News for today's 2018

USA - RAISING THE STAKES IN ASIA

6:33 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HxRXMmf4ksBhnN8jYdRi6C45UR2zzwnxiw33JM8s3kbPaf-negmWXCPKkQLPDXdO3mQrSVSfbdOnUD13LMnXDsr0G1Syo3kfx3k4Vcp0UPQ4U2EqmUXZC5i16A_pbUbn8AhE4uhaS8HT/s1600/d5929fe584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HxRXMmf4ksBhnN8jYdRi6C45UR2zzwnxiw33JM8s3kbPaf-negmWXCPKkQLPDXdO3mQrSVSfbdOnUD13LMnXDsr0G1Syo3kfx3k4Vcp0UPQ4U2EqmUXZC5i16A_pbUbn8AhE4uhaS8HT/s320/d5929fe584.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">AMERICA’S SO-CALLED “PIVOT TO ASIA”</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Depending on one’s ideological bent, AMERICA’S so-called “pivot to ASIA” could be interpreted in varying ways. However, one thing that is increasingly clear is that the Obama administration is intent on re-asserting AMERICA’S strategic centrality in the ASIA-PACIFIC. This was very explicit in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s <a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/10/11/americas_pacific_century?page=full"><span style="color: blue;">2011 piece</span></a> for <i>Foreign Policy</i>, entitled “AMERICA’S PACIFIC Century.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The U.S. pivot to ASIA is motivated and shaped by both economic and military-strategic factors. Essentially, it is still an ongoing process that will depend on the cooperation of regional allies as well as the evolving patterns of SINO-AMERICAN relations.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">AMERICA’S GROWING MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE REGION COULD BACKFIRE</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIzw_v4Py6gNN3JPi5_6uwrxQ8MOWbUPxYXvvfhdZQbsZtwCr5n18ZNx0QaIvjASrAeaHzkYmfDfQNbfLPDhptNQypN81mhUlnq9c3ZbB4f5WcGGbnMBGoVDEOF5vivsO30Jr2zYgc42h/s1600/raising-stakes-china-us-pacific-pivot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIzw_v4Py6gNN3JPi5_6uwrxQ8MOWbUPxYXvvfhdZQbsZtwCr5n18ZNx0QaIvjASrAeaHzkYmfDfQNbfLPDhptNQypN81mhUlnq9c3ZbB4f5WcGGbnMBGoVDEOF5vivsO30Jr2zYgc42h/s1600/raising-stakes-china-us-pacific-pivot.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">While the proponents of the pivot argue that it enhances regional security, it is in reality precipitating a much more explicit SINO-AMERICAN rivalry, thus undermining the prospects of an amicable and pluralistic regional order. Ultimately, AMERICA’S growing military presence in the region could backfire, giving birth to what it dearly seeks to prevent: as it tightens the noose around CHINA, the pivot could become a self-fulfilling prophecy by encouraging Beijing to take more drastic and aggressive counter-measures.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">China’s growing naval assertiveness in adjacent disputed waters is already an indication of this ominous trend.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">THE ANATOMY OF THE PIVOT</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There are two dimensions to AMERICA’S pivot to ASIA. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">First, it is a logical “rebalancing” of AMERICA’S global strategic-military commitments in light of a sober recognition of the country’s overextension in the EURASIAN region. This rebalancing gained its initial momentum with the U.S. withdrawal from IRAQ in 2011 and the planned withdrawal from AFGHANISTAN in 2014. It explains why the UNITED STATES played a “supporting role” rather than occupying the center stage during the LIBYAN military campaign early last year. It also explains AMERICA’S hesitance to take drastic actions against the SYRIAN regime, while mainly focusing on a diplomatic resolution of the IRANIAN nuclear conundrum.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Second, it is a response to the growing importance of the ASIA-PACIFIC region in both economic and strategic-military terms in the 21<sup>st</sup> century. As the region transforms into the center of global economic output and productivity, AMERICA’S embattled economy is in desperate need of growing export markets and trading partners to rejuvenate its shaky foundations.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">U.S. ECONOMIC PRESENCE IN BOOMING ASIAN MARKETS</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In this sense, it is essentially a continuation, or resuscitation, of earlier attempts by the Clinton administration to enhance the U.S. economic presence in booming ASIAN markets. After all, the region hosts industrial giants such as JAPAN and CHINA; “newly industrializing countries” (NICs) such as SOUTH KOREA, HONG KONG, THAILAND, SINGAPORE, and TAIWAN; booming emerging markets such as INDONESIA, INDIA, VIETNAM, and the PHILIPPINES; and vast investment opportunities in places such as BANGLADESH and MYANMAR.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Obviously, it is the strategic-security dimension of AMERICA’S pivot that is most controversial. While the Clinton administration pushed for the accommodation of CHINA as a “strategic partner” and witnessed the drawdown of the U.S. military presence in the PHILIPPINES, the Obama administration is instead increasingly concerned with “constrainment” of CHINA—preventing the emergence of CHINA as a strategic competitor through the deployment of diplomatic, economic, and military assets.  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN DEEPENING ITS STRATEGIC PRESENCE IN THE REGION, EXPANDING ITS BASES IN AUSTRALIA</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">, </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">re-asserting its commitment to forward-deployment bases in JAPAN and SOUTH KOREA, upgrading facilities in Guam, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/02/us-asia-security-idUSBRE85100Y20120602"><span style="color: blue;">re-concentrating U.S. naval firepower</span></a> (i.e. aircraft carriers), and extending its rotational presence across SOUTHEAST ASIA. Looking at the Pentagon’s 2012 Defense Strategic Review, CHINA (along with IRAN) is clearly identified as a key challenge to U.S. global supremacy in the 21<sup>st</sup>century.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">AN UNFOLDING PROJECT</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMobRmxwqhCIs7T9LZF3eDURVqcDd71YnRO_cHwXicnfHjFKYt0tToj1j-tfPxfTKTjz0s9oPCwCXvJsvMm5c9K922G1l3cocFidTNPt6pO6WmVUCESTcvgLM-f8fADAaPmF4PlisnMFs/s1600/Ownership_Claims-Middlebury.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMobRmxwqhCIs7T9LZF3eDURVqcDd71YnRO_cHwXicnfHjFKYt0tToj1j-tfPxfTKTjz0s9oPCwCXvJsvMm5c9K922G1l3cocFidTNPt6pO6WmVUCESTcvgLM-f8fADAaPmF4PlisnMFs/s400/Ownership_Claims-Middlebury.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The pivot is more of an evolving strategic disposition than a fixed and concrete element of a broader “grand strategy” for the 21<sup>st</sup> century. It is a reflection of a UNITED STATES that is catching up with the march of history after almost a decade of strategic fiasco by the Bush administration.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Washington has realized that its global war on terror (GWOT) has brought it close to the brink of fiscal collapse and strategic overextension, allowing countries like CHINA (and even RUSSIA) to gain significant ground in ASIA. Thus, the Obama administration is simply trying to re-assert AMERICA’S century-old foothold in the region, while hedging its bets against a rapidly rising CHINA.   </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But we no longer live in a world where a group of powerful countries can treat the globe like a chessboard. In an era of “smart power,” the UNITED STATES is at best a stage master, influencing events on the ground without explicitly dictating the terms of action or unilaterally determining the course of history. Thus AMERICA’S pivot to ASIA is an ongoing project that will require the growing cooperation of its allies to succeed.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Fundamentally, it is an evolving strategy that will greatly depend on two inter-related developments: the U.S.-CHINA relationship and Beijing’s military posturing in the WESTERN PACIFIC.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">MORE REACTIVE THAN PROACTIVE </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">AMERICA’S pivot to ASIA is an evolutionary process, especially in the strategic-security realm, primarily because it is a reaction to <a href="http://www.fpif.org/articles/the_south_china_sea_conundrum"><span style="color: blue;">CHINA’S growing military assertiveness</span></a> in recent years.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">However, this view represents only half of the story, since the pivot is characterized by a constellation of dynamic “threat perceptions” straddling CHINA, on one hand, and the UNITED STATES and its allies on the other. To put it simply, CHINA is as much as an architect of the so-called pivot as the UNITED STATES.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The more aggressive CHINA is in expanding its naval capabilities and asserting its territorial claims, the more determined is the UNITED STATES to re-assert and deepen its foothold in the region. From CHINA’S point of view, the U.S. pivot is a provocative process, which in turn fuels Beijing’s growing assertiveness, especially in territorial disputes in adjacent waters.</span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskpg5V5ZW7tIMaXsuvF_CCWL7TuUCSmsUKYjsJOjD4NbaMaH5V0JojUk5s6pt9T__6mfMVDTxk2ryopyWmCowj1l2_mB6vC3XqcYrmK1aQKBu-b1DdKtg7-HPS1985sl44arX5s4qTOT9/s1600/sea-lanes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskpg5V5ZW7tIMaXsuvF_CCWL7TuUCSmsUKYjsJOjD4NbaMaH5V0JojUk5s6pt9T__6mfMVDTxk2ryopyWmCowj1l2_mB6vC3XqcYrmK1aQKBu-b1DdKtg7-HPS1985sl44arX5s4qTOT9/s320/sea-lanes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Major Sea Lanes </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Additionally, U.S. allies—from the PHILIPPINES to VIETNAM and JAPAN—are playing their own strategic games, simultaneously testing AMERICA’S commitment to regional (or bilateral) security and CHINA’S ability to exercise self-restraint.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Of course, on the other side of the fence you have CHINA’S quasi-satellite states in INDOCHINA—namely LAOS and CAMBODIA, and to a certain degree MYANMAR (although MYANMAR has begun to distance itself from CHINA since the onset of its liberalization process).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Outside this theater of strategic jostling, states such as INDONESIA—the informal leader of the ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN)—are most interested in preventing a brewing SINO-AMERICAN rivalry from turning into a direct confrontation, desperately trying to manage a region splintering along conflicting allegiances and competing national interests.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TAKING ON CHINA </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Since 2009, CHINA has stepped up its military operations in the region’s seas, intimidating neighboring countries—and key U.S. allies—like VIETNAM, the PHILIPPINES, and JAPAN. But encouraged by AMERICA’S growing focus on ASIA, U.S. allies have also become much more confident in asserting their territorial claims against Beijing. A confident Beijing, in light of AMERICA’S growing economic woes in the aftermath of the 2008 Great Recession, has also spared few punches to assert its antiquated and notorious “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine-dotted_line"><span style="color: blue;">nine-dash line</span></a>” doctrine, which grants CHINA, albeit symbolically, “inherent sovereignty” over practically everything in the energy-rich SOUTH CHINA SEA (SCS) basin.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In 2010, in response to CHINA’S growing belligerence in the disputed territories, the Obama administration—also encouraged by regional allies—found an opportunity to carve out its place as a direct stakeholder in the ongoing conflict. By committing itself to maritime security and the freedom of navigation in the SCS, the UNITED STATES has practically declared its pivot to ASIA as a form of deterrence against CHINESE-sponsored aggression. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">INCREASING THE CHANCES OF CONFLICT</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Mindful of their tight economic relations with CHINA, AMERICA’S regional allies have touted the pivot as an attempt to improve regional security, tackle “non-traditional security” (NTS) issues (e.g., piracy, terrorism, human trafficking, etc.), and enhance the minimum deterrence capability of less powerful countries like the PHILIPPINES.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Crucially, there has been hardly any explicit reference to CHINA as a motivating factor behind growing security cooperation between the UNITED STATES and its regional allies. This is obviously an attempt to allay CHINA’S anxieties about the emergence of a U.S.-led, regional effort to contain its rapid rise.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">However, facts on the ground put lie to such caution: VIETNAM and the PHILIPPINEs are clearly seeking AMERICAN military assistance in the form of greater rotational presence, joint military exercises, arms sales, and increased military aid. JAPAN—facing renewed clashes with Beijing over disputed territories in EAST CHINA SEA—has sought the UNITED STATES’ explicit reiteration of its commitment to their Mutual Defense Treaty. Both sides of the simmering conflict are fully aware that CHINA’S rise is at the center of the pivot.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRlIdzpJ5R4P1zgLgO6ls5qq4afGq9booTS1aNf4ftHL84SS9hnUsFPS-vH1zSeP2DF_I4x8FfRMXFsKfkUXJeH-c88iJiNnS_EFXmtVnUsE3Ymg6ncr72zFC41vxkz_f6dlrUQLhuVPi/s1600/USA+Pivot+to+ASIA+MAP-701058.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRlIdzpJ5R4P1zgLgO6ls5qq4afGq9booTS1aNf4ftHL84SS9hnUsFPS-vH1zSeP2DF_I4x8FfRMXFsKfkUXJeH-c88iJiNnS_EFXmtVnUsE3Ymg6ncr72zFC41vxkz_f6dlrUQLhuVPi/s400/USA+Pivot+to+ASIA+MAP-701058.png" width="298" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Ironically, the whole pivot phenomenon is encouraging all stakeholders to take bolder positions vis-à-vis regional territorial conflicts. Amidst their own leadership transition phase, CHINESE leaders are intent on shoring up domestic popular support by taking a tougher stance towards neighboring countries. They have been using a combination of paramilitary elements (fishing boats and surveillance vessels), diplomatic-economic intimidation, and threat of force to assert their territorial claims.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">AMERICA’S allies are meanwhile invoking the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2002 ASEAN-CHINA Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the SOUTH CHINA SEA to place further pressure on CHINA and establish a more binding regional Code of Conduct (COC) to constrain its behavior.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ASEAN itself, supposedly a pan-regional mediator and an anchor of regional cooperation and security, has been the casualty of this brewing conflict. Cambodia, ASEAN’s current chair, spared no effort to prove its loyalty to its main economic partner—CHINA—by blocking the inclusion of the SINO-FILIPINO conflict over the Scarborough Shoal in the final communiqué of the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting. The fate of the provisional guidelines for a more binding regional COC is also in limbo.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The incident was a sobering reminder of how hopes for a peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in the SCS are being undermined amidst growing assertiveness among the parties, all against the backdrop of an intensifying U.S. pivot to the region.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The growing U.S. military presence may have boosted the morale of allies such as the PHILIPPINES, but it is also shifting the focus away from diplomacy and dialogue towards brinkmanship and competitive alliance-building. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Richard Javad Heydarian, via <i>FPIF</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

USA - RAISING THE STAKES IN ASIA

AMERICA’S SO-CALLED “PIVOT TO ASIA” Depending on one’s ideological bent, AMERICA’S so-called “pivot to ASIA” could be interpreted in varyin...

Today's archidose #630

12:30 PM Tukiyooo 0

Here are some photos of <a href="http://www1.stuttgart.de/stadtbibliothek/">Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart</a> in Stuttgart, Germany, by Eun Young Yi (<a href="http://www.yiarchitects.com/">Yi Architects</a>), 2011. Photographs are by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/formsache/">Frank Stahl</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/formsache/8131616516/" title="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart by frank formsache, on Flickr"><img alt="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8055/8131616516_8989c10526_c.jpg" width="534" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/formsache/8131600673/" title="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart by frank formsache, on Flickr"><img alt="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8335/8131600673_2058ee9cfe_c.jpg" width="535" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/formsache/8131647600/" title="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart by frank formsache, on Flickr"><img alt="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8131647600_ef6bf18170_b.jpg" width="569" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/formsache/8131618237/" title="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart by frank formsache, on Flickr"><img alt="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8131618237_fa890fe429_c.jpg" width="573" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/formsache/8131604647/" title="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart by frank formsache, on Flickr"><img alt="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart" height="483" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8056/8131604647_5bef3deeda_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/formsache/8131635942/" title="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart by frank formsache, on Flickr"><img alt="Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz, Stuttgart" height="429" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8131635942_f33f749dc8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just:<br /><blockquote>:: Join and add photos to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/archi-dose/">archidose pool</a>, and/or<br />:: Tag your photos <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/archidose/">archidose</a></span></blockquote>

Today's archidose #630

Here are some photos of Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany, by Eun Young Yi ( Yi Architects ), 2011. Photographs are by Frank ...

buffalo soldier

3:00 AM Anonymous 0

Do you think Bob Marley had any buffalo check pillows? Where does 'buffalo check' come from anyway? Totally off topic. Moving on...<br /><br />Many of you were super curious about this teaser pic I shared last week.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1Wm1dKUDT7VrqaPGsF9yt-zu1JRJU4K2wVgd7sNZOwocTgs7BsVnp86vYi2m1hBDjshz9oDvI3MIGdiGK89y7Y5awuJiRKyHeZfhqa_u0RnmOtg5Us9-F-z2GAjXvQXiN2araPJC8f9u/s1600/IMG_0457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1Wm1dKUDT7VrqaPGsF9yt-zu1JRJU4K2wVgd7sNZOwocTgs7BsVnp86vYi2m1hBDjshz9oDvI3MIGdiGK89y7Y5awuJiRKyHeZfhqa_u0RnmOtg5Us9-F-z2GAjXvQXiN2araPJC8f9u/s400/IMG_0457.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Well, I would love to say that these beauties are now sitting pretty in my dining room but actually I recovered them for a client. I'm working with a cute and energetic young family on their new to them house. We'll call them Family F (for fun).<br /><br />Mrs. F inherited her mom's dining room furniture and wanted to give it a refresh for her family. Here is what we started with.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxknjrXbqOs5WJe7PC8yS47_fBouHDr7MjgFNz-j-X3x8pefVtRSEi2x3XsKRXp2HfMfstnyUE8cRKoVgiXGa2YpVppN5ovui-BIehrChXZXuAAeL5TwF_-xTJ0mNqSrlC1trC3XgzlVR/s1600/P7148376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxknjrXbqOs5WJe7PC8yS47_fBouHDr7MjgFNz-j-X3x8pefVtRSEi2x3XsKRXp2HfMfstnyUE8cRKoVgiXGa2YpVppN5ovui-BIehrChXZXuAAeL5TwF_-xTJ0mNqSrlC1trC3XgzlVR/s320/P7148376.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The chairs are in great shape, but the fabric had seen one too many dinners.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQsmdPioD_4lwRyXy1x2EMg7THLzg5ibXNDZW6rLPg6GBGZAdUxYTTbgL8onbflYK8z3gHB3x_MCylCUaROEEYmBjrvCrGjudHt-WR9X6MovgbLMdbizlWZ3kSPavQDZfc6c1yUUKIKGy/s1600/P7148378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQsmdPioD_4lwRyXy1x2EMg7THLzg5ibXNDZW6rLPg6GBGZAdUxYTTbgL8onbflYK8z3gHB3x_MCylCUaROEEYmBjrvCrGjudHt-WR9X6MovgbLMdbizlWZ3kSPavQDZfc6c1yUUKIKGy/s320/P7148378.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We are going to be working with blues thru out the kitchen, dinning room and living room so this navy and white buffalo check was a great base. Me and Mrs. F love a good buffalo check.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjA7nolQxNV2g9uxXvk3drmb2G0L-1LbzVP9X2l2YKE4O7cyvauhgQPVi0Hm0vjWj9hY1b1OfYptQ74PqUpCRwldiT-i4dn2cUGfpJX0LkXydv9QzTNVKkdvjWCqhH4JqsASWX-Jb4nKY/s1600/imgres.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjA7nolQxNV2g9uxXvk3drmb2G0L-1LbzVP9X2l2YKE4O7cyvauhgQPVi0Hm0vjWj9hY1b1OfYptQ74PqUpCRwldiT-i4dn2cUGfpJX0LkXydv9QzTNVKkdvjWCqhH4JqsASWX-Jb4nKY/s1600/imgres.jpeg" /></a></div><br />Now there are 6 of these suckers, so it took me the better part of a week to get them all done. Sadly though I didn't take pictures during the process. Bad blogger. I was just too busy concentrating.<br /><br />But no worries, I'll reenact it for you - unscrew, rip fabric, pull staples, many staples, cut fabric, attach new foam, staple fabric, staple more, re-screw. Repeat. Thank god for Bravo and DVR.<br /><br />There were many squeals and happy jigs when the chairs were delivered. And Mrs. F loved them too!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqegUP-2ev889n2-NuKpe9QIgWO6qvT9Wvdtm1FE1FLtVr0L-Q7o_stRl0vuMkFUTcn3xzy7IEsuar3pOCA9LVyllOLHuYZTXVbnt3CndzJCwDSH_WuSkVtWqIU-26aY8tR4k80CkYmeTD/s1600/IMG_0461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqegUP-2ev889n2-NuKpe9QIgWO6qvT9Wvdtm1FE1FLtVr0L-Q7o_stRl0vuMkFUTcn3xzy7IEsuar3pOCA9LVyllOLHuYZTXVbnt3CndzJCwDSH_WuSkVtWqIU-26aY8tR4k80CkYmeTD/s640/IMG_0461.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I love a good furniture refresh! This room is off to a great start and I'll be sure to share more as it progresses.<br /><br />So what about you? Any fabrics or patterns you are in to lately? C'mon now, wouldn't these look great in my dinning room?

buffalo soldier

Do you think Bob Marley had any buffalo check pillows? Where does 'buffalo check' come from anyway? Totally off topic. Moving on... ...

30 days of Google #1: Get to know the Chrome browser

2:56 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQ-73szuIETfbv4RWz6jWQX2yPS0rIwVt590v0eZ6mgoR5Ilkc4aPnIjDnBq2lxJ5HZMQC4dLp9HQPun9tCOxFGsd7oOFi3-LK7xkLHfD9jQIxSJuxvdN2SXQP7YKk3o6Ili4JTCVLEA/s1600-h/image%25255B4%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjCAbEowFeNwxzwpCr2uLmrF5BEnSOKHapEISvmMCTltuj0XyZPGtJtgBypDfo8IBsWme2qeFAvRm_hEEKr1BKU8QSRBbU14gbmfbbpaei8MK-RpuMs9tCfsEubX0gzHv71HArdTxf6A/?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="217" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today I am starting a series of 30 posts about Google tools that I just love! Having<span style="font-size: small;"> recently </span>returned from the Google Teacher Academy in New York and still basking in the memory of it all, I thought a 30 day series in conjunction with a short free online SchoolNet course on Google products would be very apt.  (Oh New York! I can hardly believe that thriving metropolis is being ravashed by Hurricane Sandy.)  To get back to Google products, for me there is no better place to start than the Chrome browser.  Have you tried Google Chrome? I have three browsers installed on my computer (Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox) but Google Chrome has fast become my firm favourite because it is so much more than a browser. Not only is it fast but all these amazing extensions make it a BRILLIANT surfing experience. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How can I get started with Chrome?</b></span></span> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I met so many technology legends at the Google Teacher Academy, one of whom is Amy Meyer of ‘<i>Fried <span style="font-size: small;">T</span>echnology</i>’ fame. I learned so much from her – she was actually one of the Lead Learners as they were called in charge of a group of 6. I really couldn’t explain Chrome better than her. Just tune in to the screencast <span style="font-size: small;">video below </span>– you will be amazed at what this browser can achieve.  Amy (@friEdTechnology) calls her presentation ‘<i>Google Chrome tips and tricks</i>’.  This is a very good start to getting to know Chrome – but it also shows other aspects that I didn’t know about although I was a Chrome user. </span></span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PHQ5lo5W9xk" width="420"></iframe> <br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you haven't tried Chrome, why not download it to your computer and explore a little<span style="font-size: small;">? Try following all the steps in Amy's screencast. The great thing about Chrome is that when you sign in it syncs with all your devices and all the extensions are available on each one. </span></span> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the next post I will show you some of the Google extensions that will make your life (and your students' lives) so much easier, right there in your browsing experience. I’ll start with my favourites!  The sign up form for SchoolNet’s short free online Google course for our South African teachers will also be posted tomorrow.   </span></span></div>

30 Days of Google google 30 days of Google #1: Get to know the Chrome browser

Today I am starting a series of 30 posts about Google tools that I just love! Having recently returned from the Google Teacher Academy in N...

Surviving Halloween Takes Preparation

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />Hola monsters, goblins, ghouls, freaks and other people! Man, I fucking hate Halloween. Yeah, I know you love dressing up and you love dressing your chubby-cheeked shit machine baby like a bumblebee and stuff like that. Okay, I agree the bumblebee babies are cute as hell, but that doesn’t make up for how shitty Halloween is.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgnbYVBoM3tOeGXyd7d3EeWVhsQ3LGcavoMeSIK6MZsqq_0zYoTp_gLNXBuvTL_b57qAg0K4CImVTq9MPZmJrI812h8K4I4DBXBH_wSFzp1hf1IwFUH06oHJpiOHhNEPTs0jhrpR52Lc/s1600/Kim+Kardashian+Halloween+Cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgnbYVBoM3tOeGXyd7d3EeWVhsQ3LGcavoMeSIK6MZsqq_0zYoTp_gLNXBuvTL_b57qAg0K4CImVTq9MPZmJrI812h8K4I4DBXBH_wSFzp1hf1IwFUH06oHJpiOHhNEPTs0jhrpR52Lc/s320/Kim+Kardashian+Halloween+Cat.jpg" width="252" /></a>Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and all social media is overrun with grown-ass adults dressing up in stupid costumes before they go out and drink themselves silly with all the other fucking freaks. Halloween has now joined St. Patrick’s Day and New Year’s Eve as the three biggest amateur nights in America. Hell, I’m even sick of the slutty Halloween costumes.<br /><br />But, you know what I really hate? Horror movies. I know, right!? It’s not because I’m a pussy or anything, it’s just that I can’t stand how stupid most of them are. There are only two good things that have ever been associated with horror movies: That time I put a clown doll on my sister’s bed right after we all watch <i>Poltergeist</i> (that was a fucking classic) and the truly great performance by Jennifer Love Hewitt’s boobs in <i>I Know What You Did Last Summer</i>. I’ve seen so many of these movies that I will now give you some advice on how to live through Halloween…<br /><br />- Shoot all zombies in the head. This should be common knowledge by now, but unfortunately not everyone has gotten the memo yet. Every year there’s a new batch of zombie movies and TV shows where people try every way they can think of to kill zombies except shooting them in the head and it never ends well for them.<br /><br />- When you shoot the bad guy, monster, villain or whatever don’t just drop the gun and sit down or walk away as if you’ve dropped the mic after killing at the Comedy Store. Empty the clip from that damn gun into that bastard’s ass. If you don’t he’s gonna get up and grab your ass a little ways down the road and then things will get nasty.<br /><br />- Same goes for women who are holding the guy who raped them and killed their whole family and every friend they’ve ever had at gunpoint but can’t pull the trigger. Dudes always talk chicks out of shooting them. Every. Fucking. Time. Memo to women: Y’all want equality? Y’all want us to quit making all the “because you’re a girl” jokes? Shoot the fucking bad guy once! Then we’ll talk, okay?<br /><br />- This is for men and women: When you get home after dark and all the lights are off in the house and you open the front door and you try the light switch don’t just fucking wander into the dark house saying “Is anyone there???” You pretty much deserve what you get when you do that stupid shit.<br /><br />- Don’t stop having sex to go and investigate some strange noise you thought you heard.<br /><br />- When your house tells you to “GET OUT” pack your shit up and get the fuck out.<br /><br />- The cop sitting in his car out front of your house who is supposedly there to protect you is dead so don’t get comfy.<br /><br />- Don’t go for a drive down a rural, lightly travelled road in the middle of the night. Your piece of shit car will break down and you WILL die a gruesome death. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuq_QhkMT6AkodSK3TwmJFW93W22zYgWLNVkxBxlrCHQdgBD1DdgA2qLatlM9uIFkH8tcav_B8O4OimO1t8r5421rfaFZMEh63wnxQ6V52Q0waE-vVSBF0ErC7HLbJ3poU3TDuDmyONYo/s1600/Kris-Jenner-Wonder-Woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuq_QhkMT6AkodSK3TwmJFW93W22zYgWLNVkxBxlrCHQdgBD1DdgA2qLatlM9uIFkH8tcav_B8O4OimO1t8r5421rfaFZMEh63wnxQ6V52Q0waE-vVSBF0ErC7HLbJ3poU3TDuDmyONYo/s320/Kris-Jenner-Wonder-Woman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>- Just kill every clown you see. Don’t take any chances with those bastards.<br /><br />- Don’t bother trying to run into the woods to get away from the monster or bad guy. You’re gonna trip over a twig and injure your pansy-ass self and then die.<br /><br />- If there is danger around like zombies or ghosts or serial killers who have escaped from the mental institution, just go ahead and kill the crybaby bitch who panics easily and can’t keep herself together cause she will get you killed later on. Seriously, nobody needs that shit.<br /><br />- Stay the fuck away from areas that look like they’re full of inbreds, abandoned houses, mental institutions and camping areas and other obvious places like that. Seriously, why do people still go to these fucking places after all the shit that has happened over the years? Idiots.<br /><br />Okay, this is getting long so that’s all the advice I’m giving out for today. But, that doesn’t mean you get to blame me if you do something stupid and tempt fate like opening your fucking door for all those little homeless children begging for candy on Halloween night. They can’t be trusted! <br /><br />Jayman<br /><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/jayman_iws" target="_blank">@Jayman_IWS</a><br /><br /></div>

Surviving Halloween Takes Preparation

Hola monsters, goblins, ghouls, freaks and other people! Man, I fucking hate Halloween. Yeah, I know you love dressing up and you love dress...

Monday, Monday

7:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.archidose.org/wp/">A Weekly Dose of Architecture</a> Updates:</span><br /><br />This week's dose features <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2012/10/29/niemenranta-elementary-school/">Niemenranta Elementary School</a> in Oulunsalo, Finland, by alt Architects + Architecture Office Karsikas:<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2012/10/29/niemenranta-elementary-school/"><img alt="this       week's  dose" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Oct12-29.jpg" style="cursor: move;" title="This week's dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />The featured past dose is the <a href="http://www.archidose.org/Nov05/111405a.html">Simons Sauna</a> in Sipoo Mölandet, Finland by Heikkinen Komonen Architects:<br /><a href="http://www.archidose.org/Nov05/111405a.html"><img alt="this       week's  dose" src="http://www.archidose.org/Nov05/simons2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" title="featured past dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />This week's book review is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2012/10/29/terunobu-fujimori-architect/"><i>Terunobu Fujimori: Architect</i></a> edited by Michael Buhrs and Hannes Rössler:<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2012/10/29/terunobu-fujimori-architect/"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/fujimori.jpg" style="cursor: move;" title="This week's book review" /></a>   <a href="http://archidose.blogspot.com/2010/05/book-review-behaviorology.html"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/book-behaviorology.jpg" style="cursor: move;" title="This week's book review" /></a><br />(R): The featured past book review is <a href="http://archidose.blogspot.com/2010/05/book-review-behaviorology.html"><i> The Architecture of Atelier Bow-Wow: Behaviorology</i></a> by Atelier Bow-Wow.<br /><br />: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">World-Architects.com U.S. <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/projects/reviews/41">Building of the Week</a>:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.world-architects.com/en/projects/project-review-detail/38601_yojisan">Yojisan</a> in Beverly Hills, California, by Dan Brunn Architecture:<br /><a href="http://www.world-architects.com/en/projects/project-review-detail/38601_yojisan"><img alt="this week's Building of the Week" src="http://c214210.r10.cf3.rackcdn.com/files/projects/38601/images/900:w/Yojisan02.jpg" title="Current Building of the Week on american-architects.com" width="640" /></a>

Monday, Monday

A Weekly Dose of Architecture Updates: This week's dose features Niemenranta Elementary School in Oulunsalo, Finland, by alt Architect...

Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock 10/29/2012

12:30 PM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qwCKSGDrRA&feature=plcp">EVPD Google Sites & Global Collaboration! - YouTube</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">In this YouTube video ( a recorded Google Hangout) Theresa Allen and Janet Barnstable talk to two teachers in Siberia about how they use Google Sites in education. If you're not doing it, you should listen to this, it is a great tutorial but will also wake you up. IF they doing this in Siberia, what is your excuse? Those of you caught in the storm might want to use this opportunity for some teacher PD.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/google">google</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a></p>                                        </li>  </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='http://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock 10/29/2012

EVPD Google Sites & Global Collaboration! - YouTube In this YouTube video ( a recorded Google Ha...

TURKEY - IRAN, GREAT SILK (GOLD) ROAD

8:59 AM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeprxD0O4-h2ajR9lJGEPEpsfemnMMeZPwfblB8yiy5StwywRmXQO5BpaPX-PLVR5Vqd16OhVbrxdXNL0znkNAvQM6Edg-zrhDZ4w3mf-_eqKMMnuhR4Uan2R4IaaIiREazynOcP2F_Z5y/s1600/1348897261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeprxD0O4-h2ajR9lJGEPEpsfemnMMeZPwfblB8yiy5StwywRmXQO5BpaPX-PLVR5Vqd16OhVbrxdXNL0znkNAvQM6Edg-zrhDZ4w3mf-_eqKMMnuhR4Uan2R4IaaIiREazynOcP2F_Z5y/s400/1348897261.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">COUNTRIES START TO RESUME TRADE WITH IRAN USING GOLD TO AVOID US SANCTIONS</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">HOW CREDIBLE ARE ALL THOSE REPORTS OF MIDDLE EASTERN ANIMOSITY BETWEEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES OF THE REGION, OR ETHNIC FACTIONS??</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In recent months there has been a lot of incorrect speculation that because IRAN has been shut off from the petrodollar, SWIFT-mediated regime, its economy will implode as the country has no access to the all important greenback and can thus not conduct international trade - the driving factor behind the international sanctions that seek to topple the local government as IRAN dies an economic death. And while there have been bouts of substantial inflation, which so far the local government appears to have managed to put a lid on by curbing gray market speculation, IRAN continues to more or less operate on its merry ways with international trade most certainly taking place, especially with CHINA, RUSSIA and INDIA as main trading partners. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IRAN HAS IMPORTED SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF GOLD FROM TURKEY, DESPITE THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT'S STERN DENIALS</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FyKC4kQKMDdO4pJ9gdsj8Os_v0MY3mozk08wEzofFwa6LM85X8XWJQr6GrjthabP_MzBZRMgbEelwRD_06Cd_iDQjAmvDe-_X4uQB1n58AmXJMM__YwJkdvJFw1kLnqSjiucaSGwCCRp/s1600/n_23588_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FyKC4kQKMDdO4pJ9gdsj8Os_v0MY3mozk08wEzofFwa6LM85X8XWJQr6GrjthabP_MzBZRMgbEelwRD_06Cd_iDQjAmvDe-_X4uQB1n58AmXJMM__YwJkdvJFw1kLnqSjiucaSGwCCRp/s320/n_23588_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"How is this possible" those who support the Western-led embargo of all IRANIAN trade will ask? Simple - gold. While IRAN may have no access to dollars, it has ample access to gold. This in itself is not new - we have <a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/iran-gold-imports-turkey-surge-8-billion-ytd-gold-increasingly-used-currency">reported in the past</a> that IRAN has imported substantial amounts of gold from TURKEY, despite the TURKISH government's stern denials. Today, courtesy of Reuters, we learn precisely what the 21st century equivalent of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road">Great Silk Road</a> looks like, and just how effective IRAN has been as a lab rat in escaping the great petrodollar experiment, from which conventional wisdom tells us there is no escape. Presenting: petrogold.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It all starts, contrary to the government's official denials, in TURKEY. <a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/10/23/us-emirates-iran-gold-idINBRE89M0SW20121023?feedType=RSS&feedName=lifestyleMolt&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+reuters/INlifestyle+%28News+/+IN+/+Lifestyle%29">Reuters explains</a>:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Couriers carrying millions of dollars worth of gold bullion in their luggage have been flying from Istanbul to DUBAI, where the gold is shipped on to IRAN, according to industry sources with knowledge of the business.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The sums involved are enormous. Official TURKISH trade data suggests nearly $2 billion worth of gold was sent to DUBAI on behalf of IRANIAN buyers in August. The shipments help Tehran manage its finances in the face of Western financial sanctions.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The sanctions, imposed over IRAN'S disputed nuclear program, have largely frozen it out of the global banking system, making it hard for it to conduct international money transfers. By using physical gold, IRAN can continue to move its wealth across borders.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"EVERY CURRENCY IN THE WORLD HAS AN IDENTITY, BUT GOLD MEANS VALUE WITHOUT IDENTITY. THE VALUE IS ABSOLUTE WHEREVER YOU GO"</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpahgUT_VpUKxRGdGqDtGgpkzNYaggm6Tc2ky4_iBMJGtcduyNzjOzD__o4X-yRzdBd8_I15-yngn3O3RqWvVldXFzBZCANVOuaInPsrMq6v-4iZvkVnFKKt17eH-LcXf6W3nAN57KejV/s1600/1347358840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpahgUT_VpUKxRGdGqDtGgpkzNYaggm6Tc2ky4_iBMJGtcduyNzjOzD__o4X-yRzdBd8_I15-yngn3O3RqWvVldXFzBZCANVOuaInPsrMq6v-4iZvkVnFKKt17eH-LcXf6W3nAN57KejV/s320/1347358840.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So.... gold is money? In other words, it is widely accepted, it is a store of wealth, and it is a medium of exchange? Huh. Someone tell the Chairman. He may be unaware, apparently so, at least for countries that don't live day to day on the edge of $1 quadrillion in derivative based weapons of immediate and mass destruction.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"Every currency in the world has an identity, but gold means value without identity. The value is absolute wherever you go," said a trader in DUBAI with knowledge of the gold trade between TURKEY and IRAN.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The identity of the ultimate destination of the gold in IRAN is not known. But the scale of the operation through DUBAI and its sudden growth suggest the IRANIAN government plays a role.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The DUBAI trader and other sources familiar with the business spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, because of the political and commercial sensitivity of the matter.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WHAT DOES TURKEY GET IN EXCHANGE? WHATEVER IRAN HAS THAT TURKEY NEEDS OF COURSE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Iran sells oil and gas to TURKEY, with payments made to state IRANIAN institutions. U.S. and EUROPEAN banking sanctions ban payments in U.S. dollars or Euros so IRAN gets paid in TURKISH lira. Lira are of limited value for buying goods on international markets but ideal for a gold buying spree in TURKEY.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And so, in a world in which avoiding the USD is considered lunacy by most, TURKEY and IRAN, quietly and effectively, have created their own loophole, in which natural resources are exchange for a local currency, which is then exchanged for gold, which then is used to purchase anything and everything that IRAN needs from all those other countries that do not comply with the US and EUROPEAN-led embargo, as virtually every nation in AFRICA, because gold talks, and petrodollars increasingly “walk”.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What is disturbing is that DUBAI is now joining in the party too, and the three way transaction may soon become the template for all other countries which are not afraid to suffer the embargo wrath of Uncle Sam:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">FACTS AND FIGURES </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In March this year, as the banking sanctions began to bite, Tehran sharply increased its purchases of gold bullion from TURKEY, according to the TURKISH government's trade data.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Direct gold exports to IRAN from TURKEY, long a major consumer and stockpiler of gold, hit $1.8 billion in July - equivalent to over a fifth of TURKEY'S entire trade deficit in that month.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In August, however, a sudden plunge in TURKEY'S direct gold exports to IRAN coincided with a leap in its sales of the precious metal to the UAE.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY exported a total $2.3 billion worth of gold in August, of which $2.1 billion was gold bullion. Just over $1.9 billion, about 36 metric tons, was sent to the UAE, latest available data from TURKEY'S Statistics Office shows. In July TURKEY exported only $7 million of gold to the UAE.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">At the same time TURKEY'S direct gold exports to IRAN, which had been fluctuating between $1.2 billion and about $1.8 billion each month since April, slumped to just $180 million in August.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The DUBAI-based trader said that from August, direct shipments to IRAN were largely replaced by indirect ones through DUBAI, apparently because Tehran wanted to avoid publicity.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"The trade from TURKEY directly to IRAN has stopped because there was just too much publicity around it," said the trader.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Dealers, jewelers and analysts in DUBAI said they had not noticed any large, sudden increase of supply in the local gold market during August. They said that suggested the increased shipments to the UAE were sent straight on to IRAN.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It is not clear how the gold is moved from DUBAI to IRAN, but there is substantial trade between the two economies, much of it conducted by wooden dhows and other ships crossing the Gulf, a distance of only about 150 kilometers (100 miles) at its narrowest point.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A trader in TURKEY said Tehran had shifted to indirect imports because the direct shipments were widely reported in TURKISH and international media earlier this year. "Now on paper it looks like the gold is going to DUBAI, not to IRAN," he said.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SO WHAT HAPPENS IF THE US DEMANDS THAT DUBAI HALT TRADING WITH IRAN?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Nothing much: another country will pop up to replace its place in the golden triangle, and then another, and then another. <br />After all, they are intervening on very lucrative terms: the bid/ask in the transaction. Precisely the same reason bank flow desks keep the bond and stock market flowing day to day.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF TURKEY ITSELF SOURS?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The buyers may also want to make their purchases less vulnerable to any possible interference by TURKEY'S government. TURKEY'S close relationship with IRAN has begun to sour as the two states find themselves on opposite sides of the civil war in SYRIA, with TURKEY advocating the departure of President Bashar al-Assad and IRAN remaining Assad's staunchest regional ally.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So more of the same: IRAN would simply find a regional country that needs crude - many, many of them around - and offer to trade crude for gold, which would keep the mini petrogold cycle afloat.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">HOW CREDIBLE ARE ALL THOSE REPORTS OF MIDDLE EASTERN ANIMOSITY BETWEEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES OF THE REGION, OR ETHNIC FACTIONS??</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Yet the biggest irony is that despite all the overt animosity between IRAN and TURKEY, by way of SYRIA, the two nations continue to transact, making one wonder just how credible are all those reports of middle eastern animosity between this country and that, or that ethnic faction and this. Not surprising: gold overcomes all differences. All of them.</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXTqNst8GFvjKXonNGBquNQcFGuPFM4w83wlOtfuhgSs7qh5_CNUCizOqc575U1e2sV8MULhtMlk4QDuYWV5SHUbMBCTDjy7_Rj2QiseW_QUp8sVnjuRk_QYuQwXfGA-tJows6N_3aVMh/s1600/Plaatje-Serkan-III-Turkey-Iran-cooperation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXTqNst8GFvjKXonNGBquNQcFGuPFM4w83wlOtfuhgSs7qh5_CNUCizOqc575U1e2sV8MULhtMlk4QDuYWV5SHUbMBCTDjy7_Rj2QiseW_QUp8sVnjuRk_QYuQwXfGA-tJows6N_3aVMh/s400/Plaatje-Serkan-III-Turkey-Iran-cooperation.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Finally, the reality is that nobody is actually breaking any rules.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There is no suggestion that the gold trade means DUBAI is violating international sanctions against IRAN. UNITED NATIONS sanctions ban shipments of nuclear-related materials to IRAN and freeze the assets of some IRANIAN individuals and companies, but they do not prohibit most forms of trade. The UAE has not yet released its trade data for August. Officials at the DUBAI customs authority could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts to contact them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKISH TRADE DATA CONFIRMS THE GOLD IS BEING TRANSPORTED TO DUBAI BY AIR</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">According to the data, $1.45 billion of TURKEY'S total gold exports in August were shipped through the customs office at Ataturk airport's passenger lounge. Almost all of the rest, $800 million, were shipped from Istanbul's smaller Sabiha Gokcen airport. TURKEY'S total exports of all goods to the UAE totaled $2.2 billion in August. Of that amount, $1.19 billion were registered at the Ataturk passenger lounge, while $776 million were registered at Sabiha Gokcen.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A customs broker who does business at Ataturk said couriers were boarding TURKISH Airlines and EMIRATES flights to DUBAI at the airport, carrying the metal in their hand luggage to avoid the risk of it getting lost or stolen.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40KFSm6uBEyG5ykGCc_PgBinmLuHr9SdtwLm9hrhUXByCZmuHlKEBKy5j_oieAt8cqpqOAsu-zGqFXmKYzUDZFfQo-Fkq8-N-MP_3wk9TK9sgVff05fWYdzDIRgTaubfO3o6dFazcb7_5/s1600/photo_1351001807509-1-0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40KFSm6uBEyG5ykGCc_PgBinmLuHr9SdtwLm9hrhUXByCZmuHlKEBKy5j_oieAt8cqpqOAsu-zGqFXmKYzUDZFfQo-Fkq8-N-MP_3wk9TK9sgVff05fWYdzDIRgTaubfO3o6dFazcb7_5/s320/photo_1351001807509-1-0.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The maximum amount of gold bullion which a passenger is allowed to take is 50 kilograms (110 pounds), he said. This suggests that during the month of August, as many as several hundred courier trips may have taken gold to DUBAI on IRAN'S behalf.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"It is all legal, they declare it, they give their tax number and it is all registered so there is nothing illegal about this," the broker said. "At the moment there's quite a lot of traffic to DUBAI. During September and October we have also been seeing this."</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The trade data shows almost $1.4 billion worth of TURKEY'S August exports to the UAE came from a company or companies with a tax number registered in the coastal city of Izmir, TURKEY'S third biggest. Customs officials at Ataturk declined a Reuters request to provide documents identifying the exporters, saying the information was confidential.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The identity of the companies handling the business could not be confirmed. Traders said that because of the risk of attracting unwelcome attention from U.S. authorities, only a few companies were likely to be willing to get involved.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And there you have it: a perfectly counterparty free system, in which a transaction is done, and no traces are left behind. More importantly, this is the blueprint for the future, as more and more countries evade the subjugation of the petrodollar regime so ubiquitous for the past century, and which is slowly but surely being shifted to benefit those countries who are not insolvent, and who actually produce things needed by the rest of the world.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Tyler Durden of Zero Hedge via Dian Chu</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><u><b><span style="color: blue;">Background Information:</span> </b></u> </span><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/gold-savior-of-europe.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/gold-savior-of-europe.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IlcSeU99mkCqXZF6KPjkILhzUy4dAVAzBM1a7usfW5v-pMkM3gjr43qRd6pD7-L_YytTvbXZGdjdjvodg7-VPrC1CZthjWxSnl17uzKO1oqMaoAXkPzDFWayK4jCPHTUNui8b1VjBUwF/s1600/turkey_iran2d%25284%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IlcSeU99mkCqXZF6KPjkILhzUy4dAVAzBM1a7usfW5v-pMkM3gjr43qRd6pD7-L_YytTvbXZGdjdjvodg7-VPrC1CZthjWxSnl17uzKO1oqMaoAXkPzDFWayK4jCPHTUNui8b1VjBUwF/s400/turkey_iran2d%25284%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

TURKEY - IRAN, GREAT SILK (GOLD) ROAD

COUNTRIES START TO RESUME TRADE WITH IRAN USING GOLD TO AVOID US SANCTIONS HOW CREDIBLE ARE ALL THOSE REPORTS OF MIDDLE EASTERN ANIMOSIT...

You've Gotta Have Heart...Damn, Giants!

8:51 AM Tukiyooo 0

<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/AVvXsEjyMGSYUioD9aye7bYL5h7Awk6xrlj7M_JeVuyqgDdTqm5gk3FfRa7af8sUZ_g8rQHJ5QoWmAiIWTsT6P4-I4fpwxUSCu1Wgbg6bMJdjTF8o-hrR9jXKFds4Jt0YWF6V7Hytzpgkt2v3B8/s1600/Coit+Tower+orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMGSYUioD9aye7bYL5h7Awk6xrlj7M_JeVuyqgDdTqm5gk3FfRa7af8sUZ_g8rQHJ5QoWmAiIWTsT6P4-I4fpwxUSCu1Wgbg6bMJdjTF8o-hrR9jXKFds4Jt0YWF6V7Hytzpgkt2v3B8/s1600/Coit+Tower+orange.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Francisco's Coit Tower bathed in Giants orange on Sunday night  (photo by Luanne Dietz, SF Chronicle)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the best-known tunes from </span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Damn Yankees </span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(the 1955 Broadway hit and 1958 movie) is the catchy number "Heart," and it goe<span style="font-size: small;">s like this<span style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">You've gotta have heart</span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">All you really need is heart</span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">When the odds are sayin' you'll never win</span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's when the grin should start...</span></span></span></span></span><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">These lyrics aptly describe<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>the situation the now World Champion San Francisco Giants found themselves in.<span style="font-size: small;"> Until they won the third game (in a row) of the World Series on Saturday night, the odds had been<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>against them going into games one<span style="font-size: small;">, t<span style="font-size: small;">wo <i>and</i> three (not to mention <span style="font-size: small;">the playoffs).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ry8CpIg2fvU" width="560"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Unlike the hapless Washington Senators with not much more than heart in <i>Damn Yankees</i>, the San Francisco Giants team <i>does</i> have great sluggers, pitchers and is a great ball club. With this second World Series win in three years, no one can attribute the Giants' tremendous success to "luck" or a series of "flukes," it's a combination of talent and skill plus that key ingredient, heart. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Having descended from Dodgers fans (the <i>Brooklyn </i>Dodgers) and been raised in Southern California, I grew up a devoted fan of the LA Dodgers. Once I moved to the Bay Area, cheering for the Giants didn't come easily or quickly - the rivalry between SF and LA is serious and sometimes ugly. However, by the time the 1989 "Battle of the Bay" Series (the Giants vs. the Oakland A's) came along, I'd become a Giants fan. I'll never forget Game 2 of that series in Oakland; I was sitting high in the Oakland Coliseum and remarked to the group I was with, "I'd hate to be up here in an earthquake." Of course, Game 3 in San Francisco was disrupted by the monster Loma Prieta quake (which disabled the Bay Bridge, took down a few freeways as well as homes in San Francisco's Marina District). The A's swept that series once it resumed 10 days later. But that's all ancient history now...today, along with the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area, I'm basking in another Giants victory - in a four game sweep, at that. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Last time the Giants brought the trophy home, in 2010, the welcome-home/victory parade through downtown San Francisco turned out to be the biggest event in San Francisco history (attracting an estimated crowd of one million+). This year the parade is set for October 31. Perfect. Giants black-and-orange on Halloween. It's going to be wild and woolly in downtown San Francisco this Wednesday.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bravo, San Francisco Giants!</span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEims3dYxva46ItLO_kxk-s95gCA4rFKjRMRzcsLIhvQHweb14NO6bVG2Iz_h7qvhf4SvsPyBdBE3ZgQs_9tVmHQdD7CezJwpvGPdJAn95_sFlhJYpy0tLqgTccafuQZ56Wr9fNbp8WbMy0/s1600/Buster+Poseys+home+run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEims3dYxva46ItLO_kxk-s95gCA4rFKjRMRzcsLIhvQHweb14NO6bVG2Iz_h7qvhf4SvsPyBdBE3ZgQs_9tVmHQdD7CezJwpvGPdJAn95_sFlhJYpy0tLqgTccafuQZ56Wr9fNbp8WbMy0/s320/Buster+Poseys+home+run.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buster Posey's home run</td></tr></tbody></table><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/AVvXsEg1EyNS0iPwL2wJ8taqDI-1lU1hD7zdQFH7HEdPhud9q0cee2p5kdyIsNOmLvv5gqe0g6lpp2O-Zn5gyBBuQLNurC2YvvTPSU87jtiXOkFP-J1viO-af58fGSWoyX5oy5XNVkQVXGzZ6yI/s1600/Sergio+Romo+wins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EyNS0iPwL2wJ8taqDI-1lU1hD7zdQFH7HEdPhud9q0cee2p5kdyIsNOmLvv5gqe0g6lpp2O-Zn5gyBBuQLNurC2YvvTPSU87jtiXOkFP-J1viO-af58fGSWoyX5oy5XNVkQVXGzZ6yI/s320/Sergio+Romo+wins.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer Sergio Romo after the final pitch</td></tr></tbody></table><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/AVvXsEjJCegSw7NJJm2SMaUi2f0nwaBWYi_uvuOWD6P4rww66ntfLpZMZFLIWRhpbO1J3JBD3gcujSngcx51a58BGfTS06QSwM7kxE1blKrnH15tDNmcZO_iyJiSuZxbnGXvWsjhkvNgYR2SkWw/s1600/Giants+win+WS+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCegSw7NJJm2SMaUi2f0nwaBWYi_uvuOWD6P4rww66ntfLpZMZFLIWRhpbO1J3JBD3gcujSngcx51a58BGfTS06QSwM7kxE1blKrnH15tDNmcZO_iyJiSuZxbnGXvWsjhkvNgYR2SkWw/s400/Giants+win+WS+2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Giants win the 108th World Series in Detroit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And now, with <i>Reel Life</i>'s classic movie theme as well as baseball in mind, a legendary Abbott and Costello routine - from <i>The Naughty Nineties </i>(1945): </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">  </span> <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sShMA85pv8M" width="420"></iframe></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span>photos via SFGate) </span></span>

San Francisco's Coit Tower bathed in Giants orange on Sunday night (photo by Luanne Dietz, SF Chronicle) One of the best-known tunes fr...

20 minute bench makeover

6:50 AM Anonymous 0

And she lives!<br /><br />Thank you all for your get well soons while I was out. That was no doubt the worst flu I've had in...as long as I can remember. I wouldn't say I'm back to 100% yet, but 85% will do. I've heard that the flu shot isn't so strong this year, but I'd still say get one if you can. Although, people seem to have strong opinions about wether or not to get flu shots. Have you ever said 'flu shot' in a crowded room? Oy! Anyway, do what you can to stay healthy.<br /><br />As I ease myself back into the standing position I thought I'd share a simple DIY that took all of 20 minutes. (my favorite kind)<br /><br />I picked this bench up off the side of the road (better than a hitchhiker) and then promptly put it in my basement for the next two years. Par for the course, I know. These are the only true before pictures I have.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0ZWe2aQOXElsynxYTHqvYAdUmp1dy_4VDuwPbtHFLUt9KYjRuo8f8C9IIAtilBr2TMQ_IKzwjjbIHXUJr6IsCXio3LTZTyqxZRJrGk2r-Ig_6cil29nb7aoiIRG5HYF6j-VbQ_cAvsGf/s1600/YuckyStoolBefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0ZWe2aQOXElsynxYTHqvYAdUmp1dy_4VDuwPbtHFLUt9KYjRuo8f8C9IIAtilBr2TMQ_IKzwjjbIHXUJr6IsCXio3LTZTyqxZRJrGk2r-Ig_6cil29nb7aoiIRG5HYF6j-VbQ_cAvsGf/s400/YuckyStoolBefore.jpg" width="393" /></a></div><br />I don't even want to know what the stain on that seat is from. Dirty. Ugly. But sturdy.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2v94AottwLHeWgxCgWgSsozEDrth-9xmK9TMWurIKm0bG_zS_wHO5xQsHy9j2n_H6orm5JOtSnOF3spOU_oZEgXrcMR4Ik7TQxSq_O_6POz3pFBlUE-SGScys8bLA1HcDicIpc0p7VozK/s1600/YuckyBeforeStool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2v94AottwLHeWgxCgWgSsozEDrth-9xmK9TMWurIKm0bG_zS_wHO5xQsHy9j2n_H6orm5JOtSnOF3spOU_oZEgXrcMR4Ik7TQxSq_O_6POz3pFBlUE-SGScys8bLA1HcDicIpc0p7VozK/s400/YuckyBeforeStool.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I sprayed it white and used some of the fabric I shared <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/09/its-not-beach-but-it-is-home.html" target="_blank">here</a>. A few staples later and as NeNe would say, Bam!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ls1blRRmGnTjFtYDl4QbImjSzu1StnWGMupFrbqMfaynYrnEJQtkss1HP1h4O1Oty26vSDDwK0vCldPF1PxhUFwbrTOyOzrSK25TmTjp9sqUYaMDSmad2U22PQHl7ArgenlLnQx5LiQb/s1600/StoolAfter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ls1blRRmGnTjFtYDl4QbImjSzu1StnWGMupFrbqMfaynYrnEJQtkss1HP1h4O1Oty26vSDDwK0vCldPF1PxhUFwbrTOyOzrSK25TmTjp9sqUYaMDSmad2U22PQHl7ArgenlLnQx5LiQb/s640/StoolAfter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMu3Y8hQZQl3eZbBb1krA4WOK_j3AjiTABomuHdE5dF4rI406DyBixlF5dRBPVaPqjcrmj_wbU7MJcEyKdkHIkRZrqvijKRa95pXNp1AiWX8eNlTc_JtnMCeCaw320MduLAhWjsyt4Zkf/s1600/BenchClose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMu3Y8hQZQl3eZbBb1krA4WOK_j3AjiTABomuHdE5dF4rI406DyBixlF5dRBPVaPqjcrmj_wbU7MJcEyKdkHIkRZrqvijKRa95pXNp1AiWX8eNlTc_JtnMCeCaw320MduLAhWjsyt4Zkf/s640/BenchClose.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I love the color and pattern on this fabric but thought it was a bit too delicate to have as a pillow in this house. Who knows if a bench will keep it safe any better than a pillow would, but we shall see.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5CKs_pu2NbfzBeWuIyDHmuCYfC0tEzdgooU0AgkdJVEYWRu8MOv45Wcp0H213LL62FogYXBKGb8hri7T0AGpicfV9cikfLCDnEO1J5KFQArk-HVc_vo6VhiKgTNWzfeFBPVc0_S_L-PC/s1600/Bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5CKs_pu2NbfzBeWuIyDHmuCYfC0tEzdgooU0AgkdJVEYWRu8MOv45Wcp0H213LL62FogYXBKGb8hri7T0AGpicfV9cikfLCDnEO1J5KFQArk-HVc_vo6VhiKgTNWzfeFBPVc0_S_L-PC/s640/Bench.jpg" width="572" /></a></div><br />It appears to be a wonderful place to sit and look out the window with friends.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpP0_9p4mBWG8FeM3cR32if8oWIuYrFeNYDIQVdtT7VNOV7sFm93aCBZnnkMenkYRzDz_v59Z1jh_ZBhJjmMZjthDr3gU0MoOy5Ib77XF7tecrPMqPnXoH12hKCiP0EHaGU-F8Cpu-hKi/s1600/Eve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpP0_9p4mBWG8FeM3cR32if8oWIuYrFeNYDIQVdtT7VNOV7sFm93aCBZnnkMenkYRzDz_v59Z1jh_ZBhJjmMZjthDr3gU0MoOy5Ib77XF7tecrPMqPnXoH12hKCiP0EHaGU-F8Cpu-hKi/s640/Eve.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><br />Mother tested. Kid approved.<br /><br />This bench will be residing in the living room. Along with several other things that have been finished and added. This week I'll be featuring a completed project everyday. I feel bad about the big tease last week and then bailing last week.<br /><br />So how was your weekend?

20 minute bench makeover

And she lives! Thank you all for your get well soons while I was out. That was no doubt the worst flu I've had in...as long as I can rem...

Schadenfreude

6:03 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi Kidz.  I know this is late but, I got up at 5:38 AM on Sunday, did a radio show, and my brother came over, I had a fridge full of beer, and THAT..?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDSPhqp3Ja0FRQYSaPPqwc18y08U5yxBQPj60mjXHbWG3-3QJw5jxFzuxJ0I1RbcuO64dmdxvP9pPjDzjH88O4R5zDQPWN_pZQYw7PR-SQT4VTxVGLljnfG69yz3wZdQAo-sAjp5YiUA/s1600/IWS+Stupid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDSPhqp3Ja0FRQYSaPPqwc18y08U5yxBQPj60mjXHbWG3-3QJw5jxFzuxJ0I1RbcuO64dmdxvP9pPjDzjH88O4R5zDQPWN_pZQYw7PR-SQT4VTxVGLljnfG69yz3wZdQAo-sAjp5YiUA/s400/IWS+Stupid.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />That is not a good combination for meeting a Midnight deadline.<br /><br />Anyhoo, here’s the thing.  We’re Number One.  IWS Radio is Number One today, was yesterday, and looking at yesterday’s initial show numbers, that show will be Number One in the near future.<br /><br />Hell.  Our shows have hit Number One in the Blog Talk Radio Comedy category every day for the past month.<br /><br />But…Success is a double-edged sword.  While many folks love us, others who burn with inglorious envy, dream to take us down, and invoke the self-serving power of…<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">Schadenfreude</span></i></a><br /><br />Yes my friends, during yesterday’s IWS <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2012/10/28/open-line-sunday" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">Open Phone Line Sunday Show</span></i></a>, hundreds listened live and several inglorious bastards called-in in order to belittle us, throw us off our Number One game, and denigrate us.<br /><br />It was, in a word, hurtful.<br /><br />However, we adapted, overcame, and sallied forth with our mission of providing quality entertainment at a fair price.<br /><br />Being the professionals that Jayman and I are, phone calls sullied with contempt for our achievements cannot keep us from filling your Sundays and Wednesdays with a smile, nor a laugh, or merely a chuckle.<br /><br />We…are…that…good.  And Number One as well.  Have I mentioned that?<br /><br />On the upside, our IWS friend and uber-hottie Missy, had her daughter Regan call-in and tell us of her trick and treating exploits which was quite nice, and…<br /><br />We spent some time talking to the baaaaaaaad boy of Social Media, <span style="color: blue;"><i><a href="https://twitter.com/drmikesevilla" target="_blank">Dr. Mike Sevilla</a></i>,</span> who while not providing a diagnosis for our sickly friend Schmoop, was as charming as always.<br /><br />So, if you care to hear what a Number One BTR show sounds like, listen to yesterday’s show and hear why others of lesser talent are hating us, envying us, and want to be like us.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="105" id="143577" name="143577" width="210"><param name="movie" value="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D3940827&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf" flashvars="file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D3940827&autostart=false&shuffle=false&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx&width=210&height=105&volume=80&corner=rounded" width="210" height="105" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" wmode="transparent" menu="false" name="143577" id="143577" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object></div><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;"><br /></div><i>Cheers!!</i><br /><i>Matt-Man</i><br /><i><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a></i><br /><i><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@mattman_iws</span></a></i></div>

Schadenfreude

Hi Kidz. I know this is late but, I got up at 5:38 AM on Sunday, did a radio show, and my brother came over, I had a fridge full of beer, a...

First Hand: Being Here for My Kids

3:36 AM Tukiyooo 0

"I wanna live like there's no tomorrow <br />Love, like I'm on borrowed time<br />It's good to be alive"<br />Woke up singing <a href="http://www.songlyrics.com/jason-gray/good-to-be-alive-lyrics/#Xs6SplI4ZR8g4hCW.99">Good to Be Alive</a> this morning. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/115916382183421477315/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCNPCp6bK0YDF6gE#5804678400831300114'><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoURGiBZUq1Raran9wryYUQBA3gTunWa8DL_Jy_oygx3NWH-yGwfPgL_4teWGG4gXVapeRIT8ZEIrlYuIW3ZtBkfctstA8t-wEpLWzRRrLyBAUhMfBtIizFPcUOqiRMgQ737bayRrezdiR/s288/4.jpg" style="margin:5px" width="281"></a></center><br />It is my son's senior year. It has been tough turning down speaking for the rest of this year, but I want to live this year with no regrets.<br /><br />My friends in New Jersey saw me watch my son sack the quarterback on the big screen after the local news carried it. This past Friday, as Kip and I ate dinner on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco with FALL CUE the next day, I had the phone on the table getting score updates from the big game. There's no place in the world I'd rather be than in the stands, at home, and at school watching this last year of my son's high school and enjoying the time with him. My daughter's a junior and I want to spend time with her while my youngest has his last year in elementary school.<br /><br />Life is full of opportunities and wow, God has blessed me with so many. It is good to have choices to make. But it is important to remember that we ALL HAVE CHOICES. <br /><br />I have NEVER regretted my 5 years as a stay at home Mom. Not one moment and having that experience, I'm not going to regret this either.<br /><br /><b>CHOICES</b><br />If you see time slipping away and those kids getting older, know that you too have choices. While sometimes you HAVE to go and HAVE to work - sometimes you can choose to not feed your own ego and pocketbook and instead, do what is most important and be there for your kids.<br /><br />These three children of mine are a gift from God and I'm so grateful to be picked to be their Mom. I fall SO short in SO many ways but I am here, flaws and all to love and enjoy them. <br /><br />So, if you don't see me about on the speaker's circuit so much this school year, I have been booking some for June and July and will likely just do 3-4 speeches next school year as well. If you want me, I'm here, just plan ahead and I will too. But there will be less of me "out there" so that all of me can be "over here" with my kids.<br /><br />Now, I've got to run get dressed so I can see their One Act play performance of Hansel and Gretel - my daughter is "the mother" and my son is one of the 2 humorous "hobgoblins" belonging to the witch. I've heard they are great -- but today, I get to see it with my own eyes. Some things are just too precious to get second hand.<br /><br /><br />- Written on my iPad using Blog Press by Vicki Davis, author, Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds<br />

First Hand: Being Here for My Kids

"I wanna live like there's no tomorrow Love, like I'm on borrowed time It's good to be alive" Woke up singing Good to ...