News for today's 2018

THE BALKANS – ORGANIZED CRIME AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION PART 3

1:06 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZg8IsBJ132t-dk3Xn2LyzAPgS1rsbDD3s-bEuGqAw97xXC5NyGGXyXfjXGcOoy2AXQ0YoZMbz4CkLie9n832_YYVt0ITukZNqi850RW_ykqjehfzJ640AsqAcY35WLirszeFOc91Z9cR1/s1600/balkans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZg8IsBJ132t-dk3Xn2LyzAPgS1rsbDD3s-bEuGqAw97xXC5NyGGXyXfjXGcOoy2AXQ0YoZMbz4CkLie9n832_YYVt0ITukZNqi850RW_ykqjehfzJ640AsqAcY35WLirszeFOc91Z9cR1/s320/balkans.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><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="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><b><span style="mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ISLAMIC TERRORISM AND THE BALKANS: THE PERFECT TRAINING GROUND</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Adapted by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring from Ioannis Michaletos</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;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The emergence of radical – militant Islam during the 90’s is a very complicated issue that involves worldwide actors, social dynamics and a deep knowledge of the religious realm of the Islamic world. This article aims to present and inform for the events that shaped Islamic terrorism in the BALKANS. In this corner of EUROPE, the past 15 years, the roots of Islamic radicalism have deepened and it is of the outermost importance to comprehend this phenomenon, so as to be able to combat it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MUJAHEDIN GATE WAY TO EUROPE?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The beginning of the YUGOSLAVIAN civil strife in 1991 presented an excellent chance for the Mujahedin to get into EUROPE via the ethno-cultural conflict between Christians and Muslims in BOSNIA. These religious mercenaries had proved their aptitude in war from the early 80’s when they fought the SOVIET Army in AFGHANISTAN, and managed to inflict great damages to it using WESTERN assistance.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The WEST at that period, along with its regional allies, promoted the creation of the so-called “Green Arch”. That meant the creation of strong Islamic pockets in areas of SOVIET influence, or in border countries that deemed important for the strategy of the WEST against the SOVIETS. Thus AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, CAUCASUS, and in TURKEY (through the use of the TURKISH “Hezbollah”), became radicalized during the 80’s.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WAR IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA WAS THE TRIAL TEST FOR RADICAL ISLAMIC GROUPS </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What the West could not comprehend and predict at that period, is the “Genie out of the bottle” effect. Once these radicals groups gained access to armaments and training, they became autonomous and sought to create their own agenda. Therefore the war in BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA was the trial test of their newly founded role.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyt9HYsX-E8D4rv6eOwLTeeEwx7hv4poCGcGjTFj7pNv1GYoIx2VcOkKjIMcmxGGuhxeai1iQLiOKQDF3lrsw-E3xGPQdJ4hMF5-MlUZ7BEP5Y5rJKf7gLbdTcUWihxeCpjcIiAPJHdKl/s1600/628px-Zenica-Doboj_in_Federation_of_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyt9HYsX-E8D4rv6eOwLTeeEwx7hv4poCGcGjTFj7pNv1GYoIx2VcOkKjIMcmxGGuhxeai1iQLiOKQDF3lrsw-E3xGPQdJ4hMF5-MlUZ7BEP5Y5rJKf7gLbdTcUWihxeCpjcIiAPJHdKl/s200/628px-Zenica-Doboj_in_Federation_of_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina.svg.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zenica-Doboj Region in FBIH</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In mid-1992 some 3000 -3500 Mujahedin were already present in the ranks of the BOSNIAN Army as volunteer forces. <b>They retained their operational autonomy and in essence became an army within an army. Most of their forces were under the command of General Shakib Mahmouljin and their area of operations was Zenica</b>. Soon the Mujahedin acquired the aura of the elite force within the BOSNIAN Muslim Army and were accounted for many atrocities against Christian population. There were instances where the guerillas didn’t hesitate in presenting publicly beheaded corpses with the heads of the victims in baskets, a tactic often used in the Ottoman period as a part of psychological warfare against the enemy.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">During the BOSNIAN war, the Al-Qaeda was beginning to emerge as a worldwide Islamic force that intended to strike the West with all means possible. One of the key elements in its success would be to get a hold of “safe havens” in EUROPE. The situation in BOSNIA was the opportunity wanted, and soon logistic bases were established within the BOSNIAN territory. Moreover a campaign of recruiting BOSNIAN Muslims to the Al –Qaeda cause, resulted in the creation of “Islamic pockets” in the middle of the BALKANS. By the end of 1995 and the subsequent Dayton treaty that ended the war; hundreds of Mujahedin fighters were permanent residents of the established BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA state, and acquired the citizenship of that country.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">THE SENSITIVE ISSUE OF THE KOSOVO STATUS IS ALSO INTERLINKED WITH THE PRESENCE OF TERRORISM</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The USA security agencies have revealed that two of the hijackers in 9/11 attacks, had toured the BALKANS and were trained in an Al-Qaeda camp in BOSNIA. In addition the explosives used in the 7/7 attacks in London came from the BALKANS, an event that portrays the tremendous lack of perspective that the West had when it tolerated the emergence of such networks.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The sensitive issue of the KOSOVO status is also interlinked with the presence of terrorism –Of an Islamic nature- and its ramifications are much more extended than conventionally thought. Moreover the impact of Islamic driven terrorism in the BALKANS is not only restrained in the region but has global consequences, thus it needs multiparty intelligence cooperation in order to be dealt with. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Worries about KOSOVO morphing into a safe haven for terrorists are not without merit. After all, radical Islamic elements aided some KOSOVARS–and earlier, BOSNIAKS (BOSNIAN Muslims)–in the ethno-religious warfare that led to the collapse of YUGOSLAVIA in the 1990s. For example, AUSTRALIAN al-Qaeda fighter David Hicks traveled to the BALKANS to join the notorious KOSOVO Liberation Army. Hicks completed military training at a KLA camp and later fought alongside the Taliban in AFGHANISTAN, where U.S. forces apprehended him.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">THE ALBANIAN NATIONALISM AND THE ISLAMIC TERRORISM</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwtD08EGpq3dACZI1Lzr9tiC9Vx-sZ9qNkD7H4s4NF3Xh9sYctT-S4iPEEGuAZDWWnCAh44ZY3fDTQeX_mHAcSjPqiTAVURggMdYak1Fn6NJve-JTE0hFHlsOrwgfyltEqxQau6ps_C_i/s1600/Uck_Nla_logo.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwtD08EGpq3dACZI1Lzr9tiC9Vx-sZ9qNkD7H4s4NF3Xh9sYctT-S4iPEEGuAZDWWnCAh44ZY3fDTQeX_mHAcSjPqiTAVURggMdYak1Fn6NJve-JTE0hFHlsOrwgfyltEqxQau6ps_C_i/s1600/Uck_Nla_logo.svg.png" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As in the case of ALBANIA, the ALBANIAN Muslims (70% of the population) proved to be a magnet for the Islamists that sought to regain a foothold in EUROPE. The conditions by which ALBANIA was freed by the Communist regime in the early 90’s, revealed the existence of a backward isolated country with no interaction with the rest of the world. The transition from a central command structure to that of a free market; ensured the development of multiple societal forces within the much repressed Albanian society.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In early 1994 the infamous Osama Bin Laden, paid a visit to Tirana, presumably to oversight the networking of his activities there. He came back in 1998 to oversee Al-Qaeda training camps in the Northern part of ALBANIA, just across the borders with KOSOVO. The trainers –of Arabic origin mostly- were assigned to train the newly recruits of the <b>Usthria Climirtare e Kosoves</b> –U.C.K- units for the forthcoming guerilla warfare against the YUGOSLAV forces in KOSOVO.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The then ALBANIAN Director of the ALBANIAN secret service-SHIK-named Fatos Klosi admitted the training that took place in these camps and the existence of “Jihad warriors” from SUDAN, ALGERIA, SAUDI ARABIA and EGYPT that were responsible for the instruction of the UCK army. To this point it is important to add to the above, the existence of the ALBANIAN ARAB Islamic Bank, that was used for the financing of terrorist activities throughout the BALKANS. Various sources indicate the existence of Bin Laden’s backing in the bank’s capital, with the sum of 11 million USD. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">See: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The center for Peace in the Balkans (09/2001), “Bin Laden’s Balkan connections”. Website: <a href="http://www.balkanpeace.org/index.php?index=/content/analysis/a09.incl">http://www.balkanpeace.org/index.php?index=/content/analysis/a09.incl</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In 1997, the financial collapse of ALBANIA by an economic scandal that shook the country; resulted in social unrest throughout the country and brought about the collapse of the rule of law. An uncounted number of armaments were stolen during the period of the riots from the ALBANIAN’S Army caches, and the bulk of it ended in the hands of the UCK and its Islamist collaborators. <span style="color: blue;">(Comment by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring: Allegedly some of these arms are still hidden in the numerous UCK memorial sites that are located all over KOSOVO.)</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Until early 1998 USA characterized UCK as a terrorist organization, due to its connection with well-known figures of the extremist elements of the Islamic world. Nevertheless, the AMERICAN policy changed its direction since it deemed the existence of Milosevic more threatening at that period than the Islamic movement. During the skirmishes and fights before the NATO intervention in March 1999, the YUGOSLAV Army managed to inflict great damages to the Mujahedin fighters that were combating along the UCK lines. In Urocevac the bulk of them were eliminated by the SERBIAN Army and was obliged to retreat back in their safe havens in Northern ALBANIA.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ISLAMIC CHARITABLE FUNDS (NGOS) ACROSS THE REGION ARE MUSHROOMING</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After the end of the 1999 war, the Mujahedin networks regrouped and started to infiltrate the KOSOVO area in great numbers. That included the mushrooming of Islamic charitable funds across the region, the construction of Mosques and the radicalization of the local ALBANIAN population and the wider Muslim populations of ex-YUGOSLAVIA.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It is interesting to note that the ALBANIAN population in its majority cannot be conceived as a fundamentalist Islamic nation and the extremists are for the time being a forceful minority of that nation. The Islamic expansion in the BALKANS is coupled with the existence of the criminal syndicates that are all prevalent in the BALKAN Peninsula. Since the terrorist activities cannot be financed through the use of the legal free market economy, the use of narcotics and trafficking illegal trade has enabled the flourishing of the terrorist networks. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The “Hybrid” organizations as the merged terrorist and criminal are named, has created the necessary framework for the BALKANS to enter in one of the worst periods of their modern history. Leading criminologist Loretta Napoleoni has researched articulately the issue and offers illuminating approaches as to the extent of the infiltration of crime & terrorism in world economy.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">See:<span style="color: blue;"> <b>CRIME AND CORRUPTION AND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM</b></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CRIME AND CORRUPTION ARE TWO OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST MULTINATIONAL INDUSTRIES</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">and</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;"></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system_7.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system_7.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">APPROX. 1.5 TRILLION USD ARE THE REVENUE OF ORGANIZED CRIME WORLDWIDE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Z-EGpsvK9jguXfCDL_AnvZZwkTc2WajocIVfFlzUI9fkMWfmS7ttQHvEWSWjNWLp-9XW8b371EB92bwsOCOIGPbdFDDgz4KK2xuwmDqYl31prVaXyNetrYOv0ebqIddyfEwfZrPzjc5d/s1600/cresseymodel.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Z-EGpsvK9jguXfCDL_AnvZZwkTc2WajocIVfFlzUI9fkMWfmS7ttQHvEWSWjNWLp-9XW8b371EB92bwsOCOIGPbdFDDgz4KK2xuwmDqYl31prVaXyNetrYOv0ebqIddyfEwfZrPzjc5d/s400/cresseymodel.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A fair portion of that is being achieved by controlling the “BALKAN drugs route” a geographical area that encompasses KOSOVO, NORTHERN ALBANIA and Tetovo. Some Islamic terrorism networks have located some of their bases, along the way of some of the most lucrative “criminal areas” of EUROPE. Therefore they are able to increase revenues and thus finance its operations.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In spring 2001, the Mujahedin forces, once again, were brought to day-light by joining the National Liberation Army in its fight in Western FYROM (<b>F</b>ormer <b>Y</b>ugoslav <b>R</b>epublic of <b>M</b>acedonia). The NLA was a composition of various ALBANIAN fractions that along with the Islamic extremists sought to prepare the basis for the disintegration of FYROM. There is a large ALBANIAN minority in the country, which also happens to be located right in the centre of the “Balkan drug route”. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Mujahedin formed the majority of the 113 brigade of NLA, and were accused of many atrocities against innocent civilians of Slavic descent.<br />On August 2001 the Ohrid accord was signed and the conflict ceased without any real gains by the Albanian side. A month later, the attack on the twin towers revealed to the world the spread and the power the terrorist organizations have amassed, thus the “War on terror” begun and to a great extent dismantled the world wide Islamic terrorist web.<br /><br /><span style="color: blue;"><b>BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: A SAFE HAVEN FOR RADICAL ISLAMIST FRACTIONS? </b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">NAWAF AL HAZMI, a SAUDI. He was a September 11th hijacker. He fought in BiH in 1995.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">KHALID AL-MIHDHAR, from YEMEN. He also was a September 11th hijacker. He also fought in BiH with the foreign mujahideen battalion in Bosnia in 1995</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SHEIKH OMAR ABD-AL RAHMAN</span></b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> (convicted of the 1993 attack on the WTC) was connected with the so-called humanitarian organization TWRA, which was a cover for terrorists. Then <span style="color: blue;">BOSNIAN president <b>ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC</b></span> made personal guarantees for TWRA’s general director and personal friend ELFATIH HASSANEIN, so he could open an account with <b>Die Erste Osterreich Bank in Vienna, Austria in 1993</b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">MOHAMMED HAYDAR ZAMMAR, who recruited MOHAMED ATTA into Al-Qaeda, had a terrorist base in BOSNIA. Zammar is also responsible for recruiting two of Atta’s lieutenants, RAMZI BINALSAHIB and SAID BAHAJI.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">OSAMA BIN LADEN received a BOSNIAN passport from the <b>Embassy in Vienna, Austria</b>. Many other Al-Qaeda members were issued BIH passports, which enabled them to continue their terrorist activities.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ABU AL-MA’ALI (ABDELKADER MOKHTARI), a senior Al-Qaeda operative, was stationed in BOSNIA until recently. Just a few years ago, US officials used to call him “Osama Bin Laden, Jr.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">BENSAYAH BELKACEM was arrested in BOSNIA in October 2001. Numbers saved in his cell phone connected him with at least one top-rank associate of Bin Laden</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">THE “WHITE AL-QAEDA” IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Information available to experts on international terrorism (in 2005) indicate that BIH at that time allegedly was and maybe still is one of the most dangerous countries in EUROPE, as it represents a nursery for potential Islamic terrorists – the so called “white” or “EUROPEAN” Al-Qaeda. Money from Islamic countries that is laundered through “humanitarian” organizations finances the religious education of at least 100,000 young Bosnian Muslims. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">See: <span style="color: blue;"><b>ISLAMIC COMMUNITY</b>: <b>THE SCHOOLS ARE OURS</b></span>: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/ethnic-rift-key-hindrance-to-bosnias.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/ethnic-rift-key-hindrance-to-bosnias.html </a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">and </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/bosnia-european-unions-stepchild.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/bosnia-european-unions-stepchild.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">  </span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In addition to such education, which follows the interpretations of Wahhabi Islam, there is another type of “training” in various officially registered camps throughout the BIH Federation. There, the young and carefully selected Wahhabis attend “additional courses” in marksmanship, explosives and martial arts. Organizations such as “Furqan,” the “Active Islamic Youth,” the “Muslim Youth Council” and others – differing only in name and primary donors, but otherwise interchangeable – teach young Muslims computer and Internet skills, so they could establish contacts with their coreligionists worldwide. Knowing all this, the former head of UN Mission in BOSNIA Jacques Paul Klein recently said that some 200 mujahid’din in BOSNIA did not represent a danger, because they can be easily controlled. Klein knew it would be a lot more difficult to stop the spread of young BOSNIAN Wahhabis throughout EUROPE, youths who consider Osama Bin Laden and the mujahid’din role models. Nowadays there is still a strong presence of a variety of extremist Islamic groups in BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, under the pretext of charity funds and related philanthropic establishments. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">See 6 part article on Wahhbism in BIH at <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/wahhabism-in-bosnia-herzegovina.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/wahhabism-in-bosnia-herzegovina.html</a></span></span>

THE BALKANS – ORGANIZED CRIME AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION PART 3

ISLAMIC TERRORISM AND THE BALKANS: THE PERFECT TRAINING GROUND Adapted by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring from Ioannis Michaletos Th...

Architect's Accidental Historicizing

1:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

Flipping through January's <i>Architect Magazine</i> on the train this morning, something on page 136 caught my eye. A photo of Tour Total, designed by <a href="http://www.architectmagazine.com/">Barkow and Leibinger</a>, seems to be capped by a large ghostly gable. <br /><br /><img alt="architect-gable.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/architect-gable.jpg" title="Tour Total" /><br />[Tour Total, Barkow and Leibinger, detail of photo by Christian Richters | Scanned from page 136 of <i>Architect Magazine</i>, January 2013]<br /><br />The mirage that perfectly rises from each corner of the building comes  from an advertisement for Hanley Wood University on page 135. I'll admit it's all pure coincidence, but the "capping" of the building is heightened by, well, the height at which the photographer took the shot, which flattens the top of Tour Total to a horizontal line. The shape then looks like a 30-60-90 triangle balancing atop the building, or an inadvertant Hitler-esque* attempt to historicize the unrelenting modernism of the tower.<br /><br />*I've heard that Hitler had pitched roofs installed on the Bauhaus in the mid-1930s, but I've yet to hear or see proof of that temporary transformation of modernism.

Architect's Accidental Historicizing

Flipping through January's Architect Magazine on the train this morning, something on page 136 caught my eye. A photo of Tour Total, de...

Lie on your résumé?

8:26 AM Anonymous 0

<br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font: italic normal normal 16px/normal arial, helvetica; text-align: left;"><span id="cbArticle_lblHeadline2">One job-seeker's moment of truth</span></div><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">Steve Blank, author of "The Startup Owner's Manual" and "The Four Steps to the Epiphany"</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img alt="" class="media-image" src="http://artstg.icbdr.com/sites/all/files/styles/large/public/Lying%20on%20resume_1.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Getting asked by a recruiter about where I went to school made me remember the day I had to choose whether to lie on my résumé.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">When I got <a href="http://steveblank.com/2009/06/29/agile-opportunism-entrepreneurial-dna/" style="background-color: yellow; color: #666666; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial;" target="_blank">my first job in Silicon Valley</a>, it was through serendipity on my part and desperation on the part of my first employer. I really didn't have much of a résumé: four years in the <a href="http://steveblank.com/category/air-force/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Air Force</a>building a <a href="http://steveblank.com/2010/07/12/nukeem-till-they-glow-%E2%80%93-quitting-my-first-job/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">scram system for a nuclear reactor</a> and a startup in Ann Arbor, Mich., but not much else.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">It was at my <a href="http://steveblank.com/category/zilog/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">second startup</a> in Silicon Valley that my life and career took an interesting turn. A recruiter found me while I was working in product marketing and wanted to introduce me to a hot startup making something called a workstation. "This is a technology-driven company, and your background sounds great. Why don't you send me a résumé and I'll pass it on." A few days later, I got a call back from the recruiter. "Steve, you left off your education. Where did you go to school?"</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">"I never finished college," I said.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. "Steve, the VP of sales and marketing previously ran their engineering department. He was a professor of computer science at Harvard, and his last job was running the Advanced Systems Division at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PARC_(company)" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Xerox PARC</a>. Most of the sales force were previously design engineers. I can't present a candidate without a college degree. Why don't you make something up?"</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">I still remember that exact instant of the conversation. In that moment, I realized I had a choice. But I had no idea how profound, important and lasting it would be. It would have been really easy to lie, and the recruiter was telling me to do so. "No one checks education anyway," he said. This was long before the days of the Internet.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><strong>Making the choice about my résumé</strong><br />I told him I'd think about it. And I did for a long time. After a few days, I sent him my updated résumé, and he passed it on to <a href="http://steveblank.com/category/convergent-technologies/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Convergent Technologies</a>. Soon after, I was asked to interview with the company. I can barely recall the other people I met, but I'll never forget the interview with Ben Wegbreit, the vice president of sales and marketing.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Wegbreit held up my résumé and said, "You know you're here interviewing because I've never seen a résumé like this. You don't have any college listed and there's no education section. You put '<a href="http://www.mensa.org/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Mensa</a>' here," he said, pointing to the section where education normally goes. "Why?" I looked back at him and said, "I thought Mensa might get your attention."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Wegbreit just stared at me for an uncomfortable amount of time. Then he abruptly said, "Tell me what you did in your previous companies." I thought this was going to be a storytelling interview like the others. But instead, the minute I said, "My first startup used <a href="http://www.althos.com/tutorial/CATV-Tutorial-What-is-CATV.html" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">CATV</a> coax to implement a local-area network for process control systems." (35 years ago, pre-Ethernet and TCP/IP, that was pretty cutting-edge.) Wegbreit said, "Why don't you go to the whiteboard and draw the system diagram for me?"   </div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Do what? Draw it? I dug deep and spent 30 minutes diagramming, trying to remember everything. With Wegbreit peppering me with questions, I could barely keep up. And there were a bunch of empty spaces where I couldn't remember some of the detail.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">When I was done explaining it I headed for the chair, but Wegbreit stopped me. "As long as you're at the whiteboard, why don't we go through the other two companies you were at." I couldn't believe it. I was already mentally exhausted, but we spent another half-hour with me drawing diagrams and Wegbreit asking questions.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Finally I sat down. Wegbreit looked at me for a long while, not saying a word. Then he stood up and opened the door, signaling me to leave. He shook my hand and said, "Thanks for coming in." What? That's it? Did I get the job or not?</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">That evening, I got a call from the recruiter. "Ben loved you. ... Congratulations."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><strong>Epilogue</strong><br />Three and a half years later, Convergent became a public company and I was a VP of marketing working for Wegbreit. Wegbreit ended up as my mentor at Convergent -- and for the rest of my career -- my peer at <a href="http://steveblank.com/category/ardent/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Ardent</a> and my partner and co-founder at Epiphany. I would never use Mensa on <a href="http://steveblank.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/sgb-1980-resume-at-26.png" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">my résumé</a> again, and my education section would always be empty.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">But every time I read about an executive who got caught in a résumé scandal, I remember the moment I had to choose.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><strong>Lessons learned</strong></div><ul style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><li style="margin-left: 6.9pt;">You will be faced with ethical dilemmas your entire career.</li><li style="margin-left: 6.9pt;">Taking the wrong path is most often the easiest choice.</li><li style="margin-left: 6.9pt;">These choices will seem like trivial and inconsequential shortcuts -- at the time.</li><li style="margin-left: 6.9pt;">Some of them will have lasting consequences.</li><li style="margin-left: 6.9pt;">It's not the lie that will catch up with you, it's the cover-up.</li><li style="margin-left: 6.9pt;">Choose wisely.</li></ul><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><em><br /></em></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><em>Steve Blank is a retired serial entrepreneur and author of "The Startup Owner's Manual" and "The Four Steps to the Epiphany." He lectures at Stanford University, the University of California Berkeley's Haas School of Business and Columbia University, and is the author and architect of the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps curriculum. He blogs about entrepreneurship at</em><a href="http://www.steveblank.com/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><em>www.steveblank.com</em></a><em>.</em></div>

Lie on your résumé?

One job-seeker's moment of truth Steve Blank, author of "The Startup Owner's Manual" and "The Four Steps to the Epiph...

The Drawn Out Process of the Medical Lawsuit - NYTimes.com

6:14 AM Tukiyooo 0

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">She was one of the most highly sought radiologists in her hospital, a doctor with the uncanny ability to divine the source of maladies from the shadows of black and white X-ray films.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">But one afternoon my colleague revealed that she had been named in a lawsuit, accused of overlooking an irregularity on a scan several years earlier. The patient suing believed she had missed the first sign of a now rampant cancer.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">While other radiologists tried to assure her that the "irregularity" was well within what might be considered normal, my colleague became consumed by the what-if's. What if she had lingered longer on the fateful film? What if she had doubled-checked her reading before signing off on the report?</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">She began staying late at the hospital to review, and re-review, her work. And she worried about her professional reputation, asking herself if colleagues were avoiding her and wondering if she would have trouble renewing her license or hospital privileges. At home she felt distracted, and her husband complained that she had become easy to anger.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">After almost a year of worry, my colleague went to court and was cleared of the charges. But it was, at best, a Pyrrhic victory. "I lost year of my life," she told me. "That lawsuit completely consumed me."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">She was not the first colleague to recount such an experience. And far from overstating the issue, doctors may in fact be underestimating the extent to which malpractice not only consumes their time but also undermines their ability to care for patients, according to a <a href="http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/32/1/111.full.pdf" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">new study in Health Affairs.</a></div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">For <a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=192559" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">more than 150 years</a>, the medical malpractice system has loomed over health care, and doctors, the <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1012370" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">vast majority of whom will face a lawsuit</a> sometime in their professional lives, remain ever vocal in their criticism of the system. But with <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1012370" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">few malpractice claims resulting in payments</a> and <a href="http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/10/22/prl11022.htm" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">liability premiums holding steady or even declining</a>, doctors have started to shift their focus from the financial aspects of malpractice to the untold hours spent focused on lawsuits instead of patient care.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Now <a href="http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/32/1/111.full.pdf" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">researchers are putting numbers</a> to those doctors' assertions. For the current study, they combed through the malpractice claims records of more than 40,000 doctors covered by a national liability insurer. They took note of the length of each claim, as well as any payments made, the severity of the injury and the specialty practiced by the physician being sued.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Most claims required almost two years from initiation of the lawsuit, and almost four years from the time of the event in question, to reach a resolution. Cases that resulted in payment or that involved more severe patient injuries almost always took longer.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The researchers then looked at the proportion of a doctor's career spent on an open claim. They discovered that on average, doctors spent more than four years of their career -- more time than they spent in medical school -- working through one or more lawsuits. Certain specialists were more vulnerable than others. Neurosurgeons, for example, averaged well over 10 years, or over a quarter of their professional life, embroiled in lawsuits.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">"These findings help to show why doctors care so intensely about malpractice and what they might face over the course of a lifetime," said Seth A. Seabury, lead author and a senior economist at the RAND corporation in Santa Monica, Calif.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The results also underscore what plaintiffs must endure. Previous studies have shown that when medical errors occur, patients prefer to have physicians acknowledge the mistake quickly and apologize as soon as possible. Though <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199107253250405" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">less than 5 percent of all errors</a> ever lead to a malpractice claim, lengthy claims drag out the process and, in certain cases, hold up what may be appropriate compensation.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Patients not directly involved can be affected as well. A legitimate malpractice lawsuit sometimes results in doctors or even entire institutions changing how they practice in order to prevent similar events from happening again. Lengthy legal wrangling can slow down these potentially important improvements.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">While these findings are only an indirect measure of the extent to which malpractice claims can affect doctors' and patients' lives, the study makes clear the importance of considering time, as well as cost, when looking at malpractice reform.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">"If we could get these cases resolved faster, we might be able to improve the efficiency of the system, lower costs and even improve quality of care for patients," Dr. Seabury said.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; ">"Having these things drag on is a problem for doctors <em>and</em> patients."</div></div><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/the-drawn-out-process-of-the-medical-lawsuit/?pagewanted=print">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/the-drawn-out-process-of-the-medical-lawsuit/?pagewanted=print</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

The Drawn Out Process of the Medical Lawsuit - NYTimes.com

She was one of the most highly sought radiologists in her hospital, a doctor with the uncanny ability to divine the source of maladies from ...

Living With Cancer: The Good Patient Syndrome - NYTimes.com

6:13 AM Tukiyooo 0

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; color: black; text-align: left; "><div id="well" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div align="left"><div class="entry-content"><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">I remember when being good seemed strategic.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">After the technician took out a pad to draw an inscrutable diagram, I nodded and pretended to recognize a squiggle at the center of what looked like a snail. I discussed my oncologist's research projects, instead of complaining about pain. Generally I answered a nurse's opening query -- "So how are you?"-- with a cheery "Good! How are you?" Grumbles about waiting interminably for a scan in a freezing room never rolled off my tongue. When an interventional radiologist managed to remove two stents from my body, I didn't fault the surgeon who left them there to trigger a massive infection followed by an allergic response to antibiotics: I sent a thank you note to the radiologist.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">What was wrong with me? Outside the medical sphere, I am prone to impatience, candor and bouts of argumentative fervor. Had feminine socialization kicked in? As a girl, I was trained to be courteous to people in positions of authority and to revere the saving knowledge of physicians. But men also exhibit symptoms of the good patient syndrome.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Indeed, Anatole Broyard preached its virtues in his book "Intoxicated by My Illness," although his version was less compliant, more ironic than mine. "If a patient expects a doctor to be interested in him, he ought to try to be interesting. When he shows nothing but a greediness for care, nothing but the coarser forms of anxiety, it's only natural for the doctor to feel an aversion." Following this logic, Broyard embarked upon an impersonation: "I never act sick. A puling person is not appealing." He therefore set out to charm his physicians -- to distinguish himself from boring, easily forgotten patients. I did this too, adding a pinch of obedience, a dash of gratitude, and a smidgen of eccentricity to the mix. One doesn't want to be just any old patient; patients are replaceable.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Since illness had never intoxicated me, why was I behaving like Broyard? The short answer is terror: these people could hurt me.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Were I to seem boring or easily forgotten, should I appear crabby or disagreeable, I might get neglected or, in my anxious imagination, harmed. Not consciously neglected or intentionally harmed, of course, because doctors and nurses have dedicated themselves to helping people whose sickness often makes them boring and disagreeable. But neglected or harmed nonetheless. Like most patients, I am keenly aware that the medical staff at most facilities are overloaded. It is easy to get left for hours unattended on a gurney or starved and freaked when surgeries are perpetually postponed or distressed and bruised when the bindings on limbs are roughly or hastily applied.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">But of course adopting the role of model patient does not provide a solution. Much of the caretaking in hospitals remains out of the control of our personal physicians and nurses. And in any case, too much ingratiating docility can be dangerous to a patient's health.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">If I had persisted in asking my surgeon about the fate of the stents that he had implanted in my body, he might have remembered to remove them. If I had not followed to the letter the dosage he prescribed of a heavy-duty antibiotic, especially as I began to get sick to my stomach and dizzy, I might not have had the full-body breakdown of an allergic reaction. Earlier still, if I had insisted on better bowel preps before my first abdominal surgery, or a postponement, maybe the stents and infection and the allergic reaction to antibiotics would never have happened.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Even before that, if I had challenged my general practitioner who diagnosed indigestion, maybe my cancer would have been found at an earlier stage. If my grandmother had wheels, she'd be an omnibus: that's a family joke.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">So much for the magical thinking that good patients receive the best care. Being a submissive or dutiful patient doesn't always pay off. Who exactly was I being good for? Sometimes it's good to be bad.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Was I good for nothing? When I was at my most puling and unappealing and too sick to be good, with pain so overwhelming that I had to be taken to my oncologist's examining room in a wheelchair, she placed her hand on my knee and kept it there while explaining how she would take care of me. Though I could not look her in the eye, though I could not speak for groaning, I took her point. I had foisted the good patient role on myself. She had always seen through the pose to the mortally sick human being. Why else would I be here, I realized.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">At that moment I resolved to renounce or rectify my goodness. I don't always succeed.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; "><em>Susan Gubar is a distinguished emerita professor of English at Indiana University and the author of "<a href="http://books.wwnorton.com/books/978-0-393-07325-6/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">Memoir of a Debulked Woman</a>," which explores her experience with ovarian cancer.</em></div></div></div></div></div><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/living-with-cancer-the-good-patient-syndrome/?pagewanted=print">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/living-with-cancer-the-good-patient-syndrome/?pagewanted=print</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Living With Cancer: The Good Patient Syndrome - NYTimes.com

I remember when being good seemed strategic. After the technician took out a pad to draw an inscrutable diagram, I nodded and pretended to r...

America's Housing Patterns

6:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

America's Housing Patterns

My latest Ideabook at Houzz zooms over the United States, looking at the various patterns created by houses, particularly in the suburbs. Be...

your space or mine

2:30 AM Anonymous 0

<br /><div class="p1">As I mentioned on my <span class="s1"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-goals.html" target="_blank">2013 goal list</a>,</span> redoing the girls’ room is on the agenda this year. So naturally Pinterest and I have kid rooms on the brain.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">Amelia (5) and I have had many talks about not decorating around ‘phases’. That although you may be really into Dora right now, you don’t want to decorate your entire room around Dora because when that phase passes, you’ll have a lot of changing to do. Not only a good lesson and true, but also gets me out of saying “hell no, I’m not doing a whole room around Dora”. Sorry Nick Jr.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0z-dRJZELcmG97cGa-onU4vwGEdjskCo1t3yeekutrzy5QbknJxWM7istw1bMHJhTcxne7gltHvXNae8CDlWfIgQ-leJhb2SjdVEKywkVOWWJyzK50LMb36IENHToKvVvSXBxaPl-DVE/s1600/kids-bedroom.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0z-dRJZELcmG97cGa-onU4vwGEdjskCo1t3yeekutrzy5QbknJxWM7istw1bMHJhTcxne7gltHvXNae8CDlWfIgQ-leJhb2SjdVEKywkVOWWJyzK50LMb36IENHToKvVvSXBxaPl-DVE/s640/kids-bedroom.jpeg" width="482" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sarahrichardsondesign.com/portfolio/project/west-coast-classic/kids-bedroom" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQP3j6zO1H9MVDIM_Dw0YO7e9UKdtqIF4XwEO7TAW0G8Tebwg4Y4Ubr-u_OAvyxRHfClJKTsmB7JaVy0k6huzYrfeY-aZXSjN8hvLuk7silyK-vbImZ017Le6gCLtGdrwY10nnBwA2CYd/s1600/small-spaces-shared-childrens-spaces.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQP3j6zO1H9MVDIM_Dw0YO7e9UKdtqIF4XwEO7TAW0G8Tebwg4Y4Ubr-u_OAvyxRHfClJKTsmB7JaVy0k6huzYrfeY-aZXSjN8hvLuk7silyK-vbImZ017Le6gCLtGdrwY10nnBwA2CYd/s640/small-spaces-shared-childrens-spaces.jpeg" width="604" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thehandmadehome.net/2012/02/small-spaces-shared-childrens-spaces/" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="p1">Whenever you hear designers talk about rooms for children they always talk about not getting too ‘themey’. Design a room that will, let’s say it all together now, <i>grow with your child</i>. And while I completely agree with that I worry that sometimes it can give crazy moms like me a free ticket out of including the kids' in the room at all. </div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">Of course my idea of a wonderful room is light years away from what the girls would pick. I'm loving a big layered bed with lots of pattern and Amelia wants Tinkerbell sheets. I'd love some really colorful abstract art on the wall and Eve wants pictures of Hello Kitty. And a light up Barbie is not my idea of killer lighting.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUN8rUtZjFtj9JslvgCq_g-9yPUJq75NsJ69Fc1RRIJrILW5g_A1wEaWT5D69_U_3-fa16bZMEa4pN7lzQk-86oGjodA2JUuULeEl3-nYMp-l5n76pI1Hkr6mJrsqbpGEWXD5mlO4SfvJF/s1600/4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUN8rUtZjFtj9JslvgCq_g-9yPUJq75NsJ69Fc1RRIJrILW5g_A1wEaWT5D69_U_3-fa16bZMEa4pN7lzQk-86oGjodA2JUuULeEl3-nYMp-l5n76pI1Hkr6mJrsqbpGEWXD5mlO4SfvJF/s640/4.jpeg" width="466" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://houseandhome.com/design/photo-gallery-international-homes?page=43" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Qbdz3K6ff66tK4MhgRa3wacaASGIbxwCWSI9fYKrzGQ_qt8-zRrfpZt62WJ6PImbxB62TGF4Moap6mSNqemiX1_mgr9CPcDXkazuqnxFmf3bN1F0e3vgR4eRWwaULy-4t7mYtR3jolAz/s1600/bunk+beds.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Qbdz3K6ff66tK4MhgRa3wacaASGIbxwCWSI9fYKrzGQ_qt8-zRrfpZt62WJ6PImbxB62TGF4Moap6mSNqemiX1_mgr9CPcDXkazuqnxFmf3bN1F0e3vgR4eRWwaULy-4t7mYtR3jolAz/s640/bunk+beds.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6896205649484352/" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="p1">But I do want the girls' to feel like it is indeed their room. I want them to want to be in there. I want them to feel comfortable with and proud of their space, just as I would want for any adult that I work with. So I might have to bend in some areas and pick my battles. Which is true in every aspect of parenting, isn't it? And after all, we adults go through phases as well. We just call them trends. </div><div class="p1"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AIIjySiOWWKCBz9aN1rMoQSUhT7nc7s64hMkAq38Ew45ElTHMUAP7hEu8kRQBNvh8PoYPg-mV1FAdTuRT4v49D9KBk1_NTlRyIEyISNizwzwjl1mucCyk5DXFvRhAocP-1bax352qRGY/s1600/Trenna-Design-682x10232.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AIIjySiOWWKCBz9aN1rMoQSUhT7nc7s64hMkAq38Ew45ElTHMUAP7hEu8kRQBNvh8PoYPg-mV1FAdTuRT4v49D9KBk1_NTlRyIEyISNizwzwjl1mucCyk5DXFvRhAocP-1bax352qRGY/s640/Trenna-Design-682x10232.jpeg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/trennatravis" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1JmvrHsfijEFH0NVPuMjpdQm36YG3m10cv1zfoYmfthyphenhypheng0ZwctuhRv11GTZ3hcMsouXQaQUoMoju7i3nuc-HCr2FwnWtircpriazJ8tT6mWcMFWz35CRdjJNHKY204APZvBW3DwHQx8d/s1600/photo-gallery-international-homes.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1JmvrHsfijEFH0NVPuMjpdQm36YG3m10cv1zfoYmfthyphenhypheng0ZwctuhRv11GTZ3hcMsouXQaQUoMoju7i3nuc-HCr2FwnWtircpriazJ8tT6mWcMFWz35CRdjJNHKY204APZvBW3DwHQx8d/s640/photo-gallery-international-homes.jpeg" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://houseandhome.com/design/photo-gallery-international-homes?page=43" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjz1TNR-7NeYYZH8bFZO3VA_yAPPwa2S4hUCjitJcv1nSzHASnr0yry9znnPNo-s3QhyihJ_wpqmLPt_CQ6Qpe9bHgoFDLufHgJw645QwcsAZk2QyLBYSwSmy045imJn3TngLDPTXFP86/s1600/zebra-rug-for-sale.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjz1TNR-7NeYYZH8bFZO3VA_yAPPwa2S4hUCjitJcv1nSzHASnr0yry9znnPNo-s3QhyihJ_wpqmLPt_CQ6Qpe9bHgoFDLufHgJw645QwcsAZk2QyLBYSwSmy045imJn3TngLDPTXFP86/s640/zebra-rug-for-sale.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chiccheapnursery.com/2012/design-advice/design-inspirations-pinterest-monday-13012/" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="p1">Do you think it's possible to achieve a room that is well designed but also represents the kid(s) who lives there? Do you go with ‘last until they’re a teenager’ school of thought? Or are you more of a ‘we’ll refresh it in a few years’ person?  </div>

your space or mine

As I mentioned on my 2013 goal list , redoing the girls’ room is on the agenda this year. So naturally Pinterest and I have kid rooms on th...

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 01/25/2013

1:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://mac.tutsplus.com/tutorials/productivity/taming-the-elephant-awesome-evernote-tips-and-tricks/">Taming the Elephant: Awesome Evernote Tips and Tricks | Mactuts+</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">This post has some excellent tutorials on advanced features in evernote. I use saved searches all of the time in evernote. Some great tips here if you use evernote.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/productivity">productivity</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/evernote">evernote</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.ghanamma.com/archive/2012/12/europe-opens-its-online-education-to-the-world/">Europe opens its online education to the world | Ghanamma.com</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Colleges and universities are entering an era of global competition with k12 schools not far behind. While I think it is likely that lower grade levels that require face to face contact will require more in person schools, it is likely that online elearning platforms, particularly for students who are disciplined and can learn in this format, will increase. Language learning, history, and more will be transformed as classrooms flatten and merge in ways we cannot begin to understand. Schools that take steps to globalize and understand this new world of education are positioning themselves long term. With some districts spending more than 10,000 per student and running out of money, it could be understandable that buying a computer and internet access and paying an organization (one even out of country) would make sense -- if they only look at it from a cost perspective. This is, of course, not understanding the economic impact of having local schools and local teachers. There are more reasons than ever to support your local school, but also, for parents and school board members to insist that schools aren't just bricks but are clicks - how are they connecting online? How are they connecting with the world? The walled garden may not only be a mistake for kids, it may be a death sentence for schools unprepared for the global tidal wave of education that is rapidly moving online.  No one knows what this is going to look like, only that online education is changing.   "A new portal has been launched make the quickly growing European study options even more accessible for learners around the world: www.DistanceLearningPortal.eu. Funded by the European Union and developed by the European study choice platform Studyportals and EADTU, this central information source will support orienting learners worldwide to study abroad from home. On 27 September 2012 the portal was officially launched by Commissioner Vasiliou</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/highered">highered</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/23/3907672/forty-public-universities-will-offer-free-online-courses">Forty public universities will offer free online courses with full credit starting this spring | The Verge</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Forty public universities, including Arizona State, Cleveland State, and the University of Arkansas, are planning to offer free online courses that carry full credit in an effort to entice potential students to sign up for a full degree program. The new initiative, know as MOOC2Degree (MOOC stands for massive open online course), is being run in a partnership between the universities and Academic Partnerships, a commercial company that helps universities move their courses online. As part of this initiative, Academic Partnerships will work with the universities to recruit for these courses and will receive a cut of any tuition from students who sign on for further study.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/highered">highered</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edreform">edreform</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/mooc">mooc</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/01/24/macmillan-to-launch-library-ebook-pilot-this-spring/">Macmillan to Launch Library eBook Pilot This Spring</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">"Macmillan will begin their first ebook library lending program by the end of the Q1 2013. They plan to initially test the idea with 1,200 backlist titles from their Minotaur Books imprint. The ebooks will be available via Axis 360, OverDrive, and 3M Cloud Library. Once purchased by a library, the titles can be lent for either 2 years or 52 lends, whichever comes first. All of the books in the program will have the same digital list price."</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/library">library</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/ebook">ebook</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://hastac.org/blogs/cathy-davidson/2013/01/23/bill-rights-and-principles-learning-digital-age-full-document-plus-b">Bill of Rights and Principles for Learning in a Digital Age: Full Document plus Back Story | HASTAC</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">HASTAC has this draft up for comment on their website.  HASTAC has the draft up on their website for comment.</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/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/digiteen">digiteen</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/digital literacy">digital literacy</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=59867">Boundless, the free alternative to textbooks, releases its content under Creative Commons</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">New textbooks from Boundless are being released under the same license as Wikipedia. Read more on Stephen Downes website, but realize that textbooks -- free textbooks- are going to be proliferating and some may end up meeting needs quite nicely. Textbook companies are going to have to sell more than words on a page, but experiences, projects, connections, and apps to be worth the price and even then, educators will be able to cobble together their own in ways that may become very powerful. We talk about the evolution of the textbook some in Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/textbooks">textbooks</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/using-qr-codes-in-classroom-monica-burns">Five Reasons I Love Using QR Codes in My Classroom | Edutopia</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">QR codes are very convenient and this article from Edutopia does a nice job of outlining some of the benefits of using QR codes in the classroom. If you get into this, I have a blog post on my blog called "QR Code Classroom Guide" to help you get started.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/qrcodes">qrcodes</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://hastac.org/blogs/petradt/2013/01/23/married-mooc-part-1">Married to the MOOC (Part 1) | HASTAC</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Sebastian Thrun's wife, Petra Dierkes-Thrun writes an article on HASTAC about what it is like being "married to the MOOC" including glimpses into how they filmed lectures in their basements. This MOOC made news when, after a New York Times article was written, over 160,000 people signed up for this MOOC about Artificial Intelligence run by two experts. It became the largest class taught up until that point with students from around the world.  I found this  a fascinating read about what happens when LEARNING -- yes, I said LEARNING goes viral. This is only the beginning - the first "viral course" of many to come. Wake up and be aware,  </p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/moocs">moocs</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/highered">highered</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edreform">edreform</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/01/sweet-now-you-can-use-google-slides.html">Sweet! Now You Can Use Google Slides Offline</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">You can use Google Presentations offline now, a major reason many of us wouldn't consider using Google Presentations over Keynote or PowerPoint. It still doesn't have a lot of the flexibility of those two or even Prezi but for those heavily using Google Apps for Domains, it is a big plus. Hat tip to Richard Byrne at Free Tech for Teachers for this nice article.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/google">google</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/apps">apps</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/presentations">presentations</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/collaborative-writing-with-etherpad-lite-on-mac-os-x/45487">Collaborative Writing with Etherpad-Lite on Mac OS X</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">While Google docs is great, when we had our conference in Beijing, China, we used etherpad installed on some servers out of Hong Kong. The original collaborative writing tool, Etherpad is very powerful. This in depth article teaches you how to set up etherpad on your own server and some of the benefits of using the tool. If Google Docs is blocked for you, this is a great alternative, although it does require a bit of tweaking or a lack of fear and ability to follow directions. </p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/collaborative writing">collaborative writing</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/wiki_book">wiki_book</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/apps">apps</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://blog.acthompson.net/2013/01/csta-k-12-computer-science-standards.html">CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards correlated with the Common Core</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">We should teach Computer Science because it is important to our future, but if you really need justification, Alfred Thompson shares the new alignments of Computer Science topics with all kinds of standards including Common Core.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/commoncore">commoncore</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://holtthink.tumblr.com/post/41358234463">We suck on international education tests, but not for the reasons you think</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Very interesting read about affluence gaps (less in the US) and how the US is really suffering on PISA international tests because to students are dropping,</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/testing">testing</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://m.cultofmac.com/cultofmac/#!/entry/drafts-new-automation-options-make-your-ipad-as-powerful-as,5101bb30d7fc7b5670030c0d/1">Cult of Mac</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">I've been reading up on the "Drafts" app because of the useful new features I've been reading about. This article at the cult of mac on Drafts' new automation options, is the best article I've read on drafts and some of the more advanced features. If you don't understand it, it is worth trying. I'm just barely understanding the incredible things I can do with it, but many are just starting to use it for writing just about anything. Cool.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/productivity">productivity</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/ios">ios</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/apps">apps</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5978176/share-your-best-iftt-recipe">Share Your Best IFTTT Recipe</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">There's an interesting discussion going on over at lifehacker about the best ifttt "recipes." Ifttt is "if this then that" and is an automation program that does amazing, very cool things. I've integrated it with my wemo, for example, and have it turning off and on my lights in the den and logging when there is action or motion in the kitchen. This is one of those posts you'll want to look at the comments.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/productivity">productivity</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/ifttt">ifttt</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/automation">automation</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5978590/drafts-updates-with-more-dropbox-actions-url-actions-and-workflow-automation">Drafts Updates with More Dropbox Actions, URL Actions, and Workflow Automation</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Drafts is a handy app for those who who use a variety of tools like Evernote and dropbox. For example, you can jot a note and click a button to send it to Twitter, Dropbox, Evernote and more -- (like if you want to save copies of certain tweets, etc. since it is so hard to get things out of Twitter.) I'm not entirely clear on the workflow automation piece of Drafts after watching this video on lifehacker but am going to learn more about this handy app.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/productivity">productivity</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/iphone">iphone</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/automation.">automation.</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2013/01/faster-image-search.html">Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: A faster image search</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Google image search is being redesigned. I hope that one of the big changes that the quote below means is that we'll have more transparency with copyright. So many times, when I ask a source, students say "Google Images." No. No. No. Google images isn't a source, it is a search engine. You must quote the original source!! Hopefully this will make it easier.  From Google Webmaster central... "We now display detailed information about the image (the metadata) right underneath the image in the search results, instead of redirecting users to a separate landing page. We’re featuring some key information much more prominently next to the image: the title of the page hosting the image, the domain name it comes from, and the image size."</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/google">google</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/images">images</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/copyright">copyright</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literacy">literacy</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/citizenship">citizenship</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/teachers-parents-students.html?m=1">Teacher Tom: Teachers, Parents, Students</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">A school in seattle has parents, students, teachers refusing to administer the MAP test. Teacher Tom clearly shares why this is happening and why it is a good idea (the margin of error in the test is broad and it is being used to unfairly evaluate teachers.)  When tests are used to evaluate teachers, those tests should be accurate. Testing, also, should be the exception, not the rule, and overtesting is causing problems. At my school, while individual teachers have tests - everyone has just one standardized testing period a year - that is it. The students do very well and we move on. We have no pep rallies, we just let parents know to make sure their kids get rest and that's it.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/testing">testing</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edreform">edreform</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>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 01/25/2013

Taming the Elephant: Awesome Evernote Tips and Tricks | Mactuts+ This post has some excellent tutori...

Wine Makes the Winter Go Quickly

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nG2LoDOe3to55j-f06Y0gW8Bq9NsNHj0sbU-s3ToyV8MVtHD8i20pgtAu_rk-AXiQxh4jt6B2VOtl-BuRWsppozRL_rqbHzg_al6vJ56K0OHxeUA8-hyCrj8t9ikxgV1qXPmbi_4CXw/s1600/Matt-Man.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/AVvXsEi0nG2LoDOe3to55j-f06Y0gW8Bq9NsNHj0sbU-s3ToyV8MVtHD8i20pgtAu_rk-AXiQxh4jt6B2VOtl-BuRWsppozRL_rqbHzg_al6vJ56K0OHxeUA8-hyCrj8t9ikxgV1qXPmbi_4CXw/s320/Matt-Man.jpg" width="265" /></a>Cheers and a cordial Friday to you all.  Matt-Man here.<br /><br />A Matt-Man who is feeling, shall we say, slightly moderated and oh, I don’t know, rustic, in the sense of sharp cheese, crusty bread, washed back with a good wine kind of way.<br /><br />Yes indeed, my friends.  I do get to feeling this way at this time of year…The time of year when the January winds blow cold and raw, ushering in nothing but snow…and ice…and of course, the gray, low hanging skies of despair.<br /><br />This is the time of year when the light of the sun is turned way down low, and the howling winds along with the banshee cries of crows foraging for parking lot French Fries thrown asunder by Wal*Mart shoppers, de-harmonize into a cacophony of every awful 70’s porn sound track ever made.<br /><br />And as the low winter sky dims, and the discordant symphony echoes through every forest, glen, and valley, Mother Nature and Old Man Winter get their groove on above us.<br /><br />As their sick and surreal bodies writhe in pleasure during their frigid and frozen lovemaking, we, against our collective will, become the recipients and caretakers of their offspring.<br /><br />The winter twins known as, <i>Heartache</i> and <i>Sorrow</i>.<br /><br />But my friends, do not allow your timbers to be shivered, for there is hope.  There is a panacea that helps to preempt the evil duo’s procreation and prevent the prodigy of the pernicious winter pair from visiting your parlor.<br /><br />I discovered it years ago during the, <i>I Lost My Big Toe Due to Hypothermia Winter of Aught Three</i>. It is called…<b>Wine</b>.<br /><br />I know.  I know.  Matt-Man is a big beer drinker you say in disbelief, but c’mon, as you know, I also enjoy my share of Wild Irish Rose.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzRIXLql8X34Pc7Oru5EOhmzXGAGYqtBAGK98IBXct4U5WSU8AZ1V5tUa6NpmoK625JgeCzo7csPrs5sbBvfpywnK0hLS7UleFUYvBrgWHL28pRq8fwBrmpmOhUT2fC5p9bk838nU9Ao/s1600/FLOWERFACE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzRIXLql8X34Pc7Oru5EOhmzXGAGYqtBAGK98IBXct4U5WSU8AZ1V5tUa6NpmoK625JgeCzo7csPrs5sbBvfpywnK0hLS7UleFUYvBrgWHL28pRq8fwBrmpmOhUT2fC5p9bk838nU9Ao/s400/FLOWERFACE.JPG" width="250" /></a>I know. I know. You reply once more, <i>“But that’s not really wine. That’s a death sentence.”</i>  Please…it is more than wine; it’s a life giving force.  However…<br /><br />If you’re not into the, in your face force of Wild Irish Rose, you can always drink a wine called <i>Flowerface</i> in order to get you through the doldrums of winter.<br /><br />I have tried it and I love it; although for me, it does have one drawback…It has an actual cork.  As more of connoisseur of twist off wines, I was at first hesitant, but…<br /><br />I fear the cork no longer, and will drink it again and again especially in the winter, and why is that, you ask?<br /><br />In addition to the well-noticed, but not overpowering taste, it is perhaps the most aromatic wine I have ever had.  The aroma is prefect for winter drinking, because once you open the bottle, it smells like spring.<br /><br />When I opened a bottle of <i><a href="http://www.mcmimports.com/home/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Flowerface</span></a></i> the other night and the aroma embraced my nose, I was envisioning dancing naked ‘neath a warm and life-giving vernal rain shower, as flowers budded and burgeoned around me, and my neighbor screamed, <i>“Why are you dancing naked in my garden?  I’m calling the police!!”</i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And while the dancing naked in a neighbor’s garden may be a bit of poetic license on my part, the smell of the <i><a href="http://www.mcmimports.com/home/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Flowerface</span></a></i> wine that I experienced, is not.  It is very good.</div><br />So there you have it.  Matt-Man being helpful as always, and helping you to get through the doldrums of winter with my ultimate word of advice…<br /><br />Drink more wine, and if you’d like to drink a bottle of what Spring feels like, contact<i> <a href="http://www.mcmimports.com/home/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">MCM Imports</span></a></i> and they can hook you up on where to get some <i>Flowerface</i>, and their other fine wines.<br /><br />Of course, as I am also true to my love of the Bagwine that is Wild Irish Rose…Here’s an old video of Jayman, for the first time, drinking a bottle of WIR that I had sent him:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>                           <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BTLsd4gyAJI" width="420"></iframe><br /><i>Cheers!!</i><br /><br /><i>Matt-Man</i><br /><br /><i><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a></i><br /><i><span style="color: blue;">@MattMan_IWS</span></i></div>

Wine Makes the Winter Go Quickly

Cheers and a cordial Friday to you all. Matt-Man here. A Matt-Man who is feeling, shall we say, slightly moderated and oh, I don’t know, ru...