Invisible Ink-a guest blog by Herb Broda

 <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ja8AbQgYa6_o91TPyXXRHTO03Phv8CCJep2aNdSwwv2g9yvOxS4c3AMR7VL3j0_Pw1Z9sny9wZS32oaQFgVGyg0SYDPB_CeSjv7rfDrG6OZkesllpfn4FRPFFYgosQZJkMxgE4pwMZoK/s1600/GirlReadingOutside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ja8AbQgYa6_o91TPyXXRHTO03Phv8CCJep2aNdSwwv2g9yvOxS4c3AMR7VL3j0_Pw1Z9sny9wZS32oaQFgVGyg0SYDPB_CeSjv7rfDrG6OZkesllpfn4FRPFFYgosQZJkMxgE4pwMZoK/s200/GirlReadingOutside.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the Appalachian Mountain Club's <a href="http://greatkids.outdoors.org/2012/02/outdoorsy-kids-still-have-better.html" target="_blank">Web Site</a></td></tr></tbody></table> I will often reference other blogs that are relevent to the topic of outdoor, environmental and/or wildlife education here.  It's my pleasure today to reference one of my favorite people, Herb Broda with Ashland University, and his recent post on the Children and Nature Network's Blog.  Herb looks at how changes in children's literature are unfortunately a reflection of the decline in time spent outdoors by today's youth.  Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Herbert%20W.%20Broda%20is%20a%20professor%20of%20education%20at%20Ashland%20University%20in%20Ohio.%20He%20is%20the%20author%20of%20%22Schoolyard-Enhanced%20Learning:%20Using%20the%20Outdoors%20as%20an%20Instructional%20Tool%22%20and%20%22Moving%20the%20Classroom%20Outdoors:%20Schoolyard-Enhanced%20Learning%20in%20Action.%22%20He%20is%20also%20a%20leader%20of%20the%20Children%20&%20Nature%20Network's%20Natural%20Teachers%20Initiative." target="_blank">Invisible Ink: Is the Natural World Disappearing from Children's Books and Education?</a><br /><br /><br /><em>Herbert W. Broda is a professor of education at Ashland University in Ohio. He is the author of "Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning: Using the Outdoors as an Instructional Tool" and "Moving the Classroom Outdoors: Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning in Action." He is also a leader of the Children & Nature Network's Natural Teachers Initiative.</em>

Invisible Ink-a guest blog by Herb Broda

 Photo from the Appalachian Mountain Club's Web Site  I will often reference other blogs that are relevent to the topic of outdoor, en...

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dressed beds

Let's talk about your bed.<br /><br />Now don't blush. I know we haven't known each other that long. But I'm interested.<br /><br />Are you a white bed person?<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/AVvXsEiX1W_Gfk9Udjd6UxVh0eFVjpD8JLJS8F9LB2ghNn3EYcRNqIDY9Gl4BXBXtifN4ui1Aet_WtsWhO59jknYAV-XfIoShwtIGypc0AePDAEjYkPtNNy3JtdeFR4VRYa6EVt_VT9mgPMqIcYe/s1600/p_101201717.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1W_Gfk9Udjd6UxVh0eFVjpD8JLJS8F9LB2ghNn3EYcRNqIDY9Gl4BXBXtifN4ui1Aet_WtsWhO59jknYAV-XfIoShwtIGypc0AePDAEjYkPtNNy3JtdeFR4VRYa6EVt_VT9mgPMqIcYe/s640/p_101201717.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.bhg.com/rooms/bedroom/makeovers/editors-picks-our-favorite-bedroom-makeovers/#page=9" target="_blank">Better Homes and Gardens</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Or do you like a little color while you sleep?<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/AVvXsEi-PFSOOfYgTGnY4e06nQ35Lbzag5NZ6_egAiurvvmGyZHPyGdSnZmoVpj1wmcCuPZoS41waZufxMpfkgwKo_IBvDUo183c3snCxghwiBs3yMV-5DKpHolbsszGp-2NWJGQIs58ecHoKnK3/s1600/editors-picks-our-favorite-bedroom-makeovers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PFSOOfYgTGnY4e06nQ35Lbzag5NZ6_egAiurvvmGyZHPyGdSnZmoVpj1wmcCuPZoS41waZufxMpfkgwKo_IBvDUo183c3snCxghwiBs3yMV-5DKpHolbsszGp-2NWJGQIs58ecHoKnK3/s640/editors-picks-our-favorite-bedroom-makeovers.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.bhg.com/rooms/bedroom/makeovers/editors-picks-our-favorite-bedroom-makeovers/#page=9" target="_blank">Better Homes and Gardens</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />In pictures, I always seem to be drawn to a crisp, white fluffy bed.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9WSYLZ5zqeEHqazClX5wIEOpzyPXVvR_hfjmcA24H4NBcHw0ZlUhr_IdtYKKjQejeQtwOmS1R4PIYVPC_k81U6Ie0isoFxaCYgzTInDEQN2_lvkSaf6mKOnmpdM1u6wcG4myVI9OCoh4/s1600/room-of-week-all-or-nothing.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9WSYLZ5zqeEHqazClX5wIEOpzyPXVvR_hfjmcA24H4NBcHw0ZlUhr_IdtYKKjQejeQtwOmS1R4PIYVPC_k81U6Ie0isoFxaCYgzTInDEQN2_lvkSaf6mKOnmpdM1u6wcG4myVI9OCoh4/s640/room-of-week-all-or-nothing.jpeg" width="478" /></a></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/AVvXsEhRTAqQB82BbEOYNQ_947bmDG_wZbkZ5S-uwRuDpnCg6OC5iLIxsuNEkmW2x7z_wqP8vr2fbuDmOBxMLMHFBzcFsLJBNjKK7_SAjfP6X2foHr5BsER_Vxmarx3oBsqXEVZHexDSDUV6UFaM/s1600/193692-9-07%2520copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTAqQB82BbEOYNQ_947bmDG_wZbkZ5S-uwRuDpnCg6OC5iLIxsuNEkmW2x7z_wqP8vr2fbuDmOBxMLMHFBzcFsLJBNjKK7_SAjfP6X2foHr5BsER_Vxmarx3oBsqXEVZHexDSDUV6UFaM/s640/193692-9-07%2520copy.jpeg" width="622" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://lonnymag.com/decorate/bedrooms" target="_blank">Lonny Magazine</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; 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/AVvXsEiQaKMhXRprDikQzuX6GpI1_DNbsSO368Nz6NaizJkAXEO3f4ISGyUYW1ER8SkuYTxQyYiDT66lDVpvJPBc4g0GQXFFJVMLEtmFkCIMTgioO0MeP6JSVdoyqWP24X9D2kRcjHeJ4kkp-Wvj/s1600/Default.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQaKMhXRprDikQzuX6GpI1_DNbsSO368Nz6NaizJkAXEO3f4ISGyUYW1ER8SkuYTxQyYiDT66lDVpvJPBc4g0GQXFFJVMLEtmFkCIMTgioO0MeP6JSVdoyqWP24X9D2kRcjHeJ4kkp-Wvj/s640/Default.jpeg" width="390" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.somersetbayhome.com/Default.aspx?PageID=55&catid=&m=d&pID=132&page=&IsBed=Y" target="_blank">Somerset Bay</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />But in reality, I most often go for a bit of color (no surprise) when I pick out bedding. That<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> of course might be influenced by the reality factor. Having a dog that spends much of her day in our bed makes me think twice about investing in any luscious white bedding. (especially during the rainy spring months when I often find muddy paw prints)</span> </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/AVvXsEiz3szqvyHx3p27bPTfaCmMDDlYT98QQveEdeduaiFWwYtGo5iF-6pi5WZYbUjRjn2evl2lx18Y4cwVMNp-jD2G_VQJ4-l-fGHkV3z8i1HMswhgFXEeZgX0xZ7mrao_rHVC2rhvAl6WHR7L/s1600/interiors-to-inspire-timeless-and.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3szqvyHx3p27bPTfaCmMDDlYT98QQveEdeduaiFWwYtGo5iF-6pi5WZYbUjRjn2evl2lx18Y4cwVMNp-jD2G_VQJ4-l-fGHkV3z8i1HMswhgFXEeZgX0xZ7mrao_rHVC2rhvAl6WHR7L/s640/interiors-to-inspire-timeless-and.jpeg" width="516" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://lookbook.elledecor.com/Bedroom-Eclectic-A-Harlem-Brownstone's-Vivid-Transformation/id15627" target="_blank">Elle Decor</a></td></tr></tbody></table><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/AVvXsEiGYuLXVPibjvzq1A_LvVOkDEpSviXSRu7ebEa2SEXfqWjeOVvGyQJt7a88N0-Ua5pp0t-q4EAsPsiC6q6EX-YUvF-WnKysA-Kp9XqhhfOtVtsrUSsT37awyrb8LgMCNousa5Zu-P9juRKq/s1600/search.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYuLXVPibjvzq1A_LvVOkDEpSviXSRu7ebEa2SEXfqWjeOVvGyQJt7a88N0-Ua5pp0t-q4EAsPsiC6q6EX-YUvF-WnKysA-Kp9XqhhfOtVtsrUSsT37awyrb8LgMCNousa5Zu-P9juRKq/s640/search.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.gusandlula.com/" target="_blank">Gus and Lula</a></td></tr></tbody></table><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/AVvXsEj-97FrK7bxXnpOhg7mTUJ9ofHXHwmqsrr4KfnwkyNfCIrZtrFezP1rRTiqHbcD4IKFVafYQiCpSnQE6PBKj4edMHlKZOiKscZVZ5N3EJbeyqQWRjkl_x06KT4ov7JJUJC2Eo5jMk9oSjuC/s1600/Bedroom-Design.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-97FrK7bxXnpOhg7mTUJ9ofHXHwmqsrr4KfnwkyNfCIrZtrFezP1rRTiqHbcD4IKFVafYQiCpSnQE6PBKj4edMHlKZOiKscZVZ5N3EJbeyqQWRjkl_x06KT4ov7JJUJC2Eo5jMk9oSjuC/s640/Bedroom-Design.jpeg" width="558" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via Domino Magazine</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: left;">So which do you prefer? All white? Color and pattern? Or maybe a mix of both?</span>

dressed beds

Let's talk about your bed. Now don't blush. I know we haven't known each other that long. But I'm interested. Are you a whit...

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My Life In Kenya: A Musungu Memoir -- Part 1

“Musungu” is the Bantu word for a white person. It comes from a longer word meaning someone who travels around.<br /><br />First Surprises and Learnings.<br /><br />Thanks to the moral encouragement and financial support of Fr. Lloyd Rupp and the hospitality of Melvin Stringer (St. Tim’s/ Kenya Keep) who squired us around the country and the fellowship and grace of the Rt. Rev. Joseph Kanuku, 2nd Bishop of Machakos, we have experienced an eye-opener of an African sojourn.<br /><br /> After an arduous flight – Las Vegas to Los Angeles to Amsterdam to Nairobi – and a drive from Nairobi to Machakos, we met Bishop Kanuku and his wife Josephine. That is when the surprises began.<br /><br />Relations with Islam. <br /><br />The first surprise was the relationship between Anglicans and Muslims in Kenya. Interfaith hostility is at the heart of violence and discord along the 10th Parallel to the North – running through Nigeria in West Africa and dividing Northern and Southern Sudan in the East. (See Griswold, The 10th Parallel) Things I had heard here and there led me to believe similar tensions beset Kenya.<br /><br />So we were quite surprised to learn that Josephine Kanuku (the Bishop’s wife) teaches Christian Education as a faculty member at the Islamic School in Machakos. It turns out Bishop Kanuku and the local Imam are good friends. During times of drought, the Anglicans have come to the aid of Muslims. When I sent money for crop seed during a drought, the Anglicans shared the seed with the Muslims. Bishop Kanuku and the Imam talk about the “fundamentalist” Muslims and Christians who are each other’s enemies, each disavowing the hostility of either brand of religious intolerance. The Anglicans and most Muslims are friends. Since building bridges across the religious divide is essential to peace and prosperity in Africa (and in much of the world), I was just delighted to find that our Anglican Communion partners are at work for harmony and understanding. Well done Diocese of Machakos.<br /><br />Status of Women. <br /><br />I came away from Lambeth Conference (2008) with the impression that women are not doing well in Africa. I still know that is often true. The struggle for equality has not yet been completed in Kenya as it has not been completed here. But I was quite surprised to find how much Kenyan women have achieved both inside and outside the Church.<br /><br />Understanding the place of women in Kenyan society has to begin with Wangari Muta Mary Jo Maathai who won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.” A member of the Kikuyu tribe, Mrs. Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement and linked women’s rights to environmental sustainability. <br /><br />It took me awhile to figure out why Bishop Kanuku is obsessed with planting trees. He goes about doing it himself all the time. And when he meets with his clergy, he wants to know “how many trees have you planted?” The answer had better be in the thousands! I cannot count how many trees he showed me that he had planted with his own hands. He and I each planted a tree at the second school we visited. It turns out planting trees was Maathai’s signature symbolic political act as weaving cloth was Gandhi’s. So as not to sugar coat the truth, Maathai’s efforts were vehemently resisted by the single party government of Jomo Kenyata and even her own family. But her courage has opened doors to Kenyan women in politics and the economy.<br /><br />The Diocese of Machakos has been ordaining women since 1998. We met a good number of women clergy and other women in the ordination process. At meals and other times in the home and church, women often lead the prayers. Women are active participants and sometimes leaders in Bible Study. Many a school or community service project traces its beginnings to The Mothers Union.<br /><br />As important as the status of women in the Church may be, what matters more is what the Church is doing about the status of women in society. Problem one: female genital mutilation and forced marriage. In traditional Kenyan culture, girls of 12 or 13 are “circumcised” and married off to older men. The government now opposes this practice, but people still do it. I saw no evidence of Child Protective Services stepping in to protect these girls. But the church funded schools do. They operate “Rescue Houses” on the school campuses where the girls receive sanctuary. It was my privilege to dedicate the cornerstone of the ACK (Anglican Church of Kenya) Kyandote Bulwa Girls’ Hostel in a remote mountain area – where there are no foster placements, group homes, or other government facilities to protect girls from FGM and forced marriage or other abuse – but the Diocese of Machakos is building a home where they will be safe, nourished, and educated. We met rescue girls sponsored by Kenya Keep and saw several rescue houses on school campuses. Yes, we have decided to sponsor a rescue girl ourselves. It cost $250 per year and can be easily arranged through Kenya Keep in Henderson.<br /><br />Problem two: economic independence. Those engaged in economic development as part of the Millenium Development Goals have learned through experience that the key is equipping women to operate small businesses to support their families. In Kenya, 80% of the population subsists on less than $1 per day (that is in actual buying power). So this is where the rubber meets the road for MDGs. The gender factor exacerbates poverty everywhere, but it is most obvious with the Masai tribe. The Masai are the cowboys of Kenya – only they are on foot, not horseback. They are nomadic herders of sheep, goats, and cattle. But changes in agriculture and the climate have compelled Masai families to settle. The problem is that the family settles, but the dad doesn’t. Men tend to marry, father children, then just wander off on a walk-about that could be a year or a lifetime – and they do not mail back a child support check. Equipping women to earn a living for themselves and their children is essential to alleviating poverty. More on this later. For now, let me just say, the Church is in that struggle up to its elbows.<br /><br />More than anything else we did in Kenya, we visited schools. I spoke to lots of children, but the lights really turned on when Linda spoke to them. The girls were transfixed by the sight of a woman who is a lawyer, a professor, and an author. It was amazing to see how excited they were by her example. The church women were pretty taken with her as well. One young transitional deacon couldn’t get a word in edgewise in the clergy conversations – the Church is doing better than I expected, but it does have a way to go. I tried to open up space for her to speak, but it was Linda who really brought out her smile and her voice.<br /><br />Security and Stability. <br />Our trip to Kenya had been planned for last November but was delayed by a terrorist threat. So a number of folks were worried about us going now. I don’t mean to say there was nothing to worry about. The day we arrived, there was a fatal grenade incident in Nairobi. And the crime rate in the slums is bad; hence, the local habit of referring to the capital as “Nairobbery.” But on the whole, I felt safer in Kenya than in any developing nation I have visited. Kenya is the anchor of political stability in East Africa. That is why it got so much press and caused so much international concern when there were riots and ethnic violence after the contested elections in 2008. That is not the norm in Kenya. There is corruption and the politics are not what the people would hope. The rich few live behind barbed wire crowned fences protecting them from the poor. But Kenya is not a violent place. There are neighborhoods in Nairobi that it is better not to go. But outside those neighborhoods, there is not much risk from criminals – and more importantly, not much risk from the police or military who are sometimes the more serious danger in some developing nations.<br /><br />The threat in Kenya is not homegrown. It is a spill-over from the failed government in Somalia. Just as there are Somali pirates on the seas, there are gangs that adopt a political pretext for what is really just lawless hooliganism. Operating out of Somalia, they cause problems in Kenya and other neighboring countries as well. The military of several East African states is at work fighting the gang known as Al Shebab. The people in Kenya hope to see a stable government in Somalia so that the whole region can experience security.

My Life In Kenya: A Musungu Memoir -- Part 1

“Musungu” is the Bantu word for a white person. It comes from a longer word meaning someone who travels around. First Surprises and Learning...

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SYRIAN MISSILES WILL PRE-EMPT ANY MILITARY INTERVENTION

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvDWAFBrdbZskVRzsLT7ScPQOzwwEh-8ACKNTY1MTsCbr-T3k_xUgoUK0uSJdCoVtoDgNrupf8qxdqBdfZlhtt_4WBwE7GoRpAhtR67cllIQa7LvT1oSKidzv-L3Z5jW_YNWRYak6qPwl/s1600/hoffman88090543resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvDWAFBrdbZskVRzsLT7ScPQOzwwEh-8ACKNTY1MTsCbr-T3k_xUgoUK0uSJdCoVtoDgNrupf8qxdqBdfZlhtt_4WBwE7GoRpAhtR67cllIQa7LvT1oSKidzv-L3Z5jW_YNWRYak6qPwl/s400/hoffman88090543resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">ASSAD TO ANAN: SYRIAN MISSILES WILL PRE-EMPT ANY MILITARY INTERVENTION </span></b></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">via DEBKA<i>file</i> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TALKING ABOUT WAR</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">   </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The MIDDLE EAST has unknowingly been living for ten days under threat of a regional war, which debkafile’s military sources disclose was delivered by SYRIAN president BASHAR ASSAD to UN-ARAB LEAGUE peace envoy KOFI ANNAN when they first met Saturday, March 10. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SYRIA THREATENS TO UNLEASH MISSILES AGAINST ANY COUNTRY PREPARING FOR MILITARY INTERVENTION IN SYRIA</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvli6tmJKk478k9JHlcE0iigk5MHduVXABL7274uYsnMXFzmRx-ilbxMolLlGBXhkBauqWnMY5J6tTLK875npnOuvbydxtUA1m4STWrzQGEASdiiw7HlRBqGt04tInU2TEJOnbGq1iV8mC/s1600/mid-annan&assad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvli6tmJKk478k9JHlcE0iigk5MHduVXABL7274uYsnMXFzmRx-ilbxMolLlGBXhkBauqWnMY5J6tTLK875npnOuvbydxtUA1m4STWrzQGEASdiiw7HlRBqGt04tInU2TEJOnbGq1iV8mC/s400/mid-annan&assad.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ASSAD warned him in no uncertain terms that SYRIA was ready to unleash its missiles against any country preparing for military intervention in SYRIA before they moved.<br />While not mentioning them by name, the SYRIAN ruler was referring to BRITAIN, FRANCE, NORWAY, HOLLAND AND ITALY whose navies and air forces were last week drawn up ready for action in positions in the EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN and bases in the MIDDLE EAST, including the Royal Air Force AKROTIRI facility in CYPRUS.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A Western military source reported to debkafile Monday night, March 19 that those EUROPEAN FORCES were standing ready to cordon off certain SYRIAN regions and cities as “security zones” off limits to SYRIAN units including its air force.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Cruising opposite the SYRIAN coast are the USS ENTERPRISE and the FRENCH CHARLES DE GAULLE, both aircraft carriers. They are part of the combat disposition the WEST has arrayed against IRAN and from their MEDITERRANEAN posts would take part in a military confrontation erupting in the PERSIAN GULF.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SWIFT BLOCKAGE FOR IRAN</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIxC4P5x4TOtRT1bFHxhEzI7XxnhTyUoLQEd1UP9WqsxfQ0iomrlo_Gw63yP8IByjK6TUqGjZ8mXZ-NDjdD0Tmq3r3S-eia87miUEjnyqHig88uGQ5yDmZJ8-GEsQYP6qomQls2s34XN8/s1600/swift_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIxC4P5x4TOtRT1bFHxhEzI7XxnhTyUoLQEd1UP9WqsxfQ0iomrlo_Gw63yP8IByjK6TUqGjZ8mXZ-NDjdD0Tmq3r3S-eia87miUEjnyqHig88uGQ5yDmZJ8-GEsQYP6qomQls2s34XN8/s400/swift_logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Recently IRAN threatened to block the STRAIT OF HORMUZ in response for being cut off from </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SWIFT, (</span></b><i><b>Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication</b></i><span class="st"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">supplying secure messaging services and interface software to wholesale financial entities)</span></b></span><span class="st"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">which caused a serious blow to its financial sector and which IRAN considers almost an act of war.</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="st" style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></b></span><span class="st"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SYRIA WILL NOT HESITATE TO ATTACK TURKEY</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">In his conversation with ANNAN, TURKEY was the only foe ASSAD named specifically as his first target for a pre-emptive missile assault. He stressed he would have no qualms about attacking TURKEY.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKISH Prime Minister TAYYEP ERDOGAN is due to set out next week on a visit to SEOUL where he will rendezvous with US President BARACK OBAMA, possibly on March 28,  for policy alignment on the IRANIAN nuclear threat and the year-old SYRIAN crisis. Our Washington sources report that OBAMA has set aside six hours for his conversation with ERDOGAN.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY: MEDIATOR OR WARMONGER  </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">From the SOUTH KOREAN capital, the TURKISH leader is scheduled to fly straight to TEHRAN. The primary MIDDLE EAST issues, a nuclear IRAN and the SYRIAN impasse are therefore destined to reach a critical point in the coming days.<br />This may partly explain the announcement from, RUSSIAN BLACK SEA headquarters at SEVASTOPOL Monday that two RUSSIAN naval vessels had put into the SYRIAN port of TARTUS. The vessels’ mission and names were not disclosed, excepting that one carried a unit of “anti-terrorist marines” and the other was a military tanker which joined a RUSSIAN naval reconnaissance and surveillance ship already tied up in TARTUS.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SYRIA COULD LAUNCH MISSILES WITH BIOCHEMICAL WARHEADS </b></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWAe08FiQ-ot96i9JMj6zxosHn3uLX7_sIpM3u2H-6J0uTxOR_Q0EvqOq_dlJaUzzacsAsVlBXex3w3IBf-Z2Y0u0TI8s-T0492M_EXDjvSjyB9g7oSnDCdTeTNIjQFBrDcJ8wllSLbMG/s1600/pg39.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWAe08FiQ-ot96i9JMj6zxosHn3uLX7_sIpM3u2H-6J0uTxOR_Q0EvqOq_dlJaUzzacsAsVlBXex3w3IBf-Z2Y0u0TI8s-T0492M_EXDjvSjyB9g7oSnDCdTeTNIjQFBrDcJ8wllSLbMG/s1600/pg39.gif" width="361" /></a></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">As mentioned on 08 March 2012 in this blog , prior to KOFI ANNAN’S visit to SYRIA on the 10 March 2012, is the fact that SYRIA does possesses not only advanced missiles systems but also  a lethal arsenal of chemical and biological warheads. Thus the prospect of Syria actually launching such biochemical warheads, if pushed further into the corner, becomes increasingly likely. </span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Use of biochemical weapons obviously bear certain risks for the country  launching such warheads, but since ASSAD has nothing to lose he and his military echelons will most likely see no repercussion if launching them, be it chemical and biological contamination on their own territory due to unfavorable wind conditions, or from counter NATO missile attacks. From Assad’s point of view it is collateral damage. Interesting in this development is that ASSAD apparently did not mention ISRAEL as his prime missile target but TURKEY. </span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/strait-of-hormuz-and-syria.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/strait-of-hormuz-and-syria.html</a></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/given-fact-syria-does-possess-chemical.html"><b><i>http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/given-fact-syria-does-possess-chemical.html</i></b></a></span></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TURKEY, ISRAEL, CYPRUS, SYRIA: COMPLEX REGIONAL PLAYERS </b></span></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In view of the looming standoff between either SYRIA and the WEST or IRAN, CYPRUS once again will play a key role for NATO forces which will use AKROTIRI ROYAL AIR FORCE Base as a forward logistic and operational base for its missions in the MIDDLE EAST and PERSIAN GULF region as well as a “host” for ISRAEL’S strategic needs and as a mediator between the ARAB world and WESTERN entities. As mentioned in a previous article on this blog, BRITAIN maintains two SOVEREIGN BASES in CYPRUS as part of the islands independence deal. </span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">(See:<a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/eastern-mediterranean-sea.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/eastern-mediterranean-sea.html</a>) </span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">What adds to the complex situation in the EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN is that CYPRUS-ISRAELI relations are influenced by developments in the region. It is of interest, therefore, to take them into account. The gradual strategic withdrawal of the UNITED STATES from the region (IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN in 2014), combined with what is happening in the ARAB world, after the changes brought about by the ARAB SPRING, is offering the two main players of the region, TURKEY and ISRAEL, more independence in their actions. TURKEY, seeking to strengthen her influence in the MIDDLE EAST and the ARAB world sided with the WEST and the ARAB LEAGUE against SYRIA’S President ASSAD, thus provoking the reaction of IRAN, whose only ally in the region is SYRIA. ISRAEL on the other hand, feeling that 2012 is a crucial year for its security, if IRAN acquires nuclear weapons, is seriously considering attacking IRAN’S nuclear sites. Whatever occurs in the region, be it armed interventions or energy related topics it will certainly have an impact on the EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN and the MIDDLE EAST, including CYPRUS, TURKEY and ISRAEL. (See:<a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/energy-games-in-eastern-mediterranean.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/energy-games-in-eastern-mediterranean.html</a>)</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Within this framework, the improvement of relations between TURKEY and ISRAEL, proposed by some,(See: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/geo-strategic-dynamics-in-eastern.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/geo-strategic-dynamics-in-eastern.html</a> and <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/hostile-takeover.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/hostile-takeover.html</a>read chapter: “US outwits the EU”) is a distant possibility, especially if we take into account ISRAEL’S mistrust of TURKEY and her ambitions, as well as the instability which prevails in the region. If it happens, however, it will match the traditional friendly relations CYPRUS has with the ARAB world, which do not bother ISRAEL. What matters is that at this moment ISRAEL needs strategic depth and CYPRUS can offer it. What strengthens the relations between CYPRUS and ISRAEL is the fact that both countries have common security and energy interests which can develop into a mutually beneficial partnership of outmost importance and magnitude. </span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Parts of above article have been adopted from Dr Andrestinos Papadopoulos article “Netanyahus landmark visit to Cyprus”, published in the Cyprus Mail </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">See also http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/see-no-evil-hear-no-evil.html</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In view of Israel’s concerns expressed in the article below one has to raise the question over and over again as-to why Israel suddenly changed its decade long doctrine on Syria in favor of supporting the toppling of the Syrian regime? </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">See: </span></b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/syrias-destiny-sealed.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/01/syrias-destiny-sealed.html</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>SYRIA "CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL" WEAPONS CONCERN ISRAEL </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Via Montreal Gazette Agence France-Presse</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceHyzwOGob8zXJbvr9TeiQblHaY0Us_tLykHlk6tMhTzrHEAoNH5ydHf8kXP3xPkROYUASviVJlMH6HNJaXp8-uZsoTESITe4SPBVeCYLQMwuh8tllDhTWogMspx_wGeX9NlncH0EdtSv/s1600/patriot-missiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceHyzwOGob8zXJbvr9TeiQblHaY0Us_tLykHlk6tMhTzrHEAoNH5ydHf8kXP3xPkROYUASviVJlMH6HNJaXp8-uZsoTESITe4SPBVeCYLQMwuh8tllDhTWogMspx_wGeX9NlncH0EdtSv/s400/patriot-missiles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ISRAEL has serious concerns about what will happen to "huge stockpiles" of chemical and biological weapons in SYRIA when the ASSAD regime collapses, a senior military official said on Tuesday.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Major-General Amir Eshel, head of the ISRAELI military's planning division, said the working assumption was the regime of President BASHAR AL-ASSAD would eventually fall.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"The question is when, not if. And the big question is what's going to come the day after," he said.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"The immediate concern is the huge stockpiles of chemicals, biologicals (weapons), strategic capabilities that are still going into Syria, mainly from EASTERN EUROPE," Eshel said.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"That's a major concern because I don't know who is going to own those the day after. Up till now, what has been transferred to HEZBOLLAH? What will be transferred to HEZBOLLAH? What will be divided between those factions inside SYRIA? What is that going to create?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"We are talking about huge stockpiles," he said.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The regime has spearheaded a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy activists seeking to overthrow ASSAD, who has vowed to remain in power, raising the spectre of civil war between SYRIA'S many religious sects if he steps down.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Eshel said the threat of civil war was a real possibility if ASSAD clung to power.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"If ASSAD will adopt this Yemenite model and leave, it might prevent a civil war," he said, referring to an agreement that saw Yemen's former president ALI ABDULLAH SALEH agree in November to leave power.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"But if he won't leave of his own will, we might get into civil war," he said. "If there will be a civil war, it might be a disaster."</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Eshel also warned that SYRIA faces bankruptcy, which could create new instability.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"I think the major challenge the SYRIANS will face in a few months, is bankruptcy. The reserves will be zero, and this is going to create, I think, internal turmoil. We can expect refugees in many countries."</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">On January 10, Israel's Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz told MPs that the military was preparing for the possibility of an influx of SYRIAN refugees, particularly on the occupied GOLAN HEIGHTS.</span></span></div>

SYRIAN MISSILES WILL PRE-EMPT ANY MILITARY INTERVENTION

  ASSAD TO ANAN: SYRIAN MISSILES WILL PRE-EMPT ANY MILITARY INTERVENTION via DEBKA file TALKING ABOUT WAR    The MIDDLE EAST has unknowingl...

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I continue to struggle

A favorite blogger of mine has been writing posts recently that I could have written myself during the past few weeks. It's odd because over the past four years of blogging, <a href="http://www.escapefromobesity.net/" target="_blank">Lyn </a>and I are often on the same phase of weight loss or weight gain at the same time, weighing the same weight.<br /><br />I sure don't have any solutions for our situation. I just know that losing weight is hard. Keeping the weight off is harder. <br /><br />My weight last Friday was 196. I have no idea what I weigh right now because I didn't step on the scale over the weekend or today. I just can't bear to see it. <br /><br />Life is a struggle for me lately, in all areas.<br /><br />Work - I'm on a project with a tight deadline. I had to move out of my cubicle into an area where the team can work together, along with the project manager making sure we're staying on track. I've never worked on such an intense project. A lot of it is new for me, with a huge learning curve. It means long hours and short lunches. It's a lot of pressure.<br /><br />My sister - I don't really need to say a whole lot here because I've said it all before. Being a guardian is a lot of work, and it's job that never stops. My sister had a complicated life. Now it's my complicated life.<br /><br />My marriage - continues to be hard work. I often wonder, is every marriage this much work? Is it worth it? I've been married 24 years and this isn't the first time I've had this thought.<br /><br />Then there's the diet and exercise plan that have literally been placed on the back burner of my life. Now I understand when people say they are too busy to count calories or go to the gym or track their food. I feel like I'm on the run all the time. It's a constant barrage of things that need to be done.<br /><br />I am last on my list, but really, it can't be any other way right now.<br /><br />Well, this is one depressing post, isn't it? I know lots of people have stress-filled, difficult and complicated lives. I'm just not use to it, and I'm not handling it well.<br /><br />I had big plans to take a yin yoga/meditation class last week, but I didn't have time. Seems to be my theme lately, I just don't have time.<br /><br />I'm really tired right now, so I probably shouldn't even post this tonight. I just re-read it and it sounds horrible. A real woe-is-me post, but if I wait until I'm in a happier, better frame of mind before I post, I may just never post again.<br /><br />

I continue to struggle

A favorite blogger of mine has been writing posts recently that I could have written myself during the past few weeks. It's odd because ...

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How to shorten those long web addresses using bit.ly

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">There are many url shortening online programmes around, and I could never quite understand the need for them until I started sharing and networking! For example when using Twitter a long web address will use nearly all your 140 characters! The application I have tended to use is Bit.ly.com, so I thought I would do a quick share on how it all works. Below is a screenshot of the Bit.ly interface.   </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpY6MwHdtphrLVgsdpnZJjUSNccBEPB402ySPycZbiiUB8nxJoVIlPTNMhJ95GaUVNfJ6Qv3bR6yPBEj8mYHNmqUrM6RaKMzKCEW1kTJTyEmDlC1i2Lyda0nx2cjKjjZ_-qVopZF6461U/s1600-h/image%25255B9%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWskXbOSuVS5CGCs-BeRkT-tyhhR1nN6_9FEFrwBDTDDWVCFam9EdCGY7qpVGR2KuSkXRpQ34lZfzXq2xDtxG88QaUQuFFco9VhjZ3jewVtj5_jQICV2lRHlgiOYbbc6wj9BOCnB8QqUk/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whenever I start communicating with my PLN using Twitter, the first thing I do is open <a href="https://bitly.com/">Bit.ly</a>  So let me explain how it all works. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1. Open <a href="https://bitly.com/">https://bitly.com/</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> and join as a member. </span><span style="font-size: small;">You don’t have to join, but if you do you’ll find a record of everything you have shortened! </span><span style="font-size: small;">When Bit.ly starts you’ll get this empty blue box at the top. That s where you will paste your web addresses. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRrE0uiz_pe6zBdb-HCvefvRCklimRYrfLpbJ15a5tq2Z04vsnTbwd6vRgn7cku7R57pI1ifkuQKijQe56pD878ZRC77tLLCIRwHBBBZX9XrW1nuXLx0vyngwLvmFut7SuJuu6OkAOJ8/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B4%25255D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="clip_image002" border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9JaHEIjlwJN-r0OkAsybhueWQytlO6Z4456ANE8jQvl5g-s3Sl8gcptkhtFlpVHuw5-cvleNv2raq9d7RhzXKmvrSVZkGmu3idWW11nOOeTGXkftIjRUiFDwu5IzJ8t3d2LhRigMq0M/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image002" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2. Copy the web address you wish to shorten and paste the long address into the blue piece. It will immediately shorten it to a new short address. From this...</span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWfegk8aIb8YuyY3VVr65eewY0km9Q62n6BodCZCWkJdApaNSmlU5e1yKa8Szzlx1WywUJnrT4OZLU-ituOGLlT2yZbHxOrOkr2OjKxoUGzNAxKQraut06wlTKMhNzeFjIcHhnL-FF4c/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B4%25255D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="clip_image004" border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHZUDlWTRR-NY69Lnu5SnA_EGdMjJcAlwcl17jdgNYwFLaxuaFUVnqoZ3mKXZYMih4RdlfKd43loh20fWFLsVWvCDOldFrDtfgPMp1OyOlWEpP3xeaE_WVK_V6JJPLUu4jnYqNsSRvhI/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image004" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36LQgdD7nKBt1JpqAkBTV3TfEMzY4XjPRi4L0qrqk-xhgixha6-9zwUCSw5pBbKsJvjNAvLKnJoHL9dXAlwmhKbsudxlqauvCCj18u0P5ofv-keO8yviFlG60pYiFEvx3o1AbKywhY_I/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span> <br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. ...to this! The new shortened address happens almost immediately! All you do now is copy it and use it!</span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBV6CSPmVmkj5o8TBNr2AGx8SZCvnwEiCp_LbBwDjmqTsTn7Gm0CPkg1wGatFvAIFRvcIFwkkDq6Pv9-O6ZAAYD1QAiKorI5BtII7-rJvsNdotGVAbWYXgplNaOMoH-SpLEDeQgtDVpEg/s1600-h/clip_image006%25255B4%25255D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="clip_image006" border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaXlZArQcc9vsr5phjwIVKDLKpgkIWRpQrCi74lwEnBdYKsDDeSWqFtzLW6LHwvPWDCkWf6b3mJ5rWOCNq8qskFaN6Y9dSo6VlDqopws8d1fCHbnC_OM2DTla3iRtDqSkHjn2Cm1H1QQ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image006" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, to summarise. Join Bit.ly and it will keep a record of your shortened addresses for you. The shortened address is easier for people to click on and it works especially well with Twitter and Facebook where you have a restricted number of characters.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Why not give it a go!</span> </div></div>

Tutorials Twitter Web tools How to shorten those long web addresses using bit.ly

There are many url shortening online programmes around, and I could never quite understand the need for them until I started sharing and net...

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Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction - Milford Public Schools

<strong>Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction</strong> - <span style="color: #48286d;"><strong>Milford Public Schools</strong></span>. This newly developed, key position will provide leadership, direction, evaluation, program development and supervision in the areas of MEDIA SERVICES and TECHNOLOGY within the district. The individual in this position will promote and advocate for the learning of their disciplines, strengthen the instructional core by assisting with alignment of teacher, student and curricular needs and lead teachers in the development of effective teaching practices. Examples of Performance Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following: Co-develop, coordinate and evaluate K-12 programs in terms of curriculum and instruction; Conduct analyses of instructional programs and materials; Assist teachers with understanding and delivery of school curriculum and support new teachers; Provide modeling, coaching and support to teachers in the use of successful, research-based instructional strategies; Chair curriculum committees, conduct departmental meetings and staff development programs; Promote articulation of curriculum between grade levels; Collaborate with classroom teachers through co-planning, co-teaching and coaching; Assist building principals with supervision and evaluation of teachers; Assist with the recruitment, hiring and placement of instructional personnel within the specified subject areas. This individual will spend approximately 75% of his/her time in the classroom and/or directly with teachers and will uphold/implement all Board of Education policies, rules, goals and objectives. This position requires an individual with a valid 092 CT Certification, 5+ years teaching experience and excellent communication skills. Preference will be given to those candidates also possessing a certification in MEDIA SERVICES or TECHNOLOGY related endorsements. This position is a 12-month position reporting to the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning and is part of the Administration union (MASA). Salary and benefits per contract. Minimum salary is $120,213 for the 2012-2013 year. **Interested applicants must apply online in order to be considered.** Visit <a href="http://www.schoolspring.com/jobs/job.cfm?jid=67187" target="_blank">www.schoolspring.com/jobs/job.cfm?jid=67187</a> for information and online application. **No phone calls please.**

Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction - Milford Public Schools

Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction - Milford Public Schools . This newly developed, key position will provide leadership, direction,...

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Library/Media Specialist - Nathan Hale-Ray High School, East Haddam

<strong>Library/Media Specialist</strong> - <span style="color: #48286d;"><strong>Nathan Hale-Ray High School</strong></span>. AVAILABLE: 2012-13 School Year. SALARY: Per EHEA Contract. CLOSING DATE: Open Until Filled. The East Haddam School District is seeking a 21st century high school Library/Media Specialist, preferably with experience in Video Production. This is a 1.0 FTE position. REQUIREMENTS: Completed Teacher Application, Letter of Interest, Resume, Copies of Undergraduate and Graduate Transcripts, Copy of Connecticut Certification #062, Three Current Letters of Recommendation. Interested candidates should submit the required documents to: Mrs. Joyce Medling, East Haddam Board of Education, P.O. Box 401, Moodus, CT 06469. EOE/AA.

Library/Media Specialist - Nathan Hale-Ray High School, East Haddam

Library/Media Specialist - Nathan Hale-Ray High School . AVAILABLE: 2012-13 School Year. SALARY: Per EHEA Contract. CLOSING DATE: Open Un...

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Children's LIbrarian - Town of Granby

<strong>Children's LIbrarian</strong> - The <span style="color: #48286d;"><strong>Town of Granby</strong></span> seeks a dynamic individual for the position of Children's Librarian. The successful candidate will have overall responsibility for the management and administration of the collections, programming and services for the Children's Department of the Main Library. Must demonstrate knowledge of the mission of the public library in the 21st century, have knowledge of children's literature and storytelling experience, and the ability to create community linkages. An MLS degree and 3 years of library experience in children's services or equivalent combination of education and work experience is preferred. The salary range is $54,747-$66,608, dependent upon qualifications and experience, with an excellent benefits package. Applications and position descriptions may be obtained at <a href="http://www.granby-ct.gov/" target="_blank">www.granby-ct.gov</a> or from the Office of the Town Manager, Monday-Wednesday, 8am-4pm, Thursday, 8am-6:30pm and Friday, 8am-12:30pm. Send cover letter, application and resume by 12:30pm, <span style="color: red;">March 30, 2012</span>, to Town of Granby, Town Manager's Office, 15 North Granby Road, Granby, CT 06035. For more information, contact Ms. KerryAnn Kielbasa, Director of Human Services at <a href="mailto:kkielbasa@granby-ct.gov">kkielbasa@granby-ct.gov</a> or 860.844.5351. The Town of Granby is an EOE/AA/Equal Access Employer.

Children's LIbrarian - Town of Granby

Children's LIbrarian - The Town of Granby seeks a dynamic individual for the position of Children's Librarian. The successful ca...

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Take a look at our weekly Diigo bookmarks

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every week our bookmarks from Diigo arrive on the SchoolNet blog as a draft, posted by Diigo; and I normally just leave them there. But today I thought I would start to publish them weekly.<br /></span><br /><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Podcasting </span></strong><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://podcasting-in-education.wikispaces.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">podcasting-in-education – home</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: a lovely wiki full of ideas about podcasting</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/03/checking-out-podcasting-in-education">Checking out Podcasting in Education | Emerging Education Technology</a>: A blogpost about the uses of podcasting. </span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Social Sciences</strong></span><br /><ul><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.enigeo.org/en">enigeo</a>: Enigeo is a great way to learn countries, capitals and flags around the world in a fun way.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Twitter</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/whats-a-tweetchat-doing-it">What’s a “TweetChat” and Why Should You Be Doing It?:</a> Tweetchats are a very popular development in Twitter</span></li><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/03/is-twitter-the-driving-force-behind-upcoming-educational-change">Is Twitter the Driving Force Behind Upcoming Educational Change? | Online Universities</a>: The power of Twitter</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Virtual tours</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/interactive-tour">White House Interactive Tour | The White House</a>: Visit the whitehouse without paying a cent</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Presentations and brochures</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.labnol.org/software/embed-web-videos-in-powerpoint/11119">Embed Web Videos in PowerPoint Presentations</a>: This is a way to show your videos straight from Powerpoint</span></li><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://simplebooklet.com/index-sb.php">simplebooklet.com</a>: a delightful way to make brochures online </span></li><li> <a href="http://www.emergingedtech.com/2012/01/teachers-recommendations-for-academic-uses-of-5-fun-free-presentation-tools"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teacher’s recommendations for academic uses of 5 fun free presentation tools | Emerging Education Technology</span></a></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Videos</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDEducation">TED Education's Channel – YouTube</a>: This is useful for educators – everything in one place</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Web 2.0 technologies</span></strong> </span><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> <a href="http://21stcenturylearningwithedmodo.wikispaces.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">21stcenturylearningwithedmodo - home</span></a></li><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.emergingedtech.com/2011/09/10-internet-technologies-educators-should-be-informed-about-2011-update">10 Internet Technologies Educators Should Be Informed About – 2011 Update | Emerging Education Technology</a> </span></li><li><a href="http://www.atrixware.com/blog/wp/4-useful-free-e-learning-tools-to-try-this-year" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atrixware E-Learning Solutions » Blog Archive » 4 Useful Free E-Learning Tools to Try This Year</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></li><li><a href="http://phslib2point0.pbworks.com/w/page/31281003/FrontPage?utm_source=Technology+Tidbits+Newsletter&utm_campaign=c3f1e6744c-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PHSlib 2.0 / FrontPage</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> : </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a lovely wiki called tools2create4schools. it takes 10 Web 2.0 tools and gives tutorials on how to teach them.</span> </li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Science</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <a href="http://www.newtonproject.sussex.ac.uk/prism.php?id=20"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">History of Newton's Papers (1727-1872) | Newton Project</span></a></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Project-based learning</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://catlintucker.com/2011/12/5-student-driven-projects-that-engage-higher-level-thinking-skills/">5 Student-Driven Projects That Engage Higher-Level Thinking Skills | Catlin Tucker, Honors English Teacher</a></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Writing</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <a href="http://catlintucker.com/2012/01/8-web-tools-that-make-writing-fun"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 Web Tools That Make Writing Fun! | Catlin Tucker, Honors English Teacher</span></a></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Cell phones</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <a href="http://englishvirtualcommunity.blogspot.com/2012/02/students-using-their-cellphones-to.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">English Virtual Community: Students using their cellphones to learn</span></a></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Curating the web</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <a href="http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3933"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top 10 Sites for Curating the Web</span></a></li><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-not-become-curator-with-scoopit-and.html">Why not become a curator with Scoop.it:</a> A tutorial on how to become a curator of the web using Scoop.it</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Blogs as educational tools</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://blog.simplek12.com/education/15-awesome-ways-to-use-blogs-in-your-classrooms">15 Awesome Ways To Use Blogs in Your Classrooms – SimpleK12</a></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Sites for Foundation Phase teacher</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/TaxonomySearchResults.aspx?parametrics=40002,40003,40006&event=23&mode=browse"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Early Years Foundation Stage: Communication, Language and Literacy: Games teaching resources - TES</span></a></li><li> <a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Spelling-Handbook-6039545/s_cid/regcamp_ID=2025038"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spelling Handbook - Resources - TES</span></a></li><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://ncara.edublogs.org/2012/03/15/leadership-communication-tools">Leadership Communication Tools | Techconnects</a> </span></li><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Really-FANTASTIC-teaching-websites-6032054/event/22">Really FANTASTIC teaching websites. - Resources – TES<span style="color: #4d4d4d;">:</span></a> These are sites for Foundation Phase teachers</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">QR Codes</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <a href="http://knolannotummigration.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/what-are-qr-codes"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>What are</strong> QR-Codes? –</span></a></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Free audio books</span></strong> </span><br /><ul><li> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://missnoor.visibli.com/share/L2fFo6">http://missnoor.visibli.com/share/L2fFo6</a>: This is a marvelous collection of free audio books</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Posted from <a href="http://www.diigo.com/">Diigo</a>. The rest of <strong>SchoolNetSA</strong> <a href="http://groups.diigo.com/group/school_net_sa">group favourite links</a> are here.</span></div>

Diigo bookmarks Take a look at our weekly Diigo bookmarks

Every week our bookmarks from Diigo arrive on the SchoolNet blog as a draft, posted by Diigo; and I normally just leave them there. But toda...

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grass cloth without the grass cloth

As you all know I've been dragging my flip flops about a paint color for our bedroom for several weeks. And I know what you are thinking - OMG girl, its paint. What's the hold up? Just pick a color already.<br /><br />Well, one of the reasons it took me so long to pick a color is that I haven't really wanted paint at all. My first choice would be grass cloth. Not only do I love it's texture and color(s)<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/AVvXsEhBw4b4ipDcWkiA9VbsNRlHNbDvBFe9aXvQIoBzdC6GHmIkcpKYQytjRGQUcWkI0iYCRXYfiJDlkjN3gdVoccGfRSgEhb31hNmfc7XXAaNvSIcHpltcDZBNQQmv9f566x31EEtnAmASTh4j/s1600/tommy-smythe-bedroom.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBw4b4ipDcWkiA9VbsNRlHNbDvBFe9aXvQIoBzdC6GHmIkcpKYQytjRGQUcWkI0iYCRXYfiJDlkjN3gdVoccGfRSgEhb31hNmfc7XXAaNvSIcHpltcDZBNQQmv9f566x31EEtnAmASTh4j/s640/tommy-smythe-bedroom.jpeg" width="530" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.styleathome.com/homes/interiors/interior-tommy-smythe-s-stylish-suite/a/34419/2" target="_blank">Style at Home</a> (hand over your heart for Tommy Smythe's bedroom)</td></tr></tbody></table>but I love the warmth it gives. And a bedroom, I think, deserves an extra layer of warmth. There is no room that should give you a bigger hug than your bedroom.<br /><br />My husband/wallpaper hanging partner however, was not hip to the idea. In fact, there was a lot of "no way in hell dude." (dude is a term of endearment. yes it is.)<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/AVvXsEgM4J7z95vxCqOKp-jN-dPd9-40zqAc7IQW0POTuNrJdyH_z3mXYQKK5KB6pFUIRCOmdp_xTJejp7Succ8mZ-pPgvAIYn8V0ZEctWlgJugESlv3PZY2FwDmWi64kiVQ1uEuv_P8v1pggaTK/s1600/grasscloth+everywhere~.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4J7z95vxCqOKp-jN-dPd9-40zqAc7IQW0POTuNrJdyH_z3mXYQKK5KB6pFUIRCOmdp_xTJejp7Succ8mZ-pPgvAIYn8V0ZEctWlgJugESlv3PZY2FwDmWi64kiVQ1uEuv_P8v1pggaTK/s640/grasscloth+everywhere~.jpeg" width="492" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.lesueurinteriorsblog.com/" target="_blank">LeSueur Interiors</a></td></tr></tbody></table>My budget was also saying, "no way in hell dude".<br /><br />I know when to take a hint, so I took my lemons and made some lemonade. Or my grass and made some...lol. I'll stop there.<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/AVvXsEjrbJKCFTNsmZ2RNgQv4vVa1XVZyp7Dn-CaQTa2rBDk1DQJWizGiwhUDVxV1f_xBdqaA5MGmC1sCiK1J_o8QcGud5MNen8pWf8igyNU-O6eaFndZ1_Vls1FVvECxfifNavYRdSKNAseuYnp/s1600/194867-8-05Thomas.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbJKCFTNsmZ2RNgQv4vVa1XVZyp7Dn-CaQTa2rBDk1DQJWizGiwhUDVxV1f_xBdqaA5MGmC1sCiK1J_o8QcGud5MNen8pWf8igyNU-O6eaFndZ1_Vls1FVvECxfifNavYRdSKNAseuYnp/s640/194867-8-05Thomas.jpeg" width="508" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via Lonny Magazine</td></tr></tbody></table>So paint it is. I pulled as many paint chips as I could and laid them out to start narrowing them down. I was starting to go cross-eyed when I (luckily) remembered a <a href="http://blog.effortless-style.com/2011/11/baby-talk-paint-picks/" target="_blank">post Camila had written</a> about a similar situation several months back. She landed on the color Desert Tan, by Benjamin Moore. I went thru my Benjamin Moore stack and there she was - my little <a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/color-gallery?cd=2153-50&col=CP" target="_blank">Desert Tan</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9uLpHAWa8l9GDAKlzn-Tnbj34J5LuHes5udQCCi2164CyaYN90DXQxaBXyX7PAZ6n32j5D97kia-dXRr0nCk_4L1waxA7YtNbCXQRMJBP2BqO11CqR-cOdOm4hyphenhyphentdfd2yEcE1s2Rfywz/s1600/Screen-shot-2011-11-09-at-9.29.10-PM-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9uLpHAWa8l9GDAKlzn-Tnbj34J5LuHes5udQCCi2164CyaYN90DXQxaBXyX7PAZ6n32j5D97kia-dXRr0nCk_4L1waxA7YtNbCXQRMJBP2BqO11CqR-cOdOm4hyphenhyphentdfd2yEcE1s2Rfywz/s1600/Screen-shot-2011-11-09-at-9.29.10-PM-3.png" /></a></div><br />Just the right kind of hug. A 'its great to see you old friend' kind of hug. Not a 'lingering, weird guy in a bar' hug. And I've got lots of blue, Morning Star by <a href="http://www.prattandlambert.com/" target="_blank">Pratt & Lambert</a> left over from painting the ceiling in the girls room. So I'll use the rest of that on our ceiling as well.<br /><br />Picked. Decided. Ready for action. I've already started patching the holes. I can now cross 'make progress on bedroom' off my list. What? Like you don't write evasive things on your list so you can have something to cross off?<br /><br />The girls are lucky. If they were a few years older this would be a "let's help mom paint her bedroom" spring break. How early can you start child labor? I'll try to get a first coat on in between trips to the zoo, planting gardens and general merriment.<br /><br />What do you have planned this week? Any big projects? Small projects? Fake projects that you put on the list just so you have something to cross off?

grass cloth without the grass cloth

As you all know I've been dragging my flip flops about a paint color for our bedroom for several weeks. And I know what you are thinking...

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Next Stop: Spain

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a6ohPVE0-lYquk7l9SehlWyr-jM1ZA1aHp8vIJJx0uxnUxwMsRuaSMwWmPhFGoY6opyvyg2zxSpWfsHWxlsEe7u3X-9blWh0pLDE3IvQiBiyi9z0pX-7yXcVOG7BO8w82WC9upO-xkZM/s1600/4989793513_8c9e35dcbe_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a6ohPVE0-lYquk7l9SehlWyr-jM1ZA1aHp8vIJJx0uxnUxwMsRuaSMwWmPhFGoY6opyvyg2zxSpWfsHWxlsEe7u3X-9blWh0pLDE3IvQiBiyi9z0pX-7yXcVOG7BO8w82WC9upO-xkZM/s400/4989793513_8c9e35dcbe_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SPAIN'S ECONOMY IS LARGER AND MORE INTEGRATED WITH THE REST OF EUROPE THAN GREECE'S ECONOMY AND THUS CAUSES GREATER CONCERN FOR THE EU </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Via Stratfor Global Intelligence </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SPAIN'S economic and political situation is fragile. The country faces continued economic downturn, high deficits, rising debt and increasing social tensions. Consequently, the newly elected government of SPANISH Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has seen its standing diminish since it took office in December 2011, a trend likely to continue as economic and social conditions worsen in 2012. The deteriorating economic and political situation in SPAIN is of great concern to the rest of EUROPE. SPAIN'S economy is larger and more integrated with the rest of EUROPE than GREECE'S economy, meaning trouble in SPAIN more readily causes trouble elsewhere on the Continent.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SPANISH ECONOMY WILL CONTRACT 1.7 PERCENT THIS YEAR</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Forecasts indicate that the SPANISH economy will contract 1.7 percent in 2012 after growing 0.7 percent during 2011. MADRID'S public debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio is relatively low compared to its fellow EUROPEAN economies at risk -- GREECE, IRELAND, ITALY and PORTUGAL -- but has skyrocketed since the beginning of the crisis, currently standing at 66 percent, up from 40 percent before the crisis of 2008. The real problem for Spain is private sector debt, which is equivalent to 227 percent of GDP. Of that, household debt is equivalent to 82 percent of GDP while corporate debt is equivalent to 145 percent of GDP. Having most of its debt in the private sector places SPAIN in a different category from ITALY or GREECE, where public debt is the major issue.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In normal times, private debt is a necessary instrument of growth for an economy. Steadily decreasing credit ratings and increasing bond yields, however, have led to damagingly low credit availability. Lending volumes have remained at the recessionary low of 2009 for corporations and households, marring domestic consumption and overall economic growth.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">With the bursting of the SPANISH real estate bubble, households saw their net wealth deteriorate. This made borrowing more difficult, leading to even lower consumption as households tried to repay their debt but could not take on new loans. SPAIN currently has the lowest ratio of household savings in relation to government and corporate debt, nearly half that of second-place Italy.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><b style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">AUSTERITY MEASURES AND HARSH BUDGET BALANCING REQUIRED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL DEEPEN THE CREDIT CRUNCH AND LIMITING GROWTH.</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: yellow; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Austerity measures and harsh budget balancing required by the EUROPEAN UNION do little to address private debt problems and could prove less effective as private lending is further restricted, deepening the recession. This partially explains Rajoy's refusal to abide by the EU budget deficit goals, which are perceived in SPAIN as deepening the credit crunch and limiting growth.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">While the situation in Spain has not reached the levels of Ireland, there is no question that the Spanish banking sector is faltering. The global financial downturn and the bursting of the construction sector boom exposed gaping deficits in the complex and bloated SPANISH banking system. Today, just four banks in SPAIN (SANTANDER, BBVA, CAIXABANK AND BASQUE COUNTRY SAVINGS BANK KUTX) can operate independently and cover capital shortages with their own revenue. All others steadily are transferring private debt to SPAIN'S central bank (or to the EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK) through various government help packages. Only 10 lenders are slated to remain in the SPANISH market in 2012, down from 40 before the crisis, following continued emergency mergers and consolidation efforts.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SPAIN'S BIGGEST BANKS SURVIVED THE CRISIS BECAUSE PROFITS IN LATIN AMERICA HAVE OFFSET POOR PERFORMANCE IN SPAIN. </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">To some extent, SPAIN'S biggest banks, SANTANDER and BBVA, have survived the crisis because profits in LATIN AMERICA have offset their poor performance in SPAIN. Half of SANTANDER'S profits come from its LATIN AMERICAN operations, compared to one-third for BBVA. By contrast, smaller regional saving banks, known as "cajas," are in a very precarious financial situation. This largely stems from their high nonperforming loan ratio and from local governments' tendency to use them as financing mechanisms.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SPAIN'S banks have undergone a period of widespread upheaval since the beginning of the crisis, as a binge of lending into an overheated real estate market left many nonperforming loans and repossessed property and land considered by many analysts to be worth far less than the purchase price. According to the Bank of SPAIN, construction companies' debt to banks stands at about 300 billion EUROS ($390 billion).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">According to a December 2011 report by the EUROPEAN BANKING AUTHORITY, SPANISH banks will need 26.17 billion EUROS in recapitalization before July 2012, the deadline established by the banking authority.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In February 2011, Madrid ushered in a new round of banking sector reforms, including an additional 50 billion EUROS in provisions against soured property loans. As a result, a fresh wave of consolidation is expected now that banks have received an incentive to swallow up smaller rivals. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Meanwhile, according to the WORLD BANK, SPANISH exports account for 26 percent of SPANISH GDP. SPAIN'S main export destinations are FRANCE, GERMANY and PORTUGAL. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Spain's exports grew 9.9 percent in 2011. Until 2009, SPAIN was the world's No. 2 importer of capital, second only to the UNITED STATES.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: yellow;">UNEMPLOYMENT IS GROWING QUICKLY, AND SOCIAL UNREST WITH IT</span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Rajoy's Popular Party (PP) swept November 2011 regional elections, winning 186 parliamentary seats in the 350-seat Congress of Deputies in the biggest win for the center-right party since the democratic transition. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) suffered the worst defeat in the party's history, losing 59 seats.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The size of the PP parliamentary majority allows the government to pass laws without opposition cooperation. Meanwhile, the PSOE remains in disarray well after former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero called for early elections and former Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba led the party to a historic defeat.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But the new government's political capital is eroding rapidly, both domestically and internationally. Three main factors are weakening Rajoy.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">First, unemployment is growing quickly, and social unrest with it. Between 2008 and 2011, the SPANISH economic crisis did not spark major protests or violence. This changed rapidly in early 2012, leading to expectations of a traumatic year ahead. Several factors explain this. For one thing, SPAIN is suffering the consequences of a lingering crisis with no foreseeable solution. Moreover, recent deficit data shows that PSOE did not apply as much austerity as expected. The possibility of "real" austerity has frightened many. And finally, the conservative party seems less willing to talk with unions and with students.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">MADRID HAS ONLY LIMITED CONTROL OVER THE AUTONOMOUS REGIONS' BUDGETS</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Second, Madrid has only limited control over the autonomous regions' budgets. This is a major factor behind the Spanish economy's instability. The regions account for debt equivalent to 12 percent of Spanish GDP. Regional governments are increasingly unwilling to heed Madrid and tighten their finances. <b>The central government has recently presented a law that would give Madrid oversight of the autonomous regions' budgets and the power to penalize those that miss budget targets.</b> <span style="color: yellow;">(</span><i style="color: #666666;">A move that bears the footprint of the IMF and has not proven successful, when applied</i><span style="color: yellow;">) </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This back-and-forth between the central government and the region poses an existential question for post-FRANCO SPAIN, where the balance between the central government and the regions is delicate. If Madrid hopes to meet budget balancing goals, it increasingly will have to amend the budgetary autonomy policy toward the autonomous regions in place since the return of the democracy in the early 1980s.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Third, Rajoy's relationship with Brussels has deteriorated in recent weeks. In mid-February, Madrid announced that its budget deficit in 2011 had been higher than originally announced. Rajoy blamed the socialist government for this situation and asked for softer 2012 deficit goals, but the European Union at first refused. Brussels suspects Rajoy of manipulating economic numbers for domestic political reasons. While SPAIN and the EUROPEAN UNION finally reached an agreement in March to soften SPAIN'S 2012 budget deficit goal, this situation forced Brussels to choose between punishing a weak economy or losing political credibility.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: yellow;">SOCIAL SITUATION IN SPAIN IS DETERIORATING RAPIDLY</span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The social situation in Spain is deteriorating rapidly. Spain has the highest unemployment rate in Europe at 23 percent. The situation is particularly difficult for young people -- 45 percent of those under 25 are unemployed.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">While protests in 2011 were mostly peaceful, in early 2012 demonstrations began to become violent. In February, police clashed numerous times with students protesting against cuts in education. According to SPANISH police, radical elements among the protesters caused the violence. The uptick in unrest is likely to continue, as demonstrators come to feel that peaceful measures have failed and as the deepening recession swells the ranks of the youthful unemployed.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So far, unions mostly have been passive and disengaged from protests, but this is expected to change. SPAIN'S biggest trade unions are the Comisiones Obreras and the Union General de Trabajadores. Though technically independent, these unions traditionally have been close to the PSOE. Consequently, they were ill disposed toward the PP government from the outset. The unions have now announced a general strike for March 29 in response to the government's pushing through of labor reform.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), <b>half a million people leave Spain each year because of the lack of job prospects</b>. Around 10 percent of people leaving are Spanish. According to official statistics, this mass emigration began in 2008. As a result, 2011 was the first year in more than a decade that emigration outpaced immigration. Before the crisis, SPAIN tried to reverse its demographic problem by incorporating foreigners, preferably LATIN AMERICANS. A decade later, those immigrants are returning to their home countries due to the crisis.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DEMOGRAPHIC REVERSAL COULD PLACE AN ADDITIONAL STRAIN ON THE ALREADY STRAINED PUBLIC FINANCES AS SPAIN'S POPULATION CONTINUES TO AGE</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This demographic reversal could place an additional strain on the already strained public finances as SPAIN'S population continues to age. According to the INE, the SPANISH population will fall to 45.6 million by 2021 from 46.3 million in 2010. Births will decrease by 18.1 percent and deaths will increase by 9.7 percent compared to 2010. There will also be a negative net migration beginning in 2011, since the 450,000 new immigrants will be offset by the departure of 580,850 people.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A problem, most European countries are facing but which politicians fear to tackle. See: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/looming-generation-conflict-old-versus.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/looming-generation-conflict-old-versus.html</a>and <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/good-by-old-continent-part-2.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/good-by-old-continent-part-2.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">COMPARISON WITH GREECE</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">THE SIZE OF THE SPANISH ECONOMY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ITS FINANCIAL SECTOR FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION GIVE MADRID MORE LEVERAGE THAN ATHENS.</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SPAIN is the EUROPEAN economy at risk that most resembles GREECE in terms of potential social unrest. While SPAIN has not reached GREECE'S levels of violence and unrest, the social situation is deteriorating at a fast pace. The recent student protests suppressed by police show growing resentment that young people feel about the lack of jobs and cuts in education. The youth unemployment rate is not sustainable in the long term and is highly likely to generate more violence in 2012.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The political situation, however, seems more stable in SPAIN than in GREECE. The SPANISH had the opportunity to vote in November 2011, and the current conservative government has a comfortable majority. Ongoing spending cuts will continue to weaken the government in the coming months, however.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">On the international front, EU-SPANISH relations have become strained. The size of the SPANISH economy and the importance of its financial sector for the EUROPEAN UNION give Madrid more leverage than Athens. Even if Brussels doubts the credibility of the Rajoy government, it is highly unlikely to punish Spain for its excessive deficit because this could damage the union even further.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">LOOKING AHEAD</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2012 will be a crucial year for the SPANISH government to show if it has real control of the country. Although PP controls the parliament, it is losing control elsewhere as unions, students and even regional governments increasingly defy Madrid.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Unemployment, social unrest and tension with the regions swiftly have eroded the young government's standing. Combined with Madrid's need to implement more spending cuts in the short term, this means social and political tensions will grow in the coming months. While Rajoy is likely to stay in power, his authority increasingly will be challenged in the following months.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It is unlikely SPAIN'S deficit problem will be solved in the short term. The government is not likely to even meet the softened deficit goal agreed with the EUROPEAN UNION this year. Surging borrowing costs and a regression into recession threaten serious damage to SPAIN'S debt dynamics, pushing public debt up even further.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The deteriorating economic outlook has led the Bank of Spain to forecast a 1.5 percent GDP contraction in 2012 and a recovery of just 0.2 percent in 2013. An added wave of mergers in the Spanish financial sector is likely to result in a restriction of credit available from Spanish banks.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

Next Stop: Spain

SPAIN'S ECONOMY IS LARGER AND MORE INTEGRATED WITH THE REST OF EUROPE THAN GREECE'S ECONOMY AND THUS CAUSES GREATER CONCERN FOR THE ...

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