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Neil Jameson, Executive Director of Citizens UK, awarded a CBE
Posted by Esmat Jeraj 685pc on January 05, 2016
It is with great pride and pleasure that we congratulate Neil Jameson, our Executive Director, on receiving this well-deserved award in recognition of his services to the community and social justice. Neil has been the inspiration behind Citizens UK which has pioneered the development of Broad Based Community Organising in the UK. This development is based on the principles laid down in the USA by Saul Alinsky and Ed Chambers of the Industrial Areas Foundation and adapting their approach to the UK context.
He commenced this work in 1989 when the organisation was called the Citizens Organising Foundation. He has led the organisation through many ups and downs until we have now reached a place of stability and recognition. Neil's vision has been to see Civil Society taking its place on the national stage, alongside the two other dominant players – the State and the Market. Civil Society has a key role to play in honouring those who commit themselves to public service and the wealth creators in business, but also in challenging and holding to account those who fail to deliver the common good or exploit the ordinary citizen.
Not only has he established Community Organising in the UK, but crucially he has developed a new profession – that of Community Organiser – as an alternative to that of traditional party politics, a profession which has attracted some of the most talented young people in our society with a commitment to the politics of social justice. Citizens UK is strictly non-partisan in its work and action.
The key to developing the role of Civil Society is the emphasis Neil has placed on the training and development of leaders from our member institutions – primarily of faith, education and labour. Leaders take the initiative in deciding which issues need to be tackled, in setting priorities for action and in designing winnable targets. Many of these actions have been local neighbourhood issues – such as getting a zebra crossing outside a school. But others have been major initiatives – such as the introduction in 2001 of the Living Wage as a means of intervening in the market to tackle the scourge of low pay.
A mark of our membership is its diversity – Jews, Christians, Muslims working together for the common good with students from primary to higher education and trades union branches. It is difficult to imagine a better way of developing social cohesion in local communities.
Annually over 8,000 trained volunteers take action in their local communities, in regions or at a national level. This not only develops the skills and confidence of each volunteer but also strengthens the health of the member institutions from which they come. Getting citizens and their institutions to take part in public life is a key object of Citizens UK which states: 'action is to community organisations as oxygen is to the body'. In other words, organisations should take action regularly or they end up moribund.
The award of a CBE to Neil is a fitting recognition of the contribution he has made to this movement and to the growing engagement of Civil Society in the affairs of the country. On behalf of the Board, the staff and our members – congratulations!
Paul Regan, Chair of Trustees
Gerald Conyngham commented 2016-02-05 12:06:28 +0000
Neil has overcome many obstacles on the way to achieving the goals of community organising and this award is a fitting tribute to his commitment, energy , enthusiasm and commitment to a more just society.
Gerald Conyngham
Read more of our latest news
by Telco Citizens / July 18, 2019
Newham Citizens have written to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to register their disappointment at the GLA's approval of the Stratford Waterfront development despite the provision of 'affordable' housing on the development being entirely shared ownership homes which are out of the reach of local incomes. On April 30th, members of Newham Citizens, part of TELCO (The East London Citizens Organisation), attended the Planning Committee meeting at the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), to register their objection to 35% of the 600 homes expected to be built as part of the £1bn development. While the scheme gained the approval of the LLDC planning committee, elected local authority representatives from Newham, Hackney and Waltham Forest voted against the scheme because of the lack of genuinely affordable housing.
Newham Citizens leaders feel that affordable housing is a key Olympic Legacy commitment that has been abandoned at Stratford Waterfront with viability given as a key explanation, and in particular that 'the construction of large, high quality cultural and educational buildings' bears significant costs that result in significant scheme deficit in viability terms.
They also stress that 35% affordable housing is 15% below the 50% commitment on public land made under Ken Livingstone as part of the original agreement with local people. Also, a 100% shared ownership development is at odds with the Supplementary Planning Guidance and local plan guidance. The gap between local incomes and likely cost of shared ownership housing is staggering and simply not affordable for local people.
The group has asked residents of the Olympic legacy boroughs to come forward and register their views on a survey to be presented to the GLA and LLDC showing the strength of feeling on housing in the borough.
Sean Connolly, Priest of St Stephen's Church in Manor Park and a member of the Newham Citizens Olympics Strategy Team said: "Whilst we welcome the new housing on the Park, it is clear that initial promises of 50% affordable housing have been compromised. We feel the LLDC and the GLA have missed the mark and have fallen short of Lord Coe's claim that the Olympics 'would be a catalyst for investment creating new quality housing, much of which would be affordable.'"
Dr Penny Bernstock, former Director of the Centre for East London Studies, and co-chair of the Newham Citizens Olympics Strategy Team, said: "The cost of shared ownership housing in Stratford bears no relationship with median or average incomes, and we do not want the Olympic Housing Legacy to become another 'white elephant'.
"We'd like to see Stratford Waterfront have an inclusive model that meets the needs of a range of groups, taking inspiration from developments like Coin Street, which played an important role in ensuring low income groups could live on the Southbank. We want something equally imaginative for East Bank. We are asking the LLDC to work with us to deliver a meaningful housing legacy for EastEnders."


Platform as a service (PaaS) is where developers and businesses will ultimately see the true value of the cloud, and the operating system for platform as a service is Windows Azure. The Windows Azure platform, composed of Windows Azure and SQL Azure, is supported by a rich set of development tools, management and services from Microsoft Corp. It's built to be flexible and give customers the ability to run the technologies they choose to achieve the power the cloud promises. To understand the basics of Cloud, these Videos and ebook will be helpful.
Making it easier to move existing applications and run them more efficiently, Microsoft is providing a bridge to PaaS from IaaS.
Windows Azure Virtual Machine Role eases the migration of existing Windows Server applications to Windows Azure by eliminating the need to make costly application changes and enables customers to quickly access their existing business data from the cloud. Today at PDC 2010, Microsoft announced Virtual Machine Role support for Windows Server 2008 R2 in Windows Azure. A public beta will be available by the end of 2010.
Server Application Virtualization enables customers to deploy virtualized application images onto the Windows Azure worker role (single role, single instance) rather than the VM Role. Through this approach, customers can more easily migrate their traditional applications to Windows Azure without the need to rewrite them or to package them within a VM. Once the application is deployed with server application virtualization on Windows Azure, customers can benefit from the automated service management capabilities of Windows Azure including automatic configuration and ongoing operating system management. Server Application Virtualization for Windows Azure will be available as a community technology preview (CTP) before the end of 2010, and the final release will be available to customers in the second half of 2011.
Constructing VM role images in the cloud. Microsoft is enabling developers and IT professionals to build VM images for VM role directly in the cloud. This will be offered as an alternative to the current approach of building images on-premises and uploading them over the Internet. This update will be available in 2011.
Support for Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 in the VM Role. Microsoft supports Windows Server 2008 R2 in the Guest OS. In 2011, Microsoft will add support for Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 SP2.
Enhance applications and workloads with rich new services and features.
SQL Azure Reporting allows developers to embed reports into their Windows Azure applications, including rich data visualization and export to popular formats, such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and PDF, enabling the users of these applications to gain greater insight and act on their line-of-business data stored in SQL Azure databases. A CTP will be available to customers by the end of 2010. The final release of SQL Azure Reporting will be generally available in the first half of 2011.
SQL Azure Data Sync is another important building block service to help developers rapidly build cloud applications on the Windows Azure platform using Microsoft's cloud database. It allows developers to build apps with geo-replicated SQL Azure data and synchronize on-premises with cloud and mobile applications. A CTP will be available by the end of 2010. A final release of SQL Azure Data Sync is set to be released in the first half of 2011.
Database Manager for SQL Azure is a new lightweight, Web-based database management and querying capability for SQL Azure. This capability was formerly referred to as "Project Houston," and allows customers to have a streamlined experience within the Web browser without having to download any tools. Database Manager for SQL Azure will be generally available by the end of 2010.
Windows Azure AppFabric helps developers rapidly build cloud applications on the Windows Azure platform. – AppFabric Caching, which helps developers accelerate the performance of their applications.AppFabric Service Bus enhancements will help developers build reliable, enterprise quality delivery of data or messages, to and from applications to third parties or mobile devices. CTPs will be available at PDC, and both of these important building-block technologies will be generally available the first half of 2011.
Windows Azure Marketplace is a single online marketplace for developers and IT professionals to share, find, buy and sell building block components, training, services, and finished services or applications needed to build complete and compelling Windows Azure platform applications. Developers and ISVs will find that the Marketplace is an ideal way to monetize and publicize their offerings to cloud customers, and customers will find that the Marketplace offers an array of technologies they can purchase and use in one stop.
DataMarket is best thought of as an "aisle" in the Windows Azure Marketplace that provides developers and information workers with access to premium third-party data, Web services, and self-service business intelligence and analytics, which they can use to build rich applications. Today there are more than 35 data providers offering data on DataMarket, with over 100 more coming soon. At PDC 2010, DataMarket (formerly code-named "Dallas") was released to Web, and a Windows Azure Marketplace beta will be released by the end of the year.
TFS on Windows Azure. Microsoft demoed Team Foundation Server on Windows Azure, which shows that steps have been made toward cloud-hosted Application Lifecycle Management. It also demonstrates that Windows Azure is capable of running complex, enterprise workloads such as Team Foundation Server with marginal effort. A CTP will be available in 2011.
Windows Azure AppFabric – Windows Azure AppFabric Access Control enhancements help customers build federated authorization into applications and services without the complicated programming that is normally required to secure applications beyond organizational boundaries. With support for a simple declarative model of rules and claims, Access Control rules can easily and flexibly be configured to cover a variety of security needs and different identity-management infrastructures. These enhancements are currently available to customers.
Windows Azure AppFabric Connect allows customers to bridge existing line-of-business (LOB) integration investments over to Windows Azure using the Windows Azure AppFabric Service Bus, and connecting to on-premises composite applications running on Windows Server AppFabric. This new set of simplified tooling extends Microsoft BizTalk Server 2010 to help accelerate hybrid on- and off-premises composite application scenarios, which are critical for customers starting to develop hybrid applications. This service is freely available today.
Windows Azure Virtual Network. New functionality is being introduced under the Windows Azure Virtual Network name. Windows Azure Connect (previously known as "Project Sydney") enables a simple and easy-to-manage mechanism to set up IP-based network connectivity between on-premises and Windows Azure resources. The first Windows Azure Virtual Network feature is called Windows Azure Connect. A CTP of Windows Azure Connect will be available by the end of 2010, and it will be generally available in the first half of 2011.
Extra Small Windows Azure Instance. At the PDC 2010 Microsoft announced the Extra Small Instance, which will be priced at $0.05 per compute hour in order to make the process of development, testing and trial easier for developers. This will make it affordable for developers interested in running smaller applications on the platform. A beta of this role will be available before the end of 2010.
Remote Desktop enables IT professionals to connect to a running instance of their application or service to monitor activity and troubleshoot common problems. Remote Desktop will be generally available later this year.
Elevated Privileges. The VM role and Elevated Privileges functionality removes roadblocks that today prevent developers from having full control over their application environment. For small changes such as configuring Internet Information Service (IIS) or installing a Microsoft Software Installer (MSI), Microsoft recommends using the Elevated Privileges admin access feature. This approach is best suited for small changes and enables the developer to retain automated service management at the Guest OS and the application level. Elevated Privileges will be generally available to customers later this year.
Full IIS Support enables development of more complete applications using Windows Azure. The Web role will soon provide full IIS functionality, which enables multiple IIS sites per Web role and the ability to install IIS modules. The full IIS functionality enables developers to get more value out of a Windows Azure instance. Full IIS Support will be generally available to customers later this year.
Windows Server 2008 R2 Roles. Windows Azure will now support Windows Server 2008 R2 in its Web, worker and VM roles. This new support will enable customers to take advantage of the full range of Windows Server 2008 R2 features such as IIS 7.5, AppLocker, and enhanced command-line and automated management using PowerShell Version 2.0. This update will be generally available later this year.
Multiple Admins. Windows Azure will soon support multiple Windows Live IDs to have administrator privileges on the same Windows Azure account. The objective is to make it easy for a team to work on the same Windows Azure account while using their individual Windows Live IDs. The Multiple Admins update will be generally available later this year.
Dynamic Content Caching. With this new functionality, the Windows Azure CDN can be configured to cache content returned from a Windows Azure application. Dynamic Content Caching will be available to customers in 2011.
CDN SSL Delivery. Users of the Windows Azure CDN will now have the capability to deliver content via encrypted channels with SSL/TLS. This update will be available in 2011.
Improved global connectivity. Microsoft will add new Windows Azure CDN nodes in the Middle East and improve existing connectivity in the U.S. and Brazil in 2011.
Improved Java Enablement. Microsoft plans to make Java a first-class citizen on Windows Azure. This process will involve improving Java performance, Eclipse tooling and client libraries for Windows Azure. Customers can choose the Java environment of their choice and run it on Windows Azure. Improved Java Enablement will be available to customers in 2011.
Windows Azure AppFabric Composition Model and Composite App Service provides an end-to-end "composite" application development environment to help developers streamline the process of assembling, managing and deploying various home-grown and third-party services that span the Web, middle tier and database in the cloud.
The AppFabric Composition Model will help developers compose applications on the Windows Azure Platform with extensions to the .NET Framework and tie them all together through a new Microsoft Visual Studio-based designer experience. A CTP will be available in the first half of 2011.
The AppFabric Composite App Service allows developers to take the Composition Model and automate the deployment, configuration, control, monitoring, troubleshooting, reporting and optimization of an application without the usual manual steps. A CTP is also due the first half of 2011.
Windows Azure Enhancements. While developers and IT professionals appreciate the reduced management burden that Windows Azure offers, they also place a high value on retaining the flexibility to see and control how their applications and services are running in the cloud. Developers and IT professionals need clear visibility into their cloud applications, along with a high level of control over how these applications are running.
These Windows Azure enhancements will be generally available by the end of 2010.
"Windows Azure Platform Cloud Essentials for Partners" is an offer that replaces Microsoft's existing partner offers. This offer will go live on Jan. 7, 2011, and provide free access to the Windows Azure platform, including 750 Extra Small Instance hours and a SQL Azure database per month at no additional charge. Partners can sign up for the Cloud Essentials Pack at http://www.microsoftcloudpartner.com.
For more information about Microsoft's cloud offerings, please visit the Cloud Computing: A Guide for IT Leaders website.
Posted in General, Microsoft and tagged azure, cloud, Microsoft, news, pdc10. Bookmark the permalink.
Sounds like IBM mainframe virtual server technology from 1965. I guess the world will not need to buy expensive PC's anymore!


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5 biggest disappointments of NFL Week 11
We are moving toward the part of the season where every game is decisive and every mistake is magnified in the NFL. Coaches are now starting to sweat it out as their seats get hotter, and teams are seeing their playoff hopes get slimmer and slimmer depending on how they do. In other words, the stakes are high.
So who isn't living up to expectations? Here are five disappointments from Week 11.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins
It's fair to ask if the Dolphins went to Tagovailoa prematurely. He struggled on Sunday, throwing for just 83 yards before being benched in a move that coach Brian Flores explicitly said was down to performance. Ryan Fitzpatrick didn't lead the Dolphins to a comeback, but the team received a bit of a jolt when he came in. Tagovailoa isn't passing well enough right now. The Dolphins are still in a solid position, but the quarterback needs to improve.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
Jackson came into the 2020 season talking about how motivated he was to go even further after the Ravens' playoff loss last year. A rematch with the same Tennessee Titans team that knocked them out should have been a chance to make a statement. Instead, it showed just how much work they have to do. Jackson missed two opportunities for touchdown passes and threw for just 186 yards. Dez Bryant, signed off the street, was the team's second-leading receiver with 28 yards. The offense is broken, and these postgame quotes didn't inspire much confidence either.
The Carolina Panthers do not have a great defense. The Detroit Lions have enough talent on offense to at least be competent. Instead, the Lions got shut out, and their season is now circling the drain. Matt Patricia increasingly looks like a dead man walking. It never needed to get this bad in Detroit, but the franchise has completely lost its way — not that it was ever that close to figuring it out anyway. It's time, once again, for wholesale changes.
Deshaun Watson is entirely capable of hurting anyone, but the Patriots' defense was brutal on Sunday. Their performance is even harder to excuse when considering the Texans essentially had the run game taken away from them. That meant Watson was passing a lot, and the Patriots couldn't stop it. Watson threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns, then added a third rushing touchdown. In the end, Houston put up 399 total yards and 27 points. That won't do against a team that has been struggling all year.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Packers
Sunday was cruel for Valdes-Scantling, who made a big catch late in the fourth quarter to get the game to overtime in the first place. However, the wide receiver made a huge mistake in overtime, fumbling away the ball after a catch to essentially set the Colts up for a win. It was, quite literally, a game-changing turnover, and he was visibly upset on the sideline afterward. He has the backing of his quarterback, but that's unlikely to make him feel any better.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Kirkcudbright Galleries: An Artistic Affinity: William Gillies, John Maxwell, Archie Sutter Watt
An Artistic Affinity: William Gillies, John Maxwell, Archie Sutter Watt at Kirkcudbright Galleries celebrates the work of three Scottish artists who influenced creativity through their art and teaching.
Known to many for his Galloway landscapes and still life paintings, Archie Sutter Watt RSW (1915-2005) lived and worked at his studio in Kirkgunzeon near Dalbeattie for over 55 years. A charitable trust was set up after his death to look after his archive of work and to make grant awards to young artists and education projects in Dumfries & Galloway.
Sir William Gillies RSA (1898-1973) trained and taught at Edinburgh College of Art and was a great influence on many of the next generation of artists known as the Edinburgh School. His still life and landscape oils are studio-composed pieces of subtle complexity, while his watercolours are lyrically observed renderings of the area around his home in the Scottish Borders.
Born and raised in Dalbeattie, John Maxwell RSA (1905-1962) also studied at Edinburgh College of Art before travelling in Europe for a year. Like several other Scottish artists of his generation, he studied for a short period in Paris, where he experimented with Cubism before settling on a more conventional style of abstract painting. His works are held by Tate Britain and the National Galleries of Scotland.
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Danny Dorling – 丹尼·道灵 » News » How the end of Britain's empire helped Leave to its initial 2016 victory
How the end of Britain's empire helped Leave to its initial 2016 victory
The collapse of Britain's empire in the decades after World War II was followed by a huge growth and then persistence of extreme economic inequality. Britain's relative economic decline occurred in tandem with the loss of almost all of its remaining colonies in the 1970s and the economic benefit they had provided. The British thought that joining the European Economic Community in 1973 could replace this loss. It didn't, because the European relationship was mutual, rather than exploitative.
At the same time, within Britain, inequality began to rise. Income inequalities rose from being among the lowest in Europe in the 1970s to being the highest of all 28 European Union member states by 2015, the year before the EU referendum. And the UK's income inequality also saw the greatest rise during this period between 1976 and 2016.
Great inequality has damaged the lives of the majority of middle-class Conservative and UK Independence Party (UKIP) voters who live in the south of England. It damaged their lives because it hurt so many of their children and grandchildren's life chances. Whereas their generation, when young adults, could more easily secure permanent housing, start a family, hold down a steady job and – if they were to secure a place – attend university for free, it's primarily because of rising inequality that the next generations in England could not so very often do so.
In the local elections of May 2019 the Conservative party lost 1330 seats, Labour lost 84. In the European Parliamentary elections that took place later that same month, the loses for the Conservatives were even more devastating. When they are compared to the most recent, 2014, European election results the combined number of seats won by the Conservatives+UKIP+The Brexit Party in Great Britain fell by ten. The number of seats won by Labour fell by ten. The number won by the Liberals, Green and other minor parties rose by twenty. Pro-remain parties did much better than the pro-Brexit bloc, and better than Labour (which was pro-Remain but ambiguous).
In Northern Ireland the picture was similar. A unionist pro-Leave candidate who was allied with the European mainland far-right lost his seat. That seat was won by a pro-Remain candidate of the Alliance party. Across the UK as a whole, the drop in far-right members of the European Parliament totalled eleven MEPs. This was the largest fall in far-right voting ever to have occurred at any European election in the UK since the first was held in 1979. Here far-right is defined as being in a political party aligned to groups that are to the right of the main (EPP) European Conservative bloc.
'Leave' no longer has the support it enjoyed in June 2016. This is what happens at the end of empire. Eventually the penny drops. In May 2019 the tide turned away from Leave. But that raises the questions of how did the situation get to this, why now and why here in Britain and not in any other state of the EU?
Please click here for the on-line version of the full article this is an edited extract from, including all references, and a pdf of the article including all comments (comments which often help to make the case for there being much ignorance of the role empire has played). And click 'play' below if you are interested in how these events are understood when the decline of that old Empire is put in the foreground:
Audio recording of Sally Tomlinson and Danny Dorling, speaking about their new book: Rule Britannia: Brexit and the end of Empire, Hay Festival, Hay on Wye, 25th May 2019.


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La  est une gare ferroviaire située sur le territoire de la commune suisse de Bretonnières dans le canton de Vaud.

Situation ferroviaire
Établie à  d'altitude, la gare de Bretonnières est située au point kilométrique  de la ligne de Cossonay-Penthalaz à Vallorbe, entre les gares de Croy-Romainmôtier (en direction de Lausanne) et Le Day (vers Vallorbe).

Elle est dotée de deux voies bordées par deux quais latéraux.

Histoire
La gare de Bretonnières a été mise en service en  en même temps que l'inauguration de la ligne de Cossonay-Penthalaz à Vallorbe. La maison de garde a été complétée par un bâtiment voyageurs en .

Service des voyageurs

Accueil
Gare des CFF, elle dispose d'un abri sur chacun des deux quais ainsi que de distributeurs automatiques de titres de transport. À proximité directe de la gare se situe également un parc relais de  dédié au stationnement des automobiles.

La gare n'est pas accessible aux personnes à mobilité réduite.

Desserte
La gare fait partie du réseau RER Vaud qui assure des liaisons rapides à fréquence élevée dans l'ensemble du canton de Vaud. Elle est desservie chaque heure par la ligne S3 qui relie Vallorbe à Aigle, voire Saint-Maurice ainsi que par quelques rares services de la ligne S4 en semaine qui relie Le Brassus et Vallorbe à Aigle.

Intermodalité
La gare de Bretonnières n'est en correspondance avec aucune ligne de transports en commun.

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Articles connexes
 Liste de gares en Suisse
 Réseau express régional vaudois
 Bretonnières

Lien externe
 .

Gare dans le canton de Vaud
Gare mise en service en 1870

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Noatum Logistics Completes Acquisition of the Multinational MIQ Logistics. Read more.
Noatum Logistics
International Logistics Services
Origin/Destination
Origin Consolidation
Global Trade Management
Global Business Intelligence
Mining & Energy
Retail & Apparel
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Garith "Gary" Garibaldi Joins Sales Team at MIQ Logistics
Overland Park, KS, January 16, 2013—MIQ Logistics is pleased to announce that Gary Garibaldi joined its Sales team as director of Business Development. Garibaldi, based out of the San Francisco Bay area, has responsibility for strategic account development and new business efforts.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Overview
Legal Risk & Compliance
DOJ and SEC release FCPA Guidance
Late last year, the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Enforcement Division of the U.S. released FCPA guidance, entitled "A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practice Act"( the "Guide").
Update on ILA & USMX East Coast Ports Labor Negotiations
Supply Chain Alerts
30 day extension announced
Statement by FMCS Director George H. Cohen On United States Maritime Alliance And International Longshoremen's Association Labor Negotiations
Talks Between ILA and USMX Break Down
Talks between the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) broke down Tuesday over the issue of Container Royalties (supplemental wages). A strike now appears likely when the current contract expires on December 29. Below is a recap of the situation.
Transport Topics Selected MIQ Logistics as Top 50 Logistics Provider
Overland Park, KS, December 19, 2012—MIQ Logistics is pleased to announce its selection by Transport Topics as a Top 50 Logistics Company for 2012. Transport Topics' Logistics 50 is an annual survey of the largest logistics companies covering freight management and forwarding, brokerage services and warehousing and distribution. Transport Topics accurately and objectively documents the size and scope of the largest operators in the United States and Canada and provides timely analysis of trends shaping the industry.
Interview with José Valle, MIQ Logistics LATAM Managing Director
MIQ in the News
Rumbo Minero
Providing logistics services to the mining sector is a task that demands a wide range of resources, knowledge and experience, analytical and planning skills. In case of mining logistics, it is required to overcome many obstacles in the whole process. Rumbo Minero held a conversation with José Antonio Valle Cabieses, LATAM Managing Director of MIQ Logistics, a company specialized in offering intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.
Drawback Claims on Merchandise Damaged or Destroyed by Hurricane Sandy
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provided guidance for claiming drawback on imported goods that were damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Sandy. If duties and taxes were paid and the goods are either exported or destroyed, the goods may qualify for a duty drawback refund under 19 U.S.C § 1313(c).
Employers Reach Agreement with OCU, ending West Coast Port Strike
The negotiating teams representing employers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach released the following statement Tuesday, December 4, regarding the status of negotiations with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 Office Clerical Unit ("OCU"): "Representatives of the harbor employers and OCU officers reached agreement tonight on terms of a new labor contract, ending the OCU's eight-day strike at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Longshoremen who had been honoring the pickets will return to work in the morning."
West Coast Port Strike Update
A coalition forty-one associations representing US manufacturers, farmers, wholesalers, retailers, and transportation and logistics providers wrote President Obama and the Congress requesting federal intervention to reopen the nation's busiest seaport complex. The Coalition urged the President "to take immediate action and use whatever means necessary, including Taft-Hartley, to get labor back to work in the nation's largest port" as the strike enters its seventh day.
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Home Politics Politics News
May 15, 2019 6:04PM ET
Convict Maria Butina Appeals Sentence in Russian Influence Scandal
Butina, who infiltrated the NRA and claimed sway over a Trump cabinet pick, is currently doing time in an Oklahoma jail
Tim Dickinson
Tim Dickinson's Most Recent Stories
Sanders, Biden Tag Team Trump for 'Lying' on Iran
New Impeachment Evidence: 'The Biden Case Will Be Investigated'
How Trump's 'Imminent Threat' on Iran Turned in to the New WMD
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Maria Butina, the convicted Russian agent who last month was sentenced 18 months in prison for her illegal attempts to back channel with American conservative leaders and the Trump administration, is appealing her prison term.
Currently housed at the Grady County Jail in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Butina filed her appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Wednesday. The paperwork, embedded below, does not state a basis for her appeal.
Butina pleaded guilty last December to a conspiracy in which she "sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics" and "to use those unofficial lines of communication for the benefit of the Russian Federation." As Rolling Stone detailed in an investigation prior to her arrest, Butina had worked for years to gain influence in the National Rifle Association, which she then used as a conduit to GOP politicians.
In the lead up to her April sentencing, the U.S. government underscored Butina's claim to have helped vet a candidate to be Trump's secretary of state. A former FBI counterintelligence official submitted a declaration that Butina's "spot-and-assess operation" — identifying key U.S. influencers who could be leveraged by Russian intelligence — was of "immense" value to the Kremlin: "Butina provided the Russian Federation with information that skilled intelligence officers can exploit for years, and that may cause significant damage to the United States."
Butina portrayed herself as a naive, starry-eyed peacemaker, who just wanted to improve U.S.-Russia relations (and get Vladimir Putin on U.S. cable TV). In court, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed Butina's spin, declaring that her plot was "not a simple misunderstanding by an overeager foreign student." Instead, Chutkan said, the Russian had "jeopardized this country's national security."
The case has become a sore spot between the United States and Russia. Shortly after Butina's sentence was handed down, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted the U.S. had "nothing on her" and that her prison term was an "outrage."
In This Article: Maria Butina,	NRA


There's nothing scarier than showing up to work one day to find your world turned upside down by an acquisition or merger. For your employees, it's one of those big company announcements you never had really given it much thought but when it comes happen it creates a huge amount of fear and anxiety. Executives make plans behind the scenes, contracts are drawn up and employees go on with their daily business completely unaware. Then all of the sudden, when the details are finalized and it's set in stone, the workforce is given the word. It could be two months, two weeks or even two days before the actual change occurs but it never feels like enough time to prepare for the questions you'll soon be asked by your employees.
Having been through my share of mergers and acquisitions, I have to tell you that as shaken as your average employee can feel when this change occurs, it's just as overwhelming for HR professionals as it is for the rest of the company. In one acquisition, HR was kept completely out of the dark until just two days before the official announcement. Fortunately for me, I knew the acquisition was happening because my cousin who worked at the company we were acquiring tipped me off. The employees at the other organization knew something was up. I walked into my boss's office and asked him when the acquisition was happening.
Like any organizational change, especially one like a merger or acquisition, HR and organizational leaders must not only display a unified front but also must anticipate employee questions, concerns and potential problematic situations. It's especially hard in situations like mine when HR isn't in the loop at all. While I understand that things happen quickly, however, I've been part my own share of due diligence investigations which is why I knew that our VP of HR was keeping the rest of his team out of the dark intentionally.
With only two days notice, we sprang into action. Our team divided our time between having a presence in the field and meeting with employees within the store to provide reassurance, to listen and to answer any questions quickly before rumors and fear spread.
Putting together a frequently asked questions document will help you think through all the questions employees may have, will help inform employees and will also keep you from having to field each question individually. Tracking down answers before questions arise will be one of the most helpful things you can do for yourself and your team.
Compensation was one of the first pieces of the acquisition puzzle that we began analyzing during the rushed acquisition I was part of, and it will be one of the first things you'll face as well. The beginning stages of the acquisition or merger is when you want to evaluate positions, pay bands, pay by location, similar job titles and position responsibilities. The best case scenario like we had was in the fact that our entire organization has just had a compensation analysis and with the exception of one city all the stores were located in the same communities. Workforce planning and adjustments are inevitable, and while you won't know all the details or be prepared to answer questions about compensation right away, you should have a grasp on what's to come.
Those in the field and on the floor are the ones who will be fielding the majority of the questions, so draft talking points for them that are clear, and helpful for both them and their employees.
Everyone communicates differently, but almost everyone will have a question at some point. Provide a 1-800 number, HR email address or a private, HR specific Facebook page to field questions, share information or connect with your employees. For my team, we divided and conquered setting up open office hours at the different facilities to meet individually and talk with employees.
Utilize different channels to share information and get the message you want people to hear to as many as possible. Stop the rumors by communicating in ways that are convenient and easily understood for employees, whether that means conference calls, PowerPoint presentations, one-on-one meetings, group meetings or in the company portal or social media platform. These should be held on an ongoing basis throughout the transition. Continue to rely on both company's communication tools as distribution outlets to over-communicate everything.
At the end of the day, your people just want to understand what's going on and how it will affect them. Share your timeline so they know what changes will be made and when. This is especially important if you are planning a cost-of-living or pay-band increase.
With any massive organizational change like a merger and acquisition, you can't just visit a location and be one and done. Organize and execute an ongoing plan to have regular visits at all location by different members of the leadership team. The key is consistent support that's accessible and ongoing. Don't be a stranger to your own employees. This includes HR, senior leadership and key members of the change and transition team.


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Category Archives: spirits
A Shamanistic pastor's son?
Isaac Perez descended into the inner regions of the earth, down a spiral staircase, through the forest, over a bridge to the place he had been told he would meet his animal spirit guide. Finally, a hawk with a penetrating gaze faced him.
"What are you doing here?" the hawk asked him. "You don't belong here. They are coming after you."
It was a strange message for Isaac, who sought to become a full-fledged shaman through practices he learned online, which resonated with his Mayan heritage.
It was strange for Isaac, the son of a pastor from a charismatic church, to be seeking supernatural experiences in the occult.
"The Holy Spirit worked somehow to tell me I didn't belong and what I thought was my spirit animal was very much definitely the Holy Spirit telling me this isn't it, you need to get out, this is not the place," Isaac says on a Doreen Virtue video.
Isaac's testimony shows you can't blend New Age teachings and shamanism with Christianity and that Jesus Christ is the only way.
Isaac's parents were both charismatic pastors. Isaac became a youth pastor, but when he began to have unanswered questions about the supernatural, he turned to shamans online.
"I thought that I really understood this," he says. "God created nature, so why can't I serve God but also you know just enjoy this, his natural beauty and all the work that he's done and created."
Isaac began to explore shamanism and thought that with his Mayan ancestry he could blend Christianity with shamanism.
At first, he got involved with drumming circles in nature, then he began using crystals and other New Age practices. He didn't go to his parents for answers out of shame and guilt.
"It killed me," he said. "I kept thinking am I failing God being in this charismatic church, or am I failing God being in shamanism? So, I could really never figure that out."
While he was involved in shamanism, there were works, like a sun dance, which was a dance including fire and self-mutilation in order to be forgiven for his sins and for God to hear what he was saying.
"I sacrificed myself physically either by physical pain through burning, or through cutting," he said. "There was supposed to be some sort of release. There was supposed to be some sort of… Read the rest: Shamanism vs Christianity
Posted in charismatic, charismatic church, Christ, Christian, Christian living, Christian love, Christian news, Christian power, Christian testimony, Christianity, church, church dropouts, church ministry, Holy Spirit, new age, pastor, pastor's kids, pk's, pks, shamanism, shamans, spirit, spirits, spirituality
Tagged animal spirit guide, drumming, God, God in nature, isaac perez, Mayan, mayan heritage, natural beauty, spirit guide
Freed from the demons of Buddhism
Posted on May 20, 2022 | 1 comment
Despite experiencing terrors of demonic oppression as a child, Apisit "Ide" Viriya didn't abandon the syncretic Buddhism of his childhood when he began experiencing clinical levels of obsessive-compulsive disorder with anxiety as a college student.
"Buddhism acknowledges suffering in the world," says the Thai immigrant to America. "But for me it didn't provide a solution. I fell into a survival mentality."
Ide was raised in the Theravada tradition of Buddhism. Raised in America, Ide was told by his parents to always double-down on the teachings of his family, as 95% of Thais are Buddhist.
So he hung on to Buddhism, even when the animism of his village opened him to demonic influences. His parents didn't believe him or his brother when they were awakened by terrors or heard voices during the night, so they comforted each other.
"I felt like there were fingers touching my body," he says on a Delafe video. "I could see two eyes looking down at me."
At the University of Maryland in Baltimore, Ide first encountered an enthusiastic believer. He felt like she genuinely cared for him, but he was put off by her exclusive attitude, saying that Jesus was the only way to God.
He listened to her as she witnessed to him and even attended church, but he also shared Buddhism with her.
In his early 20s, he began to suffer from depression and OCD, believing that something bad would happen to his mom if he didn't repeat a phrase a number of times.
"I would keep having to repeat things as a thought in my head until I felt peace," he says.
He sought help from university student psychological services and got referred off campus because the case was higher level than they could handle.
Thus began years of therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists. At the height, he was taking 12 pills a day to calm the irrational fears. He also dove deep into Buddhism, visiting the temple and praying with monks every evening.
Still, he sought solutions that Buddhism couldn't provide.
While Buddhism teaches the way to peace is by not setting your hopes on the things in this world, it was completely at a loss for aiding with OCD.
Trying to manage his OCD, finish college, and hold down a job, was a daunting task.
Desperate at age 25, he saw a Christian psychologist, who asked if he could pray for him each time. "I was hurting, so lost, I said, that's fine. I just didn't care," he says. Read the rest: Demons in Buddhism
Posted in Buddhism, Christ, Christian, Christian living, Christian ministry, Christian news, Christian testimony, Christianity, christianity in asia, demonic activity, demonic oppression, demons, real Christianity, real issues Christianity, spirit, spirits
Tagged buddhist temple, Maryland, monks, ocd, peace, psychiatry, psychology, therapy, theravada buddhism


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Disease Conjunctivitis Ghana - 1 year ago
Date: Sat 3 Nov 2018
Source: Ghana Web [edited]
<https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/health/Doctors-announce-Apollo-outbreak-in-Tamale-697640>
A new surge of the contagious viral eye disease known [locally] as "apollo" or haemorrhagic conjunctivitis has been confirmed by doctors at the Tamale Central Hospital in the northern regional capital. Apollo is an infection caused by the Coxsackie virus and presents with painful swollen red eyes, purulent discharges and headache, and affects the lining of the eyelids and eyeball. It usually affects both eyes but may affect one eye and later spread to the other. The disease affects people of all ages, particularly those in crowded living conditions (i.e., homes, schools, daycare centres, and work places) and those who engage in poor handwashing practices.
Apollo is spread by contact with the hands, towels, face cloths, goggles and other surfaces exposed to secretions that contain the virus. The symptoms of apollo include sore eyes, feeling of grittiness or burning, redness, watery discharge, swelling of eyelids and light sensitivity. The disease has damaged eyes of many people since its last outbreak 7 years ago in the country. A report of the outbreak has been issued by the senior optometrist of the hospital, Dr. Daniel Opoku, to the National Health Directorate in the region. The report said the hospital had received an increasing number of cases of the disease since last month [October 2018], without specifying a figure.
The statement also confirms some of the hospital staff have been affected in the outbreak and have been asked to visit the eye clinic for treatment. The hospital staff have been cautioned to be careful in their contact with patients and their folders. The staff have also been advised to practice proper hand hygiene to avoid being infected. The Ophthalmological Society of Ghana (OSG) in the region has not commented on the report, and there have not been any comments from the Red Cross Society. The Regional Health Service has confirmed the report but said the situation is being contained.
[Acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) was 1st described in Ghana in 1969 [1]. Its appearance coincided with the 1st Apollo moon landing, prompting the Ghanaians to give it the name Apollo 11 disease [2]. The etiological agent in this outbreak was identified as enterovirus 70 (EV70) [2, 3]. In the following year [1970], an outbreak of apollo was described in Singapore [4]; however, in this case, the cause was determined to be a Coxsackie virus A24 variant (CVA24v) [5].
Since then, numerous reports of AHC have emerged from across the world, associated with either EV70 or CVA24v. These 2 viruses are now recognized as the primary agents of AHC [6]. ... AHC usually resolves without sequelae, although secondary corneal infection has been reported after treatment with topical steroids [8].
1. Chatterjee S, Quarcoopome CO, Apenteng A. Unusual type of epidemic conjunctivitis in Ghana. Br J Ophthal 1970;54:628-630.
2. Kono R. Apollo 11 disease or acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis: a pandemic of a new enterovirus infection of the eyes. Am J Epidemiol 1975;101:383-390.
3. Mirkovic RR, Kono R, Yin-Murphy M, et al. Enterovirus type 70: the etiologic agent of pandemic acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis. Bull World Health Org 1973;49:341-346.
4. Mirkovic RR, Schmidt NJ, Yin-Murphy M, Melnick JL. Enterovirus etiology of the 1970 Singapore epidemic of acute conjunctivitis. Intervirology A 1974;4:119-127.
5. Line KH, Yin-Murphy M. An epidemic of conjunctivitis in Singapore in 1970. Singapore Med J 1971;12:247-249.
6. Wright PW, Strausss GH, Langford MP. Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis. Am Fam Phys 1992;45:173-178. …
8. Vajpayee RB, Sharma N, Chand M, et al. Corneal superinfection in acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis. Cornea 1998;6:614-617. Excerpted from Burr SE, Sillah, Joof H, et al. An outbreak of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis associated with coxsackievirus A24 variant in The Gambia, West Africa. BMC Res Notes 2017;10:692. - ProMED Mod.LK]
Ghana: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/53>]
Ghana flooding kills 34 during heavy rains
Natural Disaster Ghana - 1 year ago
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2018 22:11:23 +0200
Accra, Sept 20, 2018 (AFP) - At least 34 people have died in northern Ghana during flooding caused by heavy rains and waters spilling from a dam in neighbouring Burkina Faso, relief agency officials said Thursday. Bagre Dam is located on the White Volta river that begins in Burkina Faso and which converges with the Black Volta downstream and feeds into Lake Volta in southern Ghana. The authorities open the dam's spillways during annual rains, but the excess volumes of water regularly flood communities along the rivers.
People living along the White Volta have been urged to stay away from its banks.Others have been told to move to higher ground. Seji Saji, deputy head of Ghana's National Disaster Management Organisation, said the situation was under control and teams were working flat out to reach those affected. "In all we have on record 34 deaths and two people missing. The affected people are over 52,000 and we are still assessing the situation," he added. "All these happened during the time that the river overflowed its banks but the rate of spillage has reduced considerably and fortunately since last week and this week there has not been any heavy rainfall."
Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo and his government have been criticised for not visiting victims of the floods. Aid agency Oxfam's inequality programmes and campaign manager in Ghana, Zakaria Sulemana, said the situation required "high-powered political attention". "People want to hear the president, in fact we should have seen the president visit the area to console them or better still initiate an action to ensure that this does not happen again," he added. Saji said Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia will be visiting flood victims this weekend. In 1999, flooding in the Upper West, Upper East, Northern and Brong Ahafo and Volta regions of northern Ghana affected more than 300,000 people, according to NADMO.
WHO group congratulate authorities in Ghana for elimination of Trachoma
Disease Trachoma Ghana - 2 years ago
Date: Wed 13 Jun 2018
Source: WHO, Regional Office for Africa [edited]
<http://www.afro.who.int/news/ghana-eliminates-trachoma-freeing-millions-suffering-and-blindness>
The World Health Organization (WHO) today [Wed 13 Jun 2018] congratulated Ghana for having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, 2 decades after the World Health Assembly resolved to tackle the leading infectious cause of blindness. The announcement comes the day after a commitment from Pfizer, the manufacturer of Zithromax (azithromycin) to extend their donation programme for the antibiotic until 2025, if required, to finish the task of global trachoma elimination.
"It's been 20 years since the global health community committed to eliminating trachoma worldwide" said WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "Although there's more work to do elsewhere, the validation of elimination in Ghana allows another previously heavily-endemic country to celebrate significant success."
Ghana is the 1st country in WHO's African Region to achieve this milestone.
"This success is a result of a tremendous amount of hard work by thousands of health, education and development workers to improve the lives of individuals with trachoma and their families", said Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, Ghana's Minister of Health. "The Government of Ghana is enormously grateful to its staff and to the many partners that have joined forces with us to eliminate trachoma and the cycle of poverty it triggers."
The global trachoma community learnt a lot from Ghana's experience. Innovations pioneered there include the use of height-based dosing for azithromycin; systematic active case-searches for trichiasis involving door-to-door, community-by-community fieldwork; and, intensive counseling of patients found to have trichiasis with an offer of immediate surgery, which produced considerable improvement in surgical uptake.
"Success in Ghana is a result of the strong leadership at all levels, implementation of the full SAFE strategy right from the outset, strong collaboration between Ghana Health Service and its many partners, and integration at lower levels of programme delivery, including community ownership," said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. "Hearty congratulations are deserved for this achievement."
Trachoma: Ghana's story
Trachoma was identified in the 1950s as the most important cause of blindness in Ghana. By the 1990s, the disease was known to persist as a significant public health problem in the Northern and Upper West Regions. There were about 2.8 million people at risk of trachomatous blindness nationally, with an estimated 13 000 people suffering from trichiasis. In 2000, the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service set up a national Trachoma Elimination Programme.
Ghana's Trachoma Elimination Programme implemented the WHO-recommended elimination strategy, SAFE, which comprises Surgery for trichiasis, Antibiotics to clear infection, Facial cleanliness, and Environmental improvement to reduce transmission.
Trichiasis surgery was provided at no cost, a critical Ghana Health Service decision reflecting the socioeconomic disadvantage of people with trichiasis and the impact of the condition on future earning potential.
Azithromycin, donated by Pfizer through the International Trachoma Initiative, was distributed with support from FHI 360 (using funds from the United States Agency for International Development), The Carter Center, Sightsavers and other organizations.
Facial cleanliness was promoted through community events, dramas, the school health education programme, radio messages and radio clubs. Environmental improvement was coordinated by Ghana's Community Water and Sanitation Agency.
Trachoma, a devastating eye disease caused by infection with the bacterium _Chlamydia trachomatis_, is spread through contact with infective eye or nose discharges, either directly from person to person, or mediated by flies. Active (inflammatory) trachoma occurs as a result of infection, and is common among preschool-aged children. Women are blinded up to 4 times as often as men, mainly due to their close contact with infected children. Transmission is associated with poor sanitation and hygiene, which increase the availability of eye discharges and encourage the breeding of flies.
GET2020
In 1996, WHO launched the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma by the year 2020 (GET2020). With other partners in the Alliance, WHO supports country implementation of the SAFE strategy and strengthening of national capacity through epidemiological assessment, monitoring, surveillance, project evaluation and resource mobilization. Elimination of trachoma is inexpensive, simple and extremely cost effective, yielding a high rate of net economic return.
Dr. Anthony Solomon MBBS, DTM&H, PhD, PGCAP, FHEA, FRCP
Medical Officer, Neglected Tropical Diseases
Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases
solomona@who.int
[ProMED-mail thanks Dr. Anthony Solomon for this submission. Dr. Solomon comments: "I'm delighted to share news of the validation of elimination of trachoma in Ghana - the 1st country in WHO's African Region to reach this mark."
For a discussion of trachoma, please see my moderator comments in a prior ProMED-mail post Trachoma - Nepal: WHO, eliminated as a public health problem http://promedmail.org/post/20180522.5810321.
HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of Ghana can be seen at
<http://healthmap.org/promed/p/53>. - ProMED Mod.ML]
Authorities in Ghana fight malarial chemical resistance with new spray
Disease Malaria Ghana - 2 years ago
Date: Tue, 15 May 2018 12:48:37 +0200
By Stacey KNOTT
Obuasi, Ghana, May 15, 2018 (AFP) - Bismark Owusu moves food and bowls from a bedroom and covers clothes and furniture with a large sheet before mixing a mosquito-killing chemical with water in his spray pack. He then puts on head-to-toe safety gear, straps the pack to his back and methodically sprays the walls, windows and corners of the room. Owusu's visit to Domeabra, a small community in the Obuasi area of the Ashanti region in central Ghana, is his latest stop in the country's fight against malaria.
The death of two of his friends from the disease spurs him on. "Why wouldn't I help if others are dying? I am here today helping to eradicate this deadly malaria," he told AFP. Malaria, which is spread to people through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, is one of the world's deadliest diseases. According to the World Health Organization, there were 216 million cases of malaria in 91 countries across the world in 2016 and 445,000 deaths. Most of those cases and deaths -- about 90 percent -- were in sub-Saharan Africa.
In Ghana, which is home to some 28 million people, there were 4.8 million cases and 599 deaths last year, a marked drop from the 2,200 who died in 2011. But with global concern that the fight against malaria has reached a plateau, African governments and development agencies are looking at new ways to step up the fight. That includes preventative measures such as distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and developing a vaccine against the disease but also indoor spraying. Ghana is the first on the continent to introduce the large-scale use of a new "third generation insecticide" against mosquitoes, which have developed a resistance to other chemicals.
- 'Intelligent insects' -
As Ghana's rainy season approaches, when malaria cases increase, Owusu and his colleagues at the non-profit organisation AGALMal are working flat out. The organisation grew out of a social initiative by global mining firm AngloGold Ashanti and has a laboratory in the grounds of an old mining site in Obuasi. There, tiny mosquito pupae dart around in water in a white plastic container in a lab.
Soon they will transform into mosquitoes and be studied by scientists. Technologist Paul Osei-Bonsu said chemical resistance was a major issue for the spraying programme. If a population of mosquitoes is sprayed and just one survives and reproduces, the resistance will be passed on, he explained. "If you use the same spray over time you will have 90 percent of the population not dying," he added.
Programme director Samuel Asiedu says mosquitoes are "intelligent insects", so the new chemical -- SumiShield 50WG -- should be more effective when rotated with others. In 2006, after the first two years of the indoor spraying, the hospital in Obuasi saw a 75-percent decrease in malaria cases. That led to the programme being expanded with additional support from global health initiative Unitaid and the Global Fund partnership.
Currently, the indoor spraying programme targets the homes of 1.2 million people. "We are anticipating other chemicals to come on board by the end of the year so we can be rotating the use of chemicals to prevent resistance development," said Asiedu. Unitaid project director David McGuire said he hoped the scheme "will convince donors and national governments to increase their investment in this life-saving intervention".
- 'Peace of mind' -
Keziah Malm, who manages the national malaria control programme at the Ghana Health Service, says the new WHO-approved spray is considered safe and has been tested internationally and locally. It will be used in Obuasi and Ghana's far north -- all of the Upper West region and three districts in the Upper East -- which are high-risk zones for malaria.
Local communities still need to be convinced about the benefits of having their homes sprayed. But Asiedu says only a handful of people refuse. Sprayers themselves also speak to households about the work and the risks to health from the disease, which can lead to severe illness and death if not treated within 24 hours. "If I go to the whole house and someone does not want it I have to sit the person and let them know the importance of the spraying because malaria kills," said Owusu. "It's very important we all understand that malaria is a killer. We have to eradicate it and kick it out of Obuasi and the nation as a whole."
During the course of his work, he's found everyone has a story about the disease. "I sprayed a full house and the owner was telling me her son died some years go from malaria. He would be 18 years today. She was crying bitterly," he added. Children under five and pregnant women are considered most vulnerable to malaria. Seamstress Victoria Awuah lives in an eight-room house some 30 minutes from the lab. She is seven months pregnant and doesn't need much persuasion to have her room sprayed. "The spraying really helps. It helps us so that we don't get sick, give us peace of mind and rid this area of all these insects," she added.
Major concern as Lassa Fever case reported in Ghana
Disease Lassa Fever Ghana - 2 years ago
Date: Thu 1 Mar 2018
Source: Graphic Online [edited]
<https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/one-confirmed-dead-from-lassa-fever.html>
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has confirmed the 1st recorded case of Lassa fever in the country at Tema General Hospital. Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, the director-general of the Ghana Health Service, who was speaking to the media in Accra on Thursday [1 Mar 2018], said one person has been confirmed dead from Lassa fever.
Lassa fever is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with the urine, saliva faeces, and blood of infected rodents.
The confirmation, Dr Nsiah-Asare said, followed a test conducted by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. He said that, currently, all the frontline staff at the hospital that handled the patient before he died were being screened, while further investigations to trace the background and all contacts of the deceased were being pursued to prevent the spread of the virus. He called on the public to be extremely cautious of rodents and maintain good hygiene. He also urged the public to report any suspected case of the disease.
The GHS in February 2018 issued an alert of the likelihood of an outbreak of Lassa fever in the country. The disease is said to have already affected several countries in West Africa with, over 300 cases and 31 deaths in Nigeria.
The GHS recommended the following to all health workers and institutions:
1. Surveillance on Lassa fever, and acute hemorrhagic fevers in general (using case definitions), should be enhanced.
2. Suspected cases of Lassa fever should be managed in specific isolation conditions.
3. Health workers should adhere to regular infection prevention and control (IPC) measures to prevent and protect against possible nosocomial transmission.
4. Blood samples from suspected case(s) should be taken and safely packaged and sent to Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) for laboratory investigations.
5. All levels (national, regional, districts and facilities) are requested to update their preparedness and response plans for Lassa fever and VHF in general, sensitize the respective staff, and create necessary public awareness.
Lassa fever [LF] is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever illness which is endemic in West Africa. The incubation period is 6-21 days. The onset of LF illness is often gradual, with non-specific signs and symptoms and commonly presents with fever, general weakness, and malaise at the early onset. After a few days, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain may follow. Severe cases may progress to show facial swelling, and bleeding tendencies (from mouth, nose, vagina or gastrointestinal tract), and low blood pressure. Shock, seizures, disorientation, and coma may be seen in the late stages. Complications include: deafness, transient hair loss, and gait disturbance may occur during recovery. About 80 per cent of Lassa fever infections are mild or asymptomatic.
- Lassa fever virus is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with the urine, saliva faeces, and blood of the rodent (Multi-mammate rat).
- Person-to-person infections and laboratory transmission can also occur, particularly in hospitals lacking adequate infection prevent and control measures.
- The disease is endemic in the rodent population in parts of West Africa, and the multi-mammate rat serves as reservoir for the virus.
- Lassa fever is known to be endemic in Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone and parts of Nigeria, but probably exists in other West African countries as well.
- Ghana recorded the 1st confirmed case(s) in 2011 in 2 districts, one each in Ashanti and Eastern regions, then confirmed outbreaks of Lassa fever (see Lassa fever - Ghana: (AH, EP) susp. http://promedmail.org/post/20111220.3642).
- Early use of [Ribavirin] (within 7 days of disease onset), supportive care with re-hydration, and symptomatic treatment improve survival.
- There is no effective vaccine for the disease at the moment. [byline: Seth J Bokpe]
[Lassa fever has been active in several West African countries this year [2018], including Nigeria, Liberia ex Guinea, and Benin ex Nigeria, so it is not surprising that a case has been diagnosed in Ghana. Interestingly, this was predicted previously. In commenting on the 2011 cases in Ghana, the late Mod.CP commented that Lassa virus infection had not been recorded previously in Ghana, but the lesser prevalence of Lassa fever in Ghana was predicted by a spatial-climatic analysis of Lassa fever data from human cases and infected rodent hosts in West Africa during the period 1965-2007 (See Risk maps of Lassa fever in West Africa. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2009;3(3):e388) <http://www.plosntds.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0000388;jsessionid=A18CA8161C084054F4225595CF9E71CB> and also the ProMED-mail archived report: Lassa fever, predictive maps - West Africa http://promedmail.org/post/20090428.1605).
Halting the acquisition of Lassa fever virus infection at its source -- at the village level -- is not easy. As noted previously, getting local people to understand that virus transmission to humans occurs when people are in contact with the reservoir rodent host, the multimammate mouse (in the genus _Mastomys_) or its excreta can be difficult. Preventing this contact requires understanding that leads to action. Rodent control and prevention of contact with rodent excreta have to be undertaken at the village level with individual households. This requires an extensive and continuous public education effort. Transmission of the virus also occurs in health facilities when personal protective equipment is not employed and barrier-nursing practices are not adequate to protect staff from blood and secretions of infected patients. Although no vaccine is available, Ribavirin has been used to successfully treat patients and is most effective if patients are treated early in the course of infection.
Images of the mastomys mouse, the rodent reservoir of Lassa fever virus, can be seen at
<https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/45326-Mastomys-natalensis>. - ProMED Mod.TY]
[HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of Ghana:
<http://healthmap.org/promed/p/53>.]


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India Interior
Craft grows more shoots at the grassroots
Preeti Mehra | Updated on November 30, 2020 Published on November 30, 2020
Medhar artisans create baskets out of bamboo at Industree Foundation.
Women artisans start their own producer companies to shape lifestyle products
Twenty-eight-year old Vijaya from Thanakkankulam in Thiruparankundram block of Tamil Nadu's Madurai district works with her hands, shaping the bark of the banana tree into baskets and other lifestyle products that finally find their way to the shelves of the Ikea chain of stores.
Vijaya may be young but after joining GreenKraft, a producer company comprising women artisans, she has been instrumental in supplementing the earnings of her family in financial distress. "My family was entirely dependent on my husband's income and we were finding it difficult to make ends meet. But ever since I started working at the local GreenKraft unit a year ago, things have begun to look up for our family. I have started saving money every month and we are preparing for any unexpected expenses that my family might incur. I am also saving for the higher education of my two daughters. I am glad that I joined the company. I can now hope to be independent," she says.
Vijaya is among the 6,000-plus women who are part of the creative manufacturing initiative under the "Producer-Owned Women Enterprises" (POWER) Project, executed by the Bengaluru-based Industree Foundation and supported by USAID. The project, being rolled out in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Odisha, supports women artisans and handholds them in forming enterprises that will ensure a sustainable livelihood.
Under the project, three readily-available, non-timber forest produce and natural fibres have been chosen as raw material. The women in the region are familiar with these materials and can transform them into high-end lifestyle products and home accessories that can be sold under established labels in developed markets.
While in Tamil Nadu Vijaya and her mates are working with banana bark, in Odisha women from the Kui tribe produce biodegradable tableware such as plates and bowls from Siali leaves. In Karnataka, Industree leverages the skills of the Medhar artisan community who have crafted bamboo for centuries but have rarely been able to market it in a substantial way.
Neelam Chibber, Co-Founder and Managing Trustee, Industree Foundation, says the initiative is akin to the Amul cooperative movement, though, of course, on a small scale right now. The idea is to form the women artisans into producer companies so that they collectively own what they work for. "We provide them professional management services so that by the time the three-year funding is over, each producer company is a self-sustaining unit. We are one year into the project and at a time like this, when we are globally trying to deal with a pandemic, it is heartening to see multiple entities coming together to support the creative sector, in particular, women."
Using '6C framework'
Chibber outlines the '6C framework' that they use for the project — construct, capacity, create, channel, capital and connect. It starts with constructing or rather forming women's collectives, then training the members in a sustainable livelihood, helping them design creative market-oriented products, followed by creating a channel for market access and capital access such as loans and, lastly, creating a connect — a digital infrastructure that will help scale the business.
The above steps are reiterated by Saroja, a Medhar artisan from Channapatna, Karnataka, who works with bamboo. "We used to go to villages, and forests for bamboo to make products. What we were earning was not enough. If we work here (at the Bamboo Resource Centre), the products will get sold everywhere and we will get a monthly income. I want to go ahead in life, I want to earn more and have my own house," she says.
In Karnataka, the National Bamboo Mission and Industree Foundation have partnered to establish a Bamboo Resource Centre to showcase the craftwork of the artisans. The Integrated Tribal Development Agency of the Central government is also part of the project.
In Odisha, Industree has roped in the State Government's Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project for the leaf plate initiative and has Metro Cash & Carry as one of its clients. Forty-five-year-old Sudali Majhi from Landruguda village in Kandhamal district, who is a Producer Leader at her workplace, tells her story and the difference the business has made to her.
"My husband had drinking problems, the family had very meagre income. My children were getting impacted and that was very stressful. I, along with a few of my peers, started attending training sessions at Industree. This encouraged us to get together in a group to start working. My income can now go towards educating my children. We have also been able to eat better…"
The Industree initiative is helping marginal rural communities tap their potential to help themselves and to better their incomes. And this means a better living index and a brighter future — no doubt, a healthy prognosis.
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Remarkable journey says invest in India


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20-year-old construction worker new to job run over, killed by dump truck
SOUTH LYON, Mich. (WJBK) - A 20-year-old construction worker was killed in South Lyon on Wednesday after he was run over by a co-worker driving a dump truck.
Excited at the opportunity to have a real job, Emmanuel Gonzalez-Garcia's family says he just started working at a construction site in South Lyon. But hopes and dreams for the future came to an end Wednesday when police say he was tragically killed at his work site -- a driver working for Piper Trucking at the same construction site hit him.
"He had been run over by the dump truck. Fire department worked very hard for at least 30 minutes trying to save him," said South Lyon Police Chief Lloyd Collins.
Devastated, his family says the news can't be real.
Construction worker killed in accident on Pontiac Trail in South Lyon
"It almost doesn't seem real to us even though, we're obviously grieving," said his aunt, Mary Ann Garcia.
As the police investigation into what led up to this tragedy continues, sources tell Fox 2 that the victim was wearing music head phones, which is a violation of company policy. Fox 2 reached out to Ajax Paving, the company police say the victim was working for, but the wait for a response continues.
Investigators tell Fox 2 the victim was wearing a wireless Bluetooth communication device but it's unclear if he was playing music.
Before this deadly accident took place, Ajax Paving and Piper Trucking were out working on a road project for the Road Commission of Oakland County.
Officials at the Road Commission tell Fox 2 that their thoughts are with the victim's family, friends and co-workers and that they are waiting for the results of the police investigation to learn more about what happened.


Page 14 - Robootlegs | Amazing Home Ideas Full Xl Mattress. Grey Wood Floors. Pedestal Table Base.
best home design ideas, like Full Xl Mattress. Grey Wood Floors. Pedestal Table Base. Bay Window Curtain Rod. Glass Tv Stand. Twin Bed Sheets.


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A NEW YEAR, A NEW PARADIGM And with the dawn of 2021 there is a new-found optimism to what the future holds for the pastoral sector. Life on the land is always a challenge. We never have a Goldilocks moment where it is all just right. When it rains it is either too heavy or too light or not in the right spot. It is a fact of life. But it is also what makes the...Read more
CLMA: CARING FOR THE LAND Formed in 1988 with support from the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association, our aim is to foster sound land management practices within the local pastoral industry for a productive and sustainable future. We assist our members by: • providing contacts for natural resource management workshops, including soil conservation, species and...Read more
SETTING THE STANDARD Colin Ross and Jo Pomeroy are the type of pastoralists and leaders all industries seek. Ross defines himself by his actions and nothing else. On the sprawling properties of Limbunya and Maryfield Stations, in vastly different landscapes, Colin and partner Jo are setting standards they hope others will follow and at the same time creating a...Read more
Obituary: John Ah Kit
JOHN AH KIT: A LIFE LIVED TO THE FULL
It was a decidedly Territory affair.
John Leonard Ah Kit Born: 22 July, 1950 Alice Springs Died: 12 July, 2020 Darwin Photo: Photo supplied
Thousands gathered in a Darwin football stadium to farewell one of their own – men and women, young and old, black, white and every colour in between, Labor true believers and conservative diehards.
John "Jak" Ah Kit would have been proud to know that he was being given a state funeral and that so many had turned out in the dry season sun to pay their final respects and celebrate a life well lived. But the many who knew him well also suspect he would have allowed himself one of those trademark slightly mocking big grins and asked: how did I, a bloke of Chinese-Aboriginal heritage, born to a poor family of 13 in the Outback town of Alice Springs, come to be honoured in such a grand and moving way?
Jak dedicated much of his life to fighting for Indigenous people; he worked with determination, courage and good humour. His friends and family adored him; his political rivals respected him.
He is remembered for many things. But friends like to recall one incident – the day he taunted Chinese-Australian conservative politician Richard Lim
Jak, who was proud of his Chinese- Aboriginal heritage, looked across to the Opposition benches and said: "You don't like it because I'm a better-looking Chinaman than you."
Lim was not renowned for his sense of humour and sat grim-faced and furious. But Jak wore one of those grins – he was clearly joking and clearly enjoying himself. And that's how he's remembered by so many: A Labour man to his bootstraps, a wit and a joker – but never intentionally nasty.
Former Chief Minister Paul Henderson says: "He liked to mock his political opponents – that's all part of the game – but he never wanted to hurt anybody."
Jak's grandfather, Jimmy Ah Kit, sailed from Hong Kong to the Territory in a sampan and married Jane, a Waanyi-Garrawa woman. When Jak visited China and told the story to his hosts, they told him that his ancestry gave him residency rights in Hong Kong. "In short, 'I had a form of land rights. I'll be buggered, I thought.
I'd spent about 15 years fighting to defend land rights in the Northern Territory, and here are my Chinese cousins suggesting it wasn't too much trouble to organise after all." His humour was often edgy.
For instance, he entitled a speech to Federal Parliament: A Chinaman in the woodpile – or a blackfella in the House? But Jak could lose his temper. He was furious when the CLP portrayed him as a mixed raced "yellafella" as he entered Parliament in a 1995 byelection.
Every Territorian knows that "blackfella" and "whitefella" are harmless, quite acceptable words, but that "yellafella" is deeply offensive and racist. In a furious outburst in Parliament, he called the CLP campaign "disgusting".
Jak died in Darwin in July at the age of 69. He was born in Alice but was brought up in Parap Camp in Darwin – and remembers himself as a youngster as a "bare-footed ratbag." His interest in Aboriginal politics was sparked by Kwementyaye Perkins in 1971 when he was only 21.
"One of the loveliest things I've seen in my lifetime is coming out of the seventies into the eighties, where Aboriginal kids started to wear our colours with pride – the anklets, the necklaces, the watches and the T-shirts," Jak once said.
"There's no second thoughts about 'my Aboriginality'. It's now, 'That's our colours and I'm wearing them'." Jak was a ringer, truckie, painter and tiler before becoming head of the Northern Land Council in his early thirties.
NLC chair Samuel Bush-Blanasi says Jak was a great leader who was "never afraid of taking on powerful interests to help our mob". "Jak's life provides a lesson to all of us blackfellas—it doesn't matter that you were born in Alice Springs and grew up in the Parap Camp in a tin shed with 12 brothers and sisters.
"If you work hard, stay loyal to your people and keep going through all the knockbacks and the hard-fought wins you can lead your people and set the kind of example we all admire."
Jak left the NLC after six years to make an unsuccessful attempt to enter Parliament. A year later, he was appointed director of the Katherine-based Jawoyn Association, which soon won back ownership of Nitmiluk Gorge.
Jak was not born a Jawoyn man but was adopted into the nation by elder Manakalula Alice Mitchell – often called the Jawoyn Queen – and given the name Bangardi. He played a major role in stopping the mining of the sacred site Guratba at Coronation Hill and was a driving force with Galarrwuy Yunupingu in delivering the Barunga Statement, which called for a treaty.
And he campaigned for better health services and negotiated with the Territory Government for the first dialysis machine in Katherine, which meant patients no longer had to go to Darwin for treatment.
Jawoyn Association chair Lisa Mumbin says: "He was a special brother to me." Jak resigned from the association in 1995 to successfully contest the seat of Arnhem for Labour.
In 2001, he became the first Aboriginal Cabinet Minister in Territory history. As Sports Minister, he was known as the Minister of Fun. He served in Parliament for 10 years until retiring in 2005.
ABC broadcaster Charlie King says: "Jak set a model standard for a politician, an iron fist in a paper bark glove … In some ways, he was our Aboriginal Gough Whitlam."
Jak was president of Darwin Buffaloes, loved Country and Western music, and enjoyed a punt and a pint. But beneath the smile, there was great heartache.
Jak had five children: Darren, Patricia, Jonathan, Ngaree and Bardi. Patricia died of leukemia when she was 20 – leaving behind a three-year-old girl, Talisha, now 28 – and Bardi took his own life at the age of 17. Johnathan's son, Robbie, was born on what would have been Bardi's 18th birthday.
His wife Gail says: "Family was everything to him – he had to deal with terrible grief."
Ngaree, who followed her father into Parliament as a Labor MLA, says: "Everybody else remembers him as a good politician, a great negotiator, a fighter for people's rights. "We remember him as a good dad.
"Our house was always open; we were always taking in people. The first time you were a guest, the second time a part of the family – and that meant helping with the washing up."
The final word goes to his son Jonathan: "I will always be proud to be the son of John Ah Kit."


When I found this beauty at a carboot in the Summer, it kind of sang out to me.
On a stall consisting of 3 painting tables covered in, mostly, dubious looking electronic goods, a couple of books peaked out from beneath the modernity. I think the sun may have come out from behind a cloud especially for them and hit them just so, to catch my eye.
But there was a definite pull. So I sauntered over and entered into conversation with the Gent-of-Many-Radios. He told me the bible was old and that he didn't know where it came from. Had he looked inside, he might have seen, but, meh. I knew once I picked it up, it had to be mine and all I needed to know was the price.
"Four quid, love" came the reply.
I handed over my twenty 20p's - he was not amused - and walked away clutching it to my chest.
It was only when I got home, having told The Beard I had bought "another old Bible" when I found him half way across the thrifting field, that I could have a proper good old look at my new religious treasure.
And what treasure it was. I felt like I had bought someone's whole life for the price of a pint and a packet of crisps. And I felt blessed.
Stuffed, shoved, snuggled and stowed inside were not only dried flowers but pamphlets from 1914-1918, Easter sermons and notes in the margins.
Hand-written notes by the owner.
Who's neighbourhood I have since walked around on Google Earth. Natch.
As I crept through each page, a whole pot of tea went cold. I think the sun may have even set by the time I came through the other side. I could not believe that I was now the guardian of this book that, like my Antique Bible , had once meant so much to someone.
I conjured up and image in my mind of this woman, attending church every Sunday and with extra vigor on the Holy and Feast days. Someone who's faith was true and nourishing.
Someone who thought it prudent to place flowers in the pages. Had she picked them herself, in an idol fashion whilst daydreaming home from the service, or had they been given to her by a suitor? Perhaps who walked her back from church to her parents homestead or rented lodgings with a peck on the cheek and a tip of his hat?
Was she a student studying in England? Was she affected by the events in Ireland around 1916 when the I.R.A was beginning to form?
The thought of never knowing who she was, what she became and how she spent her life began to take over my own.
This is the downfall of collecting old things. You have to accept that there may be questions that remain unanswered.
The only thing I could know for sure is how much this item had once meant to Juliet. She had placed important, memorable flora and fauna inside. She had written the 10 commandments in the back - and oh! what a pleasure to see her hand writing. She had copied out the parts that possibly gave her strength.
But, the most illusive question of all, is that you may never know what the former owner looked like. You may never be able to put a face to an object. And there is something about that which I truly love. You can make up it's history. You can ponder it but you may never get the information you seek.
There have been others of you out there that have bought an old item, a hand bag or a dress, with an old ticket stub still in the pocket or an earring concealed within the middle compartment. Or maybe an old shopping list. I have yet to find one myself, but I hold out hope.
But a photo? They are pretty rare.
Except inside this thrifted find.
Is this Juliet? Is this the face behind the collection of items, the flowers, the telegram, the handwriting?
I like to - no - I love to - think that it might just be.
And it has made me want to know about her even more.
Monk's House - The Home of the Woolf's.
I have long since been slightly in love with Virgina Woolf. Not so much with her writings - although there are certain novels that I come back to again and again (To the Lighthouse is not one of them. My A-Levels put paid to that) - but there is something that draws me to her and the circles that she moved in.
So, imagine how I felt when I visited Monk's House - the very place where she lived, loved, entertained and worked.
It may be sparsely decorated, but every single piece brings it's own delight.
Especially as a lot of pieces are hand made as part of the Arts & Crafts Movement. Simple, yet bold, you can feel the creativity that abounded at one time. When I walked in, I thought to myself: "Now... if I had somewhere like this to write... my book would come pouring out of me".
Perhaps that's the truth of it, or perhaps I am actually the rabid procrastinating dilettante I try to ignore.
Sparse it may be, but I loved the humble air of the place. It may seem a little barren, but it is full of warmth. They might have been moderately wealthy, but you cannot tell that from the interior. It's not flashy or grand, but a creative home. And that is no bad thing. Gives me something attainable to aspire to. The items that are on display show how life would have been for the Woolf's and I felt a little like Virginia may, at any moment, come gliding down the stairs. In my head, Virginia moved with a tall, graceful but purposeful stride. She would be heading out to the garden to gather some of the abundant roses. Or going off to the kitchen to make some tea before she heading off for a walk in the adjoining field, which the couple purchased to preserve their stunning views.
Sadly, but also delightfully, all that greeted me from upstairs was the gaze of a small terrier. A formidable, but tail wagging guard that helps the rope across the stairs keep visitors in the bottom of the house. Having bought the house in 1919, the couple made it a 2 story abode in 1929 and travelled between London and the country.
The walls of the living room were a beautiful shade of green and there were lots of everyday items that were once in constant use, now laying as artifacts for us to gaze upon.
Oh, and a mirror surrounded by embroidery. Which has now been added to my long list of things-I-would-like-to-make.
I got the impression that Monks House was somewhat of a retreat and it was not only Virginia and Leonard who benefited Being a founding member of the Bloomsbury Group, Virginia entertained the likes of T.S.Elliot and E.M.Forster at her out-of-town abode and it is nice to see the photos to show them all sitting around, smoking a pipe and discussing ideas.
Not that I know what they actually talked about, but I like to imagine.
One of the most memorable parts of my visit to Monks House (aside from the unseasonably chilling wind that continually slapped me in the face - ouch) was Virginia's bedroom. Separate from the main house it is stuffed full of books.
Books and book and books. A simple room with good light, windows festooned with roses and a clear view of the Rodmell church, there was a peaceful air to the place. A simple single bed, a sink, a fire, a table and lamp and book shelves. Some of which held hand-bound copies of Shakespeare.
Hand-bound by the lady herself, the titles on the spines written in her own hand. Did she surrender herself to days of reading, isolated from the rest of the house? Or, did she spend her time here in depressive solitude as she fought another bout of mental illness? I guess I could have asked the guide, but I was too busy staring at those hand-bound books.
On our way through the poppy laden garden, we came across a significant and saddening Elm tree. Beneath the wall and highlighted by not only a plaque but also some rather fine sculptures, are the cremated remains of both Virginia and Leonard. There seemed such a gap to me, between the passing of the wife, followed by the husband. And then I remembered that, with pockets full of stones, Virginia had waded into the River Ouse one day in March 1941 only to be found over 2 weeks later further down stream. After moving to Monk's House permanently in 1940 after their London home was damaged in the Blitz, she continued to write. Her last diary entry, written on that very day, seemed normal. But, for whatever reason, she let the river take her.
I was jolted into thinking about her, putting on her shoes and coat, pushing fistfuls of pebbles into her pockets and striding towards her death. Where, in the house I had just been so caught up in, had she placed her last note to Leonard?
"Dearest, I feel certain that I am going mad again. I feel we can't go through another of those terrible times. And I shan't recover this time. I begin to hear voices, and I can't concentrate. So I am doing what seems the best thing to do. You have given me the greatest possible happiness. You have been in every way all that anyone could be. I don't think two people could have been happier till this terrible disease came. I can't fight any longer. I know that I am spoiling your life, that without me you could work. And you will I know. You see I can't even write this properly. I can't read. What I want to say is I owe all the happiness of my life to you. You have been entirely patient with me and incredibly good. I want to say that—everybody knows it. If anybody could have saved me it would have been you. Everything has gone from me but the certainty of your goodness. I can't go on spoiling your life any longer. I don't think two people could have been happier than we have been. V"
Had she walked across the fields towards the river? Macabre, I know, but, this is the sort of thing that fills my mind. And I really need to know the answer.
Once we had peeked at the allotment and tried to count all the water-snails in the pond (there were tonnes), we happened upon Virginia's writing room. Well, summer house really. Completely away from everything else, with a large table, lots of pencils and a pair of spectacles almost waiting to be picked up again, The space itself is off limits to visitors, but I was happy enough to gaze through the single glaze and imagine her sitting there. Not that she sat there alone all of the time - as you can see. Opening up the double doors on a hot summers day and staring out across the fields. What could be better?
Well, the fact that you can stay there. Yep. Well, no, not in the writing room. It would be a tad drafty. But you can stay on site in the Monk's House Garden Studio . Situated right next door to Virginia's bedroom,I had a good old peek through the windows to see what it was like (if I had been staying, I would have shut the blinds for shiz) and it's the kind of place I can imagine dealing a hammer blow to writers block. I found myself wondering about who's jeans were flung across the chair and if they had broken the back of that final chapter with the help of The Woolf's.
I left Monk's House feeling inspired to write more, to get on with that book, to send more letters to my pen-pals. But, I also felt a little more than sad at the thought of this beautiful. wonderful place being the last sanctuary for Virginia.
Remember when it was warm? When the evenings stretched out and you could enjoy a Pimms long into the night? Well, back when the season was such, I attended a wedding.
And a right corker it was too. Not only did it have customised Converse but also united 2 of the most amazing ladies I have good fortune to know.
Although the wedding was not until mid-afternoon, this did not stop me flying into a panic about what to cover my body in. I don't know why, I had had ages to think about it. But, I went off the outfit I had decided upon and had to start all over again. Hot, sweaty, sweary rage ensued. You know the type. Where you open your wardrobe and it seems to contain only black bin bags and one green shoe?
I had already made my tilt hat topper, so I knew that I was heading in the general direction of yellow. And after I had stood in the kitchen, raging about time going too damn quick and running out and OH FOR THE LOVE OF... WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE!!!.... I found a saviour of a £5 charity shop frock at the back of all those bin bags.
BOOM! Done and off out the door.
And, after all that internal faff, what a fabulous day it turned out to be. Of course it did! It was stuffed full of C & C and most of our closest friends. The sun was shiny and the sky was blue. There was indeed Pimms. And popcorn and profiteroles, steak and cake and a band who wrote a special song for the lovely ladies.
Even the Queen was on the wall of the Masonic Lodge that was our home for the duration. Oh, and there was also handmade lavender shortbread biscuit wedding favors. How could I have forgotten them? I sure did scoff enough of them.
And, here be the dress that came to the rescue (a dresscue?) An 80's wonder-find bought last year teamed with wedge sandals and a cheap as chips straw bag. Oh, and a crochet brooch I had made that morning, when I still thought I had the luxury of time on my side.
We danced and drank late into the night and I have not stopped grinning about their epic day ever since.
Hurrah for the news Mrs & Mrs!