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The Thai Military: A Control Freak?
Thailand's military announced that it would take over the country's politically unstable situation this Thursday. It initially denied that it was a coup d'état. Over the weekend, the military dissolved the Senate signaling that a coup d'état was indeed being orchestrated. But to what extent is the situation in Thailand really that volatile? To begin with, Thailand's socioeconomic has been improving. Income inequality has been extraordinarily reduced over the last two decades from a Gini Index of 45.22 in 1981 to 39.37 in 2010. Despite being hit by the world economic downturn, Thailand is now the largest vehicle producer in Southeast Asia. It is often referred to as a "tiger cub economy" as it has followed Asian Tiger economies' path of economic progress. However, the development of political institutions has not reached the same level of economic advancement. So far, Thai society remains divided between two main groups: royalists and urban middle classes; and, the rural masses. The power struggle that has come into sight is an indication of the current vacuum of power of having an aging king unable to make decisions, the uncertainty concerning his succession and the possibility of democratization.
In order to understand the current situation, two aspects are pertinent. First, the Thai military has had great importance throughout the country's history. Not only has it participated in nearly 20 putsches and coups since 1932, but it is a figure that has gained respect sometimes even more than the king. This may be so because the military strongman, Field Marshal PlaekPhibunsongkhram, managed to construct Thai national identity out of its diverse population during the 1930s-1940s. Second, all of the pro-establishment groups received positive incentives which have enabled them to maintain cohesion. These groups were supported by the United States as they offered air bases to bomb Indochina during the Vietnam War. These two aspects have strengthened the military's prowess vis-à-vis challengers of the establishment, which are left-wing, rural and often segregated groups.
Thailand's socioeconomic division has always been present. In spite of an improved income equality, such division is most visible than ever due to the corrosive sense of power vacuum and the fact that once excluded groups are now economically empowered. Since the 1960s, its GDP growth has not been impressive but its economy has grown a little less than the Asian Tigers. During this period it achieved growth rates of 3-5 percent. The country maintained these rates during most of the 2000s until 2009, when the global financial crisis hit the tiger cub. Today, its economy has barely grown (0.1% in 2011), which suggests that the current situation might have helped to fuel unrest. Using Huntington's terms, Thailand has undergone a "Green Uprising" by which lower classes have expanded their voices through voting for left-wing representatives. The left-wing movement has been supported by the former elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who pursued populist welfare policies. Pro-establishment groups, including the military, ousted Thaksin in 2006. However, the powerful elite miscalculated that Thaksin had already managed to assemble some grassroots groups that are now protesting against the military takeover. Nevertheless, these groups remain uncoordinated. Accordingly, the minority (pro-establishment) still controls the judiciary and the military and it has used variegated strategies to rid of democratically elected leaders since 2001.
The lack of certainty about succession and the coup worries the international community. Nevertheless, the situation should be seen as both a threat and an opportunity for democratization. Although Thaksin remains in exile, he is a figure that has been able to articulate political preferences of the lower strata through populist policies amidst a monarchy. The royalty has remained silent and has humbly accepted the military coup. Some potential factors that could help untangle the situation are world powers like the United States and China, exit of foreign direct investment and increased coordination by the minority or the majority. Whether a politician, supported by Thaksin, rises with a more coherent and credible argument able to solve the impasse, allure members of the middle class, lower and middle income strata might be able to function unanimously. Yes, the power of the numbers matters. But it only does when its goals are articulated into a specific set of achievable actions. So far, the military is trying its best to weaken such efforts.
The Magic Mountain
On Wednesday, a long-expected international conference backed by the United Nations began in Montreux, Switzerland. Its participants, representatives from 40 countries (including the U.S. and Russia) and delegates from the Syrian government and some factions of the Syrian opposition, discuss the so-called Geneva communiqué. This document was issued in 2012 as a result of another international meeting about the Syrian conflict. In general, it provides a framework within which the war will come to an end, including the stop of violence, the formation of a transitional government with full executive authority, and the holding of elections, among other things. After a one-day break, the meeting will resume on Friday in Geneva.
The first day of the encounter was dedicated to speeches from all the delegations attending it. Leaving rhetoric aside, this first glance at the conference illustrates the obstacles that very likely it will find in the near future. The most salient point of divergence is that while the U.S., most of the foreign delegations, and the Syrian opposition insist that Bashar Al-Assad must step down and cannot be present in a transition government, the official Syrian representatives assure that the continuation of Al-Assad as president is not to be discussed. Further, for the Syrian government the conference is not about discussing the formation of a transition authority (even more, Syria is the only participating delegation that did not subscribe the Geneva communiqué), but about the Syrian people's demands of "eliminating terrorism", "terrorists" being how they refer to Al-Assad opponents (in addition to the fact that there have been reports of Al-Qaeda activity in Syria). Therefore, there are different and diverging goals among the attendants to Montreux and Geneva.
Another aspect that could complicate the conference is its measures of success. It would be very unlikely that the main goal of the Geneva communiqué, the constitution of a transition government, is achieved. However, there are other more specific goals that will be discussed in the second part of the meeting. While the Montreux event featured speeches from each delegation, Geneva will hold more head-to-head mediated conversations between the parts in conflict. It is expected that the talks in these sessions go around issues such as the provision of humanitarian assistance and the protection of human rights in the areas of conflict, the facilitation of the flow of people between zones controlled by the government and by the opposition, or the continuation of the provision of basic public services throughout the country. The extent to which deals can be struck in these issues is still to be seen, but it appears they have more chances of success than topics related to the transitional government.
But even within that reduced set of expectations about the conference, whatever results it could bring could find further difficulties to be implemented in the ground. This is mainly due to the fragmentation of the Syrian opposition. Its largest and arguably most visible section for external viewers, the Syrian National Council, is not sitting at the table because it refuses to discuss anything until Al-Assad leaves power. The leader of another large group, the National Coordination Committee, refused to participate because its delegation did not have sufficient time to prepare itself. Finally, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces yielded to pressures from other countries and agreed to take part in the discussions, although many of its members did not agree with this because they wanted guarantees that Al-Assad would step down.
The picture above could suggest that the prospects for the conference in Geneva are grim. However, it must also be underlined that the current assessment is made taking as after just one day of work in which top-level diplomats (mostly foreign ministers from the participating countries) gave speeches. The session in Geneva could be more productive, constructive, or at least less polarized, given its interactive nature and the presence of mediators. At the same time, the top objective, the formation of a transition government without Al-Assad, could almost be ruled out. Once works in Geneva begin and some time as gone by we can have a clearer idea about what to expect from this conference.
The Phantom of Liberty
After accusations of chemical weapons being used in the conflict in Syria, the international community has raised its voices and threatens to intervene in some way. Leaders from the U.S. (who has prepared Tomahawk missiles pointing towards Syria), France and the U.K., (François Hollande saying the infamous gassing of innocents will not be left unpunished, while the British Parliament waiting for the U.N.'s inspection to finish to define what it will do), NATO (assuring the unacceptability of the use of such weapons), Russia and Iran (threatening with some kind of retaliation if Syria is attacked) and other major military powers emphasize they either will not stand still in the face of the use of chemical weapons or in the face of an "unprovoked" attack against Syria. As in the days of the Cold War, both sides seem just to be waiting who makes the first move to have a motive for reaction.
There are several questions that must be addressed in this context. One of the first issues is why a potential intervention would have to wait until now. Of course, the alleged reason, the utilization of chemical weapons by Bashar Al-Assad's government against its opposition, is sufficient. The international community is ready to defend human rights and to prevent a President from hurting the citizens of the country he's ruling. It is difficult, though, not to think that if in case an intervention would have happened earlier the use of chemical weapons could have been prevented in the first place. However, this leads to another problem which brings uncomfortable memories about the Iraq campaign: what argument would be wielded to explain action in Syria? If it would not have been something shocking, such as now is the use of chemical weapons, then the call would have had little echo and would have contributed to stamping the "imperialist" or another kind of label in whoever made it.
Furthermore, again retrieving the Iraq experience, it is not clear what will the objective of an intervention would be. For sure, it is too early to think about such purpose, even more because no course of action, uni- or multilateral, is yet defined. One can just speculate about when and how the mission will be completed. Will the masterminds and operators of the chemical attack be detained, trialed, and punished? That would be the case if the intervention strictly stuck to punishing the use of such weaponry. But their use was not an isolated event, as it occurred in the context of an authoritarian government fighting its people. It can be argued that such leaders should not be allowed to continue in office because of the domestic and potentially international threat they represent. The problem then goes to that will be done the day after Al-Assad is gone. The Syrian opposition has been in pains trying to form a united front against the government, for which it can be expected they will not have either an easy time when it is their turn to rule.
Unfortunately, all those questions are very difficult to answer. For each argument supporting intervention, there will be another one condemning it under grounds inefficient past intervention or of sovereignty violation, or arguing that a multilateral approach, centered on U.N. action, must be followed. Additionally, it is unclear who will have ears for the answers to those questions and be willing to change their behavior in relation to what the discussion says. Now it is time to speak up and, hopefully, prevent an already complex situation from becoming even more complicated by involving the international community in warfare.
Manning in Maryland
Yesterday began in the Fort Meade base in Maryland the military trial against Bradley Manning for accessing classified documents of the Army and sharing them while being deployed in Iraq as an intelligence analyst, which ultimately led to their publication in the Wikileaks website. He faces 22 charges, which are mostly related to wrongfully accessing computers and to misusing their information, government-owned and sensitive. The most relevant one, as foreseen in the pre-trial hearings, is that of aiding the enemy (namely, Al-Qaeda) for which he faces a life-long sentence. He has pleaded guilty of 10 of those charges, not including the latter.
The process and the charges must be considered in two stages. First, Manning's direct actions. He has mentioned that he decided to share the documents for wide publication expecting to increase awareness about some of the failures of the U.S. military campaigns in Iraq. Otherwise said, Bradley wanted to promotion of transparency in governmental information.
Clearly, it was a very dumb way to do it. To begin with, he broke the ethics of any public servant, which is that the information with which one works belongs to the government and must be handled with the utmost care. In addition, the nature of the data he shared could have put his and his teammates' integrities at risk. Next, he did put the U.S. in a very shameful situation as diplomatic communications, containing judgments sometimes not so favorable about other countries' politicians which are publicly called friends but are privately criticized. And finally, he did not need to expose his military career in such a way for the world to know the severe problems in the U.S. foreign policy and armed interventions. Manning's lawyer statement that he was "young and naïve but well-intentioned" is maybe a correct but too soft description of his actions.
The second stage of the process and the charges is helping the enemy. Once Manning has accepted his culpability in the first stage, the trial will move to demonstrating that Osama bin Laden asked for and received information that was available in Wikileaks. Whether or not this happened was out of control of Manning or, at least, he shares responsibility with Julian Assange, the manager of the Wikileaks site, and its webmaster, who are not wanted by justice for those charges. In the second stage of the process Manning will not be trialed for what he did, but for what happened after he acted. Can he be processed for something over which he did not (or not solely) have control?
Manning's process is a court martial, thus having a special set of assumptions and rules. It is not a "normal" case of disclosed governmental information; its most disastrous use will lead not the destruction of a political career benefitting the adversary political party, but to endangering the lives of soldiers, the nullification of any progress made in the campaign, and, ultimately, putting at risk the national security. In any democratic regime government transparency must be enhanced, and the public must be made aware of the failures of government actions. Similarly, public officers who abuse of the access they have to privileged information must be punished. That is out of the question here, and Manning seems to understand it. What is pending of decision is whether he can be held accountable for what other people did with the information he released. That might be an unjustified burden on a single person, given the openness and plurality expected in a democratic regime. But, again, this is a military environment, and it is not only a judge, but his superiors, who will have the last word.
A fog of War: Redux
The last days the international press has seen a flow of reports related to the alleged utilization of chemical weapons in Syria. However, the information has been contradictory, incomplete, or vague. Some sources say that Bashar Al-Assad's government has used those weapons against the guerrilla. Others have suggested that it is the rebels who have recurred to them. There is no confirmation on any of those two sets of statements, but some people say that interviews with doctors in the field could be enough to sustain them. For the time being, the Obama administration has no incontrovertible evidence on the use of chemical weapons, and thus the red line that would propel some kind of action has not been yet crossed.
What has been mentioned in the news brings about the same questions that emerge in the prelude of what could become a foreign intervention to protect human rights of a threatened group or to prevent a government from becoming an international menace. Here are some of them: What kind of evidence is needed before a criminal or threatening situation can be confirmed? What kind of confirmation is needed before the option of foreign intervention can be brought to the table? When or why should U.S. interventions be backed by international support? In the case of Rwanda, the decision to act was taken until sufficient evidence had been accumulated to indicate that the massacre had occurred, once it was too late to do anything substantive. In the case of Iraq, photos shown as evidence of Saddam Hussein possessing nuclear weapons were misleading or plain lies. And in almost any single case in the last two decades when the U.S. has decided to act alone it has met the skepticism or disapproval from the international community.
The openness of those questions points out that when crises such as the current one in Syria appear bad decisions can be easily made. Decision-makers (from the analyst in a civilian intelligence agency up to the President) face a lot of uncertainty, hence risk, and are under severe stress. What they decide or suggest doing will have implications on the lives of many people in the country where the intervention might take place and on the lives of U.S. personnel who will participate in the operations. And there is always present the risk of failure, with its multi-faceted consequences: international embarrassment, loss of domestic popular support, attacks from the partisan opposition, or the deterioration of the crisis in the intervened country.
But maybe the most important question that also emerges in these contexts is what has been learned from previous experiences. An editorial in the New York Times urged the Obama administration not to be detained by past mistakes from taking decisive action in Syria. What could be added to that recommendation is that past mistakes should also inform current decision-making processes by teaching decision-makers how to work better under the somewhat normal uncertainty of war environments. In the following days we will see what, if any, are the lessons of U.S. interventions abroad over the last fifteen years.
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text:
I know it's still Sunday but this question is for tomorrow.
Is there any quilt patterns you just can't stand? Every time I see a Bargello Quilt I cringe...
So fess up what quilt block/pattern don't you like. Vicky |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Sun, Jan 30, 11 at 18:54
I'm with you on the bargello, Vicky - I'll add my ~shudder~ to your cringe! LOL! The stack and whack makes me (mentally) roll my eyes and mutter...."oh, please".... same for the One Block Wonder, but I maintain a neutral face because my dear friends love them. Teresa |
Sunbonnet Sue! Can't stand her or that little friend of hers, either. Sorry, Sue-lovers, I know she has lots of fans but she has the same effect on me as nails on a chalkboard. Kate |
- Posted by carol_from_ny (My Page) on Sun, Jan 30, 11 at 19:10
It's not so much a particular pattern I don't care for but more often than not it's the fabric selection and the workman ship that can be way off. |
I'm with Kate, can't stand the Sun Kids. And, in general, not fond of any of the 30's reproduction fabrics, either. I like bargello in some colors, but others just scream at me. |
- Posted by geezerfolks (My Page) on Sun, Jan 30, 11 at 21:38
I really don't care for 'artsy' quilts. I pass right by them at quilt shows. There are patterns that I never want to do, but I can admire them when others do. SharonG/FL |
- Posted by toolgranny (My Page) on Sun, Jan 30, 11 at 22:15
Nope! None! I like them all. There are some I don't plan on making myself - ever - but it's not because I don't like the look of them. |
I am pretty open minded as to patterns but fabric is another story. What some fabrics to to a prefectly good pattern really turns me off. Colors choices have a simular effect if they aren't used well. There are patterns that I would never use but after all there is only so many days in a lifetime. Jayne |
There aren't any patterns that really turn me off. There are some that I like more than others. There are some fabrics that I don't care for at all. I don't like oriental fabrics and the cheddar color that was in antique quilts. Linda OH |
- Posted by murphy_zone7 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 31, 11 at 5:23
I agree, it is not so much the pattern but the colors that make me cringe. but have to admit, some patterns are easier than others for me to understand. I like a quilt with fewer rather than many many colors in it. However, I need to get over that, since my scraps bins are starting to overflow!! I do appreciate the work that goes into a scrappy quilt with 100's if not thousands of pieces. Murphy |
I really like the look of the Log Cabin pattern, but sewing one gives me tremors. Up and down, align, sew, press, up and down. Makes me crazy. I'm not a big fan of art quilts either, especially contemporary ones. My unsophisticated eye likes order and patterns. |
I'm with Kate on Sunbonnet Sue, can't stand it, sorry. I also dislike any block that portrays a building. (Farmhouses, cabins, barns, etc.) Don't like appliques depicting animals unless it's for a child. Also don't care for the expensive licensed prints for children, although I know they like them and if one of my grandchildren REALLY wanted one I'd make if for them. There are some art quilts I don't like but some I do. I like landscape quilts. |
I've never thought about not liking a pattern, I just pass over many that don't appeal to me. Some artsy quilts I love, others turn me off. Material and colour choice certainly does influence how I feel about a quilt and a pattern. Having lived in Japan, I love Japanese fabrics and most of my quilts are made from material I have bought on my visits to Japan. I'm making a "Memories of Japan" wall-hanging too - a UFO - with lots of applique. Overall I think I'm influenced by the suitability of the pattern to the project I have in mind - and the time I have available to do it! Kristene (tinyteena) |
I like most patterns. I don't favor loud, bright quilts but I've made a few of them to use up fabric........have one in the works now and it will end up being a gift for a person who likes this kind of quilt. I do steer away from patterns that have a lot of white background. I think it's because I know I'd have to fill the space with some kind of quilting design and I'm not confident with actual quilting. I prefer traditional patterns but lately I've been drawn to the modern, geometric designs. Bargellos, I admire and want to try one just to see if I can do it but not a big fan of them. Scrappy quilts are my all-time favorites. Great QOTD Vicky. ~Geraldine |
I don't care for modern artsy quilt patterns, when I go to quilt shows I walk pass those. Guess I prefer the more traditional looking patterns. Some of the wild - and loud looking colors in fabric turns me off as well. Barbara |
I dislike SB Sue, too...don't know why...also redwork/bluework. For the past 5 years or so I have really disliked almost all of the new fabrics coming out. I don't like the colors or the color schemes (brown & turquoise?) and don't care for the prints, either. So...haven't bought any fabric at a LQS in a long time. Not much at JoAnn's, either. Donna |
- Posted by quiltpartner (My Page) on Mon, Jan 31, 11 at 9:20
Vicki - good question! You've generated one w/lots of responses:) Like many of you there aren't really patterns I dislike - just some I don't like as well as others. And Jayne you're right, NOT enough time in my lifetime! LOL |
There aren't many that I dislike!!! I am not attracted to the artsy quilts either, the houses and tree patterns, flying geese are so so . I like some bargello quilts and I enjoyed making one, but gave it away. I tend to go with traditional. We had company over the weekend and I could tell the 30 yo was not impressed with my quilts, I think she would have love a geometric or bargello design. |
Sunbonnet Sue and Sam |
Man, I have had trouble logging in for 2 days. I have found that I will love a pattern with some fabrics, and hate it with others. I love hand applique, but it isn't something I really feel overwhelmed when I try to do. beverly |
- Posted by teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 31, 11 at 21:13
Cringes, shudders, nails-on-chalkboard, tremors, etc. - who knew quilters had such strong reactions to patterns and colors? LOL! |
I can't stand the Sunbonnet patterns....Sue, Sam, parosol girl.....really dislike all of them. Colors and prints are another thing. Some of the quilt and fabric designers of late like to use bold colors and prints without any solid color fabrics in their quilts. To me this is a hot mess.....there is no place for my eyes to rest. Baltimore Album quilts are very lovely but the only way I will ever get one is if I win it or someone gives me one....applique is not my friend. Mary |
- Posted by petalpatsy (My Page) on Tue, Feb 1, 11 at 1:23
Oh, I agree about the hot mess--I'm talking to you, Kaffe. I don't like patterns that are all about a thousand long sharp triangles. They always look vicious to me--how could you relax under a quilt of knives? |
- Posted by quiltpartner (My Page) on Tue, Feb 1, 11 at 6:13
Mary - hot mess?? Petalpatsy - quilt of knives??! Such descriptive word pictures!! :) *& by the way, I agree w/you both 100% Yes, Teresa, who knew? we could have such strong opinions?!!? But, we women are creatures of strong opinions & emotions!!! |
My DH says he does not like patterns that are all the same - that if you look at one area or block of the quilt, you've seen the whole quilt. He is trying to push me into creating asymmetrical patterns. *Sigh* I hate to tell the man, but he just did not marry someone who thinks like that or aspires to! In my deepest of hearts, I love symmetry and have to push myself to do something that is not symmetrical. I think he would love art quilts. I don't like patterns that have blocks with lots of pieces but never form a design when you look at it from a distance. They look jumbled. I'm trying to think of how to describe it better; I'll put on a link, and the 3rd grouping down, most of those mosaic blocks just don't appeal to me - but I have seen some quilts where the way the colors are used I do like the block. But typically if I see a quilt book full of these type of patterns, I pass it by. |
Here is a link that might be useful: mosaic blocks
I know what some of you mean about the colors and prints of a lot of the fabrics out there. For instance, although by themselves a lot of the Kaffe Fasset fabrics are beautiful, I don't care for them being overused in a quilt. I looked at a video where he was teaching a class on picking fabrics and wasn't impressed, but I guess the students loved it, they were just drooling over everything he said. There is one quilt in the new BHG quilt mag. that has so many loud, out-there fabrics that you can't see the block design. I need a place for my eyes to rest while looking at a quilt. There's also a quilt with buildings, (yuck). The rest are very nice. But when it comes to quilts for kids, I have used a lot of vivid colors and block designs that I personally wouldn't want for myself. |
- Posted by bozogardener (My Page) on Tue, Feb 1, 11 at 14:29
Some of you wouldn't like my quilts, LOL. I like bright colors, and some of mine tend to be a little loud. Oh well. I dislike the sunbonnet sues, and also the stroll around the block quilts with those houses. This is what I like about quilting, it is a highly personal hobby and they can be so creative and different! |
I don't like Sunbonnet Sue or Overall Sam. Those "Stroll the Block" quilts make me cringe. No house blocks for me ever! No landscape quilts either - but this is because I will never do wall hangings. No wall hangings, no placemats, no table runners. I really don't like bargello quilts, either, but that's because I finished so many needlepoint chair seats and pillows in bargello that I was SO DONE with bargello back in the early 90's, LOL. I love the look of Log Cabin blocks, but I really hate sewing them. I can admire applique - but I'll probably never do it, and positively never by hand! My quilts are bright, they are loud, and I use mostly tone on tone fabrics mixed with either white or black. I like most traditional block patterns, but I need both color and contrast in them. And Kaffe Fasset fabrics are hideous!, LOL. |
When I was a young woman, a typical scrap quilt in a traditional pattern would give me a migraine. Now I love them, so I suppose tastes definitely change through life experiences. I'm not crazy about art quilts, but some are exquisite. I know I'll never do one. Ditto bargellos. I like redwork, but used to hate it. I do not like most modern fabric designs, either. I sort of gag on 'cutesy' country themes too......because it reminds me of the craze of the early eighties. You couldn't escape it and when you had to write 'country' on a cannister set, uhm.........you are trying too hard. Real country or rustic, now I like that. I think it is pretty much a fabric choice thing with me, however. If the fabrics strike me pleasing..........the combinations.........I would probably like it. |
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Main Menu
This Year's Special Guests
Rev. Dr. Dow Edgerton is a Professor of Ministry at Chicago Theological Seminary. He has served a church in Wisconsin and is an instructor is the Lay Academy Program.
Dr. Edgerton's address, "I Believe in the Holy Spirit" will explore what it means to think, imagine, pray, study, work, hope, love, and live together as the church that believes in the Holy Spirit.
Rev. Dr. Carolyn Pressler is the Harry C. Piper Professor of Biblical Interpretation at United Theological Seminary, is ordained in the UCC, and is an instructor for the Lay Academy.
Dr. Pressler's address is "Grief and Gratitude in our Journey with God" There is a sense in which the Old Testament is a centuries long conversation about the questions and crises, hopes and fears that continue to stand at the center of faithful life. Our spiritual ancestors wrestled with rapid change and dwindling resources; challenges that are not foreign to our churches today! While the biblical authors responded out of varying circumstances in widely differing ways, always their responses were ultimately grounded not in nihilism, but in hope in God's faithful love. The movement from anxiety, grief and lament to gratitude and praise is central to the overarching narrative of the Older Testament; it defines the movement of many of the particular stories and poems that comprise our scriptures. Carolyn Pressler will mine several Old Testament poems and stories for their insights for our churches as we confront and grieve change, even as we respond gratefully to glimpses and cues of the new life God offers our beloved church.


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- 10-29-2012, 03:30 PM Thread Author #1
Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I had a Bold 9900 up until July of this year when I lost it. Now I am putting up with the pre-paid Android so naturally I miss my BB phone. I have not checked but I may eligible for an upgrade so I was thinking of upgrading to the Bold 9900 and just buying the BB10 outright when it becomes available. Or just hold out until the device is released and use my early upgrade then. Is anyone else in this predicament?
Although it is tempting, I am standing my ground against the masses by not getting an iPhone 4s/5 nor Android. Unless I switch carriers WP8 is right out of the question.New BlackBerry Motto: "I get knocked down but I get up again, cause nothing is going to keep me down!" -
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I wouldn't use an upgrade for a 9900. Right now you can get a used 9900 for about as much as you'd spend on getting on on an upgrade! I'd get one on ebay or craigslist, and save your upgrade for BB10.
Everyone, everyone, stop fighting! Look unto me! I possess the blue flag! I wield the power infinite! The universal fabric is mine to unravel! My every thought becomes reality! Mountains will fall! Seas will boil! Day will be at night! People will...run...chicks'll dig me! - 10-29-2012, 03:40 PM #3
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
If you're already willing to upgrade to one and buy one, why not make the purchase a 9900 and BB10 the upgrade? It would probably be cheaper to do so.
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
You should try to get one and get away from that prepaid kids phone. Check around should be able to get a 9900/9930 at a good price or check for a refurb til BB10 is in.
[B]Real BlackBerry Phones Have Real Keyboards
Q10 the finest BlackBerry - 10-29-2012, 10:20 PM #6
Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I didn't sign a contract.. Just got my bold full cost! Waiting for bb10 but honestly the 9900 is the best blackberry I have ever used.. I'm very happy with it! Got it in August.. I tried out windows phone at the beginning of the year and didn't care for it and was missing my blackberry.. So I decided to sell my windows phone and purchase the bold 9900 out right! Best decision I made this year! :-)
Sent via Tapatalk - 10-29-2012, 10:32 PM #7
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
With BB10 on the horizon, I definitley would not even think of using my upgrade for the 9900. Just hold out for a while longer, and like everyone else is suggesting try finding a used one.
Words of Reason sent from my Nexus - 10-29-2012, 10:46 PM #8
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I would look for a refurb 9900 and save the upgrade for the BB10 device.
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
This is definetly the way to go if you really really need your 9900 back,I know you feel naked,but just hang in there a little longer if you can for BB10.....access if you want or even like BB10 and if not then go ahead and get a 9900 becsuse by this time the market(eBay n Crglist) will be flooded with 9900's from people who "just have to have" the new BlackBerry 10 phones�...YA FEELING ME HOMMEE!!!
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I did in Aug to get the Rogers 6gb plan otherwise I would have waited a bit longer. I needed to upgrade my 9000 I just couldn't take the low ram anymore. Looking forward to BB10 handsets & upgrade for playbook.
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
when I bought my 9930 paid full price so I could use upgrade for bb10, when it comes out its not going to be cheep
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I used an upgrade to get it the other day. I got the phone for $4 though... And I get an upgrade every year so it doesn't matter as much to me.
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
No, not when a Bold 9700 or 9650 is as functional as a 9900 is & can be had for 40 to 50 bucks on Craigslist...
...Absolutely NOT.A reluctant iPhone 4s user who would STILL be a Blackberry user had RIM not messed it's own bed by putting a "Fisher Price Camera" in it's "flagship" Blackberry Bold 9930. - 11-01-2012, 01:13 AM #14
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
Definitely not. Its already a year old! Why bother when the next gen phone is due in 4-6 months? Just run your Android till that time and pocket your money.
8700, Bold 9000, Bold 9700, Torch 9860, Z10! Spider-Man case FTW!!! - 11-01-2012, 01:39 AM #15
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
Incase you haven't already learned, don't wait on RIM to launch anything. They'll do it whenever they are ready. Today is here and now and it's time for you to go get your 9900 and enjoy it NOW. Everyone waiting on RIM to introduce a whole new OS and devices on some schedule are staring at blue sky. This OS update is already a year late and counting. Go get your 9900 and enjoy it. It's laughable that someone who has not owned a 9900, only the old bold (above) would say the 9900 is a year old and it's time is through. Us who have owned the new bold know better. BB10, when it ever comes, is not going to be putting a new bold out and we know the bold 9900 is the best offering you'll ever have of it's sort so go get it! Enjoy.
Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I'd say YES. Experience the best device offered by BB at the moment. The OS is quite polished and you will enjoy the overall experience of owning a 9900.
Regarding the BB10, you can wait for the things to get settled after the initial issues and bugs are laid to rest.
Sent from my 9900 - 11-01-2012, 09:57 AM #17
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
Also depends on how much you value the keyboard. My wife just used her upgrade for a 9900, as a keyboard model of the BB10 phone will only be coming " after" the all touch models, MY take on them coming out is not before next summer. As far as I'm concerned os 7 is good enough for a while.
What's in a world? - 11-01-2012, 01:18 PM #18
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
If you're going to be using the 9900 as a "good enough" phone until BB10 comes out, I'd say just keep your Android. Makes no sense to get a 9900 when you'll have to pay full price for BB10 if you use up your upgrade. Of course, if you have money to throw around, then it's a moot point. But let's face it, your Android likely does most things that you need it to do for now, I don't think the BB gods will incinerate you for using an Android for a few months.
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I just got my 9930 and happy I am. Bb10 may or will be something ,what we do not know. Phones do not last for ever and the nest one can be a bb10 with all the bugs fixed and upgrades done and a smooth well polished os.
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I would say if you can get one for really cheap, get it just because it is an excellent device, but that's because I'm such a Blackberry geek and I absolutely have to get my BBM fix daily. You have an Android so theoretically you have knocked yourself out, so knock yourself out some more.
BB10 is coming out in January, so there's not much longer to wait. I'm sure you won't mind the two+ month wait, right?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2 - 11-02-2012, 07:47 AM #22
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I say like most others, save the upgrade for BB10, but buy a 9900 from eBay or something. That's a win win
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I just got a 9900 from Used Victoria, brand new for $280 (Is it good price?). I am going to use this till at least 2014 and save my upgrade. See what bb10 with keyboard is like. If they don't have keyboard shortcut, I might stick with 9900 till it no longer works. I also got a used 9360 very cheap too just in case. So I could keep going with OS7 devises for a while & I would like to keep all apps I've paid for for old OS as well.
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
I bought an unlocked white Bold 9900 for like $430 off of eBay, brand new, from Cellular Square. I did this because for some reason, NO carrier in the U.S. sells a white Bold 9900 for me to buy (I once bought an at&t Bold 9000 and unlocked it to work on T-Mobile)...and also because I get a new phone and get to save my upgrade or whatever discounts I'm eligible for, for a BlackBerry 10 phone in a few months.
I'd say just buy a 9900 on eBay now, because full retail for a BlackBerry 10 phone will probably be like $600 or $700 dollars, at least. So save your upgrade for that and get a new 9900 to keep you off that Android haha. And if you're worried about buying off eBay, don't worry...I was too. I'm pretty skeptical of everyone/everything, but that Cellular Square company is great. They reply to any questions I email them with within the day, and have really positive feedback from customers. The white Bold I got from them in September randomly stopped working though (the earpiece, I can't hear anyone unless I put it on speakerphone), and I thought "Great, I wasted $400 on a phone I can't even send back to T-Mobile for a warranty exchange." Then I emailed them and I'm shipping the phone back to them and they are replacing it with a brand new one. So far I've been really impressed with them, and I'd definitely buy another phone from them.Sean
Twitter: @SeanKelleher - 11-03-2012, 05:09 AM #25
Re: Would you sign up or upgrade to a Bold 9900?
Why not buy a 9900 SIM free and unlocked outright - either from a store brand new or from a seller 2nd hand? Then you won't have used your upgrade option.
With BB10 around the corner (and you know you're going to want that, right?!) I don't think I'd use an upgrade on a 9900 and re-tie myself into a contract at the moment.
Then, you could always sell the 9900 later on when BB10 is here, and use that cash towards the cost of a new BB10 handset.
That way, it just costs you the depreciation on the 9900 between now and BB10 day AND you get to save your contract renewal card until BB10 is here AND you have more choices. You can stick with the 9900 at that point, or go for a BB10 handset either outright again, or subsidised (I hope!) through your carrier.
If buying used, "buy the seller, not the 'phone!" (make sure you trust the seller!).
Harry -
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Everyone on the boat cheered Sum on, telling him to kill the congressman. Even after all his time in the military, this was the closest Sum had ever come to killing a man.
Although Singapore wouldn't accept the refugees, officials there provided them with food and water and made arrangements for four naval ships that had escaped Vietnam to take them to a refugee camp in the Philippines. Sum divided his passengers into four groups, then aimed his boat toward the tall ships.
Anh had the children ready and told them to get on the first ship -- but Sum stopped her. He was responsible for these people, he said, so they would wait. He helped the first team, including the congressman's family, climb up.
When Sum's boat got to the second ship, Anh again had the children ready to board.
"Let's get on," she said.
By the third boat, Anh would not give in, and climbed on board with her children. "Now it's time to take care of your family," she cried down to Sum.
Her words stung. Sum asked the ship's captain for his assurance that the fourth boat would also go to the camp. His words didn't ease Anh's fears. "I don't want to go on that one!" she shouted.
But Sum had made up his mind, and he pulled his wife and children off the third ship.
Once on board the fourth, Sum was asked to take command so that the captain could rest. He kept in contact with the other three boats by radio. On the second day, he lost communication with the third ship. The captain decided that this fourth boat would return to Singapore. Sum had a bad feeling. After a few hours, he convinced the captain to turn back toward the Philippines.
The next day, Sum heard over the radio that a ship with twelve soldiers on it had surrendered to Vietnam. The twelve had taken command, killing the dozens of men, women and children on board and tossing their bodies into the sea. It was the third boat.
"If I'm on that third ship, my family on that third ship, I'm no longer to talk to you today," Sum says. "We die."
By the time they finally reached the Philippines, they'd been on the ocean for more than 22 days. Dry tents were waiting, along with food, water, clean clothes and their first showers in over three weeks. They were safe.
After about a month in the Philippines, they were moved to another refugee camp on Guam. A month later, the family was sent to yet another refugee facility in California, at Camp Pendleton. Sum still doesn't know how the governments decided who went where; he didn't ask questions for fear the Americans would decide not to let them in.
The Nguyens were among the first wave of Vietnamese refugees to reach the U.S. In 1975, Congress passed a bill granting these immigrants special status and establishing a domestic resettlement program. Many of the 130,000 refugees who arrived over the next year had close ties to the American government and were highly skilled and educated, like Sum.
At Camp Pendleton, Sum's family received cultural training to facilitate their assimilation into American life. Sum filled the rest of the long days trying to teach his family English. And just when Anh had decided that no one would be generous enough to sponsor an eight-person family, a Lutheran church offered to bring them to Colorado.
When Sum's family arrived in Denver thirty years ago this month, they had nothing but the church's promise to cover one month's rent and expense money, and a job for Sum as a "carpenter helper" with a member of the church that was sponsoring them.
On Sum's first day of work, his boss handed him a tool belt. Sum stood frozen, holding the belt on outstretched palms as if it were an offering to the gods.
"What's the matter, Sum?" his boss asked.
"I was an officer in Vietnam," he replied. "I made decisions." Sum had never worn a tool belt, never used a hammer or fixed a door. In Vietnam, he'd point a finger and someone below him would do a task. In America, he'd thought he'd have a better job, that he could do anything he wanted. Instead, he found himself carrying eighty-pound bags of shingles that wreaked havoc on his weak frame.
On the second day, he lost his footing and slid down a second-story roof, catching himself on the gutter.
Sum's children got their start in Denver public schools that same week. They'd walk together to school, then split up and go toward their separate classrooms, classrooms where they were the only Vietnamese children.
Every day, Trinh was told to "go back to your country." Scared and unsure of the language, she took whatever bullying came her way. "I didn't know to tell anybody," she says. "So I just sit there and act dumb."
Suong and Khanh huddled together in the middle-school cafeteria. Khanh was so shy then that she hid her face behind her long hair and sat slouched over. One day, a group of girls started cussing Khanh out and hitting her for no reason. Suong leaped over the table and punched one girl repeatedly in the stomach. She walked away with a black eye.


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I'm hoping we can have conversations that rise above responding only to the tiniest point we can find to disagree with, and then without perspective or adding information to the discussion.
If that's what you think I'm doing, I'll give up on having any sort of conversation with you. My point is that a lot of Americans are taking the stance that we should carpet bomb Afghanistan. I'm not saying this is the official response. I'm not saying anyone with a microphone or consultancy job is espousing this view. I'm not saying any policy makers are weighing this as an option. I am talking about people. People that I work with. People that I pass on the street. People who apparently don't get a very good view of me from behind and yell "Towelhead!" as they pass me in their cars (I wear a lot of hats).
Basically, my point is that your point is pointless. Yes, it is just the "man on the street" who is saying such things...but that "man on the street" is America in a way that CNN isn't.


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In this week's issue of Currents, the Wii U may make a holiday comeback, the Sonic Cycle continues, the internet reacts to Yakuza's producer hating GTA, and Deep Down is downright fraudulent. We're also curious about your Halloween plans.
If I could ask you readers some questions this week, they would be:
- What are your plans for this Halloween?
- Do you have any costumes in mind?
- What was your favorite Halloween candy as a kid?


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| Email | Full Article (TrendHunter.com/id/121422) |
Mermaid is in this fall season according to the Anja Rubik September 2011 Vogue UK, which features a series of unusual, yet striking fashions that take an underwater approach to the runway.
Shot by the celebrated fashion photographer Josh Olins, each photo brings the clothes to life through lighting and elegant poses performed by the model. In sizzling selections from Prada, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney and more, stylist Kate Phelan breaks the boundaries of the fashion world with color and textural schemes that are fresh and unique for the upcoming season. Entitled Light Work, the editorial plays with color, showcasing the infinite possibilities of style that exist with this underwater fashion.


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Myo Kaw, former political prisoner from Burma
Add to Lightbox DownloadMyo Zaw, a former member of the ABSDF, was arrested in 1990 and spent 10 years in Insein and Thayet prison due to his political activities. He fled Burma and currently lives in Nupo refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border where he is awaiting resettlement to a third country..Ye Thiha, a member of the ABSDF was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. He was released from Insein prison in September 2009.
- Filename
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- Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net
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- 5448x3632 / 10.3MB


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Tue, May 14, 13 at 19:26
This is driving me crazy- I have these popping up all over my perennial beds. I am assuming it's a weed, not some type of ground cover that I'm not familiar with... The leaves are shiny and have a reddish/ purplish tint on the backside. It crops up in tiny little seedling patches everywhere! Help! |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by luckybottom Five in colorado (My Page) on Wed, May 15, 13 at 21:40
I have always called it Pig Weed. Easy to pull but don't let it go to seed. |
Here is a link that might be useful: More info
- Posted by LizinElizabeth 5 (email@example.com) on Wed, May 15, 13 at 22:52
That one's better than the one we get in our yard--I call it dead skunk weed! It has little berry-like things on it that look like tiny green tomatoes and when you pull it it smells like a smelly animal that died and has laid in the sun for several days! And the smell stays on hands through several washings, yuck..... |
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Q - Why should pro-family citizens care about the appointment of judges?
A - Many of the negative changes in American society over recent decades have been imposed by judges. The removal of prayer from public schools, the creation of a nationwide "right" to abortion, and the legalization of same-sex "marriage" in Massachusetts were all decisions imposed by activist judges, without considering the will of the people and their elected representatives.
Q - What do you mean by "activist" judges?
A - "Activist" judges are judges who impose their own policy preferences in their decisions. Judges are only supposed to interpret the law, not rewrite it. Legislatures, elected by the people, write laws, and the executive branch of government (headed by an elected official) is responsible for enforcing them. Activist judges effectively take away your right to affect policy by your vote.
Q - How have activist judges abused their power?
A - Judges are abusing their power if they read into the Constitution principles that are not declared by the plain language of the Constitution. For example, the First Amendment says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." But nowhere does it say that there should be a strict "separation of church and state" at all levels of government, barring any acknowledgment of God. The decision legalizing abortion was based on the "right to privacy"--but no such right is declared in the Constitution.
Q - Are there other concerns about how activist judges make decisions?
A - Yes. In several recent prominent court cases, judges supported their decisions by making reference to foreign laws, court decisions, and international agreements not ratified by the United States. Foreign law should play no part in American court decisions.
Q - How does someone become a judge?
A - Different states have different procedures for selecting judges. Some are appointed and some are elected. But all federal judges (in district courts, circuit courts of appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court) are appointed by the president with the "advice and consent" of the Senate.
Q - If Republicans control 55 seats in the Senate, then what's the problem?
A - The problem is that a minority of senators, who support liberal judicial activism, are trying to prevent some of President Bush's nominees from even receiving a vote on the floor of the Senate.
Q - How can they do that?
A - Unlike the U.S. House of Representatives, where the length of debates is limited, the Senate has a tradition of "unlimited debate." In practice, that means that a minority of senators can prevent an issue from even coming to a final vote by insisting on continuing to debate it for an indefinite period of time. This process is known as a "filibuster."
Q - Is there any way to overcome a filibuster?
A - Yes. The Senate can take what is called a "cloture" vote to close debate. However, a cloture motion requires 60 votes (three-fifths of the Senate) to pass, instead of a simple majority of 51. If a judicial nomination can be filibustered, that would mean that a minority of senators (as few as 41 out of 100) could block the appointment of a nominee who has the support of as many as 59 senators.
Q - Have judicial nominations been filibustered before?
A - Filibusters are normally used only to block pieces of legislation. There is no precedent in American history for a judicial nominee who had the clear support of a majority of senators to be blocked from even receiving a vote, by a minority of senators, through the filibuster. And many judges have been confirmed even though more than 40 senators opposed them. (Democrats argue that President Lyndon Johnson's nomination of Associate Justice Abe Fortas to be chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1968 was filibustered by Republicans in the Senate. However, Fortas was already a member of the Court, and it is not at all clear that he would have won confirmation if there had been a vote. His nomination was ultimately withdrawn by President Johnson.)
Q - Is it constitutional to require a super-majority of 60 votes in the Senate to approve a judicial nominee?
A - We believe it is not. The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote to do certain specific things, such as ratifying treaties, expelling a member, or convicting an official in an impeachment trial. It says nothing about requiring more than a simple majority to approve a judicial nomination.
Q - If senators can filibuster a bill, don't they have just as much right to filibuster a nomination?
A - No. Writing legislation is the Senate's primary function, and it is therefore appropriate for it to have more discretion in setting the rules when it is carrying out that function. However, appointing judges is primarily a function of the president, in which the Senate plays only a secondary role. Moreover, legislation is subject to amendments, and the filibuster adds a minority lever by which consensus-building amendments can be added to pending bills. A nomination, in contrast, is a basic yes-or-no proposition.
If the liberal minority in the U.S. Senate were as passionate about legislative privileges as it claims, it would object to judicial activism itself, which has done more than anything else to weaken the legislative role. The filibuster is most illegitimate when it is used to protect the seizure of power by the unelected branch of government, the judiciary. Therefore, the Senate should not add any additional barriers to the confirmation of a judge (such as requiring a 60-vote super-majority) beyond what is spelled out in the Constitution.
Q - If the Democrats do decide to filibuster President Bush's judicial nominees, is there anything that can be done about it?
A - Yes. The presiding officer of the Senate (which is Vice President Dick Cheney, when he is present) could rule that filibusters of judicial nominations are not permitted. Such a ruling could then be upheld by a simple majority vote. This "constitutional option" preserves the constitutional right of the president to appoint judges with the advice and consent of the Senate--without adding additional, unconstitutional conditions.
Q - If the constitutional option to end filibusters of judicial nominations only requires a majority vote of 51 senators, and the Republicans hold 55 seats, why haven't they already used it?
A - Some Republican senators are reportedly reluctant to take firm action against the filibuster. Some are hesitant to change longstanding rules and traditions of the Senate--even though, in fact, it is the Democrats who are violating tradition by filibustering judicial nominees in the first place. Some anticipate that someday, in a future Congress with a Republican minority, they might want to use the filibuster themselves to block a bad nominee. Also, Democrats have threatened to bring the rest of the Senate's business to a halt if the constitutional option is exercised.
Q - Does the Family Research Council support the constitutional option?
Yes. Senators of both parties are free to vote against the confirmation of any judge they believe is unqualified. However, we believe that denying some judicial nominees a straight up-or-down vote on the floor of the Senate violates the principles of justice, democracy, and the Constitution.
Q - So what should I do?
A - Write to President Bush and urge him to appoint only judges who know their proper place in our constitutional system and who will interpret the law rather than rewrite it.
Then call, write, or e-mail the two U.S. senators from your state and urge them to do the following three things:


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Dr Tim Cockerill is a zoologist, circus performer, broadcaster and photographer
Tim specialises in communicating science and natural history to a wide range of audiences. With particular expertise in the smaller examples of animal life – especially insects and their relatives – there's no shortage of inspiration.
As well as being a bona fide trained scientist with a PhD from the University of Cambridge, Tim is also a seasoned performer specialising in obscure and often dangerous circus and sideshow stunts.
On this site you can find highlights of Tim's work in TV, Radio and photography, as well as more about live performances, talks, and presentations.
Tim is also a collector of curious objects, skills and interests. Follow the curiosities link to find out about Tim's collection of obscurities.
Latest news
Tim presents Spider House on BBC4 with Professor Alice Roberts
Tim and Alice go on a journey into all things arachnid in this 90 minute TV documentary for BBC4 by the award-winning Windfall Films. To be broadcast on a to-be-announced date around Halloween 2014, the programme features world-class macro footage of incredible spider behaviour and insights into the fascinating science behind these amazing animals.
CBBC Wild 2014
Hit live TV show Wild makes its triumphant return to CBBC in 2014. See Tim on Wild throughout the Autumn presenting 'Dr. Cockerill's Bizarre Bazaar', joined by a host of weird and wonderful creatures. Broadcast live on Saturday mornings from 9-10am. It's worth getting up for!
Sideshow Wonderground
Tim is honoured to perform with a calvacade of sideshow legends in summer 2014 at the Sideshow Wonderground on London's Southbank. Tim is the resident fire-eater and can also be seen exercising his showmanship as 'spieler' on the outside. Among the other performers are The Lizardman, The Space Cowboy (world record sword swallower) and Gary Stretch (the man with the world's stretchiest skin!)
Insect Question Time at the Natural History Museum
To kick off National Insect Week 2014 Tim is part of a panel of insect experts at London's Natural History Museum. With Jonathan Ross as guest host and questions put to the panel from the live audience and online viewers around the world, an afternoon spent talking about insects has never been so entertaining!


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February 23rd, 2011
Everyday dress up from Zoodies
If you thought your kids couldn't get any cuter, you were wrong! Check out these clever and adorable animal hoodies from Zoodies. Inspired by her sons' enthusiasm for dressing up (and her enthusiasm not to have them in Halloween costumes every day) mom and creator, Carlee Barnes, starting sewing these imaginative zip-ups.
Zoodies are made using American Apparel zip-up sweatshirts and then embellished with soft felt (for monkeys and ladybugs) or polyester fur (for horses and skunks). For those who are unfamiliar, American Apparel is manufactured in Los Angeles and works hard to minimize outsourcing.
I received the Ladybug Zoodie and was impressed with several things. First, it's as cute as can be and my daughter, Mercy, was so excited to put it on (laybug!). The hoodie is super soft and warm. I was a little concerned with the durability of the embellishments but a couple of spins in the wash and I was completely satisfied. The website recommends line drying anything with a polyester mane or fur but most felted animals can go right in the dryer. I also washed mine inside-out to help preserve the integrity.
There is literally a Zoodie for everyone! There are dinosaurs, ballerina mouses (for the tiny Angelina fans) and skunks, just to name a few. Zoodies come in sizes 3 months to 11 years old – hey, she's even making adult Zoodies, so go crazy! One of my very favorite things about Zoodies is you can send special requests. If there is an animal you don't see, or colors you would rather have (a pink dinosaur perhaps or a purple monkey), simply send Carlee a message in the checkout options and she will do it!
Please do not get one of these if you are afraid of talking to strangers. Every single time Mercy wears this out, we get stopped to find out where we got our Zoodie.
Carlee from Zoodies is offering a wonderful giveaway for one lucky reader! Check out her site for a chance to win either a unicorn or skunk Zoodie. Leave a comment here that you did!
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1) Subscribe to Does Mommy Love It? then leave a comment stating you did so.
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Visit our online calendar here.
Spring 2015 Retreat
April 10 through 12, 2015
Below are the details from the Fall 2014 retreat. The Spring 2015 Retreat details will be posted in early February. The Spring Retreat will follow the same format as the Fall Retreat but with a different focus.
November 14 through 16, 2014
Residential and Nonresidential Insight Meditation Retreat
Living From Our True Nature.
We all experience distortions of mind and body: heavy emotions, illness and more. The practices of meditation and loving kindness can help us soften the armor around the heart allowing us to go deeper into our selves; to explore our thought patterns, our areas of pain and holding. In this exploration, we can discover that we are not our thoughts of inadequacy, we are not our fears nor our physical discomforts. We are connected to something much greater than the every day world we inhabit. What is this true nature? Finding that answer is the theme of most dharma practice.
At the retreat we will use our vipassana practice and also metta (loving kindness) and other meditation to help support this open heart and allow the old negative self-concepts to dissolve. The retreat will be held in silence, with instruction for all levels, and small group meetings to allow time for questions and further clarity.
A retreat is an opportunity to develop calmness, wisdom, and compassion in a supportive environment. Emphasis is placed upon developing mindfulness in sitting, standing, and walking to help us access our innate understanding, joy, and peace. Beginners, as well as the more experienced, are welcome to attend. There will be instructions, practice, dharma talks, chanting from various spiritual traditions and noble silence.
Retreat flyer with registration form
John Orr received Theravada Buddhist ordination and training for a period of eight years while living in Thailand and India. He has been teaching meditation and leading retreats around the country since 1980. John is the guiding teacher of New Hope Sangha, an Interfaith minister, and teaches at Duke University.
Barbara Brodsky is a Quaker and trained dharma teacher in the Buddhist tradition. She is the guiding teacher of Deep Spring Center in Ann Arbor Michigan. Barbara has been deaf for over 35 years; living with silence has greatly influenced her life and teaching, as have years of active involvement with nonviolent action for social change. She is the channel for the discarnate entity, Aaron.
Aaron is a being of light who has evolved beyond the need to return to the physical plane. In his final lifetime on this human plane he was a Theravadin Buddhist monk in Thailand, a meditation master. We have created this page with an excerpted chapter from his book "Presence, Kindness, and Freedom," where Aaron speaks about himself.
Barbara and John follow an age-old tradition of freely and open heartedly offering the dharma. They receive no payment from the registration fees. Your dana (generosity) allows the teachers to continue their work of sharing the dharma. During the retreat there will be baskets available for your offerintgs.
The retreat will be held at Stone House in Mebane, NC. We are once again excited to be holding the retreat at Stone House. This is a beautiful center on 70 acres of rolling countryside. You can find more information about this center at their web site. Here are two maps for locating Stone House, far away and close up.
"What a joy it is to attend
a New Hope Sangha retreat.
I feel deeply loved and supported
by the teachers and
the other participants."
The retreat will begin with check in at 5:00 PM Friday. Following dinner at 6:00 PM, the weekend program will begin and continue until closing at 4:00 PM Sunday. The evening programming will end by 9:30 PM on Friday and Saturday. Breakfast will be served at 7:15 AM on Saturday and Sunday.
The retreat flyer with registration form in PDF format can be found here.
Fees include lodging, dinner on Friday, three meals on Saturday, and two meals on Sunday. The meals are vegetairan. The fees are based on your lodging preference.
Residing on site: $273
Tenting on site (bring your own tent): $243
Commuting: $183
For early registrations received before October 17, subtract $20 from your fee. For registrations received after October 17, include the full amount. About a week before the retreat you will receive directions to Stone House along with other information about the weekend.
Barbara and John will offer the retreat on a "dana" generosity basis. Participants will have the opportunity to offer dana to the teachers at the retreat. Your generosity is the main source of their livelihood.
For more information call Donna at (919) 667-5906 or email her.
We understand that circumstances may arise that will prevent you from attending the retreat after you have registered. If you cancel more than two weeks before the retreat, you will receive a full refund. For cancellations made less than 2 weeks prior to the retreat, we are not able to refund your payment.No refunds will be given for no-shows or partial attendance. Checks for refunds will be written after the retreat.
We are often so busy reacting to the world and trying to manage our affairs, that we do not really notice what is- sounds, smells, sites around us, nor the textures of mind…And the habits of mind that determine our experience of everything. Noble silence allows us to enter into a different mode of being. It invites awareness and a certain intimacy with life. Its nature is vastness and the experience of letting it gather around and within us can be profound. Disconnecting from our preoccupation with habits of mind, so that we can open to greater clarity, compassion and awareness, is a primary purpose of our practice. Silence does not need to isolate us. With time most people notice that silence allows a deeper appreciation of the simple things in life as well as an unusual depth of connection with others. We support each other with our silence and lack of eye contact. We contribute to the stillness by mindful walking, opening and closing doors quietly and being considerate as we eat our meals and return dishes.
We ask that you remain silent and avoid social contact except when talking with a teacher in your small group or in an individual session. The actions of one will benefit all.
Dana is a practice of generosity, kindness and letting go. By taking the opportunity to make dana a practice of awareness, brings it out of the realm of unconscious habit, and into the realm of wise attention. The teachers at this retreat follow an age-old tradition of freely and open heartedly offering Dharma talks. They receive no payment from the retreat registration fees. The fees cover room, board, rental of the facilities, office supplies and a little scholarship money. Dana is not intended as a tip, nor is it in exchange for receiving the teachings of the Buddha. There is no obligation to give. Offering dana indicates that we understand our interconnectedness. We realize that we depend on the generosity and kindness of others and they depend upon ours. We belong to what we support and what we support nourishes us. The decision of what to give is deeply personal. The practice of dana asks that we look within with wisdom and offer what we are able with loving-kindness. What we give allows the teachers to continue their work of sharing the Dharma. During the retreat there will be baskets and envelopes available for your dana offerings for Barbara and John.
Seva is the practice of unselfish service. At this retreat most of our needs are being taken care of by the retreat center staff and our retreat committee. There are, however, some opportunities for you to give service:
We have a practice at retreats of letting people know when sittings, instruction and evening programs are by ringing a bell five minutes before the scheduled time. We have a bell ringer sign up sheet. We ask only those who have previously attended retreats sign up for bell rigning. After your turn, please make sure to return the bell for the next person's use.
We also need volunteers to help clean up after meals. Having volunteers for this duty keeps the cost of our retreats low and is also a wonderful part of our mindfulness practice. The duties are listed in the kitchen, or someone will be available to supervise. It would be helpful if each retreatant would sign up at the beginning of the retreat for one meal's cleanup.
After the retreat's closing we could use some help in packing our supplies into cars and returning the retreat center back to the state it was before our retreat. If you are not pressed for time, please consider extending your retreat a few minutes and lending us a hand.
May 30-June 1 Magnolia, MS
Dharma, A Beautiful Vessel For Our Lives: The Cultivation of Skillful Living, Meditation and Wisdom
Led by John Orr
For Information and registration go to: Flowering Lotus Meditation and retreat center 504-905-4090 or email@example.com
June 21-27 or June 21-23 Brighton, MI
Self or No Self Isnt the Question! (Summer Silent Retreat)
Led by Barbara Brodsky, John Orr and Aaron
For Information and registration visit this page.
Registration deadline June 13. $20 discount if registered and paid before May 24, 2014.
July 27-August 10 (with optional third week) Abadiania, Brazil
Insight & Healing Trip to the Casa where John of God does his healing work. Led by John Orr
For Information and registration go to http://www.vipassanahealing.com/ or contact John Orr.
October 17-19 Ann Arbor, MI
Deep Spring Center Fall Vipassana Retreat
Level 2/3- Continuing and AdvancedWith Barbara, John and Aaron
Registration and information available summer 2014
October 29 - Nov. 2 (4 nights) Holland, MI
Living From Our True NatureWorkshop and retreat with Barbara Brodsky, Aaron, and the Brothers and Sisters of Light with John Orr leading the Vipassana component
For Information and registration go to: http://www.deepspring.org/retreats/2014retreats/truenature102914.html
October 27-28 Holland, MI
Aging Consciously and With Love2-day pre-workshop gathering before Living From Our True NatureWorkshop and retreat with Barbara Brodsky, Aaron*, and the Brothers and Sisters of Light with John Orr leading the Vipassana component
For Information and registration go to: http://www.deepspring.org/retreats/2014retreats/truenature102914.html
November 14-16 Mebane, NC
With Barbara, Aaron and John
Information and registration will be posted here.
December 27-January 3 Hot Springs, NC
New Years Retreat with John
Contact: Southern Dharma Retreat Center 828-622-7112 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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Sacramento Speakers Series Yo-Yo Ma!
Top Chefs Grill Off!
Sacramento Speakers Series: Ina Garten
Winter Wine & Food Fest 2014!
NewsRadio KFBK Children's Book Drive
Sacramento Speakers Series: Judy Smith
New Year's Eve in Old Sacramento
Sacramento Speaker Series: Al Gore 11/12/13
Town Hall: Breast Cancer 10/24/13
Town Hall: Breast Cancer 10/14/13


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Totally new! HELP
Ok we just bought a DVC membership on a cruise. We purchased the 320 points package. Got what we think is a great rate, but I am starting to think we just didn't get everything explained to us. Like our home resort (something we never heard of) and dues as high at 1800 a year? they quoted us a much lower number but of course did leave room for a yearly inflation.
Am I missing things? If so could you all help a newby out and see if we can figure out where to get the info we need?? |
Your home resort is where your points were purchased.
Your home resort is the specific resort that you bought in to - at this point Aulani, Animal Kingdom, Bay Lake Tower, or Saratoga Springs You are going to have a LOT of people jump on this thread and tell them that if you bought direct from Disney, you got a HORRIBLE deal.... DVC is available for purchase through resales (owners selling their membership) - BUT the points aren't at full value, and cannot be traded in to all of the options. Ask all the questions you like, my DW and I have 4 home resorts, and have been members since 2008 - and I am a total Disney and DVC nut - so ask all the questions you like! |
Depending on your home resort, your dues will vary.
There is a fixed number for each resort, each year, based on the previous year's MF's. You can find lists of current MF's all over the internet, the dues for 2013 were just published with in the last month. Ask away! :) |
poke around in different threads that look interesting. get a sense of what other owners like, don't like or are having issues with. look at the stickied threads like the "DVC Resource Center" to see how dues have increased over the years. dues will definitely be higher than $1800 on 320 pts in another few years. cancel if you are still within the cancellation window and are unsure. if you didn't buy DVC to stay at DVC resorts, you need to understand that trading for cruises and such isn't a great deal (look at the point charts) - if you don't understand that a timeshare is fundamentally different than a hotel (and you love daily housekeeping), you may wind up disappointed. if you bought direct and need to sell later, keep in mind you will be selling at resale prices less commission and will almost certainly lose money - so i say again, if canceling is still an option, do so if you are unsure. |
Dues are charged per point and varies at each resort. For 320 points, you would be looking at around $1814 for 2013 at Animal Kingdom. Bay Lake Tower would be around $1440. Aulani would be around $2000. With 320 points, I would break it up into 2 contracts in case you want to sell off part later. You may want to buy a smaller amount to start with and add-on later. |
Thanks! We did break it up to two contracts. I know Auliani and DAK are on my paper work I will look in to see more specifically. We are within the cancellation. Cruising was not our reason for purchase. My mom was looking for a way to basically pre-buy our vacations and be able to plan large trips every 3 years (Large being WDW for more than a week) and smaller things in between.
Does our home resort (whatever it turns out to be) affect our ability to stay at other DVC resorts? Or the amount of points needed to do so? Or is the point chart what it is? Thanks for all the help. I am sure more questions will come. :wave2: |
The very best advice I can give you is to cancel now, and learn all you can about DVC, to find out if it's really for you. You'll need to understand more about your home resort and the impact that will have on your ability to book, especially at busy times of the year. Right now, one of your home resorts is in Hawaii, so you won't be getting the 11-month booking advantage at WDW with the points in that contract. Aulani also has very high maintenance fees, and unless you're planning to vacation frequently in Hawaii and need the 11-month advantage there, there's no reason to be paying those fees.
If you don't plan to use the exchange options like DCL, you'll also want to take a good look at resale. You lose nothing by buying resale except the ability to use points to book DCL, ABD, and some of the non-DVC resorts at WDW, and you'll almost certainly save thousands. Understand that the salespeople on the cruise are paid to push certain resorts. Right now, they're selling Aulani and AKV. Get out of the deal, do the research, take your time, and choose the home resorts that are the right ones for your family. |
Unless money isn't an issue, I agree with Lynne, resend your contracts and start reading here on the DIS.
:earsboy: Bill |
I support the idea of cancelling the contract for now.
I'm not saying that buying DVC is a bad idea, I'm buying my second contract now, but it looks like your salesperson did not explain it well everything you need to know. So take your time, learn how the system works and then if you'll think that it's a good idea call back your guide and go on with the purchase. Or evaluate to purchase a different resort or thought resale instead of direct Disney. Other questions you need to be able to answer: What is a Use Year and how it impact your reservation? What are cancellation policies? What are banking and borrowing? If you want to sell your contract, how much does it value? |
Depending on how busy the OP is for the next few days (some people are busy this time of year...some are not...for instance, my family is rarely busy this time of year since we don't celebrate anything seriously or with stress, and have no family functions to deal with), they could probably hold off on canceling (depending on how many days ago it was that they signed the contracts, of course) and just read read read.
Take a couple/few days to do that, and THEN cancel/rescind if they wish/need to. We bought direct from DVC, we got Bay Lake...we have never stayed at Bay Lake, LOL. We have stayed at OKW, Animal Kingdom Jambo (and soon to be Kidani, giving them another chance), Boardwalk... Also soon, Villas at Wilderness Lodge and Saratoga Springs. This works for us, we are perfectly happy with our decisions and how we use our points. BUT I researched everything quite a bit, and we waited nearly 2 years between getting a presentation about DVC and buying. Lots of time to mull it over. (and yet we still missed one option, and I missed another specific bit of our exact purchase...so even 2 years won't necessarily make sure you get it ALL) Dues do add up! Take $x per point and multiply it by 320, and you've got a lot of money each year. |
Thanks! I think that the idea works for us, but I am a little annoyed that the idea of a different home resort or a home resort at all wasn't even mentioned. Since I think we need to cancel and figure everything out before we go forward, can we ask for a different home resort option? Perhaps not one in Hawaii since that will be a occasional thing but not our primary destination? Does anyone know?
Buying isn't the expensive part, it's the dues, food, travel, admission, and all the rest. A 300 point BCV ownership can easily cost a quarter of a million dollars over a 30 year period and that's with only spending $2000 for the first year. :earsboy: Bill |
if you are sure you have a favorite onsite DVC resort, DVC will sell you a direct contract for whichever resort you prefer. the prices would be different (and in some cases, some resorts like beach club villas expire in 2042 while a newer resort like bay lake tower expires in 2060.) DVC guides/salespeople are compensated differently if you buy some resorts (AKV/aulani) as opposed to other resorts, so they might prefer to steer you in a certain direction - but be clear that you can get what you want if you are firm. also, consider resales as lynne said. that is a great way to save thousands. don't want to burst your bubble but if the money involved is significant to you, i'd agree that canceling and looking at some of the details before making a commitment is the best way to go. DVC will still be there in a few months... |
Things you need to learn about are -direct vrs resale purchases -home resorts and 11 month booking window -non home resorts and 7 month booking window -banking, borrowing and transferring points -annual maintenance fees -point costs for various rooms -diference between DVC and a hotel room -using points for cruising -using points for trading into RCI Good luck |
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Do you secretly wish for Michigan to return to beating MSU on a regular basis so that they only have one true rival?
Well this one is a tough one.
I loved seeing Michigan lose, especially to Dantonio, but I liked the "my team is the center of the universe" answer too much to pass it up.
I love putting scUM fans in their proper place too much to vote against that option.
"Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect." - Woody
I voted honestly (I want UM to lose ALL THE TIME), but I really do enjoy telling Michigan fans that I hope they get better so the game means something again. It drives them crazy.


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Addon Spotlight: PvP Addons
When there's a rogue in your midst, particularly in random battlegrounds, and you're going about your merry way with a couple of cohorts nearby, they may not notice when you're suddenly sapped. SaySapped is a great little addon that does exactly what it says on the tin -- it makes your character say "Sapped". Simple as that! It's also very handy in rated battlegrounds, saves the use of the chat channel to announce such things, and allows your team to make a decision on whether to leave you as rogue-bait, or to stay and fight. Especially if there's two of you defending the flag or base, it's a boon.
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"This recipe for jalapenos has to one of the best I have ever pickled, and so easy to do. I couldn't wait 3 weeks so I dove in a little early as did my friends at work. All of us have now shared this head sweating,nose running recipe. A definite tribute to those who love the spicier side of life. thanks, ch..."


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Become a Covenant Partner
Greetings from the Spirit Lake Ministry Center. As we approach our seven-year anniversary as Dakotas Conference Missionaries and as the Directors of the Spirit Lake Ministry Center, Libby and I want to thank you all for the great support you have shown us over these years. We have seen God move in amazing ways, from the very beginning with the Bath House to just this summer and the Youth Works (a Tribal program for youth) participants working with our team from Chicago. This participation involved one youth works member stating, "I want to make this place (The Ministry Center) a part of my life. The partnership with the Tribe has grown beyond expectations, and our ministry has grown beyond the Spirit Lake Nation. We now partner with six reservations in the Dakotas and Minnesota. Delivering Shoebox Christmas Gifts and in some cases new and gently used clothing. God has truly blessed us. Our first year at the Ministry Center we hosted approximately 60 volunteers and thought we were tremendously busy! This last summer we were host to over 400 volunteers. As the ministry continues to grow, so do the needs of the Ministry Center. We have seen increases in utility, insurance, and fuel costs. These increases take money away from important programs such as the Food Pantry, Clothing Closet, our Spirit Lake Sidewalk Sunday School program, the Community Children's fund and the newly planned Youth Program's Disc Golf Course. We also must continue to improve the facilities for our teams and our friends from the community. Updates to the sleeping cabins and kitchen facilities are needed to make our volunteers and friends more comfortable when sleeping, eating and fellowshipping. The relationships forged between our volunteers and friends are an important aspect of making disciples for Jesus Christ. We have several friends who visit on a regular basis to strike up new friendships and renew old ones. These friendships foster trust and provide us with the opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ with all who visit. The witness of our volunteers provide a model of Christ's love to those who don't always see it, feel it or hear it. We need your help with our non-controllable expenses. We seek churches or individuals to become covenant partners with the Spirit Lake Ministry Center. We ask the covenant partner to pledge $100.00 per month for two years to help with the expenses of utilities, insurance, and fuel costs. We thank you for your prayerful discernment in becoming a covenant partner with the Spirit Lake Ministry Center. Blessings. Mike and Libby