a little tile goes a long way

An early Christmas present - our <a href="http://betterafter.blogspot.com/2011/12/tile-it-up.html" target="_blank">bathroom is featured on Better After</a>!! (one of my addictions and daily reads) Be sure to check it out, and thanks Lindsey for the mention!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://betterafter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i484.photobucket.com/albums/rr207/a4christ/beforeafter/button.png" /></a></div>

a little tile goes a long way

An early Christmas present - our bathroom is featured on Better After!! (one of my addictions and daily reads) Be sure to check it out, and thanks Lindsey for the mention!…

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A Blog Full of Gifts From Me to You...

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.myspaceanimations.com/" target="_blank"><br /><img alt="MySpaceAnimations.com" src="http://www.myspaceanimations.com/images/winter-scene-graphic6b.gif" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Lady Eve offers a blogful of holiday cheer this year. Here's what's under the tree... </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>~ Two Icons Singing</b>:<b> </b>Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra sing "White Christmas" on a December 1957 TV special...</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WFYM7SMlb48" width="420"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><b>~ </b></i><b>A Festive Romp From the 1970s</b>: Kenneth More and Albert Finney sing "I Like Life" in the 1970 film <i>Scrooge</i>...</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KpTxBuo8zno" width="420"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><b>~ </b></i><b>From Disney's <i>Fantasia </i>(1940)</b>: "The Nutcracker Suite"...</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rHtZ0-N4xN8" width="420"></iframe></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><b>~ </b></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Judy</b>, <b>Judy, Judy</b>...No holiday would be complete without hearing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" at least once. Here's Judy singing to her children, Lorna and Joey, in 1963 on the 'Christmas Show' for her CBS TV program...</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0z2VdCEhZ1Q" width="420"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>~</b><b> A Holiday Movie</b>: The Mitchell Leisen directed, Preston Sturges penned, yuletide classic <i>Remember the Night</i> (1940), starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck - all one hour and 33 minutes of it...</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2b2GwpHxJhM" width="420"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Holidays!</span></div>

Fantasia Judy Garland Remember the Night Scrooge The Lady Eve (author) White Christmas A Blog Full of Gifts From Me to You...

The Lady Eve offers a blogful of holiday cheer this year. Here's what's under the tree... ~ Two Icons Singing: Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra sing "White Christmas" on a December 1957 TV special... ~ A Festive Romp From the 1970s: Kenneth More and Alb…

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10 jobs for people who love to talk

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/6z/ar5l27w76wzm84gwhn6z.gif?time=11/4/2011%2010:43:04%20am" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/6z/ar5l27w76wzm84gwhn6z.gif?time=11/4/2011%2010:43:04%20am" /></a></div><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: -30px;"><div class="hdr_org_bld" style="color: #ff6600; font: normal normal bold 18px/normal arial, helvetica;"><h1 id="articleHeadline" style="color: #ff7700; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;"><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">Alina Dizik, Special to CareerBuilder</span></b> </span></h1></div><br /><div class="cbmsnArticleImage">If you're a talker, picking a job where you spend your days quietly behind a <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/computer/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">computer</a> can make you absolutely miserable. Just imagine <a href="http://www.bing.com/search?q=Kelly+Ripa&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=msns07" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Kelly Ripa</a> or<a href="http://www.bing.com/search?q=Katie+Couric&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=msns07" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Katie Couric</a> crunching numbers in a cubicle. Talkers don't need to be constantly engaged in conversation. However, having a social aspect to their roles will make them more successful, because it taps into their natural talents. Choosing the right job is key, and it's important to understand the social attributes of a position before you start. If you love to talk, here are 10 fields to consider:</div></div><div class="ArticleContent" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/marketing/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>Marketing</b></a><b></b><br />Whether you're an account executive or work for a marketing agency, your people skills are often on display. Most marketers need to convey a convincing pitch -- whether within the company or to outside vendors -- and use their talking skills to cement existing relationships and build new ones.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/news+anchor/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>News anchor</b></a><b> or </b><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/reporter/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>reporter</b></a><b></b><br />Great speaking skills are a large part of news anchors' and reporters' jobs, because they need to be able to relate to their audience. Those eager to gather and disseminate the news via television, radio, websites or newspapers can build careers by being successful speakers.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/sales/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>Sales</b></a><b></b><br />It's well-known that those in sales love to talk. There's a reason for that: Salespeople must develop trusting relationships with customers before going in for the pitch and getting them to make purchases. Even after a sale, staying upbeat is a huge part of the job, so nontalkers need not apply.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/teacher/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>Teaching</b></a><b></b><br />No matter how old your students are, your speaking skills are crucial to being a successful mentor and inspiring your students. Teachers are some of the best communicators around and spend a large part of their job talking for the benefit of the class.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/fitness+instructor/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>Fitness instructor</b></a><b></b><br />Pilates instructors, yoga teachers and personal trainers must communicate with their clients. Motivating them through speech is important, so fitness instructors of any kind must have stellar speaking skills. For clients, an upbeat voice is key and helps get them through all those torturous push-ups.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/publicist/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>Publicist</b></a><b></b><br />Most public relations executives need to spend a great deal of time communicating their clients' messages to media. Pitching journalists is a large part of the job, which is perfect for talkers.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/social+worker/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>Social worker</b></a><b></b><br />Understanding the problems of others and helping them cope requires impressive communication skills. Not only do social workers need to speak with clients, they also need to explain how to deal with troubling relationships, diseases or even psychological issues.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/entrepreneur/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>Entrepreneur</b></a><b></b><br />While becoming an entrepreneur doesn't necessarily require speaking skills, being able to sell your business to those around you is key. When launching a business, it's important that entrepreneurs can clearly convey their new venture to others.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/actor/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>Actor</b></a><b>, </b><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/producer/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>producer</b></a><b> or </b><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/director/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>director</b></a><b></b><br />Most occupations in the drama field use speech to convey ideas and draw out the viewer's emotions, so if you're a talker this could be your dream job. Most great actors, producers and directors understand the effect their speech can have on the production and how to use it to their advantage.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/interior+designer/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>Interior designer</b></a><b></b><br />If you love combining your artistic flair with talking, interior design may be a perfect career opportunity. Some designers are hired on a contract basis to bring an aesthetic to a specific indoor space, while others work as part of large corporations or design firms. Designers work on anything from private homes to hotels and offices, so communication skills are a must.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Alina Dizik researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.</i></div></div>

10 jobs for people who love to talk

Alina Dizik, Special to CareerBuilder If you're a talker, picking a job where you spend your days quietly behind a computer can make you absolutely miserable. Just imagine Kelly Ripa orKatie Couric crunching numbers in a cubicle. Talkers don't need t…

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Energy Games in the Eastern Mediterranean

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>In a nutshell Ioannis Michaletos sums up what</b><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue; color: yellow;">GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS AND MONITORING</span> </b><b>already posted in</b><b> <u style="color: black;">SEPTEMEBR 2011,</u> </b><b>regarding the Energy rush in the Eastern Mediterranean and its political implications.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> In September 2011</b><b> we wrote the following articles o</b><b>n subject matter:</b></span></div><h2 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b> </b></span></h2><h2 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b>WARMONGERING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND TURKEY</b> Friday, </span><span style="font-size: large;">9 September 2011</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></h2><h2 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/warmongerning-between-israel-and-turkey.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/warmongerning-between-israel-and-turkey.html</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b>TURKEYS MIDDLE EAST CHESS GAME</b> Friday, </span><span style="font-size: large;">16 September 2011</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/turkeys-middle-east-chess-game.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/turkeys-middle-east-chess-game.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b>MISSION IMPOSSIBLE – QUEST FOR NATURAL RESOURCES</b> Sunday, </span><span style="font-size: large;">18 September 2011</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/mission-impossible-quest-for-natural.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/mission-impossible-quest-for-natural.html</a></span></div><h2 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b>NATURAL RESOURCE EXPLORATION, A WELCOME EXCUSE FOR WARMONGERING? </b>Monday, </span><span style="font-size: large;">19 September 2011</span><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h2><h2 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/natural-resource-exploration-welcome.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/natural-resource-exploration-welcome.html</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On 16 December 2011 he wrote:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Eastern Med. Energy Games </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">By : Ioannis Michaletos </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>16 Dec 2011</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Last October the government of Cyprus enacted for the first time in its history a process that may well lead it to become an important natural-gas production center, via the hypothetical reserves to be found just offshore this Eastern Mediterranean Island. In parallel, Turkey raised its tones, proclaiming its adamant stance against any exploration without its involvement, whilst Greece and Israel provided both tacit and explicit support towards Cyprus. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Meanwhile, neighboring Syria is crippled by civil strife, and the whole region resembles a powder keg that may explode at any given moment, if one adds the already-explosive political situation in countries like Egypt and the wider climate in the Middle East.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cyprus</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">In 2006 Cyprus began looking into the possibility of hydrocarbon explorations in its exclusive economic zone, after a similar move by its southern neighbor Egypt that provided to the company Shell a 42,000 square kilometer concession for deep water researches. That development prompted Nicosia to negotiate successfully with Cairo their borders relating to the economic zones of each country. According to well-placed sources within the British energy market, Shell indirectly assisted these negotiations, wanting to have all legal matters settled in order to proceed in its own planning in the region.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOssbeX-WZ70oNwz4prnFWA6MywIlfQSkxhJIchFtebl9JG8oBvhnegDOvpKYP1zvi7X0ZAw0yyYoVmk5Y1ok12rUit4qC7DeqLGDOYY3au4BmXuG-G1bCM2OOUMQjCwEUEi5jKpAvayR/s1600/8216don8217t-sacrifice-talks-in-cyprus-for-natural-gas8217-2011-08-14_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOssbeX-WZ70oNwz4prnFWA6MywIlfQSkxhJIchFtebl9JG8oBvhnegDOvpKYP1zvi7X0ZAw0yyYoVmk5Y1ok12rUit4qC7DeqLGDOYY3au4BmXuG-G1bCM2OOUMQjCwEUEi5jKpAvayR/s320/8216don8217t-sacrifice-talks-in-cyprus-for-natural-gas8217-2011-08-14_l.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thereafter Cyprus awarded the French energy exploration company Beicip as well as the Norwegian PGS to conduct seismic researches in order to collect data for potential reserves. Finally a part of the zones researched, codenamed Block 12, was awarded to the Houston-based energy company Noble Energy to conduct its research drills, which started in October 2011 and are scheduled to be completed soon.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Additionally, Israeli reserves, named Leviathan and Tamar, proved recently to have significant amounts of natural gas. In short, the Eastern Mediterranean region seems to have capacity to become an important energy production site, a potential development that will affect one way or another global energy balance and especially the European markets. Cypriot media speculate that potentially tens of billions of dollars worth of reserves may be found, making the island one of the richest in the region and a magnet for a host of other energy-related industries.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Turkey</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_pcz1wbSI9a3AqJx_nGsCsLAcPk0tJB_MsoXf2Ync_PPzBiWsfEcScZho8aNxESqSsOkgPJOTpcu6fYhspUkZQnrREKK5N4qlgeskubb0YhkdwvqtoMdcnJUbslLxB_WC844AiL9iUuC/s1600/800px-Baku_pipelines.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_pcz1wbSI9a3AqJx_nGsCsLAcPk0tJB_MsoXf2Ync_PPzBiWsfEcScZho8aNxESqSsOkgPJOTpcu6fYhspUkZQnrREKK5N4qlgeskubb0YhkdwvqtoMdcnJUbslLxB_WC844AiL9iUuC/s320/800px-Baku_pipelines.svg.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since 2007, Ankara has issued a multitude of veiled or direct threats against Cyprus, by not recognizing its right for an exclusive economic zone, let alone to proceed into research for hydrocarbons. The northern part of the island, some 37 percent of the whole, is still occupied by a 50,000-strong Turkish Army personnel, whilst since 1984 a self-proclaimed Republic of Northern Cyprus has been named, recognized only by Turkey.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">The basic points as laid out by Turkey regarding the energy issue are that the Republic of Cyprus does not represent the Turkish-Cypriot side (north); therefore until a final solution is found concerning the unification of the island, no energy investments should proceed. On a legal aspect, Turkey claims that the Mediterranean Sea is a landlocked one, thus its islands do not have rights to an exclusive economic zone. It is interesting to note, however, that Turkey itself has not signed the international maritime law convention for which it argues. Turkey traditionally views Cyprus as a dagger in its side and is afraid that the economic empowerment of Cyprus will force a solution to the Island's partition problem that will eventually stipulate the ousting of the Turkish forces from there, thus rendering the geopolitical expansion that Turkey has enjoyed in the Eastern Mediterranean since 1974.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Greece</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Athens is officially a guarantee force of the Republic of Cyprus, where the majority of the population is of Greek descent and has maintained an armed presence there since 1963. Over the years both countries have signed a series of bilateral defense agreements stipulating a pact that will throw both of them into battle in case a crisis with Turkey becomes an outright war. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Moreover, Greece is in the process of establishing its own exclusive economic zone in the Eastern Aegean, a move that Turkey opposes, since it hasn't signed the international maritime law. Turkey wants to find a solution with Athens based on a bilateral agreement, a kind of a special exclusion of the U.N. law, which has also become an E.U. law, therefore binding Greece. It is of importance to note that if Greece establishes its economic zone, it will border with that of Cyprus, thus effectively isolating Turkey from the economic exploration of the Eastern Mediterranean.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Israel</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tel Aviv has clearly sided with Cyprus over the past years in order to secure a potential extraction of natural gas from offshore reserves, thus acquiring energy security and making Israel for the first time in its history independent from energy imports to an extent, a crucial aspect in the exercise of policy of Israel towards its Middle Eastern energy-producing neighbors. Further, the Noble Energy Company that currently drills the Cyprus block is a U.S.-based one with a significant number of Israeli shareholders, adding another dimension to the issue. A triangular relationship has been developed between Tel Aviv-Nicosia and Athens, where ministers and officials from all of these countries mention the possibilities of constructing underwater natural gas pipelines for the transfer of gas to Europe and the creation of LNG stations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">That sort of an infrastructure, which has been estimated to cost up to $30 billion, cannot be achieved unless stability prevails. Israel, having a number of adversaries like Iran, would like to attain as much stability as possible in its wider Sea region, hence the backing of Cyprus seems a precaution that will facilitate long-term energy-security planning and at the same time allow Israel to enchase its relations with the Southeastern flank of NATO and the European Union, which is Greece and Cyprus. Israel plans to invest $6 billion in the next four years in the natural-gas sector.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>United States</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since the late 40s Washington has enjoyed the role of overlord of the whole of the Eastern Mediterranean, where the 6th fleet is activated and where the interests for the American side run high considering the proximity to the Middle East, the Suez channel and the Caucasus on the north. Since Greece, Turkey and Israel are all considered U.S. allies by, American diplomacy has enacted a careful policy of reassuring all three that it will protect their interests, not wanting to witness a potential crisis in such a sensitive region.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">It can be safely estimated, though, that the potential of hydrocarbon reserves will shift American policy in favor of Israel and Cyprus so as to diversify the energy imports of the European Union, accomplishing in that respect the diversification E.U. energy reliance, decreasing dependency on Russia and the Middle East. Moreover, U.S. companies like Exxon Mobil have shown interest in participating in future rounds of explorations offshore Cyprus, according to local sources</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Russia</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although potentially a discovery of large amounts of gas can affect future Russian exports to the European Union, Moscow seems fully supportive of Cyprus and Israel due to its long-standing economic and political interests in Cyprus and due to its overall strategy of diversifying energy consumption globally from oil to gas, thus acquiring a primal role in the world energy game at the expense of Saudi Arabia.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>European Union</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">The European Union is also supportive of the aforementioned, since it agonizes for its energy security and a potential discovery of new reserves by a Eurozone country such as Cyprus further strengthens its energy planning. French and German companies especially, being the dominant players in the European energy corporate environment, estimate they will be able to acquire concessions and strengthen their businesses worldwide. Europe will face an issue with natural gas imports sometime after 2020 due to rising consumption, decreasing North Sea reserves and increase in demand by the rest of the world.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Estimations</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">The potential reserves in the Noble Energy's Block 12 are estimated at 85 to 255 billion cubic meters of natural gas, and the neighboring Israeli ones at 700 billion cubic meters. Combined, they amount to an 18-month production of Russia, the largest gas producer in the world. Noble Energy estimates a 60 percent chance of geological success. Noble Energy has almost doubled its share price since 2008 based on its involvement in the Eastern Mediterranean hydrocarbon researchers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">The coming months will reveal the extent of reserves to be found in the Eastern Mediterranean. Should they prove to be as estimated, this will alter the geopolitical balances in the region. The cooperation between Cyprus and Israel will flourish, and in parallel Turkey may follow a more aggressive policy to secure its interests. It is more than certain that Cyprus will become more of a headline in the mainstream press, while the developments in the region will have to take into account the energy factor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">The probability of a conflict cannot be excluded, although it is not significant due to already-established balances of power. Nevertheless, it should be stated that a deterioration of the domestic conflict in Syria or that of the nuclear project of Iran, along with any destabilization developments in Egypt, may have seismic ramifications, with Turkey and Cyprus near the epicenter.    </span></div>

Energy Games in the Eastern Mediterranean

In a nutshell Ioannis Michaletos sums up what GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS AND MONITORING already posted in SEPTEMEBR 2011, regarding the Energy rush in the Eastern Mediterranean and its political implications. In September 2011 we wrote the following artic…

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