News for today's 2018: 06/01/13

ISRAEL, IRAN and the BALKANS Part 8

7:19 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJGK9DP7iYY2e1twQT8vs6x_46AxPM_oaAnD5K6l9klac2VXZeqVQG72RGxWEsC6V_nG6YeFS-LO1P2ZOfPJpjtVVSDfgfPSSIg-bvYW71sPLod_i73HUnW7cVMHC54igYrvdYtAI7kyl/s1600/BalkansMap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJGK9DP7iYY2e1twQT8vs6x_46AxPM_oaAnD5K6l9klac2VXZeqVQG72RGxWEsC6V_nG6YeFS-LO1P2ZOfPJpjtVVSDfgfPSSIg-bvYW71sPLod_i73HUnW7cVMHC54igYrvdYtAI7kyl/s400/BalkansMap.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ISRAEL’S SECURITY CONCERNS IN THE BALKANS</span></b></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";">Adapted by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring from the original article written by Chris Deliso </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="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Executive Summary: </span></b></span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TURKEY      and ISRAEL: Alliances new and old</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ISRAEL entering turkeys “turf”,      the BALKANS, unnerves TURKISH political community and makes BOSNIAN      leaders feel uneasy as well</span></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TURKISH, ISRAELI reconciliation      purely because of defense industry related deals</span></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The      tenor of the revived ISRAELI - TURKISH relationship and effects on the BALKAN      alliances</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TURKEY by far the strongest      country in the neighborhood, economically, militarily and politically</span></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Erdoğans trump card to make      peace with the KURDS: Ocalan</span></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Competitive BALKAN </span></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ISRAEL’S private business      activities have pivoted to the BALKANS, as a consequence of the 3 years      rift with TURKEY </span></b></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TURKEY AND ISRAEL: ALLIANCES NEW AND OLD</span></b></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";">One obvious aspect of the ISRAELI-TURKISH rapprochement (and the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/jan-june13/mideast1_03-22.html">US involvement in brokering it</a>) is the US desire to get both countries united on SYRIA. The groundwork for the now famous phone call, diplomatic sources indicate, was laid out a few weeks earlier during Secretary of State Kerry’s visit to Ankara in February. However, Erdoğan is seeking to maximize what is perceived as a new advantage, and has recently made guarded comments about the speed and extent to which ties will be normalized, while also stating his planed Gaza visit. If past experience is anything to go by, the TURKISH leader will use his platform there to give a sort of victory declaration concerning the Gaza flotilla, and further enhance his standing in the ‘Muslim street.’</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;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></u></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; 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;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">THE TRUE REASON BEHIND TURKEYS WARMONGERING AGAINST ISRAEL</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; 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;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/turkeys-middle-east-chess-game.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/turkeys-middle-east-chess-game.html</a></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="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ISRAEL ENTERING TURKEYS “TURF”, THE BALKANS, UNNERVES TURKISH POLITICAL COMMUNITY AND MAKES BOSNIAN LEADERS FEEL UNEASY AS WELL</span></b></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";">Still, even before the Gaza Flotilla incident, ISRAEL had already begun a strategic process of developing its diplomatic, economic and cultural relationships in the BALKANS. Both before and after May 2010 this approach has unnerved some in the TURKISH policy community, and left BOSNIAN and other local Muslim leaders uneasy as well.</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;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></u></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN BOSNIA: TURKEY SECOND LARGEST INVESTOR</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; 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;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/01/bosnia-and-herzegovina-bih-stagnation.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/01/bosnia-and-herzegovina-bih-stagnation.html</a></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";">Thus, the key question that will have to be asked going forward is (as discussed previously in the case of ALBANIA) how the TURKISH-ISRAELI rapprochement will affect the relations of both powers with specific BALKAN states and interests, especially when it comes to bilateral military cooperation plans. ISRAEL is aware of this concern, as was indicated by Prime Minister <a href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/israel-assures-greece-over-normalization-with-turkey-report.aspx?pageID=238&nID=43584&NewsCatID=359">Netanyahu’s recent reassurances</a> to GREECE that TURKISH rapprochement would not affect ISRAELI-GREEK cooperation.</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;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></u></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; 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;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ISRAEL TO STATION MILITARY JETS IN CYPRUS and </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DIPLOMATIC DOORS NOT ENTIRELY CLOSED BETWEEN ISRAEL AND TURKEY</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; 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;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/geo-strategic-dynamics-in-eastern.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/geo-strategic-dynamics-in-eastern.html</a></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="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TURKISH, ISRAELI RECONCILIATION PURELY BECAUSE OF DEFENSE INDUSTRY RELATED DEALS</span></b></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";">Until recently, almost all of the feedback and discussion among ISRAELI experts and media over this issue had not been raised, as their views were predicated on the assumption that ties with TURKEY would not resume, and could not resume, as long as Erdoğan remained in power. The fact that the impossible seems to have happened says more about US influence and desire for clarity on SYRIA than about any innate ISRAELI-TURKISH trust. It is also possible that blocked deliveries of ISRAELI-produced military components and intelligence technology for TURKEY were starting to become problematic for the latter, increasing internal pressure on TURKISH leaders to act.</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";">Whether or not it was really TURKEY or ISRAEL who ‘needed it more,’ cooperation has been restored and the next step for both sides is how to ‘sell’ the rapprochement before domestic supporters and rivals. This is much more challenging for Erdoğan than for Netanyahu, as the former’s aspirations are far greater and more diverse: to change the TURKISH constitution in his favor, to make peace with the Kurds, to redirect an ambitious foreign policy centering on several fronts, and to remain the most influential politician in the Muslim world. This is why the TURKISH prime minister’s public handling of the rapprochement is bound to be ‘predictably unpredictable’- something that will irritate ISRAEL and the US, but that will not be a surprise to longtime observers.</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="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE TENOR OF THE REVIVED ISRAELI - TURKISH RELATIONSHIP AND EFFECTS ON THE BALKAN ALLIANCES</span></b></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";">Despite any further controversial comments to come from politicians, it does appear that bilateral relations will eventually improve, even if these once and future partners will stay more wary of each other in future, thus being a more cautious relationship.</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-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Despite the fact that diplomatic and economic relations between ISRAEL and TURKEY could be reestablished quite quickly, the sensitive military and strategic cooperation is much more difficult to achieve, in view of the deep changes in the ranks of the TURKISH military and intelligence echelons and of mutual mistrust, something which will not disappear overnight.</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";">Analysts believe that the resumption of ties will also benefit ISRAEL, as the new BALKAN alliances are limited. It is not clear whether an alliance with CYPRUS and the BALKAN states can fully substitute for ISRAEL’S former strategic military partnership with TURKEY, given GREECE’ significant financial problems and ISRAEL’S own budgetary restraints, it also remains doubtful whether either of the two countries can ‘afford’ prolonged military tensions presented by an [potentially] adversarial-inclined TURKEY.</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="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TURKEY BY FAR THE STRONGEST COUNTRY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ECONOMICALLY, MILITARILY AND POLITICALLY</span></b></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";">A similar analysis had been made just over a year earlier by Dr. Josef Olmert, who raised the question of whether a BALKAN alliance could replace the previous one with TURKEY: “It is premature to pass a definitive judgment, but the odds are that the answer is negative,” <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-josef-olmert/netanyahu-balkans-_b_1294649.html">Olmert wrote in the Huffington Post</a>. “TURKEY is by far the strongest country in this neighborhood, economically, militarily and politically. The closure of the TURKISH market for the ISRAELI military industries is significant, and it is inconceivable, that a bankrupt nation like GREECE, impoverished states like ALBANIA or small nations like CYPRUS can make up the difference.” Interestingly, Olmert’s view that Erdoğan would not ‘change course’ and restore relations with ISRAEL was shared by many ISRAELI experts right up until Netanyahu’s apology was made.</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;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></u></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; 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;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WESTERN ARROGANCE AND IGNORANCE LED TO UNDERESTIMATE TURKEY</span></b></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"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/turkeys-middle-east-chess-game.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/turkeys-middle-east-chess-game.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmszqb7DdVwj4GOH7p2Z6d7Y3_vmWkiXn6p254iLfF8GGg4TMCNZjTzqTCBn_DTe5r_TogYmKzRXTLVvkr-9B3MvXCWQRlt0ae-iVWz3ju5Y8Pae18iC_bPZlFtjDOopwrs3jPgUtFD7vH/s1600/800px-Map_of_countries_by_number_of_active_troops.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmszqb7DdVwj4GOH7p2Z6d7Y3_vmWkiXn6p254iLfF8GGg4TMCNZjTzqTCBn_DTe5r_TogYmKzRXTLVvkr-9B3MvXCWQRlt0ae-iVWz3ju5Y8Pae18iC_bPZlFtjDOopwrs3jPgUtFD7vH/s400/800px-Map_of_countries_by_number_of_active_troops.PNG" width="400" /></a></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";">The resurrected TURKISH-ISRAELI relationship will in most likelihood primarily focus on events in their immediate neighborhood. This would mean that the current reduced cooperation with the Balkans will reassume in the medium-term. Even if TURKEY and ISRAEL are able to overcome their differences and jointly focus on SYRIA policy, it is doubtful whether the two countries will be able to muster enough trust to take on issues related to combating terrorism in the Balkans. At the present stage, both TURKEY and ISRAEL are arguably focusing their attention towards the LEVANT as opposed to the BALKANS.</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-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nevertheless ISRAEL may continue to assist various BALKAN countries with the following areas of cooperation: anti-terror training, homeland security technologies, airport and seaport security, and assistance on transnational counter-narcotics operations.</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="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ERDOĞANS TRUMP CARD TO MAKE PEACE WITH THE KURDS: OCALAN</span></b></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";">It has been a long time since the glory days of ISRAELI-TURKISH relations in the late 1990s, when cooperation was so high that ISRAEL allegedly provided intelligence leading to the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan (the degree and character of ISRAELI involvement, denied wholesale by the government at the time, have been intensely debated, with wildly differing tales told). The great irony here is that Ocalan, held in a TURKISH island prison ever since, is now a sort of trump card vital for Erdoğan in his outreach campaign to win a peace with the KURDS.</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="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">COMPETITIVE BALKAN </span></b></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";">A certain trend in TURKISH media visible since the Mavi Marmaris incident has revealed a concern, or attempts to create concern that ISRAEL and TURKEY could in some way become competitors in the BALKANS. However, according to Yossi Melman, “ISRAEL does not see TURKEY as a competitor, certainly not in the BALKANS. ISRAEL wishes to restore its old intelligence and military ties with TURKEY… the civil war in SYRIA provides a common ground for ISRAELI and TURKISH interests to stabilize SYRIA.</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";">Indeed, while TURKISH (and generally pro-Muslim) supporters in the media have shown some concern about ISRAELI expansion in the BALKANS, these fears are overblown. “Israel with its limited size, capabilities and financial means is not a player in this game,” contends Melman.</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-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“ISRAEL via its intelligence and security is concerned almost solely about its immediate national interests: IRAN’S support of terrorist groups, the developments in SYRIA,  terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and to a lesser degree al Qaida (only in a direct regard to ISRAEL, like the growing fear of Islamists in SYRIA),” he continues. Still, “ISRAEL is taking part in exchanging information with friendly services, thus occasionally if ISRAEL will come across information which is valid to other nations it will provide it to the interested parties.”</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="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ISRAEL’S PRIVATE BUSINESS ACTIVITIES HAVE PIVOTED TO THE BALKANS, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE 3 YEARS RIFT WITH TURKEY </span></b></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";">From the purely entrepreneurial side of things, it is also interesting to note that while the three-year rift with TURKEY had an effect; it did represent a helpful challenge in some ways. During the long suspension of activities, businessmen from both countries had to find alternate connecting points, which actually increased the value of countries like MACEDONIA, ALBANIA and ROMANIA. So regardless of the diplomatic impasse, says an informed local businessman, “TURKISH businessmen have considered the BALKANS to be a good place to meet ISRAELI counterparts… despite politics, business always finds a way.” There are currently plans for several joint private ventures in the region, for example in the health care and high-tech sectors.</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; tab-stops: 165.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Read more related articles: <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">        </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: 165.0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ISRAELI EXPORTS TO TURKEY RISE 42% TO EQUAL EXPORTS TO GERMANY</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></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"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/see-no-evil-hear-no-evil.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/see-no-evil-hear-no-evil.html</a></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; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SINCE TURKEY, OFFICIALLY AT LEAST, CUT TIES WITH ISRAEL, ISRAEL’S ONLY OPTION FOR FUTURE OIL AND GAS EXPORTS, GEO POLITICALLY SPEAKING, IS VIA “NEUTRAL” CYPRUS and</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ISRAEL HAS BECOME A KEY STRATEGIC ALLY TO GREECE AND CYPRUS</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; 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;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/eastern-mediterranean-sea.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/eastern-mediterranean-sea.html</a></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;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY...... EMERGING POWER</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></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"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/seismic-shift-in-middle-east.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/seismic-shift-in-middle-east.html</a></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;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY REVIVES STRATEGIC COOPERATION WITH ISRAEL</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; 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;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/12/israel-and-turkey.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/12/israel-and-turkey.html</a>and</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"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/01/turkey-always-force-to-reckon-with.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/01/turkey-always-force-to-reckon-with.html</a></span></div>

ISRAEL, IRAN and the BALKANS Part 8

ISRAEL’S SECURITY CONCERNS IN THE BALKANS Adapted by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring from the original article written by Chris Deliso...

Maia Yogurt Review!

6:54 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93L4TzeEFmfnEcUayxM00gDUxmJU1ZiCRSyfN4jpx41c2yCUqrVITKIkA_XjEn3EnaK9klOhyphenhyphenldYO_aJ03pYLJGlv3kYBI808lWvS3uY3_gY4rQQZLfc0H25yqbyv9gtLSjFhyphenhyphenF8jFgI/s1600/Maia+yogurt+pineapple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93L4TzeEFmfnEcUayxM00gDUxmJU1ZiCRSyfN4jpx41c2yCUqrVITKIkA_XjEn3EnaK9klOhyphenhyphenldYO_aJ03pYLJGlv3kYBI808lWvS3uY3_gY4rQQZLfc0H25yqbyv9gtLSjFhyphenhyphenF8jFgI/s320/Maia+yogurt+pineapple.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whether I have it as a snack, blended up with juice or a splash of milk for smoothies or even with granola I have a love for yogurt and loved it ever since I was a kid.</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't drink milk much, but compensate with yogurt sometimes even as a dessert along with almonds or dark chocolate!</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've tried many yogurts in my time and some were either too watery, too sugary or didn't taste like the actual flavor at all such as vanilla.</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I came across the <a href="http://www.maiayogurt.com/about-maia.cfm">Maia Yogurt</a> website and saw the flavors they had I just knew that I had to review them! Like um hello they had pineapple! It's my favorite yogurt flavor like ever!</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was sent 6 coupons for free yogurts of any flavor of my choosing and also a t shirt with their logo across the shirt, how cool is that?! They must have known I liked pineapple because on the back of the shirt there is a container of the pineapple yogurt how funny is that?!</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryG_7FEcg-7RJQ1tdNunlufQVfxM8HI7ta65dzffYHyLRjK9H2iPS02vEzGqLFhirziTn0jM1YsiTDl_JECIagfWkm7vidjr9kbYELX3EycQAdcwpIvkPvVO7SFulhothh8_CvQGd08s/s1600/Maia+yogurt+display.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryG_7FEcg-7RJQ1tdNunlufQVfxM8HI7ta65dzffYHyLRjK9H2iPS02vEzGqLFhirziTn0jM1YsiTDl_JECIagfWkm7vidjr9kbYELX3EycQAdcwpIvkPvVO7SFulhothh8_CvQGd08s/s320/Maia+yogurt+display.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OK so one day when I went to Curves gym to work out and I wore my t shirt I received one of the members said hey, that yogurt is really good! She then went on and told me the story about how her and her daughter went to the market one day and Maia is also her daughter's name! How awesome is that! So anyway, they were handing out samples of their yogurts and even told the people what her name was and all. They also sent her a shirt too!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk44yQauwUMdNbjk3T3k_3wW62X0Az0tSROYb9YEYYGQqyw9V1F7LQ07Pt22GBjCFXXbusZSm8oRFa5qwD5BVxEUOgdv55122NuvfWam6fkbBfRB_WFuWuaYfOZLJl9MHdIGIS7GrwDY/s1600/maia+shirt+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk44yQauwUMdNbjk3T3k_3wW62X0Az0tSROYb9YEYYGQqyw9V1F7LQ07Pt22GBjCFXXbusZSm8oRFa5qwD5BVxEUOgdv55122NuvfWam6fkbBfRB_WFuWuaYfOZLJl9MHdIGIS7GrwDY/s320/maia+shirt+front.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7akuye0kwosoEwbHNBOVb438SRux7F6CA19ZR1ZgW4vAec-GJjFjdGubf8WnwhzOSRWGIah_rayw1V_P5V7BdlQiZ4ZwRA5P3pLOwKGkFKyLzFW2GxfHioKAv7di2Z-NoKJnl5VQESA/s1600/maia+shirt+back+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7akuye0kwosoEwbHNBOVb438SRux7F6CA19ZR1ZgW4vAec-GJjFjdGubf8WnwhzOSRWGIah_rayw1V_P5V7BdlQiZ4ZwRA5P3pLOwKGkFKyLzFW2GxfHioKAv7di2Z-NoKJnl5VQESA/s320/maia+shirt+back+side.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love when I hear great things from companies and the consumers because it let's me know that they are passionate about making their products and also selling them!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So after she told me about the yogurt I knew I had to go buy it, she even told me where to find them!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I went to Dave's Marketplace the other day and to my surprise there they were!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I saw that the shelf was half empty meaning that they just had to be good as she said they were!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I quickly spotted pineapple of course and grabbed a few other flavors as well!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I couldn't wait to try this delicious yogurt for myself!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pineapple:</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHes1lxY1tRkvUxsKPrEjjvsIbQnQDDMRpZuuxeEGBE_Ap0CdfXmqBAoF2OHUJ-LuOPP1io1SQ9kTqdh3E5MbgD1Rq0EuUNlDduBja_plP_IlJa7vOD-w8z7rjMdffK5G48ZXSa9mAS0/s1600/maia+pineapple+and+click+protein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHes1lxY1tRkvUxsKPrEjjvsIbQnQDDMRpZuuxeEGBE_Ap0CdfXmqBAoF2OHUJ-LuOPP1io1SQ9kTqdh3E5MbgD1Rq0EuUNlDduBja_plP_IlJa7vOD-w8z7rjMdffK5G48ZXSa9mAS0/s320/maia+pineapple+and+click+protein.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I loved the pineapple flavor! It was pure golden deliciousness in a cup! What I loved was that there was no fruit on the bottom at all they you have to mix in like other yogurt brands which means it's loaded with sugar that you just don't need. It was creamy and it wasn't watery or too thick either it was amazing!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't wait to try out the other flavors!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you for checking out my delicious review for this wonderful yogurt, and I've included their website and social media sites as well!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Website: </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.maiayogurt.com/about-maia.cfm">http://www.maiayogurt.com/about-maia.cfm</a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Face Book:</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/maiayogurt">https://www.facebook.com/maiayogurt</a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Twitter:</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/maiayogurt"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">https://twitter.com/maiayogurt</span></i></a></div>

Maia Yogurt Review!

Whether I have it as a snack, blended up with juice or a splash of milk for smoothies or even with granola I have a love for yogurt and love...

Book + DVD Review: Koolhaas Houselife

6:30 PM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://www.living-architectures.com/Koolhaas_houselife.php"><b><i>Koolhaas Houselife</i></b></a> by Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine<br />BêkaPartners, 2013<br />Book: Hardcover, 140 pages<br />DVD: All-Region PAL, 58 minutes <br /><br /><img alt="Koolhaa_Houselife_Book_Cover.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/Koolhaa_Houselife_Book_Cover.jpg" title="Koolhaas Houselife" /><br /><br />A quick glance at the cover of this DVD-book (above) reveals that the viewer-reader will be treated to an atypical presentation of OMA/Rem Koolhaas's <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/1999/08/02/one-family-home/">Maison à Bordeaux</a>. Instead of shots highlighting the house's recognizable architectural qualities (akin to architectural photography, like the below photo), the framing of housekeeper Guadalupe Acedo and her tools makes it clear the documentary is about the use of the building—but by individuals other than the clients, a married couple with three kids when the house was completed in 1998.<br /><br />This is an interesting approach that primarily reflects the desire of filmmakers Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine to look at architecture through a different lens, but also due to the fact the husband—bound to a wheelchair after a car accident—died in 2001. The house catered to him through the moving platform that Guadalupe inhabits on the cover and other parts of the design; therefore the house cannot be used in the same way and portraying it otherwise would be dishonest. <br /><br /><img alt="Koolhaas_Houselife_3.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/Koolhaas_Houselife_3.jpg" title="Koolhaas Houselife" /><br /><br />At times, this story story of the house as told through the housekeeper, the  window washers, and other people involved with overseeing its  maintenance and operations, is as touching as it is revealing about the house's inner workings. Particularly touching is a scene when Guadalupe talks about the house being full of guests and laughter when the husband was alive; since his death, Madame, as she calls her, does laugh, "but not like before." When Guadalupe moves off frame after saying these words, it's as if she's too sad to want to stay on camera.<br /><br />The film is great at capturing moments like these, be they emotional, visual (the window washer squeegeeing the skylight above the moving platform), or humorous (the house's many moving parts juxtaposed against a scene from <i>Mon Oncle</i> playing on a television set in the house). It's not until the last few minutes that we see Madame, in a long shot, closing the curtains and turning off the lights before bed, as much a routine as Guadalupe circumnavigation of the house as she cleans it. <br /><br /><img alt="Koolhaas_Houselife_1.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/Koolhaas_Houselife_1.jpg" title="Koolhaas Houselife" /><br /><br />The heart of the DVD-book is the 58-minute film discussed above. Accompanying it is an 11-minute interview with Rem Koolhaas, a half-hour piece on the whole 5-part "<a href="http://www.living-architectures.com/">Living Architecture</a>" series (of which <i>Koolhaas Houselife</i> is the first part), and the book, which is itself split into two parts—a visual and textual "diary/journal" that encapsulates the film, and a conversation with the filmmakers and designers Marie Bruneau and Bertrand Genier.<br /><br />The series title <i>Living Architectures</i> refers to the way buildings take on lives of their own after the architects are done with their work and any media hoopla dies down. In the case of the Maison à Bordeaux, it also speaks about how the building has evolved beyond its original <i>raison d'être</i> and has unfolded through the actions of various individuals whose lives are in turn shaped by the architecture.<br /><br /><b>US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1092194002/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1092194002&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Buy from Amazon.com" border="0" src="http://www.archidose.org/books/buy-from-tan.gif" /></a> CA: <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1092194002/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1092194002&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Buy from Amazon.ca" border="0" height="28" src="http://www.archidose.org/books/buy-from-tan-ca.gif" width="90" /></a> UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1092194002/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1092194002&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Buy from Amazon.co.uk" border="0" height="28" src="http://www.archidose.org/books/buy-from-tan-uk.gif" width="90" /></a></b>

Book + DVD Review: Koolhaas Houselife

Koolhaas Houselife by Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine BêkaPartners, 2013 Book: Hardcover, 140 pages DVD: All-Region PAL, 58 minutes A quick gla...

Editorial: 'Virginia Mainstream Project Seeks a Wider GOP Current, Which Would Benefit Us All'

6:28 PM Tukiyooo 0

<blockquote>If Republican Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling hadn’t announced formation of the Virginia Mainstream Project prior to the GOP’s convention, he certainly would have done so afterwards.</blockquote>So begins Thursday's <a href="http://www.billbolling.com/2013/05/30/virginia-mainstream-project-seeks-a-wider-gop-current-which-would-benefit-us-all/">Farmville Herald</a> editorial by Ken Woodley as he noted the lack of transparency and lack of inclusiveness currently in the Republican Party of Virginia.<br /><br />Mr. Woodley continued:<br /><blockquote>There is nothing mainstream about the trio of Republican candidates emerging from the convention, which was held for the specific purpose of deep-sixing the gubernatorial aspirations of Bolling and handing the party nomination to Ken Cuccinelli.<br /><br />The attorney general is joined by E. W. Jackson as the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor and Mark D. Obenshain, who’ll run for attorney general. Jackson made the most headlines following his nomination, with reports he has called the Democratic Party “anti-God” and labeled gays and lesbians as “sick” and “perverted.” Writing an opinion piece last fall for The Washington Times, Jackson, a minister, wondered how Democrats have “managed to hold on to black Christians in spite of an agenda worthy of the Anti-christ.</blockquote>As the dust settles from the Republican convention held two weeks ago in Richmond, more are beginning to understand what Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling said after the convention:<br /><blockquote>Bolling issued a post-convention statement rightly saying that “some of the things he (Jackson) has said are simply indefensible. These kinds of comments are simply not appropriate, especially not from someone who wants to be a standard-bearer for our party and hold the second-highest elected office in our state. They feed the image of extremism, and that’s not where the Republican Party needs to be.” </blockquote>The entire editorial can be read here.

Editorial: 'Virginia Mainstream Project Seeks a Wider GOP Current, Which Would Benefit Us All'

If Republican Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling hadn’t announced formation of the Virginia Mainstream Project prior to the GOP’s convention, ...

YU Healthy Snacks Review!

6:27 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKxenTCPUPt2MPicF7pHUj2i0slGebjMRhikrnG9PuFVPRI1hZkImieXu2kSRN3eJfD2LqEphuBIWBS9pMUoFq5jwV6mRmpdEQaOpYgaNRtXTI5_iiS9D5qY0IcFFH7q6bsd7MMXefeE/s1600/yu+fruit+display.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKxenTCPUPt2MPicF7pHUj2i0slGebjMRhikrnG9PuFVPRI1hZkImieXu2kSRN3eJfD2LqEphuBIWBS9pMUoFq5jwV6mRmpdEQaOpYgaNRtXTI5_iiS9D5qY0IcFFH7q6bsd7MMXefeE/s320/yu+fruit+display.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> These snacks right here are great for kids because they are healthy fruit snacks and also some come covered in my favorite thing of all which is yogurt!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dipped in yogurt or not I like it especially when it's fruity and healthy so when I came across <a href="http://www.yu-rules.co.uk/about.html">Yu Healthy Snacks</a> I just had to review them!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you have picky eaters at home this is a great way to start putting fruit back into their lives!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am sure they will love it!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is a great snack to keep in your drawer at the office as well !</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*YU Facts*</span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Doesn't contain any artificial flavorings, coloring or preservatives</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They are delicious</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Healthy</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fruity</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">a great snack </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Products:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fruit pieces-</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cherry</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Strawberry</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mango</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Black Currant</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Blueberry</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yogurt Covered fruit pieces-</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">raspberry</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">raisins</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">black currant</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">strawberry</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They also have fruit bars and fruit bites mixed with granola!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mango Fruit pieces: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This reminded of a healthier version of fruit snacks that mom used to pack me in my lunch as a kid! Tiny bite sized chunks of mango gummy snacks bursting with flavor without all the added sugars, colors, or preservatives! Great thing about them is you can add them to yogurt or pack in your kids lunch box for healthy snacking!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Black Currant covered yogurt bites:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I don't think I've ever tried black currant anything so I was a bit skeptical at first, but when I bit into this delicious fruity and creamy yogurt bite I was in pure heaven! It was sweet and delicious! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I still have more flavors to try but I am sure I will love them!! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Check them out on their website </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Website:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.yu-rules.co.uk/products.php"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">http://www.yu-rules.co.uk/products.php</span></a></div>

YU Healthy Snacks Review!

These snacks right here are great for kids because they are healthy fruit snacks and also some come covered in my favorite thing of all whi...

'The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver'

4:53 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7y3u8lq5I5zmAN9YH5Rvk32sDiFqJkGwph0TJdtMAjnXdIF_51MLq44A_HA25U3sNkdS4KykpauryheCpuYHIvHJQWzcZXUuyjXxq2mTo8oXmnk0v2GV08-Y-e540wzVh-zCuM96bUocl/s1600/John+Denver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7y3u8lq5I5zmAN9YH5Rvk32sDiFqJkGwph0TJdtMAjnXdIF_51MLq44A_HA25U3sNkdS4KykpauryheCpuYHIvHJQWzcZXUuyjXxq2mTo8oXmnk0v2GV08-Y-e540wzVh-zCuM96bUocl/s320/John+Denver.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Thank goodness for recorded music because John Denver is still here even 15 years after he died. The latest release is a compilation of JD music by a variety of artists with covers of some of Denver's most popular songs, artists who include Charlottesville's own Dave Matthews. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Wilderness Society in Denver's name. <br /><br />Filmmaker Justin Kreutzmann interviewed a number of the artists and produced a video that can be seen at <a href="http://johndenver.com/">JohnDenver.com</a>.<br /><br />Songs and artists for "The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver:"<br /><br />"Leaving, on a Jet Plane" by My Morning Jacket<br />"Take Me To Tomorrow" by  Dave Matthews<br />"All of My Memories" by Kathleen Edwards<br />"Prisoners" by J  Mascis and Sharon Van Etten<br />"Sunshine On My Shoulders" by Train<br />"Back Home  Again" by Old Crow Medicine Show<br />"This Old Guitar" by Lucinda  Williams<br />"Some Days are Diamonds" by Amos Lee<br />"Rocky Mountain High" by  Allen Stone<br />"Annie's Song" by Brett Dennen and Milow<br />"Looking For Space"  by Evan Dando<br />"Take Me Home, Country Roads" by Brandi Carlile and Emmylou  Harris<br />"Eagle and the Hawk" by Blind Pilot<br />"I Guess He'd Rather Be In  Colorado" by Mary Chapin Carpenter<br />"Darcy Farrow" by Josh Ritter and  Barnstar<br />"Wooden Indian" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

'The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver'

Dave Matthews Emmylou Harris John Denver Mary Chapin Carpenter Old Crow Medicine Show The Music Is You Train 'The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver'

Thank goodness for recorded music because John Denver is still here even 15 years after he died. The latest release is a compilation of JD m...

40-something posts in review

3:10 PM Tukiyooo 0

Yeah, that's me... How'd ya guess?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtG4wzYIWfDVqaEPtsAQdXYGQkApO7yTr4bSVxiAaouGG_LTF5XJKe3QgJmOJiPmqnt1AP7xCt4eh9dsRHrBKLgVMO3PwDSZGkqso72mp92hifq-UG2Gs_yWHGndFJ4b9VCEWegyW3-lM/s1600/4293899283_72fbec7da3_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtG4wzYIWfDVqaEPtsAQdXYGQkApO7yTr4bSVxiAaouGG_LTF5XJKe3QgJmOJiPmqnt1AP7xCt4eh9dsRHrBKLgVMO3PwDSZGkqso72mp92hifq-UG2Gs_yWHGndFJ4b9VCEWegyW3-lM/s320/4293899283_72fbec7da3_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Why did the Chickie <strike>cross</strike> run like hell across the road?<br /><br />The letter, honesty about the blog, coming to terms with all this.<br /><br /><br />This is more like it <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUVVPciNCE17bWqiGr_PilHXxfrVO4JiaF2fw1lNf3xoL4Navmy9t8uy02eJEKrDMDL2Ri4V8Y3DcGCiNz4oFLxwT7vdyMn7Cc_cVQhhXj5L4MygOYviglo5nmE5gzUiItTLm4IIEZJQ/s1600/27085_img_9892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUVVPciNCE17bWqiGr_PilHXxfrVO4JiaF2fw1lNf3xoL4Navmy9t8uy02eJEKrDMDL2Ri4V8Y3DcGCiNz4oFLxwT7vdyMn7Cc_cVQhhXj5L4MygOYviglo5nmE5gzUiItTLm4IIEZJQ/s320/27085_img_9892.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Things written that cannot be taken back now.  That proverbial can is open.  And I'm up that proverbial creek without my paddle.  Pretty sure I'll find out who has it.  Bravery that once was has long since vanished.  <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-mV1xPNRdggJWjGkVZGlLetbAZg1V7ImyM5RLl3dL45IlbVokNmiI1sGLFVpK4sRgKNHNB6gbsRGP5R5WKhD_59E8f9XlZEaNrzEXjJlqMNcSoVrPXaIsstH81h3vM4OWlpBM1O8km4/s1600/Chicken-Little-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-mV1xPNRdggJWjGkVZGlLetbAZg1V7ImyM5RLl3dL45IlbVokNmiI1sGLFVpK4sRgKNHNB6gbsRGP5R5WKhD_59E8f9XlZEaNrzEXjJlqMNcSoVrPXaIsstH81h3vM4OWlpBM1O8km4/s320/Chicken-Little-movie-poster.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-mV1xPNRdggJWjGkVZGlLetbAZg1V7ImyM5RLl3dL45IlbVokNmiI1sGLFVpK4sRgKNHNB6gbsRGP5R5WKhD_59E8f9XlZEaNrzEXjJlqMNcSoVrPXaIsstH81h3vM4OWlpBM1O8km4/s1600/Chicken-Little-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><br />I'm choosing, at least for the time being, to make everything else go away.  Yes, I know there's some reader out there that has every post stored for eternity for the tech savvy to read.<br /><br />Regardless, for now... Chickie in raw form is outta here.<br /><br />To really understand where I'm coming from, here's a picture of his childhood (just add another kid and paint 'em all blonde)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtk58fnO4ajDmp9IGZakswHi8mQnBaPFhumNlE88ljXzqZyFU2TNLhL3XObQEDZ33PFH9WDXoj_Uc7LJH4XOVBB6HhU-wEkJFazwv0l7tVwF7vvIvJOjkoQB0RxjWNn8IBiZ3Ua-n-HA/s1600/father-knows-best.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtk58fnO4ajDmp9IGZakswHi8mQnBaPFhumNlE88ljXzqZyFU2TNLhL3XObQEDZ33PFH9WDXoj_Uc7LJH4XOVBB6HhU-wEkJFazwv0l7tVwF7vvIvJOjkoQB0RxjWNn8IBiZ3Ua-n-HA/s320/father-knows-best.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><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/AVvXsEiC2LsEFA2fobWNHCnigH8WpNkjJnOhRKTWWebT0yNd0ot-OJaoF4SVrdshBUSDQHqNVlkXqkeJ49Npy6Z1QFGlTd9afSsxxUDSwEd17231NslJDzdavq5H_iAhcHQhvIZpu2RgkXezfwg/s1600/roseanne1-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div> And here's a picture of my family (just not so touchy and much louder... and we did have the same couch with the same blanket over the back!)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvGQnfDcXDdqGzVxuvVa3ns2rN2xugOkdH_2rPJUgQbhuelzliwSqaOcUZ8WEtoXpDNWepdTXbY8fi-NOodxMuykglrN679gIv3020DGzzYWVG4YMXBrhTq6fcPZAAOPVrrBkLPDiLiY/s1600/Roseanne-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvGQnfDcXDdqGzVxuvVa3ns2rN2xugOkdH_2rPJUgQbhuelzliwSqaOcUZ8WEtoXpDNWepdTXbY8fi-NOodxMuykglrN679gIv3020DGzzYWVG4YMXBrhTq6fcPZAAOPVrrBkLPDiLiY/s320/Roseanne-008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Hopefully you understand why the rest must disappear. And if not, I do and that's what is important.<br /><br />Mostly for my own amusement - here's the recap from oldest to newest:<br /><ul><li>messing with my medicines (ADD and anxiety) is a really bad bad idea</li><li>turned 28 years old for the 10th time</li><li>inner feelings defined - i'm a spanko</li><li>teaching myself to submit without a leader in sight</li><li>elementary school bullies</li><li>older child did something obnoxiously funny</li><li>pretty poem about importance of living life fully</li><li>holiday issues, being a brat, and not being put up with</li><li>graphic sex</li><li>younger child did something terribly naughty, but terribly funny</li><li>meme silliness</li><li>difficulty expressing desires</li><li>pollen</li><li>humorous situation with younger child</li><li>feeling lonely and pushed in a corner</li><li>understanding it was my fault</li><li>graphic sex</li><li>my submission and more graphic sex</li><li>my side of the family</li><li>fear of dying </li><li>frustration with being submitting without something to submit to</li><li>frustration with medical system </li><li>graphic sex</li><li>more frustration with the medical system </li><li>more frustration with submitting to a sometimes-leader</li><li>more meme silliness</li><li>waxing</li><li>good grief - more medical frustration</li><li>graphic sex</li><li>hurt feelings </li><li>and again, messing with my medicines (ADD and anxiety) is still a really bad bad idea</li><li>things are okay</li><li>graphic sex</li><li>medicine changing once again is a bad idea</li><li>thank you all so very much for your support</li><li>little things that make me happy</li><li>hard to believe, but medicine changing once again is a still bad idea</li><li>graphic sex </li><li>stupid employee</li><li>trying to hire new employee, but alas the applicants are also stupid</li><li>reconnecting and graphic sex</li><li>and then wrapping up with the post prior to this </li></ul>

40-something posts in review

Yeah, that's me... How'd ya guess? Why did the Chickie cross run like hell across the road? The letter, honesty about the blog, com...

Addressing Medical Errors - NYTimes.com

1:30 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div></div><nyt_text><div id="articleBody"><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">IT was probably our eighth or ninth admission that day, but my intern and I had given up counting. I was midway through my medical residency, already a master of efficiency. You had to be, or you'd never keep up. This one was a classic eye-roller: a nursing home patient with <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/dementia/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="text-decoration: none; " title="In-depth reference and news articles about Dementia.">dementia</a>, sent to the emergency room for an <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/injury/unconsciousness-first-aid/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="text-decoration: none; " title="In-depth reference and news articles about Unconsciousness - first aid.">altered mental status</a>. When you were juggling patients with acute <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/heart-failure/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="text-decoration: none; " title="In-depth reference and news articles about Heart failure.">heart failure</a> and rampant infections, it was hard to get worked up over a demented nonagenarian who was looking a little more demented.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The trick to surviving was to shuttle patients to another area of the hospital as quickly as possible. This patient was a perfect candidate for the intermediate care unit, a holding station for patients with no active medical issues who were awaiting discharge. First we just had to rule out any treatable medical conditions — get the labs, <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/test/cranial-ct-scan/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="text-decoration: none; " title="In-depth reference and news articles about Cranial CT scan.">head CT scan</a> and chest <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/test/x-ray-skeleton/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="text-decoration: none; " title="In-depth reference and news articles about X-ray - skeleton.">X-ray</a>. But the docs at the intermediate ward left at 5 p.m. and it was 4:45. I quickly scanned through the labs, called the ward's doctor and ran through the case — demented patient, still demented, return to nursing home tomorrow.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">I remember the doctor's voice so clearly: "You're sure the labs and everything are normal?" Yes, yes, I said, everything is fine. She hesitated, then said O.K. The intern and I high-fived each other, and bolted back to our other admissions.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The next afternoon the doctor tracked me down. Without mincing words, she told me that she'd been called overnight by the radiologist; the patient's head CT showed an <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/deep-intracerebral-hemorrhage/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" style="text-decoration: none; " title="In-depth reference and news articles about Deep intracerebral hemorrhage.">intracranial bleed</a>. The patient was now with the neurosurgeons, getting the blood drained from inside her skull.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">My body turned to stone. An intracranial bleed? You couldn't do much worse than miss an intracranial bleed.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">How had I let my craze to decrease my patient load overtake proper medical care? I had failed to check the head CT! I was appalled at myself, mortified by my negligence. I stumbled through the rest of the day, an acrid mix of shame and guilt churning inside me.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">I never told anyone about my lapse — not my intern, not my attending physician, certainly not the patient's family. I tried to rationalize it: the radiologist had caught the bleeding, and no additional harm had come to the patient.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">But what if I had discharged the patient? What if I had started her on a medication like aspirin that could have worsened the bleeding? My error could easily have led to a fatal outcome. The patient was simply lucky.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">In hospital lingo, this was a "near miss." But a near miss is still an error, just one in which backup systems, oversight or sheer luck prevent harm.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">A near miss, like any error, is an opportunity to examine how mistakes are made and what changes might prevent them. Yet we have no idea how many near misses there are. Many experts feel that near-miss errors dwarf the number of known errors, a number that is already too high for comfort. (According to a 2006 report, medication errors alone injure an estimated 1.5 million patients a year.)</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">But the instinct for most medical professionals is to keep these shameful mistakes to ourselves. For the past two years I've been interviewing doctors about the emotional experiences that have molded them. Though I was interested in the full range of emotions, nearly every single one brought up a medical error that they had been party to during their careers; many of them had never spoken about it before. The shame of their errors — including the near misses — was potent, even decades later.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Much attention has been paid to reducing medical errors. Electronic prescriptions avoid penmanship mistakes. Bar codes on wristbands ensure that medications go to the right patient. Checklists and timeouts before surgeries help prevent common oversights. But we can stop only the errors we know about. There remains a black hole of near misses, of uncharted errors — a black hole of shame that prevents caregivers from coming forward.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Medical culture is less overtly punitive than it used to be, but the guilt and blame are internalized, often savagely, by its practitioners. How can we ease the shame and help doctors and nurses come forward with their near misses?</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">This is not the type of thing we can orchestrate with a quality-improvement initiative and a zippy slogan. It has to come from inside the medical world, and it helps to start at the top.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">When the chief of medicine or the director of nursing stands up and talks about his or her biggest medical error, it will get noticed by the rank and file. Hearing how a person in authority handled the emotional fallout and the feelings of incompetence may give others the courage to come forward. Until we attend to the culture of shame that surrounds medical error, we will be only nipping at the edges of one of the greatest threats to our patients' health.</p><nyt_author_id><div class="authorIdentification" style="margin-bottom: 2.8em; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-style: italic; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><a href="http://danielleofri.com/" style="text-decoration: none; ">Danielle Ofri</a>, an associate professor at New York University School of Medicine, is the editor of the Bellevue Literary Review and the author of "What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine."</font></p></div></nyt_author_id></div></nyt_text><div><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/opinion/addressing-medical-errors.html?ref=opinion&pagewanted=all&_r=0&pagewanted=print">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/opinion/addressing-medical-errors.html?ref=opinion&pagewanted=all&_r=0&pagewanted=print</a></div>

Addressing Medical Errors - NYTimes.com

IT was probably our eighth or ninth admission that day, but my intern and I had given up counting. I was midway through my medical residency...

Roller coaster temperatures ... what a difference a week makes

8:34 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNPFJ_g6Z2PfSR78ZI8H5kdVwxfjdc3ngOWypFQSdDg9lzRsphtOyGaay3x8shlvdStNcdbhbvK6PA3AshuUPIXCPamszpkKLiRn4q5w5Q2poa-jCxGkS0oAvbx0mslyXBBLCQumzqUww/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNPFJ_g6Z2PfSR78ZI8H5kdVwxfjdc3ngOWypFQSdDg9lzRsphtOyGaay3x8shlvdStNcdbhbvK6PA3AshuUPIXCPamszpkKLiRn4q5w5Q2poa-jCxGkS0oAvbx0mslyXBBLCQumzqUww/s640/1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Salvia</i></div><br />A nice morning breeze made working in the yard a comfortable experience earlier on this first day of June. SWAC Husband was repairing his garden gate, expecting to have at least until after noon to work on his project since the weather forecast had suggested today's high temps would be in the mid-80s. <br /><br />By 11:00, with a sweat-drenched shirt, he put away his tools and we finally turned on the air conditioning. Even though there is still a slight breeze outside, the humidity feels like it has crept up. Perhaps it's the build-up from the past three days of hot temperatures.<br /><br />It's hard to believe that a week ago today we woke to 33 degrees and frost on the grass and cars. A few days later, high temps topped out at 93 degrees, and it's been warm ever since. What a roller coaster spring we've had! The forecast says 70s for next week. Hope so ... I've got outdoor stuff to do. Enjoy the sunny day!<br /><br />Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />May 2013

frost hot temperatures spring yard work Roller coaster temperatures ... what a difference a week makes

Salvia A nice morning breeze made working in the yard a comfortable experience earlier on this first day of June. SWAC Husband was repairi...