text:
Following in Martin Luther's Footsteps
The faint light reveals his sallow color, his face so life-like that I can almost believe he's sitting right in front of me. I'm looking at the waxen mold of the face cast from Martin Luther's death mask, one of the most sensational exhibits I saw during my week in Germany. It's an exciting time over the coming year as the country and the world celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017.
It all started in 1517 when Luther, then a monk, boldly protested against the Catholic Church's practice of selling tickets for forgiveness of sins called indulgences, arguing money can't buy God's forgiveness. Luther nailed his 95 Theses of protest on a church door in Wittenberg, where my journey began as I followed in his footsteps. Luther is a key figure in German history – his rebellion resulting in the Lutheran and other Protestant religions, and his translation of the Bible from Latin leading to the development of the German language today.
In September, I visited some of the key towns where Luther lived and preached; where he was born and where he died. I visited some of the original homes, castles and churches that remain today, 500 years later, as these towns celebrate this remarkable heritage. On a personal note, my grandmother on my father's side came from Germany.
This blog post will highlight just some of the things to see and do in the coming year. There are so many buildings, references to historical events and footnotes to one of history's greatest religious movements that I simply cannot fit into just one blog post. I suggest booking a trip to Germany, like I did, and see it all for yourself! I traveled on assignment, flying into Leipzig, and then renting a car and driving between towns, all within 1-2 or so hours of each other. My assigned story will appear in May 2017 on the website of the American Automobile Association's Home&Away Magazine, www.homeandawaymagazine.com (enter zip code 73099), with references in the actual magazines as well.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.visit-luther.com
Wittenberg: Birth of the Reformation
A larger than life statue of Martin Luther in a flowing long robe stands high on a granite pedestal, the centerpiece of Wittenberg's central Market Square surrounded by the whitewashed Town Hall and muted earthen-toned buildings. I look up at the Great Reformer and imagine what he was thinking when, just down the street from here, he nailed his 95 Thesis on the door of the Castle Church. The church with its imposing rounded tower has just been refurbished for the anniversary. Inside are the tombs of Luther and the Reformation's other key leader, Philipp Melanchthon. And while the actual wooden door where the Theses were nailed is long gone, it has been replaced by a bronze door with intricate carvings of the Theses' actual words.
The colossal four-story Luther House, once an Augustinian monastery and the world's largest museum showcasing the Reformation, sits alongside a quiet courtyard fronted by a life-sized statue of Luther's wife Katharina von Bora. Inside are some of Luther's important papers and pamphlets, Bibles, his pulpit, paintings and the Luther Room, part of where his family lived.
The old master Lucas Cranach the Elder was another of Wittenberg's famous sons, with buildings he owned enveloping a courtyard that once housed his own art studio, pharmacy and printing businesses.
For 2017, the town has already built an impressive round panorama with a giant painting of Wittenberg in Luther's time. The World Reformation Exhibition scheduled to run next summer will include seven "Gates of Freedom," with the Welcoming Gate as a lookout tower. "We will develop discussion platforms, rooms and spaces so people can exchange ideas about the Reformation – what it meant 500 years ago, what it means now and what will come of it 500 years from now," says project marketing director Cathrine Schweikardt.
Halle: A Life-Like Glimpse of the Reformer
Luther preached in Halle many times during his lifetime. His eerie likeness – the original wax cast of his death mask and hands – is tucked away in a small room of Halle's four-tower Market Church that anchors the city's central square. The church's historic library houses many original documents, including the first 1534 edition of Luther's translated Bible. "Luther used a common German language and because of that, we can say that he invented the modern common German language because of his translation of the Bible," says Halle city tour guide Hans-Joachim Kres.
Other library documents include a Bible Luther presented to a noble family with original script written by Luther himself and a mention of the 1685 baptism one of the city's favorite sons, composer Georg Frideric Handel, written in a church log.
Other Halle sights include the Handel Museum (the composer was born there), and the Moritzburg Art Museum housed in the late 15th century castle of the same name.
Eisleben and Mansfeld
At the end of his life, an extremely ill Martin Luther trudged along dirt roads in winter to where he was born in 1483, the countryside town of Eisleben at the foot of the Harz Mountains. It's also where he died. A reconstruction of his birth home is now the Luther Birthplace Museum, highlighting his early life and final days through exhibits showcasing his father's copper mining activities and Luther's baptismal font from 1518.
The Death House Museum, just off the town square, showcases paintings of his final hours and exhibits of describing his bouts with kidney stones and heart disease. Most impressive is the original pall – now dramatically faded – that covered his coffin when he died in 1546.
As a child, Luther's parents moved to the nearby town of Mansfeld. Their original small brick home where young Martin lived from 1484-1497 still stands as a museum. Across the street, an exhibition hall showcases artifacts – coins, colored window glass, nails, marbles and more – the family used, unearthed on the very site during an archeological excavation.
After he was denounced by the Catholic Church, Martin Luther took refuge for 10 months in Wartburg Castle, a fortification perched on a hilltop outside Eisenach. In a small wood-paneled room, he would sit at a desk where he translated the Bible's New Testament.
In town, the Luther House with its half-timbered façade is now a museum. Owned by a town councilman who lived there with his family, Luther boarded at the home from 1498-1501 while attending a local school. Upstairs is the so-called Luther Room where it's believed he slept, with one beam in the wall dating back to 1269.
Luther sang with the school's boys' choir. And maybe it's no coincidence that Luther had so much in common with another of the town's favorite sons, composer Johann Sebastian Bach, who was born in Eisenach. "Luther was the initiator of Lutheran church music. Without Luther, we wouldn't have the music of Bach who realized the ideas of Luther for his own music," says Eisenach tour guide Cornelia Hartleb. The renovated Bach House was the first Bach Museum on the actual site of the house where Bach was born in 1685.
Erfurt's medieval skyline at nightfall is breathtaking. Spotlights bring sharply into focus the twin houses of worship dominating the view: St. Mary's Cathedral and the Church of St. Severus, separated by a colossal stairwell on the central square Domplatz. Luther studied law in Erfurt, but soon vowed to become a monk if he survived a fierce thunderstorm when trapped in nearby fields.
After the storm, he entered the Augustinian Monastery to fulfill his promise and was later ordained as a Catholic priest. Today, the Monastery is a Protestant conference center and houses exhibits including a library, artifacts and original prayer cells. Next door, I enter the nave of St. Augustine Church and see the original altar where Luther gave his first sermon.
With a population of about 400,000, Erfurt has retained its medieval heritage with its centerpiece Merchants' Bridge, lined with cafes and shops along its cobbled road over part of the Gera River. The large Luther Stone in nearby countryside marks the spot where Luther feared for his life during the thunderstorm.
Classic German half-timbered houses line the cobbled streets of Schmalkalden, a small town nestled along the edges of the Thuringian Forest. Some of those structures date back to the 13th and 14th centuries with their crisscross of beams, red tile roofs and white and cool-colored facades. One of those houses is this town's Luther House, where the reformer stayed during the Schmalkaldic League's meetings in 1537.
The League was a group of Protestant counts and princes teaming together to further the cause of the new Lutheran religion created by the Reformation. Luther preached in the original upstairs rooms when too sick to attend meetings at the Town Church of St. George, where he gave sermons only twice because of likely kidney stones. If you have the energy, you can hike up 158 steps along the narrowing, twisting stairwell of the town's tower with splendid views of Schmalkalden's central square.
Throughout his life, Martin Luther visited the city that Bach called home. Along Mädler Passage, one of Germany's best known arcade buildings, I visit the underground Auerbach's Cellar, one of Leipzig's most popular restaurants. During Martin Luther's time it was a wine bar for students owned by Heinrich Stromer, a professor of medicine. Stromer took in Luther who was disguised as a bearded "Squire George" when hiding out from the Catholic Church. A modern-day painting of them together hangs on a wall there.
The Museum of City History in the Old Town Hall exhibits a portrait of Luther, some of his writings, one of his goblets, and perhaps most interesting, the wedding ring of his wife Katharina von Bora. The museum also has one of Bach's classic portraits from 1746. The same Bach portrait, meanwhile, sits inside St. Thomas Church's museum where Bach was music director for 27 years.


text:
Monday, May 23, 2016
Political correctness "kills the truth"
Political correctness "kills the truth" and is hurting efforts in the West to fight ISIS, counter-terrorism expert and Israeli politician Anat Berko tells Newsmax TV.
In an interview Friday with "Hard Line" host Ed Berliner, the Israeli parliament member and chairman of its Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee declares, "if you cannot define your enemy, you have a problem.
"If you want to be politically correct and nice, it's not the way, how we fight terrorism and terrorism is everywhere right now," she said, adding being political correct "kills the truth.
"You need to look for the truth, you need to watch for the enemy, you need to find… the target and how to combat it and what you achieve every day to do so," she added. "And this is something I think is essential and I don't see that in the West we do that."
Berko says her research on terrorism has found Islamic jihadists "actually rely on our morality, that we wouldn't dare to do what they dare to do — and we are about human rights.
"But we should be about human life," she said. "You should seek for security even if sometimes it's bothering you."
In Israel, she adds, citizens have such a heightened awareness of security that they oftentimes stop terror attacks, "not the police and not the security services.
"This is something that I don't see here," she said.
She added that she does not support the suggestion from GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump that the families of terrorists must be killed.
"We cannot be like them," she said, but added: "Do whatever is necessary but without losing control.
"We need to be different from them, we cannot act in terrorism like they do. But we need to be more creative…make it in a better way, better thinking."
Calling out false abuse allegations
A new study shows how pseudo-victims' claims differ to those of true victims
Last week, the Irish Independent reported that a former nun named Nora Wall, who was wrongfully convicted of rape and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1999, would receive over €500,000 in compensation.
Wall's case was especially shocking, because the prosecution used a witness whom the Director of Public Prosecutions had said should not be called. Yet the prosecution went ahead and called the witness, whose fabricated tale succeeded in convicting Wall.
In one sense, Wall was fortunate. She had only served four days of her sentence, when she was released on bail. The witness admitted lying. In 2005, the Court of Criminal Appeal certified that Wall's conviction was a miscarriage of justice, opening the way for a damages action against the state.
Wall is not the only nun to be falsely accused. Sr Domenica Ritchie is a 73-year-old Anglican nun, who won acclaim for her work in the hospice movement. She was awarded the OBE in 2006. Yet in 2013, when Savile mania was at its height, two women accused her of indecently assaulting them in Oxford in the 1970s. They did not go to the police but, as often happens, an officious third party reported their claims. Sr Domenica was arrested, but in 2014 the Crown Prosecution Service decided that there was no basis for charging her.
Why do some people make false allegations, which wreak such havoc in the lives of innocent people? Filing false vice reports, a recent Dutch study published in April this year, offers some much-needed clarity. Motives for false allegations include revenge, attention-seeking and compensation.
The authors (André De Zutter, Robert Horselenberg and Peter van Koppen) undertook a bold piece of research. They decided to commission false allegations of rape, and compare them with victims' accounts in real cases, where men had been convicted. 'The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool', they say, quoting from Stephen King's Needful Things.
They propose a new theory of fabricated rape. Their hypothesis is that pseudo-victims have to construct stories based on their own experiences and beliefs about rape. They will construct a stereotypical story that does not resemble a true rape. They will tend to rely on representations of rape in news media, which tended to be biased and often lack details. Typically, the media cover sensational and atypical rapes.
A pseudo-victim will also likely create a rapist whose conduct does not fit typical offender categories. In brief: the four typical rapist profiles are 'opportunist, pervasively angry, sexual, and vindictive'. Typical rapist behaviours can include such things as attempts at pseudo-intimacy, or stealing from the victim. These sorts of behaviour are often absent from media reports of rape. By contrast, the proportion of rape stereotypes is typically higher in false allegations of rape.
So how do false and true allegations of rape differ? Typically the false report will provide a concise story with little details. The research used a control group (consisting of likely true allegations) and two experimental groups where participants were invited to invent a rape accusation. The study used 187 variables (specific rapist behaviours) to test the veracity of the stories it collected.
The cohort comprised 65 allegations, of which 30 were likely true and 35 likely false. Half of the false category were given three days to prepare their story, while the rest were given 30 minutes. Participants were screened for having experienced unpleasant sexual encounters: those who had were excluded from the study, as were true rape victims. The participants who were accepted were then interviewed using the same protocol as that used with an actual complainant in a Dutch police unit.
The results were both instructive and intriguing. True victims were twice as likely to give details – and give them spontaneously – than pseudo-victims. True victims described a lot of verbal interaction with their rapist, most of which fitted the rapist profiles mentioned earlier (eg, sadistic rapists were insulting). They also described a wide variety of sexual acts and positions. True victims engaged in evidence-conserving activities (such as not showering), while pseudo-victims did the opposite.
The authors conclude that four main characteristics of false allegations stand out. First, the alleged rape is always swift – almost all cases were completed in less than 15 minutes. Second, the pseudo-victim is passive, and their narrative does not include a variety of sexual acts. Third, false allegations mostly include instrumental violence, and almost no expressive violence (eg, unnecessary hurting during sex). 'False complainants seem to be aware that it is the era of forensic evidence. Bruises and scratches without foreign DNA might put their credibility on the line.' Finally, pseudo-victims offer a more detailed description of their attacker's personal appearance than real ones do. For some reason, false complainants described the nose of the fabricated offender more than genuine victims.
Anything that can assist in screening out false complaints of sex crime is of great importance. No one benefits when the innocent are wrongly accused. The present problem in Britain is that police and prosecutors have been captured by the believe-the-victim mindset. Seeking out sex criminals – especially elderly ones (and sometimes even dead ones) – has become a grotesque 21st-century illustration of Parkinson's Law – that a bureaucracy will generate enough work to keep itself 'busy' and to justify its continued existence.
One defence lawyer has said that 70 per cent of cases in Crown Courts now are sex cases. The CPS (65 per cent of whose workforce is female) evidently has no concept of age discrimination. It zealously prosecutes offenders ranging in age from 12 to 101. This is madness. It has nothing to do with the public interest. Britain's prisons are overcrowded, and increasingly unsafe.
So what's to be done? The police need to be more rigorous in their questioning of complainants. In particular, adult complainants should not be treated like tender youngsters. It is troubling to learn that in a recent case in Cirencester, which collapsed on the first day of trial, the policeman in charge was a confidant of the complainant, even interviewing her in her bedroom.
Second, the CPS must drop their biased outlook, which assumes that all complainants are victims. Its Toolkit for Prosecutors on Violence Against Women and Girls Cases Involving a Vulnerable Victim is typical of this mindset. The eight-page document uses the word 'victim' 39 times, and 'victims' nine times. Both agencies need to acquire some objectivity, instead of acting as allies of our current victim culture. And they must stop being the useful tools of those who make false allegations.
It's not just parents of girls who should be worried about equality
I AM a besotted mother of two small men-in-training and I have a mother of an issue.
You see, as the gender debate rages and the quest for equality grows ever more political, mothers of boys are constantly being told to have higher expectations of our sons' behaviour. To show courage and not let any sexism in our boys go unchecked.
And it's true, we can't have enough open discussion on respect and the value of being a gentleman. Neanderthal blokes with substandard morals and negligible levels of courtesy certainly grunt n' leer among us, and it's never pretty.
But the world's somewhat lofty aspirations for our parenting makes up just part of the puzzle that underpins raising boys in the 21st Century.
This 'call to arms' for us to amp up our parenting feels like we've been charged with leading the way towards some kind of utopian, gender-balanced society of the future. Something that, in my opinion, is akin to believing little girls are sugar n' spice and boys are a sweaty mess of snips and snails and puppy dogs tails.
This piece is in defence of all the incredible mothers and fathers of sons I know who are way ahead of the game in terms of raising beautifully mannered, emotionally intelligent gentlemen.
My husband and I are forever encouraging sensitivity and courteous behaviour in our boys and our sons are respectful, thoughtful, big-hearted little kids.
But, to what end? What world will they be allowed to be men in?
Before we leap ahead, let's look at the current state of gender play which, to my mind, goes a little something like this ...
In advertising, men are fair game, ripe and ready to be lampooned by marketers selling the generic notion that all men are clueless fathers, inept lovers, junk food addicts and insensitive cavemen. On TV, testicles are crushed regularly by any female presenter lusting after the last word in a debate, a joke, anything.
I've cringed watching well-spoken, smart men be reduced to buffoon status for the sake of on-air banter generally led by women. And I was gobsmacked when a visiting feminist writer on a popular panel show justified her gender politics when she spat, "…men should just get over themselves."
What would happen if a man had uttered those same words about women: outrage, looting, Twitter meltdown.
So this mother worries. I can raise the most remarkable, stunning young men, but I fret about the future society my sons will live, love and work in.
Will it be a world populated by self-entitled, bitching women who scorn femininity in favour of their 'ball-breaking' mode — stuck on repeat? Or who get their G-strings in a twist when a man compliments their hair? Will our boys be allowed to show chivalry without being chastised by some hot-headed fem who can open her own bloody door thank you …?
Will my sons be able to define and 'live' their masculinity without fear? In fact, what will 'being a man' even look like 10, 15 years from now? Sure, Prince may have rejigged the gender thing significantly throughout his life, but one man in eyeliner and a vat-load of ruffles does not lasting change make.
Oh and then there's that pesky gender imbalance thing in the workplace. Unfair absolutely but a source of loathsome tokenism when industries scramble to concoct new charters and add more vaginas to the mix before announcing, hey Ma, look, we're champions of diversity, too!
Will this blatant bandaid solution to obvious inequality take my sons' career choices hostage in the future?
The fact is, I crave gender equality as much as the next homo sapien, but as a mother of boys, I am torn. So each time men are relegated to fall guy status in the name of entertainment, selling washing powder or engaging in supposedly well-intentioned political commentary, all I can think of is my sons and their future.
Unfounded fears? Mild hysteria from a loved-up Mama? Call it what you will. But inequality isn't just harming women. Parents raising daughters aren't the only people despairing of the future.
We shouldn't point the finger at just the misbehaving men in football, on dancefloors or uni campuses. Women are just as adept at dickheadery as men are.
As parents all we can do is follow our instinct and impart a level of wisdom and love that won't be tainted by the unwritten rules of society — that men and women are not equal, that men are insensitive, foolhardy oafs and women merely their prick-teasing sex kittens … puppy dogs tails not withstanding — or wagging.
Birth certificates may be next frontier in bathroom law debate
Across the country, since at least the 1970s, most states have maintained laws that allow individuals to make changes to their birth certificates. When the laws were passed, trans individuals and their interest in obtaining a birth certificate or other public documents consistent with their gender identity wasn't really part of the conversation, said M. Dru Levasseur, a lawyer and director of Lambda Legal's transgender rights project. Lambda is the nation's oldest and largest legal organization focused on protecting the rights of lesbians, gay men, trans individuals and people living with HIV/AIDS.
However, in the decades since, trans individuals have also used those laws to change — advocates of the practice often say correct — the gender listed on a trans person's birth certificate.
North Carolina's transgender law creates tangle of lawsuits
The dueling lawsuits over North Carolina's law on bathroom use by transgender people have landed in the hands of three federal judges appointed by Republican presidents, with both sides trying to maneuver into the most favorable courtroom possible.
Today, state policies on this issue differ a great deal. The District of Columbia, New York City and 10 states — California, Oregon, Washington, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Vermont, Massachusetts, Hawaii and Minnesota — allow individuals to do so if they can provide a notarized doctors note that they have received the treatment deemed necessary by the individual and their doctor to live their life in a way that is consistent with their gender identity.
That's what trans activists call the "modernized standard," because it does not mandate expensive surgery or hormone treatments that every trans person does not want and some along with their doctors do not feel they need. And, that's also the standard required by the Social Security Administration for Social Security cards, as well as US passports and birth certificates issued to Americans born abroad.
Thirty-seven states currently have a higher standard, though — requiring people to provide medical proof that they have undergone gender reassignment surgery in order to request an altered birth certificate. North Carolina is part of this latter group.
Three states — Idaho, Ohio, and Tennessee — do not allow changes to birth certificates at all. Tennessee has a state law explicitly forbidding changes to the gender section of a birth certificate. And, this month, lawmakers in Kansas held a hearing to consider a request from officials in that state's health department that would limit changes to birth certificates to rare situations where, as the Associated Press reported, "a person or his or her parents could document that the gender was incorrectly recorded at the time of birth." Kansas health department officials say they are being asked to make changes to birth certificates that extend beyond the authority granted to them by Kansas's 1970s-era birth certificate law.
Also this month, a trans-rights group filed suit against the state of Pennsylvania on behalf of two trans individuals who say that the state's rules requiring people who want a birth certificate change to provide proof of surgery violates their rights under the Equal Protection Clause. The suit describes trans status as a "disability."
Both the matter in Kansas and the Pennsylvania suit get at a core dispute between those who support laws like North Carolina's bathroom law and those who do not. Opponents of the law insist that gender cannot be truly determined by looking at the genitals of a child when born. Those who support it say that sex is fixed at birth and cannot be altered in anything more than cosmetic or surgical ways.
Amnesty International and the European Court of Human Rights have both declared any attempt to prevent transgender individuals from changing the gender listed on their official documents a violation of these individuals' human rights. In the United States, a number of gay and trans advocacy organizations say the ability to alter one's birth certificate is key, because it allows trans individuals to decide when and to whom they want to disclose the fact that they are trans.
Without this option, they may be forced to present, for example, a driver's license that bears the legal name and gender identity that they now present to the world but a birth certificate that does not correspond and will raise questions anytime such a person applies for a job, a loan, or an apartment. That's part of the reason that the US State Department's policy change in 2010 and the Social Security Administration's changes in 2013 were so widely applauded by trans advocacy groups. Of course, not everyone has
The actual content of that North Carolina bill and those that mimic it make the reasons that some people want to alter their birth certificates pretty plain. Again, that North Carolina law makes a crime of using a public bathroom that does not correspond with the gender listed on one's birth certificate.
Political correctness is most pervasive in universities and colleges but I rarely report the incidents concerned here as I have a separate blog for educational matters.
American "liberals" often deny being Leftists and say that they are very different from the Communist rulers of other countries. The only real difference, however, is how much power they have. In America, their power is limited by democracy. To see what they WOULD be like with more power, look at where they ARE already very powerful: in America's educational system -- particularly in the universities and colleges. They show there the same respect for free-speech and political diversity that Stalin did: None. So look to the colleges to see what the whole country would be like if "liberals" had their way. It would be a dictatorship.
For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, GREENIE WATCH, EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and DISSECTING LEFTISM. My Home Pages are here or here or here. Email me (John Ray) here.
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The 2017 Honda Ridgeline AwaitsBlog Apr 11th, 2017
Honda provides many different options in all vehicle classes, including the pickup truck. Named the 2017 North American Truck of the Year, the Honda Ridgeline packs many features and into one package that gives you a great ride.
The Ridgeline Exterior
The Ridgeline bed includes an In-Bed Trunk to fit any and all accessories into 7.3 cubic feet of space, including a drain plug for an ice chest or wet gear. The bed is designed for minimal wheel well housings to maximize the space you can utilize for hauling capabilities and with a layered bedliner, you will be immune to scrapes, dents and scratches. An available 150W/400W Trunk-Bed Outlet in the wall lets you plug in your power tools for work or a TV for tailgating. An industry first Truck Bed Audio System allows you to listen to your favorite tunes while you are working around your vehicle. The rugged and refined design melds form and function into a unique look that only Honda can pull off. The aerodynamics allows for better fuel efficiency, reduced wind noise and a more aesthetic view. LED lights on both the headlights and taillights illuminate your vehicle in tough weather conditions so that other drivers can see you at all times.
The interior is full of modern technology, from the available 8-inch Touch-Screen Display to Push Button Start and many other additional options. The 4.2 inch Multi-Information Display and steering wheel with controls combine to make it easy to answer the phone or change the audio to allow you to drive much safer. A roomy center console is also included that allows you to store many of your items, including enough space for a 10-inch tablet. The Ridgeline can house five passengers and 60/40 Split Lift-Up Rear Seats make multiple seat configurations possible so that you can create the room for any cargo necessary. Tri-Zone Automatic Climate Control allows you to keep everyone comfortable in the vehicle at all times, no matter what adventure you take it on. 10-way power seats for the driver and 4-way power seats for the front passenger allows you to find that perfect fit for you and your passengers body.
It doesn't stop there, as the 280 horsepower 4-wheel independent suspension and smart AWD system combine to conquer any obstacle in your path. Unit-body construction provides a rigid yet lighter structure, helping you get better efficiency ratings. The AWD models features a standard integrated tow hitch with a 7-pin connector, 262 lb-ft of torque and the ability to tow up to 5,000 pounds.
All of these features combine for a fantastic pickup truck that is well deserving of its North American Truck of the year award. #FormulaHondaOntario invites you to visit our Toronto Honda dealership to see our collection of Honda vehicles and Honda service parts. For more information, visit our website at www.formulahonda.com.


text:
The Bankslammer
- Jan 29, 2011
- 6,338
- 1
- 0
For all the people who are into the series and want to discuss it, and the people who are looking to get into the series, or couldn't keep up with it. I'm less interested in explaining the "what" and "how", as I think most people know that already, and more interested in helping curious people find a way to start playing.
Hopefully, this thread can serve as a good reference, and demonstrate that anyone can get into Taiko, regardless of where you live, or even what systems you own.
Most people probably get into Taiko at first because it has the popular anime music or J-pop or game music they like, and... that's a perfectly valid reason. One of Taiko's biggest strengths is its popularity, and how it can throw its budget around to get pretty much anything and everything that's popular into the game. You really can't find a tracklist like this (officially) in any other game. It's part of the reason why Taiko is still extremely successful to this day.
Once you get into it, you'll find that it's also a great, really unique rhythm game on its own merits. Having only 2 buttons on a single note path makes for a game that's very accessible, but also that allows it to take on some interesting characteristics at higher levels. Playing Taiko at any difficulty above medium quickly goes beyond "see note, push button" and requires the player learn the note patterns that show up frequently in songs, and how to handle them. For instance, say a series of notes, RRBRR, comes up on screen. How do you hit it? Hit the center with your right hand twice, then hit the rim with your left, then get the last two with your right hand again? Or do you alternate hands on each note? What if it's scrolling at you at a speed that's too fast to allow you to hit two sequential notes with the same hand? What if you just came off of another tricky set of notes? Being able to recognize and hit these patterns in the context of the song is a skill that that comes naturally, along with muscle memory, as you practice. When you play Taiko, you're always improving these skills and gaining confidence. For me, that feeling of constant progression is part of why I enjoy it so much.
Lastly, despite the cutesy appearances and family-oriented marketing and all the tie-ins, Taiko is more than just a commercial darling. More and more difficult songs are always being added, competitions are held, polls help determine which songs are created or return, the Taiko development team holds frequent livestreams, some of which involve making charts for songs live with fan-feedback, the people making the charts for songs are known by name... In summary, so much of Taiko and what makes up Taiko is done with the core community in mind. Beyond just making a commercially successful rhythm game, the development team is concerned with what makes the Taiko community happy, and interacts with them frequently to ensure their needs and desires are being met. Even if, in the Western part of the world, we may not get to be a part of these interactions to the extent that people in Japan are, we can at least know that the games we're playing are created in the interest of like-minded rhythm game fans.
For: People who have one nearby, people who happen to spot one on a day out
Years Active: 2001~
Latest Version: Kimidori キミドリ
Number of Songs: 415
Though the arcade experience has been emulated at home for years, after all this time, there's still nothing that can quite compare. If you're lucky enough to have a machine nearby, this is the best Taiko experience you can get. No longer will your rad Taiko play be restrained to your dinky Tatacon or a controller! This huge drum is the real deal!
At the same time, it's difficult to recommend ONLY playing on the arcade unit. Of course, plays will cost you money, and at 100 yen (or however much) a pop, you don't really get much of a chance improve or practice songs without pumping in tons of cash. The arcade machines are great for playing for fun on, or trying out songs you've practiced at home on the real thing. But with its huge number of songs, some of which brand-new or arcade-exclusive, having an arcade machine nearby is still a huge asset.
For: People with an import Wii U, people who want to play the latest releases with a Tatacon
Years Active: 2013~
Controls: Tatacon, Controller, Touch Screen
Number of Releases: 2
Estimated Tatacon Price: $30 (controller is same as Wii's)
With Taiko being one of the very few worthwhile Wii U Japan-exclusive titles, it's not surprising that import Wii Us aren't all that common. However, the Wii U is the console to get if you're looking to play the latest songs with a Tatacon, as it's where console Taiko games will be coming this generation. While it may be lacking some of the features later Wii Taiko games have, it's a pretty safe bet that they'll come in time with later versions.
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii U Version! 太鼓の達人 WiiUば~じょん!
Release: Nov. 21, 2013..................Number of Songs: 70 (+34DLC)...................Estimated Price: $40
First Taiko for the Wii U. While it includes fewer songs than the later Wii games, it also introduced DLC songs to console Taiko. From its release to September 2014, free DLC songs were released for the game monthly, in addition to paid costumes for Don-chan. However, since November, there are no new free songs being added. A small handful of songs remain free, while many of them were converted into paid DLC, and others are simply unobtainable. A shame, because there were some cool exclusive songs, like several Nintendo-collaboration tunes. The DLC issue makes it a bit harder to recommend over some of the older DLC-free games, though it still has a solid tracklist in its own right.
Taiko no Tatsujin Tokumori! 太鼓の達人 特盛り!
Release: Nov. 20, 2014.................Number of Songs: 103(+5DLC).....................Estimated Price: $40
Tokumori has a song count much more in line with what's to be expected from modern Taiko games. On top of that, Tokumori will also be getting DLC songs, though we still don't know to what extent (at the time of writing, we're only a month out of launch). Additionally, unlike previous games where new songs are unlocked via achieving certain coals, this game introduces a shop in which in-game currency is used to purchase new songs (including nearly 40 Namco Originals!) While it doesn't have much in the way of series standbys in some genres, if you like Namco Originals, this is probably the best you can get.
For: People with an import 3DS, or who has means to play import 3DS games, people who value Taiko's single player content, people who want to play the latest songs but lack a Wii U
Years Active: 2012~
Controls: Controller, Touch Screen
Number of Releases: 2
Playing Taiko games on a portable generally isn't anyone's first choice, but import 3DSs are widely considered much more worthwhile than import Wii Us, so more people have these games as an option than the Wii U games. Still, the 3DS games are hardly a bad option for people looking to keep up with the newest tracks. Their single player modes are what set them apart, though, as the Wii U games have nothing comparable.
Taiko no Tatsujin: Chibi Dragon to Fushigi na Orb 太鼓の達人 ちびドラゴンと不思議なオーブ
Release: Jul. 12, 2012....................Number of Songs: 55..................................Estimated Price: $40
In transitioning to the 3DS, this Taiko entry takes more inspiration from the console games than its DS handheld brethren. While it keeps a fleshed-out single player mode (similar to Taiko DS2, involving clearing challenges and boss battles), it ditches some of the more personal aspects like the Dojo and Mail, and Don-chan's customization has been cut back. Instead, some features missing from the DS games, like the alternate (Ura) tracks and being able to apply multiple modifiers, have been added. Additionally, Sound, Costume and Music unlocks are now tied to a new Stamp achievement system. Plus, it comes with cute Taiko styli!
Taiko no Tatsujin: Don to Katsu no Jikuu Daibouken 太鼓の達人 どんとかつの時空大冒険
Release: Jun. 26, 2014...................Number of Songs: 63(+46DLC).....................Estimated Price: $45
The second 3DS Taiko game introduces 2 main improvements over its predecessor: a full-fledged RPG Single Player mode, similar to that of Taiko DS3, in which Don-chan befriends and battles monsters while travelling through time, and a DLC shop, allowing owners of the game to get both paid and free additional songs, pumping the game's songlist to a count comparable to the consoles games (and only rivaled by Portable DX in the handheld space). As of the time of writing, new song packs are still being added, so this game is probably the best current pick if you're looking for a 3DS Taiko game. Other small features, like improved Don-chan customization, return from the DS games too. One very painful cut from previous portable Taiko games, though, is the exclusion of the cute Taiko styli. You'll have to shell out for those separately now!
For: People with a Wii (playing import games is easy), people who want lots of songs and modes
Years Active: 2008-2012
Controls: Tatacon, Controller
Number of Releases: 5
Estimated Tatacon Price: $30, though unlike PS2 drums, they can't be found quite as easily domestically, so expect to pay approx $30 shipping on top of that (PS2 ones not compatible, even with an adapter)
The Wii may very well still be the best console to play Taiko on. Beyond the fact that there's just flat-out a whole bunch of games, great features like Practice Mode and the Taiko Classroom still haven't made the jump to the Wii U. Even if they're less pretty and don't have the most recent songs, Kettei-Ban and Chougouka-Ban are still fantastic options with tons of songs between then, and the first three games are good supplements if you want even more tracks.
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii 太鼓の達人Wii
Release: Dec. 11, 2008..................Number of Songs: 70..................................Estimated Price: $30
The change of console manufacturer came along with a few additional features, like song lyrics display on screen, and Miis being used as dancers. Of course, the change also meant old PS2 Tatacons would no longer be supported, but fortunately, Wii Tatacons aren't too hard to come by nowadays. It also contains some light story elements tied to unlocking new tracks. The song list is most noteworthy for the inclusion of every single song in the super hard 2000 series (at the time).
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Dodon to Nidaime! 太鼓の達人Wii ドドーンと2代目!
Release: Nov. 19, 2009..................Number of Songs: 70..................................Estimated Price: $30
Taiko Wii2 is generally a very similar game to the first Wii game, even down to the same song count. The most noticeable difference is the addition of boss battles, similar to those of DS2, to the story elements. Additionally, Ura Oni tracks, which are alternate notecharts for songs, are included in console Taiko games for the first time. Other than that, the features are extremely similar.
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Minna de Party Sandaime 太鼓の達人Wii みんなでパーティ☆3代目
Release: Dec. 2, 2010....................Number of Songs: 71..................................Estimated Price: $40
That "Party" in the title is with good reason! New to the console games, multiplayer is expanded to allow 4 players at once. Additionally, returning from the PS2-era is the minigame mode. Once again, generally more of the same other than that.
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Kettei-Ban 太鼓の達人Wii 決定版
Release: Nov. 23, 2011..................Number of Songs: 105.................................Estimated Price: $50
The title means "definitive version," which is more than justified in its song and feature list. Its massive songlist contains some of Taiko's "greatest hits," in addition to the most recent tracks that one would expect from the newest console version. Additionally, two awesome features are introduced: a Practice Mode in which you can fast forward and rewind through any song to get to the parts you want to practice, and the Taiko Classroom, where the game picks out the most difficult parts of songs and has you play them over and over starting in slow-motion and building up to a speed faster than the actual song so you can get it right. With all this, it's hard to recommend any earlier game over this one.
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Chogouka-Ban 太鼓の達人Wii 超ごうか版
Release: Nov. 29, 2012..................Number of Songs: 105.................................Estimated Price: $45
Before bidding farewell to the Wii, Namco had to give it one more game to one-up the "definitive version." Well, I don't know if I'd necessarily say it beats it out, aside from adding minigame mode back in. I'd say that the fourth and fifth Wii games are great compliments to each other, rather. Another huge song list with little overlap with the fourth game, all the same features that were great in there, and some other smaller updates like using the scoring system from the latest arcade update... You really can't go wrong with this game.
For: People with a PSP from any region (unfortunately, they're not on PSN for Vita use), people who want lots of songs on the go
Years Active: 2005-2011 (DLC until 2013)
Controls: Controller
Number of Releases: 3
Though at one point PSP Taiko games may have been the only option for handheld Taiko, it may very well still be one of the best. Portable 1 and 2 are perfectly fine, but with DX's extensive tracklist both out the box (larger than any other handheld entry's) and with DLC (larger than any console Taiko period), it's the one to get.
Taiko no Tatsujin Portable 太鼓の達人 ぽ〜たぶる
Release: Aug. 4, 2005....................Number of Songs: 38(+22DLC).....................Estimated Price: $25
Taiko leaves its PS2 home for the very first time, and goes portable! Of course, portability comes at the cost of Tatacon use, but this game has somehing its PS2 brothers don't: downloadable songs! For the first time in Taiko history, you can download additional songs from online for free, and they're still available to this day. Additionally, it has two player multiplayer... on the same PSP! Nifty, huh?
Taiko no Tatsujin Portable 2 太鼓の達人 ぽ〜たぶる2
Release: Sep. 7, 2006....................Number of Songs: 62(+44DLC).....................Estimated Price: $25
While Taiko Portable 1 could be seen as testing the waters for portable Taiko, Taiko Portable 2 is where it really comes into its own. In addition to the features present in the first game (including DLC), this game sees the debut of Story Mode. Also, the super helpful Practice Mode, in which you can fast forward and rewind through any song to get to the parts you want to practice, makes its first appearance here too. The only downside is that some of this game's songs are songs that just appeared as DLC for the first game.
Taiko no Tatsujin Portable DX 太鼓の達人ぽ~たぶるDX
Release: Jul. 12, 2011....................Number of Songs: 72(+110DLC)...................Estimated Price: $35
5 years after the release of Portable 2, Taiko decided it wasn't happy with the way it left the PSP and returns to end its time on Sony systems with a bang. 5 year's-worth of Taiko improvements are here, including customizing Don-chan with outfits, boss battles, Ura Oni, and a brand new Medley Mode which throws several songs at you in a row. Additionally, this game has a ton of DLC songs, though they're a bit pricey at 150 yen a song. But when it comes to quantity, it's nearly unmatched, with 110 songs total added monthly through spring 2013. Still a fantastic choice for a portable Taiko game.
For: People with a DS from any region, people who value Taiko's single player content, people who don't have other handheld options available, people who like cute Taiko styli
Years Active: 2007-2010
Controls: Controller, Touch Screen
Number of Releases: 3
Sure, the DS games may not have the nicest graphics, or the best sound quality, or the biggest tracklists, but doggone it, they work! Just because it's not the best option doesn't mean it's bad by any means, though. In fact, any of the DS games are fine options! Their most defining characteristics are their unique single-player modes, the ability to drum on the touch screen, and the cute Taiko styli they're bundled with.
Taiko no Tatsujin DS: Touch de Dokodon! 太鼓の達人DS タッチでドコドン!
Release: Jul. 26, 2007....................Number of Songs: 35.................................Estimated Price: $35
Taiko makes the jump to Nintendo systems! What it lacks in song quantity and visuals, it seeks to make up for by taking a more personal approach. New features include Don-chan's room, where you can customize Don-chan's color and clothes, read e-mail from other characters, and improve your Taiko rank by clearing challenges in the Taiko Dojo. Additionally, for the first time, four players play at the same time via wireless play, even with a single cart. Plus, it comes with cute Taiko styli!
Meccha! Taiko no Tatsujin DS: Nanatsu no Shima no Daibouken めっちゃ!太鼓の達人DS 7つの島の大冒険
Release: Apr. 24, 2008....................Number of Songs: 50................................Estimated Price: $45
Taiko DS2 is likely best known for the strides it makes on Taiko's single player front. Don-chan travels from island to island clearing challenges (e.g. clear with at least a certain score or combo, defeat opponents) and battling bosses who will obstruct the play area to try to trip you up. Other than that, features from the first game, including Don-chan's room and the Dojo, all return. Plus, it comes with cute Taiko styli! AND stickers!!
Taiko no Tatsujin DS: Dororon! Youkai Dai Kessen!! 太鼓の達人DS ドロロン!ヨーカイ大決戦!!
Release: Jul. 2, 2010......................Number of Songs: 51................................Estimated Price: $35
Rather than sticking with what worked in the last game, Taiko DS3 shakes up its single player mode by making it into a rhythm-RPG. Don-chan travels across Japan battling monsters (dealing damage by successfully hitting notes), leveling up, and taking on bosses similar to those found in DS2. This RPG framework would later be followed up on in the second 3DS Taiko game. The DS Taiko features we've come to expect are all here, too. Plus, it comes with cute Taiko styli!


text:
|The people are hungry for the Word.
One more church service tonight. Packing and getting up about 3 am to be to the airport by 4 am. Our group is leaving in two different time frames. College students will not leave until afternoon tomorrow.
Stories and events from this week are almost overwhelming the emotions we have so many to tell. The hospitality has been wonderful. It is obvious that the Lord needs workers here. Yesterday with only 30 people we had 158 saved. If we had 120 like the time of Pentecost we could have seen 3000 saved. The fields are white to harvest. They are plentiful. Lord send more workers.
Pray for our group as we travel home.


text:
A teenage transcriptionist essentially converts audio files into a written text. Sometimes, people may have a recorded interview, for example, and they need all the information written into a document for easier access. These companies that need your help could range from big companies like Google to smaller companies, but they all need you to convert their speeches and audio into a written form.
As a transcriptionist, you'll earn $0.40 to $0.65 per audio minute, which is usually somewhere between $8-$12 per hour if you're a reasonably fast typer. This means that for every minute you transcribe, you can earn that much money. This should not be confused with earning money per working minute. The biggest issue with becoming a transcriptionist is that you can't get promoted because this is a field where becoming a transcriber is the highest level of achievement. Although you'll be able to type fast, it's unlikely that you'll get a full-time job at a company doing this because it's rare for them to have that much work for a transcriber.


text:
What to do with the Extra Hour today?
The Horror
You might be reading this on the first Sunday in November when most Americans turn back their clocks one hour to end Daylight Saving Time.
Online, the jokes are all really funny this weekend, aren't they? For instance:
- Don't get to church an hour early! The first service will just be getting out! The horror!
- Don't forget to fall back–your extra hour of sleep can be at home rather than during the sermon!
- Remember to Fall Back or else you'll beat the pastor to church!
- Remember to turn back your clocks or Starbucks won't be open when you get there before church.
Ah, these are funny. I see a lot of pastors and official church accounts warning people–in humorous ways–of the horror of showing up at church an hour early.
They have a common theme: that hour you gain is for sleep or activity, not for church. Right? Right?
An Extra Hour…
Personally, I hope people do show up an hour early at my church…it will be to their benefit!
Imagine what they could do at my church alone…here's some stream-of-consciousness ideas:
- Sit and chat with the elderly choir spouses who dutifully wait while their partner warms up and practices with the adult choir before worship.
- Stand at the corner of the parking lot and wave at people as they arrive.
- Sit in a Sunday School class. We have several, catered to different types of adults in different stages of life.
- Intern for an hour with the Ushers, Greeters, Communion preparers, flower preparers, even the Acolyte coordinator to learn a new role.
- Sit in the chapel and pray through this week's prayer list or a membership directory.
- Sit in the chapel and do nothing–no smartphone, no reading, just enjoying an hour of relative quiet in a traditional space.
- Walk around the church property a few times, taking note of signage that may not be the most helpful to newcomers. Make constructive suggestions.
- Greet people as they get off the mass transit (in our case, a subway), just to be friendly.
- Relax in the library and read a theological, biblical, or cultural book for an hour.
- Tidy up and Organize the stockroom for the children's Sunday School.
- Sketch a picture of the sanctuary or someplace on the church plant.
- Phone a church friend or parent of a friend and meet for coffee–onsite or offsite.
- Take pictures of the bulletin liturgy or inspirational hymns and tweet them out as morning inspiration for your networks.
- Pick up trash around the neighborhood, not on church property. Just around.
- Edit for grammar and spelling a perpetual church publication (small groups guide, etc), and gently leave it for someone to (maybe) make the corrections.
- Talk to people coming out of the early service who you may not get to chat with normally.
- Ask the custodian if there's anything you can do that morning.
In my own church, there's a ton of things people can do in service, study, or fellowship with an extra hour on a Sunday morning in typical Sunday apparel.
And if those are all options–all viable options today–then the real horror might set in for us all:
What if this was possible every week?
…For The Ones
The Extra Hour may be a horror or a source of social anxiety, but if applied week after week, I believe it has transformative power.
I've written before about the problem of the Ones: folks who only participate in only one activity in that faith community.
For most churches, The Ones are folks who only attend worship services and otherwise do not participate in other parts of the church. The best of them worship once a week, give a tithe, welcome visitors, and usher or assist with that worship service in some way. They may participate fully in that one activity, but they do not participate in any other aspect of the church, such as Sunday School classes, service events, or even social outings.
But we are doing people spiritual disservice when we allow them to stay in their one activity. When people participate in two aspects of a faith community, they are able to bring different parts of themselves to their spirituality. It's not just a difference between broadcast spirituality (worship) and interactive spirituality (education, service, witness). Rather, they are able to apply their faith in a faith context, which makes it easier to apply their faith in secular contexts. Even for those who attend service events and not worship, imagine how fulfilling their service would be with the week's message as a conversation partner.
Imagine how much more you'll get out of that worship service with an extra hour of something else…even on the same trip.
Your turn
My hope is that today's extra hour can be seen as a gift of experience: a chance to try something new with your day and to make Sunday feel a bit different.
You may be getting this after worship is over–or reading it later at night as it spreads across the interwebs. That's fine–you didn't miss your chance! Because there's always next week when you can choose whether you can re-prioritize an hour of your day to serve, study, sit in fellowship, or just experience something new that day.
Your turn:
- Am I being a curmudgeon that thinks an extra hour doing church or church-approximate activities each week would do most people good?
- What's on your list of "things to do" that any person could just walk in on a Sunday and do?
Thanks for reading and your shares on social media.


text:
I am Christine Smith, Libertarian candidate for president. Truth is my highest priority.
If elected, I would take the oath of office, swearing to uphold the Constitution, but unlike past presidents I would not only swear to it I would always do it. I will diligently use the executive powers granted me to restore the democratic republic we were established to be.
I will focus on individual liberty because I believe social and economic progress occurs only through liberty. Regardless of your political party affiliation, I invite you to my campaign website LibertarianforPresident.com to read about the only presidential candidate truly dedicated to the U.S. Constitution, fiscal conservatism, and social progress. I am superior to all other presidential candidates regardless of their political party because my priority is the American people. Our peace. Our freedom. Our prosperity. Our equality. Read my platform.
But since this is a debate between Libertarian candidates seeking the presidential candidate nomination, I ask you this question…What do you really want your Libertarian presidential candidate to accomplish? Think about it for a moment. What do you really want them to do?
I've asked that question of many Libertarians nationwide. I've already attended the San Diego Libertarian Convention, the Oregon LP Convention, the New Mexico LP Convention and the Indiana Libertarian Convention where I asked this question…I also asked many Libertarians nationwide on the phone this question…and without exception everyone tells me they want their Libertarian presidential candidate to reach out to more American people.
This is the most essential quality we must look for in choosing a candidate–the ability to effectively communicate the LP message to millions of non-Libertarians. Of course, that statement coincides with everything else Libertarians tell me…that their spokesperson (which is what our presidential candidate is–a spokesperson for the Libertarian Party) must be knowledgeable, willing to travel the country and address Americans at every opportunity they can, and said candidate must be a true Libertarian.
I agree …those answers remind me of an article I wrote several months ago entitled "8 Criteria for Choosing Our Presidential Candidate" which I invite you to read at LibertarianForPresident.com
The critical distinction is that the superior Libertarian presidential candidate is one capable of growing our party by passionately reaching out to non-Libertarians and getting new members. We need a charismatic intelligent spokesperson for liberty…a presidential candidate whose entire demeanor and expression of Libertarian solutions will make people nationwide want to listen, learn more and most importantly want to join our party.
They must be able to market freedom to the American people. They must be able to effectively take our Libertarian ideas and the Libertarian Party to the public. They must be capable of recruiting, educating and inspiring new members to take action for the cause of liberty.
I seek the nomination because I looked around at the possible candidates, and I knew none could accomplish what I can for the LP because none bring to the table the essential attributes needed to interest the American media–much less attract people at large to listen to their message…I am not merely making well-intentioned promises to you–I have the performance this early in the campaign to prove what I can achieve for us.
I have results: I have already reached millions of non-Libertarians with our message of liberty. I have done this through numerous AM-Radio Shows nationwide I've appeared on…I emphasize these shows, several of which were on 50,000-watt AM-Radio, reached millions of Americans–non-Libertarians…and I can tell you–the American people are ready and hungry for our message. The phone lines are packed when I'm on air…and for the first time many people learn what we Libertarians stand for.
My emphasis is always shrinking the size, the power, and the cost of the federal government…restoration of all our civil liberties–an end to all federal discriminatory practices–an end to the U.S. government meddling in the affairs and conflicts of other nations–immediate withdrawal from Iraq because peace delayed is peace denied–and dramatic reduction and elimination of wasteful failed government programs thereby reducing taxation–I do not believe we have a deficit problem–we simply have an overspending problem which can be eliminated by shrinking the size, power and cost of the federal government.
Social and economic progress comes only through liberty. We need a government at every level, candidates at every level, and certainly a president who is devoted to this. I've found many people respond to this message, our message, and most of all my experience is they quickly develop a rapport with me resulting in excellent exchange of ideas.
I am passionate about my politics– whether in-person one on one, before an audience of a thousand or more, when being interviewed by journalists, or on radio or television–I bring years of experience in communicating with people to it. This makes me by far the most capable candidate to bring the LP, to bring liberty, to the American people.
My years of communicating with audiences and media comes from my background in communications, advertising, and political activism. I was recipient of the Outstanding American Award in 2002 and the Amigas International Peace prize in 2000 due to my humanitarian work nationwide. I founded and managed a major musical event which brought people to Colorado from worldwide for 6 years. I was founder and president of a nationwide charity which helped thousands in need in our country for 7 years. My articles have appeared in numerous publications worldwide, I'm author of an internationally popular book, and I've been involved in political campaigning since I was a teenager. I'm 40 now. I've spoken to millions of people through the interviews I've given worldwide, as well as much experience before live audiences. I want to use this experience to serve the LP…to serve my country…to serve the cause of liberty.
I will appeal to and reach out to women and young people as well as attract more men into our party. I will bring a new face to the Libertarian Party. I am doing this now and will continue to do this throughout my campaign both pre-nomination and after the nomination at an even greater scale. This makes me the superior candidate.
As for my platform, visit my campaign website Libertarian for President.com and you'll see I'm a true Libertarian. It is because we are the party of principle that I have found my home in the LP.
I want to help save America. I will educate, enlighten and recruit more Americans into the LP. I will bring our bold solutions for getting us on a path to a freer and better America to millions of Americans nationwide. With your help we can bring hope to America for a brighter political future…economically and socially.
I will take this campaign as far as it will go, making no predictions as to election outcome, but knowing much good will be accomplished as a result.
I invite you to LibertarianForPresident.com to read my platform, bio, and to listen to archived interviews (audio and video). Thank you.


text:
Mole is a generalized term. Many people refer a mole as any dark spot or irregularity in the skin. Moles are bunch of pigmented cells leaving brown or black marks on skin. These groups produce colour pigmentation and can occur in groups or alone as well. For this purpose the mole removal treatment is adopted which is also known by name cyst removal treatment or surgery.
Doctors use different terms for moles. Some people are born with moles; other moles appear any time during life span. The role of heredity cannot be under emphasized. Many families have a type of mole known as dysplastic (atypical), which can be associated with a higher frequency of melanoma or skin cancer.
Firstly the mole is being tested or observed and then the procedure is started off. Initially the area treated is cleansed with either of the suitable material either betadine or alcohol.
To start with this procedure the area where the mole is there is numbed with anaesthetic. Then the area numbed is excised and then the mole removal treatment is started. The type of mole being removed depends on what technique is to be used.
- Removal of moles or removal of cyst like skin mole removal or face mole removal is also by Simple shaving like shaving the mole off from scalpel without any stitches.
- Also some people prefer mole surgery where the mole is cut and is sutured.
- Mole removing treatment also considers laser treatment where through source of laser light the mole blemish fades away. So it is called blemishes treatment or mole removal laser
- treatment.
- Depending on the technique, stitches may or may not be used. 90-95% benign moles can be removed by CO2 Laser in few minutes that too with minimal scarring.
3. POST ROCEDURE- A layer of Vaseline and bandage is applied around the wound for the faster recovery and many skin creams like Mederma and restorative are applied to help in quick relief.
How a mole is treated?
Mole is treated by dermatologist if the mole hinders the patient and bothers it as it could be a skin cancer too.
What is the mole removal cost in India?
Mole removal cost in India varies depending on various factors like size, shape, color and location on body.
Can the hair on moles be removed?
There are options to flush off your hairs like shaving, tweezing or waxing or laser hair removal.
Does mole removal leaves scarring?
If moles are deep then scarring is there but professional surgeons do take care of minimal scarring as possible.


text:
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
My First Embarrassing Pregnancy Story!
You are allowed to take Tylenol while pregnant, but of course I had none. On my way to work I stopped at our friendly neighborhood Kroger. I desperately searched the pharmacy aisles for Tylenol. There was none! NONE! I stumbled up to the pharmacy counter asked the pharmacists about the Tylenol. She responded, "Oh honey, due to the recall we haven't had Tylenol in months".
Now let's pause the story here. Any sane person would have asked for another recommendation. Not preggo me! What did I do? Oh, I burst into tears. That's right! I cried right there in the middle of Kroger! I am totally not a crier, but I ugly cried over Tylenol that day!
Thankfully, the pharmacist was a bit more sane than I was at that moment. She went to the aisle and picked out the generic Tylenol for me. I thanked her and sniffed my way to the check out line.
I left Kroger with a bottle of pills and a Coca-Cola (don't judge-you can have a little bit of caffeine when your pregnant). As I walked to my car, my sanity was once again restored and I couldn't help but think to myself 'holy cow I just cried (ugly cried) in the middle of Kroger'. I was totally embarrassed, but I couldn't help but giggle when I thought of the series of events that had just happened.
Pregnancy Truth #1) Sometimes you cry for no good reason at all. Sometimes you end of crying for no good reason at all in public places.
5 comments:
- Jules said...
I'm just catching up on your blog and wanted to congratulate you on the news of your pregnancy! You and your hubby must be so excited about a baby boy on the way!!
With all those hormones, it's no wonder you cried. I probably would have done the same.
- November 30, 2011 at 4:33 PM
- Deals, Steals and Heels said...
one of my best friends is pregnant with her first, and she's got the "safe" drugs list on her fridge...she says it taunts her.
- November 30, 2011 at 11:13 PM
- angelsroy33 said...
Forget that! I've done that/been like that for the last three years, and I'm not even pregnant! Trust me,-it's life. (Well, and in your case, hormones,....don't even worry,...) :) Oh, and of course,-CONGRATULATIONS!
- December 4, 2011 at 12:53 PM
- Katie's Great Adventure said...
Haha this made my morning! I'm glad the pharmacist was able to save you!
- December 5, 2011 at 2:08 AM
- Gleatie said...
Tylenol just isn't the same as advil huh? I am pretty sure I had at least one caffeine drink a day. And I wasn't a freak about it if they refilled my cup in a restaurant since everyone else was getting to drink beer!
- December 5, 2011 at 2:24 PM
Blog Archive
- ▼ 2011 (21)
- ► 2010 (64)
- ► 2009 (170)


text:
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe Quotes
''Fame will go by and, so long, I've had you, fame. If it goes by, I've always known it was fickle. So at least it's something I experienced, but that's not where I live.''Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), U.S. screen actor. Life (New York, Aug. 3, 1962). Conclusion of taped conversation published the day that Monroe died.
''I've been on a calendar, but never on time.''Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), U.S. screen actor. Look (New York, Jan. 16, 1962).
''Unfortunately, I am involved in a freedom ride protesting the loss of the minority rights belonging to the few remaining earthbound stars. All we demanded was our right to twinkle.''Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), U.S. screen actor. Marilyn: Something's Got to Give (TV program, Channel 4), broadcast (Aug. 2, 1992). Telegram, June 13, 1962, to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kennedy, turning down a party invitation.
''Hollywood's a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss, and fifty cents for your soul. I know, because I turned down the first offer often enough and held out for the fifty cents.''Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), U.S. screen actor. Quoted in Marilyn Monroe In Her Own Words, "Acting," (1990).
''Husbands are chiefly good as lovers when they are betraying their wives.''Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), U.S. actor. Quoted in "Weddings & Divorces," Marilyn Monroe In Her Own Words (1990).
''It's not true I had nothing on. I had the radio on.''Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), U.S. screen actor. Time (New York, 1952).
''My work is the only ground I've ever had to stand on. I seem to have a whole superstructure with no foundationbut I'm working on the foundation.''Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), U.S. screen actor. "Acting," Marilyn Monroe In Her Own Words (1990).
''I'm a failure as a woman. My men expect so much of me, because of the image they've made of meand that I've made of myselfas a sex symbol. They expect bells to ring and whistles to whistle, but my anatomy is the same as any other woman's and I can't live up to it.''Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), U.S. actor. As quoted in Marilyn, ch. 27, by Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham (1992). Said c. 1962 by the beautiful Hollywood actress who was heavily promoted as a "sex symbol"; she had three husbands and was said to have had many lovers as well.
''The studio people want me to do "Good-bye Charlie" for the movies, but I'm not going to do it. I don't like the idea of playing a man in a woman's bodyyou know? It just doesn't seem feminine.''Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), U.S. actor. As quoted in Ms. magazine, p. 41 (August 1972). A beautiful movie star and "sex symbol," Monroe was very feminine. The lead role in Goodbye Charlie was ultimately played by the more tomboyish Debbie Reynolds (b. 1932).
''A sex symbol becomes a thing.... I just hate to be a thing.''Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), U.S. actor. As quoted in Ms. magazine, p. 40 (August 1972). The beautiful movie star was considered her era's prime example of a "sex symbol."
Page :
Read more quotations »
Best Poem of Marilyn Monroe


text:
Simple Cake Book
Available Now
Hot off the press
"The recipes in this book are my family's go-tos. They're not extravagant—not too rich or complex—and above all, they're easy and quick to make. I want to get that delicious cake in your mouth and mine, as soon as possible."
Simple Cake recipe
Chocolatey Chocolate Cake
A not-too-sweet chocolate cake, topped with silky Beautiful Chocolate Buttercream, sprinkled with a little sea salt crunch: This is the cake to help you or a loved one get across the finish line.Sign Up For Recipes
There's nothing as comforting
as the smell of a cake baking
when you walk into a home.
It smells like love.
They're here
Kids Apron
OW started because my daughter Opal loved to bake with me and I wanted a simple, beautiful apron for her to wear, but nothing on the market fit the bill, so I made one. Turns out I was not alone in this search I'm thrilled to have OW find its way into many homes.Shop Kids Aprons
Make it a keepsake
Monogram me
Monogram your apron and make it a keepsake! Be the first to know when the limited run arrives — just sign up for our mailing list and we'll let you know as soon as they're in stock!Monogram Me
Wish granted
Women's linen aprons
After receiving so many requests from customers to do our aprons for adults too, we're doing a limited edition run of OW Women's Aprons. We can monogram for you too!Shop Aprons


text:
Thousands of Canadians volunteer overseas every year. Some seek personal growth, some want to satisfy an urge to see the world, and some want to give something back to humanity. Whatever the reason, the experience is largely shaped by the country chosen by the volunteer. Here are the five best for first-timers.
1. Mongolia
Mongolia is an intriguing country. Situated south of Russia and with China to its south, east and west, it has remained something of an enigma. Approximately 45% of the country's population lives in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, with the rest making a living as nomadic herders.
In the city centre there are many volunteer placements available, from teaching to care to medical projects like nursing and midwifery. If you´d prefer to be further away from the city, there are Nomad Projects you can get involved with. On these projects you will live and work with some of Mongolia´s nomads and learn about these unique people, their ancient traditions as well as gain experience caring for animals such as cows and yaks.
2. India
As the world's second most populated country, India inevitably has its fair share of problems, but it is a fascinating country to visit. Whether it's addressing the low literacy rate or working to save the rainforest, volunteers have a number of appealing options open to them.
For those who'd like to work in India Projects Abroad international volunteer programs offer a range of placements. Perhaps the most rewarding, given India's high number of street children, is working as a care volunteer. This requires no qualifications or previous experience – just the desire to help and the willingness to try.
3. South Africa
Volunteering in South Africa is an incredibly rewarding experience. Projects here often involve working with disadvantaged African school children. There are options for doing care work with children, or you can teach English as foreign language. There are also many work placements on wildlife conservation projects in South Africa´s beautiful capital Cape Town.
4. Ecuador
Despite being South America's second smallest country, Ecuador contains an incredible amount of natural diversity from beaches to mountains to rainforests, and the locals are warm and friendly. Volunteer projects can include care work with children in day care centres as well as teaching opportunities. There are also many projects that contribute to biodiversity conservation like reforestation.
5. Thailand
Thailand, the so-called land of smiles, is a fantastic place for volunteers to make a temporary home. Its beautiful beaches, exotic food and golden temples as well as the friendly people make it an excellent place to spend some time. Placements here include teaching, care and conservation work.
Resource box
Site for everything travel-related.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Official site for visa information.
Informative and helpful travel guide for volunteers.


text:
Larry's Latrines
Call (607) 324-5015Directions
Get directions to thisWebsite
location on Google Maps.
location on Google Maps.
Open websiteShare
in new tab.
in new tab.
Share this business
on social media.
on social media.
Larry's Latrines is located in the beautiful Southern Tier of New York. Larry's Latrines restrooms are the finest available; all are scrubbed clean and reliable, utilizing fragrant chemicals and featuring hand sanitizers in every unit. We offer emergency 24-hour service. Larry's Latrines has become a trusted name in the Southern Tier's portable restroom service industry. We service an approximate 60-mile radius of Hornell, west to Olean, north to Avon, and east to Elmira.


text:
To obtain further insights into the evolution of atmospheric aerosol chemistry over time, our group uses transportable ATOFMS instruments in field studies at various locations in the continental United States.
The instruments have been used on ships to probe marine aerosols as well as aircraft studies. The ATOFMS measures aerodynamic diameter and chemical composition of individual particles and thus provides information on the number fractions of the major sources of aerosols, temporal variations in chemistry, and particle size. Being capable of providing such high time resolution data, the ATOFMS can capture rapid ambient events such as new particle formation and growth that are impossible to detect by techniques that require longer sampling times.
Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effect Study (CARES) and CalNex (May and June 2010)
ICE-T (July 2011)
CalWater (2009-2011)
PRADACS: Puerto Rico Aerosol Dust and Clouds Study at Pico del Este 1051 m above sea level at Puerto Rico in July of 2011
Current or Upcoming Campaigns
CalWater-2 (2014-2017)-extensive ongoing field campaign to study the interaction of aerosols with atmospheric rivers and their effects upon precipitation in California.
ICE-D (TBD)-Follow-up study to ICE-L and ICE-T to be conducted near Cape Verde, South Africa.
Previous Field Studies
For more details on our previous field studies click here (note: update in progress)
Sign in|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites


text:
How to repair a bathroom wall after removing tile
Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images
Removing wall tile can leave minor to severe damage to the underlying wall surface. Ceramic tile is installed with one of two types of adhesive: glue-based adhesive, called mastic; or cement-based adhesive called thin set. If thin set is used, the damage can be severe.
If the underlying wall is a cement-type board, you may have to replace it -- depending whether you are going to paint it or install new tile over it. If the wall is going to be painted, the cement board should be removed and replaced with a drywall that is moisture-resistant to achieve professional results.
Scrape the wall with a floor scraper, plasterboard knife or putty knife to remove leftover adhesive. Be careful not to gouge the plasterboard too much. Vacuum or sweep the floor of any debris.
Dust off the wall with a broom or small hand-duster to remove any loose debris. Vacuum or sweep the floor to clear it of any debris.
Inspect the wall for any major holes. Most holes can be filled with joint compound, using a plasterboard or putty knife, and covered with a piece of joint tape. Repair holes larger than a golf ball by inserting a small piece of plasterboard, then applying the joint compound and joint tape. Allow the plasterboard compound to dry according to the manufacturer's directions.
Inspect cement-board walls for major damage if you plan to install tile again. Repair small holes with thin-set mortar; consider replacing the cement board if it has holes larger than a golf ball.
"Skim" the wall with coating of joint compound to achieve a smooth surface if you plan to paint the wall, rather than tile it. Fill the plasterboard pan with joint compound. Begin applying the compound to the wall with an 20 or 25 cm (8 or 10 inch) plasterboard knife. Spread a thin coat, just thick enough to cover the damage. If part of the same wall did not have tile, feather the joint compound into that area, reaching about 30 cm (12 inches) past where the tile stopped. Continue applying joint compound until all the repaired areas are covered.
Sand the wall after it has dried, using a sanding pole loaded with sandpaper, or sanding by hand. Sand the repaired wall everywhere the joint compound was applied, until you have a smooth, continuous surface.
Examine the wall. Apply more joint compound to any areas that are not satisfactory, using the process you followed in Step 5. Texture the wall to match the adjoining walls before painting.
- You can buy or rent a floor scraper at a hardware or tool-rental shop. The tool has a 7.5 or 10 cm (3 inch or 4 inch) razor blade on the end opposite the handle.
- Keep the work area clean.
- Mix a little water with the joint compound to make it easier to spread.
- Clean up any spilt joint compound with a sponge before it dries.
- Use fast-setting joint compound to speed up the drying time between coats. A fan can also accelerate drying times.
- Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images


text:
I wrote the following article for the "Close Guantánamo" website, which I established in January 2012, on the 10th anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo, with the US attorney Tom Wilner. Please join us — just an email address is required to be counted amongst those opposed to the ongoing existence of Guantánamo, and to receive updates of our activities by email.
Regular Guantánamo-watchers will know how wretched it is that Donald Trump is in charge of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, because he appears to have no ability or willingness to understand that it is a legal, moral and ethical abomination, where most of the 40 men still held are imprisoned indefinitely without charge or trial, in defiance of all agreed laws and treaties, and a handful of others are facing trials in a broken trial system, the military commissions, that is not fit for purpose.
Under George W. Bush, a total of 532 prisoners were released from Guantánamo, and Barack Obama released another 196. Trump, to date, has released just one man, a Saudi repatriated for ongoing imprisonment, who was only released because of a plea deal he had agreed to in his military commission proceedings in 2014, and has shown no interest in releasing anyone else, even though five of the 40 men still held were approved for release by high-level review processes under President Obama. With only nine men facing trials, that also leaves 26 other men in that unjustifiable limbo of indefinite imprisonment without charge or trial.
The only mechanism that exists that theoretically could lead to the release of any of these men is the Periodic Review Board system, the second review process set up by President Obama. The first, the Guantánamo Review Task Force, assessed in 2009 whether prisoners should be freed or tried or whether they should continue to be held without charge or trial. 156 were recommended for release, and 36 for prosecution, and 48 for ongoing imprisonment without charge or trial, on the basis that they were regarded as too dangerous to release, but insufficient evidence existed to put them on trial. Read the rest of this entry »
June 26 is the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, and today marks its 20th anniversary. When it first took place in 1998, the date was chosen because it is a particularly significant day in the field of human rights. Eleven years previously, on June 26, 1987, the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the UN Convention Against Torture), an enormous breakthrough in the global moral struggle against the use of torture, came into effect, and June 26 also marks the date in 1945 when the UN Charter, the founding document of the United Nations, was signed by 50 of the 51 original member countries (Poland signed it two months later).
The establishment of the UN and of key pledges regarding human rights has been a high point for the aspiration for a better world, which, of course, came about as a response to the horrors of the Second World War. After the UN was founded, the next major milestone in this quest was the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948, and in 1950, in a similar vein, the newly formed Council of Europe established the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) (originally known as the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms), which entered into force on September 3, 1953.
Unfortunately, although aspirations for a better world are profoundly worthwhile, they constantly jostle with the political realities of a world in which the thirst for power, paranoia, nationalism and capitalism seek to undermine them. Nevertheless, they constantly provide a benchmark for higher human ideals, and it is always reassuring when human rights are prominently observed. Read the rest of this entry »
In a meeting of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee on June 20 to discuss 'Local Authority Support for Grenfell Tower Survivors', Ed Daffarn, one of the survivors of last June's entirely preventable tower block fire, in which 72 people died, reported an exchange with Kensington and Chelsea Council's Chief Executive, Barry Quirk, who took on that role a week after the fire, which cuts to the heart of the problems facing those living in social housing in Britain today.
Daffarn told MPs that, at a meeting wth survivors' organisation Grenfell United, Barry Quirk "said that RBKC [the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea] were a property developer masquerading as a local authority."
Daffarn added, "Think about that. They were property developers masquerading as a local authority. They failed to keep us safe because they had higher priorities – getting their hands on the land, this massive goldmine they had."
The confession by Quirk, who was formerly the Chief Executive of Lewisham Council, is significant because, when every aspect of social housing is made subservient to the money-making opportunities offered by housing development, residents of social housing are no longer actually safe in their homes. Read the rest of this entry »
Exactly two years ago, Britain went to the polls for what turned out to be one of the most depressing days, politically, in my entire life, as a small majority (51.89%) of the 72.21% of the population who could be bothered to vote expressed their desire to leave the EU.
The referendum was merely advisory; in other words, it was not legally binding, but the government never acknowledged this. In fact, referendums involving major constitutional change generally require at least a two-thirds majority, but the Tories ignored that as well.
David Cameron, who had called the referendum to placate UKIP and the far right of his own party, and had mistakenly thought it would be an easy win, walked off unscathed into the sunset, and after a short bloodbath the hapless Theresa May — who had spent six years as a horribly racist Home Secretary — was apparently the only senior minister left standing who could take over. Read the rest of this entry »
So the sun shone this morning, and it looked like a lovely sunrise at Stonehenge on the summer solstice. According to the BBC, however, the number of attendees was just 9,500, considerably less than in some years since Managed Open Access to the great temple on Salisbury Plain was reintroduced in 2000, after 16 years in which access to Stonehenge on the summer solstice was prevented through the existence of a military-style exclusion zone.
In part, this was due to the solstice dawn taking place on a Thursday morning. Attendee numbers are highest when it falls on a weekend, but other factors may also have been involved. It now costs £15 to park a vehicle for the solstice — "£15 per car, live-in vehicle and non-commercial minibus (up to 19 seats)", as English Heritage describe it — and security has been ramped up in the last two years, primarily, it seems, because of the government's delight in keeping us in a perpetual state of fear — and racist fear, to boot — by pretending that every aspect of our lives is subject to a potential terrorist threat, even the summer solstice at Stonehenge.
"As with last year's event", the BBC explained, "Wiltshire Police confirmed it had stepped up security with armed police on patrol." Yes, that's right. Armed police at Stonehenge. What a horrible and unnecessary policy. Supt. Dave Minty, Wiltshire Police's overnight commander, conceding that there had been no trouble at all, and that "behaviour at the stones was 'brilliant', with no arrests made", nevertheless said of the security situation, "People seem to have adapted really well to the heightened level of security and they've been really patient with it." Read the rest of this entry »
Back in March 2011, my life changed when I was hospitalised after a blood clot had turned two of my toes black. Doctors at St. Thomas's Hospital, opposite the Houses of Parliament, saved my toes — a mercy for which I am eternally grateful to the NHS — but after I recovered, my life changed again when I began cycling across London on a daily basis — and taking photos everywhere I went — in May 2012.
When I got ill, I had managed to give up smoking, which would otherwise have killed me, but I then started piling on the pounds instead, on a steady diet of biscuits and cakes, and so getting back on my bike on a daily basis seemed like the perfect way to get fit.
I'd been a cyclist since I was about four years old, but like many useful habits, it had become sidelined as I smoked too much, and also as a result of my obsessive sedentary lifestyle as a writer, researcher and commentator and activist on Guantánamo, which had consumed my life since 2006. Read the rest of this entry »
It's just over a year since the defining event in the UK last year — the Grenfell Tower fire, an entirely preventable disaster in west London, in which 72 people died when an inferno engulfed a 24-storey tower block in North Kensington in west London, and I'm pleased to be posting photos from two recent Grenfell-related events as my contribution to trying to make sure that there is no let-up in the pressure for justice and accountability following the first anniversary of the disaster last June.
The first photo set is of the Silent Walk for Grenfell on the actual anniversary. Silent Walks have taken place on the 14th of every month since the fire, in the vicinity of the tower, and on the anniversary, on Thursday June 14, thousands of people turned up, from across London as well as from other places in the UK, to show solidarity with the survivors and the local community. The Silent Walks are extremely moving experiences, and the 1st anniversary walk was, of course, no exception.
The second photo set is from the Grenfell Solidarity March in central London, starting and ending outside 10 Downing Street, and including a visit to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on Marsham Street, organised by the survivors' group Justice4Grenfell and the Fire Brigades Union. Read the rest of this entry »
Please join us in urging Donald Trump to close Guantánamo. Take a photo with a 6,000 days poster, either by printing it, or on a tablet or even on your phone, and send it to us to post on the Close Guantánamo website — or post it on Facebook and tag us, joining former prisoner Shaker Aamer, pictured here (click on the image to enlarge it), who says:
"Tell Donald Trump:
As long as Guantánamo is open, America will never be great again.
And as long as America is committing injustice, America will never be great again.
And as long as America has military posts all over the world, America will never be great again.
And as long as America is supporting and helping dictators all over the world, America will never be great again."
Today, June 15, 2018, is a depressing milestone in the long history of U.S. detention at Guantánamo Bay. Today the Guantánamo prison, set up after the 9/11 attacks, has been open for 6,000 days.
Most of the men held at Guantánamo over the last 6,000 days (16 years, five months and four days) have been held without charge or trial, in defiance of international laws and treaties governing the treatment of prisoners. There are only two acceptable ways to deprive an individual of their liberty: either as a criminal suspect, to be tried in a federal court; or as a prisoner of war, held unmolested until the end of hostilities. The men at Guantánamo are neither. Instead, after 9/11, the Bush administration conceived of a novel category of prisoner — one without any rights whatsoever — and implemented this at Guantánamo. Read the rest of this entry »
Exactly one year, ago, an inferno engulfed Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey tower block in north Kensington, in west London, with such speed and ferocity that 71 people died, and a 72nd person died this January as a result of injuries sustained that night.
It was a disaster that should never have happened, and the fact that it did cuts to the heart of how Britain operates in the 21st century.
The tower block was built of essentially incombustible concrete, and the process known as compartmentalisation was meant to ensure that any fire that broke out would be contained within the flat in which it broke out, with every other flat supposed to be able to resist the spread of fire for an hour, giving the fire services time to arrive on the scene.
In fact, fire leapt up the tower like nothing anyone had seen before, clearly indicating that every safety measure that was supposed to prevent an inferno had drastically failed. At the heart of the disaster were measures taken that had fatally corrupted the structural integrity of the tower. In order to make the tower appear more attractive, new cladding had been applied to it, but the cladding was flammable, and had created the inferno that took so many lives. Read the rest of this entry »
Dear friends and supporters,
Since I started working independently on Guantánamo, over 12 years ago, I have largely been reliant on the support that you, my readers, have given and continue to give to me via donations that enable me to carry on researching and writing about Guantánamo, and calling for the prison to be closed, a vocation — some might say an obsession — that has, to date, led to me writing and publishing over 2,200 articles about Guantánamo.
I never meant to embark on this path as an independent journalist and activist, but it seemed to be the only appropriate response to my compulsion to tell the truth about Guantánamo on an essentially relentless basis — the truth being that it must be closed, because it is a lawless place of brutality and vengeance, full of alleged intelligence that, to a shockingly large degree, does not relate to any kind of truth, but consists of lies made by prisoners about their fellow prisoners, after they were tortured or otherwise abused, or even bribed with better living conditions.
My independence has allowed me to cover Guantánamo more assiduously than most of the mainstream media, which generally doesn't maintain a relentless focus on issues of chronic injustice, even though it should, and has also enabled me to use my research and journalism to push more into campaigning, as I did in 2014-15 with We Stand With Shaker, the campaign to free Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in Guantánamo, and as I continue to do via my website here, and also via the Close Guantánamo campaign that I set up with the US attorney Tom Wilner in 2012 — where, to provide a current example of my campaigning, I am asking people to mark a terrible milestone — 6,000 days of Guantánamo's existence — on Friday by taking a photo with a poster marking this sad occasion and sending it to us. Read the rest of this entry »
Investigative journalist, author, campaigner, commentator and public speaker. Recognized as an authority on Guantánamo and the "war on terror." Co-founder, Close Guantánamo and We Stand With Shaker. Also, photo-journalist (The State of London), and singer and songwriter (The Four Fathers).
Email Andy Worthington
Stonehenge: Celebration & Subversion
Please support Andy Worthington, independent journalist: