News for today's 2018: 11/06/12

America the Beautiful Hot Mess

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />Hola Revolutionaries! As of the writing of this post, I don’t know who will win the election. The “data” says Obama will, but my gut says Romney. That’s mostly because my gut usually expects the absolute worst in every situation. It doesn’t really matter all that much who wins though, not because “They’re all alike!” or because “They’re basically the same person!” but because this country is almost completely ungovernable. We’re out of control here and nobody seems to be able to reign us in. We need a complete overhaul.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31dNdRTk2c_iysZmfT9lzFBhSzhkNJJp0a0qvT-qlJ9nyofTwMXC6tGu9rWON6Okl4v4Npo99LyJl3b6TZvvO5jUaF5qD7ZbFqrw01qzqk_J_Yam92e_Q8VC3x6GnD4sYuPeutaculv4/s1600/Jay+and+Cosette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31dNdRTk2c_iysZmfT9lzFBhSzhkNJJp0a0qvT-qlJ9nyofTwMXC6tGu9rWON6Okl4v4Npo99LyJl3b6TZvvO5jUaF5qD7ZbFqrw01qzqk_J_Yam92e_Q8VC3x6GnD4sYuPeutaculv4/s320/Jay+and+Cosette.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The first thing we need to do is change the way we elect our president. Hell, we need to change the way we elect everyone from Dog Catcher on up. Does anyone actually live in a place where the Dog Catcher is elected? Where did that “He couldn’t get elected Dog Catcher” come from? If it was an elected position I would run for it and hand our fliers showing how much I love dogs and how much they love me. That way people would feel like I wouldn’t hurt their wittle pup-eeee if it got loose.<br /><br />Having two main candidates and a slew of crackpots and potheads running for president isn’t really the problem. I’d be fine with fifty candidates. What I hate is that the two major party candidates raised and spent a combined TWO BILLION DOLLARS this election cycle. That’s an outrage. Most of it was spent on TV ads that were ignored, bitched about and even cut out completely by people who watch things on their DVR or online.<br /><br />What’s worse than that though is how we actually vote. We simply MUST nationalize our voting laws. We can’t have fifty states voting under fifty different laws. There needs to be some sort of consistency here. And to me, that consistency would be to do all voting by mail. Every state would have to send out the ballots one month before the election and they have to be post marked by the day of the election when sent in. There should be ballot collection places all over town and it should be made as easy as possible. Get rid of the rigged touch screen voting machines, get rid of the punch cards, butterfly ballots and especially get rid of all the little quirks that each state’s laws have. It’s maddening and results in people giving up trying to vote in many places.<br /><br />Then we have to do something about the length of the campaigns. People are already trying to position themselves for the Iowa Caucuses coming in up in 2016! The party primaries drag out for months and months and of course fundraising has to start a year or more in advance. Then the general election is a whole summer of negative ads, people yelling at each other, fake outrages, fake scandals, GAME CHANGERS and all the other stuff that helps turn voters off.<br /><br />Then we’ve got to completely overhaul infrastructure in this country. We can drive a remote controlled dune buggy around Mars, but if the power goes out for two minutes here in Redneckville, the cable, phone and internet takes two hours to get back online. We need to modernize our electrical grids and move utilities underground. We need to shore up coastal areas from New Orleans to Florida right up the East Coast to NYC that have been ravaged by storms over the last decade. We need to improve the public transportation systems all over the country including building high speed rail to connect major metro areas and we need to repair and replace hundreds of thousands of miles of highways and bridges.<br /><br />We need to end the wars both abroad and at home. End the war in Afghanistan; we’re not accomplishing anything over there now, if we ever were at all. Stop meddling in the internal affairs of every tiny piece of shit country all over the globe and focus on protecting our borders and our people. Most of all we need to end the War on Drugs™.  It’s the longest and costliest war we’ve ever fought and Drugs won a long time ago.<br /><br />What’s most important though is that we need to remove the most important obstacle to doing these things. We have to stop letting the 20 to 30 percent of the people who oppose all forms of progress and who believe every tinfoil hat conspiracy that shows up in their email every day. We’ve got to stop appeasing these people, ignore their “It’s a plot by the United Nations to take over and turn us into a Socialist Islamic Theocracy and outlaw Christianity” bullshit. Let the Lizard Brains just stew in their idiocy and the rest of the country full of normal, intelligent and reasonable people move forward.<br /><br />Yeah, I know. You’ll only agree to this if YOUR GUY wins.<br /><br />Fuck you America.<br /><br />Jayman<br /><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/jayman_iws" target="_blank">@Jayman_IWS </a><br /><br /></div>

America the Beautiful Hot Mess

Hola Revolutionaries! As of the writing of this post, I don’t know who will win the election. The “data” says Obama will, but my gut says Romney. That’s mostly because my gut usually expects the absolute worst in every situation. It doesn’t really ma…

IRAN'S UNTOUCHABLE ENERGY EXPORTS

5:46 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDjKMDAyW68ALY2G9z0IRF9IzJ28Bz-CffvOeZEWGAutO79OtSvUenYjAY4tG0pa7H0a3j1FTF-sYpIrW5uRTyUH2CQm4O0rxx0OzwzKX2rEJ04hhOQtS9QAwkIpYtGCXTjX5Mw_fnXAi/s1600/busher.iranian.nuclear.reactor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDjKMDAyW68ALY2G9z0IRF9IzJ28Bz-CffvOeZEWGAutO79OtSvUenYjAY4tG0pa7H0a3j1FTF-sYpIrW5uRTyUH2CQm4O0rxx0OzwzKX2rEJ04hhOQtS9QAwkIpYtGCXTjX5Mw_fnXAi/s400/busher.iranian.nuclear.reactor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Busher Nuclear Power Plant, IRAN</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IRAN IS CURRENTLY SUBJECTED TO NOT ONE, BUT THREE SETS OF SANCTIONS</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Few people are aware that IRAN is currently subjected to not one, but three sets of sanctions imposed by U.S., the UNITED NATIONS and the EUROPEAN UNION, the latter two over concerns about IRAN’S civilian nuclear energy program, which Washington alleges, masks a covert nuclear weapons program, a charge IRAN steadfastly denies. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The first U.S. economic sanctions against IRAN were instituted in 1979 following the overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy and its replacement by an Islamic Republic, while the first UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL sanctions against IRAN were implemented by Resolution 1737, voted in 23 December 2006. Earlier this year, EUROPEAN UNION foreign ministers agreed to place sanctions on IRANIAN oil and oil products because of IRAN’S purported non-compliance with its obligations of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and the EU sanctions entered into force on 1 July.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ONE SECTOR OF IRAN’S ENERGY INDUSTRY THAT IS FLOURISHING – ELECTRICITY EXPORTS</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The collective effect of the trio of legislative restrictions is to impede IRANIAN oil and natural gas exports, the source of the majority of its foreign currency earnings until Tehran suspends its uranium enrichment activities. IRAN maintains that by signing and ratifying the NPT, its Article IV permits its current nuclear activities.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48Ttzot3ZTVpkD2dS0UFSHhdMSKMVi7x208OsXvqS8I6SyV927kSuM916xlUoC0tCdCY-KSFNDfwOsUgVmovbbB-xw3TfXmjzwUUbBLDrsBhrsXT4KH0xKqbJs-UccT28lkUrfNCOIdr_/s1600/1-s2.0-S1364032110004120-gr3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48Ttzot3ZTVpkD2dS0UFSHhdMSKMVi7x208OsXvqS8I6SyV927kSuM916xlUoC0tCdCY-KSFNDfwOsUgVmovbbB-xw3TfXmjzwUUbBLDrsBhrsXT4KH0xKqbJs-UccT28lkUrfNCOIdr_/s400/1-s2.0-S1364032110004120-gr3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Iranian hydro</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">-<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">power plants</span> nominal capacity</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> But while the legislation has increasingly shut off IRANIAN hydrocarbon exports, there is one sector of IRAN’S energy industry that is flourishing – electricity exports.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And this trade, lucrative as it is, stymies Washington’s efforts to squeeze IRAN’S economy because, in four out of five instances, the trade is with U.S. allies.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=ir"><span style="color: blue;">According to</span></a> the U.S. government’s Energy Information Administration, “IRAN is a net exporter of electric power and currently exports electricity to neighboring states including ARMENIA, PAKISTAN, TURKEY, IRAQ, and AFGHANISTAN.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;">EXACTLY WHO ARE THESE MISCREANT STATES AIDING AND ABETTING THE IRANIAN ECONOMY?</span> </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY, like the U.S., is a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, while former SOVIET republic ARMENIA has been a member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace affiliate program since 1994.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IRAQ?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The U.S.–IRAQ Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA, official name: "Agreement Between the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the Republic of IRAQ On the Withdrawal of UNITED STATES Forces from IRAQ and the Organization of Their Activities during Their Temporary Presence in IRAQ") was signed in 2008, and the U.S. signed a similar SOFA agreement with AFGHANISTAN earlier this year.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As for PAKISTAN, the military cooperation between Washington and Islamabad is self evident.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So then, five U.S. “allies” are purchasing IRANIAN electricity.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">To give but one instance, TURKEY and IRAN agreed in August 2007 to jointly pursue an electricity designed to produce 6,000 megawatts, of which a percentage would be exported to TURKEY’S relatively isolated eastern provinces adjacent to its 312-mile long frontier with IRAN.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And how valuable are these power exports?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">From 20 March 2012, the beginning of the current IRANIAN calendar year to 23 October, IRAN exported 6,624 gigawatts of electricity to the quintet of neighboring countries, a 44 percent rise <span> </span>compared to the same period in 2011. On 27 October Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Behzad announced in Tehran that IRAN'S electricity exports were worth $5 billion since the beginning of the current IRANIAN calendar year. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3wG9dBOGE-VDYDmWvnPqOine1Pw8TUjJ-zdt7pRzflduTpdJmi5KT8FhGvkz3SuE-hCam5Z6UJLWLE7X_KpT3QPDmd3CTel6o6DaQ29x5P6SdA5yMRBo2BfCLk_Z8hHMgWVAP5cMFUE_/s1600/reportint20110905165859450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3wG9dBOGE-VDYDmWvnPqOine1Pw8TUjJ-zdt7pRzflduTpdJmi5KT8FhGvkz3SuE-hCam5Z6UJLWLE7X_KpT3QPDmd3CTel6o6DaQ29x5P6SdA5yMRBo2BfCLk_Z8hHMgWVAP5cMFUE_/s320/reportint20110905165859450.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">IRAN is a net exporter of electric power</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Behzad disclosed the data on the sidelines of 12th International Electricity Exhibition (IEE) in Tehran. And among those nations attending are ITALY, FRANCE, GERMANY and TURKEY, all NATO members, along with representatives from CHINA and SOUTH KOREA.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Expect to see more growth in IRAN’S electrical sector. According to IRANIAN Energy Ministry officials, IRAN will become self-sufficient in manufacturing equipment and goods, which are used in the electrical power industry by the end of the current IRANIAN year, which finishes in March 2013.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IRAN AND INDIA SIGNED A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THAT IRAN WOULD PROVIDE 4,000 MEGAWATTS OF ELECTRICITY EXPORTS TO INDIA VIA PAKISTAN</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IRAN’S rising electrical exports to its neighbors presents Washington policymakers hawkish on IRAN with the unpleasant reality that the nations importing IRANIAN electricity are all involved to a lesser or greater degree with regional U.S. military policies, whose cooperation could be endangered if the AMERICAN administration pressured them too far to downgrade their energy relations with Tehran.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So, for the foreseeable future, TURKISH lira, ARMENIAN drams, PAKISTANI rupees, IRAQI dinars and AFGHAN afghanis will continue to flow into IRAN’S treasury in return for reliable supplies of electricity. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7woX8BxjTKT8TNh-U55FaCrpnuWpI8em8mblqRvqgzse4kmvh6C5dNpS2xkvdd7MCBsxmXguMYeVUI-IXQBYPnsBc1ImUz7EAPMXc-3SayASkPCpVf2Ml3oeVt-JNF5hjEUFa-tNULia/s1600/power+lines_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7woX8BxjTKT8TNh-U55FaCrpnuWpI8em8mblqRvqgzse4kmvh6C5dNpS2xkvdd7MCBsxmXguMYeVUI-IXQBYPnsBc1ImUz7EAPMXc-3SayASkPCpVf2Ml3oeVt-JNF5hjEUFa-tNULia/s320/power+lines_2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And more deals are on the way, as on 27 October IRAN and INDIA signed a Memorandum of Understanding that IRAN would provide 4,000 megawatts of electricity exports to INDIA via PAKISTAN, which as part of the agreement receive 2,000 additional megawatts for its role in facilitating the transfer.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Apparently IRAN’S neighbors have concluded that their value to Washington transcends the AMERICAN administration’s ability to punish them for interacting with IRAN.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">At least electricity, unlike uranium, is not “dual use.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By. John C.K. Daly via Oilprice</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div>

IRAN'S UNTOUCHABLE ENERGY EXPORTS

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 …

Today's archidose #631

1:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

Here are some photos of the Galaxy Soho in Beijing, China, by <a href="http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/galaxy-soho/">Zaha Hadid Architects</a> (2012), photographed by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/red_gloww/">Ben Lepley</a>. (Previously I featured the project <a href="http://archidose.blogspot.com/2012/04/todays-archidose-579.html">under construction</a>.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/red_gloww/8153880205/" title="Zaha's Galaxy of offices by Ben Lepley +_+, on Flickr"><img alt="Zaha's Galaxy of offices" height="559" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8339/8153880205_feaa424c96_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/red_gloww/8152822036/" title="Galaxy Soho by Ben Lepley +_+, on Flickr"><img alt="Galaxy Soho" height="505" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8347/8152822036_09faafa653_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/red_gloww/8152795509/" title="Galaxy Soho by Ben Lepley +_+, on Flickr"><img alt="Galaxy Soho" height="504" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7110/8152795509_8346bb37cc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/red_gloww/8152814363/" title="Galaxy over the Ring Road by Ben Lepley +_+, on Flickr"><img alt="Galaxy over the Ring Road" height="504" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8198/8152814363_eba8bf7c51_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/red_gloww/8152822232/" title="Galaxy Soho by Ben Lepley +_+, on Flickr"><img alt="Galaxy Soho" height="800" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7132/8152822232_1f26551e8f_c.jpg" width="642" /></a><br /><br />To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just:<br /><blockquote>:: Join and add photos to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/archi-dose/">archidose pool</a>, and/or<br />:: Tag your photos <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/archidose/">archidose</a></span></blockquote>

Today's archidose #631

Here are some photos of the Galaxy Soho in Beijing, China, by Zaha Hadid Architects (2012), photographed by Ben Lepley. (Previously I featured the project under construction.)To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just::: Join and add ph…

Getting in the mood....

11:58 AM Tukiyooo 0

Getting in the mood....

.....for Christmas!!Ciaran is off playing squash so I am watching "The Holiday" - I love this movie! It's got 2 love stories and it is set at Christmas......what's not to love?!I have to watch it on my own because Ciaran doesn't entertain Christmas …

Sign up for SchoolNet's free 'Google for Professional Development' short course

11:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9M5D_Kn5r0g2x1srsThTjUqYcRk0aYMjTtdzIQRloqzNfT0MpSU6u0AB-1Y0p9tv6qz5sM47jBl3HoP0kcXO8yUh1v-MLgfotqhwtglj_AOktQ0a48NpCdo9VU04YIsnNCXifqRg9FA/s1600/Use+Google.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9M5D_Kn5r0g2x1srsThTjUqYcRk0aYMjTtdzIQRloqzNfT0MpSU6u0AB-1Y0p9tv6qz5sM47jBl3HoP0kcXO8yUh1v-MLgfotqhwtglj_AOktQ0a48NpCdo9VU04YIsnNCXifqRg9FA/s400/Use+Google.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>submitted by Fiona Beal</i></span><br />Recently, in October, I had the amazing experience of being selected to attend the Google Teacher Academy in New York - an experience<span style="font-size: small;">, I think, </span> every teacher should aim for!  I have written a couple of blogposts about this experience should you wish to take a quick peek!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-south-african-educator-heads-off-to_19.html" target="_blank">A South African Educator heads off for the Google Teacher Academy in New York </a></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2012/10/reflections-on-google-teacher-academy.html" target="_blank">Reflecting on the Google Teacher Academy experience</a></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2012/10/gleanings-from-google-teacher-academy.html" target="_blank">Gleanings from the Google Teacher Academy NY 3rd and 4th October</a></span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I came back feeling VERY excited about the potential of Google products in our classrooms. In the light of this I thought it would be great to end off the year with a SchoolNet short, free online course called USE GOOGLE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.  This will be a three week course for SchoolNet Premium Members offered during November centring on three aspects of Google that could be useful to you in your professional development with your colleagues. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The suggested outline is</i>: <br /><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">WEEK 1</span></b> <b>(12 November): Get familiar with Google Chrome<span style="font-size: small;">'s AMAZING</span> offer<span style="font-size: small;">ings</span></b><br /><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">WEEK 2</span></b> (<b>19 November): Get to know Google+ </b><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><b>WEEK 3</b></span> <b>( 26 November):</b> <b>Get the hang of Google hangouts </b></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The reason I am calling this a <i>Google For Professional Development</i> course is because Google+ is restricted to age 13 years and older, and Google hangouts are restricted to 18 years and older.  Both these products however have  great potential for connecting you to your colleagues. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This course is supported by optional 'how to' webinars and offers a Certificate of Completion from SchoolNet if certain requirements are met. Please fill in the form below if you would like to join us. You will then be sent an email directing you to the course platform. Your introductions from the sign-up form will be added to the course platform so that we can interact and get to know each other. This course will be fairly interactive in Weeks 2 and 3 as we will be joining a Google + circle and participating in a Google hangout. </span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><br /><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dG9XNVNISkZYUzNybk84MDNaVVpudHc6MQ" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sign up for the Use Google for Professional De<span style="font-size: small;">vel<span style="font-size: small;">opment course here</span></span></span></span></a> </div></div>

google Sign up for SchoolNet's free 'Google for Professional Development' short course

submitted by Fiona BealRecently, in October, I had the amazing experience of being selected to attend the Google Teacher Academy in New York - an experience, I think, every teacher should aim for! I have written a couple of blogposts about this exp…

it's a marathon, not a sprint

2:30 AM Anonymous 0

I never said I would be quick about this whole living room update right? Good. Because it is painfully obvious that I'm taking my own sweet time with this room seeing as I first <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/08/and-your-time-startsnow.html" target="_blank">posted about it in August</a>. The beginning of August.<br /><br />So I could apologize for my laziness and give all sort of excuses as to why this little room is taking so long, blah blah blah. Or, I could just get on with it and given an update. An update you say? You are so positive, I knew I liked you!<br /><br />Now if you are anything like me, you will need a refresher on the original to do list.<br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;">1. <strike>Paint walls, ceiling and trim (not in that order)</strike></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;">2. <strike>Paint and recover chairs</strike></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;">3. <strike>Figure out room layout</strike></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;">4. <strike>Get artwork</strike></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;">5. Sew pillows and <strike>curtains</strike></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;">6. <strike>Clean rug or Get new rug?</strike></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;">7. <strike>Find/Make coffee table</strike></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;">8. <strike>Address window seat</strike></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;">9. Lighting</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;">10. <strike>Paint 'other' items as needed</strike></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: center;">11. <strike>Couch finis</strike>hing touches (half way done)</div><br />And actually, now that I'm looking at it, I have gotten a lot done. Go me!<br /><br />The walls have been painted one of my very favorite colors - Arrowroot by Pratt & Lambert. And the ceilings are a very pale blue (I can't remember the name at the moment) that seems to change color several times throughout the day, which I love.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxlQwPkTImRnGq8eYYB3Q7LZsVCoUdeiDDiCevv_Q-s-juKhzTXXr6DAcXSfmrE8D2eM_Ksgk6K9WQ3D20qt_aRHv7jvRNmKHnypz8VV7XNcUNVW0HCLoV24-qTv3iwwRtD_oy9X48D6T/s1600/LBDLRColor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxlQwPkTImRnGq8eYYB3Q7LZsVCoUdeiDDiCevv_Q-s-juKhzTXXr6DAcXSfmrE8D2eM_Ksgk6K9WQ3D20qt_aRHv7jvRNmKHnypz8VV7XNcUNVW0HCLoV24-qTv3iwwRtD_oy9X48D6T/s400/LBDLRColor.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In addition to the walls, I painted some furniture as well. If you saw my guest post at <a href="http://blog.thepinkpagoda.us/2012/10/pink-with-little-black-door.html" target="_blank">The Pink Pagoda</a> a while back then you saw this. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jt-0cCbwtXrusSAjioSrOnM1Js_wt6s5pJulFOM61bv_T6mA8yqeMr6KU90eVFa6nXdRF70ZiSU3OQ1g9cY0XMDTxYKHYk1rK0OTFAuieGxhW3NBJsr4rxMRXV6J9FwOzQbgb5RemTdT/s1600/PinkFurniturePagoda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jt-0cCbwtXrusSAjioSrOnM1Js_wt6s5pJulFOM61bv_T6mA8yqeMr6KU90eVFa6nXdRF70ZiSU3OQ1g9cY0XMDTxYKHYk1rK0OTFAuieGxhW3NBJsr4rxMRXV6J9FwOzQbgb5RemTdT/s640/PinkFurniturePagoda.jpg" width="562" /></a></div><br />And I have a serious crush on my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/59201457/the-merchants-wife-on-pink-11x14-giclee" target="_blank">prints from The Pink Pagoda</a> as well. That little lady looks so good! And so does her hubs, hanging on the other side of the room.<br /><br />I'm still playing around with pillows and some other little things.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eN2P66LfFOb8CPMbuAJnjxdhi404Qge-UpWCVyhJ3q1Ww3uSWDDA1V-smba3Hsp7BOauT8h4POojSfBpEni91s109NjqCQyVceLO01ii_Lkr6ScrW-zFtdkKALprFRLxFPZCO-_C34rn/s1600/GardenStool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eN2P66LfFOb8CPMbuAJnjxdhi404Qge-UpWCVyhJ3q1Ww3uSWDDA1V-smba3Hsp7BOauT8h4POojSfBpEni91s109NjqCQyVceLO01ii_Lkr6ScrW-zFtdkKALprFRLxFPZCO-_C34rn/s640/GardenStool.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: left;">But I do have some help arranging flowers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VS4DySGuvkthdT1KEomGz42v8r88OCzA8GTLPyiOJDzjrK_eJmmkAI3a9-YcPO40A8I2OauHJktAvIzPuKZ61-q0lD1y95mCAh5FZkdWarAYJY3BR5fmmtnWIt7rVuU_ccNmItOGnYzt/s1600/CoffeeTable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VS4DySGuvkthdT1KEomGz42v8r88OCzA8GTLPyiOJDzjrK_eJmmkAI3a9-YcPO40A8I2OauHJktAvIzPuKZ61-q0lD1y95mCAh5FZkdWarAYJY3BR5fmmtnWIt7rVuU_ccNmItOGnYzt/s640/CoffeeTable.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: left;">Curtains were hung last night and the trim on a new seat cushion is complete.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLp-KMNBUL5rS84nE156qUoABjlhpF0ElAznAHfVY6y_cPABshR34IPhNJ-XzPWCrnX8KBXA319jFd-JCDA3rxh0F0hM0iX9wPFCnjQo94GuItQlggKD7oEXKCxTmL5F9p27J5_btu-hs/s1600/ChairSeat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLp-KMNBUL5rS84nE156qUoABjlhpF0ElAznAHfVY6y_cPABshR34IPhNJ-XzPWCrnX8KBXA319jFd-JCDA3rxh0F0hM0iX9wPFCnjQo94GuItQlggKD7oEXKCxTmL5F9p27J5_btu-hs/s640/ChairSeat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px;">Now I just need to clean the place up a bit and snap some pictures. Easier said than done in this gloomy weather. But progress has been made! I have not forgotten nor abandon the living room. It lives!!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px;">Do you have any projects that you can't seem to get around to finishing? Any lingering lists? Want to come over and help me take some pictures?</span></div>

it's a marathon, not a sprint

I never said I would be quick about this whole living room update right? Good. Because it is painfully obvious that I'm taking my own sweet time with this room seeing as I first posted about it in August. The beginning of August.So I could apologize …

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 11/06/2012

1:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://acceln.wikispaces.com">acceln - home</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">A learning network with some fantastic Google hangouts- Julie and I were on this week talking about how to connect your classroom globally.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclassroom">flatclassroom</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/globaled">globaled</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p>                                        </li>  </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='http://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 11/06/2012

acceln - home A learning network with some fantastic Google hangouts- Julie and I were on this week talking about how to connect your classroom globally. tags: flatcla…