and information has become vulnerable. Situations like 9/11 or Hurricane Sandy are just a few events that not only destroyed valuable data and information, but lives as well. While you may not be able to fully prep for a disaster situation for your own life, you certainly can for the information that keeps your business in tact. Don't become a victim to surprise scenarios, ensure your valuable information is kept safe.
Troubling statistics show that businesses are not taking security and protection seriously. It's too easy to let safety slip by, but it's even easier to put your mind at ease by confronting security measures to ensure business longevity and success.
It is not only small businesses that fail to recognize security issues, larger companies like Samsung, have also been victims to data loss. Don't become another unsuspecting victim to data loss and disaster situations. Implement these strategies to keep you ahead of the game:
If you run a business, then these are some great basic tips to get you started on safety strategies to prevent against disaster situations. The longer you procrastinate the worse your situation gets. Take action today and ensure the safety and protection of your company.
For more information of safety and protective strategies to implement at your small business, contact our team at On Time Tech. You can give us a call at (415) 294-5250 or send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.com. Our team is passionate about providing businesses with comfort and safety to ensure longevity and success!
San Francisco:182 Howard St. Suite 108 San Francisco, CA 94105
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