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Hmm wat to say I'm a young gay male form southern california. Wana know more than ya gotta talk to me haha


text: tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87431499965578047122014-11-14T23:39:13.718-08:00Off the Beaten PathKay firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-56316686886077965572014-11-05T14:07:00.000-08:002014-11-05T14:40:19.771-08:00Do All Good Things Really Come to an End?I get the blues when I turn the last page of a really good novel, especially one in which I've grown to love the characters. I'm tempted to order a second dish of Pinkberry when I finish my bowl of pomegranate frozen yogurt with strawberries, blueberries and mango on top. And I'm one of those people who is never ready for a vacation to come to a close. I love home, but I just can't ache for it Kay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-78254512962361988712014-11-03T14:09:00.000-08:002014-11-03T14:09:15.137-08:00Hopeful ThinkingI'm just folding clothes, minding my own business, when the dadgum thought enters my mind. It invades my peace, interrupts the song I was humming and causes me to clench my jaw. The thought builds, grows, puts out tentacles and grabs hold. Feelings of frustration and helplessness begin to course through my mind and into my heart. Isn't it alarming how quickly our dispositions can change as Kay Harmshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-72177098059488939162014-10-27T04:00:00.000-07:002014-10-27T04:00:04.095-07:00Like He Said, He's My GodI hung up the phone, but immediately wanted to dial another number. The previous conversation had not gone well and my heart was burdened. I swallowed back the tears and debated about whether or not I should bother my husband at work with my concerns. Or maybe I should call a friend, my mother or even my daughter? Surely I needed to unload this burden on someone. Surely I needed advice, a Kay Harmshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-77519199322631097382014-10-22T18:00:00.000-07:002014-10-22T18:00:01.256-07:00I Want to be Like My Parents When I Grow UpMy mom called about a month ago and asked me if I'd like to join her on her Sunday school class' retreat to Tennessee this coming weekend. She didn't have to ask twice. I'm on a jet plane tomorrow a.m. heading East. I jump at any opportunity I have to visit my parents, whether they come my way or I get the treat of visiting them in the greener section of our country. I'm quite aware these daysKay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-26952669761194947442014-10-22T04:00:00.000-07:002014-10-22T04:00:09.088-07:00He Knows My Name Because I'm one who learns by repetition...lots and lots and lots of repetition...God reminds me more than once each morning that I belong to Him. Have you heard the story about how I was baptized with the wrong name? Yep. We had an interim pastor at the time. I was nine years old and I had recently accepted Jesus' gift of salvation through His death on the cross and ressurrection from the Kay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-16700916057655017822014-10-20T14:03:00.000-07:002014-10-20T14:03:00.335-07:00In Case You're as Confused as I WasI didn't think I'd ever felt compelled to be owned by someone else. At least not in the sense that would make me enslaved to them. I'm a pretty independent gal. But I have yearned to belong. In fact, like most people, I've worked hard to belong at times. I've dressed to fit in, joined the club, spoken the language, followed the rules, signed on the dotted line and laughed like I knew what we Kay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-26093055416585090842014-10-16T11:04:00.000-07:002014-10-16T11:04:18.309-07:00This is Where I've Been LivingWhere in the world have I been? Right? Well obviously I haven't been at my desk typing out blog posts! But honestly, other than a quick trip to Pennsylvania to speak at the Iron Sharpens Iron Greater Philadelphia Women's Conference, I've been right here at home, sorting through laundry and tired summer clothing and my disheveled office and...life. It's just that the "sorting out"of life has beenKay Harmshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-6973108758745400442014-09-19T16:25:00.001-07:002014-09-19T17:49:11.149-07:00Dancing with ScarlettA friend and I are driving into Tucson to see Gone With the Wind on the big screen next week. I can't wait! I thought for about 10 minutes about rereading Margaret Mitchell's book in preparation. Then I remembered that I went through a full box of tissues when I read it the first time and decided against it. I am anticipating both the movie and the experience. We're eating lunch out before we Kay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-16155103241679023802014-09-10T04:00:00.000-07:002014-09-10T04:00:03.764-07:00The Lord of the Details Things changed on me at the last minute, and I hate it when that happens. Still, it does cause me to rest upon the Lord's strength and provision even more than when I feel like I've got all my ducks in a row. I needed to rent a car for this weekend's speaking engagement in Fort Worth (Hi Birchman Baptist ladies! I can't wait to meet you all Friday night!) because of some last minute changesKay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-40516183199443348452014-09-08T03:00:00.000-07:002014-09-08T03:00:07.605-07:00Because Everything's Not Going to be Okay..."Don't worry. I'm sure everything will work out just fine." Truth is, not everything works out just fine. Sometimes we lose. Sometimes we miss out. Sometimes we hurt...and hurt some more. Sometimes everything works out really badly. But I've learned that while everything may not be okay, I can be okay. I learned that when I reached for Holley Gerth's book You're Going to be Okay. I loved Kay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-20508704474138431352014-09-04T04:00:00.000-07:002014-09-04T04:00:00.832-07:00Good Morning, Dear Friend! Morning used to be my favorite time of the day. I loved the blank page in the journal, the sun low in the sky, the coffee in my cup and the coolness in the air. And then I encountered a heartbreaking and difficult season in my life. For the first time, I had a hard time opening my eyes to the light in my bedroom, I dragged out of bed, and I dreaded the birds' new song. My mind would land on Kay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-34532592109890373902014-08-30T04:00:00.000-07:002014-08-30T04:00:02.357-07:00Boldly Seeking Grace It's one thing to count on God's grace when we are in the clear, when we have honestly done nothing wrong. Maybe we've been wronged; but we've done no wrong. Grace is surely coming then. But what about when we have finally come face to face with our ugly? When we've owned the mess we've made? Maybe we can hope for grace, but can we boldly ask for it? David did. I went looking for David's Kay Harmshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-44219469998093309282014-08-28T09:51:00.001-07:002014-08-28T09:51:40.460-07:00What's Your Big Deal? Today may seem mundane or extraordinary. You may have plans; you may have planned to have none. You may have put your makeup on and your cute shoes, and be heading out and about. Or, like me, you may have put on some clothes you found lying around your room and skipped the makeup, knowing that you have no intention of drawing attention. Regardless, this is the day that God has made for one Kay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-89625915888494773712014-08-01T03:30:00.000-07:002014-08-01T03:30:01.696-07:00She Wanted to Linger I saw her come in the door of the restaurant and waved her over. She smiled and hurried to our booth, gave me a quick hug and sat down across from me. The waitress was right on her heels. She offered her a drink, and my friend ordered exactly what sat in front of me: coffee and a glass of ice water. But then my fairly new friend said something that made me swallow down hard and skip a breathKay Harmshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-59501303808818869222014-07-23T10:18:00.001-07:002014-08-28T10:05:40.364-07:00Is Something Eating at You? Walk with Me... Is something eating at you? My bet is it's an insecurity. We all have them, you know. That's right, even Angelina Jolie has insecurities. We all do. Beth Moore said "so long!" to hers here, but they still show up occasionally. Insecurities are those nagging thoughts that eat away at our confidence, our joy and our sense of purpose. They quiet our voices when we're supposed to raise them.Kay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-79239347057512536012014-07-18T14:58:00.001-07:002014-07-18T14:58:12.819-07:00Why I Kept Staying Home We were munching on chips dipped in salsa and sipping on sodas, but our conversation had taken a more serious turn. Sadness and confusion made her beautiful brown eyes look even darker. Her third child had reached kindergarten age and my sweet young friend now faced the same dilemma I encountered about 15 years ago. Do I return to the work force now? Full force? Is my job at home done? I Kay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-18781944563195440392014-07-16T04:00:00.000-07:002014-07-16T04:00:05.278-07:00Struggling to Follow Through? Walk with Me Even before we married, my husband and I decided I would stay home with our children while they were young. At the time, in the early 90s, that decision was even less popular than it is now. And on a newbie pastor's salary, it wasn't easy to follow through with financially. But with prayer and a step of faith, we made it work. Still, I cannot count the number of times I must have doubted thatKay Harmshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-89804406606872689792014-07-14T11:01:00.002-07:002014-07-14T11:01:47.121-07:00Are You a Brave Bible Student? "So I Just Read Proverbs 13, And It Made NO Sense To Me... HELP!!! The Bible Is So Good Yet So Confusing!" - a young friend on Facebook I smiled when I read my young friend's plea for guidance this morning. She's fresh out of high school, on the verge of stepping out into the world where she will have to make so many decisions for herself. She's a smart, beautiful and delightful young woman. Kay Harmshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-76953628277821251912014-07-11T11:30:00.001-07:002014-08-28T11:14:48.487-07:00Road Trip!!! With Two of My Dearest of FriendsWe talked and ate and sat in the bubbling jacuzzi and hiked and talked and ate and shopped and talked... Recently I had the opportunity...no, I TOOK the opportunity, to get away for a little girfriend trip with two of my oldest, dearest friends. The three of us are all celebrating our 50th birthdays this year, so we decided to reunite for a four-day celebration in the Great Smokey Mountains. Kay Harmshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-68596590762142743322014-07-09T12:40:00.001-07:002014-07-09T12:40:49.024-07:00Ready to Glow and Grow? Walk with Me! I had started out with the best of intentions, but once again I had failed. Or at least, I thought I'd failed. By my standards, I was a complete failure. What did I fail at? Oh, you name it, I've flubbed it up. That teachable moment with my kids The job interview A new recipe A vocal solo Pitching my book proposal to a publisher A difficult but necessary confrontation Driving home without Kay Harmshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-30752732136178385592014-07-07T11:12:00.001-07:002014-07-07T11:15:35.035-07:00Glow and Grow! or Blame and Shame? I'm cleaning out my desk today and one of the fattest files I'll be tossing has weighed down the file drawer for over a decade now. It's my "rejection" file. I don't know if most authors keep their rejection letters or not, but I held onto mine for years. Of course, after a while I no longer received rejection letters. I received rejection emails instead. I think I even took the time and Kay Harmshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-71105235938951285152014-06-11T08:25:00.004-07:002014-06-11T08:27:26.835-07:00This Will Not Last Forever - Walk With Me... Dear Friend, today I'd like to remind you that this will not last forever. I know, some of you have situations that prompt you to say, "But Kay, this will last forever. This situation, this burden, this conflict, this physical problem...it's not going anywhere. It will last forever." But here are two caveats to that assumption. First of all, nothing on this earth, except for the souls of Kay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-86623926600875531792014-06-09T09:08:00.002-07:002014-06-09T09:08:57.551-07:00The View from the Beginning Running late for the show, we still took the time to buy popcorn and drinks. And, large drinks in tow, we definitely had to stop by the ladies' room before sitting down for a two-hour movie. When we entered the dark theater we assumed the previews would still be rolling. But we were wrong. Although the movie couldn't have been in progress for too long, we had definitely missed the beginning Kay Harmshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-14158970787323766772014-06-04T09:25:00.000-07:002014-06-04T09:25:17.836-07:00Overcome? Or an Overcomer? Sweet sister, are you at the end...of your rope, of your wits, of your list of solutions? Does it seem that your problems have become so tangled and mangled that there is no way to unravel them? Maybe your troubles have been brewing for such a long period of time that you can't even remember what life was like before they all began. And you feel overcome. Overcome with the enormity of the Kay Harmshttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743149996557804712.post-80203703029193393092014-06-04T04:00:00.000-07:002014-06-04T04:00:07.112-07:00The View from My Front Porch This post is the second in a series titled Your World, God's View. You can find the complete series (when it's done!) here. When I was a child I loved playing on the porch. Whether it was the more formal front porch furnished with a simple black bench, the carport where I could roller skate when the cars were gone, or the screened-in back porch where I could swing or even relax on a Kay Harmshttps://email@example.com

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It's soup season. I can't help myself. Something about the chill in the air and the smell of fall makes me crave warm and yummy soup!! It's a great filling meal that is healthy and totally satisfying! And it meets my MOST important requirement which is easy to make!! We are no strangers here at HSE to soup recipes…Check out Spicy Chicken Chili, Roasted Red Pepper & Corn Soup, Smokey Southwestern Soup, Cheesy Cauliflower Soup, and Monroe's Semi-Sissy Chili. Today's soup recipe was inspired from a pre-made organic soup i picked up at the grocery store the other day. It was so yummy and it just hit the spot!! I knew i needed to figure out how to make my own version so we could have it all the time!!
Chicken & Rice Soup
(image source)
Chicken & Rice Soup
- 2 chicken breasts, shredded
- 2 cups uncooked basmati rice (or your favorite type of rice)
- chicken or veggie broth
- water
- butter
- paprika
- garlic
- cardamon
- dehydrated red onion (can use fresh red or white onion if you've got them!)
- kale
- corn
- salt
- pepper
- Prepare the chicken and shred.
- For me the easiest way to cook chicken for shredding is in the crockpot. For this recipe I used 8 oz of organic chicken broth, garlic powder, dehydrated red onion, paprika & a dash of cardamon. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2 hours. Chicken can easily shed with a fork!!
- In a large stock pot, prepare rice. Follow directions on the packaging but add a little more liquid then you normally would and include about a tbsp of butter.
- Once most of the liquid has been absorbed, stir in corn and kale. Also add carrots or any other veggies you have on hand. I usually use frozen because its what i have on hand!!
- Add shredded chicken and another 8 oz container of chicken broth.Stir and simmer
- Continue to add water or additional broth until it is to your desired consistency.
- Continue to simmer and stir in 1 tbsp of butter.
- Taste often!! Add additional seasoning (garlic, paprika & cardamon) and salt & pepper to taste. There is so much flavor already in the chicken and broth that it really does not need to simmer for long! Use your taste buds to decide but last time i made this I simmered for about 15-20 minutes!
- Great on its own…or add greek yogurt, shredded cheese and crackers.
Yummo!! The leftovers are also fantastic. Do be advised that the rice does soak up a lot of the liquid so when you go in for round two, either add some additional broth or even eat it as more of a rice casserole!
~ Jillian


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Hi,this is an intro to the employment contracts existing in Italy at present. These information and translations could help those who are looking for... read more
Valentina+c posted on 2009-06-05 19:037 answers | Last answered by Valentina+c 5 years 6 days ago
Hi AllI am looking for work here in Abruzzo ,I would consider moving for work but we have a 11 son going to school here . I don't have really any... read more
jane1975 posted on 2009-11-02 13:571 answers | Last answered by Gala Placidia 5 years 2 weeks ago
hello i am wondering how is the accounting system or procedure here in italy. are they following the same principles as the american accounting... read more
The Falcon posted on 2009-10-20 22:312 answers | Last answered by Sablanico 5 years 1 month ago
Hi Everyone, Can anyone give me any info or websites which I could look at with regards to teaching in Iatly? I have been told that teachers there do... read more
tammy garnett posted on 2009-09-24 21:426 answers | Last answered by chardonnay 5 years 1 month ago
Hi, my husband and I are looking to move to Southern Italy in the next few years. My husband is a qualified mechanic here in England. Does anyone... read more
Santamarinese posted on 2009-08-29 22:084 answers | Last answered by shaa123 5 years 1 month ago
Hi everyone,Does anybody know an English dentist (American or Canadian) who is working in Italy? I am a dental student in Toronto, Canada and want to... read more
dentsitalydream posted on 2009-08-26 23:032 answers | Last answered by Don L 5 years 2 months ago
annieo posted on 2009-09-01 12:181 answers | Last answered by Gala Placidia 5 years 2 months ago
Hi all,I'm a New Zealand citizen and I want to come to Italy and work as an electrical engineer. Is it difficult to get a permit to work there? Also... read more
Aparna posted on 2009-08-18 11:086 answers | Last answered by Ram 5 years 2 months ago


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November 28, 2014
Stay up-to-date with KAKE News:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Jacksonville Jaguars shut down the
Kansas City Chiefs' running game today, winning 17-7.
The Jaguars held the Chiefs to a shocking 10 yards rushing.
Only Brodie Croyle's 13-yard touchdown pass to Samie Parker on
the final play enabled the 2-and-3 Chiefs to avoid their first
shutout at home since 1994.
Larry Johnson was outperformed by the Jaguars' Maurice
Jones-Drew, who finished with 82 yards on nine carries. This
included a 52-yard touchdown run that gave the Jaguars a 10-0 lead
in the second quarter.
Johnson managed only 12 yards on nine carries and three yards on
five receptions.
The 3-and-1 Jaguars haven't allowed more than 48 rushing yards
in any of their last three games, all victories.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations
3TP, LLC Response Letter
October 25, 2004
Mr. William C. Maloney
Diagnostic Devices Branch (HFZ-322)
Food and Drug Administration
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
2098 Gaither Road
Rockville, MD 20850
Dear Mr. Maloney:
We are in receipt of your letter of October 5, 2004, which states that 3TP's internet website ( www.3tp.net) [1] demonstrates that 3TP is marketing its software for intended uses that do not fall within its existing 510(k) clearance.
First, we would like to state that we do not intend to market any of our products for indications beyond the scope of our FDA clearance. Further, in response to your letter 3TP LLC has taken the following actions. We conducted an investigational review of the statements on our website to ensure that all references to the intended use of our software are within the indications of our 510(k) clearance. This review was made in accordance with our previously established 3TP Quality Assurance Manual. All changes on our website necessary to conform to the statements of intended use in our FDA clearance have been implemented within the specified time period indicated in your letter.
To ensure that all future modifications to the website are within the appropriate parameters of the claims specified in our 510(k) clearance, a communication was sent to all relevant employees directing them to review the section of our 3TP Quality Assurance Manual that deals with design and approval of website materials. Also, a copy of the FDA Warning Letter was circulated to employees involved with promotional materials to provide examples of statements that are not acceptable.
We believe these actions are sufficient to rectify the situation, put 3TP in a compliant position regarding our website, and ensure future compliance.
Andreas Muehler
[1] You indicated our website to be http://vclassroom.hyperion.com however our website is http://www.3tp.net . Due to a technical error at the Hyperion website, this specific part of the Hyperion website points to our website. We are working with Hyperion to resolve this technical error but would like to point out that there is no business relationship whatsoever between 3TP LLC and Hyperion.


text: ESPN Feed: shelburne ramona http://assets.espn.go.com/i/tvlistings/tv_espn_original.gif ESPN en-us 10 ESPN Inc. http://espn.go.com/ Copyright 2010 ESPN Inc. Like Steve Sarkisian, Jim Mora now faces a decision about where he wants to do what he does best.]]> December 03, 2013 06:37:15 PST STANFORD, Calif. -- It was warm enough up in the Bay Area on Saturday afternoon that the ice baths set up outside of the UCLA Bruins' locker room prob...]]> October 19, 2013 21:10:40 PDT Despite the growing maturity Brett Hundley, UCLA's offensive rhythm was picked apart by Stanford's defense.]]> October 19, 2013 16:30:32 PDT UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks was taken to Stanford Hospital for tests on his kidney during the first half of No. 9 UCLA's game at No. 13 Stanford on Saturday, a school spokesman said.]]> October 19, 2013 11:36:31 PDT Enigmatic Lane Kiffin gets the Trojans ready to play.]]> September 24, 2012 08:54:37 PDT UCLA had extended discussions with Boise State coach Chris Petersen late Thursday night on a five-year deal that would have paid him upwards of $3 million annually, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.]]> December 02, 2011 15:36:49 PST The quiet, unassuming Karl Dorrell is certainly worth remembering at UCLA.]]> November 30, 2011 05:10:33 PST UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said that the school has a short list of names from which it will immediately begin a national coaching search to replace Rick Neuheisel, who was officially fired Monday morning.]]> November 28, 2011 14:20:14 PST For all his tinkering, Rick Neuheisel could never make the UCLA Bruins his own.]]> November 28, 2011 13:38:26 PST The Trojans' takedown of the Bruins was a defining moment for both programs.]]> November 27, 2011 06:33:38 PST Embattled Bruins coach Neuheisel enters what may be his final game in his dream job.]]> November 23, 2011 19:58:28 PST The bruising Derrick Coleman has been quite able at UCLA.]]> November 23, 2011 06:30:15 PST It may be too late, but USC's Matt Barkley is making Heisman voters take notice.]]> November 22, 2011 11:58:40 PST Neuheisel and Chow's inability to turn around UCLA could be directly tied to the QB.]]> November 09, 2011 04:27:43 PST UCLA quarterback Richard Brehaut is expected to return to practice this week just four weeks after breaking his leg in the Bruins' win over Washington State on Oct. 8.]]> November 06, 2011 16:43:55 PST


text:
January 19, 2012
We round up the players taking sides in yesterday's piracy law online action, both pro and anti. Read More »
Get ten 12,000px x 5,800px spherical HDRs taken at different times of day, each with its own tonemapped PNG. Read more »
November 21, 2014
Turn any model into an relightable cloud and render it as a 32-bit HDR with this neat Maya plugin. Read more »
Featuring the new RIS raytracing architecture and costing just $495. Free version now due early 2015. Read more »
Check out Illuminated Tools' new set of free hi-res HDRIs. All are licensed for commercial use. Read more »
The man behind DC Comics' iconic collectibles explains how Gnomon helped him to a career in CG. Read more »
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Kobe and Vanessa Bryant: Divorce Called Off!by Free Britney at . Comments
Vanessa Bryant will not sign the documents to make her divorce from NBA great Kobe Bryant final, at least for now, as they work toward a reconciliation.
Kobe and Vanessa have been on good terms since their split, and have actively tried to work on issues that caused her to file for divorce in December.
They spend a lot of time together, and have even been spotted kissing on more than one occasion, but he has not officially moved back in with her.
Girl is making Kobe WORK!
Under California law, Vanessa has to wait six months before she can file final documents making the divorce official. The six-year mark is this weekend.
Vanessa therefore could end the marriage as early as Monday, but will not. She's legitimately going to give it another shot, despite Kobe's infidelities.
Hey, good for them, and there's nothing stopping her from filing final divorce papers at some point in the future if things really don't work out, either.
Also, when and if she does let the L.A. Lakers guard back in the house ... it will be one of the three mansions he signed over to her earlier this year.
Their divorce was only contentious in that he didn't want her to leave him, but Kobe gave her basically whatever she wanted. Point Vanessa Bryant.
[Photo: WENN.com]
happy they are getting back together. no one is perfect we all make dump mistake until we realize what we did. he will come around when he see what pain he had cause.
Leave his ugly black ass girl
@ greyskies, If Kobe was a drug addict and needed help would you give her the same advice. She is displaying old school values that dont exist anymore; family is greatest gift of all. Kobe is actually a good father and a provider. For better or for worse, it means you may have to sacrifice for the greater good. Personally it is easy to walk away, it takes a real woman to stay and work through it. She is not losing any self respect by keeping her family together.
it great im very happy for them
We'll she is a strong woman and it will take time for Kobe to realize that. I'm glad that they are trying to work things out instead of running away from their problems.
I'm sorry but he's been cheating on her since way back when....no amount of $$$ should be worth more than your self respect!!! He obviously doesn't deserve to have her....move on!


text:
Google to trial personal emails for search results
Summary: One million Gmail users will be able to try out a feature that Google is looking to introduce to its search engine that includes personal email content in search results.
Google is gearing up to test out a search feature that integrates with Gmail.
The idea is that when a Google search-engine user types in a query, the results that come up will not only be from the public web, but also from their personal Gmail account. This means that if someone searches "best restaurant", the results may contain a previous email from a friend that mentions a particular restaurant.
This feature is still in its early phase, and Google is inviting 1 million Gmail users to test it on a first-come, first-serve basis. The trial is only accessible for queries made through http://www.google.com.
Interested participants are able to sign up online.
Google spreads Knowledge Graph worldwide
Google has also made its Knowledge Graph service accessible across the world.
First introduced to the US in May, Knowledge Graph is a database of over 500 million people, places and things that are connected in 3.5 billion ways. Knowledge Graph collates and displays information from the database that relates to a particular search query. The summarised information is shown on the right-hand side of Google's search-engine page, and can give users the answers to questions they haven't even asked yet.
As of tomorrow, Knowledge Graph will be progressively rolled out to users in other countries, including Australia, making Google search queries in English.
The product is a result of Google's acquisition of Metaweb two years ago. It also draws on a number of free online resources, including Wikipedia; the information it shows is shaped by what queries users are making through Google Search.
"We strongly believe we have to give the best locally relevant results globally," Google search senior vice-president Amit Singhal said.
Indeed, Google has attempted to localise Knowledge Graph so that the response from searching the word "chief" in the US, for example, will be different to when it is done in New Zealand.
For US users, Google Knowledge Graph will now have additional functions, such as a more detailed carousel on the top of the search page. The rest of the world is getting the basic version.
Google is keen to push the product to non-English searches, but said that it still had a lot of work to do in order to make that happen.
"We are working aggressively to take it beyond English, but this is a very hard challenge," Singhal said. He pointed out it is already extremely difficult to do in English, let alone in another language.
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November 26, 2014
NEW DELHI (AP) - India's top court has temporarily stayed the hanging of two of the four men convicted for the 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi.
The Supreme Court's order Saturday came in response to a petition filed by an attorney for the two men that said the appeals court that confirmed the death sentence this past week had completely ignored their defense.
The court scheduled a hearing in the case for March 31.
An attorney for the other two convicted men, who also face the death penalty, said he would approach the court soon.
The attack on the woman unleashed a wave of public anger over the treatment of Indian women and the epidemic of sexual violence in the country.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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We are the Cambodia Holiday Specialists
See Cambodia Differently, part of the See Asia Differently travel group is a European family owned Tour Company located in Cambodia. We specialize in unique and customized tours of Cambodia and Asia.
Unlike other operators, we live in Cambodia so we are up to date with everything new and different, as well as having inside information on all the latest events and changes on the ground. We want to give you confidence when booking and traveling with us. Knowing that we are in Asia with you, making sure that you don't miss a thing.
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So visit Cambodia with us; 'See Cambodia Differently' and we will bring your adventure to life.


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Hi All,
I am wanting to get moodle installed and running on my VMWare server and have got hold of a fairly decent vmware image to be found at http://virtualappliances.net however this image is lacking in the php5-ldap and php5-imap modules and getting them installed is a bit of a mare.
Does anyone know of a good lamp install that has the above available so I can get the auth stuff in moodle working.
Or if you have any other suggestions, I would like to stay on the VMServer though.


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Rethinking waste management in Nairobi's informal settlements
Posted on | September 8, 2014 | No Comments
Community-based organizations are in the forefront of dealing with waste management in Nairobi's informal settlements, however, their interventions often fall short of becoming sustainable and profitable on the long run. Research shows that there is ample opportunity in alternative material recovery, recycling, and sorting of trash in the informal settlements, as well as, in establishing long term partnerships between community-based groups and the city council.
Nairobi is experiencing rapid urbanization which brings with it several challenges. Insufficient and poor infrastructure, environmental degradation, overburdened public services, lack of security and corruption are only some of the problems that citizens face every day. Various self-help groups have responded to the lack of public services, including waste management. These groups fill the gap left by the absence of the state or other private institutions. Their work has profound impact on the lives of the citizens, however, due to the age-old practices, and complicated, in some cases non-existing, relationship with the city council, they often fall short of developing their full potential.
Waste is largely an urban problem which carries with it global consequences. It is a by-product of civilization and consumer-based lifestyles, linked to progress, urbanization, and economic development.[1] Managing solid waste well is one of the key challenges of the cities and governments. Failing to manage waste properly has direct impact on public health, length of life, and the environment.[2] It is widely accepted that removal and management of waste together with human excreta are two of the most vital environmental services provided by the city.[3]
Additionally, waste is closely tied to income, therefore, distribution of waste is not equal in all parts of the world. There are significant geographical disparities in production, composition, and management of waste in the world, and even within cities.[4] Generation of waste as well as successful management of waste involves an interaction of social, economic, governance, environmental, cultural, and technological processes.[5]
According to the UN-Habitat's report, Nairobi generates 876.000 tonnes of waste per year (or 219 kg per capita per year). The city reports 60-70% collection coverage rates – 100% in the downtown business district – with 54% of waste generated being collected.[6]According to the study conducted by the UN-Habitat, the main driver for solid waste management in Nairobi is public health.[7] Waste collection in Nairobi is conducted mostly by the private sector, which consists of companies, micro and small enterprises, and community based organizations. Despite these efforts, the city continues to struggle to resolve its waste disposal problems.
Informal settlements often bear the brunt of the missing services. Among other things, they lack proper waste management systems leaving people to literally live on, and sometimes off, waste. Waste is often dumped in the informal communities where it accumulates through time and represents a major health hazard to the inhabitants. Government interventions are often missing or are inadequate to solve the problem of waste in informal settlements.
In the absence of government intervention, various self-help groups have formed and responded to the missing provision of public services in Nairobi. The emergence of community-based organizations engaged in waste management within Nairobi's informal settlements is a case in point. These groups are filling the gap left by the absence of state or private firms. They organize their members to collect trash from the households, sort-out valuable materials and sell them to middlemen and industries, and sometimes coordinate community clean-ups.
One such groups is Juja Road Self-Help Group – one of many dozens dealing with waste management in Mathare. The "business model" of the Group is relatively simple: it collects, sorts, and then disposes of garbage from households; something that – despite the lack of protective gear and any advanced technology – it does relatively well. The group generates modest revenue through trash collection, as well as basic re-selling of mainly plastics and metals. However, faced with the lack of equipment, funding, and sometimes lack of respect from both the city council and the residents, the members struggle to make ends meet. This forces them to expand to the neighboring communities, as Juja Group did when it started operating in Eastleigh. But expansion is no solution on its own.
Their work, and work of other similar groups, has a profound impact on the lives of the settlement's inhabitants, however, they often fall short of developing their full potential, as their interventions struggle to become truly sustainable and thus fully effective and profitable on the long run. The challenge is significant, since these groups are trying to address what in effect is a large-scale governance failure with limited skills and resources. In a simplistic way, we could think of the problem as dichotomous in nature. On the one hand, the groups, while they possess the man-power, do not have the necessary skill, knowledge, or resources to scale up and expand their activities on their own. On the other hand, the groups lack support from the authorities that could provide the necessary resources. The groups themselves are unlikely to be able to sustain their work over a longer period without a change in their strategy and external support.
Let us first consider what the existing waste management groups could do on their own to improve their performance. It turns out: a lot. Research that we – Spatial Collective – conducted in Mathare shows that there are ample opportunities in alternative material recovery, recycling, and sorting of trash within the informal settlements. There is much more that the groups could do with the trash they collect. Our research shows that the majority of groups engaged in waste management sort and re-sell only plastics and metals. In detail, 98% of the groups sort and re-sell plastics and 77% metals. Competition is thus fierce, the informal market saturated and – not unexpectedly – the revenue generated from re-selling plastics and metals is very limited. But there remain untapped potentials in expanding material recovery and recycling services. Household data shows that apart from plastics (60%) and metals (surprisingly only 1%), the households also discard organic material (98%), paper (87%), polythene (87%), and sanitary towels (33%). By focusing on the recycling and re-selling of materials beyond plastics and metals, the informal waste management groups would not only reduce the amount of residual waste in the communities, but also secure additional revenue.
However, these groups will most likely not succeed on their own and only by improving their waste management practices. A positive relationship with the public authorities is of fundamental importance, on at least three fronts. First, at the most basic level, the city council and the informal groups have to find common ground. While the opponents of informal groups might in theory be right that waste management should be undertaken by public authorities, they fail to recognize that in practice it is precisely because of the failure of these same public authorities that the informal groups have emerged. As long as no credible public alternative is put in place, Juja Road Self-Help Group's and similar initiatives' efforts in Nairobi's informal settlements will remain essential. Second, the allegations that some groups use intimidation and force to enforce the primate over the delivery of public services needs to be addressed. Public goods should not be turned into club goods only enjoyed by some. Finally the informal waste management initiatives do not possess even the basic capabilities to properly dispose of residual trash or to transport it to Nairobi's main landfill Dandora. Waving this concern away will not solve the problem, dialogue will. In fact, during our interviews many city administrators expressed the willingness to collaborate, yet on the premise that informal groups accept and uphold certain standards – mainly getting themselves officially registered with the city council, and entering in contractual agreements with the city.
A certain level of pragmatism and optimism is needed. Informal governance initiatives within Nairobi's informal settlements will unquestionably remain key for the provision of certain vital – often life-sustaining – services for the foreseeable future. They will continue to serve their communities in the areas of public health, education, water delivery, security, and many others. We believe that this will remain the case also for waste removal. Yet, there is no reason why improvements should not be sought. On the one hand, the informal groups should seize opportunities in recovery and recycling of alternative materials, thus increasing their revenue and ensuring greater sustainability. On the other hand, the city authorities should do more to support some of their activities and enter a constructive partnership to address governance failures. It is important to keep in mind that, at the end of the day, the goal of both sides is to improve the lives of communities in some of the poorest and most destitute parts of Nairobi. Solving the problem of waste and other public services is a matter of urgency and will serve as an indication whether Kenya can ensure long-term sustainability of its economic model.
[1]What A Waste, A Global Review of Solid Waste Management, Urban Development Series Knowledge Papers, The World Bank (2012): 3
[2] Solid Waste Management in the Worlds Cities, Waste and Sanitation in the Worlds Cities, United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT) (2010)
[4]See: What A Waste, A Global Review of Solid Waste Management
[5]The International POPs Elimination Project : A Study on Waste Incineration Activities in Nairobi that Release Dioxin and Furan into the Environment, Kenya, Nairobi (2005)
[6] Solid Waste Management in the Worlds Cities, Waste and Sanitation in the Worlds Cities, United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT) (2010): 72
[7]Ibid., 72
Tags: Environment > Informal Economy > Mathare > Opinion > Research > Spatial Collective > Survey > Waste Management
Mathare Demographic
Posted on | July 31, 2014 | No Comments
This post was cross-posted from Spatial Collective's blog.
Informal settlements are often missing from geographic and statistical representation of their countries, and Nairobi's informal settlements are no exception.
With so few household surveys, high-quality data with specific focus on informal settlements are very hard to come by. For this reason, little information is available on the quality and quantity of public and private institutions, public services, or on the wants and needs of the people living in informal settlements.
In November 2013, Spatial Collective conducted a household survey in four of the six wards in Mathare. This was a first-step in the launching of the Mtaa Safi (Clean Neighborhood)campaign.
As already noted in previous blog posts, the purpose of the survey was to create a basic demographic profile of Mathare and, in greater detail, look into how people use information and communication technologies (ICTs) and acquire deeper understanding of the habits and behavior concerning solid waste management.
This blog post will focus on demographic characteristics of Mathare that emerged from our sample (N=980) and take a closer look at how they compare to other countrywide statistics.
The ratio of respondents in our survey is equally divided between male (49.7 percent) and female (50.3 percent).
This mirrors the nationwide gender distribution for Kenya, which, according to the United Nations Population Division, is equally divided, with 49.8 percent male and 50.1 percent female.[1]
The United Nations Population Division reports that Kenya's population grew twofold since 1990, from 23 million to an estimated 45.5 million in 2014.[2] Further, in 2009, Kenya Population and Housing Census reports that 78.3 percent of people in the country were below 35 years old (35 years is the threshold between the youth and adulthood in Kenya).[3]
Again, our survey results reveal a similar pattern in Mathare. Approximately 41 percent of the people in the sample are below 25 years old. Additionally, 38 percent are younger than 35 years of age. In other words, the majority of the people in the sample (almost 80 percent) are younger than 35 years old.
Our results also illustrate what is often referred to as Africa's youth bulge. In Africa and elsewhere in the developing world, significant percentages of the population are young. The youth bulge exists because the country reduced infant mortality rate but still has high fertility rate which results in the fact that a large share of the population is comprised of children and young adults.[4] The youth population (15–24 year as measured by the World Bank) is growing faster in Africa than in any other region of the world. According to World Bank statistics, 200 million people in Africa are between 15 and 24 years of age. This means that 20 percent of the population, 40 percent of the workforce, and 60 percent of the unemployed on the continent are youth.[5]
Education provides many benefits to improving lives of the people, especially for the poor and the marginalized. Some of these benefits can be found in reducing poverty and improving livelihoods, health and general wellbeing, as well as in promoting democracy.
Primary school enrollment levels have grown significantly since Kenya introduced free primary education in 2003.
According the World Bank data, in 2009, Kenya had 81.8 percent net enrolment in primary schools[6] and 50 percent net secondary school enrolment[7] (net enrolment is the ratio of children of the official primary/secondary school age who are enrolled in primary/secondary school to the total population of the official primary/secondary school age).
Approximately 3/4 of the people in our survey – 71 percent – have either primary or secondary school education. Less than 17 percent of the interviewees have either college degree or university degree, and only 4 people out of the sample of 980 (or less than 1 percent) have advanced post-undergraduate degree.
The fact that very few people continue schooling past secondary school can be attributed to the poor economic situation of residents in the slums as well as to the poor quality of educational facilities in the slums.
According to research conducted in Nairobi's slums, education costs amount to up to 10% of the total household expenditures. Child education expenditure can amount almost as high as that of food or rent. Because people aren't able to afford to send children to school, many children from the slums do not benefit from free primary education.[8]
Girls tend to attend school in higher rates than boys until up to the secondary school but fall behind after the secondary school. According to the survey, there are more males from Mathare in colleges and universities.
Africa and many parts of the developing world are experiencing significant unemployment problem. Unemployment is remarkably high among the youth; and especially high among women. Youth employment is oftentimes several times lower than that of adults; female employment is even worse.
According to previous studies, the informal sector in Nairobi employs up to two-thirds of the city's labor force.[9] Our survey shows that almost half or 45 percent of the people interviewed are reportedly self-employed, and 32 percent are unemployed.
It seems that unemployment decreases with age, mostly due to self-employment in the informal sector.
Gender wise, more men are employed and more women unemployed; self-employment is equal between both genders.
Transient nature of the settlement
It is widely believed that populations in the slums are transient. Many people living in the slums believe that their stay is only temporary, lasting only until they find somewhere more appropriate to live.
Our data shows that more than half of the people interviewed (54 percent) have lived in Mathare for ten or less years. This number points to a modestly transient nature of the informal settlement.
Academics contend that the reasons for the lack of basic services, lack of investment, and lack of interest by the state can be attributed to the transient nature of the settlements which may lead tenants to not voice demands for improved services.[10]
Many of the people in Kenya's informal settlements live in houses made out of tin and wood and mud. According to UN-Habitat, Nairobi's slums have some of the most deprived conditions in the world (UN-Habitat 2006).
Mathare is an area where both more permanent dwellings, such as high-rise buildings (usually between three and eight floors), and more temporary dwellings, such as mud-huts and tin-shacks, intertwine. Two-thirds of the people interviewed in our survey live in tin-shacks or mud-huts while approximately one third live in semi-permanent, permanent or high-rise buildings.
The map below shows the types of households divided into more permanent structures (high-rise, semi-permanent and permanent) and more temporary structures (mud huts and iron sheet buildings).
These high-rise and permanent buildings differ from tin-shacks in that they are usually units with multiple apartments; however, the apartment size is similar to that of tin-shacks (approximately 9 square meters). High-rise buildings have better access to services, such as electricity, water and sewerage, however, the provision of these services is still very infrequent.
The survey further shows that the average household size in Mathare is around 3.5 people per household.
This concludes our demographic analysis of Mathare. As we can see, the information gathered compares relatively well to other studies conducted in Kenya and in other comparable informal settlements in the country. We can conclude that our sample is representative.
[1] See: World population Prospects: The 2012 Revision, Available at http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/unpp/panel_indicators.htm
[2] See: World population Prospects: The 2012 Revision, Available at: http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/unpp/panel_population.htm
[3] See: Kenya Population Situation Analysis, Available at: http://countryoffice.unfpa.org/kenya/drive/FINALPSAREPORT.pdf
[5] Foresight Africa, Top Priorities for the Continent in 2012, Available at: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2012/1/priorities%20foresight%20africa/01_foresight_africa_full_report.pdf
[6] See: World Bank Open Data, Available at: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.PRM.NENR/countries/KE-ZF-XM?display=graph
[7] See: World Bank Open Data, Available at: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.SEC.NENR/countries/KE-ZF-XM?display=graph
[8] Amendah D. Djesika et al, "Coping Strategies Among Urban Poor: Evidence from Nairobi Kenya," Available at: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0083428
[9] See: UN-Habitat, Nairobi Urban Sector Profile, Available at: http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=2791
[10] See: Socio-Economic Aspects of Improved Sanitation in Slums: A Review, Available at: http://www.wpjohnsongroup.utah.edu/pdf/publications/IsunjuetalPublicHealth2011.pdf
Tags: Mathare > Research > Spatial Collective
Waste Management Stakeholder Survey
Posted on | June 27, 2014 | No Comments
This post was cross-posted from Spatial Collective's blog.
In March and April 2014, following the household survey, Spatial Collective continued their research into informal waste management activities and other community-led hazard mitigation practices in Mathare. The focus of the research was on various groups and individuals dealing with environmental and waste management in the four wards in Mathare: Mlango Kubwa, Hospital, Mabatini, and Ngei.
Following months of field work and community meetings, forty three groups and individuals were identified dealing with waste management in these four wards. These included youth groups, self-help groups, and individual garbage pickers, sorters and recyclers. Their activities range from household garbage collection, sorting, recycling and reusing of waste, to community cleanups and other community hazard mitigation activities.
The survey was designed to show who the main actors in waste management in Mathare were, what were their modes of operation, and how they interacted with each other and with the city council. In detail, we looked at the groups' official statuses, their memberships and their activities. We were specifically interested to see whether groups use ICTs for the purpose of coordinating their activities and communicating between group members and to the city council. We further examined how the groups conduct financial transactions between their members and with their customers. Our research also encompassed a more qualitative assessment of the groups' experiences with the city council and other government officials that are responsible for environmental and waste management in Nairobi. We concluded the survey with collecting groups' opinions on how to improve waste management in the slums.
Similarly to the household survey conducted months before, we recorded the answers using android phones and GPS units. Locations of each of the group and locations of dump sites, sorting, recycling and selling sites and locations of other relevant stakeholders and facilities were collected. The survey data and the GPS points were then sent to the designated database where they were analyzed.
Tags: Environment > Informal Economy > Mathare > Spatial Collective > Waste Management
Household Survey
Posted on | June 24, 2014 | No Comments
This post was cross-posted from Spatial Collective's blog.
In November 2013 Spatial Collective conducted a household survey of 1000 randomly-selected households in Mathare. The focus of the research was to explore the existing and available information systems in Mathare, mainly to gather information on availability, accessibility, and use of mobile telephony and the Internet, as well as to gain a deeper understanding of waste management activities in the area. We were interested to see whether some sort of technological (ICT) solution could be possible to raise awareness and address the issue of waste management in Mathare and broader in Nairobi.
During the initial planning phase, Spatial Collective organized a series of consultative meetings and interviews with the selected citizens and opinion leaders. Through careful considerations of local realities we then designed a public opinion survey targeting 1000 households in Mahtare (completing 980 interviews). The first section of the survey focused on the basic demographic information of the interviewees, such as, age and gender, education, number of people in the households, their employment and location of residence within the slum together with the number of years spent living in Mathare. The second section of the survey consisted of ICT-related questions including information on ownership, accessibility and use of mobile phones, computers, and the Internet. The third and final section of the survey contained questions about people's perceptions and habits concerning waste handling and waste management.
The survey was conducted in four of the six wards in Mathare: Hospital, Mabatini, Ngei, and Mlango Kubwa. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, there are approximately 123,345 people living in these six wards. The wards were selected because of their representativeness of the broader Mathare constituency in the greater Eastlands area of Nairobi.
Prior to starting the survey we were faced with a challenge of how to randomly select 1000 households in an area which does not have street addresses. Professor Steven Livingston from the School of Media and Public Affairs proposed that we superimpose a grid layer, or a fishnet, on top of the satellite imagery of Mathare and then randomly select 1000 of these grid points. These points would then act as randomly selected households. Following Steven's advice, we created a grid layer where each cell of the fishnet was 9 square meters (or 3×3 meters) large. This is consistent with the size of an average room in both the high-rise and the tin-shack or mud-houses in Mathare. Once the grid was superimposed over the satellite imagery we used a random selection function in Quantum GIS in order to randomly assigning 1000 grid cell locations. Selected grid cell locations were then transformed into coordinates with latitude and longitude information, uploaded into GPS units, and used to navigate to the randomly selected households.
The interviews were conducted by our field team. If the person at a particular location did not want to participate in the survey or if the location of a randomly selected point represented anything else but the household, the surveyor simply moved to the nearest household and conducted the interview there. The surveyors used the android phones to record the interviews using Open Data Kit software. Finally, the location of each completed interview was recorded with the GPS unit and the survey immediately sent into the database through the mobile-Internet connection. In total, 980 interviews were completed, meaning that approximately 0.8% of the population in the area was surveyed.
Mtaa Safi (Clean Neighborhood)
Posted on | March 14, 2014 | No Comments
Spatial Collective in its aim to understand various ways groups organize themselves for the purpose of providing public goods in informal settlements initiated Mtaa Safi (Clean Neighborhood) campaign.
It's widely known that in informal settlements, lack of basic services and missing state institutions sometimes create a governance vacuum that is often filled by the informal sector. According to some estimations, informal sector in Nairobi employs two thirds of the city's labor force as cleaners, sellers, teachers, security guards, waste collectors, etc.[1] This is a complicated system through which many of the services are provided. In our focus to understand the complexity of informal waste management in Eastlands, Spatial Collective initiated Mtaa Safi (Clean Neighborhood) campaign.
Mtaa Safi is first and foremost an environmental campaign. Its aim is to address the issues of waste management and at the same time raise awareness, capacity, and legitimacy of various initiatives dealing with environmental issues in informal settlements. Specifically, our aims is to build a network of community environmentalists and provide them with a platform to exchange information about best practices; further, we seek to improve environmental management through innovative use of available technology; and finally, we strive to legitimize the contribution of these groups towards the more sustainable development of Nairobi. In recent months Spatial Collective conducted a public opinion survey; organized a series of stakeholder meetings and target group interviews; collected information on hundreds of environmentally relevant locations; and set up a social media campaign in order to support and promote our on-the-ground activities. Our final goal is to build an open and widely accessible environmentally oriented communication channel for the purpose of providing relevant and timely information to the communities concerning environmental issues, and at the same time, allow citizens to participate and contribute their ideas and views on how to build a more sustainable and cleaner environment for the future generations.
Join the conversation here, here, or here.
[1] Nairobi Urban Sector Profi le, 2005, page 14, http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=2791
Tags: Environment > Spatial Collective > Waste Management
Anacostia, The Death and Life of an American River (A book review)
Posted on | February 25, 2014 | No Comments
This recent article on the spike of violence in Southeast Washington D.C. made me think of the book I recently read, Anacostia, The Death and Life of an American River. The book chronologically depicts the emergence of Washington D.C. and how power politics and irresponsible urban planning can create disparities among populations in the same locality. Below is my attempt at the book review.
Urbanization, population growth, and the "demographic transition from rural to urban, is associated with shifts from an agriculture-based economy to one of mass industry, technology, and service."[1] For the first time ever, the majority of the world's population lives in cities, and this proportion continues to grow. Cities around the world are having a difficult time coping with the influx of people arriving every day and governments are struggling to provide even the most fundamental services, such as access to clean water and adequate sanitation to their urban populations. As we are rethinking the way we live, John R. Wennersten's Anacostia, The Death and Life of an American River, echoes its story of urban development spanning through the past and present and into the future. It is a warning of how misguided urban efforts and policies can lead to a degradation of both the natural and the social environment and how grandiose and exclusive plans for our cities can brand people and the environment for generations to come.
Anacostia is first and foremost a historical overview of Washington D.C. and its surrounding areas. It is a study of environmental and social relations that have shaped the natural and human environments. It is often a story of degradation, of the ruined environment, and of the river's relationship to the capital and the disenfranchised communities that live and have lived on its shores.[2] Throughout the pages, the author successfully juxtaposes the promise of development and progress with the realities of social deterioration, squalor, and urban decay. In the middle runs the river, the ever silent observer who endures the impact of forces shaping the world around it.
The book is a chronologically constructed narrative. The chapters build on one another and their stories are by no means isolated ones. While focused on a specific case study, the narrative could easily depict most cities around the world today.
The book starts with the arrival of the settlers and their immediate impact on the environment, which quickly becomes strained. The days of plantation culture and its ability to alter the regional's natural cycles through extraction and human misery (slavery), significantly changed the regional social ecology and deteriorated the natural environment. The author's initial description of the early plantation culture offers us a paradigm for understanding the subsequent history of the river's area and its rippling effects into the present day: "linked transformations in environment and social processes created unsettled, contradictory, and unjust relations between the people and the natural and built environment (p 35)."
The narrative then moves from plantations to the grand dreams and schemes of L'Enfant, the crafty world of land speculators, and subsequently towards total urban squalor. War, disease, refugees and reconstruction descend upon the city. Anacostia River became caught up in the matrix of urban development and human misery.
Industrialization springs the expansion of the city and introduces new lessons and warnings for present day developers. The industrial revolution brought with it a two tier development process, increasing the problems of environmental degradation and social split. As the city developed, the wealthier citizens moved one way, while the poorer moved the other. Delivery of basic services followed the split. When inequalities between the two finally came into the public limelight, the leaders responded by re-designing the environment in a way which only exaggerated the social differences. The so-called Monumentalist period is a striking lesson in irresponsible urban design. It completely disconnected the citizens and vitality of their communities from urban planning. One can see the legacy of the Monumentalist period in the center of Washington D.C.: "an area of monumental buildings and plazas that in design and execution contradict the very idea of revitalized communities and flourishing neighborhoods (p 141)." Prestige, appearances, business, and profits drove the forceful removal of the working class populations from certain parts of the city, replacing them with an authoritative design of the public space. The city became a "grotesque paradox" of city planning with poor and disenfranchised people living separate from the wealthy (p 160). The Anacostia River was again set as a boundary.
The promise of the American Dream was literally cut in half due to urban planning and power politics; as well as physically by the river. Environmental justice, as a new civil rights battleground, emerged out of necessity in Washington D.C. The location of one's birthplace determined one's future (and as we see from the article in Washington Post to some extent it still does). The river once again takes the center stage in the struggle as people realize that their socio-economic situation is tied to the fate of the river and the environment. Activists believe that a cleaner river and healthier environment could lead to improved communities, and that the river should be seen as an asset, a connecting factor, and not as a barrier to civic improvement.
Later in the book, the author introduces an interesting observation about the unique position and identity of the capital city. Washington D.C. is an artificially constructed city. The fact that Washington never had a well organized political community; that it was regarded as nothing more than an arena for politics; that it had and has a vast transient community; and that the majority of its local population are poor minorities, poses diverse and significant challenges even today, when the city tries to reinvent itself.
Today the river stands changed and with it the city. Waterfronts, new urbanities, and gentrification (or the fear of it) are the new urban realities of Washington D.C. and the surrounding areas. Today, between 70 and 80 percent of the entire Anacostia River watershed is developed.
The author ends his book with currents of hope and an "Anacostia prayer" but he doesn't offer us solace. While the grand schemes of Washington D.C. might not have died yet, and perhaps even the urban watersheds can still be restored and communities revitalized many questions about the future remain unanswered.
From Anacostia in Washington D.C. to Mathare and Kibera in Nairobi, certain populations remain excluded from the grand developments of their city. When we conducted a survey in Nairobi's slums, asking people what the biggest problems of their city were, they replied: "Population growth, inequality, the illegal construction of infrastructure, and the degradation of the natural and social environments. Locally, the environmental problems range from lack of dumping sites, lack of drainage systems, deforestation, and the use of rivers as dumping sites and toilet outlets."[3] The social problems run much deeper. The story of today's Nairobi is the story of past and present Anacostia. It is the story that many cities in the developing and the developed world are currently experiencing. In the end, Anacostia tells us that there is still hope but only if we radically change the way we live. Can we? Will we?
[1] World Health Organization, Accessed: http://www.who.int/gho/urban_health/situation_trends/urban_population_growth_text/en/
[2] Chesapeake Quarterly, Accessed: http://www.chesapeakequarterly.net/v08n1/side6/
[3] Mapping: (No) Big Deal, www.mappingnobigdeal.com
Tags: Reflections
Coding Scheme to Document Dumping and Management of Waste
Posted on | January 31, 2014 | No Comments
This post was cross-posted from Spatial Collective's blog.
Removal and management of waste and human excreta are two of the most vital environmental services provided by a city. Failing to manage waste properly has a direct impact on public health, length of life, and the environment.[1] The United States Environmental Protection Agency has identified 22 human diseases linked to improper waste management.[2] Research shows that "diarrhea and acute respiratory infections are significantly higher with children living in households where solid waste is dumped, or burned in the yard, compared to households in the same cities that receive a regular waste collection services."[3]
There are significant geographical disparities in production, composition and management of waste in the world, and even within cities. Informal settlements all over the world lack proper waste management systems, leaving people to live, literally, in waste. Waste management in Mathare, an informal settlement in Nairobi, is problematic to say the least. Waste is everywhere, and so are the efforts to clean it up, as I have discussed in previous posts. Informal dump sites and waste management initiatives come in all shapes and sizes.
As a part of Spatial Collective's waste management campaign we aim to document the extent of waste dumping and other waste related activities in Mathare. While mapping stakeholders (youth groups, local administration, and middlemen) and amenities (toilets and water points) is relatively easy, a problem arises when we try to document the extent of waste dumping in the community. Waste is only marginally space bound (meaning left at a certain location) and is more often scattered around – people either throw it wherever they want or wind and rain move it around the community. Despite these challenges, we designed a coding scheme to help us determine the extent of waste lying around in the community.
We believe that the coding scheme can help us address some of the challenges that come with trying to document community's dumping of waste. One of the main challenges we face is how to document the size and content of all the various dumps sites; how do we decide which pile of waste is important enough to be mapped? We believed that if we were to leave it to community members to map whatever each decided to map we would end up with an unequal representation of the distribution of garbage (health hazards). Because each person perceives his or her environment in different ways, what is important to one person might not be to the other. If we want to monitor and document the effects of interventions, variance of this sort is not acceptable. We realized we needed a clear and well-structured categorization of waste, one that captured related issues that cut across communities. Only then could we perform comparisons and, hopefully, detect changes over time.
Our initial coding scheme consisted of about a dozen categories, ranging from different types of illegal dump sites to official collection points, toilets and water points, and various stakeholders – youth groups, government officials, and business entrepreneurs. We tried to make the categories mutually exclusive, with each capturing some essential quality to particular waste types.
After completing the coding scheme, we conducted an inter-coder (mapper) reliability test. Inter-coder reliability refers to the extent to which two or more independent coders – in our case mappers – agree on the coding of the content of interest with an application of the same coding scheme.[4] For the purpose of testing our coding scheme we determined the footpath that each mapper would take at a different time intervals (about 15 minutes apart). The mappers followed the assigned path and mapped according to the coding scheme.
The results were more or less surprising.
Only 4 out of 38 unique points mapped were mapped by all eight mappers (coders). At the same time 14 out of 38 points were mapped by only one mapper. Both sides of the spectrum tell us a story that will be told in a future blog post. Yet if we draw a couple of quick conclusions, what do these results tell us? I believe there could be a couple of reasons why we got these results:
- The coding scheme was inadequate to the task: it is very difficult to capture a problem as great and diverse in a set of limited categories which means that the categories were not mutually exclusive enough – distinguishing between piles of trash is really hard
- People have different perceptions of what problems are: some mappers might not think that a certain pile of trash is relevant
- Coders weren't focused enough on the task
We believe that a combination of a bad coding scheme together with (our) lack of awareness of what the actual hazards of waste are and ubiquitous nature of the problem contributed to these results. We drastically improved and simplified the coding scheme to see whether a new and improved code will give us better results.
Documenting the extent of informal dumping and mapping stakeholders is just one in a series of measurements we executed trying to determine how governance around waste management occurs in the current setting. We hope that additional quantitative and qualitative methodologies we put in place will provide us with a clearer understanding of waste management in Mathare and with a clear way forward towards various hazard mitigation initiatives.
In the end, we need to consider the following: Managing solid waste well and in the most economically, socially, and environmentally optimal manner possible is one of the key challenges of the 21st century. Waste management is primarily a public health and an environmental issue. In a place like Mathare, where waste is everywhere, and where a single item lying on the ground can be harmful to a child or a human, we raise an important question: how much can we actually rely on the citizens to provide us with an exact picture of the hazards within their community? Our survey shows that 98% of the people surveyed believe that waste lying around is harmful to the community members. And while they know that waste and human feces are dangerous, do they know exactly how dangerous they are? When a small, and in the eye of a community member, insignificant pile of very toxic trash can be far more dangerous than a huge pile of paper and plastic, can we rely on the citizens to provide us with a good representation of the hazards within the community? How well are they actually equipped to understand and document the extent of these hazards? These are some of the questions that we will have to think about and work on in the near future in order to validate our datasets.
[1] Solid Waste Management in the World's Cities, Waste and Sanitation in the Worlds Cities, United Nations Human Settlement Programme (2010): xx
[2] Lisa Benton-Short, John Rennie-Short, Cities and Nature (New York: Rutledge, 2013): 382
[3] Solid Waste Management in the World's Cities, xx
[4] Sage, Research Methods, accessed November 25, 2013,http://srmo.sagepub.com/view/encyclopedia-of-survey-research-methods/n228.xml
Tags: Environment > Mathare > Spatial Collective > Waste Management
Garbage Composition, Path and Process Mapping
Posted on | August 24, 2013 | No Comments
This post is cross-posted from Spatial Collective's blog.
Spatial Collective recently undertook a campaign of tackling solid waste management in Mathare. Solid waste (waste) comes in various shapes and sizes and materials and has various life-cycles. In order to understand what some of the processes undertaken while handling waste are we looked closely at the composition and the life-cycle of waste.
First, we looked at the composition of waste in Mathare. Solid waste, which is deposited in Mathare's communities (excluding raw sewerage), usually consists of biological, recyclable, electrical and electronic, and hazardous material, and other waste such as sanitary towels, medical waste and human excrement.
Secondly, we looked at the life-cycle of waste by looking at the locations, paths and the processes through which it travels on its way to the final drop-off point. Looking at Mathare, waste is usually generated at a household or a local business level, where it is also stored, accumulated, thrown away, burned, buried, and sometimes separated into different recyclable or reusable materials. Waste then travels from the household to the drop-off site which can be either some predetermined collection point or a community designated dump site (some people call these illegal dump sites). Waste is either collected by the youth groups at a household level or it is disposed off by the residents themselves. Youths, individuals dealing with waste management or the residents dispose of waste by burning it; they throw it into the river or just anywhere; sometimes they sell valuable pieces of waste to the middleman for some cash; or they prepare it for the proper collection by the city council at the predesignated collection points. Last part in the life-cycle of solid waste in Mathare is its transport to the "official" dump site, Dandora (obviously waste which is thrown into the river or burned etc. doesn't end there), where waste is once more sorted and recycled by the numerous "garbage-pickers." Nairobi City Council has plans for the future to turn waste into energy at the recycling plants.
Knowing the composition of waste and understanding its life-cycles can make us more informed regarding the processes, the people involved, their organization and behaviors around solid waste management. These informed decisions will hopefully guide us towards more sustainable solutions regarding solid waste management in Mathare.
Tags: Environment > Mathare > Spatial Collective > Waste > Waste Management
Waste into the river gif
Posted on | August 6, 2013 | No Comments
Tags: Environment > Health > Waste Management
Spatial Collective tackles waste management in Mathare
Posted on | August 4, 2013 | No Comments
This blog post is cross-posted from Spatial Collective's blog.
Garbage collection is a major problem in Mathare, a conclusion easily confirmed by even the most casual observation (Mathare river pictured above). The problem of inadequate waste management in Mathare is no less than an environmental and humanitarian disaster. Waste is everywhere. Food waste, paper, broken bottles, batteries, metal, plastic, electrical material, building material, raw sewerage, paint and other chemicals, even human feces litter walking paths, open spaces, roads, and even people's houses. These are the things one can see. Then there are the unseen — though usually smelled — toxins created by open-pit burning and the overflowing waste from the open-drainage. A waste management system appears to be non-existent. There seems to be little question that the health implications for the people living in these conditions are disastrous.
The team at Spatial Collective is trying to get a better understanding of waste management challenges in Mathare so that we can work with residents to find appropriate solutions. We are determined to implement a campaign to clean Mathare and improve the existing waste management systems found in the community. The inspiration largely comes from Isaac Mutisya, also known as Kaka, and his youth group Mathare Environmental. Kaka was recently featured in a story on NPR about his role as an "activist cartographer" at Spatial Collective. His group managed to take over an open space in the middle of Mlango Kubwa, which was being used before as an uncontrolled dump site. He and his team transformed it into a community center equipped with a small football pitch (picture below).
Improving waste management is not just about cleaning dumps sites. Apart from being a health hazard, waste represents an important source of income for many groups and individuals. According to Kaka, due to lack of employment, many youths took on waste management as an opportunity to earn much needed cash. Recycling plastics, for example, earns a bit of money for cash-strapped youth.
Waste management tends to be political as well. Tatiana Thieme, PhD candidate in the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge, states that when the state fails to deliver basic services, such as garbage collection, grassroots waste management initiatives take over. Groups dealing with garbage collection and waste management become productive entry points of youth 'mobilization,' 'livelihood creation' and a 'mode of resistance' and "hence a political platform for low-income urban youth to reclaim their rights to the city."1
The waste management system in Mathare might be broken but it does exist. One might not agree with the way things are done but it has to be taken into account that some sort of a system exists. That is why, in order to avoid the potential conflicts and to propose the best solutions possible, we need to first understand the problem.
Why waste management? Out of all the problems that the people of Mathare face day to day, solving a problem of accumulating waste seems the least complicated to solve. The problem is right there, in-your-face, visible, out in the open. At the same time the effects of the intervention should be quickly visible making them easier (but by no means easy) to measure – there are either less, more or the same number of uncontrolled dump sites in the community.
The campaign has three parts: problem definition, designing of proposed solutions (offline and technological), and campaign implementation.
We will start with defining the problem and setting of our goals. Our work will commence by conducting a preliminary public opinion survey. Professor Steven Livingson of the School of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University is advising us on the design of the survey questionnaire and in setting up the initial strategy. We will continue by categorizing waste management issues for the purpose of documenting and mapping them. In the end we will conduct the mapping of stakeholders and power relations between them which are currently present in waste management in Mathare.
We hope that these steps will give us better insights into waste management in Mathare. These insights will lead us in our next two steps: designing solutions (including introducing potential technological solutions) and actual campaign implementation.
This campaign will serve as a testing ground for all the future campaigns that Spatial Collective wants to undertake in informal settlements. As we learn what works, we will incorporate the lessons learned in our other project designs. We are hope to identify the most effective strategies for promoting development, in this case waste management.
This is the first post in a series of many in which we will document our progress. We ask anyone to provide us with feedback or to give us advice in order to ensure that we do this campaign responsibly and effectively.
1 Tatiana Thieme, Youth waste and work in Mathare: whose business and whose politics? Accessed: July 20, 2013, www.sagepublications.com
Tags: Environment > Mathare > Spatial Collective > Waste > Waste Management