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|This hybrid has been out there a few years now I think. Anyone fruiting and have an opinion?
Follow-Up Postings:
|I'd be very interested to hear the answer to windfall_rob's question too. I recall that some one replied to an alike inquiry here I think last Fall saying taste/texture was fine, but size may have been an issue. Hopefully that will improve as the tree matures. No fruit yet for me.
I chose this variety for it's advertised hardiness, edible qualities, and maybe most importantly at least for me - early harvest. It will be nice to be able to extend the harvest dates to the early side of the plum season. This could also help out with any possible future Brown rot and bug issues. Hopefully all of these facts will prove out to be correct over time. At least am hoping so.
- Posted by franktank232 z5 WI (My Page) on Fri, Dec 30, 11 at 14:57
|I tell you guys what...someone needs to get serious in breeding hardy plums. Crossing some of the hybrids with pluots and making a Flavor King type pluot hardy to about -30F :) Most of the hybrids (except Black Ice, which i know nothing about) seem like they were developed ages ago....
If I get some pluots (grown in containers), i'll try crossing them with Superior/Alderman/etc and grow out the seedlings...
|That name makes the fruit sound kind of dangerous- you have to be sure to not drive your car onto any. The next release in the series can be the Perilous Peach or the Menacing Mango...
|I have done some further research on these plums this eve. The actual trade-name is 'Lydecker'. The licensed marketing name is the 'Black Ice'. I think I'd be tempted to try them regardless of their name ;>).
Franktank - I'd like to suggest to you, if you haven't already, to look up the 2012 Fedco Seeds catalog and check out their description on this plum. Maybe their is some sort of an opportunity for you to tour the plum breeding program at the U of Wisc in River Falls that it mentions. It sounds rather dedicated to me in their brief description. Maybe it could at least give you some ideas towards any of your own future efforts at plum crossing and to also report back to us.
- Posted by windfall_rob (My Page) on Sat, Dec 31, 11 at 8:31
|Well, It sounds like we are all interested in this but no one yet has first hand experience. Perhaps in another year.
Does anyone know what is considered acceptable and legal practice when grafting in material still under patent? Is it as easy as finding some scion and then sending a couple of bucks to the university, or am I supposed to go through one of their licensed propagators like Fedco or SLN?
I have started a couple threads on plums the last few days, and should have probably kept them all together but alternatives keep occurring to me as I revisit my choices. So in that light. Anyone have opinions or experience with the SLN varieties "Vermont plum" or "Percy's"?
- Posted by plumhillfarm (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 12 at 9:40
|Send me an email, I have much of what is available for hardy plums which you can take scions from.
- Posted by scottfsmith 6B-7A-MD (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 12 at 12:29
|Eric, since you are growing so many hardy plums, please tell us what some of your favorites are. I can grow less hardy ones myself but find that a lot of good breeding has been going on for hardy plums and many work well for me -- along with hardiness from the Americans plums in the crosses comes the greater disease resistance I need. One of my favorite hardy plums now is Purple Heart, it has been reliable and very tasty for me. Superior is good but can get too mushy. Le Crescent is too bland and cracks.
- Posted by athenainwi Z4b/5 WI (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 12 at 12:41
|I planted Black Ice last spring. I had the hardest time finding it as Jungs had sold out. I haven't had it fruit yet so I can't say anything about it. If you do want it, order early from Jungs. I believe it would be illegal to take scions from it and if you buy from a vendor then you're supporting the UW breeding program and hopefully we'll get more good plums from them.
- Posted by franktank232 z5 WI (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 12 at 13:35
|I'd like to get cuttings of Waneta, Underwood, Toka, Pipestone and graft them all onto my Alderman tree (which I find very mediocre)... I have that and Superior.
I grafted Superior onto peach roots this summer...be interesting to see how it does.
- Posted by franktank232 z5 WI (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 12 at 15:12
|Looks like Fedco has a lot of plum scion... I really have no more room for more plum trees, although i will say that my family seems to perfer plums to peaches or anything else for that matter.
- Posted by northwoodswis4 4a (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 12 at 16:44
|My black ice plum tree from Jungs got about a dozen plums the first year. They were small, but very delicious. And yes, it was an early plum. I live only about 15 miles from where it was developed, so assume it will be hardy for our area. Northwoodswis4
- Posted by windfall_rob vt4 (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 12 at 19:11
I was hoping you would ask. I can't get to your e-mail through gardenweb. I just changed my profile to allow you to see my e-mail. I am told you need to cut and paste from there as the gardenweb submission form doesn't work.
Athena, I am fully in support of plant breeders and have no problem with royalties...as I said. I just don't know how it works for scion....can't be more than the royalty on a whole tree, but perhaps it can only be done by previous agreement. I was hoping someone here might know the story better. I just can't quite bring myself to buy a tree just to cut scion from it.
Frank, Yes fedco is offering a bunch as scion. But I know there are several in their collection not on the list this year. Purple heart included.
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Every summer, one ugly competition takes place at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in California. Dogs from around the country gather in hopes of taking home the title of "World's Ugliest Dog." Award-winning documentarians John Beck and Don R. Lewis take us backstage and on a race for the top prize in their new film Worst in Show.
There's a special screening this weekend here in Seattle for Worst in Show and Rhonda Manville from the Seattle Humane Society joins New Day with a special friend "Gizmo".
For adoption information contact the Seattle Humane Society at: http://www.seattlehumane.org/
The Worst in Show documentary will be playing at the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle on May 22nd at 4:00 P.M and 6:00 P.M. For ticket information please click here
For more information regarding the documentary Worst in Show please click here to visit the film's website.
The "World's Ugliest Dog" contest takes place on June 24th at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California. For contest entry forms, rules, and information please click here

subset: commoncrawl


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Call 440-914-0000 or email [contact seller] 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo S 18,300 ORIGINAL miles! EXCELLENT original condition! Black paint Black full leather interior NO... More
This beautiful 90's survivor with 86,000 CERTIFIED CLEAN CARFAX MILES is in wonderful condition inside and out, and features a near flawless ARCTIC SILVER... More
1998 Porsche 911 Carrera C2S CoupeExtremely Rare, 1998 Porsche 993 C2S. This is the Last Year of the Air Cooled Porsches. Exceptionally rare example... More
1999 Porsche 911 / 996 The Porsche 996 is the internal designation for the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between 1998 and 2005. At its... More
1993 PORSCHE RS AMERICAExotic Classics is proud to present this brilliant 1993 Porsche RS America. Featured in Black with Black interior, this car has... More
The Porsche 993 is the most widley recognized of the late model classic air-cooled cars. With its 281 hp engine mated to a 6... More
The 1998 Carrera "S" coupe is currently the most sought after Porsche by collectors around the world. This is because it was made as... More
Porsches version of the Goldilocks tale is the 993-generation 911, the one many Porschephiles agree that the company got just right. Its an ideal... More
Of the 993 range the pinnacle for is the C4S. Introduced in 1996 this special version of the Carrera 4 was introduced with... More
In 1992, Porsche re-introduced a limited-edition RS model, inspired by the 1973 Carrera RS and emissions-legal in Europe only. In 1993, appeals from American... More
The 996 generation of 911 debuted in 1999 with arguably the most radical departure from the iconic formula yet. Featuring a new interior, water-cooled... More
1992 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Cabriolet "America Roadster" - 1 of 250 factory production Roadsters made in 1992 and 1993. A genuine low-production Porsche... More
1991 Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo CoupeExotic Classics presents a 1991 Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo Coupe finished in black with a black leather interior With... More
Offered here is a great opportunity for someone that wants to get into the rapidly growing market of the the Porsche scene. We... More
Low-mileage Guards Red 1990 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet. Type-964 911s are a perennial favorite among Porsche enthusiasts for their air-cooled 3.6L engine, 5-speed manual... More


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|The Girls... Ready for Anything
Our town, along with many others, is preparing for the worst. And hoping for the best.
After grocery shopping for all the essentials... food for us, biscuits for the hounds, corn on the cob (as a special treat) for the chickens, and carrots for the bunnies, we turned our attention to securing the backyard.
|Nighty-night Sleepy Heads
We were urged into this with the impending hurricane, fearing for the chicks in the small coop that may/might very well tip over in the wind. Now, rest assured, they are all quite safe, having the generously sized (and weighted) playhouse-turned-coop in which to take shelter from the storm.
|A Safe Haven for Bun Bun
So, Brie and I came up with the bright idea of putting a wire cage inside the coop for him. This is where he will rest for the night, and into tomorrow, as long as necessary, until the worst passes.
|The Garden... Pre-Storm


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More companies and creative people make their facebook fan page, and these include Creatego. Perhaps you wonder why and how it helps the fan page?
Having such a page or Facebook group you can gather fans, or people who like the company, service, product (eg Orange, Moldcell) or your creations if you are a creative musician, photographer, painter and so on (Eg Michael Jackson, FamiliaStratan)
Okay, suppose you have your page and besides this there are some fans of the page. What you have to gain from this?
Well maybe anything, if only 10-50 fans, but let's suppose you have over 5,000. With a large number of fans this page will give you more benefits. In this article I will tell you just about one important benefit.
This is – Advertising Free and Fast!
For example, today you launched a new product, new service or some hot offer and you want some target customers know about it. Your page will allow you to inform them quickly through a simple post on your wall or others, a little more advanced opportunities. In a few hours your customers will find out about this news.
If you are a creative person, you can announce about the launch of a new theatrical piece, a concert, the appearance of new artistic work etc.
This is why some companies spend big money to accumulate more fans. Once a person (facebook user) presses "Like" on your page, he remains a fan for his entire life, or until there's facebook, or until he'll be motivated to be a fan of the page, the group etc.
There are many opportunities to gather as many fans as possible. In the next article I will tell you about Dezvoltare.md page that has accumulated 1000 + fans for a month and how you can gather this number of fans or even more in a short period of time.
Author: Nicolai Mihailiuc


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Legends are not made to be forgotten, but to inspire generations to come. In his story from Amritsar to Caxton Hall (The UK), Code Red Featuring Jogi The Punjabi Rapper, tells the story of Udham Singh in his track 'Kaum Sheran Dee' off of Code Red's long awaited album "The Code Of The Streets".
Code Red ft Jogi – "Kaum Sheran Dee",


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Brad Doyle
Title: Salesman
Location: Greenville, SC
Member since: Feb 02, 2012KDS Commercial Properties
My Affiliations
Greenville, SC
Phone Numbers:
Office:(864) 242-4200
Latest Activity
Brad Doyle joined on Feb 02, 2012
Sold/Leased ListingsThere are currently no sold or leased listings in our system for this broker.
My Mini PitchNo background information available.
My PitchBrad Doyle Broker Associate 864.242.4200 x. 202 Brad Doyle serves as an associate with KDS Commercial Properties where he specializes in office sales and leasing. He has experience with landlord and tenant representation In addition to his work in the general office sector, Brad has also been responsible for extensive site searches for corporate retail and multi-family developers across South Carolina and North Carolina. PROFESSIONAL CAREER Brad has been involved in commercial real estate since 2007. Prior to obtaining a real estate license, Brad has worked with a number of small businesses in business development, sales, and marketing. His professional experience includes wealth development and housing advisory services to low and middle income families. Most recently he had an integral role in the growth of a bottled spring water company, serving as the Director of Business Development. EDUCATION Brad has a BS in Sociology from The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. He regularly attends professional development education and is pursuing the CCIM designation. PERSONAL Brad is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee where he was heavily involved in the community. He has been involved in numerous Habitat for Humanity projects. He is heavily involved in fundraising and mentoring of volunteer leaders in Greenville's area chapter of Young Life. Brad is married and has one son. His personal interests include tennis, reading, and various home improvement projects.
My Markets
United States
Metro Areas:
Concentration Areas
Acquisitions, Leasing, Sublease, Tenancy in Common (TIC), Tenant Representation, Zoning
Property Types:
MultiFamily Apartments, Tax Credit Housing, Executive/Shared Suites, Medical/Healthcare, Office Condominium, Multi Tenant Office, Single Tenant Office, Call Center, Neighborhood Center, Restaurant, Single Tenant Retail (NNN), Mixed Use, Church Properties, Commercial Land Development, Padsites
Years of Experience:


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Posts filed under 'Mexico'
Update from the Field: Client training in Mexico, saying "hello!" to Burkina Faso, + learn a little bit about Albania!
Compiled by Isabel Balderrama | KF17 + KF18 | Bolivia
This week our intrepid team of KF-18 fellows brings us an interesting mix of stories from a wide variety of countries. From taking a lesson on how to raise and care for sheep in Mexico, to learning more about little-known countries such as Burkina Faso and Albania, this week's posts are sure to keep your interest. Read on for a fellow's take on what it is that's keeping Africa from achieving unity and to catch a glimpse of what a fellow's first few days at work are like in a new and challenging environment.
Bonne Arrivée: Welcome to Ouagadougou
Diana Biggs | KF18 | Burkina Faso
Freshly arrived to our favorite city to pronounce, Diana tells us a little bit about the challenges, and the joys, of living and working in her hot and humid new environment.
A United Africa Part One: What is standing in the way?
Carissa Look | KF18 | Ghana
Here, Carissa brings us Part One of a two-part blog about the political and communication barriers that face the countries of Africa throughout their quest to become a more united continent. In this first installment Carissa explains how Africa's sheer size is a great impediment to its countries working together.
Mexican Tale of Women and Sheep
Emmanuel M. von Arx | KF 16+17 | Mexico
In his last post, Emmanuel covered FRAC's involvement with "Mexico's greatest artisan fair" and thus made us aware of some of the non-financial services that this partner MFI provides its clients. In this post, Emmanuel stays on this topic by telling us about another non-financial service provided by FRAC: Sheep-rearing courses provided by a UNAM-educated veterinarian. Read on to learn a little more about the benefits of this service, and also if you've always been curious as to why sheep have four stomach compartments.
A United Africa Part Two: Why is my internet so slow, why are my phone calls so expensive and what can be done about it to unite Africa, enhance Kiva, and speed development?
Carissa Look | KF18 | Ghana
After reading this first installment about some of the possible geopolitical causes for a lack of unity in the African continent, Carissa moves on to analyze the high cost of telecommunications as a culprit for some African nation's lack of cooperation with its neighbors and the rest of the world. In this post, Carissa also explains how these challenges affect Kiva's work in Ghana.
Spotlight on Europe's most mysterious country
Alice Reeves | KF18 | Kosovo & Albania
As you might remember, on her last post Alice enlightened us on one of her two assigned destinations: Pristina, Kosovo. This time around we are taken on a brief historical and geographical tour of Albania, her second destination, and she also introduces us to VisionFund Albania (VFA), the partner MFI she will also be working with.
Updates from the Past Month:
Update from the Field
Life as a Fellow in San Francisco, a walk through an art fair + becoming part of a winning soccer team
Appreciating Volunteers & Poetry from a Newly Arrived Fellow
Introducing joinFITE.org, a new platform designed to empower women in entrepreneurship
Plus, more pictures from the past week:
Update from the Field: Kiva's new coffee partner and female empowerment in the Middle East
Compiled by Isabel Balderrama | KF17 | Ecuador
Having been in the field for a little over three months now, KF-17 fellows' posts begin taking a retrospective look at what has been accomplished over the past few months while working with their different MFIs worldwide. From having played a role in getting a new kind of Kiva partnership up and running to working with two MFIs dedicated to helping women get ahead in male dominated Palestine, it is clear that this is the time for a Kiva Fellow to reflect on his or her accomplishments, as well as those of the MFIs they have been involved with. Read this week's posts to find out more about the exciting experiences that two of KF-17's members have had during the lenght of their fellowship.
Coffee Time: Welcoming La Unión Regional Huatusco to Kiva
La Unión Regional de Pequeños Productores de Café Huatusco (La Unión Regional) is Kiva's first non-microfinance institution partner in Latin America. It's a member-owned coffee cooperative dedicated to helping their largely rural, low-income members bring their coffee to market at a fair price.
By partnering with organizations other than microfinance institutions, Kiva is able to provide much-needed support to individuals who would typically not have access to credit. And, while there are other micro-lenders in the small city of Huatusco, their reach is limited, and the costs can be high for the borrowers. La Unión Regional offers loans to provide support for their members in a way that encourages hard work and helps them achieve their goals.
Hello Spring: It's Time to Celebrate
Compiled by Kiyomi Beach | KF17 | Mexico
Whether shaking off the chill of winter, welcoming the rainy season, or experiencing any other climate change, the spring can definitely be a time to celebrate. Some countries celebrate big which can mean local business owners have a surge in income from selling items related to the festivities. Sales for new clothes, fabrics for costumes, candies, and specialty foods increase, which give some Kiva borrowers an extra reason to celebrate.
While we may all be familiar with some holidays or festivals, each culture celebrates what may seam like a familiar holiday differently. Some countries have celebrations that are uniquely their own, with the common threads being are family and fun. Lets see how a few of the fellows celebrated.
Continue Reading 20 April 2012 at 09:00 kiyomibeach 4 comments
Getting to Know The Real Mexico
Kiyomi Beach | KF17 | Mexico
When I found out I was being placed in Mexico, I was not exactly thrilled. I wanted to go someplace exotic, and far from home. Living in California, I've had lots of exposure to Mexican culture, so I thought that I wasn't going to feel that I really got away.
The truth is, however, that I had never been to Mexico, outside of visiting a few resorts with my family, and I (not surprisingly) discovered that the mission district in San Francisco, where I live, and beach resorts are not proper representations for the "real" Mexico.
I want to share my experience travelling around the country meeting with borrowers of Fundacion Realidad, A.C. (FRAC).
Continue Reading 6 March 2012 at 08:45 kiyomibeach 12 comments
Update from the Field: Personal Connections, Supply and Demand + A Culinary Excursion
Compiled by Kathrin Gerner, KF15, Togo
As the 14th class passes the baton to the 15th class, the Kiva fellows are sharing their final thoughts and first impressions. Be inspired by the personal connections Kiva creates between lenders and borrowers in Nepal and Sierra Leone. Find out how a phenomenal harvest can prevent farmers in Nicaragua from repaying their loans. Discover the creative ways of assessing credit worthiness used in Uganda and around the globe. Sample local customs and cuisine, while reading about the Day of the Child in Mexico and taking a culinary excursion in Liberia. Lastly, share the experiences of Kiva fellows across three continents in Colombia, Ghana and Ukraine.
Continue Reading 23 May 2011 at 01:10 Kathrin Gerner 3 comments
Kids Get Their Day
By John Farmer, KF 14, Mexico
Mexico decided back in 1924 that The Day of the Child would take place in April, long before the rest of the world decided to celebrate it in November. On April 30th I was in the state of Morelos, and went out into the streets to participate in the food and fun even though I long ago ceased being a child. A couple of women saw me without much food and insisted I get more. Such is the generosity in Mexico. The kids had all they wanted and more and there was still plenty for outsiders.
Mexico is a great place to be a kid in many respects. Children are absolutely adored in this culture where family is everything. They often live at home until well past childhood.
But youth here face all sorts of problems. Health is a major concern — the childhood death rate is nearly 7 times that of Western Europe. 15% of Mexican children under age 5 are stunted by malnutrition. Food insecurity effects over 40% of the country's population according to some sources. Environmental concerns, such as pollution and smoke inhalation from cooking stoves, are also crippling factors.
Continue Reading 4 May 2011 at 18:00 john.beckwith.farmer 1 comment
Update from the Field: Earth Day, Celebrations + Exceeding Expectations
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky
Kiva Fellows observed Earth Day by sharing projects initiated by their partner microfinance institutions and host countries and by celebrating Kiva.org's first batch of "Green Loans". The upbeat mood also extended to anniversary parties at MFIs in Jordan and Armenia, enthusiastic endorsements to travel to Colombia, and reporting on a great opportunity for Kiva clients in Mongolia. Fellows also visited with borrowers in the Philippines, South Africa, and Armenia, and took us on a typical commute in Mexico City. All in all, a very busy week as members of KF14 wind down their time in the field.
Continue Reading 25 April 2011 at 02:45 Alexis Ditkowsky 4 comments
The Subway Show
So this morning I get on the northbound subway leaving Ermita, heading to Chabacano. This is the Blue Line, heading from middle-class southern part of town toward the bustling center of Mexico City. There's one seat, but the people around it are sort of spilling into it, so I stand.
Less than a minute into my ride, it starts — the beggars and vendors. The show can be pretty entertaining. In the first act, an indigenous woman walks through the car with a bunch of little cards, each one saying something to the effect of "Please help out by giving me a few coins." She places them in people's laps or in the hands of those that accept. I'm about two feet taller than she is, so I look straight ahead and pretend not to see her. After they've had time to read and consider, a girl who looks ten but is probably sixteen collects the cards and any change that people give. Not everyone is heartless — some give.
Next I hear percussion: one-two, one-two — a blind man is shaking a bucket with a few coins and shuffling very slowly down the aisle. A few more are added to his collection, and I ponder the precision of his pace. Faster, and people wouldn't have time to feel the need, dig into their purse or pocket, and toss the coins into his bucket.
Continue Reading 19 April 2011 at 19:00 john.beckwith.farmer 2 comments
Update from the Field: Cute Pigs, New Toilets + Everything is Relative
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
It's hard to believe but the current batch of Kiva Fellows has been in the field for over two months and most of us have only a few weeks left to go. We're getting swept up in completing deliverables, making the most of our final month in country, and starting to plot our lives after Kiva. (Travel plans = fun. Applying for "real" jobs = less fun.) Fortunately, starting May 7, a brand new assortment of Fellows will be coming your way and a few KF14 veterans will be sticking around to show them the ropes. So stay tuned for more trips to the field, insights into local culture, contemplations about next steps, and stories of microfinance in action.
Continue Reading 11 April 2011 at 00:45 Alexis Ditkowsky 6 comments
The New Poor
By John Farmer, KF 14, Mexico
I recently suggested to some friends that we go for a walk in Chapultepec Park on a Sunday afternoon. They didn't like the idea, because that's where the poor people go on the weekends.
"The poor?" I responded. I've spent quite a bit of time in parts of Latin America where you can identify the poor easily. The children are malnourished and grubby and the parents have an appearance of desperation. The "poor" in Chapultepec don't look desperate.
You can find the desperately poor in and around Mexico City, but not so much in the city's center, which looks more like Europe than Latin America. Still, here amid the colonial buildings and modern high-rise structures, the fabric of the economy is rapidly changing. Traditionally the male head of household worked while the woman raised the children. Anymore, with falling salaries and a growing cost of living, most families find that both partners must work to make ends meet.
The percentage of middle class families in Mexico has dropped sharply in recent years, from over 50% in 2006 to below 40% in 2008, while the number of those living below the poverty line has grown sharply. The situation of the New Poor in Mexico is a frequent topic of discussion here.
Mexico was hit hard by the recent recession, with a decline in GDP roughly equal to that in Greece. Though official statistics peg unemployment at around 5%, common knowledge is that severe underemployment is more like 25%. One nice thing about the economy here — if you lose your job, you can always hawk cheap items on the street or in the subway. You might earn one tenth of your former salary, but you won't exactly be unemployed.
My friend Lucia says her family belongs to The New Poor. They were much better off two decades ago when she was a little girl. In the mid 1990s, the peso underwent a sharp devaluation and all of a sudden families found that their incomes didn't go nearly as far as before. Her father has owned his own plumbing business as long as Lucia can remember, and had to economize creatively to keep the business afloat and continue to employ his most faithful workers. Her mother became much more involved in administering the business, freeing up her father to do much of the work that he formerly administered. Soon after that her grandfather died, and one family member took advantage of the situation and cheated the others out of their inheritance, leaving Lucia's family in the financial situation of living day-to-day with no cushion.
Just about everyone I meet has stories like this, of how the combination of economic shake-ups and rip-offs have left their family in dire straights.
But their middle class habits have helped them manage: all four children attended university despite having to work, compete for scholarships and take out loans. They all have jobs, though none earn particularly well, and even the 35 year-old still lives at home. Lucia told me her story a few days before I saw her home for the first time. What I saw was not quite what I expected — her brother the veterinarian had just purchased a new 46-inch TV, they have several cars, the latest cell phones and there are four bedrooms. They work harder and worry more than before, but where are the distended bellies and looks of desperation? Poverty is relative…
John Farmer is a Kiva Fellow at CrediComún in Mexico City. He is quite poor by some standards, but still makes loans through Kiva.
Special Update from the Field: Beaches, Safaris + Cambodian Glamour Shots
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
Kiva Fellows are nothing if not creative. We've gone to elaborate lengths to convince you that it can be hard to visit borrowers and that when we're not trekking for miles, we're doing elaborate calculations or dealing with databases and reporting. In truth, it's all a front for an extended holiday from our regular lives. You thought our recent Carnival coverage represented a change of pace? Think again!
Continue Reading 1 April 2011 at 00:13 Alexis Ditkowsky 7 comments
Update from the Field: Fun Facts, Field Visits + Back to Basics
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
For many Fellows, this week was about getting back to basics: the borrowers. In between fun facts about Kiva Fellowships, doing database detective work, and reflecting on the internal dynamics of Kiva's partner microfinance institutions, Fellows found themselves in the field again and again, much to their delight and often to the delight of borrowers. From Latin America to Africa to the Caucasus to Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe, meet Kiva clients, learn about their businesses, and check out all of the great photos.
Continue Reading 21 March 2011 at 01:53 Alexis Ditkowsky 9 comments
Death By Fire
By John Farmer, KF 14, Mexico
Friday, near Jojutla, in the Mexican state of Morelos, I had the pleasure of visiting Doña Mari. "Buenas tardes! Adelante!" she coughed in welcome. My visit was a routine Kiva borrower visit, a chance for me to learn more about our borrowers and further their understanding of Kiva.
Her credit history started ten years ago when her son was sick. Though her town has a free clinic, only a fraction of those who seek attention are tended to, so she took her son to private doctors. The medical bills piled up, and she borrowed from private lenders (a.k.a. loansharks) to pay her debts. She and her husband did what they could to pay off what they owed, but after several years they weren't getting their heads above water. Fortunately, four years ago, through a government poverty eradication program, she received a mill to grind corn. That would give her a better income. The downside: she had a 220-volt electric mill sitting in her yard and nowhere to hook it up. To get it set up, she needed over a hundred dollars.
Continue Reading 14 March 2011 at 18:00 john.beckwith.farmer 3 comments
Update from the Field: Carnival, Collaboration + Cheese-Making
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
This past week was all about collaboration: Fellows coordinating across continents to profile entrepreneurs and organizations who believe International Women's Day should be every day and community members coming together to celebrate Carnival in all of its elaborate glory. We learned about public health in Peru, making cheese and cigars in Nicaragua, the impact of climate change in Bolivia, and the challenges faced by a microcredit saleswoman in Guatemala. Life as a Kiva Fellow is busy as always!
Continue Reading 14 March 2011 at 00:45 Alexis Ditkowsky 8 comments
Update from the Field: Man's Day, Singing Fellows + Learning How to Count
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
The Fellows will be covering International Women's Day later this week but let's take a moment to acknowledge its lesser-known cousin in Kyrgyzstan, "Man's Day". And while you're appreciating culture and history in far-off places, take a trip to Peru and West Timor through photos, visit borrowers in Uganda and Rwanda through video, learn a little something about communicating in South Africa, and catch up on the latest from Liberia, Ghana, and Mexico (home to the "Singing Fellow").
Continue Reading 7 March 2011 at 00:16 Alexis Ditkowsky 7 comments
The Rookie (El Novato)
The Rookie
This past week I was invited to receive the same training a CrediComún loan officer receives: a 45-hour-long marathon of information, from the history of the institution to the organizational structure of the branch offices to the details of the bonuses each role is entitled to. I'm not only a rookie here at CrediComún, but I also don't have much of a finance background, so I welcomed the opportunity.
CrediComún is a young company with 35 branch offices throughout central Mexico and over 350 employees. They primarily loan to groups of women in rural areas, but are gradually adding individual loans to their $12,000,000 portfolio. CrediComún is a dwarf compared to its main competitor Compartamos, with a portfolio in excess of half a billion dollars, and CrediComún's employees frequently use Compartamos as a measuring stick. In 2010 CrediComún rose to the rank of 12th best MFI in Latin America according to The MIX (Microfinance Information eXchange), and their total portfolio size grew by 96% in 12 months. Compartamos dropped one slot to 9th and their portfolio grew by less than ten percent.
All new employees attend the course, though it's designed primarily for loan officers. My class consisted of one loan officer, one branch manager, two computer programmers, the new Kiva coordinator and myself. Not only did the six of us cram information into our weary brains for daily exams, but there was also homework, we had to role-play the part of a loan officer encountering difficult clients, and write songs to promote the company.
The loan officer performs the principal tasks of the organization; everything else revolves around them. They find new clients and take care of existing ones, attend the weekly meeting of each group they manage, typically travel several hours each day, solve problems within the groups, and transmit information between the company and the borrowers. They need to be punctual, professional, have wonderful communication skills and be willing to work long hours.
Oddly, three days into the course, I had the highest score. Danny, our instructor asked if I had ever considered being a loan officer. I laughed and replied that I don't have the right attitude — if a client couldn't pay, I'd probably loan them my own money. And that would be tough on $500 per month, which is a loan officer's approximate base pay.
But they also earn bonuses. If they serve more than 120 clients, they can get a monthly bonus of $40; if over 400 clients, the bonus turns into $100. That amount grows or shrinks based on several factors, such as number of new clients, years spent as a loan officer with CrediComún, and percentage of clients who have fallen behind in their payments. As our class stepped through the function to calculate that bonus, we were seeing that maybe being a loan officer is not so bad. $100 base incentive, add 20% for having been there for 2 years, add 10% for adding 20 new clients, tack on up to 0.7% of the amount collected… ka-ching! Then factor in the delinquency rate as follows:
|Percentage of Delinquent Loans
|Adjustment to Bonus
Given that the average delinquency rate in the institution is in excess of 3%, calculate the bonus for the typical loan officer. Anybody? Anybody?
That's right, class. No bonus at all. Ouch, right? Make sure your clients pay on time!
Toward the end of the week, I dropped out of first place into the middle of the pack, but graduated. The big honor: I'm the first non-employee to receive the coveted training certificate. Thanks CrediComún!
John Farmer is a Kiva Fellow working in Mexico City. He is gradually recovering from the training.
El Novato
La semana pasada me invitaron a recibir la capacitacion de coordinadores de CrediComún. Es un maratón de 45 horas, que incluye la historia de la institucion, la estrutura de las sucursales y los detalles de los bonos que reciben los coordinadores. No solo soy novato aqui con CrediComún, pero también me falta experiencia en finanzas, por eso acepté con mucho gusto.
CrediComún es una compañía joven con 35 sucursales en la central de México, con más de 350 empleados. Ortogan préstamos principlamente a grupos de mujeres en áreas rurales, pero poco a poco van agregando préstamos individuales a su cartera de $12,000,000. CrediComún es pequeño al lado de su competidor principal, Compartamos, con una cartera en exceso de 500 millones de dólares. CrediComún suele competir al lado de Compartamos. En 2010, CrediComún alzó al lugar número 12 entre las mejores microfinancieras en América Latina según el Mix Market, y el tamaño de la cartera creció 96% en 12 meses. Compartamos bajó un peldaño a lugar número 9 y su cartera creció menos de 10%.
Todos los nuevos empleados asisten al curso, aunque la función principal es capacitar a los coordinadores. Entre los integrantes de mi clase estuvieron: una coordinadora de crédito, un gerente de sucursal, dos programadores, la Coordinadora de Kiva y un Kiva Fellow. No sólo nos metimos un montón de información en la cabeza para tener éxito en los exámenes, sino también hubo tarea para las noches, teníamos que jugar el papel del coordinador frente a clientes complicados y componer canciones para promover la compañía.
El coordinador de crédito hace los trabajos más fundamentales de la organización; todo depende de él. Ellos buscan los nuevos clientes y atienden a los actuales, asisten las reuniones semanales de cada grupo que les pertenece, viajan horas cada dia, solucionan problemas de los grupos, y transmiten información entre la compañía y los grupos. Necesitan ser puntuales, profesionales, poseer excelente técnicas de comunicación y estar dispuestos a trabajar muchas horas.
Curiosamente, en el tercer día fuí yo quien tenía la nota mas alta de la clase. Danny, el instructor, me preguntó si me interesaría ser coordinador. Me reí y dije que no tengo la actitud de coordinador – si no podría pagar el cliente le daría de mi propio dinero. Sería difícil con el sueldo que ganan, unos $500 por mes.
También ganan incentivos. Si tienen más de 120 clientes, reciben un bono mensual de $40; si más de 400 clientes, ese bono es de $100. El bono crece o disminuye basado en varios factores, por ejemplo: el número de clientes nuevos, años con la compañía, y porcentaje de clientes en mora. Cuando vimos la fórmula para calcular el incentivo, pensabamos que tal vez no sería tan horrible ser coordinador. $100 de incentivo base, otro 20% por haber trabajado 2 años con CrediComún, otro 10% por agregar 20 clientes nuevos, en adición 0.7% del monto colocado… ka-ching! Luego calcula, por favor, el efecto del porcentaje en mora:
|Porcentaje en Mora
|Incremento al Bono
Dado que la morosidad institucional excede los 3%, calcula el bono para el coordinador. ¿Alguien sabe? ¿Alguien?
Sí, exactamente. No habría nada de bono.
No mantuve el sitio de primer lugar en la clase pero a lo menos me gradué. El gran honor es que soy el primero en recibir el codiciado certificado sin ser empleado de CrediComún. ¡Gracias CrediComún!
John Farmer es un Kiva Fellow ubicado en la Ciudad de México. Poco a poco anda recuperandose de la capacitación.
Last Week in the Field: "Christmas", Trekking, Adversity + Good Company
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
Members of the 14th class of Kiva Fellows have officially hit their stride. While we never know where the next dispatch will come from or what interesting topics the Fellows will cover next, we always know we'll be transported, entertained, and edified. This past week, topics included "Christmas", trekking to a remote village (with video!), handling adversity (including a serious car accident and stolen electronics), and enjoying the company of loan officers, borrowers, and community members. Enjoy!
Continue Reading 21 February 2011 at 02:17 Alexis Ditkowsky 12 comments
A Post about Nothing
What's up with blog posts? Why do they always have to be about something? A post should be just like life. You know, nothing happens — you get up, you eat, you go shopping.
I asked myself, "John, what did you do today in Mexico City?"
My reply: "I got up and went to work."
There's a post!
You're still with me? Impressive! Then on to the details, or rather, the non-details, of a day in the life of a regular everyday normal Kiva Fellow.
I met up with CrediComún's Kiva Coordinator (my KC) at the Observatorio metro station and we hopped the bus to Toluca. This smog-capped industrial city of about a million people is historically famous for producing chorizo, or Mexican sausage. It's also surrounded by mountains — it's beautifugly! The bus was plodding along a crowded frontage road next to a busy highway. We got off, walked under a bridge, passed a few rows of shops and found our CrediComún subsidiary.
After chatting for an hour, four of us (including two branch office managers) got into a car and drove off to visit some Kiva Entrepreneurs. First, a young woman with three small children. All have striking ojos chinos, or Asian eyes, a very photogenic family. The two year-old was sitting on a bucket on a chair eating pasta soup. I started my interview with her, asking about the soup. She was incredibly bright and cute and not shy at all. We moved on to talking about shoes — hers came from the shoes her mother sells out of their home. The line of credit her mother receives (yes, I had moved on from interviewing the little girl to the mother around this point) allow her to earn a decent living while being with her children. Before, she borrowed from another microlender. For a six-month loan, she paid 100% interest. Not 100% annualized, but over the six months she pays back twice as much as she borrowed. That's around a 300% APR! With CrediComún she pays about 15% interest on a four-month loan, or around 70% APR. We did not want her to be late for her appointment to have her children vaccinated, so we didn't stay too long.
Next we visited a woman in her fifties who sews out of her home and her mother's home across the alley. The cameras were obviously making her nervous as she told us about how the loans had helped her situation. Then her eyes teared up as she spoke about her daughter who had left her baby with her a few years ago. The four-year old was crawling all over his grandmother throughout the interview. The cameras went off and we prepared to leave, and she showed us the jeans and industrial towels she makes. She waxed enthusiastic as she talked about the order for 30,000 towels she received from a nearby factory, and how she contracts another woman to help out and may be hiring others soon. If only we'd filmed that part!
The final visit was to a poor-looking house on a dead-end lane with what used to be a truck sitting out front. Chickens were clucking and a hateful dog on a short tether was barking and struggling violently to get at us. A preteen girl gave him a kick as we were invited into the house.
This client sells plates and cups and so forth out of her home. She didn't want us to videotape the interview out of fear for her children. I explained that we would not upload photos of anyone but her, and never give her full name or her location, and that there already is a photo of her on Kiva's site and that she had agreed to have it posted. She didn't budge, and we proceeded with the interview. Her twelve-year old daughter had just begun sixth grade. The girl talked about how she wanted to be a doctor and planned to finish high school. I let her know she'd probably have to study a bit longer than that.
The dog barked the whole time, so it was just as well we didn't record the interview. We had two great videos already and dozens of photos.
Next the four of us went to eat pozole (a hominy-based soup, as in "No pozole for you!") at a successful-looking restaurant. One of the branch office managers told me that the owner is another CrediComún borrower, but because she has become so successful, the amounts she can borrow are too high to qualify as a Kiva borrower. At lunch we reviewed our amazing collection of videos and photos.
My KC and I walked back to the highway, were soon on the bus and I threw my backpack in the rack above our heads. Because she's one of those people who have a lot to say, the time went by quickly. I told her about my late night of shooting pool and drinking mescal and eating chapulines (crunchy grasshoppers served with sliced oranges).
We looked out at the beautiful mountains and pine forests, and before I knew it we were on the subway heading back to the office. I realized something was wrong with my backpack – my flipcam was not there. Nor was my camera. We returned to the bus station to see if perhaps they had fallen out, and an hour later, the infinitesimal hope I held had gone to zero. After years of never having been a victim in Latin America (true, I've been overcharged!), I had finally been robbed. And the worst part by far, was the loss of all that precious data.
I felt like a jerk (in fact, the jerk store called and they are not running out of me!) because of the sheer carelessness on my part. Not only were those images perfect and meant so much to me and would have made this post so much better, but could the data in the wrong hands put those families at risk? Fortunately none gave their full names or neighborhoods and we didn't take any outdoor shots, but the truth is, yes, it could.
So there it is. There's a post. Just a bunch of people doing their day-to-day routines.
You can help by making a loan to a CrediComún client, joining Friends of CrediComún, or spreading the word about Kiva.
John Farmer is a Kiva Fellow working in Mexico City. He has watched way too many Seinfeld reruns in the past.
The Two Faces of Mexican Food – Las Dos Caras de la Comida Mexicana
By Lourdes Toussaint, KF13, Mexico
How is that Mexico, a country with such a rich traditional cuisine, now considered a world heritage, is also one of the countries with more obesity among its population?
¿Cómo puede ser que México, un país que cuenta con tanta riqueza en su cocina y que además es considerada patrimonio de la humanidad es paradójicamente uno de los países con más obesidad en su población?
Continue Reading 2 February 2011 at 08:00 lulatoussaint 17 comments
Financial Education and the Mexican Dream – La Educación Financiera y el Sueño Mexicano
By Lourdes Toussaint, KF13, Mexico
In Mexico, social class is a powerful force that is present in almost every aspect of the Mexican life. Health, education, jobs, housing, financial services, and many other aspects are greatly influenced by the economic class to which one belongs. Class determines the quality and quantity of opportunities available to a person or a family. So as long as there is mobility, the movement of families up and down the economic ladder due to personal efforts and merit, we can say that there is something close to equality of opportunity. However, in Mexico, classes have remained relatively unchanged over the years; social mobility is not happening as much as we wish it did. Escaping poverty is so difficult that the lower class is practically frozen in its place.
En México, hablar de clases sociales significa hablar de división: salud, educación, empleo, vivienda, servicios financieros y muchos otros aspectos se ven influidos por la clase social a la que se pertenece, llegando esta a convertirse en un factor determinante para definir la cantidad y calidad de oportunidades que se presentan en la vida de una persona. No podremos hablar de igualdad de oportunidades en nuestro país, sino hasta que empiece a haber movilidad, esto es, el movimiento ascendente o descendiente en los niveles socioeconómicos de las familias, fruto de su esfuerzo y mérito personal. Desafortunadamente esta movilidad no se da en México. Las clases sociales han presentado muy pocos cambios en años. Salir de la pobreza es tan difícil que las clases bajas permanecen prácticamente congeladas, sin poder escapar de su situación.
Continue Reading 19 January 2011 at 12:00 lulatoussaint 6 comments
Colorful Finances – Finanzas de Colores
By Lourdes Toussaint KF13, Mexico
The state of Chiapas, located in the southwest Mexico, is one of the most diverse regions in terms of demographics, language, food, geography and colors. Today Chiapas is the state with the largest number of microfinance institutions. Some of these institutions have developed professional methodologies and practices that have allowed them to grow steadily and achieve efficiency and financial inclusion in remote rural areas.
El estado de Chiapas, localizado en el sureste de México, es considerado como una de las regiones más diversas en términos de población, cultura, idiomas, comida, colores, flora y fauna del país. Chiapas es el estado con mayor número de instituciones microfinancieras. Algunas de estas instituciones han logrado desarrollar metodologías y prácticas de gran profesionalidad que les han permitido llevar los servicios financieros a zonas rurales remotas.
Continue Reading 27 December 2010 at 12:00 lulatoussaint 10 comments
Are Financial Services a Human Right?- ¿Son los Servicios Financieros un Derecho Universal?
By Lourdes Toussaint, KF13, Mexico
Access to credit, even on a small scale, can have a transforming effect on human lives. According to the Center of Financial Inclusion at Accion International, it is estimated that in Mexico 45% of households are completely excluded from financial services, meaning that they are not using any single formal service. Another 50% of households are using the system in a limited way with access to one or two services, and only 5% of the country reports using savings, credit and insurance.
El tener acceso a créditos, aun cuando sea a pequeña escala, tiene un efecto transformador en las vidas de las personas. El Centro de Inclusión Financiera de Accion Internacional, estima que en México el 45% de los hogares están completamente excluidos de servicios financieros, esto quiere decir, que no usan ningún servicio financiero formal. Otro 50% de los hogares usa el sistema de forma limitada, con acceso a uno o dos servicios y, únicamente el 5% del país, reporta usar los servicios de ahorro, crédito y seguros.
Continue Reading 7 December 2010 at 12:00 lulatoussaint 6 comments
The "non-cowards" of Monterrey – Los "no-cobardes" de Monterrey
By Lourdes Toussaint, KF13, Mexico
A few months back, the owner of Cemex, one of the biggest Mexican companies and one of the world's largest cement firms, caused a stir in the country by stating in his twitter account that those who are leaving the city of Monterrey are "cowards". Due to the violence and the war between drug cartels in the north of the country, many people are choosing to leave this city. However, there are also many "non-cowards" or even "brave" people that are choosing to stay, to defend the city where they grew up and to continue with their work and everyday life despite the dangers.
Hace algunos meses, el dueño de Cemex, una de las mas grandes compañías mexicanas y una de las mas conocidas cementeras del mundo, causó revuelo en el país al calificar de "cobardes" en twitter a los que han decidido irse de la ciudad de Monterrey. Debido a la violencia y la guerra entre narcotraficantes en el norte del país, hay muchas personas que se han ido de esta ciudad. Sin embargo, también existen muchos "no cobardes" o incluso "valientes" que han elegido quedarse a defender la ciudad donde crecieron, y a continuar con su trabajo y su vida a pesar de los peligros.
Continue Reading 23 November 2010 at 11:00 lulatoussaint 20 comments
The day after mañana
By Sally Bolton, KF11, Mexico
Mañana holds a special place in Mexican culture. The frustrations of mañana (tomorrow) when it comes to dealing with mechanics, tradespeople, the phone company or any branch of Mexican bureaucracy are well documented. When will the internet be reconnected? Mañana. When will the doors be put back on my apartment? Mañana. When will this rubbish be collected? Mañana. Just about the only time when mañana won't cut it is when you are asked to pay a 'fine' to the traffic police. Your suggestion that you pay the 'fine' mañana at the police station will not be well received.
But instead of complaining about mañana I actually want to celebrate it. Sometimes mañana can be a great thing, particularly when it comes to microfinance.
Kiva's field partner CrediComún seeks to distinguish itself in the crowded Mexican microfinance marketplace by offering a very fast turn-around on loan requests. The average time from receiving a loan request to disbursing the loan is two days.
Continue Reading 30 June 2010 at 06:58 Sally Bolton 1 comment
World Cup Reports from Kiva Fellows Around the World
Kiva Fellows share their World Cup experiences from Mongolia, Rwanda, Mexico, Bolivia, Togo, Sri Lanka, Chile and Kyrgyzstan
Continue Reading 29 June 2010 at 22:56 Kevin Henderson 3 comments
I want your autograph… here and here, and here and here and here
By Sally Bolton, KF11, Mexico
A strange thing happens when the time comes to take a photo of a Kiva borrower or group. Women who moments before were smiling and laughing suddenly put on their solemn photo face. My colleague Marta is great at coaxing a smile from even the most serious photo subjects. "Lend me a smile, please," she says. "I'm going to make you a star! Next stop, Hollywood!" The women break into smiles, and with a quick click of the camera she captures the moment.
The women have another thing in common with Hollywood stars, aside from having their photo taken. They have extensive experience in signing their names. Over and over and over again. Only they're not signing autographs for their adoring fans, they're signing all of the documents required to disburse a loan.
Continue Reading 24 June 2010 at 08:58 Sally Bolton 4 comments
A Mexican waiver
By Sally Bolton, KF11 Mexico
"I'm so happy that you can come with me to Tlalnepantla today," said Leti, the loan officer I was working with last week. "There's a group there who don't want to enter into Kiva for their second loan cycle. Maybe you can convince them that they should."
Convince them? I wasn't sure that was my role. Leti explained that a few of the group members didn't want to appear on the Kiva website given the drug violence and fragile security situation in Mexico. They were concerned that appearing on Kiva might put them at risk.
On one hand I was really happy to know that the group had been fully informed about what it means to receive a Kiva loan. All borrowers must sign a Kiva Client Waiver, indicating that they are aware that their photo and story will be published on the Kiva website. But a signed form doesn't necessarily mean that the borrower fully understands how Kiva works. Most borrowers will happily sign every form that is put in front of them so they can receive their loan. They often don't read the forms closely, or perhaps they can't read them. So it is important that the loan officer explains to them exactly what it means to 'enter into Kiva'.
Continue Reading 10 June 2010 at 04:16 Sally Bolton 4 comments


text:
30-Minute Webcast Series
Grading the Top 100 Student Sources
Based on a recent Turnitin analysis, nearly 50% of student sources come from sites with content of questionable educational value. What are these sites and how do they rate in terms of appropriateness, quality of content, and value?
In this webcast we explore the top 100 student sources that secondary and higher education student use, including the top questionable and creditable sites. We also provide suggestions on how to better guide students in conducting appropriate research online.
On-Demand Webcast


text:
|Avon1 (ˈeɪvən)
|a former county of SW England, created in 1974 from areas of N Somerset and S Gloucestershire: replaced in 1996 by the unitary authorities of Bath and North East Somerset (Somerset), North Somerset (Somerset), South Gloucestershire (Gloucestershire), and Bristol
|a river in central England, rising in Northamptonshire and flowing southwest through Stratford-on-Avon to the River Severn at Tewkesbury. Length: 154 km (96 miles)
|a river in SW England, rising in Gloucestershire and flowing south and west through Bristol to the Severn estuary at Avonmouth. Length: 120 km (75 miles)
|a river in S England, rising in Wiltshire and flowing south to the English Channel. Length: about 96 km (60 miles)


text:
Re Runs →
I'm not searching for a savior
in these crowded streets
I'm just watching for that small piece
of God that they say lies in all of us.
I wait for that divinity …
Whispering through her shakey voice
Or his guilty plea for forgiveness …
or in your tear swamped eyes.
I want to whitness…
Parachutes: "We have yet to break the surface"I gently wispered after what seemed... →
330 orphaned apes are cared for at the Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine in Borneo, Indonesia. Human surrogate mothers look after the orphaned and rescued orangutans
Photograph: Suzi Eszterhas/Minden
Pictures/Solent News (via Orangutan orphans in Borneo – in pictures | Environment | guardian.co.uk)
We found love
in words,
in hope;
we are
a single thought
in a
-Tyler Knott Gregson-
Since the first camera, photographers have been turning the lens on themselves. Alicia Savage's Imagined series features surreal self portraits that explore her own emotions.
Surreal Self Portraits: A Cut Above the Rest
via Beautiful Decay
"Gay Pride was not born of a need to celebrate being gay, but our right to exist without persecution. So instead of wondering why there isn't a Straight Pride movement, be thankful you don't need one."Anonymous
(Source: hans-echo)
:) One step closer
Colorado transgender first-grader Coy Mathis wins civil rights case
The Colorado Civil Rights Division has ruled in favor of Coy Mathis, a 6-year-old transgender girl who was barred from using the girls' bathroom at her elementary school, pictured above.
"Schools should not discriminate against their students, and we are thrilled that Coy can return to school and put this behind her," Kathryn Mathis, Coy's mother, said in a statement. "All we ever wanted was for Coy's school to treat her the same as other little girls. We are extremely happy that she now will be treated equally."
(Photo: Denver Post file.)


text:
Ottumwa Courier
---- — When Ottumwa had a social ladder, Isabel Hofmann was on the very top rung, and as such, was privy to information known only to those of her status. While giving a program on Ottumwa years ago, she shared the following three humorous incidents, omitting names and dates.
Two early Ottumwa attorneys who liked to hunt never went without their spiritual genie of the alcoholic kind to fortify them on this endeavor. On a duck-hunting trip, they crossed the river and, returning home in the dark, they walked a great distance and decided they were lost. They made the best of it, spent the night in the open and when they awoke the next morning, with the genie back in the bottle, they realized they had "spent most of the night walking around the race track at the old fair grounds in the West End."
One of the lawyers, who figured in the above story, went quail hunting with a judge, who liked to imbibe also. (It isn't made clear in Mrs. Hofmann's account whether the two were living together, but it appears so.) They had a very successful hunting trip, returning home with their bags full. Upon their return, they placed the quail in that part which held the ice. (Remember, old ice boxes held ice to keep the contents cool.) The next morning, to their consternation and disbelief, the quail were gone from the icebox. It wasn't until a few days later that an odor began to emanate from the parlor, and after their search for the source, they found the quail in the top of the upright piano!
This story concerns a well-known and respected lady of the community. The person of interest had purchased a sack of large gum drops in Hofmann Drug and then departed to await a bus. While chomping away on her gumdrops, she noticed her bus on the opposite corner, and as she was crossing the street, she realized it was not dignified to be chewing the candy as she walked, so she reached into her mouth and threw the gumdrops out.
As some people do when at home, she evidently didn't wear her dentures, because when she took the candy out of her mouth, out went the dentures, too. She didn't realize they were gone until she reached home. Not wanting to expend money for new ones, she placed an ad in the Courier and had a quick reply from a man in South Ottumwa. He noticed a dog at the crossing having a time with something, and when he went to investigate, he found the dog "with a fat, sticky gumdrop stuck to its teeth, and adhering to the gumdrop, a plate of false teeth." The teeth and owner were soon re-united, and the teeth given a "thorough cleaning."
Sue Parrish is a retired museum director and author of the book, "Days Gone By."


text:
RALEIGH — State investigators have charged a Wake County man with 10 counts of having pornographic computer video files involving children.
State Bureau of Investigation agents arrested Allen Kenneth Ferrante, 35, of 1328 Trinity Road on Wednesday afternoon at his job as a car mechanic at a shop on U.S. 64 in Apex.
Arrest warrants accused Ferrante of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and detailed 10 videos that investigators said showed prepubescent boys and girls in sexual situations or actions.
The warrants said Ferrante had the videos from March 9 through Wednesday.
Agent E. Michael Smith of the SBI's Computer Crimes Unit filed the charges.
Ferrante was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail for a court appearance Thursday.


text:
Two Presidents and a Leaker
Obama and Putin won't blow up their relationship over Edward Snowden.
The U.S.-Russia relationship is on the skids yet again. Just a week after Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin announced a new agreement to share information on cyberthreats and two months after the United States and Russia stepped up counterterrorism cooperation in the wake of the Boston bombings, the two countries find themselves at odds over leaker Edward Snowden.
But while tensions are high, neither side will blow up the relationship over the renegade former contractor.
Snowden, on the run since disclosing classified U.S. counterterrorism surveillance programs, fled to Russia from Hong Kong and is presumably in a Moscow airport transit zone. Putin rejected a U.S. request to hand him over and said Snowden is a free man with the right to fly wherever he wants.
Snowden is technically not on Russian territory since he has not passed through immigration and he is believed to be planning to fly to a country that would give him political asylum. "Any accusations against Russia [of aiding him] are ravings and rubbish," said Putin.
[See a collection of editorial cartoons on the NSA.]
Why is Russia so unwilling to cooperate with the United States on this? Many Russia watchers note that Moscow relishes the chance to poke Washington in the eye. But Russia's reasons for not being helpful on this issue run deeper than mere ill will. Two names top Russia's list of grievances when it comes to relations with the United States and explain Moscow's intransigence – Viktor Bout and Sergei Magnitsky.
Thailand extradited notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout to the United States in 2010, a move that greatly angered Russia. Bout is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States, and the Justice Department has repeatedly refused Russian requests for his extradition. One Russian politician, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, openly suggested that Snowden be exchanged for Bout.
The other thing that makes Russian officials see red is the Magnitsky Act, named after whistle-blowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who died in a Russian prison after investigating cases of tax fraud by Russian officials. The bill, passed by the U.S. Congress in December 2012, bans 18 Russians from entry into the United States. Russia responded by releasing its own list of banned Americans and ending the adoption of Russian children by Americans.
U.S.-Russia relations already frayed over the Bout and Magnitsky cases, U.S. concern about the Russian crackdown on civil society and opposition groups and stark disagreement over Syria have now been further damaged by the Snowden affair.
[See a collection of political cartoons on Syria.]
Some analysts believe that Russian security agencies want to keep Snowden in Russia for questioning (one pundit joked that his arrival in Moscow was like a salmon leaping into the lap of a bear), but Putin said Russian security agencies had not contacted Snowden.
Although Washington is clearly frustrated with Moscow's refusal to hand over Snowden, it is unlikely that either country will allow relations to further deteriorate. With Obama scheduled to be in Moscow in September for the G20, neither side wants to scuttle the relationship over Snowden. And both countries have a range of mutual interests including counterterrorism, nonproliferation, cyberthreats, trade, energy, space exploration and other areas that require continued cooperation and collaboration.
The White House toned down its language in recent days, and Secretary of State John Kerry called for "calm and reasonableness." Putin, also seeking to lower tensions, said, "I hope [this] will not affect the business-like character of our relations with the United States and I hope that our partners will understand that."
Putin downplayed the entire incident with a colorful Russian phrase: "I myself would prefer not to deal with such issues. It's like shearing a piglet: there's a lot of squealing, but there's little wool."
Anya Schmemann is director of the Task Force Program at the Council on Foreign Relations.


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Nordhoff survives by slimmest of margins
Top seed reaches semifinals after 17-16 road victory
SANTA YNEZ — Just win, baby.
Top-ranked Nordhoff did just that on a frigid Friday night, benefiting from a missed extra point with 1:41 remaining to edge host Santa Ynez, 17-16. It sets up a CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division semifinal matchup with Lompoc in Ojai on Friday night.
"We had three chances to put the game away and they probably had three chances to win it," said Nordhoff coach Tony Henney. "You get two small-town high school football teams together and these are the kinds of games you get in the playoffs. It was just fun to be a part of."
Eric White broke the school's single-season sack record with three in the game to push his season total to 17. His final sack came to end the game as Santa Ynez was looking for a Hail Mary pass as time expired. White also caught a controversial 17-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the first half to give the Rangers a 14-3 lead.
The play left the Santa Ynez coaches and large home crowd screaming at the officials heading into the intermission. Jake Logsdon completed a pass to Isaac Seymour for 16 yards, and with no timeouts left the Rangers rushed up to the line of scrimmage and got the play off as time ran out. The Pirates thought Nordhoff (12-0) did not get the play off in time.
"I'm not going to comment about the end of the first half. That was just huge," said and emotional Santa Ynez coach Ken Gruendyke. "Give credit to Nordhoff. They were tough up front and super quick."
A 20-yard touchdown pass from Santa Ynez quarterback Ryan Welker to Travis Porter pulled the Pirates to within one at the 1:41 mark, but the extra point went wide left. Although no Nordhoff defenders blocked or tipped it, White felt the Rangers got some help from above.
"I felt that Cody Doolittle blocked the kick. He's a kid on our team who passed away last year, and I played football with him and grew up with him," said White. "I felt that he was in our presence tonight."
The Rangers' vaunted offense was stifled for much of the first half except for Logsdon's two touchdown passes. Logsdon was 7 for 17 with 129 yards through the air in the half, with the other touchdown coming on a 61-yard completion to Sean Bettles over the middle with 7:54 to go. The Rangers punted a season-high seven times in the game. Running back Seymour carried a big load as always, rushing 32 times for 106 yards. He also lost a fumble, which was just his first of the season despite carrying the ball 278 times.
Santa Ynez (6-6), meanwhile, scored on a 35-yard field goal from Marcos Uribe with 1:50 to go in the first quarter that gave them a 3-0 lead. The Pirates mustered just one first down and punted four times in the half with 68 yards of total offense.
The Pirates' second touchdown came on a beautiful 46-yard run by Zach Foss with 2:25 left in the third quarter. Nordhoff's Kyle Moore pushed the Ranger lead to seven with a 19-yard field goal with nine minutes left in the game.
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text: We serve hand-tossed Neapolitan style pizza, the freshest salads, outstanding steaks and fine fish, and the most delicious sandwiches, soups, appetizers, desserts and extras. We do it all on site and from scratch – our own dough, ground meats, sauces, dips, dressings, soups and desserts. We have a full bar and a terrific wine list.


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Family Law
Va. Supreme Court Requires Enforcement of Vt. Ruling in Same-Sex Dissolution
Posted Jun 9, 2008 6:30 AM CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that state courts must enforce a child custody order issued by a Vermont court in the dissolution of a same-sex civil union.
The ruling requires recognition of the Vermont ruling, despite a Virginia law that says same-sex unions from other states are void there, the New York Times reports.
The court's decision, however, was limited to the case before it because of the unusual stance of the appeal. The justices ruled that issues raised in the case were already resolved in an earlier appeal, which did not reach the Virginia Supreme Court because it was filed too late, the story says.
In the earlier appeal, an intermediate Virginia appeals court had ruled that a federal law, the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, trumped the Virginia state law and required recognition of the Vermont decision.
The court ruled Friday in a custody dispute involving Isabella Miller-Jenkins, who is now 6 years old, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The child's biological mother says she is a Christian and no longer accepts homosexuality.
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Melanie Berryman, Neese District secretary, wears several hats under the umbrella of the Madison Area Resource Team (M.A.R.T.), the Family Connection Collaborative of Madison County. She is serving as an executive board member for this year's 9th Annual Back-to-School Supply Drive.
The event has grown each year, nearly tripling the number of those served from the first effort in 2003. More than 500 dinners were prepared and more than 300 students received school supplies this year. Students in need of a book bag had an opportunity to choose one from the hundreds donated. Family enrichment information booths were set-up where a variety of information and guidance was available from local agencies and organizations.
For the school supply drive, committee member volunteers, including Berryman, planned the event, including acquiring, purchasing, sorting and bagging supplies. Then they set-up and served the many low to mid-income Madison County families who participate in the event.
Jackson EMC, along with other local businesses, churches and individuals, provide donations, support and personnel for the M.A.R.T sponsored Back-to-School Supply Drive.
"The smiles on all the faces are irreplaceable, but beyond that, family involvement is encouraged, so it's become more of an event," Berryman said. "Many door prizes are given away, and the families are so appreciative, even of the smallest of items."
"This program enriches our environment and enhances the quality of life in the communities we serve," stated Jean Mullis, Neese District manager. "It's important for Jackson EMC to support programs such as this because they have a direct impact on the future of our communities."


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Type: Posts; User: Bsmitman
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I'm interested in buying the MW8003's if you still have them. Please let me know.
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Would you consider selling the MW8003's? I have an RT20 with a blown woofer and am in desperate need of the very speakers you have to fix mine mine up. I could buy one or both (and have a spare) and...


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Jane Lobdell, 81, a lifelong resident of Brewster, died Thursday at her home.
Ms. Lobdell was born in Brewster on Dec. 3, 1931 to Alexander Frazier and Emma Jane (Steacy) Lobdell III.
Ms. Lobdell was a receptionist for Guideposts, Inc. in Carmel for more than 25 years.
A member of the Brewster Presbyterian Church, Ms. Lobdell was also an avid collector. She enjoyed many a lunch date while visiting with friends, as well as trips taken through her membership with Get-About Tours.
Ms. Lobdell is survived by many cousins.
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Brewster Presbyterian Church (110 Main Street in Brewster). Interment following at Milltown Rural Cemetery (on Milltown Road in Southeast). Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Beecher Funeral Home (located on Putnam Avenue in Brewster, 845-279-3615).
In lieu of flowers, friends may make a contribution to any of the following charities, which were dear to Jane's heart:
Guiding Eyes for The Blind
361 Route 164
Patterson, NY 12563
Brewster Fire Department
501 North Main Street
Brewster, NY 10509
Putnam County Office for the Aging
110 Old Route 6
Building 1
Carmel, NY 10512