text:
Proximity that should make India sit up
Kyirong landport, a new Gate to India?
My article Proximity that should make India sit up appeared in the Edit Page of The Pioneer
Modi had offered Nepal a line of credit of one billion dollar for development projects. It was not appreciated. As a result, China has decided to increase by more than five times its official aid to the former kingdom
January 1 is a day for new resolutions. It is also a day for predictions. I will abstain from the first, but indulge in the second. The year 2015 will witness a slow takeover of Nepal by China. Here are some facts. In November 1950, a few days after China invaded Tibet, the young editor of Mother India, (published in Mumbai) asked Sri Aurobindo, the great Indian freedom-fighter and yogi about these ominous happenings in the Himalayas. The sage gave his views. In his next editorial, KD Sethna, the journalist wrote: "Let us not blink to the fact that Tibet is useful to China principally as a gate of entry to India. Nepal …appears to be the most likely objective (of Mao)." It is what is happening 64 years later.
Last week, Mr Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, visited Kathmandu, where he declared: "Nepal is an important neighbour of China and developing ties with Nepal is one of China's priorities in developing ties with its neighbours." While expressing 'his gratitude toward Nepal for its firm and precious support in China's core interests including the issue of Tibet,' Mr Wang added: "China and Nepal should not only be friends of mutual trust and mutual support, but also should be good partners of common development and common prosperity."
When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Nepal for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation meeting last month, he offered Nepal a line of credit of one billion dollars. It was probably not appreciated on the other side of the Himalayas. As a result, China has decided to increase by more than five times its official aid to the former kingdom. Reuters reported: "The jump in assistance was announced after talks between visiting Chinese Foreign Minister and his Nepali counterpart Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, part of a deepening engagement which is expected to lead to a visit by President Xi Jinping next year."
China has three objectives. One, Beijing needs to control the Tibetan refugees living in Nepal and make sure that their ranks do not increase in the coming years. Two, the communist leadership wants to render Kathmandu economically dependent on the trade with Tibet (read China). Three, China believes in 'culturally' infiltrating Nepal.
On the first issue of Tibet, China has already acted. During his visit to the former kingdom, Mr Wang laid the foundations of a 'police academy' to train officers of Nepal's Armed Police Force to guard the districts bordering Tibet. The new police academy is a 'gift' to Nepal, on top of the annual aid of $128 million. The Chinese Foreign Minister emphatically told reporters: "As neighbours, China and Nepal have common security needs... we need to work together to crack down on illegal border crossings and transnational crimes."
In the past, tens of thousands of Tibetans crossed over the Himalayan passes; once they reached Kathmandu, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees would issue them passes for their onward journey to India. Beijing calls these refugees: 'Illegal migrants' and has decided to 'help' Kathmandu to stop the hemorrhage of Tibetans through the Himalayan passes.
On the second issue, China wants to increase manifold the trade between Tibet and Nepal. Mr Wang declared that the two nations should fully implement the 'three supports', namely, funds, talent and geography. About geography, new facilities at the China-Nepal (Kyirong-Rasuwa) landport have been opened on December 1. The China Daily says that it will "boost business between China and Nepal and benefit nearby residents."
The Kyirong port is an old gateway between Tibet and Nepal; the present border post was opened in 1962, when the traditional trade between India and Tibet stopped due to the Sino-Indian conflict. Wang Long, Director of the new Kyirong Customs, recently declared that with the extension of the Qinghai-Lhasa railway line to Shigatse (opened in August), the new port will be a bridgehead towards South Asia. Does it mean that China is planning to flood India with consumer goods through the porous Indo-Nepal border in the Terai? This could be a very serious issue for India.
The new port and the arrival of the train (in a few years it will reach Kyirong) will also have security implications for India, especially if the military exchanges between Beijing and Kathmandu keep increasing. But there is worse, and it is Beijing's third objective, to culturally infiltrate Nepal (and North India).
A few days ago, PTI reported that "security agencies have found that close to four dozen Chinese study centres and other monasteries are present along India's frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan and are allegedly indulging in propaganda programs." The news agency quoted a report prepared by the Sashastra Seema Bal, the Central Police Force manning the Indo-Nepal border, under the administrative jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The SSB believes that a number of China Study Centres have come up on Nepalese territory; 11 of them located dangerously (for India) close to the 1,751 km long Indo-Nepal border. PTI adds that these centres are working in the 'Terai' areas, 'especially Jhapa and Ilam districts (of Nepal), which have strong trade, economic and ethnic ties with India.' Though these CSCs are just supposed to teach Chinese language to local people and disseminate cultural information about China, they often indulge in 'anti-India propaganda', says the report.
There is certainly a possibility of these CSCs soon becoming Chinese spy centres. But there is more. The report also asserts that "22 monasteries have also come up along the border areas with Bhutan in the Indian territory between the districts of East Sikkim to Jaigaon, a small town in West Bengal near the Bhutan border."
The 'Buddhist' centres, which 'are supposed to carry out religious activities' would have been started during the last few years. Have they been set up for religious purposes alone, is the question? According to the same source, some monasteries would have also been constructed near Kalimpong in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, where a Mountain Division of the Indian Army is located. Others have been reported in Malbazar, also a sub-division of Jalpaiguri district and in the neighbouring Alipurduar.
It is not difficult to predict, that in 2015, with the visit of President Xi Jinping to Nepal, the Sino-Nepali 'collaboration' will become closer. Delhi should seriously watch these critical developments.
Labels: Article Pioneer, China Foreign Policy, India Defence, Kyirong, Nepal
The shadowy Mr. Xiao
White Paper VII on China
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The McMahon Line is legal
The Tibetan blues
The Return of General Peng Yong
China: more and more dams in Tibet
Rajaspksa played for China, ignored India
Chinese Wild Claims in Arunachal
The new Delegation Policy of China
An Umbrella Revolution in TIbet?
Tibet: a large native reservation?
The Rafale Saga
Will Tibet ever find her soul again? An Indian vie...
A New Year Wish


Innovative use of Movax SG-75 Side Grip and DH-20 – What a combination!
Dundrum Civil Pty Ltd (Dundrum) is the first contractor in Australia to buy the new Movax DH-20 excavator-mounted drop hammer.
Dundrum is based in Brisbane, but supplies wet and dry hire equipment to tier one contractors working on civil, pipeline, energy and mining projects around the country.
A key element of winning and retaining this business is to have the most advanced equipment, suppled in top order and operated by skilled wet hire operators.
When Dundrum heard good reports about Movax piling attachments for excavators, it bought the brand to the attention of Premier Rock Machinery, with which it had a relationship through the supply and support of Montabert hammers.
Premier Rock Machinery became Australasian distributor of Movax piling attachments, and Dundrum bought a new Movax SG-75 side grip vibratory driver in 2014; following this six months later with the purchase of a Movax IH-25D drop hammer after it completed a project for a major contractor.
Dundrum allocated a dedicated Komatsu PC450 excavator for use with these Movax attachments, and continues to do so.
The most recent Movax purchase, the DH-20 drop hammer, was only unveiled at bauma this year, so the Dundrum machine is also one of the first of these units in the world to go to work.
The Dundrum hammer is fully optioned with tilt of +/-15 degrees and rotation of +/- 60 degrees; and the MCS Pro control system.
The MCS Pro system provides the operator with single joystick control, with rollers and switches on the joystick to control a range of functions. An auto control feature takes over a demanding part of the boom control to ensure that the piling hammer travels in a straight line.
The DH-20 piling hammer has a drop height up to 1200 millimetres and can strike at up to 100 blows per minute, imparting an impact energy of up to 22 kilonewton metres. It has a weight of 4390 kilograms, excluding the weight of the adaptor.
A 1.3-metre leader is standard with the DH-20 hammer, but Movax also released a 12-metre Leader Mast EML-12 at the same time as it released the DH-20 and DH-30 piling hammers. The Dundrum hammer is fitted with the 1.3-metre leader mast.
With the combination of the Movax SG-75 side grip vibratory driver and DH-20 drop hammer, Dundrum now offers civil contractors a piling combination where the vibratory driver can be used to drive a pile to refusal, after which the DH-20 hammer can be used to drive the pile to the specified founding depth.
Dundrum has an experienced and highly skilled operator for the Movax equipment and this, combined with the advanced Movax Pile Pro control system that can be used with both systems, ensures a high quality, productive piling outcome for its clients.
In addition to this, the Movax M-logbook™ can provide the client with reporting and documentation of piling for "as built" records.
By investing in the latest excavator-mounted piling equipment from Movax, Dundrum is providing civil contractors with a cost-effective alternative to either investing in the equipment itself or hiring a subcontractor with specialised piling equipment at higher rate, and generally with higher transport costs.
The most recent purchase continues a long and productive relationship between Dundrum and Premier Rock Machinery, where the expertise and responsiveness of Premier Rock Machinery led Dundrum to initially support its bid to distribute Movax equipment in Australia, and subsequently purchase equipment from it.
Premier Rock Machinery MD Mike Davis praised Dundrum and its MD Michael O'Brien as being a leader in its field in continually being prepared to invest in new and improved technology that provides real benefits for its Tier One clients.


Reachable only by a seven-minute cable car ride from Lana, South Tyrol, Vigilius prides itself on being one with nature. This 41-key eco-hotel, 1,500 metres above sea level, blends into its vertiginous surrounds, determined not to spoil the peace and quiet of this sanctuary to the extent that televisions are not placed in the rooms (though a hi-fi with iPod port and free wi-fi are). Best then to lie back in the warm tones and enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the exceptional mountain scenery.


It's been a pretty awful two weeks for the Cincinnati Bengals as they've lost in differing fashions to two AFC powerhouses.
Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has an injured throwing shoulder.
The Dallas Cowboys are working hard to get Amari Cooper up-to-speed with the playbook.
The Cowboys not only traded for Amari Cooper , but they kept the Eagles from trading for Amari Cooper.
If you ask any Dallas Cowboys fan they'll tell you that things are as low as they've ever been this season as far as morale goes.
The streak continued Sunday , as the Chicago Bears failed to win a game coming out of the bye week for the fifth straight season.
Crunching stats: Looking for clues to Cowboys woes against the Seahawks Welp.
The 2018 NFL trade deadline has come and gone , and the Chicago Bears have not made a move.


Subject: 1541 disk drive commands.
1. The Utility Loader '&' command.
One final constraint is that the filename must begin with an "&".
to the data statements between 210 and 300 and specify a filename in line 10.
and off depending on if the write protect sensor is covered or not.
loader then I would love to hear of it.
command does not exist or is not a USR file.
end of the file differ.
2. Checking that a file is on the disk.
check the error channel for 62, FILE NOT FOUND.
Another way to check if a file exists is to try to rename it as itself.
otherwise it is 62, FILE NOT FOUND. Judge for yourself which works better.
Subject: Re: 1541 disk drive commands.
Organization: Dept. of Comp. Sci., Victoria Uni. of Wellington, New Zealand.
|> 1. The Utility Loader '&' command.
the FIRST block be be transferred.
to be incremented by 1 - the same as if #$FF had been subtracted from it.
and may be the cause of this message.
$0700, but this would depend on how may files you had open, etc.
email: ncull@comp.vuw.ac.nz    Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.


Our in-flight entertainment is available on international flights on our 787 Dreamliners. Keep the kids busy with their own shows and games, enjoy a huge music library, and watch the latest movies and TV shows from the US, Japan and elsewhere.
All of these apps have proven valued travel companions for passing the time during long flights (alongside a real book or watching a movie or TV show onboard), but I hope that you find them a delightful way to pass the time in the air.


text:
Innovation Through Education: Building the Knowledge Economy in the Middle East
Innovation Through Education: Building the Knowledge Economy in the Middle...
Buy the Book: $39.99
National and global political discourse is increasingly making mention of the importance of developing 'knowledge economies', and placing the production of knowledge societies at the forefront of national development policy. Such development aims are being embraced by governments across the Arab world, and the Middle East as a region is seeking to embrace new ways of developing capacity through education. In this report, the fourth in a series of Global Education Research Reports published by the AIFS Foundation and IIE, scholars from a wide range of institutions and organizations set out to describe and understand current innovations, trends, and issues faced in the Middle East as a region, as they take the steps toward educational reform and development. Through broad thematic discussions, examples of current trends and practices, and national case studies, this report offers a contemporary and erudite examination of current innovative practices in the Middle East.
About the Global Education Research Reports
The Global Education Research Reports series is a joint effort of IIE and the AIFS Foundation to explore the most pressing and under-researched issues affecting international education policy today. The series will include five reports over three years with original research from IIE, as well as contributions by other experts in the field of international education, with funding from the AIFS Foundation.
To preview select chapters, click on the linked chapter titles.
Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO, IIE
Bill Gertz, President and CEO, AIFS
Jamil Salmi, World Bank
Chapter 1: The "Knowledge Society" in the Middle East
Daniel Kirk, American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Chapter 2: Different Emirates, Different Models: Creating Global Institutions in the Gulf States (20 KB, PDF)
Spencer Witte, Ishtirak
Chapter 3: Higher Education Creates Higher Expectations in Jordan: Combating the Loss of the Kingdom's Intellectual Wealth (56 KB, PDF)
Robert G. Ayan Jr., Cambridge Advisors LLC
Chapter 4: Strategic Planning in Higher Education in the Middle East: The Case of Non-Gulf Countries (40 KB, PDF)
Hana A. El-Ghali, Qianyi Chen, and John L. Yeager, University of Pittsburgh
Chapter 5: The Role of Internationalization in Women's Education in the Middle East
Haifa Reda Jamal Al-Lail, Effat University
Chapter 6: Promoting U.S.–Middle Eastern Cultural Understanding through Youth Exchange
Sherifa M.B.E. Fayez, AFS Egypt and Dan Prinzing, Idaho Human Rights Education Center
Chapter 7: Advancing U.S. Study Abroad in the Arab World
Jerome Bookin-Weiner, AMIDEAST and Ahmad Majdoubeh, University of Jordan
Chapter 8: The U.S. Arabic Distance Learning Network: An Effort to Expand Instruction in a Less Commonly Taught Languages
Norman J. Peterson and Yvonne M. Rudman, Montana State University
IIE's Activities in the MENA Region (23 KB, PDF)
Daniel Obst, IIE
Liz Khalifa, IIE/MENA
Classifying Higher Education Institutions in the MENA Region: A Pilot Project (17 KB, PDF), Rajika Bhandari and Robert Gutierrez, IIE
Historical Trends in Student Mobility from the Middle East to the United States Shepherd Laughlin and Patricia Chow, IIE
IIE Information and Resources

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Prepare your wallet: Netflix has raised prices again on its most popular plans
While the Netflix price increase affects two of its three plans, its cheapest monthly plan remains the same at $8.99 a month.
Netflix has raised prices on two of its three monthly plans.
The HD streaming plans have gone up from $12.99 to $13.99 a month, while the 4K streaming plan has gone up from $15.99 to $17.99 a month.
The Netflix price increase doesn't affect the SD streaming plan, which still costs $8.99 a month.
Most Netflix customers should get ready to pay a bit more to stream their favorite movies and TV shows from the service. The most popular plan, which offers HD resolution for streaming and two concurrent streams per account, has gone up from $12.99 to $13.99 a month. The most expensive plan, which offers 4K resolution for supported movies and TV shows, and up to four concurrent streaming, is going up by $2 from $15.99 to $17.99 a month.
The price increases for the two plans are in effect immediately for new subscribers. Current subscribers will see the price increases in their next billing cycle. The Verge received a statement from Netflix about the price jumps, with the company stating simply that the increases were made "so that we can continue to offer more variety of TV shows and films." The last time Netflix raised prices was in January 2019.
The good news? The Netflix price increase doesn't affect its cheapest plan, at least for now. The base plan only costs $8.99 a month, but only supports SD streaming resolution, and only one concurrent stream per account.
The price jump comes just a week after Netflix announced it now has 195 million subscribers worldwide. While that beats its nearest competitor by a mile, it is still facing stiff competition from other streaming services in terms of pricing. In particular, Disney Plus has maintained its $7.99 a month plan since it launched nearly a year ago, and it still offers its bundle with Hulu and ESPN Plus for $12.99 a month. Amazon Prime Video costs $8.99 per month on its own, or $12.99 a month with an Amazon Prime subscription.
That being said, while Netflix has raised prices again, the streamer pushes out a ton of original and exclusive content every month, far more than its closest competitors. If you want to change your plan to a cheaper subscription, you can learn how to do that at the link below.
Next: How to change your Netflix plan


Certain believers like to start conversations this way: Are you saved? they ask earnestly. Are you saved? they want to know. And I know what they mean. They mean have I had an emotional conversion experience, asked Jesus into my heart and prayed the Sinner's Prayer. And they want a one-word answer: Yes. Yes, I am saved. That's what they want to hear. And the fact is, I could give them that answer—all of that is true for me. But that feels like such a partial, inadequate answer. There is so much more to being saved than that. I want to give them two additional, longer answers--a Lenten answer (a good answer) and an Easter answer (a great answer).
I have not been rescued from pain, but Jesus has been with me in my suffering and through my suffering.
I have been saved. A couple of weeks ago the Columbus Dispatch ran an article about a man who in January learned that he was dead.1 After working for 20 years in Turkey, Constantin Reliu returned to his native Romania to discover that his wife had officially registered him as dead. He went to court to overturn his death certificate, but he was too late. The decision, the court said, was final. He is, for the rest of his life, the living dead.
Now not in a legal sense, but spiritually that's the situation described in Ephesians 2. "You were dead," it says, "through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived." We were all that way, it says. Breathing, walking, going to work and school, having families, going to church, alive . . . but dead too, in a sense.
This spiritual deadness results in all manner of sinful behavior. Ephesians doesn't go into detail, but you know the kinds of trouble people get themselves into. But sinful behavior is just the outward symptom of the problem. The root cause, writes New Testament scholar Ralph Martin, is alientation.2 People are not in sync with the Creator; therefore we are anxious and out of sorts. People are cut off from God's purpose for their lives; therefore we live out some other story, a story that's not truly who we are. People are alienated from our own true selves; therefore we act out in angry, hurtful ways. The sinful behaviors are many and varied, but the root cause is alienation. It is a kind of death.
But then something happened. The turning point of this scripture comes in verse 4. Actually the turning point of all existence comes in verse 4: "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us . . . made us alive. . ." We were dead, but God. Ephesians says, by grace you have been saved. We were dead, but God. Then it says it again: by grace you have been saved. Am I saved? you want to know. Not only am I saved; I have been saved.
And here's what that means. Fleming Rutledge says, "We have been saved. Not 'we might be saved,' or 'you could be saved,' or 'maybe you will be saved,' or any other kind of 'saved' that has an 'if' attached to it. Not 'saved if you are good,' or 'saved if you are proper,' or 'saved if you are better than somebody else.' Just saved.3 It's past tense.
So the Easter message is not about trying harder. It's not about needing to understand things better. It's not about getting your act together. It's past tense. Jesus died for us a long time ago, and God has loved us longer than that. Are you saved? people want to know. Not only am I saved, I have been saved. Past tense. Taken care of. Count on it. Blessed assurance. Amen.
But what is more, God raised us up with Christ.
Which leads to my second answer to the question we started with. Are you saved? people want to know. Why, not only am I saved—I've been raised. "The resurrection," writes Justo Gonzalez, "is not the continuation of the story. Nor is it just [the old story's] happy ending. It is the beginning of a [whole new] new story."5 You know, raised.
Now before I go on and tell about the goodness and glory of being raised, let me pause to acknowledge that being raised to new life can feel, well, unsettling. Here's why: Craig Barnes says that "in order to receive this new life, we have to stop clinging to the old one."6 So yes, we want new life, new growth, new possibilities . . . but we also like the comfort and familiarity of the old life. Sometimes we'd rather sit by the tomb weeping than embrace the new thing God is doing. There's the old joke—how many United Methodists does it take to change a light bulb? Thirteen. One to change the light bulb and twelve to complain that they liked the old one better. The message of the empty tomb is that we have to stop looking for Jesus in the past—he's not there, he's been raised, and so have we. In order to receive new life, we have to stop clinging to the old one. I'm not going to dwell on it this morning. But I do want to acknowledge that change is hard—even good, holy, necessary change is hard. So pray for us.
What does it mean to be not just saved, but raised?
I think of my friends in AA. It's one thing to stop drinking. That's necessary, difficult, for some it's all-consuming. To stop drinking, you might say, is like being saved. But then what? Once you've stopped drinking, there's still this hole in your life. And now that you're not drinking, you know and feel that hole in your life. You've got to fill that hole with something other than alcohol—with God, with love, with a new purpose, with Step 12 which is taking the message to other alcoholics. Not just saved, but raised—that's what Easter's about.
My mother lived for six years after my daddy died. They'd been married for fifty years, and she'd been pretty much his full-time care giver for a couple of years. When he died, she wasn't just sad--she was lost. After a few months I asked her how she was doing. She said, "Well, I don't cry every day any more. I'm eating and sleeping better." She paused, and then went on, "But that's not enough." And pretty soon she started volunteering at a thrift store, taking on tasks at church again, and babysitting regularly for her grandkids. She didn't want to just eat and sleep and breathe; she wanted to live. Not just saved, but raised—that's what Easter's about.
Soon they started serving a weekly meal for single moms. They volunteered in the neighborhood school. They picked up trash at bus stops. And little by little the church began to grow. They had to get over wanting just to be saved, to just keep existing, and start praying to be raised to new life, new ministry, new relationships with new people. Not just saved, but raised—that's what Easter's about.
And now here we are, you and me, this Easter Day. I've been praying and pondering for weeks about what to say to you today. How to help you see and feel that it's not just that you are saved, but that you have been saved. Past tense. Taken care of. Blessed assurance. Amen. And more than that, I've been pondering how to help you see and feel that you can be not just saved, but raised. That things don't have to be the way they've always been—in fact, things can't be the way they've always been—but God gives new life, new growth, new possibilities.
And then one morning, during my prayer time, it hit me. I don't want to just preach about being raised; I want to be raised! I don't want to just tell people about new life; I want new life! I want to be able to let go of criticism and just keep doing the right thing. I want to stop worrying about my daughters and just love and appreciate them. I want to stop fussing about where people in the church do and don't want to go, and just go where God already is.
I said all that to God Thursday morning. And do you know what God said? Here is what God said. God said, "Okay." "Okay," God said. I wonder what new life you're longing for?
If anyone should ever ask you Are you saved?, you know what to say, right?
Am I saved? Why, I have been saved! Past tense. Taken care of. Blessed assurance. Amen.
Are you saved? people want to know. Am I saved? Why, not only saved; I've been raised!
1 Alison Mutler, "Dead Man Walking: Court Rejects Man's Claim He's Alive," The Columbus Dispatch (March 16, 2018), A14.
2 Ralph P. Martin, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, Interpretation (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1992), 25-27.
3 Fleming Rutledge, "Saved!," The Bible and the New York Times (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998), 180.
4 Samuel Wells writes this of baptism in Incarnational Ministry: Being with the Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2017), 92.
5 Justo Gonzalez, Luke, Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), 274.
6 M. Craig Barnes, "We're All Terminal," Living by the Word, The Christian Century (April 6, 2004), 18.
7 Adapted from Claudio Carvalhaes and Paul Galbreath, "The Season of Easter: Imaginative Figurings for the Body of Christ," Interpretation 63/1 (January 2011), 9-10.


text:
March 1918 – German Offensive
Attraction, Military Trail
March 1918 German offensive Russia withdraws from war with 15.8 million casualties on the Eastern Front.
Spurred on by the end of the war on the Russian front, the German Spring Offensive began in March, 1918,
In a massive onslaught known collectively as the 'Kaiserschlacht' (Kaiser's Battle) offensive, Germany drove three major attacks into Allied territory in late March, April and May.
The Communist revolution in Russia in late 1917 led to the collapse of the nation's armies. Russia's new leaders decided to pull out of the war and signed a treaty with Germany, freeing German troops to bolster the Western Front attacks.
Left behind them on the Eastern Front were casualties some historians estimate at 15.8 million. Battlefields were only part of the toll: most casualties came from disease, starvation, cold and exhaustion as civilians tried to survive or escape.
Deploying troops returning to the other side of Europe early the next year, the Germans flung their forces at the Allies in a desperate attempt to win the war before the Americans arrived to tip the scales firmly towards the Allies. The first German attack in March was launched against the British Fifth Army in Arras (Somme area); the second attack in April centred on Lys in Flanders, and the third offensive in May focused on the Aisne, where British Divisions recuperating from the March attacks were again subjected to severe losses.
Despite sweeping early gains in all three attacks, German forces counted crushing casualties, outdistanced their supply lines and exhausted their troops as they closed in on Amiens.
Australians forces were rushed to the Somme area as the Germans advanced. After exhausting journeys in trains, old London buses, and long marches, they arrived in front of the advancing enemy. Some local French called 'Vivent Australiens! Vous les tiendrez!' ('You will stop them!')
https://www.awm.gov.au/system/files/documents/114%20AITGW%20-%20Western%20Front%201918.pdf
Charles Bean: With the refugees were a certain number of British foot-soldiers withdrawing from the great battle. Some were labour troops, without arms, and it was not always easy in these days to distinguish which were stragglers who had lost their units, and which small parties of tired infantry under control; but they constantly impressed upon the Australians that 'Jerry'numbers were so overwhelming that it was hopeless to think of withstanding them.
Many Australian officers were anxious as to how this depressing outlook would affect their men. But – as constantly happened during this year of surprise – they found that they need have no fear whatever; even those Australian officers who knew their men best, and had themselves served in the ranks, were astonished at the reaction of the 'diggers' to new situations.
One such officer of the 56th Battalion (5th Division), which marched through precisely similar scenes two days later, has left a description closely resembling many others, written of the same days, by Australian regimental officers. 'As I tramped at the head of my platoon, the rain driving into our faces and dripping from our steel helmets and greatcoats, saw the crowds of fugitives hurrying past, and from the little band of my command heard whistling, laughter, and jokes, I was vastly proud of being an Australian soldier …
'At one of our halts, when a group of middle-aged Tommies from a labour battalion asked for cigarettes and said in awe-inspired voices that it was impossible to stop the Boches as "they are coming over in swarms," I overheard one of my platoon remark to his pal: "Struth, Bill, we'll get some souvenirs now!"
'Here, at last, was a straight-out job. They knew that probably within a few days they would be thrown into a battle … against a mighty army flushed with success. Their manner would almost have led one to believe that they were about to participate in a sports meeting. Charles Bean's Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918, Volume 5, Page 175
The final German advances were repulsed at the Marne in mid-June 1918, and the scene was set for the Allied counter-offensives of the summer. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E65


That's about 23 percent of the Land Trust leases that have been issued so far.
Nearly 700 people who have received Chamorro Land Trust leases were not in line when the waiting list for leases was started in December 1995, according to a Pacific Daily News analysis of Land Trust records.
Some of those leases may be void, according to a May legal opinion by Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson. She said the law allows a designated relative to take a dead applicant's place in line, but it does not allow a living applicant to give someone else their place in line or to switch places in line with other applicants.
The Land Trust holds public land for the benefit of the island's indigenous Chamorus, who are allowed to apply for 99-year residential or agricultural leases, at $1 a year. The Land Trust stopped issuing leases until it addresses the attorney general's concerns about the program.
Land Trust Administrative Director Michael Borja last week declined to comment on the possible scope of the problem leases, stating the Land Trust commission members will take up the matter during their next meeting, in August.
The newspaper had asked Borja for an estimate on the number of leases issued to applicants who switched places on the waiting list with another living applicant.
The commission last met in June, where members acknowledged receiving information about leases from the staff, which they planned to review and discuss during their next meeting, in August.
An analysis by the Pacific Daily News, which compared the names of 3,006 current lease holders to the names of those who originally applied for leases, shows there are 686 lease holders who are not original applicants. Borja has said the Land Trust still is working on lease applications from December 1995. About 11,500 people have applied since the list was created.
For the comparison, the newspaper used a Land Trust applicant list it obtained more than a decade ago and the most recent list of leases published by the Chamorro Land Trust, which lists all leases signed as of May 2018.
It is unclear how many of the 686 leases are legal or illegal, according to the attorney general's opinion.
The attorney general's recent review of a relatively small number of Land Trust files, for leases issued in Barrigada, suggests many lease holders could find the validity of their leases questioned.
Of the 101 files reviewed by the attorney general's office, 12 leases were identified as void because a living applicant transferred their application to someone else.
"Because there is not statutory support for this practice, any lease that resulted from this action is void," she stated in a July 12 legal opinion presented to the Land Trust board.
The review also found that 66 of the leases could be voidable because of issues that arose after the original applicant received a lease.
Barrett-Anderson has suggested the Land Trust hold administrative hearings to allow lease holders to address the Land Trust before any action is taken to void their leases.
One lease that could be voided is held by Sen. Regine Biscoe Lee, who asked the attorney general and the Office of Public Accountability to examine the lease issue for purposes of accountability and transparency. Lee has said her mother obtained a lease in October 2016 and gifted it to Lee, for the benefit of Lee's children.
Lee was in grade school at the time her mother, Rosita Biscoe, applied in Piti, on Dec. 4, 1995. But the Land Trust's most recent list shows Lee's mother's name was removed and replaced with Lee's. The updated list now states it was Sen. Lee who applied in December 1995, with no reference to her mother being the original applicant.
Lee's lease, as well as other leases issued in Barrigada Heights, drew public scrutiny after the Department of Public Works and the Land Trust attempted to build a road into and throughout that Land Trust subdivision without first obtaining government permits.
Barrett-Anderson also has questioned the authority of the Land Trust administrative director to sign leases without first getting approval for those leases from the commissioners.
In her opinion, that problem can be resolved if the commission ratifies those leases approved only by the administrator, provided they meet all other qualifications under the Land Trust Act.
But the problem of leases issued to people who changed places in line cannot be resolved by the Land Trust Commission, she stated in her May opinion.
"There is no authority that allows an applicant during his lifetime to transfer or switch places with another applicant," Barrett-Anderson stated. "A lease in violation of this prohibition is null and void and is not subject to the commission's power to correct or remedy."
Barrett-Anderson also recommended that every lease be reviewed to ensure they conform with government ethical standards. She said proven internal conflicts of interest should be immediately corrected to restore public trust in the integrity of the program.


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Celebrities Like Chris Evans, Pink and More Celebrate the Fourth of July: See Tweets and Photos
Happy Fourth of July! Celebrities spent time with their families and loved ones Thursday (July 4), though aside from the typical cookouts and fireworks, some celebrated a little bit differently this year.
Former army brat Ciara, who performed on NBC's Fourth of July special, shared a series of videos and pictures of herself with the U.S. Coast Guard in New York City on her social media accounts. Mariah Carey also used music to celebrate the holiday by sharing a special vocals only clip of her song, "Fourth of July.
Captain America himself, Chris Evans, shared a heartfelt post about our nation's history, while Drew Barrymore created a playlist for the occasion and celebrated at the beach. Julianne Hough and Nina Dobrev had fun in the sun as well, spending time at the pool at BBQing.
Pink, who is currently on her Beautiful Trauma World Tour, celebrated the holiday from Germany with her son, Jameson. (Her husband, Carey Hart, and daughter, Willow, were stateside.)
Scroll down to see all of the celebrity Fourth of July social media celebrations!
What to Watch on Netflix for the Fourth of July
Source: Celebrities Like Chris Evans, Pink and More Celebrate the Fourth of July: See Tweets and Photos
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I needed a haircut. I don't have much hair left, but a little growth on the top of my head can make me look really shabby. A few years ago, we bought clippers and my wife started cutting it. Because of the shape of my head, I have the cue ball look. But, it looks much better.
Now where do we go for lunch with the money we saved by DIY.
As we were walking through our almost rural neighborhood, I noticed that I was bending forward more and more and my back was starting to hurt. It got worse. And when I went for my annual physical, my primary care provider suggested physical therapy.
Having a really strong desire to fix my awkward walking that made me look like more of an old man than I actually am, I readily agreed to go. I was hesitant at first not knowing what to expect.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel where this can be fixed. Our below zero weather with a horrendous windchill has kept me from any real deep walks, but I'm noticing improvements.
Walking through the doors of Orthopedic Rehab Specialists in Holt here's what I found. My concerns about being judged for my age and my lack of physical fitness were unfounded. The physical therapists and their aides are really up people.
My main PT is Aaron Holly, a fortyish health care provider, who has been very patient with me and forthcoming about challenges that I might face. Then there's Joanna, a PT who has been always up and encouraging and very willing to explain what she's doing.
I get a special t-shirt when I "graduate" from my PT treatment. I'll wear it with pride and as a reminder that I can slow down this aging thing. I have to keep up the effort.


When working on the metro most of us feel the excitement of weekend relaxation and sleep. This weekend we decided to spend it at Pico de Loro Cove and stayed at the Pico Sands Hotel. Because beach time is always a good time.
We booked via Booking.com and got a good discount on room rates.
Upon arriving on the cove entrance, we presented our hotel reservation and waited for the shuttle going to the hotel. We didn't realize how long the ride was as the view of mountains and trees will distract you and remove the concept of time, which what we all wanted when on vacation.
After the check-in we were given a map of the cove, room keys, wifi password and their bracelet tags. The tag is your access to all the facilities/amenities that you can use while staying at the hotel. Don't worry about removing the tag at any time you are not using any facilities, they will replace it on your request at the front desk. We then headed straight to our room to settle our stuff and for Herbert to rest because he works at night.
The room was very spacious with 2 queen beds, complete toiletries, bottled water, tea and coffee, refrigerator and cable channel tv. We also had a great mountain view on the balcony that's perfect for an afternoon tea and a morning coffee.
Lucky for us it was already a bit gloomy when we walked around the Pico de Loro Cove. I could say that the place was best for families but couples can enjoy the serenity too.
The beach is great but it was the ambiance that we appreciated more. It was not crowded and so relaxing that you can lay down on one of the beach chairs to read a book, take a nap or just feel the sea breeze and listen to the waves.
We decided to have a night swim. yey! There was a very light rain by that time but there are lockers available to secure the things that we brought, which was free when you're staying at the hotel.
During our stay we had our meals at the Pico Restaurant and Bar which is located at the lobby of the Pico Sands hotel. Payment for the meals are on checkout and you will just be asked for your room number and you're good.
We both agree that the breakfast buffet was the best.
Preferably you can go to Pico de Loro Cove via private car. But if you are not able to, you can commute from Manila via bus. If you are a large group, a third party shuttle can be contacted and rented in Pico Sands hotel to fetch you from Manila but note that they are not always available.
To commute you can either take the bus from Taft or Buendia.
The BSC-MRT Pasay Taft bus is located at the back of the McDonalds building and the DLTB bus is located at the Buendia Taft Avenue corner Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue.
When you reach the town proper, you can hire a tricycle to take you to Pico de Loro. They can be negotiated with the price but they're usual rate is Php 200.
At the Hamilo coast entrance you need to request for a shuttle to take you to the hotel. Shuttle rate is also Php 200.
These bus terminals are both accessible to us but we took the bus from Buendia and unfortunately we were not aware by that time that this take the longer route so we suggest for you to take the bus from Mrt-Taft.
Also check out our experience in Canyon Cove.
Use waze or google maps to know the route and estimated travel time.
It is a quiet place, be considerate with other guests.
There is a free shuttle that takes you around the resort to and from the hotel, beach, and other areas of the resort.
During your check-in make sure to schedule the shuttle to fetch you on your check-out. They are a third party company and may not be available by the time you check-out.
Relax, enjoy and make the most of your time.
Do you know other "weekend escapade" places to visit near Manila?


By Amy Dalrymple / Bismarck Tribune on Feb 3, 2019 at 2:54 p.m.
BISMARCK -- North Dakota legislators are considering putting money back into the Housing Incentive Fund, a state program that seeks to make housing affordable.
The program that was first funded in 2011 has been used to help finance 2,500 rental housing units statewide, but the state didn't have dollars available in 2017.
This year, legislators are evaluating three proposals that would provide $10 million to $40 million for the Housing Incentive Fund.
One supporter of the program is Agatha Gietzen, a 31-year-old Bismarck woman. Gietzen said the affordable rent provided by the program helped her move into her first apartment five years ago.
The Housing Incentive Fund has been used to finance eight housing projects in Bismarck and three projects in Mandan, adding 364 affordable units.
Jolene Kline, executive director for the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, said the program is critical for seniors on fixed incomes, essential service workers and low- to moderate-wage earners.
The agency plans to develop a proposal this spring that will prioritize what kind of rental housing is most needed. If the program is funded, the agency will accept applications in the fall and score them in a competitive process based on community needs and the financial viability of the projects.
"We get probably twice as many applications as we've got dollars for," Kline said.
The agency does annual monitoring of the projects to ensure rents remain affordable and that the housing is maintained.
Gov. Doug Burgum recommended $20 million for the Housing Incentive Fund, with the dollars coming from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund. Burgum said in his budget address the program would help North Dakota develop and retain workers and build healthy, vibrant communities.
Meanwhile, legislators also are considering Senate Bill 2271, which would provide $40 million for the program from the state's general fund. A third proposal, Senate Bill 2302, would provide $10 million, with the dollars coming from a state income tax credit.
In previous years, the program has been funded a variety of ways, with the bulk of the dollars coming through a tax credit.
Kline is testifying in support of all three proposals, telling legislators the program will be able to do even more with additional funding.


This paper presents a thought experiment related to enterprise modelling (EM). Leaders in the EM community called for "Enterprise Modelling for the Masses" in a position paper at PoEM 2016, the Ninth IFIP 8.1 Working Conference on the Practice of Enterprise Modelling. A revised version appeared in BISE in 2018. The position paper's vision builds on ambitious assumptions about combining disparate model-related artifacts. That approach articulates interesting research challenges but may prove impractical. This paper presents a different approach to EM for the masses. It shows how an extension of work system theory (WST) and the work system method (WSM) might be used for EM. As research in progress toward a proof of concept paper, it starts by showing how ideas in a metamodel that extends WST provides a potential basis for EM. It outlines a thought experiment in which EM issues in a hypothetical corporate reengineering effort are represented using a modelling language based on a greatly reduced version of the metamodel. The next step is to test variants on the modelling language on other hypothetical examples, and then test whether it is helpful in understanding a real enterprise that is being changed or created.
Alter, Steven, "A Work System Perspective on Enterprise Modelling: A Thought Experiment" (2018). Research-in-Progress Papers. 63.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Now that we have reached Port Hardy, which is about 20-25% of the way around the Island, we are taking a slightly longer break. Our special thanks to Pat and Jackie Kervin (and Kyook) of Odyssey Kayaking for storing our boats to make this possible. Pat also provided valuable advice and local knowledge for our next few paddling days. We will be back on the water on Tuesday. Port Hardy is a great place. A proper coffee house is a major plus. It also has a neat little bookshop and craft shop attached. There is a great marina too.
Our progress up the island has been very steady. After Sayward we hit a couple of less good days from the point of view of the weather. A strong south-easterly led to a decision to stay off the water after only one day back on. Even when the south-easterly was over the ebb, which would have been expected to flatten the water somewhat, the water looked just a fierce so we stayed under cover, ate a lot (which we always seem to do on rest days) and brought our journals up to date.
We were at the Forestry Department campground at Naka Creek, which is a site with a good beach. Even on good beaches the problem of getting back on the water is not inconsiderable. Even if we could lift a fully laden Explorer between the two of us, the strain on the boat would be enormous and the risk of catastrophic damage very real. We have mastered the art of getting heavily laden boats back on the water using drift wood as rollers.
After two nights at Naka Creek we decided that we should get on again. The forecast was a little better than the day before. We were still able to use the ebb, and the SE wind helped too although the last stretch, from Telegraph Cove to Alder Bay, was fairly demanding. Four foot wind waves coming from the starboard stern quarter meant that we were well-practised in bracing and surfing by the time we reached the Alder Bay Resort. Thrilling stuff but we needed to concentrate hard. Not the time to try to admire the scenery. You use most of your senses during a paddle like this, watching the tilt of the horizon and the heading of the bow, listening for breaking waves behind you, feeling for the resistance of the water on your blade and the edging of the boat beneath you, and the pressure of the thigh pads on your legs and the footpegs on your feet.
Fortunately we had had a strengthening lunch of truly fabulous burgers at Telegraph Cove's restaurant. We hit the Cove right at the start of the season so the restaurant, which is often packed, was empty except for us. Just as well - any other guests might have been a bit put off their lunches by two sweaty kayakers, half-stripped of their dry suits (and thus odorous), devouring their food. Thanks to Steve Emery and Louise Defryn of North Island Kayaks for looking after our boats and kit whilst we went in search of sustenance. Unfortunately we saw no orcas. The resident pods are not expected for a few weeks. There are apparently a few transients around but sadly we did not spot any.
Alder Bay Resort is a good stopping point as it too has a good beach for landing and launching. The campsites are right on the water. And, joy of joys, there are hot showers.
Leaving Alder Bay involved an important decision. Our next re-supply point was Port Hardy where Anne and Penny would be meeting us in two days. We knew that the next day of paddling might be quite tough as the start would be against the flood. A knot of current against you slows you by a full knot. We were expecting one or two knots of current. There was also a worry about campsites - there are not many certain ones in the area and we did not want to be paddling into the evening without a clear target. We therefore, with regret, had to decide not spend any time visiting the communities of Alert Bay (mainly First Nations) and Sointula (originally a Finnish pioneers community). It was a wise choice. It was one of our harder days yet we travelled only 12 miles. It seemed to take an age to cross the Nimpkish River estuary.
Luckily we came across a campground that is not featured in the kayaking guidebooks that we have used (there are about four or five in total). Quite a surprise as it is a very well-kept and attractive campsite on a First Nations Reserve, called the Cluxewe resort. However, we probably have found the reason. Clouds of no-see-'ums (midges to the Brits reading this) that managed to find every uncovered and non-DEETed bit of skin.
Our paddle to Port Hardy was a little under 17 miles (by the way, we are using nautical miles which are 1.85 kilometres, or 1.15 Statute miles). It was fantastic. The view across to the BC mainland was over water that at times was as calm as a mill pond, and the mirroring of our kayaks on the water looked really cool. We found a picture perfect white shell beach for our lunch in the sun. If it had not been for the fir trees, and the snow-capped mountains in the background, we might have been in the Caribbean.
Hey Jonathon! So far so good. Will be following your progress, great blog; and a nice little write up in paper. Will forward your url to my brother who loves kayaking. Isn't technology fantastic? But so easy to lose...especially on a beach. Take care both of you and I envy you the scenery you'll be taking in!
Thanks Clive. I had hoped to bring my watercolours kit (greatly scaled down) to do a bit of plein air practice but the Explorer is a small boat and, sadly, so far I have had to leave the painting stuff behind. I'll see if I can cram it in tomorrow!
Great blog! I'm really enjoying tracking your progress every day. I'm amazed that you've already covered so much "ground!" I imagine it will be more challenging once you reach the west side of the island; good luck!
Your lunch at the Cove's restaurant reminded me of the days when Brendan, dad and myself would eat at McDonalds after our annual 3-day canoe trip. We were pretty odorous and looked as though we were stock characters in a Sergio Leone Western (at least my dad did).
Hopefully, nothing will happen like our final trip with the S-turn. Jonathan, you'll have to ask my dad about that one!
Thanks again for the great updates. "Keep on 'trucking!" as they in American.


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HomeMembersCERF-JCR Lifetime Members Bouchette, Frédéric
Frédéric Bouchette
Frédéric Bouchette, Ph.D.
CERF-JCR Lifetime Member
Associate Professor of Littoral Dynamics
Geosciences Montpellier
UMR 5243 - University of Montpellier / CNRS
Following a M.Sc. in physics and mechanics, Fred Bouchette received his Ph.D. in March 2001 from the University of Montpellier, South of France. The title of the thesis is "Wave/Seabottom Interaction: The Liquefaction Process" (free translation from French; advisor: Professor M. Séguret). After his Ph.D., Fred had been employed at the University of Montpellier as an associate professor in the department of Geosciences. From 2008 to early 2011, he had moved to the Institute of mathematics and modeling of Montpellier for a three years long stay. Then, until 2012, he has been hosted as an invited professor in the METOS laboratory at the University of Oslo, Norway. He is now back to the University of Montpellier in the same department of Geosciences.
From 2002, Fred was asked to build a scientific staff on littoral hydro-morphodynamics called GLADYS (www.gladys-littoral.org). From that time, the group GLADYS has grown progressively. At now, Fred co-leads the group GLADYS, which rallies most of the scientists working on littoral hydro-morphodynamics along the French Mediterranean Coast, with distinct approaches ranging from applied mathematics to geosciences.
The scientific activity of Fred Bouchette concerns the development of concepts and methods in relation with the dynamics of shallow water environments. He studies the domain that extends from a few tens of meters of water depth at sea to the coastal watershed onshore, with a strong emphasis on the littoral area and the shoreline itself. He has worked in Spain, Taiwan, Canada, Norway, Chad, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Tunisia, in the French Alps and in the Gulf of Lions (Mediterranean Sea). As testified by his publications, his research combines various points of view from geophysics to geology, including applied mathematics, civil engineering, quantitative geomorphology, with a strong connection to coastal archeology and the analysis of littoral hazards. Nevertheless, his heart's passion still lies with geophysics and applied mathematics.
Presently, Fred Bouchette actively works on the conceptualization of the growth of long term shoreline instabilities such as cuspates or sand spits. On that topic, his last contribution for the Journal of Coastal Research (JCR) is the following proceeding:
Bouchette, F.; Manna, M.; Montalvo, P.; Nutz., A.; Schuster, M.; Ghienne, J.-F., 2014. Growth of cuspate spits. In: Green, A. and Cooper, J.A.G. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2014 (Durban, South Africa). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 47-52.
Fred Bouchette has published >50 papers and short papers in international journals such as Coastal Engineering, Journal of Coastal Research, Discrete and Discontinuous Dynamical Systems, Journal of Geophysical Research, Sedimentology, Continental Shelf Research, Quaternary Research, Ocean Engineering, Marine Geology, and Climate Research. Most of his works were performed with and for students. He has contributed to more than 80 proceedings in international or domestic conferences. Fred Bouchette also heads the scientific development of a HPC numerical platform for coastal engineering (www.mirmidon.org).
For a complete list of publications and more information, please visit:
www.bouchette.org


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Nelson Bumgardner Albritton announces new partner Andrew Wright
Nelson Bumgardner Albritton is pleased to announce that Andrew Wright has been named a partner at the firm.
Andrew joined the firm in 2018 and quickly established himself as a distinguished member of the team. Andrew has been litigating complex patent cases throughout his career and, since joining the firm, he has continued to develop his experience through both traditional litigation as well as through post-grant review proceedings at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Andrew's experience has involved litigation in federal district courts across the United States and at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has handled over 100 patent cases, including dozens of cases against financial institutions and technology companies. Andrew is a registered patent attorney and has experience in both litigation and prosecution and is able to provide clients with a perspective on the complete lifecycle of intellectual property protection, from the initial filing of a patent application through litigation and appeals.
Andrew's full bio can be found here.
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Palm Isles was the farthest north we went this season.
The Townsville area was immensely enjoyable for us and we run out of time to visit Cairns, Lizard and the outer reef that is so close to Lizard. As the cyclone season was around the corner we turned back leaving northern latitudes for next year.
Most cruisers in this route started turning back with the first northerlies a couple of weeks before us.
Except for some small fishing boats there was nobody else in this outstanding place.
Oscar decided to try fishing and soon enough he caught a wonderful fish, big enough for several dinners.
We would have liked to make another stop at Cape Upstart as we had excellent references for this place but the forecast was threatening the return of the south easterlies so we decided to exchange a day sail for an overnight towards Gloucester Passage, the idea was to get a mooring at the ECO resort and wait there for the next window to keep going south.
Like other times before our great idea got crushed by the conditions. I started suspecting this was going to happen as I could feel the seas increasing from behind during my watch just before sunrise. After a quiet overnight crossing we arrived at the ECO resort to find the moorings untenable in the northerly swell.
This swell must have arrived in the middle of the night as at this early hour in the morning the mooring area was full of boats cab horsing like crazy and we could see people getting up and ready to leave the area in a hurry.
After a couple of days in Hamilton Marina we decided to go to Airlie Beach to replenish our food stocks. Hamilton is not a good place for provisioning, they cater for the charter business and you pay high prices for basic and not so basic stuff. There are no other places to provision around the Whitsundays. Airlie Beach is not ideal but is the best place around.
We had a lovely sail in light winds until we turned the tip of the coast around noon when the wind decided to pick up just as we entered the marina.
This time we decided to try Port Airlie Marina. They have some casual berths but their intention is selling rather than renting as they are building an up market complex around the marina with residential apartments and restaurants. It is a convenient place, quite near downtown but the marina itself doesn't seem to have a lot of protection from the prevailing easterlies. We were lucky to find a poor soul to help us with the lines as the marina, being a residential marina, doesn't have staff around to help you docking.
After a couple of days, all our provisioning done, we started to get frustrated once again with the weather, extending our departure day by day until finally the 22 October we were able to leave. The problem is not the distance to cover until you get to one of the islands from Airlie, but the angle, no matter what island group you choose close to the coast, winds are usually on the nose. To make things worse, the area is shallow and an uncomfortable confused sea develops when the wind is just over 15 knots. Plus, you better get the current from the tides right, unless you want to drag at 3.00 knots or even less.
We were trying to get to Cid Harbour but decided on Stonehaven Bay instead as the angle was a bit better, a little bumpy but Zenitude covered the 16 miles in three hours. Whitsundays are not so busy this time of the year and we were able to get a free mooring to spend the night.
Previous time in the Whitsundays we missed Whitehaven Bay. This time we wanted to make sure we wouldn't miss it so we headed there after spending a night in Stonehaven.
Such an amazing beach we were glad we made it this time.
You can anchor almost anywhere alongside the beach but the most protected area is towards the south end. The problem is this part of the beach is totally crowded with day visitors, including the little seaplanes that bring couples for a romantic time at the beach.
Our strategy worked out well by spending daytime at anchor in the isolated places and going back to the good anchorage for the night.
We found that by evening this place is usually quiet, except for the camping area that seems to have visitors most of the time.
Even if you anchor at the south end, don't miss a dinghy exploration inside Hill Inlet at the north end of Whitehaven beach. It is amazingly beautiful and quite large. It seems possible to enter the inlet at high tide depending on your draft, but we are not as adventuress as the entrance channel is not chartered and almost dries at low tide. We anchored at the northern end of the beach and went for a dinghy ride. At the very end of the northern side there is a walking track that takes you to the next bay, but we haven't tried that.
From Whitehaven we sailed to Haslewood Island thru the Solway passage to anchor in White Bay.
This is not a very popular bay but it was surprisingly 'crowded' with three other boats.
We landed in another beautiful beach and later on went snorkelling. The water was not crystal clear but snorkelling was nice, pretty coral and lots of giant clams.
Having visited the beach and done some snorkelling in White Bay we were ready to move again as we were not very comfortable spending the night in this anchorage. After a couple of hours we arrived at Plantation Bay in Lindeman Island, about 9 miles away, where we found yet another beautiful bay.
As the weather continued to treat us with kindness with fantastic days and very light northerlies we were able to visit all the places that are usually untenable with the prevailing south easterlies.
This time we wanted to go a little further to Thomas Island and check out the anchorage we had passed by three months before on our way up north.
The anchorage on the southeast tip of the island looks like a fantastic spearfishing spot, Thomas being one of the few islands in the Whitsundays where spearfishing is allowed.
It is a wonderful spot, really pretty, surrounded by reef but a disappointment for Oscar.
We arrived to find a good anchor spot and were happy to have arrived early as many other people had the same idea and a couple of hours later the bay, which is not very big, was quite full.
It seems that the fish were enjoying themselves somewhere else, probably in the many National Park protected areas. Not a single fish for dinner.
On our last day before returning to Hamilton we visited Turtle Bay, another quite popular anchorage only viable in these weather conditions.
This is quite close to Hamilton and it was very crowded when we arrived. As the day passed people wondered to other areas and it was pretty pleasant and quiet during the night.
Next morning we headed to Hamilton, where Zenitude will stay for about three weeks while we travel to Sydney to visit family and take over some work, just a break on our wonderful cruising life.
We left Orpheus heading back to Magnetic Island, just for a good night of sleep. Very early next morning we set sail towards the South.
Forecast was just for a couple of days ENE before the return of the south easterlies so we decided we could afford one stop at Cape Bowling Green for one night, as we targeted to make it to the Whitsundays in this window.
What a beautiful quiet and peaceful anchorage, with right weather of course. It's a very wide bay with a beach as long as the eye can see. Fishing motor boats visit this area which is quite close to Townsville.
Around we went and anchored in Breakfast Bay which was calm and protected, at least long enough to let us catch up on some sleep.
However, the forecast was not good for the area and when we left around noon the wind had started to pick up. It must have been a good decision, it was an exodus, I think we were one of the last to leave.
Early that afternoon we arrived at Hamilton Marina where we decided to stay for a couple of days to fix the lazy jack, provision and hide from the southerly change with strong winds.


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'We'll See You in Court': Gun Rights Advocates Testify in Final Public Hearing on Proposed Assault Weapons Ban
In the final public hearing of the year, law enforcement representatives and lobbyists for the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) provided opposing testimony on HB 5855, a proposed assault weapons ban in Illinois.
"In all my years of doing this, it's never been this bad," said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, while holding some of the high-powered firearms accessories his department has seized.
"Innocent people all around are going to get slaughtered. That's what's going to happen. These things are designed for that. There is no sane person who's going to say in our society we should have these," said Dart.
Speaking to the Illinois House Judiciary committee in favor of the "Protect Illinois Communities Act," Sheriff Dart called the increase in weapons on Illinois streets and the lethality of them "horrific."
The bill covers a wide variety of topics, but its notable features include an increase of the state's minimum age to purchase or own a weapon, as well as a full ban on assault weapons, extended magazines and other items.
Other law enforcement representatives testifying cited a yearly increase in the seizure of illegal guns.
"Assault weapons are deigned to inflict maximum tissue damage in the shortest amount of time," said Elena Gottreich, the deputy mayor of public safety for the city of Chicago.
"Gun violence, in short, is not new to Chicago and has been exacerbated in recent years by the proliferation of assault style weapons."
Gottreich said that in 2021, a record 12,000 illegal guns were seized. Of those, 1,025 were assault weapons.
"Each year, the valiant men and women of the Chicago Police Department take more crime guns off the streets than New York and Los Angeles combined," said Gottreich.
Angel Novalez, testifying on behalf of Chicago Police, said he's concerned for his fellow officers.
"Day in and day out, this is dangerous work. Since the year began, 55 Chicago police officer have been shot or shot at. I worry about their well being, their morale knowing they're out-weaponed in the very streets they're trying to protect," said Novalez, CPD's chief of community policing.
Unlike previous hearings, gun rights advocates opposed to the bill also testified before lawmakers to call it unconstitutional and unfair to law-abiding gun owners.
"We're not going to negotiate. I'm here to tell you if House Bill 5855 or anything remotely like it passes, we will see you in court," said Todd Vandermyde, a former lobbyist for the NRA.
"I'm here to tell you the gun owners are tired of being blamed for every mad men, every criminal and every other depraved act," he said.
Ed Sullivan, a lobbyist with the ISRA, said the two sides don't understand each other and more should be done to bridge the gap.
"Why do we teach about alcohol and drugs? We want to protect our kids. Why don't we teach about gun safety? You want an answer to gun violence, start teaching about gun safety," said Sullivan.
The hearing was informational only and no vote was taken.
Lawmakers in favor of the bill hope to pass it in the lame duck session on or before Jan. 10.
Florida poised to become 26th state that allows permitless carry of guns
First Look: Vortex Strike Eagle 3-18×44 FFP Riflescope
How to become Proficient at Archery!


text:
Als verbotenen Übergang bezeichnet man in der Physik einen Übergang von einem Energieniveau –  oder allgemeiner von einem (quantenmechanischen) Zustand – zu einem anderen, wenn er gar nicht oder wenn er sehr viel seltener auftritt als andere Übergänge im gleichen System.

"Verbot" durch physikalisches Gesetz
Im engeren Sinn verbotene Übergänge sind solche, die gemäß einem Naturgesetz nicht vorkommen können. Die Existenz solcher Übergänge wäre eine Verletzung des Naturgesetzes und damit ein Hinweis auf dessen Gültigkeitsgrenzen. Welche Übergänge erlaubt und welche verboten sind, wird manchmal in Auswahlregeln formuliert.

Entsprechend gibt es verbotene Zerfälle. Beispielsweise müsste einem Kohlenstoff-12-Atomkern Energie von außen zugeführt werden, um ihn in einen der Kerne Stickstoff-12 oder Bor-12 umzuwandeln, denn deren Masse ist größer (siehe Masse-Energie-Äquivalenz). Der spontane Übergang – der Betazerfall –  ist hier "energetisch verboten", d. h., er widerspräche dem Energieerhaltungssatz.

"Verboten" im Sinne von "selten zu beobachten"
Als verboten werden auch Übergänge bezeichnet, die unter Laborbedingungen nur sehr selten auftreten, obwohl sie keinem physikalischen Gesetz widersprechen. Der Grund für die Seltenheit kann beispielsweise in der "Konkurrenz" eines anderen Zielzustandes mit höherer Übergangswahrscheinlichkeit oder in der Konkurrenz mit einem anderen Mechanismus der Zustandsänderung (siehe folgenden Abschnitt) liegen.

Verbotene Emissionslinie

Bei manchen astronomischen Objekten, etwa dem Katzenaugennebel, wurden grüne Emissionslinien beobachtet, die durch strahlende Abregung eines metastabilen Energieniveaus entstehen. Da sie im Labor auf der Erde üblicherweise nicht erzeugt werden können, vermutete man zunächst ein auf der Erde bis dahin unbekanntes Element namens Nebulium als Quelle  dieser Linien. Ein Beispiel in der Erdatmosphäre sind die "verbotenen" grünen Sauerstofflinien des Polarlichts.

Die Entstehung solcher verbotenen Linien klärte 1927 Ira S. Bowen beim Nebulium auf: Unter irdischen Bedingungen werden die Atome oder Moleküle durch Stöße abgeregt, bevor sie ihre Anregungsenergie abstrahlen können. Unterhalb einer Teilchendichte von 108/cm3 ist hingegen die mittlere Zeit zwischen den Stößen der Teilchen untereinander größer als die Besetzungsdauer des metastabilen Zustands, und der Übergang mit Strahlungsemission wird wahrscheinlich. Daher treten die verbotenen Linien in stark verdünnten Gasen wie denen der oberen Atmosphäre oder im interstellaren Medium auf.

Bei der Beschreibung eines Spektrums werden verbotene Linien durch eckige Klammern um das emittierende Atom oder Ion gekennzeichnet.

Einige der markantesten Emissionslinien von H-II-Gebieten und planetarischen Nebeln sind solche verbotenen Linien, so etwa die [O III]-Linie des zweifach ionisierten Sauerstoffs bei 500,7 nm oder die [N II]-Linie des einfach ionisierten Stickstoffs bei 658,3 nm. Die Sonnenkorona zeigt besonders starke verbotene Linien von hochgeladenen Ionen, z. B. die "grüne" Linie des 13-fach positiv geladenen Fe13+-Ions, [Fe XIV] bei 530,3 nm.

Einzelnachweise

Quantenphysik

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Walt Rogers is a State Representative for Iowa House District 20 representing Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Hudson, and Voorhies. Prior to that he worked with youth for over twenty years at Orchard Hill Church and Prairie Lakes Church, both in Cedar Falls, IA. He has also worked Rath Packing Company, Northland Products, and Mudd Advertising, and has served as a leadership consultant. Walt is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa He and his wife Jenny live in Cedar Falls and have three adult children.
To push more spending legislative Democrats are purposefully misleading Iowans by telling them there is 6% state revenue growth or $408.1 million.
State Representative Walt Rogers (R-Cedar Falls) gives an update on the bills taking shape and what the legislative priorities are this year for the Iowa House.


Until I had done the research for this article, I was personally not aware that the Dilation and Evacuation (D & E) was the one that utilized the poison injected directly into the heart. This procedure has been performed on many mothers for some time.
Ultimately, when considering the numerous forms used today to kill unborn human beings, it is clear that there is no "simple" or "painless" way of aborting children. Yet, in our society, we grieve more for convicted murderers who may experience some measure of pain while being put to death than we do for innocent unborn human beings who – through no choice of their own – were either conceived or murdered. They did nothing wrong to deserve their fate, yet unborn human beings are murdered while still in the womb every day in this country.
AB 6221 would do two major things. It would first – and this would have an immediate effect in New York practice – allow non-doctors to perform abortions. This would be done by repealing the section of the penal code that requires only licensced physicians to perform abortions. The bill sponsors say that it would still be limited to those "operating within the scope of their practice" so in practice this would be mean nurses, midwives, and physicians assistants. We've already seen a movement to actively make it so that midwives and nurses are performing abortions – http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/10/politics/california-nurse-practitioners-abortions/ – so this is continuing that trend.
Between listening to Jay Carney not answer one question after another, Robert Mueller do the same, and plenty of others on the left who wouldn't know how to actually give a simple "yes" or "no" if their life depended on it, I'm not sure if it's refreshing or revolting to hear remarks from Chelsea Clinton speak ultimately about lamenting the fact that she wishes she had not be born.


Therapy dogs are interactive dogs trained to work for a Handler to provide service and comfort to people. The presence of a therapy dog can decrease anxiety and provide a level of comfort that enables students to work through a variety of challenging issues. Their responsibilities are to provide psychological or physiological therapy to individuals other than their Handlers. It is important to note that therapy dogs are not service dogs. Service dogs are trained to perform tasks to ease their handlers' disabilities, helping them to attain safety and independence.


In order to follow and attain proper nutrition from your diet, knowledge about each type of essential nutrient and their respective sources will be very helpful. The body should not be deprived of these main nutrients as this is a form of abuse - which could be very likely to result in adverse reactions, that may well appear, or happen, pursuant to not eating properly. It isn't rocket science when learning the basics of nutrition. It is basically eating the right amount of food that contains the correct amounts of nutrients that are essential to your wellbeing.
Another vital nutrient needed in the body that has been regarded as 'bad' by most fad diets is sodium. You should know that sodium is a very important nutrient needed by the body for proper fluid balance. What makes sodium bad is too much use of it - so a regular intake of the right amount of sodium will not harm you and instead, it will help you keep a healthy body. Intake of sodium should be less than 2000 milligrams a day to avoid the occurrence of unwanted harms.


Sports are offered year round, after school. At the beginning of the school year, students receive the dates for tryouts or sign-ups for each sport.
Parent/Athlete Concussion Information Sheet .
Parent/Athlete Sudden Cardiac Arrest Warning Signs and Symptoms Information .
Chaboya is part of the East Side Athletic League. Use the East Side Athletic League site to view Chaboya and other competing schools schedules, stats, and scores.


The study of human cognitive processes provides insight into why we act or react and can help us predict future behaviors. In Cognition, authors Thomas Farmer and Margaret Matlin present an engaging and highly relatable examination of how these processes work, and how they are responsible for the way we perceive and interpret the world around us. Broad in scope without sacrificing depth of detail, this text emphasizes the link between conceptual cognitive psychology and real-world experience; case studies, current trends, and historical perspectives merge to provide a comprehensive understanding of core principles and theories.
This new Tenth Edition has been updated to reflect the latest research, technology, and thinking, with more in-depth coverage of topics rising to prominence in the field's current knowledge base. Expanded explanations balance classical and contemporary approaches to specific topics, while additional experiments and an emphasis on methodology and experimental design are included to facilitate a greater appreciation of the field's rigorous research.


"I will make America great again for us the Chosen Ones, but first those other people will have to be removed. I will put up walls of concrete and prejudice and if you join me in division and separation, I will bring prosperity to you and you will all be rich like me".
The Donald's show-off Leo rising celebrity signature is his golden mane of hair perfectly combed. And as a Gemini Sun Sign he has a long line of BS.
#2 and #3 are the two power-hunger Cubans who were influenced by their dictator-minded Cuban refugee parents who grew up conditioned to a dictatorship and still hate Castro for ending it. The one born in Canada from a Cuban born father claims to be an American on account of his mother's birth in this country. The deluded Evangelicals are funding his campaign hoping to get the Latino vote. The other one whose parents were born in Cuba also claims to be an American by birth in Miami where the Cuban dictator and his followers got settled after Castro forced them out. Neither one is qualified to be a US President, except for sharing the same underhanded Republican mentality of greed, prejudice, hatred, and totalitarianism. Other than the Right-wing Miami Cubans, they do not represent the rest of the American Latino community.
In the name of "Free Enterprise" Republicans can't wait to hand over to their cronies every government agency; schools, post office, utilities, social security, Medicare, the military, VA hospitals, health clinics, etc. Privatizing the entire US government means more corporate power over the people by the privileged few. Already, monies are being transferred from public schools, clinics, and social services to religious organizations, which will make sure to keep the masses in subdued ignorance.
The three Republican candidates are a joke and a danger to our country. Unfortunately, those in the Republican Establishment are so determined to finish the job of taking over the country from the people; they don't care as long as they win. The wealthy/corporate 1% and Evangelical organizations, which always invest millions to get their people elected only aim to multiply their investment.
The world is now under a powerful influence concerning the 114-year cycle of social change between the planets Pluto and Uranus (transforming the past towards progress). The cycle that began with the conjunction in Virgo (military service, the working people) from 1964 to 1968 promoted war protests and the Civil Rights Movement. Since 2012 to 2016 these two planets have been at a crucial 90-degree angle from each other from conservative Capricorn to independent Aries. During this conflicting first square awareness of what transpired since the cycle began is intensified. The entire world has been in turmoil. The oppressing forces determined to hold on to ultimate power are causing havoc among the freedom seekers of the world who are ready for new beginnings.
It is not a coincidence the U.S. Presidential race represents the personification of the crucial square in process: Donald Trump represents the Plutocrat bigots of the country (Pluto in Capricorn) with utopian promises of supremacy that sound more like the Nazis in WWII. Obviously, becoming the most powerful man in the world will satisfy his inflated ego. And as a shrewd businessman he expects to benefit from privatization in addition to no regulations and no taxes for him and his billionaire corporate cronies.
Bernie Sanders personifies the Uranus in Aries firebrand humanitarian socialist striving for equality challenging the status quo of the existing power structure. He is more like a destined messenger from the future promoting awareness, because it is time for the masses to wake up from their lethargy before further damage is done to the country. A hopeful sign of awakening is the support he is getting among the younger generations. Hopefully his message will continue to resonate in the minds of the rest of the people. Another hopeful sign was the prevention of another Bush from reviving the same failed and destructive policies as before.
Hillary Clinton represents the alternative middle of the road. She could represent the first steps in the transition between the old and the new, the past and the future. Maybe with the Clintons back in office the public will be reminded and finally convinced of how far Republicans are willing to go to destroy the country's Democratic system. Apparently, the persecution of the Clintons and the obvious persecution to destroy Obama and his legacy has not been enough among the misinformed!
The outcome of the upcoming presidential race will be depended on the masses' level of awareness, but judging by the massive support for the egocentric Trump I don't think the masses are ready yet for the people's revolution expected in the new Aquarian Age. Many people still adhere to the old syndrome from the Pisces Age of worshiping idols (whoever appears to be above the rest by wealth, image, or position). It's not going to be easy to topple the corrupt conservative congress in power or to overturn the redistricting system and the manipulation of voting machines owned by corporate entities. In any case, I think the next U.S. President could be a one-term President in anticipation to the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto in Capricorn and Aquarius, beginning in 2020 and culminating in 2022-23 with Pluto's first return to where it was during the 1776 Revolutionary War of Independence.
At this time, a powerful ambition emerges for long-range goals out of the past restrictions. Most likely, it will take another massive revolution, political or otherwise, especially at the advent of the new Aquarius Age of diversity and equality. In 2023 Pluto officially enters the revolutionary sign of Aquarius as it did at the beginning of our new nation. Knowing that Pluto impels history to repeat, we can anticipate the beginning of a NEW GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, and WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL to be resuscitated and transformed towards a more progressive future. This is all provided the new generations are as brave as their predecessors in 1776. However, the transitional process could take years of revolt and instability.
These are exciting times in the history of the world and only the science of astrology can help us to fully understand. I will write again after the nominees for the two parties are chosen. Meanwhile, it will be fun to watch the two dictator-wannabes, soon to begin verbal fight between the Gemini Trump (big mouth) and the Gemini Rubio (motor mouth). Enjoy the show, but this election is no laughing matter. Messenger Bernie Sanders is sounding the alarm loud and clear. Let's also beware of the misleading Corporate Media.


Most of my working week is spent in what we call the box room, basically the smallest bedroom and it's at the back of the house.
There are many days when I get distracted somewhat when working in the room. Distractions can be technology related but more often than not they are to do with what I can see and hear from the window.
My work area is right by the window and I look out onto our garden and can also see the little cul-de-sac that backs onto that too. Taking up the majority of the view space from the window is a large tree, and increasingly I am seeing birds hopping in and about and landing on it. As well as this there is usually the noise of the helicopters in the back ground.
Today I was struck by a birdy that seemed to have stopped in the tree (I am sorry I don't know what sort of bird it was, couldn't quite see!). It looked like it was trying out every branch to see which one was good enough to stay on for a bit, it then flew away.
It's been lovely to watch the tree, change shape through the season, drip water when it's rained and blow in the wind, as well as be home to various sorts of wildlife.
What struck me was, how often do we want to try out lots of different things before either settling for the first thing we found or the last things we find? God doesn't want us to 'settle' for second best. He wants us to have the best, but he also wants us to trust and follow his pathway, rather than trying out lots of different one's along the way.
I am grateful that every day I look out on the tree and see the changes, and know the changes that are happening to that tree are for its best interest. The changes that happen in our life, although sometimes hard are the best things, because God wants us only to have the best!
To simply be grateful for the day may sound a little odd, but that is what I am grateful for. I'm grateful to have a day to sort and organise and enjoy back at home.
Sometimes days like that seem a bit tedious and boring, but maybe it's because I'm getting that nesting sorting feeling, I enjoy sorting and just being. There were lots of bags to unpack and paper work to sort. I gave my shredder a really big workout, didn't quite get to the steam coming out of it stage which was good though! And lots of pieces of paper I hoard 'just in case' I was ruthless with.
Do you find that there are always things that you want to do or get done, but the reality of getting to that point of your list just seems further and further away? I'm not saying things that were on the bottom of my list got closer… because they didn't! However to do something completely not on the list was quite refreshing, and this day allowed me to do that.
It was also very exciting to hear from another family about how they had been doing their 30 Days of Gratitude.
My friend Fleur sent through this great picture of how they were adding all the things they was grateful for in their family, to a big tree; this has meant that the children have been involved as well.
After a bit of a whirl wind 5 days down south, today was the day to drive back up home and I really didn't want to do the drive! I wanted to be home to see Danny, but to do it without the drive would be great!
Whilst I don't really mind driving, the further on in pregnancy I have got, the more uncomfortable it has got, and I knew if I didn't hit certain roads at certain times then there was going to be a lot of traffic and sitting still in queues!
My driving time tends to be my thinking and processing time, so despite not really wanting to sit in the car for 3 and a half hours I was in way looking forward to reflecting on the events of the past 5 days.
God was good and he gave me safe travels, with only a small amount of traffic on the M6, I had a great time listening to some new music and praising God for some of the new people that I had been able to meet during the various events that had been on.
God gives you 'time' in the unexpected places, usually the ones you don't want to go to etc., God knew the drive was what I needed, and despite not wanting to do it, I am of course grateful that I did and he kept me safe during it too!
My gratitude's at the moment seem to be having a common theme, maybe you can pick them out!
Today I am grateful for journey's, and by that I mean the journeys that each of us go on in life, they are always very different and individual. I find this is something that I always know, but I fully grasp it when I am able to see it visually.
This evening at our Living Colour workshop we chatted about the imprints/ impacts of things in lives that can cause a response or change our journey in some way. So what we did was a bit whacky really and I am sure some of you could do this at home too!
I had loads of different colours of paint and a plain A4 sheet of paper. I encouraged the ladies that had come to think about a section of their life, today or the run up to it and to think about how the landscape of it was made up, how the day's journey had gone. Journeys never go along a straight line A – B; there are always things that happen in between. So were there peaks and troughs, were they smooth or jagged. Was there a lot of stopping or staying in the same spot, was there some confusion?
It was fascinating to watch how each person's picture developed, when we chatted afterwards some could articulate really well the different points in the picture where things happened, for others words couldn't describe it but the picture could. We did go on to transfer the picture into movement, but that's to chat about another time.
We looked to see whether our individual journeys met up with anyone else's along the way and whether that caused any change whilst we did it. What stood out for us was the fact that God puts people, obstacles, places and much more in our pathways for a reason, sometimes it's really hard to see why that is, but God does know best. Our gratefulness should be for how God always stays with us on our journey and always wants the best for us no matter what.
Today was our monthly Moving Rainbow workshops, which are dance and craft workshops for under 5s and 5-11 year olds. We try to have a theme that we follow for the craft and certain sorts of movements.
This month was all about how God loves the whole family and we played around doing finger prints for the different members of our family and celebrating how big Gods love is, we learnt the saying – it's so tall, small and wide – so much so it covers everything. For the older ones they got to create movements and think in more depth about wanting more of God's love and how what he has to give, is always more than enough.
Some of the children that come along to the workshops have been dancing with me for a long time, one of them in particular Mary* has probably been with me the longest, coming up to 4 years.
When I think back to how she was in the first dance classes that she came to and where she is now, it is beautiful to watch her dance. When Mary first arrived on the scene she was very shy, not confident in herself, and got very frustrated when she couldn't get something perfect the first it was taught. It took a lot of saying 'you're not expected to get it right first time' and 'what you did was just right' to keep her going.
I still remember the week, probably in the first or second term that Mary had started coming to classes with me, when her mum came in for a chat. The chat was to say that she didn't think Mary would carry on because she was coming home upset each week because she wasn't getting things right. The mother also explained that she was the eldest child at home so usually the first to grasp something, but when she came to the dance classes she was the youngest and obviously not grasping things straight away.
I have to admit my heart sunk, and I just said 'Mary needs to stay, she can do it, by not getting it right the first time around it means when she does grasp the movement it's a lot more detailed.' I agreed to chat with Mary and encourage her to stay. She did, and it has been like watching a flower grow brighter since.
So, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to work alongside young and old alike to see them grow into something new and confident. There are lots of stories I could share about this. But just watching Mary dance today, from the heart, I saw a glimpse of her journey, and I do hope she keeps dancing.
Jesus asked us to come to him like children, children have a lot less cares in the world, their delight and growth is always so obvious. Allow Jesus to delight in watching you grow and blossom into who you are meant to be.
*Mary is a made up name, to protect the identity of the actual child.
After an amazing day in Watford dancing yesterday, it was great to have a slower paced day in Guildford at my parents' house. My middle brother had decided to make an appearance at home, so it was nice to play to catch up with a few more members of my family that usual.
We have a family that is quite wide spread in terms of location and jobs, and so to get everybody together at the same time requires a lot of prior planning or more often than not lots of spontaneity! And this weekend it just so happened that Alec had decided to pop back to Guildford and help Peter (my youngest brother move rooms), that meant I got the added delight of seeing him.
I don't know about you but banter always plays a huge role in our family meet ups, and I think both my brothers that were there (there was still one missing) relished the opportunity they had to point out the size of my bump and offer 'commentary' on how I got up out the chair. Commentary as opposed to help might add! All things that are not worth getting upset about because it's true and I laugh at myself sometimes! Plus they manage to do it like a duo, playing off comments against each other, dad might then join in and if Danny was so would he!
I was grateful to get that unexpected time, as well as a roast dinner (always goes down well!), and next time I hope that we can get all of us together, rather than only some of us. Family are people you always strive to stay connected to and see often, but sometimes the reality of that doesn'twork out, we learnt that the times we do get all of us together, their the special times, the ones with the most laughter, banter and probably food!
Day 8 #30daysofgratitude -Extra Time.
Day 7 #30daysofgratitude - Sunshine.
Day 6 #30daysofgratitude - Dance Day Participants.
Day 5 #30daysofgratitude - The Cross.
Day 4 #30daysofgratitude - Baking Time.