now i can lay down - bedroom reveal

Grab your cocktail and lets get this party started! I'm happy to report that I'm done. I don't think the room is done (are they ever really done?) but <i>I</i> am done.<br /><br />There has been blabbing aplenty on this room so I'll try to talk (type) less and show more. Most of you know how hard it is for me <i>not</i> to talk, so this will be a challenge.<br /><br />To recap, here is what we started with. A sad little space. The space of a couple who was too tired working on the rest of the house to put much energy into said space (or apparently into proper pillow placement).<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRgtFuq15DB1Q2f0oNlIQmRWtdN04jFRfesR_apctaoKvecxDk6xucEjxj9CGgO1xdQCcM6Q4C2l7VSh0ZmcMcDbgo5coL_eqC6S0eANslM0gQ6wQZVG75PgsVq1WB39clfWWNLvc1qwe/s1600/P4075800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRgtFuq15DB1Q2f0oNlIQmRWtdN04jFRfesR_apctaoKvecxDk6xucEjxj9CGgO1xdQCcM6Q4C2l7VSh0ZmcMcDbgo5coL_eqC6S0eANslM0gQ6wQZVG75PgsVq1WB39clfWWNLvc1qwe/s640/P4075800.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhEiox_u9W3CxU7Um9HmFVZkTGS3O8AfX0sMy6eK0q5BnGIUGoEj0wj7H3tTvuknXGqEJhnslKVrcCRgm9hI5FYvJW72FUyqjJPBot1hxkCEczM8LI8ejLavfTBbI8nWPMJ9xYGfH3vCm/s1600/P4075801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhEiox_u9W3CxU7Um9HmFVZkTGS3O8AfX0sMy6eK0q5BnGIUGoEj0wj7H3tTvuknXGqEJhnslKVrcCRgm9hI5FYvJW72FUyqjJPBot1hxkCEczM8LI8ejLavfTBbI8nWPMJ9xYGfH3vCm/s640/P4075801.JPG" width="422" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUoYyFKFVzhlaqql-fbTR0n9EKIdU6jdd3QOTfq8SYiPJD7fEpooaLQ1phBZpB1cpIYTB95kEaBjInj-Q2ZRQ6b5NuW0ZWI4N-RROqJ-WTTFl0nC_ApKkS3l-jBU08QjYIL2msk22SBx0/s1600/P4075798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUoYyFKFVzhlaqql-fbTR0n9EKIdU6jdd3QOTfq8SYiPJD7fEpooaLQ1phBZpB1cpIYTB95kEaBjInj-Q2ZRQ6b5NuW0ZWI4N-RROqJ-WTTFl0nC_ApKkS3l-jBU08QjYIL2msk22SBx0/s640/P4075798.JPG" width="422" /></a></div>Initially the plan was to just throw some lipstick on it. Add a bit of paint and maybe some new bedding. It was to take no time at all. Ha! I'm such a fool. When will I ever learn?!<br /><br />A little paint led to more changes and more changes. It was that whole 'and they told two people, and they told two people, and so on.' This turned into a lot of 'and so on's.'<br /><br />Here is my 'and so on' space.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIZPxral_HsKmue9uem_e_GQktYpdUmOilJE37ELfjYP7cU0KhzCpxNgmVQ7bFNQLvOlpvMoikI7e32llUztFz85pzEIDwZWR1KP9jiVxkSsZqN8VXdU0Dq376J6Tz7Llh3n9NNKgj1z5/s1600/P5317089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIZPxral_HsKmue9uem_e_GQktYpdUmOilJE37ELfjYP7cU0KhzCpxNgmVQ7bFNQLvOlpvMoikI7e32llUztFz85pzEIDwZWR1KP9jiVxkSsZqN8VXdU0Dq376J6Tz7Llh3n9NNKgj1z5/s640/P5317089.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/04/gotta-know-when-to-fold-em.html" target="_blank">new paint color</a> was a bit darker than I had originally planned but it grows on me more every day. Its like Barry White, all warm and velvety. And there is no better room for Barry than the bedroom. Yep, I just went there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/02/gold-metallic-glow.html" target="_blank">gold spray painted lamp shades</a> were moved in here and I love their pop of black against the <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/05/wrap-it-up.html" target="_blank">panels</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmeQtFeX1Jp0XqYHu9SeeU2CX_eqcyMAucKBabZ1sxHhwLHFbAJ8l3HX_byGLViJltG-CXMmcikKutR55cvY2sbQI40TMOZq76rSQA3jUZC2YIEpbauJfz0xU3XkZ1GmnmMMcamyOpye6/s1600/P5317069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmeQtFeX1Jp0XqYHu9SeeU2CX_eqcyMAucKBabZ1sxHhwLHFbAJ8l3HX_byGLViJltG-CXMmcikKutR55cvY2sbQI40TMOZq76rSQA3jUZC2YIEpbauJfz0xU3XkZ1GmnmMMcamyOpye6/s640/P5317069.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Bedside tables are still a topic of discussion (in my head) but these are a good fit for now. Both are castoffs from the basement.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-LPcG7NuScfUE6vnYweU_xgqTELXwNb9uB0kgShL-VHLs6iYAY45OsKPQUAQg5no3g_hgOkBJOf5ztE7FPTqpIfD-KBBs7VJNb8rWmV6A1Lk8QPrpZA0Z4PKJwsLJgTB5QLpfhbbL3Fs/s1600/P5317077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-LPcG7NuScfUE6vnYweU_xgqTELXwNb9uB0kgShL-VHLs6iYAY45OsKPQUAQg5no3g_hgOkBJOf5ztE7FPTqpIfD-KBBs7VJNb8rWmV6A1Lk8QPrpZA0Z4PKJwsLJgTB5QLpfhbbL3Fs/s640/P5317077.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I shopped my basement and brought up this old iron headboard and added ribbon trim to bamboo roman shades (also from the basement) to soften them up a bit.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIUfGkdORvV8N7sVbuw5PgQQvsEFX7eZmt60K_CueLWRzIVP0KruOqLnYrtmTVRx14RYmzZYZVHGu5ddzF7cTjw8ireaEr_uAh3ECevqhjr-SKcwzT-Cp9qBcbCpWh4IeoS-D47SHFWtH/s1600/LBDBed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIUfGkdORvV8N7sVbuw5PgQQvsEFX7eZmt60K_CueLWRzIVP0KruOqLnYrtmTVRx14RYmzZYZVHGu5ddzF7cTjw8ireaEr_uAh3ECevqhjr-SKcwzT-Cp9qBcbCpWh4IeoS-D47SHFWtH/s640/LBDBed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Giving the ribbon treatment to the existing <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/05/there-is-something-on-your-skirt.html" target="_blank">bedskirt</a> and making my own <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/05/whats-in-name.html" target="_blank">monogramed shams</a> meant that all I bought for the bed itself was a throw pillow from HomeGoods and new sheets (which I lurve) from TJMax.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_nwq3KiDsF59qEhphTwdOAMg0Pm30wBhY0rIPvYO9yu0Pdl3y_Rgw-mFJ3GGa5-LMdSPUYVshHzD-l1grwvSUGAZrKCYu-2S1AovRH35EnVINpaGF6c41I2TnTkK2eqVIsIy5ZaYWJR9/s1600/LBDBedClose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_nwq3KiDsF59qEhphTwdOAMg0Pm30wBhY0rIPvYO9yu0Pdl3y_Rgw-mFJ3GGa5-LMdSPUYVshHzD-l1grwvSUGAZrKCYu-2S1AovRH35EnVINpaGF6c41I2TnTkK2eqVIsIy5ZaYWJR9/s640/LBDBedClose.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWpMhz7UKqgcezygef04oNSyLFeM0sFE_HF5a6XvekOXGwqdAWa5jc227urbulayawCEm04KOtT5JmUXYPTF0nE5KUu5YBLEy1jEbdTBrdGuzWozGNzP6wzTziS50QseI7qM6y6THKab9/s1600/LBDBedroomChair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWpMhz7UKqgcezygef04oNSyLFeM0sFE_HF5a6XvekOXGwqdAWa5jc227urbulayawCEm04KOtT5JmUXYPTF0nE5KUu5YBLEy1jEbdTBrdGuzWozGNzP6wzTziS50QseI7qM6y6THKab9/s640/LBDBedroomChair.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">The lampshade came with the lamp</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> (purchased from Target about 5 years ago) but I never used it as it had a big rip along one side. Hmmm, maybe that is why it had been on clearance? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkH9PeM9dvzuBCM5adp44y_k7Sm0iLT-83TZCgoPsIMIvvCLKCcKWtbN2UWv3uU5ce65uvqJbyVX81z0mprzvp9A9mErTAqfV9Y98axVZhGSTZfO7SNHSOMukw6tz76qCQaXOqdu3Ps4J_/s1600/LBDDresser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkH9PeM9dvzuBCM5adp44y_k7Sm0iLT-83TZCgoPsIMIvvCLKCcKWtbN2UWv3uU5ce65uvqJbyVX81z0mprzvp9A9mErTAqfV9Y98axVZhGSTZfO7SNHSOMukw6tz76qCQaXOqdu3Ps4J_/s640/LBDDresser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I covered it with a 1/2 yard of fabric purchased with a Hobby Lobby coupon and a can of spray adhesive. I mean I used the coupon to buy the fabric. I don't think you can pay for things with spray adhesive.<br /><br />The floor lamp was found at a garage sale while walking the dog. I only had $1 on me and the wonderful woman was happy to take it. Holla!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbm8qJGZLLwRt4bzgD3x23XYJWFUD09zelNnaNzP5Ivt3USLphcO9utg0Tk7iVKH526VecINGEDkHN6CmgBjbmhp4CuSvypnZb1J-AsZxwJHVyZC3FKYSj4V-KqFoDFOor1T6X9dSXDb1/s1600/LBDChairClose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbm8qJGZLLwRt4bzgD3x23XYJWFUD09zelNnaNzP5Ivt3USLphcO9utg0Tk7iVKH526VecINGEDkHN6CmgBjbmhp4CuSvypnZb1J-AsZxwJHVyZC3FKYSj4V-KqFoDFOor1T6X9dSXDb1/s640/LBDChairClose.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Another gallery wall in the making, although this one is certainly in process and will grow over time.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhyAPRJuvA1TUVt8u11Wp8XyHvZRSwai2Ydtz5sEBrT-GVX-PJDneyOcLJefyVhLD9Pz2PzjDE5qYwFeJ2lhN2HmuDOBF4KtUIWLf2US0Yf9gEHdkjBC4pSHR1Ceg7mHVX4EQCzMSRq-0/s1600/BedroomGallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhyAPRJuvA1TUVt8u11Wp8XyHvZRSwai2Ydtz5sEBrT-GVX-PJDneyOcLJefyVhLD9Pz2PzjDE5qYwFeJ2lhN2HmuDOBF4KtUIWLf2US0Yf9gEHdkjBC4pSHR1Ceg7mHVX4EQCzMSRq-0/s640/BedroomGallery.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The old frames came from my parent's basement (what's with me and basements?) and my mom was nice enough to hand them over under one condition  - "don't you dare spray paint them!"<br /><br />A rug is still needed (I'm waiting for one to speak to me but I'm told rugs don't speak, so that might be part of the problem), and I'd still LOVE to talk the hubs out of chucking that ceiling fan in favor of a great old chandelier. But for now - I'm just going to enjoy.<br /><br />So in the words of the Beastie Boys - that's it that's all that's all there is.<br /><br />P.S. - I made a challenge to myself at the beginning of this project to try and take a second look at things I already owned rather than going out and just buying a bunch of new stuff. After all, if I bought it at some point, there must be something I liked about it - right?. Almost everything in here was something I already owned and just altered. As for the items I did purchase - paint, ribbon, wrapping paper, fabric and a few estate/garage sale items - I did this whole room for less than $125. And that makes me happy.<br /><br />P.P.S - For anyone who thinks my bed stays that straight all the time - here it is just 10 minutes after taking these pics.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzii-brfSklcRzMo3gLWFX881tk01XGRlX2b4rbLhCxsuZg2oaYKMI8YGF6q-9K_dORneIZc-OhCtbekMwm01WE3AGV0LDr_LJejq_Z86zKPz42ziZv1HSRzSMXO3mtwF5fHRMUH9qZNIY/s1600/P5317008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzii-brfSklcRzMo3gLWFX881tk01XGRlX2b4rbLhCxsuZg2oaYKMI8YGF6q-9K_dORneIZc-OhCtbekMwm01WE3AGV0LDr_LJejq_Z86zKPz42ziZv1HSRzSMXO3mtwF5fHRMUH9qZNIY/s640/P5317008.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Now what am I going to do with all this free time?

now i can lay down - bedroom reveal

Grab your cocktail and lets get this party started! I'm happy to report that I'm done. I don't think the room is done (are they ...

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TURKEY – SHIITE PERSIANS VERSUS WAHHABI SAUDIS

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UESbLqWNokh6dNUWQIu9-NBw_SE4yKNrTOsw3CBgQXy7sPG2xJpqQkJ9ev-s_-b1YejmXv8V28gsuCDLmqEMDSo2jbplXELOYcsYM-ri0-apIOwOwaPbReJ_n4ekY8MkApMPxkcIJ-9J/s1600/tawhid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UESbLqWNokh6dNUWQIu9-NBw_SE4yKNrTOsw3CBgQXy7sPG2xJpqQkJ9ev-s_-b1YejmXv8V28gsuCDLmqEMDSo2jbplXELOYcsYM-ri0-apIOwOwaPbReJ_n4ekY8MkApMPxkcIJ-9J/s320/tawhid.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></b></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">THE MIDDLE EAST IS PERVADED AND INCREASINGLY INFECTED BY THE SECTARIAN RIVALRY BETWEEN THE SHIITE PERSIANS AND THE WAHHABI SAUDIS, WHO ARE NOW FIGHTING PROXY WARS ALL OVER THE REGION</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><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: 8.5pt;">By Barry Rubin</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: 10pt;">Via STRATIM </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #233f55; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0.5pt;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-size: large;">If you want a sense of where the MIDDLE EAST is going, consider this viewpoint from an unlikely source. Suat Kiniklioglu is not just a member of the TURKISH Parliament for the ruling (Islamist) AK party, he’s a member of the party’s Central Executive Committee and deputy chair of the party’s foreign affairs commission. In other words, he’s a very important person in TURKEY’S ruling establishment and especially foreign policy.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Yet rather than take an optimistic view about the advance of Islamic politics in the region, he’s very worried, worried enough to write a column entitled, “<a href="http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=280584" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Back to a Barbarian Age</span></a>” in the May 16 edition of the Islamist newspaper, <i>Today’s Zaman</i>.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What is this barbarianism? It consists of rising group hatred and looking down on others as culturally inferior and uncivilized. One might think he’s about to launch still another attack on the West as evil, imperialistic, and anti-Muslim. Not at all.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">His complaint is:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“We are now back to the very primordial identities that once dominated our political behavior and determined the group to which we belonged or were seen as belonging. We are no longer socialists, conservatives or liberals. These days we are first judged by what tribe we belong to and more increasingly what faith we believe in.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Yes, he continues, “I am constantly reminded in Europe and the US that I am a Muslim.” It is interesting to note that he was born in GERMANY and clearly that played a role in making him identify himself as a Muslim (and not just a TURK) that he ended up in the AK party.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But his complaints are about the MIDDLE EAST:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“When I travel in THE MIDDLE EAST, I am reminded that I am a SUNNI. The MIDDLE EAST is being ravaged by barbarians who want to divide the world into SUNNI and SHIITE. We can no longer make any political assessment without entertaining these ethnic, religious and sectarian identities. We are truly back to the Middle Ages. All of our accumulated knowledge, sophistication and political culture seems to have been lost. The Middle East is pervaded and increasingly infected by the sectarian rivalry between the SHIITE PERSIANS and the WAHHABI SAUDIS, who are now fighting proxy wars all over the region. As if we are all in agreement with the Saudis’ extremely harsh interpretation of WAHHABISM, we SUNNIS find ourselves in the same camp.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjyGGGucKhv421yDf2t9jXwTdauHlz9_fipHyACpJ1RZzYLMch_clg9mOlPohdnt1PYmH_Uo462KRTAyNTD-XMHvxZnZ3t87bzpDd3uDt8TQv_2TZQcOPjOhZpfh3O8_JFTKZMCrPTyVn/s1600/Shia-Sunni+percentages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjyGGGucKhv421yDf2t9jXwTdauHlz9_fipHyACpJ1RZzYLMch_clg9mOlPohdnt1PYmH_Uo462KRTAyNTD-XMHvxZnZ3t87bzpDd3uDt8TQv_2TZQcOPjOhZpfh3O8_JFTKZMCrPTyVn/s640/Shia-Sunni+percentages.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Note what he’s saying here. On one hand, there is a SHIA bloc led by IRAN; on the other is a hardline SUNNI ISLAMISM which he blames on SAUDI ARABIA but might just as well refer to the MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD. These two camps are now waging war in SYRIA for their “primordial and primitive agenda.” These “barbarians” (Islamists) “have blatantly hijacked the push for a normal democratic order in SYRIA,” instead committing acts of terrorism that must be condemned.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And then he concludes:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“With all its sins and shortcomings, the secular order we [TURKS] established over the last eight decades has taken hold and promises to support our sociopolitical order.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Why would a leading figure in an Islamist party identify the era of rising Islamism as a “great shame…[in which the Middle East ] fell prey to the thirst of barbarian bloodshed”?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Part of the answer is specifically TURKISH:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">– Kiniklioglu is one of those moderates swept up into the AK, in his case an expert on communications and foreign affairs, who may not be comfortable with the party’s program.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">– In addition, he is (correctly) asserting that (up to now) TURKISH ISLAM has been more moderate than the versions in IRAN and the ARABIC-speaking world. This is common, however, among others — I’ve often heard it from EGYPTIANS — seeking to blame everything on the SAUDIS and IRANIANS. Ironically, (perhaps subversively?) he is praising the (secular) TURKISH republic which his own party is now dismantling.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">– He’s describing the biggest headache for TURKISH foreign policy since a battle between SUNNI (ARAB) MUSLIMS AND SHIA (IRANIAN-LED) MUSLIMS is crowding TURKEY out of any real influence in the region.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But I note something else here, too: Genuine fear of what ISLAMIC and ISLAMIST politics have unleashed. Not the utopian brotherhood of the international Islamic community (umma) pushing out competing nationalist conflicts, but rather the evil genie of hatred, jihad among “brothers,” war, murder, and intolerance.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It involves the persecution of Christians and turning them into refugees, as well as the threat of renewed war with ISRAEL. But it also puts a fuse to set off bloody conflicts in IRAQ (as we have already seen), LEBANON, SYRIA, and BAHRAIN. Just as Arab nationalism pledged unity and brought decades of strife among Arab regimes, political Islam is the weapon and motive for new conflicts.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We have already seen its devastating role in AFGHANISTAN, IRAN, the GAZA STRIP, IRAQ, LEBANON, and SUDAN. Many in the West are in denial. (Even the use of the word “barbarian” in this context would bring down charges of second-degree hate crime upon a non-Muslim.) But I think Kiniklioglu and a lot of other Muslims are beginning to see the scary new world that he and his counterparts have set into motion.</span></span></div>

TURKEY – SHIITE PERSIANS VERSUS WAHHABI SAUDIS

THE MIDDLE EAST IS PERVADED AND INCREASINGLY INFECTED BY THE SECTARIAN RIVALRY BETWEEN THE SHIITE PERSIANS AND THE WAHHABI SAUDIS, WHO ARE N...

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I’m Branching Out

<p align="center">I have never really liked fish, I may have eaten fish sticks when I was little {I don’t think they count}, but I’m just not a fish person…no matter how you cook it. My Dad has been telling me over and over about this fish that he eats 2-3 times/week and how good it is. He said it didn’t have that “fishy” taste and I needed to give it a try. </p> <p align="center">So finally I did! The fish I tried is called swai. I picked them up in my grocers freezer section next to the meat counter. They are even initially packaged within a re-sealable package! {I’m easily impressed}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzxzUz2uPXqOWVIGskQGJTvaKbS9LzDunATylfz_5I3EtPMXh1nfC6UE9x4XWwE9qGfPAGcS-F9g_eC5ClceT98hVQNS548HLTU4T-DE4wK_r2-h-8AgL7YxzytWRd6wWtfINuGX6KUXn/s1600-h/IMG_2042%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_2042" border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNC4NX778JskImMpufanVevPHGmYl93ZU2j2lEq7T3z2TT74QbYQU7pR2BzlmRd7n6doZu3S0muLIy7wuBpk1acJotaJqnKneqrJup-bqrg8_CieGFtYh1itP_lenofCwbjeBiZsDrTTpl/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_2042" width="404"></a></p> <p align="center">Not only were they nicely packaged, but check out these nutrition facts! They are packed with protein, no carbs, hardly any fat, and only 2 points plus per 4oz fillet!</p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGlrVbZ1qeWA5UQbdx12t8s7trE8sAc4HjZ528Ed-lgkbQcXIv9xO_iGzLzxin0Ekdn7IkmbXiK7uW28O36GdJ7aLpOBeDEKiUgUhpFEsW9R7x4RYI6-b172oBne38m7cVoMCUsM43mjb/s1600-h/IMG_2044%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_2044" border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4ozIwprCohhWdOIpSYfCegiIdcBBuxPNxPoK2MkIwQZdfvJ0ixy7ery9-5O7QvRC-e72TwUycrhwJdceHdp9ACzNrCgChDMYWCnJK0xNxs1274r1SA8kQK97weBHDpZElgk64513W9JU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_2044" width="304"></a></p> <p align="center">I squeezed a little bit of lemon juice on, a dash of pepper, and wrapped it in some tin foil and on the grill it went. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa7uxVuF3vcyR7vLALUk9M3U8a8Ojkl4MdP351Y7cIX_8EkTeAfkuKWpmZcHed8-Ua6igRFzrU20xslJ2s3OCwpC-PkiX_SXGqWtwOShfiUhLY4VF2JdGsieqnsl86ov56LFN6j-tuzsp/s1600-h/IMG_2047%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_2047" border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCm7NbJ5R8GDeZdgFOHxB3YiLFXtBM9keCDTCQU9f9y-v5l5Leuo5nwqSGoF6UFF3McjHtptyWnxZydezGWXRCC2eudVyPNTQSevzmtKH2xBfmUYhgT01qRhTYgPHxktAKpH_tDhXR0-i/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_2047" width="404"></a></p> <p align="center"><strong><u>Verdict</u></strong>: I LOVED it! Dad was right! {thanks dad} Didn’t have a fish flavor at all, so delicious, and I didn’t even need tartar sauce!</p> <p align="center">Did you notice that other green stuff on my plate? I also had another new try that same night, kale chips! I’ve seen these all over blogs, facebook, pinterest, etc for a long time and I finally tried them. </p> <p align="center"><strong><u>Verdict</u></strong>: The first taste is salty and crunchy like a chip{I was excited at first}, but they left a horrible after taste in my mouth {almost bitter}. Has this happened to anyone else? All I did to cook it was a bit of olive oil and salt and then baked it. Help!</p> <p align="center">I would love to hear from you guys! What is a food that you’ve branched out & tried lately?</p> <p align="center"><em><font size="2">Tomorrow is WI day, wish me luck! {I worked out twice today…go me!}</font></em></p>

I’m Branching Out

I have never really liked fish, I may have eaten fish sticks when I was little {I don’t think they count}, but I’m just not a fish person…no...

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flea market fun

I hope everyone enjoyed a nice and relaxing weekend. Even though we had an extra day I feel rather behind this week. Does that ever happen to you? Anyone?<br /><br />Anyway, on Monday I was able to make it to the annual <a href="http://www.stlsymphony.org/gypsycaravan/" target="_blank">Gypsy Caravan</a> - one of the largest outdoor flea markets in the Midwest. I got there a little later than in years past but there was still plenty of good things.<br /><br />This old prayer table would be so fun in an entry or as a bedside table. All you would have to do is unscrew the candle holder top thingy (is that sacrilegious?). It had the best patina.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3wgPrOBKu84eECu1Dgir5-uCmdhfSnoRWLail63anF29UvaXOL5KITtqHJEHzcEZE04PNbmbsMVzM_9lfWylnnQBqdzLZiEbq9nAFe7gRRPAcqCvzxtpPngv3c5_pp_R5GDO4BBrAlPa/s1600/P5286921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3wgPrOBKu84eECu1Dgir5-uCmdhfSnoRWLail63anF29UvaXOL5KITtqHJEHzcEZE04PNbmbsMVzM_9lfWylnnQBqdzLZiEbq9nAFe7gRRPAcqCvzxtpPngv3c5_pp_R5GDO4BBrAlPa/s640/P5286921.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>A great old lamp for only $20. You know I love me some green.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ8m3KWgYECr6PDfIKfvLBxsUZtgJQITJB_I9ljgDjcOMRZtcAXpyS9c5a48I1XZYWcjvROdyu3hmtHa7pepnUz7p0jmw1RSlzndlYpR1ZeWMB3dG9HZ8OXh2Yenw2l6CHIkhxgVx8sf1/s1600/P5286924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ8m3KWgYECr6PDfIKfvLBxsUZtgJQITJB_I9ljgDjcOMRZtcAXpyS9c5a48I1XZYWcjvROdyu3hmtHa7pepnUz7p0jmw1RSlzndlYpR1ZeWMB3dG9HZ8OXh2Yenw2l6CHIkhxgVx8sf1/s640/P5286924.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I have no use for it, but really, who doesn't love a disco ball?!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXLk9YQ7xB800O1TIgRy1TEG_trr4Behkqy_9vC59MrMT7cGedn3iiryPBCyprOEfIQezi8Smwc5yHcneHyhIsEFo0SKmkI8EvcunWvDNLYAHcEpLeZrdq2USuG5nm3WKyqQUndcxukKU/s1600/P5286925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXLk9YQ7xB800O1TIgRy1TEG_trr4Behkqy_9vC59MrMT7cGedn3iiryPBCyprOEfIQezi8Smwc5yHcneHyhIsEFo0SKmkI8EvcunWvDNLYAHcEpLeZrdq2USuG5nm3WKyqQUndcxukKU/s640/P5286925.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>This is the very same awesome teapot I saw back in <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/need-vs-want.html" target="_blank">December at my favorite antique store</a>. Exactly the same as I recognized the guy running the booth. Only problem is - he'd marked it up. Bastard.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQpWowPB_1UTh9Y6mk9JEdmUr0OK-Iazz2gdrCimbESdO03mS84LhdPtrbxEbF_eSWJq0redCcqC_GT-Sfm9-mrKeueB0FFPC3RHYBV74VyoHq1MssuMU7giuRWfSEeMkA1rOJ9r5uCq1/s1600/P5286926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQpWowPB_1UTh9Y6mk9JEdmUr0OK-Iazz2gdrCimbESdO03mS84LhdPtrbxEbF_eSWJq0redCcqC_GT-Sfm9-mrKeueB0FFPC3RHYBV74VyoHq1MssuMU7giuRWfSEeMkA1rOJ9r5uCq1/s640/P5286926.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Wonderful old shutters.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAq71cb_JoAkdDUEETgR-uWKZvmCXu6i4MeawqZyp5IA3VxwRAgznfpAdx1N91Kehp-VM5S26ykjPjihye6A0fPcvqNTif30kdvLDGBDU7g0aWnQM7X9nEFYll3tfMBfoK_72ujFLJ25UZ/s1600/P5286928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAq71cb_JoAkdDUEETgR-uWKZvmCXu6i4MeawqZyp5IA3VxwRAgznfpAdx1N91Kehp-VM5S26ykjPjihye6A0fPcvqNTif30kdvLDGBDU7g0aWnQM7X9nEFYll3tfMBfoK_72ujFLJ25UZ/s640/P5286928.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>A great selection of unique chandeliers. Love the one in the very back.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMG7cJ-64Xpur7h0PshQI8xuJgni1dY9ZZRIFlLFMG71I7qYGKPCHKIvrb1g60RsM8pPecMP-28k4YnTvEyBaS2i2J1aK-Cmitcc26t2gFoNft8bxn5E_J2LbAy1u8pTircaZ-B49ygBxd/s1600/P5286930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMG7cJ-64Xpur7h0PshQI8xuJgni1dY9ZZRIFlLFMG71I7qYGKPCHKIvrb1g60RsM8pPecMP-28k4YnTvEyBaS2i2J1aK-Cmitcc26t2gFoNft8bxn5E_J2LbAy1u8pTircaZ-B49ygBxd/s640/P5286930.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This set was in pristine condition and even had a whole for an umbrella.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAnMvWXmA65k1YxFa3_UWgC_nr8x6IgECakxgDyTWuGT3bpzesWyo2kkJvpzZ9YljLXDgdvfp3OG1si0ftIfePoTnd54SNnMfyDAOIB3BJp13tznikkTTtxqS-5W8unPyDnbnvZkNTair/s1600/P5286932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAnMvWXmA65k1YxFa3_UWgC_nr8x6IgECakxgDyTWuGT3bpzesWyo2kkJvpzZ9YljLXDgdvfp3OG1si0ftIfePoTnd54SNnMfyDAOIB3BJp13tznikkTTtxqS-5W8unPyDnbnvZkNTair/s640/P5286932.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>By far the funniest thing I saw. This dude had 16 packets of this - you could easily do your whole room. Groovy.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkmRLm5C7P811d5eBUhpOQhb2h8vyREA1Ha8y3xmrKTZ5Sfw3Lsl9L-RioT4kr91ltzAF5Ir8KCA3OO6UeUa_ZrMZgov9qLD3AWiVFDk60KmZcHh6dugu7rfhqVkBAL8OTk20_sxs0bwP/s1600/P5286934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkmRLm5C7P811d5eBUhpOQhb2h8vyREA1Ha8y3xmrKTZ5Sfw3Lsl9L-RioT4kr91ltzAF5Ir8KCA3OO6UeUa_ZrMZgov9qLD3AWiVFDk60KmZcHh6dugu7rfhqVkBAL8OTk20_sxs0bwP/s640/P5286934.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Beautiful vintage milk bottles make for a lovely vase.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgtnVepWy-C2aTgTF2U78j-Ks0cOTt9WZ2-xNn-Q9LT1OzoqOGl39-Xi1xQboTD6goZW5P1Xwrq2P-hvNy4Fvy5Bw7eVn7n-KjXnc0Fc_mvIaFxFNuoG4KBcx0LRNSXAbnSesXG5gD-T6/s1600/P5286936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgtnVepWy-C2aTgTF2U78j-Ks0cOTt9WZ2-xNn-Q9LT1OzoqOGl39-Xi1xQboTD6goZW5P1Xwrq2P-hvNy4Fvy5Bw7eVn7n-KjXnc0Fc_mvIaFxFNuoG4KBcx0LRNSXAbnSesXG5gD-T6/s640/P5286936.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>This booth had such amazing things.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9ou4F51TMMng5yEtDm8r2d2iLeZrIh-PQLJYPPCrN3Id4P-d68R4m8Tlzdmi4NlyoYu-SoLft6L2ub-4PgRUamz7lY-PJR46-cXJnAk2RI7fjq7UxH6oVutRnoKLEVkR2GqKdI24R5bz/s1600/P5286937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9ou4F51TMMng5yEtDm8r2d2iLeZrIh-PQLJYPPCrN3Id4P-d68R4m8Tlzdmi4NlyoYu-SoLft6L2ub-4PgRUamz7lY-PJR46-cXJnAk2RI7fjq7UxH6oVutRnoKLEVkR2GqKdI24R5bz/s640/P5286937.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstMUVQy-H08I97w6e0K23loWpKt2qEjUQml_A4oW8dsgOkScizMPXH4OCprUfC9czx4-yv4c9ViFe60A6kSzf8kHOBP3koW9DKt2h3YSYffFaeAYl8JFcwkhuxsWV2cP9BtsdLDX5rZtR/s1600/P5286938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstMUVQy-H08I97w6e0K23loWpKt2qEjUQml_A4oW8dsgOkScizMPXH4OCprUfC9czx4-yv4c9ViFe60A6kSzf8kHOBP3koW9DKt2h3YSYffFaeAYl8JFcwkhuxsWV2cP9BtsdLDX5rZtR/s640/P5286938.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cKrS_BVx_hK6x03mTG8OFKGlOryuYg0OtUfKeE-GtFYX0QJjFPTeR_EOfhTDFXAiZ8gEFakABhOaeMHEGDuhf77VVR60Gs900o8XZge_tdH7ryPKm7rzwpqsV2xe4eumUCKzHN05vY8H/s1600/P5286939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cKrS_BVx_hK6x03mTG8OFKGlOryuYg0OtUfKeE-GtFYX0QJjFPTeR_EOfhTDFXAiZ8gEFakABhOaeMHEGDuhf77VVR60Gs900o8XZge_tdH7ryPKm7rzwpqsV2xe4eumUCKzHN05vY8H/s640/P5286939.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I did walk away with one treat. This awesome vase (from the booth above) for $8. It is huge and lovely.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9xWUItOJWvLq6Ngvpw3VGTMpV6TrxBCiYFwYbbAOhFtetqUAXA9e6Xr73zaIkHXxQ3cUYyR8LXflKaC7PJFsVOPK_R68HujNwoZ1w4qmoov5k_aPEOhnV7Gb87MpjOZTmKxUw1ZftMl1/s1600/P5296942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9xWUItOJWvLq6Ngvpw3VGTMpV6TrxBCiYFwYbbAOhFtetqUAXA9e6Xr73zaIkHXxQ3cUYyR8LXflKaC7PJFsVOPK_R68HujNwoZ1w4qmoov5k_aPEOhnV7Gb87MpjOZTmKxUw1ZftMl1/s640/P5296942.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I will reward myself by filling this thing with some hydrangeas from the yard...as soon as it stops raining.<br /><br />This gloomy day does make a perfect day for cleaning and laundry though. Oh joy.<br /><br />Be sure to stop by tomorrow for the 'wahoo my bedroom is done' party.<br /><br /><br />

flea market fun

I hope everyone enjoyed a nice and relaxing weekend. Even though we had an extra day I feel rather behind this week. Does that ever happen t...

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It's time for you to create your own Blogger blog - take the challenge!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>Submitted by Fiona Beal </i><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Just the other day I was showing a group how to blog using one of my favourite sites - Blogger.com - when I discovered to my shock that the new interface was now mandatory. No more hiding behind what one was once comfortable with. I then decided to get to know the new interface and made screenshots as I went along. I would really like to share these with you and encourage you to make yourself a blog. A classroom blog is one of the things you can do to <i>transform</i> your class even if the only computer in the class is yours - your laptop! </span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, take the challenge and see if my instructions will help you.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div id="__ss_13018451" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal/create-a-blog-using-bloggers-updated-interface" target="_blank" title="Create a blog using Blogger’s updated interface">Create a blog using Blogger’s updated interface</a></b> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/13018451" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/thecroaker/death-by-powerpoint" target="_blank">PowerPoint</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal" target="_blank">Fiona Beal</a><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once you have created your blog there will be other questions you will come up with. So the next Slideshare looks at the following questions and provides screenshots:</span></div><br /><div style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 7.68pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">1.How can people join my blog?</span></span></div><div style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 7.68pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">2.How </span><span style="color: black;">can I add a </span><span style="color: black;">blogroll</span><span style="color: black;"> to my blog?</span></span></div><div style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 7.68pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">3.How can I edit a post I have just written</span></span></div><div style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 7.68pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">4.How </span><span style="color: black;">can I change my </span><span style="color: black;">background template? </span></span></div><div style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 7.68pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">5.How </span><span style="color: black;">can I set up my </span><span style="color: black;">comment </span><span style="color: black;">box</span><span style="color: black;">?</span></span></div><div style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 7.68pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;"></div><div style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 7.68pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br /><div id="__ss_13025412" style="width: 425px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal/blogging-questions" target="_blank" title="Blogging questions">Blogging questions</a></b> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/13025412" width="425"></iframe> </span></span><br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal" target="_blank">Fiona Beal</a> </span></span></div></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"> Well, that should keep you occupied for a while, but the end result will be something you can be proud of. If you happen to create a blog using these directions please let me know your blog address!</span></span></div></div></div></div>

Blogging It's time for you to create your own Blogger blog - take the challenge!

Submitted by Fiona Beal Just the other day I was showing a group how to blog using one of my favourite sites - Blogger.com - when I discover...

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Weekend Recap

As it turns out, I took a road trip to the Motherland (Pennsylvania) to spend time with my niece and nephew this weekend.  Yes, I had a ton of plans but time spent with the kiddos is rare.  I missed both of their birthdays this year, and I wasn't sure when Joel and I would have another opportunity to get up there this summer.  <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/AVvXsEjaUOaX4wALeqqUrsGS8Mu7w6qhUow1PdL5N8u8S4kIO6Qh_4chz95uR6cUYakuPy65b-kP8CfP8MXy7i2vppoKRnS2ZLD1r9XySeq_abWD4EBjBkc3D1xtl8G1M8rZtSq7gvEk6nYPeGM/s1600/grace+and+rexon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUOaX4wALeqqUrsGS8Mu7w6qhUow1PdL5N8u8S4kIO6Qh_4chz95uR6cUYakuPy65b-kP8CfP8MXy7i2vppoKRnS2ZLD1r9XySeq_abWD4EBjBkc3D1xtl8G1M8rZtSq7gvEk6nYPeGM/s400/grace+and+rexon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 year old & 4 year old - both already incredibly intelligent!</td></tr></tbody></table>I was still able to accomplish much on my to-do list.  My sister and I went shopping and I found some dresses at Old Navy and JC Penney.  I plan to model them for Joel when he gets home to get an accurate assessment on whether or not they look good.  I definitely appreciate his honesty when it comes to what I wear.<br /><br />I only managed to get in 1 day of activity this entire week!  One is better than none, but <i>still</i>.  The single day of activity came this past Sunday when I babysat my nephew while the others went to church.  We took an hour long walk around the neighborhood.  The poor guy has suffered lots of pesky illnesses since his birth just over a year ago, and so everyone thought it best to keep him at home and away from the children at church.  This time he has a rash that the doctor's were unsure of its cause.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoJ9GsOATG3mw2fi1Hx2oQpduygzFucPYc3eNQvMrA1-jO_AgbG7lfKOkH-PuyM4ZhBuXe2Kv4iXeGSTvSv3wXkjvl3BB4lCSfzPRZSUeYrsa7NiypBGWY2yukeGiB0ecw1AGObMHa1U/s1600/rexon+walking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoJ9GsOATG3mw2fi1Hx2oQpduygzFucPYc3eNQvMrA1-jO_AgbG7lfKOkH-PuyM4ZhBuXe2Kv4iXeGSTvSv3wXkjvl3BB4lCSfzPRZSUeYrsa7NiypBGWY2yukeGiB0ecw1AGObMHa1U/s400/rexon+walking.jpg" width="377" /></a></div><br /><br />Things that were accomplished this weekend that I <i>can </i>feel good about: <br /><ul><li>hair is freshly dyed and cut</li><li>bought some clothes and a bathing suit for Jamaica</li><li>dropped my wedding bands off at the jeweler today for sizing</li><li>finalized some last minute details with Sandals in regard to the wedding ceremony</li><li>my veil arrived!! bought on eBay for the sweet price of $25!  AND, it's great! </li></ul>All I have left to get is a garment bag for my dress to carry onto the plane.  I've been told to go back to David's Bridal for the bag.  Your thoughts?<br /><br />Another thing to consider.... would you invest in a wedding video?  It looks like the base price for one at Sandals starts at $500 and I just don't know what to do.  Did you do one for your wedding?  Is it worth that price?<br /><br />I asked on Facebook for "can't put it down" book recommendations for the trip.  Joel and I are both not the bravest flyers.  In fact, we visited the doctor last week for some "happy" pills - I got Ativan and he got Xanax.  I need something to occupy my mind without fail during the 3.5 hour flight!  So, I bought the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy and Weight Loss Boss (by the WW CEO).  Anyone read these? <br /><br /><b style="color: #351c75;">Are you a fearful flyer?  If so, what gets you through a flight?  If not, why not??   </b>  <br />

wedding Weekend Recap Weekend Recap

As it turns out, I took a road trip to the Motherland (Pennsylvania) to spend time with my niece and nephew this weekend.  Yes, I had a ton ...

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Reference Assistant - Wallingford Public Library

<strong>Reference Assistant</strong> - <span style="color: #48286d;"><strong>Wallingford Public Library</strong></span> has an opening for a full time Reference Assistant beginning late July, 2012. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please submit resume and the names of three references to Leslie Scherer, Director, Wallingford Public Library, 200 North Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. <a href="http://www.wallingford.lioninc.org/pdf/refasst.pdf" target="_blank">Download the full job description</a>.

Reference Assistant - Wallingford Public Library

Reference Assistant - Wallingford Public Library has an opening for a full time Reference Assistant beginning late July, 2012. Review of...

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BBC propaganda:Photo used to document the massacre in Houla Syria was taken in 2003 in Iraq

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mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BNSVD5LrkWyk19UHqLn9qSKM4tIOZeS9zmSZicNCvL9vv-UIIrYR8EibAwOyjkQ_xvYyr8RAVKxkuBsMqY2xDMEER90iwjOW8q_cKzlchygfKg2-wKxiJZBtfy2d2X_OAUYkqpXtWPQU/s1600/url.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BNSVD5LrkWyk19UHqLn9qSKM4tIOZeS9zmSZicNCvL9vv-UIIrYR8EibAwOyjkQ_xvYyr8RAVKxkuBsMqY2xDMEER90iwjOW8q_cKzlchygfKg2-wKxiJZBtfy2d2X_OAUYkqpXtWPQU/s640/url.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Oops, BBC: Iraq photo to illustrate Houla massacre?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">With the shock of the Houla tragedy ringing across the world, the BBC has released a story with a harrowing picture of rows and rows of children's bodies awaiting burial… But isn’t that post-Saddam Iraq?</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">­Photographer Marco di Lauro who took the shot grabbed by the BBC says he nearly “fell off his chair” after finding the picture on the network’s website with a caption reading: “<em>Photo from Activist. This image – which cannot be independently verified – is believed to show bodies of children in Houla awaiting funeral.</em>”</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">The picture was actually taken on March 27, 2003; it depicts an Iraqi boy jumping over dozens of white body bags containing skeletons found in a desert south of Baghdad. The image, which is published on Marco di Lauro’s <a href="http://www.marcodilauro.com/portfolio/war-religion/#num=content-316&id=album-8" target="_blank">website</a>, is part of his story Iraq, the Aftermath of Saddam. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">Marco di Lauro takes photographs for Getty Images picture agency, his works have been published across Europe and the US. But the indication that the BBC picked his image from the internet, not from official stock worries him somewhat.</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">“<em>What I am really astonished by is that a news organization like the BBC doesn't check the sources and it's willing to publish any picture sent it by anyone: activist, citizen journalist or whatever. That's all,</em>” the photographer told <em>The Daily Telegraph</em>. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">“<em>Someone is using someone else’s picture for propaganda on purpose</em>,” he added.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">A BBC spokesman says the picture, illustrating Sunday night’s <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18224559" target="_blank">story</a>"Syria Massacre in Houla Condemned as Outrage Grows," was taken down “<em>immediately</em>” when the source was identified.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">“<em>We were aware of this image being widely circulated on the internet in the early hours of this morning following the most recent atrocities in Syria. We used it with a clear disclaimer saying it could not be independently verified</em>,” he added.</span><br /><br /> <b><span style="font-size: large;">These words about information “which cannot be independently verified” have become a trademark of media coverage of the 14-month conflict in Syria. Before UN special envoy Kofi Annan brought his peace plan to the troubled Arab country, the Syrian government had remained reluctant to open borders to most international journalists.</span></b><br /><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">But even now the bulk of information comes from people calling themselves opposition activists – via amateur videos uploaded to YouTube or eyewitness reports. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">But sometimes it looks that the mantra “cannot be independently verified” serves as a disclaimer to publish information which wouldn’t stand a chance of <em>ever </em>being verified.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">See also: </span><br /><br /><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/news-about-syria-information-or.html"><span style="font-size: large;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/news-about-syria-information-or.html</span></a><br /><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/truth-nothing-but-truth.html"><span style="font-size: large;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/truth-nothing-but-truth.html</span></a><br /><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/08/food-for-thought_18.html"><span style="font-size: large;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/08/food-for-thought_18.html</span></a><br /><br />

BBC propaganda:Photo used to document the massacre in Houla Syria was taken in 2003 in Iraq

Oops, BBC: Iraq photo to illustrate Houla massacre? With the shock of the Houla tragedy ringing across the world, the BBC has released a ...

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Myth Making: The Misfits (1961)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-d5nhyphenhyphenntnkn57-YVQM7WUF3rpTllhiCwRvWDwbQ697crUKN4o_KB1giPa8-zhdtvQHcSkqOBl4PGl4wdTJD64QLGZNIDNUrcuV4rSWgZHgEKDHQ7nwv8j7Nq2phWPnTI4GjbU5xz-Sm0/s1600/Shoshone+by+Kat+Livengood.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-d5nhyphenhyphenntnkn57-YVQM7WUF3rpTllhiCwRvWDwbQ697crUKN4o_KB1giPa8-zhdtvQHcSkqOBl4PGl4wdTJD64QLGZNIDNUrcuV4rSWgZHgEKDHQ7nwv8j7Nq2phWPnTI4GjbU5xz-Sm0/s400/Shoshone+by+Kat+Livengood.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Arthur Miller traveled to Reno, Nevada, in the spring of 1956 to divorce his first wife. Fulfilling the state's six week residency requirement until the marriage was legally dissolved, Miller stayed at a cabin on Pyramid Lake, about 100 miles from "the biggest little city in the world." During his time in this "forbidding but beautiful place," he got to know a few modern-day cowboy types who made their living capturing wild mustangs and selling them to be butchered for dog food. Miller was invited to join them on one of these hunts. From his experiences in a "whole state full of misfits," Arthur Miller later fashioned a short story that was published the following year in Esquire magazine.</span><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><table 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/AVvXsEjqh_LfvJr4n4iDXWPMPUZZMa1u3zfvVM3ORl3vw073PhGhFICxB_0zubKgnoIvKl37ctyMiqX7LGfnvrCoyvwzMRB2svspHanGXzuebwNMqTz0EJVuZaJ6rXtgizcALTFSKipSUC7fK6wt/s1600/Miller+and+Marilyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqh_LfvJr4n4iDXWPMPUZZMa1u3zfvVM3ORl3vw073PhGhFICxB_0zubKgnoIvKl37ctyMiqX7LGfnvrCoyvwzMRB2svspHanGXzuebwNMqTz0EJVuZaJ6rXtgizcALTFSKipSUC7fK6wt/s320/Miller+and+Marilyn.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But before he wrote the story and just after he returned from Reno, Miller wed Marilyn Monroe, then at the height of her enormous fame. It was a time when the actress was desperate to make films of substance, and once she and Miller moved to New York she began studying at the Actors' Studio and making plans to set up her own production company. After Miller's story appeared in Esquire, a friend suggested he develop it into a screenplay. Inspired by the idea of writing a part for his wife that would allow her to demonstrate her overlooked acting ability, Miller scripted the moody tale of a disaffected divorcee who encounters three disparate cowboys and ends up accompanying them when they go "mustanging" in the high desert of Nevada.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Anticipation began to build the moment word started to spread that the great playwright had written <i>The Misfits</i> for his glamorous movie star wife. Before it was released, the film had become the stuff of legend.</span><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/AVvXsEhHhlzAbTLIyvLCrUeKtHeerZpGmyXBxqChBoH56SqVAVgIC1oCrBkavhsJe7F-kCf7N593hmh8LB52ADb-nubx8nIHgXOUSEJ9RNp0SQKvuvDrvdAtlx2k2il5-mqkIvf8JkskeaVTp74n/s1600/cast+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhlzAbTLIyvLCrUeKtHeerZpGmyXBxqChBoH56SqVAVgIC1oCrBkavhsJe7F-kCf7N593hmh8LB52ADb-nubx8nIHgXOUSEJ9RNp0SQKvuvDrvdAtlx2k2il5-mqkIvf8JkskeaVTp74n/s400/cast+photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An iconic photo...Front row: Montgomery Clift, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable. Second row:  Eli Wallach, John Huston. In back: producer Frank Taylor, Arthur Miller (on ladder).</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">John Huston was living in Ireland in 1959 when Frank Taylor, Miller's one-time publisher and the man chosen by the writer to produce the film, sent him the script. Huston pronounced it excellent and agreed to direct. Huston had been Marilyn Monroe's director of choice for <i>The Misfits</i>. She remembered that he had cast her as Angela in his film, <i>The Asphalt Jungle</i> (1950), one of her early breakthrough roles, was ever grateful to him for it and trusted him to guide her through the challenging dramatic role Miller had written for her.</span><br /><br /><table 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/AVvXsEjBCp0VzEVbxTl95aFsJVMCcyMzPHKD2bTmWvvDKA6hu7L9kBhHaqVaZc2tryIHV3tnAYIK9Ofgqc2IBu8v8vqNOccQMAvMn8rEo9lD39RigFZyi5ctqmb0HbYFvmCIHhn6Nf039S6wBjn0/s1600/Clark+Gable+1961+on+set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCp0VzEVbxTl95aFsJVMCcyMzPHKD2bTmWvvDKA6hu7L9kBhHaqVaZc2tryIHV3tnAYIK9Ofgqc2IBu8v8vqNOccQMAvMn8rEo9lD39RigFZyi5ctqmb0HbYFvmCIHhn6Nf039S6wBjn0/s320/Clark+Gable+1961+on+set.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clark Gable on the set of <i>The Misfits</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Clark Gable, who by this time had been appearing in films for more than 35 years and had been a movie star - "the King" - for most of them, had to be cajoled to accept the male lead. Though he found the script intriguing, he didn't know what to make of the story. Miller persuaded him, calling it an "eastern western," about people trying, but afraid, to connect. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Huston remembered working with Gable on <i>The Misfits</i>: "He thought of himself as an actor, not a screen personality. He liked reminiscing about his early days in the theater - old-time actors' talk. I saw very soon that Clark knew exactly what he was doing. Two or three times I thought I saw ways to improve his performance. I was mistaken." Gable's portrayal of Gay Langland, an aging wrangler displaced in the modern world, is complex and moving. Co-stars Eli Wallach, Montgomery Clift, and lately Marilyn Monroe, were committed "method" actors, but Wallach later recalled Gable and the other Hollywood veteran on the set, Thelma Ritter, as true acting "pros."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Clark Gable was impressed, too<i></i>. Watching Montgomery Clift, as rodeo cowboy Perce, deliver his first major scene (below) in one take, Gable remarked, "My God, he's really good, isn't he?"</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9M53pOYYlX0" width="560"></iframe> <div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Misfits</span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> has been called Arthur Miller's valentine - in Eli Wallach's words, a "love piece" - to Marilyn Monroe, and members of the crew observed that Miller seemed besotted with her as filming got underway. But when the grueling shoot came to an end three months later, not only would the Miller/Monroe marriage be over but Marilyn Monroe would never complete another film.</span><br /><br /><table align="center" 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/AVvXsEhIkAR6l83iP-QBL8NtHQaFMdd5hkQTcGONY-bM4MC9yw71qDJhWZlnSoiNp0tLFa7GFPmXGH-nNb-9sNS8bfWD1XmSD7qYdgUyvd1tUXTU0Hn3334ilqN2dKjFGqJfuzva8VT87wnWHoAk/s1600/marilyn+on+the+set+color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkAR6l83iP-QBL8NtHQaFMdd5hkQTcGONY-bM4MC9yw71qDJhWZlnSoiNp0tLFa7GFPmXGH-nNb-9sNS8bfWD1XmSD7qYdgUyvd1tUXTU0Hn3334ilqN2dKjFGqJfuzva8VT87wnWHoAk/s320/marilyn+on+the+set+color.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marilyn Monroe on the set</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Colin Clark, author <i>My Week with Marilyn </i>and <i>The Prince, the Showgirl and Me</i>, wrote that when he met Billy Wilder he mentioned to him that he, too, had worked with Marilyn Monroe. Wilder replied, "Ah, then you know the meaning of pure pain!"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">By the time <i>The Misfits</i> was being made in 1960, Marilyn's erratic on-the-set behavior was well known. Cast and crew would wait...and wait...and wait. Sometimes she would appear, sometimes she wouldn't. She had great trouble remembering and delivering her lines and often required multiple takes. Her latest drama coach, Paula Strasberg, was ever present and Marilyn would look to her rather than John Huston for direction while filming her scenes. And there were drugs and alcohol...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Huston recalled, "She was taking pills to go to sleep and pills to wake up in the morning...she seemed to be in a daze half the time." She became less and less reliable, eventually broke down completely and had to be hospitalized. Clark Gable, according to Huston, "...was nonplussed by Marilyn's behavior. It was as though she'd revealed some horrid fact of life that just couldn't be accepted in his scheme of things."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But Huston also remembered, "When she was herself...she could be marvelously effective. She wasn't acting - I mean she was not pretending to an emotion. It was the real thing."</span><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/AVvXsEhDdHXut3qACMIHiryIIZahzzwYJy9NBOEHG_74HwBGrgUpnvnWykV1g-e3q5ZNa4v03bKRT3h1JkqjL7icWqNabjUkzubBbZ0Ed8joJDEHlJiYrdIZX8Wwb1yznV-nHORldQ9MH9n2m3uP/s1600/Marilyn+in+the+Misfits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdHXut3qACMIHiryIIZahzzwYJy9NBOEHG_74HwBGrgUpnvnWykV1g-e3q5ZNa4v03bKRT3h1JkqjL7icWqNabjUkzubBbZ0Ed8joJDEHlJiYrdIZX8Wwb1yznV-nHORldQ9MH9n2m3uP/s400/Marilyn+in+the+Misfits.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marilyn as Roslyn</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>The Misfits</i> was released on what would have been Clark Gable's 60th birthday, February 1, 1961, but Gable had died of a massive heart attack 2-1/2 months earlier, shortly after the film wrapped. Fortunately, the actor had seen Huston's first cut and was so happy with it he told both the director and Arthur Miller that he thought it the best work of his career. Despite Gable's enthusiasm - and producer Frank Taylor's intention to make "the ultimate motion picture" thanks to an all-star cast and crew - <i>The Misfits </i>was a commercial failure and received a mixed critical response. In Miller's view the critics were "baffled" by it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If the <i>The Misfits</i> has problems it may be that it was too much Miller's film and not enough Huston's. Regardless of compelling themes, strong performances, photography by <a href="http://www.cinematographers.nl/GreatDoPh/metty.htm" style="color: #cc0000;">Russell Metty</a>, film editing by <a href="http://www.editorsguild.com/v2/magazine/newsletter/directory/tomasini.html" style="color: #cc0000;">George Tomasini</a> and an evocative score by <a href="http://alexnorthmusic.com/" style="color: #cc0000;">Alex North</a> (listen below), the film too often becomes theatrically talky and contrived. And Roslyn, the central character, is so unreal at times that she seems to have been spun out of arty fancies about the actress who portrays her. It is also likely that the difficulties and complications that plagued the production afflicted the film itself. </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/R5G3VNqNouo" width="420"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>The Misfits</i> is an unusual and poetic film that may not entirely mesh, but it does fascinate. The powerful climactic mustang capture sequence is as disturbing to watch as it is difficult to forget, and the final scene between Gable and Monroe seems the prophetic farewell of two of Hollywood's biggest stars.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Roslyn: "How do you find your way back in the dark?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Gay: "Just head for that big star straight on. The highway's underneath it, it'll take us right home."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><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/AVvXsEh-Fg4kgAG-QLvkmbEy3hpXKpSWD86equbvkUQk8CXOJZjaLKgjztRSMyFA4KUc0_eyx91Nhcs7JzS_5ZyrPEa0LATLul4z-bv4qpkTJnjFQj29JUI3wewdt8McRGOFWHd9Bd0lQUuxYMDA/s1600/last+shot+in+movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Fg4kgAG-QLvkmbEy3hpXKpSWD86equbvkUQk8CXOJZjaLKgjztRSMyFA4KUc0_eyx91Nhcs7JzS_5ZyrPEa0LATLul4z-bv4qpkTJnjFQj29JUI3wewdt8McRGOFWHd9Bd0lQUuxYMDA/s400/last+shot+in+movie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable...fade out...</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>~</i></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The largest remaining band of wild mustangs in the United States roams the high desert areas of Nevada. About 33,000 horses live in 10 western states and another 30,000 are kept in government corrals.  <a href="http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/equine-cruelty/wild-horses.aspx" style="color: #cc0000;">Click here</a> to learn more about the history and continuing plight of our wild horse population.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJO7u3g4Sed_eA7LGV6Ao8YUj-bvBEUM0STDvPku45NDL6RfEv0yz4M6n-gRm9pZmR0MaZapCFiutSb5S5wJdE9DP2tt3viq-HOOvcl4U1H1YMfR1hOSu6ebu0SG09uqPfCt4fADs7QTJ-/s1600/Misfits+by+Kat+Livengood.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJO7u3g4Sed_eA7LGV6Ao8YUj-bvBEUM0STDvPku45NDL6RfEv0yz4M6n-gRm9pZmR0MaZapCFiutSb5S5wJdE9DP2tt3viq-HOOvcl4U1H1YMfR1hOSu6ebu0SG09uqPfCt4fADs7QTJ-/s400/Misfits+by+Kat+Livengood.jpeg" width="312" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">~</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://myloveofoldhollywood.blogspot.com/2012/05/horseathon-list-of-participants.html" style="color: #cc0000;">Click here</a> to go to <i>My Love of Old Hollywood</i> and links to the other participating blogs in Page's blogathon...</span></b> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~</div><div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><u>Sources</u></b>:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>An Open Book</i> by John Huston, McMillan (1980)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>The Misfits: Story of a Shoot</i> by Arthur Miller and Serge Toubiana</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">, Phaidon Press (2000)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Making the Misfits</i>, a production of WNET New York, et al</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> (2002)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.kellymoore.net/wild_horses.htm" style="color: #cc0000;">wild mustang photos</a> by Kat Livengood</span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></i></div></div></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div></div>

Arthur Miller Clark Gable Eli Wallach Horseathon John Huston Marilyn Monroe Montgomery Clift The Lady Eve (author) The Misfits Thelma Ritter Myth Making: The Misfits (1961)

Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Arthur Miller traveled to Reno, Nevada, in the spring of 1956 to divorce his first wife. Fulfilling the st...

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Wonderful Wordstash

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>This is a guest post from Lisa Gair who is the Technology teacher at the Rock Academy in Fish Hoek. She originally placed this post on her lovely ICT blog: <a href="http://icteducator.blogspot.com/" title="http://icteducator.blogspot.com/">http://icteducator.blogspot.com/</a></i><i>, and since Lisa is a keen SchoolNetter I asked her if I could use her post on the SchoolNet blog. Thank you again Lisa!</i></span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A friend recently introduced me to <a href="http://www.wordstash.com/">Wordstash</a>.  (The Wordstash website has changed since this blogpost was written and is now found at <a href="http://flashcardstash.com/">http://flashcardstash.com</a>/).  It's very easy to sign up for and just as easy to use. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have introduced it to my Grades 4- 7 already and will be introducing it to our Teachers early next month. My desire is that the Teachers will bring their classes into the ICT Centre and allow them to create their lists each week, and the learners will be able to log on at home and either use the site to assist in learning or else create their own lists.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another thing I enjoy about Wordstash is that it also automatically gives various definitions of the word, and allows you to either choose which definition you would like, or, alternatively, to add your own. In this way, the child is not just learning how to spell a word, they are also learning the definitions of each word. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One also has the choice of adding an image to the word. The site automatically sources images from either Wikipedia or Flickr for the learner to choose from.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When playing, they are presented with a variety of games and ways to test their Spelling.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzpUVL3yt5QX2KqZTKWdcdzelv439t1VdsYzMrJN_O40cJbCdwcBH_Lec8B3AluZnSBi94AFbCPZCSufsiXHEZC2CaHrmk3B9p-Xnj9oSFTqfUr5-TpodNignG1s3cqQhSRdFPDLHqVg/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCgObFl9SfqmRCH0ZFhFomm0RcWrzsHgtjruLqetmMaRICKddHD2QR088V4vAmgpxzel7iIIiVZ1kavOIBzXJCVbHF_9waHyaeZcRuqTbJphPNoIMhOEvUdU4vow30sHBKdv2HjFbFSQ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another way that this site could be used is just for learning definitions. I am thinking specifically of things like in English that one needs to know for language or poetry. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMMk2y9skI4ds8EYCdZ65LhTVBAFlkq-FpN1GHCFYn3XmmNsN2-ihe1bEadg_IFXvthtvCODKbK3VZE3xrj58F9U_66ShAQXuxSbsuOOBxGLYO9ENJwL7-WM8Cizt4WDOru1lfw1EC1A/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpygSv9dSUOgJ4gl7Qaj2IhmXOjbmDMul6T5bZhrSgRxzMkByxK2prVUYPBhKi5Vk-XTkqo7WQZtotyMRF3Lb3DdVchWcAR07SWFOb9TSSCk7QtkfvV4n7mJlWTzCnIPhm6R_OlA1rvzE/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Enjoy! </span></div>

Guest post Web tools Wonderful Wordstash

This is a guest post from Lisa Gair who is the Technology teacher at the Rock Academy in Fish Hoek. She originally placed this post on her l...

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CHINA and TURKEY

<br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3FOE2rIAnp5JU2YuhQdbqxZiPFkLrB7slwOf3wI70avlg2NWOgB-4-0F6vyP0F8Mu0z8n9GCnKlS_Q4F8ft2yQ53yZKysNemOIrG_VzeZ7laOcg8Hk2SHBDRMBEVnd2259skv7b7tjjs/s1600/6fc2f533-d840-40d9-ad54-8ada58169e82-444x333.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3FOE2rIAnp5JU2YuhQdbqxZiPFkLrB7slwOf3wI70avlg2NWOgB-4-0F6vyP0F8Mu0z8n9GCnKlS_Q4F8ft2yQ53yZKysNemOIrG_VzeZ7laOcg8Hk2SHBDRMBEVnd2259skv7b7tjjs/s320/6fc2f533-d840-40d9-ad54-8ada58169e82-444x333.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt;">CHINA’S LAND BRIDGE TO TURKEY CREATES NEW EURASIAN GEOPOLITICAL POTENTIALS</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">by </span><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">F. William Engdahl</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; text-align: left;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The prospect of an unparalleled EURASIAN economic boom has been further solidified following recent talks between TURKISH and CHINESE leaders. The first steps are being constructed with a number of little-publicized rail links envisioned to connect CHINA and parts of WESTERN EUROPE. It is increasingly clear to all nations concerned, especially CHINA and RUSSIA, that their natural tendency to develop these markets faces only one major hurdle: NATO and the US Pentagon’s Full Spectrum Dominance obsession. According to Engdahl, rail infrastructure is a major geopolitical tool for obviating that obstacle.</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring previously stated that:</span></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Romans created cobblestone roads to move its armies faster and became an Empire</span></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The British created railroads to connect trade routes and became an Empire</span></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Americans created the Information Highway and became an Empire </span></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><div style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CHINESE - TURKISH GEOPOLITICAL AND ECONOMIC AMBITIONS COINCIDE </span></b></span></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CHINA and TURKEY are in discussions to build a new high-speed railway link across TURKEY. If completed it would be the country’s largest railway project ever, even including the pre-World War I Berlin-Baghdad Railway link. The project was perhaps the most important agenda item, far more so than SYRIA during talks in Beijing between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the CHINESE leadership in early April.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The proposed rail link would run from Kars on the easternmost border with ARMENIA, through the TURKISH interior on to Istanbul where it would connect to the Marmaray rail tunnel now under construction that runs under the Bosphorus strait. Then it would continue to Edirne near the border to GREECE and BULGARIA in the EUROPEAN UNION. It will cost an estimated $35 billion. The realization of the TURKISH link would complete a CHINESE Trans-Eurasian Rail Bridge project that would bring freight from CHINA to SPAIN and ENGLAND.</span></span><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/AVvXsEgjVkiu9Y3CzuVTx5Q4OBf4UUODGOjH3Antnss49GuqtW3utXBmeCLOKkXZdjXN4d-z2kuq4Ff2wdpNh1dwtyZvb1enjtAtmbzmWMeFPR0J3RLun4Y3Lgg76_mrYpPjtZtUrf-fh0VzwNhR/s1600/china-land-bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVkiu9Y3CzuVTx5Q4OBf4UUODGOjH3Antnss49GuqtW3utXBmeCLOKkXZdjXN4d-z2kuq4Ff2wdpNh1dwtyZvb1enjtAtmbzmWMeFPR0J3RLun4Y3Lgg76_mrYpPjtZtUrf-fh0VzwNhR/s400/china-land-bridge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">With the planned connection of the Marmaray project under the Bosphorus to the Edirne-Kars high-speed railway line, a train line from China’s easternmost Lianyungang to Spain and England would be completed. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">(Map: Yunus Emre Hatunoğlu) </span></i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The Kars-Edirne line would reduce travel time across TURKEY by two-thirds from 36 hours down to 12. Under an agreement signed between CHINA and TURKEY in October 2010, CHINA has agreed to extend loans of $30 billion for the planned rail network. In addition a Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway connecting AZERBAIJAN’S capital of Baku to Kars is under construction, which greatly increases the strategic importance of the Edirne-Kars line. For CHINA it would put a critical new link in its railway infrastructure across EURASIA to markets in EUROPE and beyond.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Erdogan’s visit to Beijing was significant for other reasons. It was the first such high level trip of a TURKISH Prime Minister to CHINA since 1985. The fact that Erdogan was also granted a high-level meeting with CHINESE Vice President Xi Jinping, the man slated to be next CHINESE President, and was granted an extraordinary visit to CHINA’S oil-rich Xinjiang Province also shows the high priority CHINA is placing on its relations with TURKEY, a key emerging strategic force in the MIDDLE EAST.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ECONOMIC PRIORITIES FROM BOTH SIDES HAVE CHANGED THE POLITICAL CALCULUS</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Xinjiang is a highly sensitive part of CHINA as it hosts some 9 million ethnic Uyghurs who share a TURKIC heritage with TURKEY as well as nominal adherence to the TURKISH SUNNI branch of Islam. In July 2009 the US government, acting through the National Endowment for Democracy, the regime-change NGO it finances, backed a major Uyghur uprising in which many HAN CHINESE shop owners were killed or injured. Washington in turn blamed the riots on Beijing as part of a strategy of escalating pressure on CHINA. During Uyghur riots in Xinjiang in 2009, Erdogan accused Beijing of “genocide” and attacked the CHINESE on human rights, a dicey issue for TURKEY given their KURD ethnic problems. Clearly economic priorities from both sides have now changed the political calculus.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">BUILDING THE WORLD’S GREATEST MARKET</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">With the end of the Cold War in 1990 the vast under-developed land space of EURASIA became open again. This space contains some forty percent of total land in the world, much of it prime unspoiled agriculture land; it contains three-fourth of the entire world population, an asset of incalculable worth. It consists of some eighty eight of the world’s countries and three-fourths of known world energy resources as well as every mineral known needed for industrialization. NORTH AMERICA as an economic potential, rich as she is, pales by comparison.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYPPwkTsG5Lijsz1LXm14yx9QI_oV0HJZoDNrCJG0OyIn2CSGda8tuzxphBpzNFOxKRwlttHHi1QKI1iuVAJjo5gywQnpRj6wHyzTQP8DdOorjNafSOQezOGT8aiaQN5Dax_8mdWiwwCh/s1600/1Unbenannt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYPPwkTsG5Lijsz1LXm14yx9QI_oV0HJZoDNrCJG0OyIn2CSGda8tuzxphBpzNFOxKRwlttHHi1QKI1iuVAJjo5gywQnpRj6wHyzTQP8DdOorjNafSOQezOGT8aiaQN5Dax_8mdWiwwCh/s400/1Unbenannt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The TURKISH-CHINA railway discussion is but one part of a vast CHINESE strategy to weave a network of inland rail connections across the EURASIAN Continent. The aim is to literally create the world’s greatest new economic space and in turn a huge new market for not just CHINA but all EURASIAN countries, the MIDDLE EAST and WESTERN EUROPE. Direct rail service is faster and cheaper than either ships or trucks, and much cheaper than airplanes. For manufactured CHINESE or other EURASIAN products the rail land bridge links are creating vast new economic trading activity all along the rail line.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Two factors have made this prospect realizable for the first time since the Second World War. First the collapse of the SOVIET UNION has opened up the land space of EURASIA in entirely new ways as has the opening of CHINA to RUSSIA and its EURASIAN neighbors, overcoming decades of mistrust. This is being met by the eastward expansion of the EUROPEAN UNION to the countries of the former WARSAW PACT.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Comment by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring: </span></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The European Union’s indecisiveness regarding its directions on Bosnia, Kosovo, Croatia and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia reflect the current geopolitical development in the region and will most probably end in losing the leverage, the EU once had in the region, to Turkey and other influential Muslim countries who have been focusing on this region for some time now. More details regarding this topic can be read on Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring under the Title: </span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Europe’s ignorance: The Balkan (<i><span style="font-size: small;">to be published soon</span></i>)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WORLDWIDE CONTAINER TRAFFIC HAS REACHED SATURATION POINT</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The demand for faster rail transport over the vast EURASIAN distances is clear. CHINA’S container port activity and that of its EUROPEAN and NORTH AMERICAN destinations is reaching a saturation point as volumes of container traffic explode at double-digit rates. SINGAPORE recently displaced Rotterdam as the world’s largest port in volume terms. The growth rate for container port throughput in CHINA in 2006, before outbreak of the world financial crisis was some 25% annually. In 2007 CHINESE ports accounted for some 28 per cent of world container port throughput. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CHINESE GEO-STRATEGIC VULNERABILITY: SOUTH CHINA SEA SHIPPING PASSAGES </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwgej9sX1xTTLauw3UezY_LjZkWaCd4FXZdDU2kcW3xhbJWbvYumCx6d1C90FL4KA2xKtAlXxQ_V4LybDRF1RJWiVqpynlaf7PzQZqNIQtk0y6YpjBUOXrIvP6T7vQKVIVhrfFG-Bp6DQ/s1600/_45552694_south_china-sea_466.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwgej9sX1xTTLauw3UezY_LjZkWaCd4FXZdDU2kcW3xhbJWbvYumCx6d1C90FL4KA2xKtAlXxQ_V4LybDRF1RJWiVqpynlaf7PzQZqNIQtk0y6YpjBUOXrIvP6T7vQKVIVhrfFG-Bp6DQ/s320/_45552694_south_china-sea_466.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">However there is another aspect to the CHINESE and, to an extent, the RUSSIAN land bridge strategies. By moving trade flows over land, it is more secure in the face of escalating military tensions between the nations of the SHANGHAI Cooperation Organization, especially CHINA and RUSSIA, and NATO. Sea transport must flow through highly vulnerable narrow passageways or choke-points such as the MALAYSIAN STRAITS of Malacca.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WESTERN SOLE FOCUS ON SHIPPING INDUSTRY HAS MISSED CHINA'S EXTENDING RAIL LINKS INTO CENTRAL ASIAN AND BEYOND </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The TURKISH Kars-Edirne railway would form an integral part of an entire web of CHINESE-initiated rail corridors across the EURASIAN landmass. <b>Following the example of how rail infrastructure transformed the economic space of EUROPE and later of AMERICA during the late 19th Century</b>, the CHINESE government, which today stands as the world’s most efficient railroad constructor, has quietly been extending its rail links into CENTRAL ASIA and beyond for several years. They have proceeded in segments, one reason the vast ambition of their grand rail infrastructure has drawn so little attention to date in the WEST outside the shipping industry.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CHINA BUILDS SECOND EURASIAN LAND BRIDGE</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">By 2011 CHINA had completed a Second EURASIAN Land Bridge running from CHINA’S port of Lianyungang on the EAST CHINA SEA through to KAZAKHSTAN’S Druzhba and on to CENTRAL ASIA, WEST ASIA and EUROPE to various EUROPEAN destinations and finally to Rotterdam Port of HOLLAND on the Atlantic coast.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLL2lO1Q55WLcWamKXnJHKNayV5hljil7bZgblNvQk0t3b-WML6C5bWnhoDufm7uXYM8VsBeQnra837omooc2CqRB1AlzJw9ekSu4O8S41JLIZAdZNo8q0rUAkNvdh8KQCbaI-7x6BrDo/s1600/photo_verybig_121602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLL2lO1Q55WLcWamKXnJHKNayV5hljil7bZgblNvQk0t3b-WML6C5bWnhoDufm7uXYM8VsBeQnra837omooc2CqRB1AlzJw9ekSu4O8S41JLIZAdZNo8q0rUAkNvdh8KQCbaI-7x6BrDo/s400/photo_verybig_121602.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Second EURASIAN Land Bridge is a new railway connecting the Pacific and the Atlantic that was completed by CHINA to Druzhba in KAZAKHSTAN. This newest EURASIA land bridge extends west in CHINA through six provinces—Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Xinjiang autonomous region, which neighbors respectively with Shandong Province, Shanxi Province, Hubei Province, Sichuan Province, Qinghai Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Inner MONGOLIA. That covers about 360,000 square kilometers, some 37% of the total land space of CHINA. About 400 million people live in the areas, which accounts for 30% of the total population of the country. Outside of CHINA, the land bridge covers over 40 countries and regions in both ASIA and EUROPE, and is particularly important for the countries in Central and WEST ASIA that don’t have sea outlets.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">GERMAN INDUSTRY PROFITS FROM RAIL LINK</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1i1r1l5nUrrIIwAPdErFvpn9qUU021_MeBy7KuDUkngvy_xDueS8PnLkDep4baORzKtoYHr99Byx4VyXgZv_Ay3hWLQ-5qff_KYw5LOYN3mFRde5vq0a9F3AYYFFwX7TISQSf2wZIWkSr/s1600/china-train_1931904c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1i1r1l5nUrrIIwAPdErFvpn9qUU021_MeBy7KuDUkngvy_xDueS8PnLkDep4baORzKtoYHr99Byx4VyXgZv_Ay3hWLQ-5qff_KYw5LOYN3mFRde5vq0a9F3AYYFFwX7TISQSf2wZIWkSr/s320/china-train_1931904c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In 2011 CHINA’S Vice Premier Wang Qishan announced plans to build a new high-speed railway link within KAZAKHSTAN, linking the cities of Astana and Almaty, to be ready in 2015. The Astana-Almaty line, with a total length of 1050 kilometers, employing CHINA’S advanced rail-building technology, will allow high-speed trains to run at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DB Schenker Rail Automotive is now transporting auto parts from Leipzig to Shenyang in northeastern CHINA for BMW. Trains loaded with parts and components depart from DB Schenker’s Leipzig trans-shipment terminal in a three-week, 11,000 km journey to BMW’s Shenyang plant in the Liaoning province, where components are used in the assembly of BMW vehicles. Beginning in late November 2011, trains bound for Shenyang departed Leipzig once each day. "With a transit time of 23 days, the direct trains are twice as fast as maritime transport, followed by over-the-road transport to the CHINESE hinterland," says Dr. Karl-Friedrich Rausch, member of the management board for DB Mobility Logistics’ Transportation and Logistics division. The route reaches CHINA via POLAND, BELARUS, and RUSSIA. Containers have to be transferred by crane to different gauges twice—first to RUSSIAN broad gauge at the POLAND-BELARUS border, and then back to standard gauge at the RUSSIA-CHINA border in Manzhouli.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TRAIN VERSUS SHIP </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In May 2011 a daily direct rail freight service was launched between the Port of Antwerp, EUROPE’S second-largest port, and Chongqing, the industrial hub in CHINA’S southwest. That greatly speed-ed rail freight transport across EURASIA to EUROPE. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Compared to the 36 days for maritime transport from east CHINA’S ports to west EUROPE, the Antwerp-Chongqing Rail Freight service now takes 20 to 25 days, and the aim is to cut that to 15 to 20 days. Westbound cargo includes automotive and technological goods, eastbound shipments are mostly chemicals. The project was a major priority for the Antwerp Port and the BELGIAN government in cooperation with CHINA and other partners. The service is run by SWISS inter-modal logistics provider Hupac, their RUSSIAN partner Russkaya Troyka and EURASIA Good Transport over a distance of more than 10,000km, starting from Port of Antwerp through to GERMANY and POLAND, and further to UKRAINE, RUSSIA and MONGOLIA before reaching Chongqing in CHINA.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Second EURASIAN Land Bridge runs 10,900 kilometers in length, with some 4100 kilometers of that in CHINA. Within CHINA the line runs parallel to one of the ancient routes of the SILK ROAD. The rail line continues across CHINA into DRUZHBA where it links with the broader gauge rail lines of KAZAKHSTAN. KAZAKHSTAN is the largest inland country in the world. As CHINESE rail and highways have expanded west, trade between KAZAKHSTAN and CHINA has been booming. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">From January to October 2008, goods passing through the Khorgos port between the two nations reached 880,000 tons - over 250% growth compared with the same period a year before. Trade between CHINA and KAZAKHSTAN is expected to grow 3 to 5 fold by 2013. As of 2008, only about 1% of the goods shipped from Asia to Europe were delivered by overland routes, meaning the room for expansion is considerable.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">From KAZAKHSTAN the lines go on via RUSSIA and BELARUS over POLAND to the markets of the EUROPEAN UNION.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Another line goes to Tashkent in UZBEKISTAN, CENTRAL ASIA’S largest city of some two millions. Another line goes west to TURKMENISTAN’S capital Asgabat and to the border of IRAN. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">With some additional investment, these links, now tied to the vast expanse and markets of CHINA could open new economic possibilities in much-neglected regions of CENTRAL ASIA. The SHANGHAI Cooperation Organization (SCO) could provide a well-suited vehicle for coordination of a broad EURASIAN rail infrastructure coordination to maximize these initial rail links. The members of the SCO, formed in 2001, include CHINA, KAZAKHSTAN, RUSSIA, KYRGYZSTAN, TAJIKSTAN, UZBEKISTAN with IRAN, INDIA, MONGOLIA and PAKISTAN as Observer Status countries.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">RUSSIA’S LAND BRIDGE</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">RUSSIA is well positioned to benefit greatly from such an SCO strategy. The First EURASIAN Land Bridge runs through RUSSIA along the TRANS-SIBERIAN Railway, first completed in 1916 to unify the RUSSIAN Empire. The Trans-Siberian remains the longest single rail line in the world at 9,297 kilometers, a tribute to the vision OF RUSSIAN Sergei Witte in the 1890s. The Trans-Siberian Railway, also called the Northern East-West Corridor, runs from the RUSSIAN Far East Port of Vladivostok and links in EUROPE to the Port of Rotterdam some 13,000 kilometers. At present it is the less attractive for Pacific-to-Atlantic freight because of maintenance problems and maximum speeds of 55 km.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There are attempts to better use the Trans-Siberian Land Bridge. In January 2008 a long distance EURASIAN rail freight service, the "Beijing-Hamburg Container Express" was successfully tested by the GERMAN railway Deutsche Bahn. It completed the 10,000 km (6,200 miles) journey in 15 days to link the CHINESE capital to the GERMAN port city, going through MONGOLIA, the RUSSIAN FEDERATION, BELARUS and POLAND. By ship to the same markets takes double the time or some 30 days. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p3zjxMBpHC4bJ66Ce7u2t1Rj6xWRgYt16gljB68tUbwWjruSuheqe829rGiRuE6OHxH1f4ZltnbzBWvoi_UVfERPFfhLxXaOiWQ0E7BUEgocn4IQ4E-oZ1jmPhPry-Px2bt3r4UAr0ZO/s1600/04chdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p3zjxMBpHC4bJ66Ce7u2t1Rj6xWRgYt16gljB68tUbwWjruSuheqe829rGiRuE6OHxH1f4ZltnbzBWvoi_UVfERPFfhLxXaOiWQ0E7BUEgocn4IQ4E-oZ1jmPhPry-Px2bt3r4UAr0ZO/s320/04chdr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This route, which began commercial service in 2010 incorporates a section of the existing Trans-Siberian Railway, a rail link using a broader gauge than either CHINESE or EUROPEAN trains, meaning two offloads and reloads onto other trains at the CHINA-MONGOLIA border and again at the BELARUS-POLAND border.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Were the Trans-Siberian railway passage across RUSSIAN EURASIAN space to be modernized and upgraded to accommodate high-speed freight traffic, it would add a significant new economic dimension to the economic development of RUSSIA’S interior regions. The Trans-Siberian is double-tracked and electrified. The need is minimally to improve some segments to insure a better integration of all the elements to make it a more attractive option for EURASIAN freight to the west.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There are strong indications the new Putin presidency will turn more of its attention to EURASIA. Modernization of the First Eurasian Land Bridge would be a logical way to accomplish much of that development by literally creating new markets and new economic activity. With the bond markets of the UNITED STATES and EUROPE flooded with toxic waste and state bankruptcy fears, issuance of RUSSIAN state bonds for modernization or even a new parallel high-speed rail Land Bridge linking to the certainty of growing freight traffic across EURASIA would have little difficulty finding eager investors.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">RUSSIA is currently in discussion with CHINA and CHINESE rail constructors who are bidding on construction of a planned $20 billion of new high-speed RUSSIAN rail track to be completed before the 2018 RUSSIAN hosting of the Soccer World Cup. CHINA’S experience in building some 12,000 km of high speed rail in record time is a major asset for CHINA’S bid. Significantly, RUSSIA plans to raise $10 billion of the cost by issuing new railroad bonds.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A THIRD EURASIAN LAND BRIDGE? ENHANCING TURKEYS AMBITIONS OF BECOMING THE KEY PLAYER IN THE MIDDLE EAST?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In 2009 at the Fifth Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional (PPRD) Cooperation and Development Forum, a government-sponsored event, the Yunnan provincial government announced its intention to accelerate construction of needed infrastructure to build a third EURASIAN continental land bridge that will link south CHINA to Rotterdam via TURKEY over land. This is part of what Erdogan and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao discussed in Beijing this April. The network of inland roads for the land bridge within Yunnan province will be completed by 2015, said Yunnan governor Qin Guangrong. The project starts from coastal ports in Guangdong, with the Port of Shenzhen being the most important. It will ultimately go all the way through Kunming to MYANMAR, BANGLADESH, INDIA, PAKISTAN and IRAN, entering EUROPE from TURKEY.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The route would cut some 6,000-km from the sea journey between the Pearl River Delta and Rotterdam and allow production from CHINA’S eastern manufacturing centers to reach ASIA, AFRICA and EUROPE. The proposal is for completing a series of missing rail and modern highway links totaling some 1,000 Km, not that inconceivable. In neighboring MYANMAR a mere 300 km of railways and highways are lacking in order to link the railways in Yunnan with the highway network of MYANMAR and SOUTH ASIA. It will help CHINA pave the way for building a land channel to the Indian Ocean.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The third Eurasian Land Bridge will cross 20 countries in ASIA and EUROPE and have a total length of about 15,000 kilometers, which is 3,000 to 6,000 kilometers shorter than the sea route entering at the Indian Ocean from the southeast coast via the Malacca Straits. The total annual trade volume of the region’s the route passes through was nearly US$300 billion in 2009. Ultimately the plan is for a branch line that would also start in TURKEY, cross SYRIA and ISRAEL, and end in EGYPT, facilitating transportation from CHINA to AFRICA. Clearly the Pentagon’s AFRICOM and the US-backed Arab Spring unrest directly impacts that extension, though for how long at this point is unclear. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">See: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/china-and-israel-enter-dragon.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/china-and-israel-enter-dragon.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div>

CHINA and TURKEY

CHINA’S LAND BRIDGE TO TURKEY CREATES NEW EURASIAN GEOPOLITICAL POTENTIALS by F. William Engdahl   The prospect of an unparalleled EURASIAN...

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