Islam versus Christians

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Coincident, or Strategy? </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">With alleged Anti Christian violence erupting in the Middle East, Northern Africa and in a turn of latest events in Nigeria, the article blow should provide some  food for thought. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Feel free to form your own opinion!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Anti-Christian Violence in the Middle East?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Anthony Wile </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Daily Bell</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">The UK <i>Daily Telegraph</i> recently posted an article entitled, "How can we remain silent while Christians are being persecuted?" Anybody reading the Daily Bell this past year will not be surprised by this headline, nor the article itself. Turns out that the writer is reporting on "a new evil [that] is sweeping the Middle East" – and that evil is violence against Christians.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">"How can we remain silent while Christians are being persecuted?" the article asks. "The Americans have gone now, and Iraq's Christian communities – some of the world's oldest – are undergoing an exodus on a biblical scale."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">The article does not only mention Iraq and makes it clear that the anti-Christian sentiment is broad-based: "The attacks, which peak at Christmas, have already spread to Egypt, where Coptic Christians have seen their churches firebombed by Islamic fundamentalists </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">"In Tunisia, priests are being murdered. Maronite Christians in Lebanon have, for the first time, become targets of bombing campaigns. Christians in Syria, who have suffered as much as anyone from the Assad regime, now pray for its survival. If it falls, and the Islamists triumph, persecution may begin in earnest."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Early in January 2011, we predicted this. In an article entitled, “Western Elites Still Secretly Building Islam" we wrote about the West's strategic undermining of non-religious or Christian regimes in the Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Egypt. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's an excerpt:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Is the war on terror a success? The Anglo - American elite needs an enemy if the authoritarianism that is rising in the West is to continue – because despotism (and globalism) is more easily created when there is an outside enemy. But fighting against 100 Al Qaeda soldiers in Afghanistan is not anybody's idea of a substantive threat. And the Taliban are evidently and obviously fighting an occupying force.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>What if the powers-that-be had decided to do what they could to expand the Muslim threat – and thus expand (in the Western mind anyway) the specter of resurgent, militant Islam? A cynical idea isn't it, dear reader. It is merely speculation, but there are reasons to explore it further ...</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>We are proposing a new stage in the manipulated war on terror. Having built up the Middle East through enormous cash infusions, the Anglosphere is continually expanding the role of fundamental Islam and may even be prepared to overthrow old and trusted allies to do so. The war on terror so far has not proven very terrible (except to Afghan and Iraqi citizens) but if the Jasmine revolution "spreads" throughout the Middle East, resurgent, fundamentalist Islam may indeed become a reality.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Right on time comes this article in the UK <i>Telegraph</i>, almost exactly a year later, demanding that the British foreign office does more to help victims of Arab prejudice. It's an amazing article only because it is so predictable and (surprise) neglects to provide a frame of reference that would explain the rising violence.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Why would the article neglect a frame of reference? Because the Anglosphere power elite that wants to create world government, needs to continually manufacture enemies – to create fear. We call this fear-mongering the production of "dominate social themes.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">The idea is to frighten Western middle classes into surrendering wealth and power to a variety of globalist institutions that the power elite has built and put into place – and is now expanding on. These include the UN, IMF, World Bank, ICC (International Criminal Court), BIS (Bank of International Settlement), etc.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the biggest memes the power elite employs is war. Through war, all sorts of authoritarianism can be enhanced and the globalist agenda expanded efficiently in ways that it never could be otherwise. But in order to have war, one must create an enemy. And at this task Western elites are most efficient. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's some more from the article:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>These dividing lines are now being made into battle lines by hardline Salafists, who are emerging as victors of the Arab Spring. They belong to the same mutant strain of Sunni Islam which inspired al-Qaeda. Their agenda is sectarian warfare, and they loathe Shia Islam as much as they do Christians and Jews. Their enemy lies not over a border, but in a church, synagogue or Shia mosque. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Salafists may be detested by the Muslim mainstream. But as they are finding out, you don't need to be popular to seize power in a post-dictatorship Arab world – you just need to be the best organised. The West is so obsessed with government structure that it doesn't notice when power lies elsewhere, and Islamist death squads are executing barbers and unveiled women in places like Basra.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Two years ago, the idea of such bloody sectarianism would have sounded like a macabre fantasy in a country as civilised as Egypt. After al-Qaeda bombed a church on New Year's Day, Muslim elders sat in the front pews forming a human shield and defying the terrorists. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>But moderate Egyptians are now losing this power struggle. The killing has started, with another 25 Copts murdered in October. Tens of thousands of Egypt's Christians have already joined their Iraqi counterparts in exile: as Iraq proved, one death can lead to a thousand emigrations. The Salafists are finding it staggeringly easy to realise their fantasy of a "purer" Egypt.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Without explaining the triggering principles of Western intelligence manipulation of Islamic cultures, the article attributes the violence to the nascent Arab Spring. Of course, as is well known in alternative media circles, the Arab Spring itself is an incipient Western invention.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">The US State Department and apparently the CIA, through various facilities such as AYM, have sponsored a far-flung youth movement of rebellious young men and women who have been trained to use various tools, including social media, to cause unrest in their home countries. Apparently, these same tactics have been used to create Occupy Wall Street unrest.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">"The Arab Spring was always going to mean danger for religious minorities, unleashing the Islamic extremists who previously were kept at bay," the article informs us. We also learn that religious persecution was not a hallmark of previous (overthrown) regimes. "For all their evil, the old secular tyrants abused their victims equally, whether they wore the cross, hijab or skullcap."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">The article damns the British foreign office as being "typically slow to recognise the gathering threat, despite repeated warnings." Of course, the obvious reason for this slowness is that the unrest in the Middle East is being deliberately provoked by MI6 – along with counterparts in DC.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">You won't read such speculation in this article, however. The rationale pro-offered is psychological rather than strategic: "It might be that the Foreign Office sees this as part of a soppy equalities agenda, unworthy of diplomatic attention. Those who have raised the issue directly with William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, say he is unenthusiastic."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Predictably, the psychological speculation is buttressed by that old rationale: ignorance. "The Foreign Office did not realise the full evil of ethnic cleansing in the Balkans until it was too late: it did not take civil tensions seriously enough. It can do better now, making clear that it regards religious cleansing as an emerging evil that ought to be confronted wherever it is being incubated."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Really? It's funny how much Western foreign policy is larded with ignorance and stupidity. The Anglosphere, for all of its abilities to win wars and dominate the world, is constantly making elemental mistakes: the Treaty of Versailles, Yalta, the emergence of Communist China, etc.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now as we watch militant Islam emerge from the shadows, we are informed yet again that Western powers-that-be are being caught unawares. "Outright religious oppression is quietly ignored, from Saudi Arabia to the Maldives."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Distribution of World  Religions </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdcVMIliC3WxKFaSz2j7sw8rWEiPRXnvlfNH-hgQwbZ65hHJl7qT7HBPhLu0E8LwBLQ1-71-vs-B2FxidIFs8GMLtVIvoJnKSfJYI4liK363B-AKAckQEAdi5ojdsBuR2nP8Y4JF6-cA/s1600/Christ_Islam.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdcVMIliC3WxKFaSz2j7sw8rWEiPRXnvlfNH-hgQwbZ65hHJl7qT7HBPhLu0E8LwBLQ1-71-vs-B2FxidIFs8GMLtVIvoJnKSfJYI4liK363B-AKAckQEAdi5ojdsBuR2nP8Y4JF6-cA/s400/Christ_Islam.png" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Red: Christian faith, Green: Islam (Source: Wikipedia) </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

Islam versus Christians

Coincident, or Strategy?  With alleged Anti Christian violence erupting in the Middle East, Northern Africa and in a turn of latest events i...

Read more »

Merry Christmas

Instead of crying myself to sleep last night, I went on a house cleaning rampage. From 8:30 p.m. (when my went to bed) until 4:40 a.m. I cleaned house like I was on speed. I even had a cup of coffee at 10 p.m. to keep me going, and it worked.<br /><br />The house is spotless, at least the kitchen, dining and living room. Cleaning isn't something I enjoy, but it's a mindless task that kept my hands busy (no night-time eating).<br /><br />After three hours of sleep, I got up and we put up the tree. We can't find the angel for the top. She's missing. I need to go out to the store anyway to get a few gifts for my husband, so I'll pick up another tree-topper angel. I'm sure the old one is packed away in the garbage somewhere, but I can't find it.<br /><br />I thought about my sister when I finally crawled into bed. It's truly a sad situation, but there's nothing I can do to make it better. Just make sure she's in a warm, safe environment with good medical care. <br /><br />A few people mentioned maybe I should see about moving her down here to live near me. I really thought about that while I was in Fairbanks the week after Thanksgiving. I was ready to do it. Then I watched my sister's interaction with her youngest daughter (she's 46). When this niece would walk into the room, my sister would light up with the biggest smile. When my niece bent over to kiss my sister, my sister took her good hand and reached up and touched my niece's cheek and stroked her hair. The particular niece has always had a very close bond with my sister. She visits my sister every day and gives me updates. The other niece (the crazy one) that lives in the same town has only been to see her mother once in five weeks.<br /><br />Because of the love between my sister and my one niece (the sweet one), I can't break them apart. Even though it would make me feel better to have my sister near me, it would break my sister's heart, as well as my niece. I decided moving her to Seattle wasn't an option I was going to pursue.<br /><br />I did talk to my sister's doctor a couple weeks ago about taking an anti-depressant and she agreed it would be a good idea. She's been on one for almost a week now, and the non-stop crying has stopped, but she's still not cooperative in her therapy.<br /><br />About the diet and exercise<br />Yes, this is still a weight loss blog, even though my sister's situation has consume me lately. The eating has been pretty good. No junk food except a handmade candy cane three days ago (and it was awesome). I started tracking my food about three days ago, using the <a href="http://www.bodymedia.com/" target="_blank">BodyMedia </a>website and phone app. <br /><br />My exercise has been really good this week, with the gym every day for the last seven days, plus 55-minute power walks at lunch on two days. Did I mention I have a new gym? L.A. Fitness and I love it! They bought out Bally Fitness (my old gym) and closed the one near my home. The L.A. Fitness I go to now is actually closer and about a hundred times nicer than Bally Fitness. Plus they have THREE really nice, always in working order StairMasters. Love it.<br /><br />The only thing I don't love  about L.A. Fitness is the free weight area. There's only one and it's too small with only about seven weight benches. Bally had three free weight areas and about fifteen benches. It's always packed with guys lifting super heavy weights. Really though, I appreciate it's new and clean, with nicer equipment. <br /><br />I'm still going to Weight Watchers and need to get going for the 11:15 a.m. meeting, then the gym before they close at 2 p.m. today. I love the new Weight Watcher scanner app for my phone (see T.J.s post about it <a href="http://tjstestkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/12/weight-watchers-scanner.html" target="_blank">here</a>). It's the coolest thing ever. Although I'm not tracking Points this week, doing calories with BodyMedia. Maybe next week I'll try Points again just so I can use the scanner. <br /><br />Take care and everyone have a Merry Christmas!<br /><br /><br />

Merry Christmas

Instead of crying myself to sleep last night, I went on a house cleaning rampage. From 8:30 p.m. (when my went to bed) until 4:40 a.m. I cle...

Read more »

its the most wonderful time of the year

Christmas Eve is here and I have a house full of excited kids...and parents. Every holiday is magnified and even more fun when children are involved.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZefQ0xVYVvLh9eQLMym3td33bnbt48wm_27uVhjmR069q51tSVvEn77R4M48Wm624cYUMUN8KzKI1p-se5nHYlxHKqgOfAlgZjxypN8EkZ2rBWh-3nrZwwONZ5SjsfhyphenhyphenLto4oAaMibDj/s1600/PC031660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZefQ0xVYVvLh9eQLMym3td33bnbt48wm_27uVhjmR069q51tSVvEn77R4M48Wm624cYUMUN8KzKI1p-se5nHYlxHKqgOfAlgZjxypN8EkZ2rBWh-3nrZwwONZ5SjsfhyphenhyphenLto4oAaMibDj/s320/PC031660.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Enjoy the next week of family time, food and friends.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYM5d7PUAqRgCX6aK6S224d5e2l3_TCry4okp32X_AAqII_h_LBghQtFqgxCJXO-hCFhxUnyMthU1etSkVutFSIp0vgCBVz89PKHpsYwbK0ZkqP-Z8Hi6GPGuZ2pNJnqUIQMnt3hRCnNIk/s1600/PC141898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYM5d7PUAqRgCX6aK6S224d5e2l3_TCry4okp32X_AAqII_h_LBghQtFqgxCJXO-hCFhxUnyMthU1etSkVutFSIp0vgCBVz89PKHpsYwbK0ZkqP-Z8Hi6GPGuZ2pNJnqUIQMnt3hRCnNIk/s320/PC141898.JPG" width="213" /></a></div> Happy Holidays from my door to yours.

its the most wonderful time of the year

Christmas Eve is here and I have a house full of excited kids...and parents. Every holiday is magnified and even more fun when children are ...

Read more »

Trying to find the spirit of Christmas

I'm not in a very festive mood this Christmas. After a lot of debate about whether we should go to Fairbanks, we decided against it. The trip would be rushed since I have to be back at work on Tuesday. We chose Christmas at home.<br /><br />Home...were there isn't a single Christmas decoration or wrapped gift. I haven't sent a single Christmas card this year or purchased a single gift. I'm just not feeling it. My husband is following my lead. I guess my dark mood is contagious. <br /><br />My husband has asked me numerous times what I want for Christmas. I keep telling him nothing because it's the truth. There's nothing I want this year. No cool new gadget, no new clothes, no jewelry, nothing. There's nothing that can make me happy. <br /><br />I know Christmas is more than decorations and gifts, and that's where I'm really feeling sad. My faith is shaken. I can't find any explanation why such a dreadful, horrible thing has happened to my wonderful sister. None of it makes any sense.<br /><br />The status of my sister isn't good. She's very healthy and eating well. The prognosis is that she will live for many more years. That sounds good, but it's not. She won't participate in any physical, occupational or speech therapy. She refuses to cooperate with the therapists. In fact, she gets angry, screaming gibberish at them and pointing to the door of her room, wanting them to leave.<br /><br />She refuses to even get out of bed and into a wheelchair. True, it's quite an ordeal for her since she's completely paralyzed on the right side it takes two people to assist her into the chair. I just don't understand how she can just lay in bed 24/7. <br /><br />Last week she demanded all the family pictures be removed from her walls. She kept pointing to the wall and the door and finally my niece realized she was pointing to the pictures and wanted them out of her room. Now her walls are bare.<br /><br />I didn't mean for this post to be about my sister, but she's always on my mind. I worry about her. I feel bad I'm not there, cheering her on. I know she's lonely and bored. She doesn't even enjoy watching TV. Our brother bought her an iPad and she refused to even touch it. He bought her a Nook and she wouldn't even look at it. She use to love her computer and loved to read. The words don't make any sense to her and she doesn't even seem to understand the concept of the computer.<br /><br />I guess not being in a happy, festive mood is normal. I'm still shell-shocked over losing my sister. Basically, that's what happened. She's gone. I can't call her and talk for three hours, finding out we bought the exact same item or did something exactly the same that week. We had a lot of strange coincidences where we did the exactly same thing or had exactly the same thought. I'll never forget when she picked me up at the airport one summer and we were wearing the exact same designer sunglasses, with the same rhinestone pattern. I remember laughing hysterically when we'd talk on the phone for hours. I really miss her. <br /><br />Tomorrow perhaps I'll write a more cheerful post. Maybe we'll put up the tree, buy a few presents. Maybe I'll write about my plans to lose twenty pounds by the time of the Big Climb on March 25. Or about my Weight Watcher meeting I'm attending tomorrow morning. For now, I think I'll just go cry myself to sleep.

Trying to find the spirit of Christmas

I'm not in a very festive mood this Christmas. After a lot of debate about whether we should go to Fairbanks, we decided against it. The...

Read more »

Christmas, Christopher Hithcens, Sneeering, Testing, And Praying Today

Christopher Hitchens’ death on the brink of the Feast of the Nativity sets my mind spinning about the mysteries of birth, life, death, and how we understand them.<br /><br />I wish Christopher Hitchens well as a person but have major issues with the meaning of Christopher Hitchens as a cultural icon. Some of the media have called him an “intellectual.” He did attend Oxford for his undergraduate education, but does not seem to have pursued any post-graduate studies or done any real academic training beyond that basic liberal arts education. He was a journalist in the contemporary sense, not so much a reporter of facts as a commentator. His commentary rightly chastised Christians for failing to live up to our highest aspirations and then gilding our flaws in religious pretense, but Hitchens drew unwarranted theological conclusions from his chastisements. The “new atheists” by and large have not brought the same weight of philosophical reason to the table that an earlier generation (e.g. Bertrand Russell) did.<br /><br />To the end, Hitchens maintained his posture of sneering, bored supercilious attitude. The sneer has been au courant for nearly 300 years now. When Holman Hunt painted The Light of the World, the most popular painting of the Victorian Age, Thomas Carlyle castigated him for this naïve portrait of faith. Sneering became fashionable in the salons of 18th Century France, and has remained the ego armor of choice ever since. Hitchens was consistently faithful to his essential face-set sneer. It has become a socially prescribed way to achieve and maintain status to mock and demean innocence which may be painted as naïve. Another option, which lacks the social sanction afforded to sneering, is to join with the “naïve,” to live and die in the attitude of prayer.<br /><br /> The tension between sneering and praying calls to mind another great believer and disbeliever, Anthony Flew, who truly did neither. Flew, a real intellectual, was a philosopher of science and was the leading voice of atheism in our time. His was a scientific atheism, a genuine scientific atheism, not the hackneyed leaps to the wrong conclusions we see in Dawkins. Flew started from a stance of studied neutrality. His only commitment was to “follow the evidence” wherever it might lead. Eventually, it led him to believe in “God,” by which he meant an intelligent and purposeful Creator. The “new atheists” were aghast and burned him at the journalistic stake for “apostasy.” I am not kidding. The new atheists really called Flew and “apostate” from their true faith – which of course is what it is.<br /><br />In the end, I am not with Flew either. But there is a contrast worth noting. The attitude of sneering is an ego-armor, a defensive pride in looking down on believers and belief. I object to sneering as a spiritual practice precisely because it protects the very ego which Buddhism would disintegrate with awareness, Islam would surrender through obedience, and Christianity would sacrifice for the sake of a selfless life lived in Christ and for others. The one thing modernity and post-modernity have in common is their deification of the ego which most ancient spiritual traditions regard as the problem. Worse yet, sneering builds up the ego at the expense of others. There is violence in it.<br /><br />Scientism such as Flew’s could be egoistic but it is not inherently so. It can be rigorously honest and courageous. It can be a heroic quest for truth. I have to admire that. I would have to admire it in Flew even if it had not led him to theism. I can admire, but I cannot join. Scientism deifies a method of knowing truth. The problem is it assumes one method of inquiry is capable of knowing, proving, and expressing everything. If I may use an analogy from the scientific world, it is like doing astronomy with a microscope, and so denying the existence of stars. Leave religion out of it for the moment. There is truth in poetry, art, and music that is beyond scientific reach. There is truth in the ancient stories and yes, truth both apprehended and expressed in rituals for which there are no words. Forgive me for this quotation from my youth, but it is still true. “It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. The things which are essential are invisible to the eye.” Antoine de St. Exupery. <br /><br />The God I believe in cannot be proven or disproven by experiments. But here is the situation I find myself in. Suppose God could be disproven in some rational way. Suppose pride in being right or perhaps integrity in following the truth compelled me to admit that faith is false. What then would I do? A parallel question: truth aside, what if faith simply loses its last vestige of social credibility and disappears. Suppose the church dies out from under me? <br /><br />Here is my problem. I have known the story so long, performed the rituals so often, they are more part of me than my very heart. When I have been in trouble I have called on God time and again. Each time God has delivered me. “How can you say that?” skeptics may wonder. Sometimes my salvations have been almost miraculous. Sometimes they seemed completely miraculous. Other times, they came in reasonable, even ordinary, ways. All I know is I cast myself on God’s mercy and I received mercy. When I was at the bank of Red Sea with the Egyptian Army charging – not just once but time and again – the Sea parted. It has happened as a kind of promise that when death itself takes hold of me, even that Sea will part into God’s mercy. I do not know what that mercy will look like. I take the traditional images of life after death as a fair portrait of mercy. But whatever form it takes, if it is God’s choice; it will be fine with me.<br /><br />So, if logic should compel me to deny God or if I were the only believer left, I would still have to believe. I cannot and will not adopt the option of defensive psycho-violence or a too small way of knowing. I will admire the logicians like Flew, regardless of their conclusions, but I am not one of them. They practice a monotheistic reverence for the scientific method while I am an epistemological polytheist knowing truth in various ways. Ultimately, I am one who prays. This is my advice: If one does not want to wind up like me, an old man praying, one had better stop praying at an early age. There comes a point of no return, a time when prayer has been answered with so much truth and grace that one is honor bound to keep praying even if the last blessing has already been bestowed. The Church, the fellowship of believers, a flawed lot -- but no more flawed than I am -- has carried me thus far. I hope they will be with me to the end, but if they are not, Jesus has been too present, too real, for too long – so that “Though none go with me, still I will follow.”<br /><br />I have to admit the priority of my faith. I could be fooling myself to avoid the tension between faith and integrity. But the arguments for God – not just Flew’s intelligent purposeful creator but the God of infinite mystery, the God of beauty beyond the reach of our aesthetic imagination, the God of truth beyond all our ways of knowing, the God of goodness beyond our highest moral aspiration – makes vastly more sense to me than the small minded reductionism of modernist and post-modernist secularism. St. Anselm called theology “faith seeking understanding.” I am with Anselm rather than Flew. I do not start intellectually neutral. My commitment is to God as I have known him in Christ Jesus. I am with Anselm and Augustine, “Credo ut intelligam” I believe in order that I may understand.” If understanding did not buttress faith for me, then I would go with whoever (it was not Tertullian) said “credo quia absurdum est” I believe because it is absurd. I would not really believe something simply because it is absurd, but if it is absurdly hopeful in the face of despair, absurdly good in the face of evil, absurdly profound beyond the banality of our experience, then those absurdities would at least makes me want to give it a fair hearing. So count me with Augustine, Anselm, Kierkegaard, and William James (The Will To Believe). An existential posture has to go deeper than the head level. We choose to believe or we choose to disbelieve as an act of will, not intellect, then find our reasons after the fact. Having sat on a pillow long enough to watch how my heart and mind work, I know the Buddhist teachings of abidharma are precisely true. Feeling first – then thought – then perception. It works opposite to the scientific method. <br /><br />And all this leads to the Star over the Stable. I believe in that Star over the Stable this Christmas – not as a provable or disprovable factum of history, but as a picture of something truer and better than science can test or words can express. When people are sorted either by God or social scientists, list my name among those who go to a stable to pray.

Christmas, Christopher Hithcens, Sneeering, Testing, And Praying Today

Christopher Hitchens’ death on the brink of the Feast of the Nativity sets my mind spinning about the mysteries of birth, life, death, and h...

Read more »

a little tile goes a long way

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

a little tile goes a long way

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

Read more »

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

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

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

The Lady Eve offers a blogful of holiday cheer this year. Here's what's under the tree... ~ Two Icons Singing : Bing Crosby and Fra...

Read more »

10 jobs for people who love to talk

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

10 jobs for people who love to talk

Alina Dizik, Special to CareerBuilder   If you're a talker, picking a job where you spend your days quietly behind a  computer  can make...

Read more »

Energy Games in the Eastern Mediterranean

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

Energy Games in the Eastern Mediterranean

In a nutshell Ioannis Michaletos sums up what   GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS AND MONITORING already posted in SEPTEMEBR 2011, regarding the Ener...

Read more »

One Day at a Time

It really has to be that logic at this point... "one day at a time".  The opportunities to fail or succeed in eating/drinking situations are never ending these days.  <br /><br />Last week it was our office holiday party.<br /><br />This week it was both a luncheon (with pizza from my favorite pizza place) and a happy hour for my coworker who is leaving our office for another division in our agency (please don't throw stones - I'm a government employee! eek!).  Miraculously, I made it through the luncheon without even so much as glancing at that pizza.  I sat and talked and talked the entire time and tried to ignore my rumbling belly.   Instead I opted for my own packed lunch, which I ate after his luncheon. <br /><br />Then I hosted this happy hour for him, but I didn't even want to go because I knew it would involve beer and possibly bar food.  I just didn't want to set myself up for failure, because at this point, I know I'm just not strong enough to resist such temptations, at least not two in one day!  So 2 large beers were consumed, and so were boneless wings.    <br /><br />The thing is, I really enjoy being social.  I particularly enjoy happy hours.  I'm not a drunkard, I just enjoy having a few beers and relaxing with friends.  How do you go to a bar and not have a drink?  Ok, it's possible, I'm sure.  Not for me, but for others with far more self control, sure.  But let me rephrase that.  How do you go to a bar and only have <i>one </i>drink?<br /><br />I think I failed to mention that I attended a holiday party this past Friday.  I only had 3 beers. They happened to be Bud Lights.  Do you know that 1 Bud Light (can or bottle) is 4 Points+?  And 3 of them are 11 Points+!!!!  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.<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/AVvXsEjC_B553RUwdP0JIO1WAfJ08Jd3_sIkBMUqEkAOHYtVSvRHCAg1OJQORk9iiVNWzZQN9bIw0HTtsz9w8X4H896YvSTg_HIwinskQHn3gWF2vQAd-H8q2-g-QJPN2EF92Bpl2B4EjdagFs8/s1600/sarparty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_B553RUwdP0JIO1WAfJ08Jd3_sIkBMUqEkAOHYtVSvRHCAg1OJQORk9iiVNWzZQN9bIw0HTtsz9w8X4H896YvSTg_HIwinskQHn3gWF2vQAd-H8q2-g-QJPN2EF92Bpl2B4EjdagFs8/s400/sarparty.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel's getting so skinny - down to 218 lbs - I can really tell in his face</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I'm not trying to complain here.  I just want to put it out there: if you're struggling this very minute, trust me, you're not alone.  I made it through Thanksgiving fairly well.  I didn't expect Christmas to be so challenging, but guess what?  It has been. <br /><br />Lord help me! <br /><br />

Weight Loss Challenges One Day at a Time

It really has to be that logic at this point... "one day at a time".  The opportunities to fail or succeed in eating/drinking situ...

Read more »

A day once only imagined has arrived - a virtual International TeachMeet!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">S<i>ubmitted by Fiona Beal</i><br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: small;"> If you had told me several years back that the time would come when teachers around the world could share ideas in a group verbally, visually and virtually right from the comfort of their own homes, I would probably have laughed (to myself). But the day HAS come! I experienced it myself on Saturday 17^th December. Bart Verswijvel from Belgium, one of the organisers of this International TeachMeet said, prior to the occasion, “On Saturday I will have more than 25 visitors coming to my house (virtually). The visitors come from 15 different countries and they are from the 5 continents of the world. They are all teachers and they have a great story to tell. Doesn’t this sound amazing?” As it turned out there were actually 60 attendees, including 22 presenters from 15 countries and 5 continents.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Previous posts about TeachMeets</b></span><br /><br />Face to face TeachMeets are already happening in South Africa and I have written about them before on this blog, on several occasions, in the following order:<br /><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-not-hold-teachmeet-in-your-area.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-not-hold-teachmeet-in-your-area.html</span></a><br /><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-teachmeet-ideas-from-partners-in.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-teachmeet-ideas-from-partners-in.html</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/microsoft-introduces-teachmeets-into.html">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/microsoft-introduces-teachmeets-into.html</a><br /><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/elkanah-house-runs-with-teachmeet-idea.html">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/elkanah-house-runs-with-teachmeet-idea.html</a><br /><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/report-back-on-elkanah-house-teachmeet.html">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/report-back-on-elkanah-house-teachmeet.html</a></span><br /></span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also created a TeachMeet – South Africa wiki (</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://teachmeet-southafrica.wikispaces.com/">http://teachmeet-southafrica.wikispaces.com/</a>) e</span><span style="font-size: small;">arlier this year for anyone in South Africa to use if they organise a TeachMeet. This is a way of possibly keeping a record of our Teachmeets in South Africa,  </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Organisers and Presenters of the virtual International TeachMeet<br /></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />However, this is the first virtual International Teachmeet that I know of. It was organised by two of my Partners in Learning Institute (Seattle, July) colleagues, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">namely <a href="http://traveloteacher.blogspot.com/2011/12/good-vibrations.html">Arjana</a> (@abfromz) from Croatia and <a href="http://teacherinresidence.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/wonderful-world/">Bart</a> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">@BartVerswijvel)</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">from Belgium. Microsoft's Partners in Learning, Croatia,  have kindly sponsored the use of Microsoft Live meeting to host this and further International TeachMeets. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></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/AVvXsEhFN4qjEI2uQCJZtpfSkIrJiFE24nEUhltmWouCF0urAnYAAkbBmFemy7NmkqpJPBBKX1s4_l8hnqiMCZydJXJDYJUHSuMCGmuk5XB6mnGdCxfTe0SGSZPe2xG7ZJmB6M6hlK4fbqI229I/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuD34NuZmFy1LbtIDDzbiu07A33UDQ-j4KPTuo4HfcSDvZcRjb8nWAn4NRiMdIVpOyFs_v-BeLZ1bvaAgO6YCV2de7EE0_dLQ6eXFbOgBbkKHteuMuYDAGcniEdu4LuX5V3HaH2HIqCw/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The organisers and presenters at the first virtual TeachMeet</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">You can find the presenters' details here </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><a href="http://teachmeetinternational.wikispaces.com/Presenters">http://teachmeetinternational.wikispaces.com/Presenters</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What happens at a TeachMeet?</b></span><br /><br />At a TeachMeet the participants give a micro presentation lasting, in this case, 3 minutes of something they have done that combines the curriculum with technology and that really works well.<br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A summary of the presentations</b></span><br /><br />Here is a summary of the presentations, compiled by Sonja from Croatia (@sonjalr):<br /><div id="__ss_10635684" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0px 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/TeachMeet_International/teachmeet-international" target="_blank" title="TeachMeet International">TeachMeet International</a></b> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10635684" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/TeachMeet_International" target="_blank">TeachMeet_International</a> </div></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"></span> <br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A video about the occasion</b></span><br /><br />Bart from Belgium made a video from the afternoon’s proceedings<br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DG_P22X-7U4" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blogposts about the this international event</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />Some of the presenters and attendees have already written blogposts about the event</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">:</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Vicky Loras (Switzerland): <a href="http://vickyloras.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/itdi-and-teachmeet-professional-development-at-its-very-best/">Professional Development At Its Very Best</a><br />Jeannette James (Australia): <a href="http://currentsofmyriver.blogspot.com/2011/12/live-meeting-international-teachmeet.html">Live Meeting #teachmeet webinar</a><br />Arjana Blazic (Croatia): <a href="http://traveloteacher.blogspot.com/2011/12/good-vibrations.html">Good vibrations</a><br />Bart Verswijvel (Belgium): <a href="http://teacherinresidence.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/wonderful-world/">Wonderful world</a><br />Elinda Gjondeda (Greece): <a href="http://networkedblogs.com/rKWli">Reflections from #TeachMeet International</a><br />Chiew Pang (Spain): <a href="http://acliltoclimb.blogspot.com/2011/12/two-for-price-of-none.html">Two for the price of none</a></span><br /><br />In fact to get the summary and feel of the event you can look at the TeachMeet wiki that Arjana from Croatia created especially for the event. <a href="http://teachmeetinternational.wikispaces.com/">http://teachmeetinternational.wikispaces.com/</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Some of the Slideshare presentations </b></span><br /><br />Some of the presenters have made Slideshare or Authorstream presentations about their offering. There will be more I am sure.<br /><br />1) <b>Chew Piang from Spain</b><br /><div id="__ss_10639983" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0px 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/acLiLtocLiMB/wordle-your-imaginations-the-limit" target="_blank" title="Wordle: Your imagination's the limit!">Wordle: Your imagination's the limit!</a></b> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10639983" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/acLiLtocLiMB" target="_blank">Chiew Pang</a> <br /><br />2) <b>John Putt, a Head teacher from Wales</b></div><b style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 12px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wjputt/john-putttm-int171211" target="_blank" title="John putttm int171211">John putttm int171211</a></b><br /><div id="__ss_10621765" style="width: 425px;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10621765" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wjputt" target="_blank">wjputt</a> <br /><br />3) <b>Fiona Beal from South Africa</b></div></div></div><div id="__ss_10644966" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0px 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal/a-blog-can-be-a-fantastic-teaching-tool" target="_blank" title="A blog can be a fantastic teaching tool ">A blog can be a fantastic teaching tool </a></b><iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10644966" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal" target="_blank">fionabeal</a> <br /><br />I'm sure there will be more, soon. Ah, here are three more:<br /><br />4) Anna Loseva from Russia<br /><b>ELT workplaces with posterous blogs</b><br /><div id="__ss_10624957" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/annloseva/eltworkplaces" target="_blank" title="#ELTworkplaces">#ELTworkplaces</a></b> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10624957" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/annloseva" target="_blank">Ann Loseva</a> </div></div>5) Yitzha Sarwona from Jakarta in Indonesia<br /><b>Applying Dogma teaching in a Montessori kindergarten classroom</b><br /><div id="__ss_10646529" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/yitzhasarwono/teachmeetinternational-icha" target="_blank" title="Teachmeetinternational icha">Teachmeetinternational icha</a></b> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10646529" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/yitzhasarwono" target="_blank">Yitzha Sarwono</a> </div></div>6) Bookmark your dreams with Vladimira Michalkova from Slovakia<br /><div id="__ss_10631324" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/VladimiraMichalkova/bookmark-10631324" target="_blank" title="Bookmark Your Dreams">Bookmark Your Dreams</a></b> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10631324" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/VladimiraMichalkova" target="_blank">Vladimira Michalkova</a></div></div></div></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Further International TeachMeets?</b></span><br /><br />Next one? Of course there will be more, possibly in  February 2012. The next event to follow in this line is the first International Student TeachMeet that Bart is setting up for 7 February 2012. Details can be found here: <a href="http://studentsmeet.org/">http://studentsmeet.org/</a><br /><br />To conclude, I personally think that the benefits of using technology in education will be widely spread through the the TeachMeet concept. I love Teachmeets!</div><br /></div>

teachmeets A day once only imagined has arrived - a virtual International TeachMeet!

S ubmitted by Fiona Beal If you had told me several years back that the time would come when teachers around the world could share ideas in...

Read more »

stick a fork in her

She's done. And Zelda is her name. She and I have spent so much time together it was only right to attach a name to my outbursts - as in, "Damn it Zelda, why didn't you tell me you had this big chip on your left side?!" (in the interest of full disclosure, she's been done for a few weeks, but with all the holiday hysteria, I've been <strike>lazy</strike> otherwise engaged and haven't taken her picture.)<br /><br />I gotta say I have never been this indecisive with a <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/11/unpainted-arizona.html" target="_blank">project</a> before and I blame my new "try to plan things out, think ahead a bit more and don't just throw stuff together you freak" outlook. Many, many plans are on deck for our living room, which is where Zelda will live, so I had to plan for what she will be surrounded by in a few weeks (you hear that Luke) rather than what she is currently surrounded by so I'm not "sprucing" her up again down the road.<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/AVvXsEj69OXbY4UrBGhT-8RjWljBkbKjXzVWUK7dXB258t9OER1Om2HztY0f3yn430JtXIc8HSI6_8vYaSpwtzoRHxsThRacOXfdgDnusebj_1eap0fDBxY7ckcaTYHI5pLRp_Dhs1wQaoDY71pt/s1600/PB080838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69OXbY4UrBGhT-8RjWljBkbKjXzVWUK7dXB258t9OER1Om2HztY0f3yn430JtXIc8HSI6_8vYaSpwtzoRHxsThRacOXfdgDnusebj_1eap0fDBxY7ckcaTYHI5pLRp_Dhs1wQaoDY71pt/s320/PB080838.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My $15 garage sale table - before.</td></tr></tbody></table>For example, she is sitting pretty between two old slipper chairs that could use new cushions. And while those aren't in the budget right now, Santa did get me some pillows I've been stalking on Etsy that will jazz up those chairs. Real nice Clark. (name that movie).<br /><br />So with the pattern on those pillows, as well as the pillows that will be going on the recovered sofa just across from Zelda (see I told you, many plans) there will be a lot going on. That nixed the idea of adding a pattern to the table, as I had originally thought. But Zelda has such interesting little details I did think she deserved a bit of flair to her.<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/AVvXsEjA4ohQ9MRPWjfEYqfzCKmz4KGQIvm96tJDlTQ_EcyBffMT3taJ8dOLoCbGC2lv7phD-j2sBGK7ocSz4RSPpprm3ynjP_WDQEiOIA61i4YIxVhSepCerzy_mjOQgN8ewK0SoL-Jyhq8gE7c/s1600/PB080837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4ohQ9MRPWjfEYqfzCKmz4KGQIvm96tJDlTQ_EcyBffMT3taJ8dOLoCbGC2lv7phD-j2sBGK7ocSz4RSPpprm3ynjP_WDQEiOIA61i4YIxVhSepCerzy_mjOQgN8ewK0SoL-Jyhq8gE7c/s320/PB080837.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor table top</td></tr></tbody></table>With all of this in mind I started with a paint color I had used on the corbels in my <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/p/kitchen.html" target="_blank">kitchen</a> by the name of <a href="http://nellhills.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70&zenid=qvs601ahjnk0763r7jjdrnhv15" target="_blank">Dusty Miller</a>. Its one of those great colors that changes as the light changes. Its blue, its gray, its almost white at times. Versatile...and since I had some left over, free.<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/AVvXsEivlfynGrPKe0qqsrlJ1hQaNL1WDskOxul5UXHt-YrepH8rRusGoy3zzJUabFdgPtyFxea_hd2IEwd3Jk_bgYyyMG0RuY81_ciN-hKTm_-3C2Z7CBeO1UcIdlU77udybuaNuNueIT0ce3yM/s1600/PC201946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlfynGrPKe0qqsrlJ1hQaNL1WDskOxul5UXHt-YrepH8rRusGoy3zzJUabFdgPtyFxea_hd2IEwd3Jk_bgYyyMG0RuY81_ciN-hKTm_-3C2Z7CBeO1UcIdlU77udybuaNuNueIT0ce3yM/s320/PC201946.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanded and Dusty Miller'd</td></tr></tbody></table>I then added the smallest bottle of paint I could find - a tube of Martha Stewart Craft Paint (for wood) by the name of Highlands. I love the blue and green together. Oh Zelda, you will look so so nice with my new pillows.<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/AVvXsEjnMo4iiNFYYoMbKS4tkTWbYWX6WGsLm6rlbfEez5D-_mKDNkEpifcniJr9SRjSurLe-sspFshRxT6Mtu91YGKaGaq0efeil4Bi7AIxNALFLh8hand_P5v2l3_h_-ujixDY6CFyyE6PSiEa/s1600/PC201950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMo4iiNFYYoMbKS4tkTWbYWX6WGsLm6rlbfEez5D-_mKDNkEpifcniJr9SRjSurLe-sspFshRxT6Mtu91YGKaGaq0efeil4Bi7AIxNALFLh8hand_P5v2l3_h_-ujixDY6CFyyE6PSiEa/s320/PC201950.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My $15 table, after.</td></tr></tbody></table>I had planned for new hardware but whoever installed the current pull drilled two giant uneven holes, (Damn it Zelda!) so new hardware would have required filling in the holes with wood glue, sanding, re-drilling etc. And to be honest, once I painted the pull, I thought it worked for her. Every old girl needs a bit of funky jewelry.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7OPkRP7Mult1B87t8Nfga2Gtv_qALOD7fVOM_RHjn4mFGA_SOsKlSXFdlymNFLr-9sQr7ytxNkUlW8SLiIDkYrjBc1HamZnfWNHtpdvvAwtv1oWFLaGyT4CCWUwK7ivWCLQvB_DUkrc_/s1600/PC201952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7OPkRP7Mult1B87t8Nfga2Gtv_qALOD7fVOM_RHjn4mFGA_SOsKlSXFdlymNFLr-9sQr7ytxNkUlW8SLiIDkYrjBc1HamZnfWNHtpdvvAwtv1oWFLaGyT4CCWUwK7ivWCLQvB_DUkrc_/s320/PC201952.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I love her 'dipped' feet and her painted...molding, for lack of a better word. I had painted all of the molding but it started to look a bit crazy even for me. So I followed that standard fashion advice - Look at yourself before you leave the house, and take one thing off - I'm paraphrasing of course.<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/AVvXsEho4gn3heI4mBR6NGK58jJ_jUfSa3RKzwe4jdNhvbEs0oEeoGI0HX4-pDqHTaeEUf1M52tXbJQuViHea1qdGlxhTVTu5sqruQwmKL9RNRpFy_Lbr8iMVYTEp5Ds8N1RP8RUjMhXlcuYW8Ws/s1600/PC201954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4gn3heI4mBR6NGK58jJ_jUfSa3RKzwe4jdNhvbEs0oEeoGI0HX4-pDqHTaeEUf1M52tXbJQuViHea1qdGlxhTVTu5sqruQwmKL9RNRpFy_Lbr8iMVYTEp5Ds8N1RP8RUjMhXlcuYW8Ws/s320/PC201954.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Try painting those feet in a straight circular line. Impossible. <br />She will get a touch up after the holidays.</td></tr></tbody></table>So there she is. By no means perfect, but certainly a bit happier. And I love her, big chips, weird dents, flame-like hardware and all. <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/AVvXsEj3EkUeComnHGH0pisB6vzna2bMCiAOG5bBhNlkUpK_p99fXD37NEMzHI7z04-kK_4A39GHQIQWkKR839RbBiyatwSbI4ohPZFWKvvEAk-bPRgJzBtngmxQ5Y4moRG1JF6eK0vWlUMsE8Ly/s1600/PC201955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EkUeComnHGH0pisB6vzna2bMCiAOG5bBhNlkUpK_p99fXD37NEMzHI7z04-kK_4A39GHQIQWkKR839RbBiyatwSbI4ohPZFWKvvEAk-bPRgJzBtngmxQ5Y4moRG1JF6eK0vWlUMsE8Ly/s320/PC201955.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't tell from this angle, but I did paint her molding on all sides.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Her lower level has already become a landing place for toys and she has been a Barbie dressing room on a few occasions. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: left;">Welcome to the family Zelda.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><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/AVvXsEgNVGgAV75n1dUANheFkVUf2get-t-UZEjJtlHXF4p0FpMNKWnF1w46AlOipI4wQ-60vEdFEG7-Fzdtx0ZJcPhEzFW7rZYRPKrWlAxA7uLe2FShNbzgR2_iTmFP5EU9k4nk8_e5h-RrbzMu/s1600/PC201964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVGgAV75n1dUANheFkVUf2get-t-UZEjJtlHXF4p0FpMNKWnF1w46AlOipI4wQ-60vEdFEG7-Fzdtx0ZJcPhEzFW7rZYRPKrWlAxA7uLe2FShNbzgR2_iTmFP5EU9k4nk8_e5h-RrbzMu/s320/PC201964.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zelda dressed for Christmas</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Have you crossed any projects off your list recently? Have you ever tried to paint a straight line on a circle?</div><br /><br />

stick a fork in her

She's done. And Zelda is her name. She and I have spent so much time together it was only right to attach a name to my outbursts - as in...

Read more »