I am not particularly attached to my money. I am often happy to part with it, as long as it's for myself and my family (particularly when I'm buying pricey ukuleles for myself, with the comforting thought that they could be heirlooms for my two daughters).
Taking after me, worryingly, is the elder Faith, who has a habit of taking her pocket-money savings with her when we go out as a family. "What can I buy with two dollars?" she would ask as she walks into a shop. "I like to spend money."
"No," I tell her, "we can afford to have only one person in the family who likes to spend money, and that's me."
But I hate to part with my money when I have to put it into tiny little red envelopes. Hongbao is one major reason why I have always dreaded Chinese New Year (the giving of it, of course, receiving hongbao is no problem with me at all).
Another major reason I look upon Chinese New Year every year with disdain: the major inconveniences caused when shops shut down and taxi drivers go missing from the roads to visit their families.
So while every Chinese Singaporean seems to like the festive season a lot, this Grinch who lives east of the island did not. It could be that my head isn't screwed on right and my heart is two sizes too small (to paraphrase Dr Seuss).
Whatever the reason, I would stare sourly at the onset of Chinese New Year.
If I can't stop it from coming, I could at least stop or deter people from coming to my home.
This year, suddenly, remarkably, I had a change of heart. While Chinese New Year still came with all the inconve- niences of hongbao-giving, closed shops and unavailable taxis, this year it meant something more to me.
This year it dawned on me afresh that Chinese New Year neither comes from a store (that would be bak kwa and pineapple tarts) nor from folklore. Neither does it mean giving hongbao until my pocket is sore.
This year, for the first time in a long while, I managed to organise most of my extended family to meet at the same place, at the same time.
Like an old man, I wanted to see my daughters Faith and Sarah gather with all their cousins and I with all my siblings and cousins. Like an old man, I felt much joy to see this happen. While I had visited my extended family during past Chinese New Year seasons, I had caught up with them separately because of our conflicting visiting schedules. It was nice but not the same as a huge gathering.
When the clan gathers, there is an overwhelming sense of familial ties, warmth, exceeding goodwill. Conversations overlap, spanning three generations, braiding into a tapestry of many colours, themes and memories.
If a cord of three strands is not easily broken, what more a cord of many more strands.
Chinese New Year reunions of the immediate family are less meaningful, unless overseas members are involved, because Singapore is so small - don't we meet all the time anyway?
On the other hand, we Singaporeans lead such busy lives that it is rare for the entire extended family to regularly assemble for bonhomie. So when we do, it surely must warm the cockles of one's heart.
Maybe, just maybe, all those cliches about blood being thicker than water are true.
Now that I'm middle-aged and have literally seen some children grow up to become young parents, I better empathise with the many old folks who seem to love to be in the midst of large family gatherings. Not that I completely understand why I should feel this way.
For the tradition-oriented, it is about the continuation of the bloodline, the carrying on of the family name. I'm not wired that way. I have always wanted daughters even if it means they could take their husbands' surnames when they get married.
What this past Chinese New Year gathering of my extended family did was to put a smile on my face to see Faith and Sarah playing with their cousins, the way I once did with mine. It is comforting, for whatever reason I just can't put my finger on.
Upon leaving, our several nuclear families make sincere promises to do this more often. But of course life - in all its myriad businesses and busyness - has a way of scuppering our best intentions.
And that, perhaps, is why Chinese New Year is still important. We have far fewer excuses to not meet up as one large family.
This article was first published on April 5, 2015.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.


Community organizers. That's what the members of Howard County's Community Action Council, partnered with associates from Wegman's Grocery, were on Nov. 20 when together the groups doled out turkeys, fixin's and fellowship during the eighth annual Thanksgiving turkey distribution for eligible Howard County families.
The distribution was held at St. John the Baptist Church in Columbia. Bita Dayhoff, president of the Community Action Council, said she is always amazed at the "hope and happiness provided by community organizations in our small yet caring community."
The annual Holiday Open House at the Howard County Antique Farm Machinery Club in West Friendship will be held on Dec. 1 and 2, noon to 4 p.m.
A train garden, refreshments, tours of the museum, antique displays of Christmas time in days gone by and festive decorations are all part of the fun. The museum is at 12985 Frederick Road. No admission for this family-friendly event.
Mark your calendar for an international bazaar with a purpose. The Glenelg Country School's community service groups are sponsoring an International Holiday Bazaar to raise funds for several student-driven international service projects.
The festive event will be held at Glenelg Country School, 12793 Folly Quarter Road, on Dec. 1, 12:30 to 3 p.m. Handcrafted artisan items will be on sale. Questions? Call David Weeks at 410-531-5775.
The donation bins are filling up and Sandi Hawkins and the volunteers at West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department couldn't be happier. Station 3 members are partnering with Marriotts Ridge High School as participants in the classic Toys for Tots program this season.
"We are so excited to have this opportunity to give back to the community," said Station 3 auxiliary member Hawkins.
If you would like to donate a new unwrapped toy or gift for a youngster ages infant through 12 years, drop your item off in the foyer of Station 3, which is at the intersection of Route 32 and Route 99 in West Friendship. The program will continue through Dec. 11.
Similarly, the shopkeepers at the Pink Cabbage are collecting for Toys for Tots. The shop will be the setting for a holiday Open House on Dec. 1. The gift emporium is at the intersection of Route 144, Frederick Road and Triadelphia Road. The "cabbagers," as the workers are known, work for weeks decorating the shop.
More local merriment continues in Sykesville, where the annual Main Street Twelve Hours of Christmas will be held on Nov. 30. Shops will stay open until midnight with live music, refreshments and an old fashioned atmosphere promised.
The town of Sykesville will continue the festive spirit on Dec. 1 with Sykesville Merry Main Street. Events will be held from 2 to 9 p.m. and include costumed characters, ice sculptures, kids activities, refreshments and even a brass band.
Holiday Mart celebrates its 40th year at the Glenwood Community Center on Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 120 juried artisans and vendors.
St. Nick is coming to town. Mark your calendar for Dec. 8, 9 to 11:30 a.m., when the St. Andrew's Episcopal Church on Route 97 in Glenwood, will be transformed into the North Pole. Breakfast with Saint Nicholas and a St. Nick gift shop are on the agenda. Questions? Call Lynne Quinn at 410-292-8202 or email email@example.com.
A sensory-friendly visit with Santa is also planned by the Howard County Autism Society. For kids with special needs, the sensory-friendly visit with Santa is just the ticket. This event will be held at Columbia Mall on Dec. 2 and Dec. 5, 9 to 10 a.m. Call the society at 410-290-3466 with questions.
Sally and Shannon Stevens, the bead and jewelry artisans of Sunroom Studios, will present a show at the Howard County Conservancy on Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aside from demonstrations, Sally promises a sale table for "your shopping pleasure". The Conservancy website, http://www.hcconservancy.org, lists an array of holiday happenings.
Art and music are in the air in our town. The local chorus members of Frances Motyca Dawson's famed Columbia Pro Cantare are in rehearsals for the traditional performance of Handel's "Messiah" on Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m., at the Jim Rouse Theatre. For information on the Messiah or any of the Pro Cantare's offerings, go to the website at http://www.procantare.org. or call 410-799-9321.


Oh, America. You brutal, merciless fool.
When it comes to "The Voice," you messed up, America. True, you cut someone who reached her peak weeks ago, but you also eliminated the twee princess who wrapped herself so tightly around our hearts.
I'm not even going to beat around the bush here -- I'll leave the suspense and ratings-pandering to Carson Daly.
Last night, America voted off Amanda Brown and Melanie Martinez.
This means two things: One, that like Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine is now wholly out of the competition as well, and two, that America doesn't know a good thing if it beats them over the head with a tambourine, guitar and Cruella De Vil...


Over the years many things about our beach trips changed--the house, the beach, who could come, what we ate... One thing remained constant--our mutual affection for one another and it being the best week of the year. We were ---a study of an aging family's dynamics and change was inevitable. When we are all together there is always some memory of beach trips from the past that comes to the surface. It was a magical time.
Life is filled with changes---the kids all grew up--they have families of their own and the beach trips ended as the shape of the family became different. Three years ago #1 Daughter decided to reinstate the beach trip for our clan. She arranged the dates, made the contacts, and pulled together our first trip to the TX beach. This year was our third trip as a family to the Texas beach and #1 Daughter has become our official trip planner.
We do a lot of the same things we have done for the past 40 years. There is something to be said for traditions.
And new activities are added--sometimes for only a short season.
Many things change over the years, but the tradition of the beach trip lives on. Camille took the initiative to make sure we continued to gather together and enjoy this time as a family. It is my favorite week of the year.
The Word speaks of raising a child in the way he should go and they will not depart from it. I am pretty certain it was not referring to an annual beach trip, but this trip is very indicative of exactly what it speaks. As we grow our families--the things we do together become an important part of who we are. We begin laying the foundation of what is important at a very early age and with repetition comes the desire to stay the course. I never stopped to consider all those years ago that I was planting a seed of the importance of family time. And yet all these years later, the seed not only took hold but has sprouted into a beautiful family tree. Sometimes we just have to be obedient and trust--He way is always the best way.
Another year of beautiful family memories made on yet another sandy beach.


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I have won maybe $3000 in my lifetime on this machine and spent about $1500…so I’m happy! I always Max-bet this machine because that is the only way the spin-wheel sometimes gives you the bonus so be sure to read the rules before you play!
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Valley Fine Foods – Wastewater from Food Processing
This food processing plant in Benicia, California needed a wastewater lift station to handle combined sewage and process water from the production of pasta. The lift station design included Tsurumi grinder pumps in a duplex configuration. These submersible grinder pumps were included to handle pasta and cheese that occasionally get into the process water. The system electrical controls comprise a standard UL listed panel with float controls for liquid level sensing. The lift station pumps into an existing sewer main and on to treatment.
What Romtec Utilities Provided
- Lift Station Design & Engineering
- Package Lift Station Supplier
- Package Lift Station Manufacturer
- On-Site Lift Station Construction Adviser
- On-Site Start-Up Management
Why They Chose Romtec Utilities
Advanced Plumbing and Rooter Service worked with Romtec Utilities to get this lift station designed and engineered. Romtec Utilities proposed a very simple and inexpensive lift station design to meet the needs of the Valley Fine Foods processing plant. The Romtec Utilities proposal was different than what was specified in an existing site plan, but Advanced Plumbing was confident that the Romtec Utilities design would operate to meet the same pumping needs but for much less cost. By choosing this approach, Valley Fine Foods and Advanced Plumbing got a fully functional, site-specific wastewater lift station for a much better price than originally planned.
Benicia, CA|45 GPM – 35′ TDH


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Contingency plans aren’t a whole lot of fun to create however with or with out them (with a poorly considered plan or with no plan in any respect), your business and your loved ones’s monetary safety is on the line. At the start, I spent about $50 on some SAT books on Amazon, found some cheap business playing cards online, and made a very terrible website myself. Unless you’re a girl that spends countless hours figuring out in a gym, (and who does that, except you’re a wealthy superstar), your finest plan of assault for shaping and sculpting the outdated body goes to return from wearing shapewear that offers firm control. It additionally depends on for those who own a neighborhood business having solely local clientele or if you must promote throughout the nation. If cash movement is just not maintained, it may possibly block the development and regular stream of the business.
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Workers' compensation expert, Fran Lefavour of Leddy HR, will provide you with tips and resources to help effectively manage your workers' comp functions.
This 60 minute informative Webinar will include a discussion about:
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If you need answers to these questions and other workers' compensation-related issues, please join us.
About Fran Lefavour:
Fran has 30 years of experience in Human Resources. She started FPL Services, a Human Resource consulting firm in 1991 and was an adjunct faculty member of the University of New Hampshire's Continuing Education Department. In 2000 she merged her business with Leddy HR. She is currently on staff with Leddy HR, a full-service Human Resources Consulting firm.
She served as Vice Chair of the Business and Industry Association Human Resource Committee for over 10 years. She was appointed and served numerous terms on the NH Public Employee Labor Relations Board, NH Department of Labor Wage & Hour Appeals Board, NH Department of Labor Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, NH Job Training Council and the Anthem Advisory Board.
She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Seacoast Human Resources Association.
To register for this event go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/585204120


With the domestic market stagnant, Japanese firms are increasingly looking to raise their profiles abroad. To help achieve that, proactive corporations have realized the importance of employees who have mastered English.
SoftBank, one of Japan's largest mobile phone companies, knows the importance of being able to communicate.
The company has purchased a 70-percent stake in the US cellular phone firm Sprint Nextel as part of its strategy of embedding itself more deeply in overseas markets, but management in Tokyo has decided the firm needs to bridge the language divide if the new venture is to prosper.
SoftBank has introduced an incentive scheme that will pay 1 million yen (8,408 euros) to staff who score 900 points on the international Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), which has a maximum score of 990 points.
"It was something that we introduced simply to improve employees' English skills as we expand into new markets where the language is required to do business," Hiroe Kotera, a spokeswoman for the company, told DW.
"SoftBank has many business opportunities around the world now, but this also helps our staff as it improves career options.
"The system is not a requirement for employees and they do not have to take part if they do not want to," she added. "But most are very happy because they can get a bonus if they're good at English."
For her part, 30-year-old Kotera is delighted. As a university student, she lived in Vancouver for nine months and scored 844 in her last test. She is hoping that the next time she sits the TOEIC exam, she will get more than 900 points to claim the cash prize - although she admits that the sheer amount of vocabulary required to hit that high is quite daunting.
English becomes official language
Another Japanese firm took the concept of English in the workplace to an even higher level, with Hiroshi Mikitani, the founder and CEO of online commerce giant Rakuten, shocking Japan's more staid firms by announcing in February 2010 that English was to become the official in-house language and that all his staff would be required to become sufficiently proficient to communicate with their colleagues around the world.
Three years on, the experiment has been a success, he told a recent press conference, although it was not all plain sailing, he admitted.
"When I announced the 'Englishnization' project to all members of the Rakuten group, they went very quiet," Mikitani said. "I expected them to disagree with me, or to see some excitement among them, but they just looked confused."
Rakuten had already been rapidly expanding, even though until 2005 it remained primarily focused on the domestic market. From day one, however, Mikitani said his vision was to become a world leader in the online sales sector. And of all the problems he faced, the language barrier was the most formidable.
"As we moved on, I felt that we were missing something," he said. "We had to use translators to talk to employees at our foreign subsidiaries. And then I had an 'a-ha' moment and thought that we should all communicate in English."
Imperative for Japan
The imperative is not only for his own company, which today is the world's third largest e-commerce firm by revenue, has 76 million members in Japan alone and operates in 25 countries.
"The Japanese economy and our GDP need this," said Mikitani, pointing out that Japan accounted for 12 percent of the global economy in 2006, although that will have shrunk to 8 percent in 2020 and a mere 3 percent by 2050.
"The Japanese economy was expanding through the competitive advantage of excellence in manufacturing, but that has changed," he said. "We need to globalize our businesses."
Previously, he had concluded that it would be too difficult to get his staff to hold meetings and complete paperwork in anything other than their native tongue, until Rakuten started taking on Indian and Chinese graduates who were not initially able to speak Japanese. Non-Japanese employees now make up 30 percent of the total staff.
Between the ages of 7 and 18, Japanese children sit through an estimated 3,000 hours of English instruction. Despite that, Japan is ranked 14th in the world in ability in the language - officially classed as "moderately proficient," according to the company EF Education First. South Korea is ahead of Japan and Portugal is on its heels in 15th spot.
Three years after the experiment was launched, company spokesman Naoki Mizushima says - in fluent English - that it has been a success.
"It feels far more natural now," he told DW. "It can still be a challenge for some of our employees, but they all believe that this is the way forward for our company.
"It allows all of us to work anywhere in the world and it has just become more efficient for us to work in English," he said. "It has improved productivity and it plays into the longer-term plan to expand around the world in the years ahead.
Mikitani said he hopes the experiences of Rakuten's staff will rub off on young people and encourage them to study languages and spend time overseas, as well as changing the attitudes of Japan's old-fashioned companies - those that still consider an international education and the ability to converse with foreigners to be suspicious rather than an advantage.
"There are lots of problems at Japanese companies, but English is a fundamental problem for us," he said, pointing out that Japan used to be a world-leader in smart phones, mobiles phones, cameras and a wide range of other advanced technological sectors.
"We could have set global standards for all those things, but a lack of global aspirations and English language skills prevented us from becoming the global leader," he concluded. "We need to open our eyes."


SANFORD, ME--(Marketwire - May 31, 2012) - Plixer International, Inc., a leading provider of NetFlow-based network traffic reporting, and Enterasys Networks today announced a joint webcast titled, "Secure BYOD and Monitor its Traffic for Abuse and Threats." The complimentary events will be held on Tuesday, June 5th at 9AM and 2PM and convey new insight on improving mobile device management by allowing IT staff to identify smartphone and tablet users by name and specific device type as well as application interaction and potential security threats.
Michael Patterson, Plixer's CEO, joins Ali Kafel, Director of Product Marketing at Enterasys, to discuss how their proven solutions work together to deliver new visibility and control over personal Android, Apple and Blackberry-based devices using corporate networks for Internet access. Additionally, webcast attendees will gain insight about:
- BYOD capabilities and requirements that successful enterprises are applying today
- Bandwidth consumption by mobile device type (e.g. iPhone, Android, etc.) and per switch
- Number of mobile devices, operating systems and specific users connecting to the network
- How to enhance mobile device security on the network
"From a network perspective, there is very little difference between a smartphone accessing a website and a PC. However, IT administrators need to delineate the bandwidth consumption because most mobile device traffic is unsecured personal usage," Patterson said. "Our webcast will show administrators how to break out mobile devices by operating system, username or IP address and group them by any combination using Enterasys' Mobile IAM BYOD Solution and Plixer's NetFlow exports."
Secure BYOD and Monitor its Traffic for Abuse and Threats, webcast schedule:
Download a free Scrutinizer trial and follow Plixer's Cisco Live breaking news via their Blog, Twitter or Facebook site. Schedule a live demo by calling: (207) 324-8805 or via email at firstname.lastname@example.org. For more NetFlow insight, follow Plixer International on their Blog, Twitter, Facebook or join NetFlow Developments Group on LinkedIn.
About Enterasys Networks and Siemens Enterprise Communications
Siemens Enterprise Communications is a premier provider of end-to-end enterprise communications, including voice, network infrastructure and security solutions that use open, standards-based unified communications and business applications for a seamless collaboration experience. This award-winning "Open Communications" approach enables organizations to improve productivity and reduce costs through easy-to-deploy solutions that work within existing IT environments, delivering operational efficiencies. It is the foundation for the company's OpenPath® commitment that enables customers to mitigate risk and cost-effectively adopt unified communications. Jointly owned by The Gores Group and Siemens AG, Siemens Enterprise Communications includes Cycos and Enterasys Networks. For more information about Siemens Enterprise Communications or Enterasys please visit www.siemens-enterprise.com or www.enterasys.com.
About Plixer International, Inc.
Plixer International, Inc. develops and markets network traffic monitoring and analysis tools to the global market. All of the tools are built from the ground up with valuable feature sets and ease of use in mind. Plixer tools have been used to analyze and troubleshoot irregular traffic patterns by IT professionals with some of the largest networks in the world, such as CNN, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, IBM, Regal Cinemas, Raytheon, and Eddie Bauer.
For product and sales information, contact Plixer International, Inc. at 207.324.8805, or visit http://www.plixer.com.


Friends of Marvin Browning will host a gospel/country singing, bake sale and silent auction at the Riverside Caraway gymnasium from 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday. A drawing will be held for a Thompson Center Black Powder Gun Complete Kit. Tickets for the gun will be $1 each.
Browning, long time Caraway resident, is undergoing several major health problems. Browning had stints placed in his neck, then he suffered a stroke and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Recently he had to have double by-pass heart surgery and had to fight blood clots in his lungs and leg.
Browning and his wife, Denise, are very appreciative of the support from their friends and ask for everyone to continue praying for them.
Browning, 55, is co-owner of Marvin and Jimmy's Heating and Air, Inc. He serves on the Caraway City Council, helps each year with the Caraway Fourth of July celebration, and has been a part of the volunteer fire department. He is an active member of Rowe's Baptist Church near Caraway.
Browning said he has always treated people like he wants to be treated. He has a strong will and said he is depending on his faith.
"I will have one more operation on my thyroid in a few weeks," Browning said. "We appreciate everyone's prayers. The Lord is still in charge."
Bill Davenport and Shirley Adams are putting together the benefit. All of the proceeds from the event will go to the Browning family.
"All of our singers are volunteering," Adams said. "We will have a concession, bake sale items, and a silent auction with items donated."
There will be prizes and drawings. There is no admission charge, however donations will be accepted.
For more information call Davenport at 930-0181 or Adams at 930-6664.


First, I have written about GNER before; it is, generally, a very good train operator, plying an efficient, friendly and—provided that you book a small while in advance—remarkably well-priced service up and down the east coast line between London and Scotland.
Furthermore, this route is almost unique in that it is not subsidised by the government, i.e. us, at all: indeed, GNER are paying a considerable amount of money to the government to run the route. So it was inevitable, I suppose, that this should happen.
The UK government has asked train firm GNER to surrender its £1.3bn-franchise on the main London to Edinburgh route.
GNER has faced financial woes since the London bombings, as passenger numbers dipped, power prices rose and Network Rail's compensation payments declined.
As a result it would not have been able to meet the terms of the franchise, which involved paying hundreds of millions of pounds to the government.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Have you noticed that the government is attempting to tax the shit out of car drivers in an attempt to get more people onto public transport? And have you noticed that public transport is actually rather pricey?
The government attempts to keep regulating prices for transport routes; it hands out subsidised travel and free bus passes for the needy, etc. Has it ever occurred to the fuckers that one way of keeping prices down would be not to charge companies milions of fucking quid to run a damn route?
Further, contrast the treatment of GNER with that of Virgin (who run the West Coast route).
Meanwhile, the West Coast mainline is operated by Virgin who have just benefitted from a massive hidden subsidy in the recent line upgrade.The top speed of the Pendolino was 110mph until the West Coast Main Line upgrade was completed.
The upgrade involved re-laying about 1,000 miles of track along the route in the last three years.
The first stage in the route improvement programme involved an upgrade of the section between London and Manchester, enabling trains to travel at up to 125mph.
The upgrade cost £7.9 billion. And, having spent that vast sum of money, the trains can now travel 15 miles per hour faster than they could before.
So, for every 1 mile per hour increase in speed, the taxpayer has shelled out £5.3 million quid. Anyone think that that is good value for money?
Quite apart from that massive hidden subsidy, Virgin's main subsidy has doubled over the life of its franchise.
So, Virgin Rail consumes massive amounts of money and gets to keep its franchise: GNER, which pays massive amounts of money to the government, loses its franchise. Does anyone see an inconsistancy here?
The government has invited new bidders for the route franchise.
Go on, Virgin: have a bite at the cherry! There's nothing like a good monopoly for increasing profits!
It is not yet clear whether GNER and its parent company, Sea Containers, will bid for the contract, though a spokesman for GNER suggested it was likely.
Sea Containers recently sought protection from its creditors under US bankruptcy law.
Whoops! But GNER is still solvent (just about). The government could renegotiate the contract so that, amongst other things, all of that rolling stock will not have to be repainted at vast cost (which will, inevitably, be passed onto us through higher prices and through our taxes in the form of subsidies).
"The government made it clear that rail operators that fall into financial difficulty should expect to surrender the franchise and not receive financial support," said Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander.
"To do otherwise could set the precedent that we are willing to bail out operators at extra cost to the taxpayer."
I'm sorry, Douglas, you fucking knobhead; does that apply to car manufacturers in marginal constituencies to, you hypocritical cunt. Does that also apply to Virgin Rail?
God, these people are such useless bastards, they really are.


|Serving Size: 1 cookie 78g
|Amount Per Serving|
|Calories 350||Calories from Fat 160|
|Total Fat 18g||28%|
| Saturated Fat 8g||40%|
| Trans Fat 0g|| |
|Total Carbohydrate 44g||15%|
| Dietary Fiber 2g||8%|
| Sugars 26g|| |
Vitamin A 6%||||
Vitamin C 0%|
|Unofficial Pts+: 10|
(Old Pts: 8)
Percent of Calories from:
Fat: 45.7% Carb: 50.3% Protein: 5.7%
|(Total may not equate 100% due to rounding.)|
INGREDIENTS:ENRICHED UNBLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), BROWN SUGAR, TOFFEE (SUGAR, PALM OIL, DAIRY BUTTER [MILK], ALMONDS [ROASTED IN COCOA BUTTER AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL], SALT, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SOY LECITHIN), BUTTER (CREAM [FROM MILK]), OAT FLOUR, PECANS, WATER, SUGAR, EGGS, BAKING POWDER (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, CORN STARCH, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), MODIFIED STARCH, BAKING SODA, SALT, PURE VANILLA EXTRACT.
Contains Tree Nuts, Wheat, Soy, Milk and Egg ingredients.
COMPANY INFORMATION:Starbucks Corporation
P.O. Box 3717
Seattle, Washington USA 98124-3717
Phone: 1-206-447-1575 ext 82900
Starbucks.com notes: "We provide the nutrition values in good faith acknowledging that details may vary due to the individuality of baristas crafting drinks, customer beverage customization and the uniqueness of each food supplier we use in North America."
SOURCE: Company Web Site
UPDATED ON: 10/7/2008
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I was raised a bit of a Bible banger. My mother is a P.K., preacher's kid, and although she had us attending an Episcopalian church, the Baptist in her never quite worked itself all the way out. Lots of things I wanted to do as a kid were "the devil's work". Rock music, painted fingernails, astrology, Tarot cards, all were paths that would lead me straight to hell. The Catholics were bad because they worshipped Mary and prayed to saints, "false Gods", a commandment breaker. Anyone that wasn't a Christian, actively proclaiming Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior, would not make their way into heaven. It was my full-time job to get their souls saved, and I was exhausted by the task.
Somewhere along the line I began to encounter people with vastly different views than mine, and I saw that they enhanced my spiritual life, rather than threatened it. Now when people ask me what I am, I say "everything". I am Buddhist, Christian and very interested in adding Jewish to my mix. I see only how they overlap and resemble one another in their precepts, their differences are slight, to me, compared to their universal messages of love, peace and compassion.
At this point I am willing to try almost anything. Crystals, burning sage, spreading tobacco, bring it on. I am all about getting the energy "right", and whatever works, works for me.
Hey, I didn't say I was an expert.
To find out more about the Trauma Tap, click here!
Tap Tap Tap!!


Available in the US on September 21, 2010, PlayStation®Move offers a new and innovative gaming experience for the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system by fusing realistic, high-definition gaming along with accurate, intuitive control. Consisting of PlayStation®Move motion controller, PlayStation®Eye camera ?and PlayStation®Move navigation controller, PlayStation Move enables sophisticated motion control and immersive gameplay only possible on the PS3 system.
The corner stone of PlayStation Move, PlayStation Move motion controller combines advanced motion sensors, a dynamic color changing sphere, vibration feedback, and an easy to use button interface. Equipped with three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer and terrestrial magnetic field sensor, PlayStation Move motion controller tracks the precise movements and the angle of the controller while the PlayStation Eye detects the absolute position of the controller in 3D space. Highly sensitive movement tracking can be accurately traced back to the game, allowing intuitive gameplay as if the player is within the game.
• KEY FEATURES:
o Works with required PlayStation Eye camera to accurately track player position and movement
o Includes action buttons of DUALSHOCK®3 and SIXAXIS® wireless controller for direct input
o Sleek and Wireless
o Built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery
o Advanced motion sensors in the controller precisely track both fast and subtle movements
o Color of the sphere’s light provides visual feedback during gameplay
o Vibration feedback is felt during specific actions
o Bluetooth® technology supports wireless gaming
o Simultaneously use up to four motion controllers with a PS3 system
o Charge the controller and automatically pair it with the PS3 system via a USB cable (Type A – Mini-B)
As an integral part of PlayStation Move, PlayStation Eye camera is designed specifically to work with the next generation of PlayStation Move gaming titles being developed for the PS3 system. When used with PlayStation Move motion controller, PlayStation Eye camera precisely tracks a user’s movement and the motion controller’s sphere to help bring every move into the game. In addition, PlayStation Eye camera captures a player’s voice or image and when combined together with PlayStation Move games, will bring a whole new entertainment experience to the user only possible on the PlayStation® platform.
• KEY FEAURES:
- Engineered to perform in low-light conditions so that the rooms do not have to be lit brightly for the camera to deliver crisp, exposed video
- Two position zoom lens for close-up and full body options
- At 60 frames per second, captures a sharp, clear picture at 640 x 480 resolutions
- Frame rate of up to 120 frames per second for improved tracking, responsiveness and smoothness
- A sophisticated microphone with the ability to reduce background noise and focus on spoken word for smoother, more accurate speech recognition
PlayStation Move navigation controller is a supplementary controller, developed to further expand the experience that PlayStation Move games can offer. It can be used in most PlayStation Move games that require navigating an in-game character as it replicates the control features of the left side of DUALSHOCK 3 and SIXAXIS wireless controller into one’s PlayStation Move experience. PlayStation Move navigation controller adds an analog stick, directional buttons and two face buttons into the PlayStation Move’s control scheme. In addition, the navigation controller contains the L1 button, L2 button and L3 button for actions and commands common in advanced gaming.
• KEY FEAURES:
- Wireless control completely untethered from PlayStation Move motion controller
- Intuitive navigation of in-game characters
- Easy and intuitive XMB™ menu navigation
- Built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery
- Charge the controller and automatically pair it with the PS3 system via a USB cable (Type A – Mini-B)
- Sleek curved body design that easily pairs with the motion controller
Note: DUALSHOCK 3 and SIXAXIS wireless controller can be used in place of the navigation controller for all games that are compatible with the navigation controller
The PlayStation Move Charging Station ensures that the users’ controllers are always powered and ready to use. The station can charge up to two PlayStation Move controllers — motion controller or the navigation controller — at once without having to connect them to the PS3 system.
• KEY FEAURES:
- Sleek, stream-lined design ensures the Charging Station matches your PS3
- Can charge motion controllers while PS3 is off
- Can charge 2 motion controllers at the same time
An add-on to the motion controller that allows players to hold it like a gun, the PlayStation Move Shooting Attachment leverages the PS3 system’s new motion-based gameplay to create one of the most immersive first person shooting experience on any gaming system to date. The trigger on the attachment is interlocked with the motion controller T button and will enable users to intuitively play the game. The Shooting Attachment is not only limited to shooting games, but also on games that may require precise button input and control.
• KEY FEAURES:
- Designed specifically to match the Move motion controller shape and design
- Enhances and creates immersive gameplay through more precise control
PRICING AND AVAILABLILITY:
Available in North America on September, 21, 2010 respectively. PlayStation Move Shooting Attachment will launch this fall.
• PlayStation Move Motion Controller – $49.99 (MSRP)
• PlayStation Eye Camera – $39.99 (MSRP)
• PlayStation Move navigation controller – $29.99 (MSRP)
• PlayStation Move Charging Station – $29.99 (MSRP)
• PlayStation Move Shooting Attachment – $19.99 (MSRP)
- Includes PlayStation Move motion controller, PlayStation Eye, Sports Champions Blu-ray game, and PlayStation Move game demo disc
• PlayStation 3 Sports Champion Move Bundle – $399.99 (MSRP)
- Includes PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation Move motion controller, PlayStation Eye, Sports Champions Blu-ray game and PlayStation Move game demo disc


In most comics, a double page spread is fairly unusual. It can really mess up the pagination of your comic, and has to be carefully planned in order to fit. As someone who does kidlit comics and all ages comics though, I like using double page spreads as an opportunity to explore large spaces, large concepts, or create an opportunity for the reader to relax for a moment and get pulled into the world. Some chapters of 7" Kara have multiple double pages spreads (shock and horror, I know!), particularly Chapter 7, when Kara is immersed in Naomi's human world for the first time.
This spread from Chapter 6 began its life as two watercolor pages stretched on one large board- a common situation for my double page spreads. I have a couple videos that demonstrate the process for painting watercolor spreads for those curious- but it only differs from painting regular pages in a couple ways-
1. Your Stretcher Board is double size, so the painting's footprint is HUGE
2. Although there's a space between the two pages, you're trying to continue your painting across that gap, so it's easier to stitch together.
This will probably only be relevant to creators who:
- Work in traditional media
- Work at a size that would necessitate splitting your spread over two pages
So for this type of spread, this is really a crossover post- a little Watercolor Basics, a little Intro to Comic Craft, but I hope regardless of your camp, you will enjoy!
Painting Pages- Working on a Double Page Comic Spread
Watercolor In Progress: Painting 7 Inch Kara
Now that our spread is painted, we need to digitize it and stitch it together for display and sharing as a webcomic page. Generally, for print, I don't worry too much about stitching a spread together- there's usually a fold to hide all but the most glaring errors, and I simply focus on color correcting the pages so they make sense as a continuous image. For web desplay (such as sharing the spread as a webcomic), I keep two considerations in mind:
While these are two pages, they're shared and displayed as one image
I need to remove the center seam, and stitch the pages together so that they are as seamless as possible.
These techniques are also applicable if you have to scan a large image in pieces and need to stitch them together. Photoshop does have a Merge function under Automate, but it doesn't always work well, and sometimes you're doing your stitching manually.
In this example, we're going to begin with a piece that's already nearly assembled- the two individual comic pages have been merged onto one document, the color correction has been completed, and we just need to make a few corrections to finish this piece.
Clone (utilizing the Clone Tool)
Manual Clone- Select the area you want to duplicate on your image, copy and paste it onto a separate layer, erase excess until it blends in.
Things to correct:
Remove center seam
Fix the stairs
When making corrections, do NOT correct the original- always make copies, and hide or lock your originals. This sort of correction can be quite destructive, so you want to protect your originals. Also, always make your corrections on a new layer- you may need to erase or soften edges.
Correcting the center seam is simple- you can either copy and paste areas of grass and drag them over, or you can use the clone tool to clone areas you like to cover the seam. Fixing the stairs is a little more difficult- there's a lot of light and shadow, stairs require more precision than grass, and sloppiness will stand out more.
For the stairs, I used a combination of copying over areas that worked, playing with Multiply, and cloning areas, as well as reestablishing the lines on the stairs using a custom Pencil Color brush.
The Finished Spread:
Let's take an in depth look at stitching together a double page spread with my SCBWI 2018 Illustrator's Contest entry.
Double Page Spread Painting Progress:
As you can see, most of the process is completed with about a 2" gap between the pages, forcing me to extrapolate information. I wasn't as careful as I should have been- lining up your spread so it's continuous makes it much easier to paint as though it is actually continuous.
|The finished kidlit art comic spread|
Opening Our Base Scans:
The first step in stitching together a double page spread is to get your spreads in a single file. I open both spreads and create a new, huge document that's more than large enough to contain both files. This allows me room to reposition my halves.
Make sure you save your original two halves on seperate layers. We will want to work with a file that's one continuous layer at some point, but remember- never alter your originals.
Creating the Master File
We also want to crop the scanned border from around these pages.
Stitching Pages Together
The black border between the pages was a mistake- I wasn't thinking as I was inking, and I knew I wouldn't be able to correct it without damaging the painting surface, so I opted to wait until post to fix it. For the original, I simply trimmed it out with a paper trimmer, and in Photoshop, I can simply overlay the second half on top.
Although I tried to paint carefully, there's still a noticable difference at the seam that will need some care and correction.
NOTE: You NEVER want to make corrections on the original- only on copies!
I create a new folder and drag my two halves into it, then copy that folder. I turn off visibility on the original, and merge the folder so the two layers are now one layer.
Now I have the file I'm going to start working with.
Cloning and Masking
The Clone Tool is great for correcting small areas, the selection tool and copy is great for correcting larger mistakes
I make a copy of my working layer
This is a pretty simple fix- I select an area on the right half, copy it, and drag it over so that the inked edge meets. I then erase what isn't working- what stands out as 'wrong' to the viewer.
This tree was pretty problematic- normally I would use the clone tool to sorta fill in that gap, but since the area I was working with was narrow but long, I couldn't get enough material for a believable clone. Instead, I copied an area from the right side of the tree, stretched it to patch the area, and erased the excess.
The sidewalk presented the same problem as the stairs from Chapter 6- noticable discrepencies AND lineart that doesn't match up.
I use both strategies- the clone tool and copying sections, to try and improve alignment and make the stitch less noticable.
I ended up futzing around with the sidewalk a lot, as it presented quite a challenge to get right.
Now that I have the image mostly stitched together, I can do some color correction and color adjustment, which I'll cover in my next post, as it's a fairly sizable topic.
Stitching an image together takes patience and time, but it isn't a challenging task. I encourage you guys to experiment with your own methods for correction, and share them with me using the handy form in the sidebar to the left!
As always, this post was made possible thanks to the generosity of my Artnerds on patreon.com/nattosoupPatreon! If you enjoy what I do, and find it helpful, why not join us? Artnerds get early access to near-daily videos, as well as backer exclusive comparisons.


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Maybe we can cap and trade Inslee, Dicks
I would like to see the voters in Washington have their own cap-and-trade vote on U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee and Norm Dicks, who voted for the recent climate change legislation approved by Congress.
I would like the results to put a “cap” on their time in Washington so we can “trade” them in for representatives who could roll back the governmental control over citizens.
I would enjoy having Inslee and and Dicks explaining, under oath, everything that is in the 1,500 pages of cap-and-trade and why there are so many special giveaways.


Categories Uncategorized 024: What a Bargain! Post author By Keith Pille Post date July 8, 2020 No Comments on 024: What a Bargain! << FIRST | <BACK | NEXT> ← 023: So, Like, What Do You Guys Sound Like? → 025: Tales of the Bizarro World Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


A short reflection on 6 years of resistance by Lapindo Mudflow victims: Why we didn’t join in the walk from Porong to Jakarta
25th July 2012 was a day which brought a big shock for most of the Lapindo Mudflow victims. In a live broadcast shown on a television channel belonging to the Bakrie family, one of the mudflow victims came on screen after having spent more than one month attracting news headlines by walking from Sidoarjo to Jakarta. Experts remarked how difficult it must have been for him, more than six years after the hot mud had destroyed his livelihood, and how it must have felt like such a release when he first started to make plans to walk towards the capital. As Suwandi, this poor mudflow victim, choked back the tears while he apologised to the Bakrie family (who own the Lapindo company) for his behaviour in insulting their good name, at least he stated his trust that the Bakrie Family would be able to resolve the compensation issue that was still an unsettled burden.
As the story of the Lapindo mud has unfolded such feelings of shock have become something we have experienced many times. When the mud first spurted out in late May 2006 we were surprised how drilling activities had been allowed to take place in such a densely populated area before an analysis of the environmental impact was finalised, giving rise to a disaster on that scale. Then when the President issued regulation 14/2007 creating a body to tackle the Sidoarjo mudflow we were amazed to witness how the government did not take legal action, and instead allowed Lapindo, the party most commonly referred to as the root of the problem, great latitude to take over the people’s land under a mechanism favourable to the company. Then, once this industrial disaster had been going on for over six years, it caused us great consternation to see how this group of citizens had been left almost at death’s door, in a shattered environment, with no initiative whatsoever on the part of the state to rescue them. After all this we saw someone who had from the beginning always expressed their fury towards that politician-cum-businessman that had destroyed his livelihood, suddenly breaking down in tears in an interview and begging for forgiveness. Maybe it would be for the best if we stopped being so shocked and took a look at what had actually happened as this case progressed.
The Illusion of the State, Why does the Government not Take our Side?
To start off, maybe we should re-examine what position to take in the cat-fight which the Lapindo victims’ struggle has turned into. The first thing which is most evident in our (the Lapindo victims’) actions, is that we have become dependent on trying salvage something from the situation, and this has only aided the state, elite businessmen and the politicians who back them up. When the struggle was just beginning and the Lapindo victims took to the streets and blocked access to the main road through Porong, directly attacking the corporation’s offices, we had already identified our true enemy. That was a direct action targeted at those who must take responsibility for how they have destroyed our lives. It was actually Bakrie’s fear that the mudflow victims’ direct action might escalate that forced the government to issue regulations which basically were designed to protect Lapindo’s interests.
Take note of what happened when the mud first started spurting out. The first eruption of hot mud on the 29th May 2006 was known to have emerged in rice fields near Renokenongo village, about 100 metres from PT Lapindo Brantas’ drilling site. The mud spread uncontrollably, inundating thousands of nearby homes. Nearly a year was needed before the government issued a Presidential Regulation 14/2007 in April 2007. This regulation ordered Lapindo to buy the land and buildings that had been submerged (implying that the people must want to sell them) and limiting their obligation to the areas outlined on the ‘Map of Affected Areas’ that they drew up. This meant that Lapindo did not need to think of how the mud would continue to inundate more land, drowning other villages, because they were only given the responsibility to buy land and buildings in the four villages designated on the Map of Affected Areas.
Several months later, the need to enlarge the levees was growing ever more urgent, as the hot mud continued to continuously gush forth. So the government issued Presidential Regulation 48/2008, which added three more villages to the map of affected areas This time round, it was not Lapindo that would provide the money to buy land and buildings, but the whole Indonesian population would have to foot the bill through the state budget to move the levee further out and drown three more villages. Looking at these bare facts we can draw our own conclusions. The regulation was not issued to come to the aid of the people, but to secure Lapindo from further disruption.
From the moment the Presidential Regulation was issued, the attacks on Lapindo were redirected, transformed instead into the expectation that the government would act to resolve the problem of the mudflow. This illusion was accompanied by the hope that government leaders would side with the people rather than the corporation, insisting that all government agencies get involved to resolve the problem. Therefore the Lapindo victims actions began to focus on visiting the President, ministers, members of Parliament, judicial institutions and state commissions, to force Lapindo to fulfil their obligations as laid out in the Presidential Regulations.
At this point we have to re-evaluate the choice to ask the state to act on our behalf. This doesn’t mean that those actions were pointless, nor that the Lapindo victims should stop trying to make the state take responsibility for the destruction that followed from the corporation’s mistake. Nevertheless we must overcome the comforting myth that the state is there to protect the people’s interests.
The state and government, and all their institutions and bureaucracy must be regarded as themselves part of the problem. Government creates a standard which guarantees that access to power lies in the hands of a small group of people, but without them we feel unable to confront social problems. It would seem that without a president we could not force Bakrie to take responsibility for the destruction he has caused. The problem is not whether our president will assert himself or not. Because when it comes down to it, no agent of power is going to take any action without thinking if it will affect the continuity of their power. For the political elite, the choice to become involved in looking after what the public needs is part of the see-saw of power. As long as the Lapindo victims are not considered necessary to the future of their power, there will not be any hope of public officials getting involved in this business.
Re-examining the state’s position, we get the explanation of why the president seemed so unable to stand up to Aburizal Bakrie, why politicians only appear to take up the case of the Lapindo mudflow when elections are approaching, why law doesn’t do its job of prosecuting glaringly obvious industrial infractions such as this one and why the National Human Rights Commission is not prepared to state that a serious human rights violation has occurred in this case. Lapindo victims have always been made to look like idiots ever since we stopped being a threat to the perpetuation of centralised state power.
From Individuals to Representatives
A side effect of Presidential Regulation 14/2007 was not only the problem that the axis of struggle was distorted and a poverty of imagination around taking action, but also how demands were reduced, after people’s livelihoods had been obliterated by hot mud.
When that regulation stated that dealing with the Lapindo problem was a matter of paying for land that had or would be submerged by the hot mud, that was the moment when our struggle was boxed in, and now became the issue of how much money we could get from selling our land, – land which neither the state nor Lapindo would now be able to rescue. Once again it is important to state that these reflections are not meant to detract from the significance of the actions that have taken place to demand payment for the land and buildings. But at the same time we need to avoid the trap set by the presidential regulation, and also force Lapindo to take responsibility for the wider loss of our livelihoods.
This tragedy is not simply a sad story of land and homes submerged by mud. It is also a story of how the future prospects of hundreds of thousands of residents of Porong, Tanggulangin and Jabon have been destroyed, maybe even going beyond these three sub-districts.
In the economic and labour sector, around one thousand micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises were shut down as soon as the disaster started. Data from the East Java Central Statistics Organisation states that in the formal sector, 166 thousand people lost their jobs as a result of the collapse of companies affected by the mudflow. In Porong alone, which is not far from PT Lapindo Brantas’ gas drilling operations, 24 factories making a wide range of products employed tens of thousands of people. Aside from this is the informal sector, consisting of home industry, small-scale trading, farming, fish-ponds, motorbike taxis and others who also lost their work. All this came about as the infrastructure they were reliant on was lost, drowned of damaged. Data from Greenomics estimates that losses to the economy from the mudflow are around 33.2 trillion Rupiah (3.4 billion US$) while Indonesia’s National Dvelopment Planning Board estimates the direct losses at 7.3 trillion Rupiah (730 US$) and the indirect losses as 16.5 trillion Rupiah (1.65 billion US$).
For the Lapindo victims, apart from losing their land and homes, their health is also threatened from living in an unhealthy environment. Studies from environmental NGO Walhi conclude that land and water in the area near the hot mud are contaminated with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) at concentrations 2000 times higher than normal limit. The United Nations Environment Program describes PAH as dangerous and carcinogenic organic compounds. Meanwhile, a team formed by the East Java governor to study suitability for settlement has reported hydrocarbon air pollution which reaches between 8000 and 220,000 times the threshold limit. Indications of a sharp decline in local people’s health can be seen from the jump in numbers of people suffering from acute respiratory tract infections who attend community health clinics in Porong and Jabon. The clinic in Jabon has recorded a 150% rise in such infections in its catchment area (risen to 170 cases from 60 cases) Meanwhile in the Porong clinic, an average of 20,000 cases in 2006 rose to 50,000 in 2007. The Jabon clinic has also noted two cases of serious mental disturbances since the mudflow.
In the education sector, 63 schools are recorded as submerged, which have left thousands of children without a place to study. These children were forced to move schools and therefore adapt to a new environment. Meanwhile there has been no educational help for the schools and pupils which have had to move, and this obviously detracts from the quality of their learning.
The hot mud also has potentially caused severe damage to social integrity. Previously living together in villages, people are now isolated in different areas. The social solidarity that existed previously begins to disappear. It is common that there are disputes over the status of land. As Lapindo is set to buy land, many families are forced into conflict about how to divide up the money they got for their land and homes. Also safety cannot be guaranteed since the levees were built, meaning that different villages end up in conflict with each other as each tries to ensure their own village’s safety. All people want their village to be safe but since there are no guarantees either from the government or from Lapindo about this they decide for themselves, for example directing the mudflow away from their village so that the impacts would hit another village, even though that village also doesn’t want to be submerged.
Apart from this, the loss of land also means the loss of people’s connection with the history of their village and their ancestors. In Javanese society respect for ancestors is very important. At least once a year, around Ramadan, there is always a ritual to pray and place flowers on the ancestors’ graves. But once the graves have been submerged alongside the villages, this ritual is lost. The people can only pray at the edge of the levee, but the connection is clearly not as strong as if they could pray in front of the tombstone itself. How can we place a monetary value on these social and cultural losses?
From the notes above, we can clearly see that as well as limiting us with the illusion of compensation for just the land and buildings, the Presidential Regulation has also tempered each individual’s potential to fight back. All they have done in exchange is enter some numbers in the in the files which record land ownership.
The destruction we have felt is the destruction of each of our lives as individuals. The loss of our work, the degradation of our health, our education in disarray, are all problems which we must face individually. The Presidential Regulation, however, takes a step backwards, only admitting those losses which it has recorded in the case notes it has compiled to anticipate the payment in instalments. Because of this it is easy for the government and corporation to hide behind the excuse that they have almost settled the matter, based on the number of parcels of land that have already been paid for. The illusion also persists for us, as we forget all the aspects of our lives that each of us has lost.
Out of all the individuals that desire to express their anger at how their lives have been destroyed by the corporation’s behaviour, we have been reduced to just being a group of heads of families who are demanding compensation for land and buildings, and then reduced once again to just be a case file that is waiting to be paid. In this way each potential conflict that could spring up as a result of the independence we have lost is channelled to the representatives of each family, and then in turn to representatives of each village, until finally new elites emerge which are no less bureaucratic than the state and corporations we should be fighting against.
In each village and resistance group, this new elite take on roles to mediate with the powers that be which often end up making weaker demands than those that were originally fought for. Representatives of groups are transformed into being decision-makers over the lives of each individual in their group. We are no longer able to find the power to establish our own choices and demands to get our lives back, because the state has closed off the possibility to make other demands apart from those which were outlined in the presidential regulation and then obediently followed by our representatives who have the right to negotiate in our name. It is not possible any more for each individual to feel the desire to win back the livelihood that was snatched from them, now we just wait for the results of the negotiations between our representatives and the government and Lapindo, which will surely only end up in disappointment.
The Mass Media and Us as Spectators
The emergence of these elites has in turn distanced us from the path of taking direct action, and led us instead to mediation – closed negotiations between them and the state and corporation, along with actions designed to grab media sympathy. To understand this approach to the media, we should take another look at the story of Hari Suwandi explained above.
Many of us still remember how we first took action at the edge of the levee constructed to hold back the hot mud, and tears dripped from Hari Suwandi’s face in the hope that they would open the eyes of the government and Lapindo to swiftly resolve the issue (meaning: pay the rest of the compensation). With the media spotlight later focussing every day on Hari Suwandi’s “holy war” as he walked to the capital, it was inevitable that the Lapindo issue would surface once more.
But that was the root of the problem. It is another illu
sion that the mass media is a tool that can be used to fight for our demands; actually, as well as being a vanity competition for people to become known nationwide and confirm their personality status, it also distances us from active participation in resistance. Communication and information flows are of course important to build up the basis for solidarity in struggle with those in other places who also feel the same anger. But the mainstream mass media is a different beast. The mass media needs to attract as many spectators as possible, each nailed to the screen, and so appearances are what become the most important. When the logic of appearances is given the highest priority, then whatever is shown has been filtered by the mass media. They look for interesting issues and then package them to entrap the spectators. We in turn are forced to be no more than spectators ourselves, told to sit and watch our leaders and representatives whom the logic of the mass media considers attractive to fill the role of speaking and acting on our behalf.
Similarly to how group representatives mediate for us in the negotiations, mediation through popular media such as television forms part of the effort to distance us from our ability to take our own decisions about our lives. When Hari Suwandi walked from Porong to Jakarta, we saw the media attention it was getting and so we placed our struggle into his hands. Therefore when Hari Suwandi started crying and begging forgiveness from the Bakrie family, we are shocked and feel betrayed because that’s not what we were wishing for. But why is this? Why do we place all our individual anger on this image of Hari Suwandi on a glass screen? If from the beginning we were not only spectators to this struggle, if each of us from the outset has been an individual with the right to establish their own demands of how to reclaim our lives that have been seized by the hot mud, then there would be no need to feel betrayed by Hari Suwandi. Because he is not each one of us, he is not a manifestation of what we have chosen for ourselves, he is not the image that we want to put forward to represent each one of us, the individual victims of Lapindo.
Looking for a Different Palying Field: Not a Proposal
After more than six years of the Lapindo mud scandal, feelings of weariness and frustration descend on us evermore frequently. This short reflection is only the notes of one individual who has also often felt tired with our repeated failures to face up to the combined force of the state and corporations. This reflection is also not trying to make any kind of proposals of what would be the best choices to finally settle this case. However, as time goes on, whether we like it or not we have to keep looking at the relationships involved in our struggle and what position we should take.
The main concern of this reflection has been how irrelevant our choice of playing field has become as we resist the state and corporations. To use state institutions which are clearly part of the roots of the problem in order to force our demands upon Lapindo clearly won’t get us anywhere. The hope that legal settlements or new laws, or any Presidential Regulations that might be handed out, will usher in the winds of change, can actually only add to our wounds. Law and written pronouncements from the government are forms of struggle that will never let us win. It was never prophesied that state institutions would protect the people and support their struggles. Attempts to improve these regulations or uphold their values we can clearly see as futile. The aim of those regulations was to amputate our resistance movements.
The same is true for how the organised struggle of individuals has been lost, replaced by representatives who in fact do not fight for our choices. We need to retrace just what it is which we have lost in order to try to bring it back. It is not only our land and houses that have been snatched away from us, but our whole lives which have sunk beneath the hot mud. When our representatives continue to reduce the level of our demands, it just leaves us as beggars who place their hopes on the good intentions of the state and corporations to pay for something which actually should already be ours. That is a clear sign that we have strayed a long way from being able to assert the freedom to define how we want to reclaim our lives.
The mass media’s populist mediation has also been proven not to have any effect whatsoever, and just means that we are regarded as objects of fun more entertaining than the popular comedy TV show Opera Van Java. This keeps us at a safe distance from the direct action we could otherwise be taking motivated by our disgust at the state’s lack of support and the corporate imbeciles.
Instead of keeping on fighting the corporate abuse on a playing field that will never let us win, we could take a different kind of action that is not restricted to imagining old concepts that clearly will not bring about our freedom. It is as if it were a football match – using the state, the concept of representatives and the mainstream media for the struggle is just like competing away, in a stadium full of supporters of the home team, and with a referee who has been paid to let the home team win. We will always be the losing team in a place like that.
Forget the old imagination, which can no longer bring about change. In order to keep up the combat against corporate greed which is protected by the state, we have to escape from the traps which during the last six years have held back our ideas for struggle, preventing them from moving forward. We need to produce once more direct actions that attack the heart of the corporation, and be a threat once more to the continuance of structures that oppress us, without mediation from anybody other than ourselves. More than six years sine the Lapindo victims’ struggle started, instead of always being shocked each time we lose, it is not going overboard to try to find out if we still have the possibility to win. At least it couldn’t be worse than crying on live TV after walking all the way from Porong to Jakarta, right?


Complete CEO : The Executive's Guide to Consistent Peak Performance
Üye Girişi yapın, temin süresi ve fiyatını size bildirelim.
Üye Girişi yapın, sizi bu ürün stoklarımıza girdiğinde bilgilendirelim.
Temin süremiz 28 - 42 iş günü
Yayıncı Capstone ( 04 / 2006 ) ISBN 9781841127286 | 15,19x23,01x1,8 cm. | İngilizce | 260 Sayfa | Türler İş Yönetimi
Business success comes neither easily nor Quickly What is needed is at least a practical guide to achieving peak performance recognising your Starting Point and Telling you What is required to achieve your goals. The Complete CEO does exactly this by providing a comprehensive framework against which any business leader can assess their strengths and weaknesses. The Complete CEO combines invaluable insights from some of the most successful CEOs in North America and Northern Europe along with the authors' extensive knowledge and experience to create a complete programme for you and your business to achieve peak corporate and individual performance. The Complete CEO distils learning built up over the last ten years from 1000 leaders of the world's largest quoted companies. By comparing the ways these leaders ran their bus...


Paramount Refreshment Solutions offers a wide variety of commercial grade coffee and espresso machines, water coolers, ice machines, and cleaning supplies to help you create a memorable experience for your guests. You’ll receive high quality products from great brands delivered at a frequency that will best meet your needs.Our delivery service will include everything you need to provide exemplary service to your guests. You can expect complete beverage service including coffee grounds, teas, sweeteners, and creamers, along with any necessary filters and paper products. We have a great variety of green, black, and herbal teas, and even offer snacks of all kinds. If you’d like to find out more about our full product line and how we can help you maximize efficiency, or would like to schedule a free demo, give us a call!
Paramount provides us with a wide assortment of services, including coffee and vending. Their service is prompt, professional and courteous.”
Paramount Coffee features a full line of quality products. What separates them from the rest is their excellent service – it is consistently prompt and dependable.”
Paramount Coffee Service takes care of all our breakroom needs so we can focus on what we do best – practice law!”


User review on Honda City written by Rajeev Sivadasan (Guest) on 15 July 2015
Rajeev Sivadasan (Guest)'s review on Honda City SV MT Diesel
Year of Manufacture : 2014 | Driven no. of Kms. : 15000
- Pros: Looks and reviews by leading auto journals.
- Cons: Hard feeling negotiating Pot holes.
I use the car for city and highway drives. Wonder if any one is getting the claimed mileage of 17km by the company. The maximum I got is 13.2/L. A creaking noise from the dash board remains an irritant. The car takes pot holes HARD at slow speeds. Highway drives are enjoyable.


TALLAHASSEE -- A painting of Florida House Minority Leader Perry Thurston will be hung in the House Democrats' office.
Florida Current reporter Bill Cotterell caught artist Tamaki Reid showing the portrait to him and snapped a photo, which he shared with us.
Thurston spokesman Mark Hollis said the painting is not yet complete and could not provide the cost or where exactly in the office suite it would be hung.
Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, will continue to serve as the minority for the next year. He lead the Democrats' slow down of House business this week to protest the lack of a health care deal.


Pure Dance Tickets
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DEAD BABY FROG (2017)
This is my third show. It's about the women in my family and my psychopathic grandfather. It's about emotional abuse. WITH JOKES.
I performed it at the Bedlam Theatre in Edinburgh '17 and toured it around the UK in 2017 and 2018, followed by a Denmark tour.
It was filmed at 2Northdown in London in front of a lovely audience.
Music created by Mary Moos.
SHIMMER SHATTER (2016)
This is my second ever show. It is about being an introverted weirdo. It is about family and daddy issues. It's funny. I love it. You should buy it.
If you saw this at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016, know that it is almost a completely different show.
Filmed in front of an audience consisting exclusively of listeners of the Made of Human Podcast at the Phoenix Artist Club in London on February 13th 2017.


Amita has been providing management consulting services for 15 years to public sector and private sector clients. Her experience is focused on developing economic assessments for capital-intensive infrastructure projects across multiple industries, and feasibility studies for new markets entry. Amita is the CFO and director of quantitative research at STUDIOFYNN where her experience provides data driven insights around socio economic issues.
She has worked on several community service projects in the US and India, designed to identify unmet needs with regards to education, health and hygiene, and ways and means to raise funds to service the needs.
Amita holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Delhi, India. She completed her post-graduate studies in Washington DC. She holds a Master’s degree in Operations Research, and a Doctorate in Systems Engineering from The George Washington University. Amita has also taught graduate level courses in engineering economics and decision analysis at the George Washington University.


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Dare I say that it has felt autumnal the last few mornings. I am not sure about anyone else but I was surprised to find that actually, the feeling felt okay inside. I thought perhaps I may want to hold tightly to summer, and I suppose a part of me does, really, but actually there is also much joy in moving on and letting go and opening to the wonderful seasonal changes ahead.
This concept of letting go has arisen quite frequently in my life recently. Perhaps that is the nature of pregnancy, such a huge transition from one way of being to another, that I am frequently faced with the task of letting go of how things have been, of getting away with late nights for example, of drinking wine when returning from a busy and chaotic day in the office to unwind, of calming all the ideas buzzing in my mind for Yoga workshops, classes and Reiki attunements and also for that endless desire to travel and attend courses myself - I thin of Nepal and ,my heart literally feels sad, sad that once again I won't be able to visit this year.
It would be easy to get caught up in all the letting go, in fact I know I have done, there has been frustration and weeping, the very process encourages both, but I also know that you need to let go to let the new enter, and the new, albeit quite unknown (and perhaps that is the problem, fear of the unknown) looks very promising indeed. I can't wait, ,my whole life I have been waiting, so of course I can wait, but you know what I mean, I am very much, incredibly in fact, looking forward to a new way of living with E and the bean, because it is so full of potential and love and joy and all those marvellous things, albeit taking me far away from my comfort zone! But perhaps I need to be letting go of that too, of the idea of what is next. Perhaps it is all a process of letting go.
Letting go is an interesting one, and I am very thankful for my limited - yes - Buddhist practice and my asana practice, which have both helped enormously with the concept but also the process of letting go. To me this is the joy of the spiritual practice. It is not easy, never easy, would be easier to run away from it indeed, but if you go through it, raw and open as it encourages you to be, well it offers so much to you, to the spirit, to life, to your experience of life, it helps to enlighten you, literally, lighten and then enlighten, shining spirit, clarity, clearer mind and essentially a greater strength and connection to the truth.
Let's face it, everything changes. The greatest joke is to imprison ourselves in the understanding, the mental formation, that we stay the same. We don't. Life doesn't. I suppose it can, but are we truly alive to the moment? Everything changes, the weather, the seasons, nature, everything ebbs and flows, there is movement, energy, transformation. And how about how we see ourselves, how we place ourselves in this world, as "success" or not, as this or that, as mothers, fathers, children, managers, workers, wealthy, poor, successful, how do we define all this, and doesn't this all change too, at some point we have to let go of our parents, of our children, of what we do when we retire, of our ability to move in the same way we may have done as a child, well Yoga may help keep us agile though of course, but you know what I mean, it all falls away eventually. Life is series of letting go moment.
I have been truly inspired by Jack Kornfield's book, "After the Ecstasy, the Laundry", in which he quotes one Western lama who came out of seven years of silent retreat to travel and teach for seven more: "The biggest surprise for me was how much I still needed to trust. For years I thought spiritual life was about some special state of perfection or enlightenment. It is really about releasing attachment. Life doesn't depend on what you do. The big illusions we strive for, whether in the world or our spiritual life, turn out to be false. When you learn to let go, you find tremendous faith in the ground of all things, that which is true before and after all our plans. Everything arises and passes - this is the true perfection. I found I could trust this."
So we can take comfort in the fact that everything does arise and pass. In those moments of darkness, when we feel we have been given a rubbish hand, well we can sit back and breathe and remember that this will pass too. It all passes. The breath is a constant, from the moment we are born to the moment we die, so sit with your breath, and practice, take to your mat and practice, the body is a marvellous tool for helping us to feel connected, helping us to let go, helping us to be present and helping us to awaken to our heart and every moment.
To quote Jack Kornfield, "Wise letting go is not a detached removal from life. It is the heart's embrace of life itself, a willing opening to the full reality if the present. This is the wisdom of the Tao:
Rushing into action, you fail.
Trying to grasp things, you lose them.
Therefore the master takes action by letting things
take their course.
She remains as calm at the end as at the beginning.
(tr. Stephen Mitchell)."
So with that in mind, I shall take myself to my mat to sit with my breath for a while, before moving a little and being open to what arises, and what passes, the pain in my sacrum, the stretching of my stomach muscles as the bean grows inside, his/her gentle kicking when the singing blow resonates its sound, and then out into the world, an August morning with rain cleansing the earth and feeding the garden outside. - this too will pass, well let us hope so anyway, high tide this evening would be wonderful with the sun shining!!!!
With much gratitude.


The paper letter is dead, the fax is obsolete, and I can't remember the last time I sharpened a pencil. And yet paper forms abound—leases, receipts, agreements of all sorts. Ricoh thinks their tablet will end it all.
The eQuill uses the same guts as the Kindle—mostly. Its screen is much faster, so flipping through pages of dull text to get to the important stuff is easier. You can also write directly on the eQuill's screen with a stylus, making it a viable replacement for... anything else you'd need to sign. After edited on the tablet, a given form is whisked away to the cloud, where it's transferred and processed just like its paper counterpart would be. Only, you know, without making trees cry.
The eQuill's just a prototype for now, but I imagine there are plenty of companies that'd like to make things easier for them (and you) by ditching paper. [All Things D]


Grades: PK | 15 students
GBA Kids become educated in a caring, Christian setting by degreed teachers trained in early childhood.
Fun developmentally beneficial courses are offered before and after academic times each day.
Our preschool is open year round to offer the student who missed preschool during the year or needs a little reviewing before kindergarten the opportunity to attend.
Our smaller classes guarantee your child more one on one attention from their teacher.
|School Type||School with Special Program Emphasis|
|School Membership(s)School Assoc.||American Association of Christian Schools (AACS)
Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
|Total Students||15 students|
|Student Body Type||Co-ed|
|% Students of Color||
State avg.: 37%
Academics and Faculty
|Total Classroom Teachers||2 teachers|
|Student : Teacher Ratio||8:1
National avg.: 13:1
|% Faculty w/Advanced Degree||
|Average Class Size||6 students|
|Classroom Dress Code||Casual|
Finances and Admission
|Admission Deadline||None / Rolling|
|Yearly Tuition Cost||$6,500|
|Tuition Notes||Extracurricular programs are offered before and after academic class times.|
|Admissions Director||Elizabeth Rawls|
|Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.||1 extracurriculars|
|ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.||Morning Glory Society Morning Glory Society,
- Our school is open to children whos parents desire a good foundation with a Christian influence to prepare for kindergarten. We will admit three and four year olds who are potty trained to our program.
Nearby Private Schools
- School Location Miles Grades Students
La PorteGrades: PK-K | 36 students
930 S 14th St
La Porte, TX 77571
Deer ParkGrades: NS-PK
602 S Pasadena Blvd.
Deer Park, TX 77536
BaytownGrades: PK-8 | 145 students
1811 Carolina St
Baytown, TX 77520
PasadenaGrades: PK-12 | 379 students
7500 Fairmont Pkwy
Pasadena, TX 77505
PasadenaGrades: NS-K | 320 students
3868 Space Center Blvd.
Pasadena, TX 77505


So – after a five month gap I’m finally sculpting again!
Due to a new edition to the family (namely – Izzzy the wonder dog) all our time has been spent getting her settled to family life and house trained, please to say the pup is happy and work can commence without dog wanting attention all the time.
The current project is “The Western Girl” based on an photograph of Annie Oakley, its a low relief sculpt set on an oval base.
The inspiration for this style of presentation has come from seeing a work sculpted by Bill Merklein which had been painted my Penny Meyer. Apart from being an elegant way to show off the work its also a joy to be able take the thickness of the figure right down to almost nothing thanks to the base (which allows me far more scope to achieve depth).
The image I’m working from is a profile shot of Oakley when she appeared in a stage melodrama, I will not be sculpting it “as is” but I will be producing an artist interpretation of it from a number of similar images.
At this moment the base has been shaped from original grey “Sculpey Firm” which has been fired and sanded to shape. The outline of the figure has been produced (from Sculpey firm and a Fimo light green mix) and a rough sculpt rendered to find the shape and depth of the face. This is my first profile sculpt and is already throwing up new but really interesting challenges, I’ve so far only done full face and 3/4 head sculpts which allows you to simply sculpt as normal, profile however demands a far more subtle approach, especially around the eye region to suggest depth rather that actually sculpt it (more on in a later post).
Here is the progress so far, a few hours in and time to take a photo to show the truth of the what I’ve produced, rough and ready with a lot mistakes to correct before the real work starts – but so far – so good!
I will be posting more regularly form now on – so until the next time – wishing you all good health and happiness…


ECMA has approved the 5th edition of ECMAScript. This includes the native support of JSON. This will help in using JSON in more secure way and it will also allow faster parsing of JSON. JSON is used widely as data interchange format. It is used in place of XML. Many think that XML is overly loaded and found JSON fit for their case. JSON has been used extensibly with Ajax.
Number of JSON libraries came for using JSON in secure way. You can find various libraries in different languages at Json.org website. But now with the support of JSON in newer browser, using JSON become more enjoyable for developers.
Check here for more on the recent development in JSON.


Junk Email Filter
Plugins - Vadmin|
Category: Administrator's Relief
Vadmin is a control panel system that fits inside of SquirrelMail. It comes with features that allow system administrators to create, manage and delete user accounts amongst many other things. It can also be extended to manage any other aspects of the environment in which it is installed.
Vadmin is designed to support any number of system architectures by means of configurable backends. Currently, backends for VMailMgr and SQL database backed systems are included, and a proprietary local user accounts backend is also available. Other backends may be added in the future.
Vadmin incorporates tight security features, encryption, multiple levels of administrators, and many convenient options to make the life of an administrator easier. It also provides users with optional helpful features such as password change, auto-responder and mail forwarding systems.
This plugin also allows domain customizations so login pages look different depending on which URI it is being accessed at. This makes it very convenient to have just one SquirrelMail install per every virtual domain.
A sampling of features in Vadmin are as follows:
- Manage multiple domains
- Multiple levels of administrators
- Administrators can be assigned to one or more domains
- Extensible (can add custom modules that allow access to things such as database management, DNS management, server management, etc.)
- Manage image on login screen for each domain
- Add account/add multiple accounts
- Create aliases
- Delete account/delete multiple accounts
- Search for user account(s)
- Paginated accounts list (detailed or quick view)
- Control user access to autoresponder/password change/mail forwarding
- View/edit user webmail preferences (does not matter whether they are stored in a database or file based)
- Show users who have never logged in or only those that have logged in (webmail only)
- Extensible account attribute system (can add custom account settings to match mail system backend)
- Manage account quotas, SMTP/POP/IMAP/webmail access, password, forwards, webmail preference settings, etc.
- Parent/child account mangement (with add-on)
- Many Vadmin backends can be used to enable user signup systems
- Much, much more!
The latest version of this plugin is always available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/vadmin-plugin/
by Paul Lesniewski on Mar 6, 2010
Please support this plugin's development: Donate to this author
[ vadmin-3.0-1.4.0.tar.gz tarball (6576 d/l) Help ]
Requires: SquirrelMail 1.4.0+, Compatibility 2.0.14+, Apache Web Server, PHP 4.1.0+ with dba (--enable-dba), and a suitable system management backend
Description: Massive upgrade in features and functionality, including but not limited to:
- Ensure compatibility with SquirrelMail 1.5.2+ (no guarantees about versions 1.5.0 and 1.5.1)
- Added flexible backend functionality; implemented SQL backend
- Several functionality changes, tweaks and adjustments accompany the addition of flexible backends - keep your eye out!
- Removed functionality from setup.php
- Remove use of require_once
- Removed needless includes after validate.php
- Added pagination on the list of all users
- Added option to sort by last login date
- Webmail stats (last login/total logins)
- Added ability to view/edit webmail preferences
- Customizable extra user fields
- Dictate "displayable" fields per admin type
- "Previous" links added everywhere for better navigation
- Customized login page settings compatible with the Login Manager (Vlogin) plugin (Vadmin settings by admin user will override what is in Login Manager)
- Search for users! (using wildcard *)
- Lookup only active or inactive (webmail) users
- Other plugins can add their own custom modules
- Added "quick list" domain account listing
- Added ability to add multiple users at once from file or cut-n-paste list
- Lots more that I forgot to add to this list
by Konstantin Riabitsev on Nov 25, 2003
[ vadmin-1.9.2.tar.gz tarball (11818 d/l) Help ]
Requires: SquirrelMail 1.4, dba extensions (gdbm)
This is a much enhanced 2.0 version of the plugin (stable beta).
by Konstantin Riabitsev on Oct 27, 2002
[ vadmin-v1.0.2.tar.gz tarball (8364 d/l) Help ]
Requires: SquirrelMail-1.2.8, php-4.1, vmailmgr
Updated to work with register_globals = off and squirrelmail-1.2.8
by Konstantin Riabitsev on Mar 23, 2002
[ This version is not available. You might be able to get it by asking on the "squirrelmail-plugins" mailing list or by contacting the author. ]
Requires: SquirrelMail-1.2.x, qmail, vmailmgr, courier-imap, libmcrypt
- works with php-4.1.x
- Change password option is using newer format on the options page.
If you have problems with the download or decompressing...
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- Right-click on the file, then select "Save Target As"
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