text:
Department to host hazardous waste forum
For more information: 573-751-1010
Volume 37-072 For Immediate Release: March 24, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, -- Finding ways to cut costs and save money, particularly during economic downturns, is a constant focus for many Missouri businesses. For businesses that deal with hazardous waste laws and regulations, developing an understanding of these laws and regulations is a good investment that can help save money.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is hosting an upcoming Hazardous Waste Forum to give businesses an opportunity to learn about and comment on hazardous waste laws, regulations, guidance and issues in Missouri. The forum will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 8 at the Department's Elm Street Conference Center, 1730 East Elm St., Jefferson City.
This forum is designed as a way for the public, industry and organization representatives to communicate with staff from the Department's Hazardous Waste Program. The forum is free and interested parties are encouraged to attend.
During the forum, the Department will ask for volunteers to serve on a Container Management Workgroup. The workgroup will review current container management regulations and report back to the main forum. Department staff will summarize previous stakeholder comments to change regulations regarding the packaging, marking and labeling of certain substances while stored at a business.
Other topics include an update of final and proposed department rules and a Health Profile Update. Health profiles identify serious illnesses that may result from environmental contamination. All hazardous waste permitted treatment and operating facilities are required to submit a health profile with their department permit application.
These forums are beneficial for everyone involved. Businesses get the opportunity to learn about hazardous waste rules, regulations and guidance and to offer their suggestions on regulations that affect them. Department staff get the opportunity to meet with the regulated community and the public and hear feedback from those affected by rules, regulations and guidance. Attendees at past forums have commented that the face-to-face interaction with Department staff was helpful to their business.
While attendance to the forum is open to anyone interested, the Department is extending a special invitation to small businesses owners and representatives. Many of the issues discussed, including container management, directly affect small businesses.
To request more information on the Hazardous Waste Forum or a complete agenda, contact the Department's Hazardous Waste Program at 573-751-3176 or visit online at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/forum/forum.htm.
Limited conference call access is available for the April 8 forum. People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the forum can make arrangements by contacting Cheryl Heet before the meeting at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Hazardous Waste Program, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176. Heet can also be contacted by telephone at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-7560, or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com. Hearing and speech-impaired individuals may call Heet through Relay Missouri at 800-735-2966.


text:
Hello, & thank you for visiting. My name is Jim Odden, & we've been working on our family's history for about 4 years now. The most common surnames include: Berndt; Bullick; Horning; Monsrud; Odden; Torgerson; & Wolfe, most dating back to the mid 1700's. If you have any questions, comments, anything to add, or if I can be of help in any way, please feel free to contact me. If you have the time, stop by our other genealogy site & sign our guestbook. Good luck! |
The Odden Family Tree
Updated September 5, 2000 |
James A Odden 335 E Lk Cowdry Ln, NW Alexandria, MN 56308 United States {320}763-6209 Fax: {320}763-3048 email@example.com |
Edit Your Page |
The content shown on this page has been submitted by a Genealogy.com customer, and is not subject to verification by Genealogy.com. Neither Genealogy.com nor its affiliates are responsible for the accuracy of any information contained on this page. The opinions expressed on this page are the author's alone and not the opinions of Genealogy.com.
© 2009 Ancestry.com |

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- 6-8 wooden skewers
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 2 tbsp curry paste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/2 fresh cucumber
- arugula
- 30g gouda cheese
- Preheat oven to 250C.
- Soak skewers in water.
- In a large bowl, stir yogurt with curry paste and salt.
- Cut chicken lengthwise into 1-cm thick strips.Toss with sauce to coat. Let chicken marinate for 10 to 15 minutes or up to 1 day, refrigerated.
- Thread 1 strip of chicken onto each skewer.
- Brush oven grill pan (i used Ballarini – it's a excellent product and i'm absolutely recommend it!)
well with oil. Add skewers to grill. Cook, flipping as needed, until chicken is cooked all the way through but still juicy, about 8-10 minutes. - Serve chicken skewers with salad: garnish with cucumber and cheese cut into small cubes and arugula leaves.
- Drizzle with yogurt sauce with mustard (1:1)


text:
"Before we leave the brasses let us dwell for a moment on the
lowly and lonely tuba player. There is only one in the entire
orchestra and he enjoys a certain amount of prestige - and loneliness.
Tuba players never talk. They are silent, morose, uncommunicative, but they sing to themselves."
-Harry Ellis Dickson |
Welcome to www.tubadaniel.com!Daniel
Rowland, tuba
Please explore the site!
Latest from Danny:
What a great semester! I look forward to a busy Spring 2015! Come see myself and my quartets perform at SERTEC, MWRTEC, and the newly forming Electro-Brass Festival!


text:
Make Your Own Peanut Butter Cups
by Dana Angelo White in Cookies & Other Desserts, October 19, 2011
There's nothing wrong with a little trick-or-treating but some Halloween goodies can be downright spooky! Why not make a few of the classics on your own, and eliminate some of the preservatives found in store-bough treats? Here's a recipe for one of our favorites: peanut butter cups.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Goodness
Store-bought candies come with preservatives, emulsifiers and highly processed sweeteners. These 3-ingredient confections have none of the junk and couldn't be more simple and delicious; just try to save some for the kiddies!
Peanut Butter Cups
These cups are generously-sized – each is made with 1 ounce of chocolate. You can make them half-sized to cut back on calories.
Makes 12 pieces (6 dark chocolate and 6 milk chocolate)
6 ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces
6 ounces milk chocolate, broken into pieces
6 teaspoons peanut butter
Coarse sea salt (optional)
Equipment: Mini cupcake pan and paper liners
Place liners in pan and set aside. Place milk and dark chocolate in separate glass containers. To melt, microwave on high in 30-second increments, stirring frequently until melted. Fill each paper liner one-third of the way with melted chocolate. Add a half teaspoon of peanut butter on each piece and top with remaining chocolate. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt if desired.
Place in the refrigerator until chocolate sets completely – about 45 minutes. Wrap peanut butter cups in cellophane bags or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Info Per Piece
Calories: 159
Total Fat: 10 grams
Saturated Fat: 6 grams
Total Carbohydrate: 17 grams
Sugars: 15 grams
Protein: 2 grams
Sodium: 24 milligrams
Cholesterol: 5 milligrams
Fiber: 1 gram
You Might Also Like:
Similar Posts
Cookie Monster: Our Favorite Healthy Holiday Cookies
Our holiday cookies are festive and delicious, but also packed with great nutritious ingredients so they're healthy too!...Comments (
731 )-
I have done this with semi sweet chocolate chips melted…
for this, what kind of dark chocolate? Baking? 75% chocolate bar? does it matter?
Also, If you don't want to go to the trouble, I buy fresh ground almond butter at most whole food type stores and 65 to 75% chocolate bars from Aldi (European chocolate) and just dunk…yum 2 healthy inexpedience in one yummy snack.-
I meant ingredients
Hi Anne – Any kind of chocolate will work. For this recipe I used milk chocolate and then a 72% cocoa dark chocolate.
Anne, this would probably work with any kind of chocolate you would eat straight out of the package.
I made some almond butter cups for Easter this year-big hit. Super easy and with a special kick from raspberry jalapeno jam. http://eatlittleeatbig.blogspot.com/2011/04/recip…
I made these this weekend, so good and way better than reeses!
um im self conciouse about my weight
Made these this weekend. Super easy and super-delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
You can make homemade peanut-butter cups using a softened peanut butter Perfect Foods Bar! They are gluten-free, whole food bars that are amazingly delicious….plus, I feel less guilty for devouring the whole thing
An amazing share, I just given this onto a good colleague who has been doing somewhat evaluation on this subject. And he in truth purchased everybody breakfast by means of I found out it designed for him.. smile. So i can reword who: Thnx to your deal using! However that's why Thnkx just for spending made the effort to doubt this, I experience strongly about that and really enjoy reading more for this topic. If likely, as you end up experience, would an individual mind updating your website with further particulars? It is certainly highly great for me. Big browse up for the weblog arrange!
ya know something, I know Aussies. They don't talk the way you do in your 50 week old comment.
you are either deceptive, or trying to fool us. nasty. especially when you're talking about peanut butter and chocolate. strange.
These look so simple to make. Now I just need to wait for a craving to strike!
[…] Macaroons. If you love peanut butter cups and hate the preservatives found in store-bought candy, make your own peanut butter cups instead (our recipe has 159 calories per […]


text:
view image
By HEATHER TURK
For the Irish punk rockers Flogging Molly, mainstream success was never the agenda. Despite being one of the most marketable punk groups since the Ramones, the band was happy simply playing at Molly Malone's, a Los Angeles landmark that's been credited with bringing some of the best Irish music to the City of Angels for over 30 years.
That being said, it's no surprise that Flogging Molly was playing there.
"We always knew our music could connect with a larger audience, but we were never the type of band that wanted to rock the world or take over the country," said Robert Schmidt, who not only plays the mandolin, banjo, mandola and bazouki in the band but also provides backing vocals. "We were just happy for the opportunity to play."
With the band's Sept. 16 performance at the House of Blues, Schmidt reassures the loyal Flogging Molly fans that have been supporting the group since its pub days that despite now headlining international tours, Flogging Molly's still that same Irish band from Molly Malone's. Schmidt is especially excited to return to the House of Blues, a music hall that encompasses everything Flogging Molly stands for.
"We're not a big fan of seated venues," Schmidt said. "It's always nice to have a big stage to run around, but you don't get that mob mentality of energy. Plus we never want to be that band that charges $70 a ticket."
Las Vegas is a frequent stop for the Los Angeles group, but unlike most tours, the Sept. 16 show isn't Flogging Molly's final performance. The seven-piece band returns to Hollywood the following night before jetting off to Japan, only to return to California in October before flying overseas once again.
"Nine times out of 10 Vegas is the final stop of the tour, which is great because the city has a certain energy where it's okay to let the chips fall where they will," Schmidt stated. "Whenever we play in Los Angeles, since it's our hometown there's always this expectation that things will go their best."
When asked where the band receives its biggest response, Irish cities like Boston or overseas in Ireland, Schmidt surprisingly answered neither.
"We have great shows in the Netherlands… it's really weird the cities that are into it. I can't figure it out."
But for anyone who's heard the band perform, it's not that difficult to comprehend. Flogging Molly's combination of Irish folk music with anarchic punk rock is able to attract a demographic of listeners who may have never purchased a punk rock or Irish CD before. And as the band's popularity continues to grow with the release of Flogging Molly's third album, Within a Mile of Home, Schmidt wants to remind those who may be skeptical to check out the band live that Flogging Molly doesn't just appeal to the Hop Topic generation.
"We get labeled as punk rock, but really I think we're more rock. It's just cause our music is aggressive, fast and loud – all elements of punk – that our energy has an attitude of punk rock. But there aren't that many more punk fans who show up at the show – we have 80-year-old guys coming to the show who can whoop it up just as much as anyone else."


text:
Faced with The Truth that – regardless of what sorts of anti-piracy technology it folds into its DS platform – pirates will invariably hack the dual-screened handheld, Nintendo has buddied up with Capcom and 53 other video game publishers in Japan to file suit against four resellers of the popular R4 flash cartridge.
Earlier this year, a Tokyo court banned the sale of the devices; however, Capcom now says that "legal action has had no meaningful effect in the intervening period" and that sellers would "ignore" its warnings. Enter: a new lawsuit, which Capcom hopes leads to a ruling that acknowledges "our company and other software manufactures have sustained [extreme] damages from proliferation of illegal instruments." Seems pretty cut and dry to us, but we'll let the courts decide.
Featured Stories
Off the Grid: The Witcher Adventure Game and Star Wars Imperial Assault
Posted on Feb 3rd 2015 2:15PM


text:
And now... it is happening again. Haven't bought tickets this time though.
I will put on Grim Scary Tales (on double 10", how awesome isn't that?) later and hope that the gig sucks, haha
Still waiting to mix the Crypt Of The Zombilord recording, will be the best release of 2011!!!! (Black Widow are releasing a new album... they might top our record, but not any other band)
np: Toxic Holocaust - March From Hell (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDonCHPVM7Q)


text:
You must be logged in to save your search, you can Register an account with SciCrunch to save your searches.
orIf you have forgotten your password, please enter your account email below and we will reset your password and email you the new password.
We performed a systematic mapping of interaction domains on COP I subunits to gain novel insights into the architecture of coatomer. Using the two-hybrid system, we characterize the domain structure of the alpha-, beta'-, epsilon-COP and beta-, gamma-, delta-, zeta-COP coatomer subcomplexes and identify links between them that contribute to coatomer integrity. Our results demonstrate that the domain organization of the beta-, gamma-, delta-, zeta-COP subcomplex and AP adaptor complexes is related. Through in vivo analysis of alpha-COP truncation mutants, we characterize distinct functional domains on alpha-COP. Its N-terminal WD40 domain is dispensable for yeast cell viability and overall coatomer function, but is required for KKXX-dependent trafficking. The last approximately 170 amino acids of alpha-COP are also non-essential for cell viability, but required for epsilon-COP incorporation into coatomer and maintainance of normal epsilon-COP levels. Further, we demonstrate novel direct interactions of coatomer subunits with regulatory proteins: beta'- and gamma-COP interact with the ARF-GTP-activating protein (GAP) Glo3p, but not Gcs1p, and beta- and epsilon-COP interact with ARF-GTP. Glo3p also interacts with intact coatomer in vitro.
Welcome to NIF. Explore available research resources: data, tools and materials, from across the web
Search for resources specially selected for NIF community
Search across hundreds of additional biomedical databases
Search Pub Med abstracts and full text from PubMed Central
Enter your search terms here and hit return. Search results for the selected tab will be returned.
Click here to login or register and join this community.
Narrow your search by selecting a category. For additional help in searching, view our tutorials.
Displays the total number of search results. Provides additional information on search terms, e.g., automated query expansions, and any included categories or facets. Expansions, filters and facets can be removed by clicking on the X. Clicking on the + restores them.
Displays individual records and a brief description. Click on the icons below each record to explore additional display options.


text:
Ten Essentials for a Heavy Metal Cruise
Ian Witlen
Genre-themed concert cruises are the new black.
In 2014, there's a floating music festival curated for fans of everything from progressive rock (Cruise to the Edge) to whatever the hell you want to classify the artists that sail on the Mad Decent Boat Party as. Hell -- there's even a Kiss Kruise! If you dig a sound and feel the call of the sea, there's a boat with your name on it these days. However, nothing found within this musical flotilla is more intriguing than the heavy metal cruises.
With names like Barge to Hell and 70,000 Tons of Metal, the heavy metal cruises that sail from South Florida's shores actually provide an astounding amount of bang for your buck. The lineups are always solid, the ports of call are pretty cool, and you're not driving the boat -- so you can spend a few days chasing down the zenith of early Metallica alcoholism. These cruises also benefit South Florida's land lovin' metal fans as there are always a few acts that choose to play a local date.
We understand that the archetypical metal fan is not necessarily the cruise type. Why would you want to chill in the Bahamas when there are so many other substantially more metal vacation options? You could have a pint next to the Phil Lynott memorial in Dublin, or you could go tour the rebuilt Scandinavian churches that had burned in the wild and crazy early days of black metal. At any rate, we're here to help prepare you, esteemed metal cruiser, with a bit of packing guidance. Here are our ten metal cruise essentials.
10. Sunscreen
This one is glaringly obvious, but skin cancer is the least metal way to die. Also, sunburns are for amateurs, and you probably paid money for those tattoos, why not protect them?
9. Prophylactics
Another obvious choice, but let's be real: You probably don't even know what state he or she is from, and it's going to be really rough explaining to your future offspring that they were conceived in international waters between Napalm Death and Mayhem's sets. Also, the clap.
8. Probiotics
Diarrhea at sea ain't no joke, especially when you've dropped major coin to party with your favorite bands! So sidestep the cruise grub plague with a bit of precaution. Also, what could possibly more metal than pills that are actually teeming with (healthy) bacteria? Nothing.
Sponsor Content


text:
70 Master Bedroom Decorating Ideas
Is your bedroom the stuff dreams are made of? Try our tips and tricks for creating a master bedroom that's truly a relaxing retreat.
Get more great design ideas for your bedroom, kitchen, living room, bathroom.
An Affair to Remember
Add a mosquito net or canopy to your bed to lend drama and intrigue. Plus, you can sleep with the windows open without care.


text:
RoSPA's mission is to save lives and reduce injuries
Inland waters have been shown to be the places that claim the greatest number of lives through accidental drowning.
An initial analysis of accidental drowning fatalities in the UK in 2006 shows that 147 lives were lost in inland waters. Of these deaths, 61 involved the victim unintentionally becoming immersed in the water (e.g. falling in), 21 involved people who were swimming, 17 happened after vehicles entered the water, 15 happened during watersports activities and four occurred when the victim was fishing. Twenty-six of the deaths happened when people intentionally entered the water for another reason, such as jumping in to cool off. Three deaths happened during commercial activities.
The provisional 2006 figures, which were collated by RoSPA using information from members of the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF), show that there were 105 accidental drowning fatalities at coastal locations, 30 out at sea, 22 in residential settings (including garden ponds, baths and home swimming pools), and eight in other swimming pools.
Helpful Link: http://www.rospa.com/leisuresafety/statistics/
Date Updated/Created: 09/09/2010
Share this page:
You are here:
Find a service


text:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article
Flanders Vlaanderen (Dutch) | |||
Community and region of Belgium | |||
| |||
Present-day Belgian Flanders (dark green) shown within Belgium and Europe. Brussels is in some contexts considered part of Flanders and in other contexts separate. | |||
County of Flanders | 862–1795 | ||
Community in Belgium | 1970 | ||
Region in Belgium | 1980 | ||
Seat | Brussels | ||
Government | |||
• Executive | Flemish Government | ||
• Governing parties (2014–2019) | N-VA, CD&V, Open Vld | ||
• Minister-President | Geert Bourgeois (N-VA) | ||
• Legislature | Flemish Parliament | ||
• Speaker | Jan Peumans (N-VA) | ||
Area | |||
• Land | 13,522 km2 (5,221 sq mi) | ||
Population (1 January 2012) | |||
• Total | 6,350,765 (Flemish Region only) | ||
• Density | 470/km2 (1,200/sq mi) | ||
• Official language | Dutch | ||
Demonym | Flemish (adjective), Fleming (person) Vlaams (adjective), Vlaming (person) | ||
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
ISO 3166 code | BE-VLG | ||
Website | http://www.vlaanderen.be/ | ||
The area and population figures are given for the Flemish Region, not the Community. |
Flanders Vlaanderen (Dutch) | |||
Community and region of Belgium | |||
| |||
Present-day Belgian Flanders (dark green) shown within Belgium and Europe. Brussels is in some contexts considered part of Flanders and in other contexts separate. | |||
County of Flanders | 862–1795 | ||
Community in Belgium | 1970 | ||
Region in Belgium | 1980 | ||
Seat | Brussels | ||
Government | |||
• Executive | Flemish Government | ||
• Governing parties (2014–2019) | N-VA, CD&V, Open Vld | ||
• Minister-President | Geert Bourgeois (N-VA) | ||
• Legislature | Flemish Parliament | ||
• Speaker | Jan Peumans (N-VA) | ||
Area | |||
• Land | 13,522 km2 (5,221 sq mi) | ||
Population (1 January 2012) | |||
• Total | 6,350,765 (Flemish Region only) | ||
• Density | 470/km2 (1,200/sq mi) | ||
• Official language | Dutch | ||
Demonym | Flemish (adjective), Fleming (person) Vlaams (adjective), Vlaming (person) | ||
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
ISO 3166 code | BE-VLG | ||
Website | http://www.vlaanderen.be/ | ||
The area and population figures are given for the Flemish Region, not the Community. |
Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen (help·info), French: Flandre) today normally refers to the Dutch speaking northern portion of Belgium. It is one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. Historically, the name referred to a region located in the northwestern part of present-day Belgium and adjacent parts of France and the Netherlands. Both in the historical and the contemporary meaning, the demonym associated with Flanders is Fleming, while the corresponding adjective is Flemish. Brussels is the capital of Flanders, though it is also autonomous and only partially under Flanders' jurisdiction.
Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied, and usage in English was at most periods much vaguer and imprecise than in the region itself. From around 1000 AD, Flanders historically meant the land situated along the North Sea from the Strait of Dover to the Scheldt estuary, with ill-defined southern borders.[1] It came to refer specifically to the County of Flanders, lasting from 862 to 1795, whose territory was situated in the northwestern part of what is now Belgium (approximately the modern Belgian provinces of East and West Flanders), and what are now parts of northern France (French Flanders), and the Netherlands (Zeelandic Flanders). Through marriage, the County of Flanders was joined with most of the rest of the Low Countries around 1400 AD, and it lost its independence. Most of the county's territory became part of an independent Belgium in 1830, and during the 19th and 20th centuries, it became increasingly commonplace to refer to the entire Dutch-speaking and northern part of Belgium as "Flanders", including the Belgian parts of the Duchy of Brabant and Limburg. In the late 20th century, Belgium became a federal state in which the Dutch-speaking part was given autonomy as the Flemish Community (Dutch: Vlaamse Gemeenschap) and the Flemish Region (Dutch: Vlaams Gewest); these two entities were effectively merged, except that only the Flemish Community, not the Flemish region, has jurisdiction over Brussels, its capital.
Flanders has figured prominently in European history. During the late Middle Ages, Flanders' trading towns (notably Ghent, Bruges and Ypres) made it one of the richest and most urbanized parts of Europe, weaving the wool of neighbouring lands into cloth for both domestic use and export. As a consequence, a very sophisticated culture developed, with impressive achievements in the arts and architecture, rivaling those of northern Italy. As part of Belgium, Flanders was initially the poorer half of the country, which was dominated by less populated but heavily industrialized French-speaking Wallonia. In the second half of the twentieth century, however, there has been a gradual shift of political and economic power to Flanders, which, having modernized its economy, is now more wealthy and prosperous than its southern counterpart.[2]
Geographically, Flanders is generally flat, and has a small section of coast on the North Sea. Flanders is agriculturally fertile and densely populated, with a population density of almost 500 people per square kilometer (1200 per square mile). It borders France to the west, the Netherlands to the north and east, and Wallonia to the south. The Brussels Capital Region is enclaved within the Flemish Region. Flanders has exclaves of its own: Voeren in the east is clamped between Wallonia and the Netherlands and Baarle-Hertog in the north consists of 22 exclaves located in the Netherlands.
The term "Flanders" has several main meanings:
During this period of French encroachment on the region, the United Provinces also took some areas of northern Flanders. These areas now form Zeelandic Flanders (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen), a part of the Netherlands province of Zeeland.
The significance of the County of Flanders and its counts eroded through time, but the designation remained in a very broad sense. In the Early modern period, the term Flanders was associated with the southern part of the Low Countries: the Southern Netherlands. During the 19th and 20th centuries, it became increasingly commonplace to refer to the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium as "Flanders". The linguistic limit between French and Dutch was recorded in the early '60's, from Kortrijk to Maastricht. Now, Flanders extends over the northern part of Belgium, including the Belgian parts of the Duchy of Brabant and Limburg.
The ambiguity between this eastwardly much wider area and that of the County (or the Belgian parts thereof), still remains. In most present-day contexts however, in general the term Flanders is taken to refer to either the political, social, cultural, and linguistic community (and the corresponding official institution, the Flemish Community), or the geographical area, one of the three institutional regions in Belgium, namely the Flemish Region.
In history of art and other fields, the adjectives Flemish and Netherlandish are commonly used to designate all the artistic production in this area before about 1580, after which it refers specifically to the southern Netherlands. For example the term "Flemish Primitives", now outdated in English but used in French, Flemish and other languages, is a synonym for "Early Netherlandish painting", and it is not uncommon to see Mosan art categorized as Flemish art. In music the Franco-Flemish School is also known as the Dutch School.
Describing Flanders as the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium is commonplace, although Jewish groups have been speaking Yiddish in Antwerp for centuries, and Flanders' minority residents include 170 nationalities[4] — their larger groups speaking French, English, Berber, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish, Italian and Polish. Typically, in each group, most people switch to using Dutch in their daily life, while others maintain their language of origin.
The area, roughly encompassing the later geographical meanings of Flanders, was considered to be in the northern and less economically developed part of Gallia Belgica, the most northeastern continental province of the Roman Empire at its height. Linguistically, the tribes in this area were under Celtic influence in the south, and Germanic influence in the east, but there is disagreement about what language was spoken locally, which may even have been an intermediate "Nordwestblock" language related to both. By the first century BC Germanic languages had become prevalent. In the future county of Flanders, the main Belgic tribe in Roman times was the Menapii, but also on the coast were the Marsacii and Morini.
Created in the year 862 as a feudal fief in West Francia, the County of Flanders was divided when its western districts fell under French rule in the late 12th century. The remaining parts of Flanders came under the rule of the counts of neighbouring Hainaut in 1191. The entire area passed in 1384 to the dukes of Burgundy, in 1477 to the Habsburg dynasty, and in 1556 to the kings of Spain. The western districts of Flanders came finally under French rule under successive treaties of 1659 (Artois), 1668, and 1678.
During the late Middle Ages Flanders' trading towns (notably Ghent, Bruges and Ypres) made it one of the richest and most urbanized parts of Europe, weaving the wool of neighbouring lands into cloth for both domestic use and export. As a consequence, a very sophisticated culture developed, with impressive achievements in the arts and architecture, rivaling those of northern Italy. Ghent, Bruges, Ypres and the Franc of Bruges formed the Four Members, a form of parliament that exercised considerable power in Flanders.[5]
Increasingly powerful from the 12th century, the territory's autonomous urban communes were instrumental in defeating a French attempt at annexation (1300–1302), finally defeating the French in the Battle of the Golden Spurs (11 July 1302), near Kortrijk. Two years later, the uprising was defeated and Flanders remained part of the French Crown. Flemish prosperity waned in the following century, however, owing to widespread European population decline following the Black Death of 1348, the disruption of trade during the Anglo-French Hundred Years' War (1337–1453), and increased English cloth production. Flemish weavers had gone over to Worstead and North Walsham in Norfolk in the 12th century and established the woolen industry.
In 1500, Charles V was born in Ghent. He inherited the Seventeen Provinces (1506), Spain (1516) with its colonies and in 1519 was elected Holy Roman Emperor.[6] The Pragmatic Sanction of 1549, issued by Charles V, established the Low Countries as the Seventeen Provinces (or Spanish Netherlands in its broad sense) as an entity separate from the Holy Roman Empire and from France. In 1556 Charles V abdicated due to ill health (he suffered from crippling gout).[7] Spain and the Seventeen Provinces went to his son, king Philip II of Spain.
Over the first half of the 16th century Antwerp grew to become the second-largest European city north of the Alps by 1560. Antwerp was the richest city in Europe at this time.[8] According to Luc-Normand Tellier "It is estimated that the port of Antwerp was earning the Spanish crown seven times more revenues than the Americas."[9]
Meanwhile, Protestantism had reached the Low Countries. Among the wealthy traders of Antwerp, the Lutheran beliefs of the German Hanseatic traders found appeal, perhaps partly for economic reasons. The spread of Protestantism in this city was aided by the presence of an Augustinian cloister (founded 1514) in the St. Andries quarter. Luther, an Augustinian himself, had taught some of the monks, and his works were in print by 1518. The first Lutheran martyrs came from Antwerp. The Reformation resulted in consecutive but overlapping waves of reform: a Lutheran, followed by a militant Anabaptist, then a Mennonite, and finally a Calvinistic movement. These movements existed independently of each other.
Philip II, a devout Catholic and self-proclaimed protector of the Counter-Reformation, suppressed Calvinism in Flanders, Brabant and Holland (what is now approximately Belgian Limburg was part of the Bishopric of Liège and was Catholic de facto). In 1566, the wave of iconoclasm known as the Beeldenstorm was a prelude to religious war between Catholics and Protestants, especially the Anabaptists. The Beeldenstorm started in what is now French Flanders, with open-air sermons (Dutch: hagepreken) that spread through the Low Countries, first to Antwerp and Ghent, and from there further east and north. In total it lasted not even a month.
Subsequently, Philip II sent the Duke of Alba to the Provinces to repress the revolt. Alba recaptured the southern part of the Provinces, who signed the Union of Atrecht, which meant that they would accept the Spanish government on condition of more freedom. But the northern part of the provinces signed the Union of Utrecht and settled in 1581 the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. Spanish troops quickly started fighting the rebels, but before the revolt could be completely defeated, a war between England and Spain had broken out, forcing Philip's Spanish troops to halt their advance. Meanwhile, the Spanish armies had already conquered the important trading cities of Bruges and Ghent. Antwerp, which was then the most important port in the world, also had to be conquered. On 17 August 1585, Antwerp fell. This ended the Eighty Years' War for the (from now on) Southern Netherlands. The United Provinces (the Northern Netherlands) fought on until 1648 – the Peace of Westphalia.
While Spain was at war with England, the rebels from the north, strengthened by refugees from the south, started a campaign to reclaim areas lost to Philip II's Spanish troops. They managed to conquer a considerable part of Brabant (the later Noord-Brabant of the Netherlands), and the south bank of the Scheldt estuary (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen), before being stopped by Spanish troops. The front line at the end of this war stabilized and became the current border between present-day Belgium and the Netherlands. The Dutch (as they later became known) had managed to reclaim enough of Spanish-controlled Flanders to close off the river Scheldt, effectively cutting Antwerp off from its trade routes.
First the fall of Antwerp to the Spanish and later also the closing of the Scheldt were causes of a considerable emigration of Antverpians.[10] Many of the Calvinist merchants of Antwerp and also of other Flemish cities left Flanders and emigrated to the north. A large number of them settled in Amsterdam, which was at the time a smaller port, of significance only in the Baltic trade. In the following years Amsterdam was rapidly transformed into one of the world's most important ports. Because of the contribution of the Flemish exiles to this transformation, the exodus is sometimes described as "creating a new Antwerp".
Flanders and Brabant, due to these events, went into a period of relative decline from the time of the Thirty Years War.[11] In the Northern Netherlands however, the mass emigration from Flanders and Brabant became an important driving force behind the Dutch Golden Age.
Although arts remained at a relatively impressive level for another century with Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) and Anthony van Dyck, Flanders experienced a loss of its former economic and intellectual power under Spanish, Austrian, and French rule, with heavy taxation and rigid imperial political control compounding the effects of industrial stagnation and Spanish-Dutch and Franco-Austrian conflict. The Southern Netherlands suffered severely under the War of the Spanish Succession, but under the reign of empress Maria-Theresia these lands economically flourished again. Influenced by the Enlightenment, the Austrian emperor Joseph II was the first sovereign who has been in the Southern Netherlands since king Philip II of Spain left them in 1559.
In 1794 the French Republican Army started using Antwerp as the northernmost naval port of France,[11] which country officially annexed Flanders the following year as the départements of Lys, Escaut, Deux-Nèthes, Meuse-Inférieure and Dyle. Obligatory (French) army service for all men aged 16–25 was one of the main reasons for the people's uprising against the French in 1798, known as the Boerenkrijg (Peasants' War), with the heaviest fighting in the Campine area.
After the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the 1815 Battle of Waterloo in Waterloo, Brabant, sovereignty over the Austrian Netherlands – Belgium minus the East Cantons and Luxembourg – was given by the Congress of Vienna (1815) to the United Netherlands (Dutch: Verenigde Nederlanden), the state that briefly existed under Sovereign Prince William I of Orange Nassau, the latter King William I of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, after the French Empire was driven out of the Dutch territories. The United Kingdom of the Netherlands was born. The Protestant King of the Netherlands, William I rapidly started the industrialisation of the southern parts of the Kingdom. The political system that was set up however, slowly but surely failed to forge a true union between the northern and the southern parts of the Kingdom. The southern bourgeoisie mainly was Roman Catholic, in contrast to the mainly Protestant north; large parts of the southern bourgeoisie also primarily spoke French rather than Dutch.
In 1815 the Dutch Senate was reinstated (Dutch: Eerste Kamer der Staaten Generaal). The nobility, mainly coming from the south, became more and more estranged from their northern colleagues. Resentment grew both between the Roman Catholics from the south and the Protestants from the north and among the powerful liberal bourgeoisie from the south and their more moderate colleagues from the north. On 25 August 1830 (after the showing of the opera 'La Muette de Portici' of Daniel Auber in Brussels) the Belgian Revolution sparked off and became a fact. On 4 October 1830, the Provisional Government (Dutch: Voorlopig Bewind) proclaimed the independence, which was later confirmed by the National Congress that issued a new Liberal Constitution and declared the new state a Constitutional Monarchy, under the House of Saxe-Coburg. Flanders now became part of the Kingdom of Belgium, which was recognized by the major European Powers on 20 January 1831. The de facto dissidence was finally recognized by the United Kingdom of the Netherlands on 19 April 1839.
In 1830, the Belgian Revolution led to the splitting up of the two countries. Belgium was confirmed as an independent state by the Treaty of London of 1839, but deprived of the eastern half of Limburg (now Dutch Limburg), and the Eastern half of Luxembourg (now the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg). Sovereignty over Zeeuws Vlaanderen, south of the Westerscheldt river delta, was left with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which was allowed to levy a toll on all traffic to Antwerp harbour until 1863.[11]
The Belgian Revolution was not well supported in Flanders and even on the 4th of October 1830, when the Belgian independence was eventually declared, Flemish authorities refused to take orders from the new Belgian government in Brussels. Only after Flanders was subdued with the aid of a large French military force one month later, under the leadership of the Count de Pontécoulant, did Flanders become a true part of Belgium.
The French-speaking bourgeoisie showed very little respect for the Dutch-speaking part of the population [clarification needed]. French became the only official language in Belgium and all secondary and higher education in the Dutch language was abolished.
In 1834, all people even remotely suspected of being "Flemish minded" or calling for the reunification of the Netherlands were prosecuted and their houses looted and burnt. Flanders, until then a very prosperous European region [clarification needed], was not considered worthwhile for investment and scholarship. A study in 1918 demonstrated that in the first 88 years of its existence, 80% of the Belgian GNP was invested in Wallonia. This led to a widespread poverty in Flanders, forcing roughly 300.000 Flemish to emigrate to Wallonia to start working there in the heavy industry.
All of these events led to a silent uprising in Flanders against the French-speaking domination. But it was not until 1878 that Dutch was allowed to be used for official purposes in Flanders (see language legislation in Belgium), although French remained the only official language in Belgium.
In 1873, Dutch became the official language in public secondary schools. In 1898 Dutch and French were declared equal languages in laws and Royal orders. In 1930 the first Flemish university was opened.
The first official translation of the Belgian constitution in Dutch was not published until 1967.
Flanders (and Belgium as a whole) saw some of the greatest loss of life on the Western Front of the First World War, in particular from the three battles of Ypres. Due to the hundreds of thousands of casualties at Ypres, the poppies that sprang up from the battlefield afterwards, later immortalised in the Canadian poem "In Flanders Fields", written by John McCrae, have become a symbol for lives lost in war.
Flemish feeling of identity and consciousness grew through the events and experiences of war. The occupying German authorities took several Flemish-friendly measures. More importantly, the experiences of many Dutch-speaking soldiers on the front led by French-speaking officers catalysed Flemish emancipation. The French-speaking officers often gave orders in French only, followed by "et pour les Flamands, la même chose!", meaning "and for the Flemish, the same thing!" (which did not help the Flemish conscripts, who were mostly uneducated farmers and workers unable to have understood what had been said in French).[12] The resulting suffering is still remembered by Flemish organizations during the yearly Yser pilgrimage in Diksmuide at the monument of the Yser Tower.
During the interbellum and World War II, several right-wing fascist and/or national-socialistic parties emerged in Belgium, the Flemish ones being energized by the anti-Flemish discrimination of the Wallonians[clarification needed]. Since these parties were promised more rights for the Flemings by the German government during World War II, many of them collaborated with the Nazi regime. After the war, collaborators (or people who were Zwart, "Black" during the war) were prosecuted and punished, among them many Flemish Nationalists whose main political goal had been the emancipation of Flanders. As a result, up until this day Flemish Nationalism is often associated with right-wing and sometimes fascist ideologies.
After World War II, the differences between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking Belgians became clear in a number of conflicts, such as the Royal Question, the question whether King Leopold III should return (which most Flemings supported but not the Walloons) and the use of Dutch in the Catholic University of Leuven. As a result, several state reforms took place in the second half of the 20th century, which transformed the unitary Belgium into a federal state with communities, regions and language areas. This resulted also in the establishment of a Flemish Parliament and Government. During the 1970s, all major political parties split into a Flemish and French-speaking party.
Several Flemish parties still advocate for more Flemish autonomy, some even for Flemish independence (see Partition of Belgium), whereas the French-speakers would like to keep the current state as it is. Recent governments (such as Verhofstadt I Government) have transferred certain federal competences to the regional governments.
On 13 December 2006, a spoof news broadcast by the Belgian Francophone public broadcasting station RTBF declared that Flanders had decided to declare independence from Belgium.
The 2007 federal elections showed more support for Flemish autonomy, marking the start of the 2007–2011 Belgian political crisis. All the political parties that advocated a significant increase of Flemish autonomy gained votes as well as seats in the Belgian federal parliament. This was especially the case for Christian Democratic and Flemish and New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) (who had participated on a shared electoral list). The trend continued during the 2009 regional elections, where CD&V and N-VA were the clear winners in Flanders, and N-VA became even the largest party in Flanders and Belgium during the 2010 federal elections, followed by the longest-ever government formation after which the Di Rupo I Government was formed excluding N-VA. Eight parties agreed on a sixth state reform which aim to solve the disputes between Flemings and French-speakers. The 2012 provincial and municipal elections however continued the trend of N-VA becoming the biggest party in Flanders.
These victories for the advocates of much more Flemish autonomy are very much in parallel with opinion polls that show a structural increase in popular support for their agenda. Since 2006, certain polls have started showing a majority in favour of Flemish independence[clarification needed]. Those polls are not yet representative, but they point to a significant long-term trend.
Both the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region are constitutional institutions of the Kingdom of Belgium, exercising certain powers within their jurisdiction, granted following a series of state reforms. In practice, the Flemish Community and Region together form a single body, with its own parliament and government, as the Community legally absorbed the competences of the Region. The parliament is a directly elected legislative body composed of 124 representatives. The government consists of up to a maximum of eleven members and is presided by a Minister-President, currently Geert Bourgeois (New Flemish Alliance) leading a coalition of his party (N-VA) with Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) and Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten (Open VLD).
The area of the Flemish Community is represented on the maps above, including the area of the Brussels-Capital Region (hatched on the relevant map). Roughly, the Flemish Community exercises competences originally oriented towards the individuals of the Community's language: culture (including audiovisual media), education, and the use of the language. Extensions to personal matters less directly associated with language comprise sports, health policy (curative and preventive medicine), and assistance to individuals (protection of youth, social welfare, aid to families, immigrant assistance services, etc.)[13]
The area of the Flemish Region is represented on the maps above. It has a population of around 6 million (excluding the Dutch-speaking community in the Brussels Region, grey on the map for it is not a part of the Flemish Region). Roughly, the Flemish Region is responsible for territorial issues in a broad sense, including economy, employment, agriculture, water policy, housing, public works, energy, transport, the environment, town and country planning, nature conservation, credit, and foreign trade. It supervises the provinces, municipalities, and intercommunal utility companies.[14]
The number of Dutch-speaking Flemish people in the Capital Region is estimated to be between 11% and 15% (official figures do not exist as there is no language census and no official subnationality). According to a survey conducted by the Université catholique de Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve and published in June 2006, 51% of respondents from Brussels claimed to be bilingual, even if they do not have Dutch as their first language.[15][16] They are governed by the Brussels Region for economics affairs and by the Flemish Community for educational and cultural issues.
As mentioned above, Flemish institutions such as the Flemish Parliament and Government, represent the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region. The region and the community thus de facto share the same parliament and the same government. All these institutions are based in Brussels. Nevertheless, both types of subdivisions (the Community and the Region) still exist legally and the distinction between both is important for the people living in Brussels. Members of the Flemish Parliament who were elected in the Brussels Region cannot vote on affairs belonging to the competences of the Flemish Region.
The official language for all Flemish institutions is Dutch. French enjoys a limited official recognition in a dozen municipalities along the borders with French-speaking Wallonia, and a large recognition in the bilingual Brussels Region. French is widely known in Flanders, with 59% claiming to know French according to a survey conducted by the Université catholique de Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve and published in June 2006.[17][18]
Historically, the political parties reflected the pillarisation (verzuiling) in Flemish society. The traditional political parties of the three pillars are Christian-Democratic and Flemish (CD&V), the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open Vld) and the Socialist Party – Differently (sp.a).
However, during the last half century, many new political parties were founded in Flanders. One of the first was the nationalist People's Union, of which the right nationalist Flemish Block (now Flemish Interest) split off, and which later dissolved into the now-defunct Spirit or Social Liberal Party, moderate nationalism rather left of the spectrum, on the one hand, and the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), more conservative but independentist, on the other hand. Other parties are the leftist alternative/ecological Green party; the short-lived anarchistic libertarian spark ROSSEM and more recently the conservative-right liberal List Dedecker, founded by Jean-Marie Dedecker, and the socialist Workers' Party.
Particularly the Flemish Block/Flemish Interest has seen electoral success roughly around the turn of the century, and the New Flemish Alliance during the last few elections, becoming even the largest party in the 2010 federal elections.
For some Flemings, Flanders is more than just a geographical area or the federal institutions (Flemish Community and Region). Supporters of the Flemish Movement even call it a nation and pursue Flemish independence, but most people (approximately 75%) living in Flanders say they are proud to be Belgian and opposed to the dissolution of Belgium.[19]
In 2012, the Flemish government drafted a "Charter for Flanders" (Handvest voor Vlaanderen)[20] of which the first article says "Vlaanderen is een deelstaat van de federale Staat België en maakt deel uit van de Europese Unie." ("Flanders is a component state of the federal State of Belgium and is part of the European Union"). Though interpreted by many Flemish nationalists as a statement, this phrase is merely a quotation from the Belgian constitution and has no further legal value whatsoever.
The present-day Flemish Region covers 13,522 km2 (5,221 sq mi) and is divided into five provinces, 22 arrondissemements and 308 cities or municipalities.
Province | Capital city | Administrative arrondissements | Municipalities | Area | Population (density) (1 January 2012) | |
1 | Antwerp (Antwerpen) | Antwerp (Antwerpen) | Antwerp, Mechelen, Turnhout | 70 | 2,867 km² | 1,781,904 (622/km²) |
2 | Limburg (Limburg) | Hasselt | Hasselt, Maaseik, Tongeren | 44 | 2,414 km² | 849,404 (351/km²) |
3 | East Flanders (Oost-Vlaanderen) | Ghent (Gent) | Aalst, Dendermonde, Eeklo, Ghent, Oudenaarde, Sint-Niklaas | 65 | 2,991 km² | 1,454,716 (488/km²) |
4 | Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant) | Leuven | Halle-Vilvoorde, Leuven | 65 | 2,106 km² | 1,094,751 (520/km²) |
5 | West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen) | Bruges (Brugge) | Bruges, Diksmuide, Ypres, Kortrijk, Ostend, Roeselare, Tielt, Veurne | 64 | 3,125 km² | 1,169,990 (372/km²) |
The province of Flemish Brabant is the most recent one, being formed in 1995 after the splitting of the province of Brabant.
Most municipalities are made up of several former municipalities, now called deelgemeenten. The largest municipality (both in terms of population and area) is Antwerp, having more than half a million inhabitants. Its nine deelgemeenten have a special status and are called districts, which have an elected council and a college. While any municipality with more than 100,000 inhabitants can establish districts, only Antwerp did this so far. The smallest municipality (also both in terms of population and area) is Herstappe (Limburg).
The Flemish Community covers both the Flemish Region and, together with the French Community, the Brussels-Capital Region. Brussels, an enclave within the province of Flemish Brabant, is not divided into any province nor is it part of any. It coincides with the Arrondissement of Brussels-Capital and includes 19 municipalities.
The Flemish Government has its own local institutions in the Brussels-Capital Region, being the Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie (VGC), and its municipal antennae (Gemeenschapscentra, community centres for the Flemish community in Brussels). These institutions are independent from the educational, cultural and social institutions that depend directly on the Flemish Government. They exert, among others, all those cultural competences that outside Brussels fall under the provinces.
Flanders shares its borders with Wallonia in the south, Brussels being an enclave within the Flemish Region. The rest of the border is shared with the Netherlands (Zeelandic Flanders, North Brabant and Limburg) in the north and east, and with France (French Flanders) and the North Sea in the west. Voeren is an exclave of Flanders between Wallonia and the Netherlands, while Baarle-Hertog in Flanders forms a complicated series of enclaves and exclaves with Baarle-Nassau in the Netherlands. Germany, although bordering Wallonia and close to Voeren in Limburg, does not share a border with Flanders. The German-speaking Community of Belgium, also close to Voeren, does not border Flanders either. (The commune of Plombières, majority French speaking, lies between them.)
Flanders is a highly urbanised area, lying completely within the Blue Banana. Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges and Leuven are the largest cities of the Flemish Region. Antwerp has a population of more than 500,000 citizens and is the largest city, Ghent has a population of 250,000 citizens, followed by Bruges with 120,000 citizens and Leuven counts almost 100,000 citizens. Brussels is a part of Flanders as far as community matters are concerned, but does not belong to the Flemish Region.
Flanders has two main geographical regions: the coastal Yser basin plain in the north-west and a central plain. The first consists mainly of sand dunes and clayey alluvial soils in the polders. Polders are areas of land, close to or below sea level that have been reclaimed from the sea, from which they are protected by dikes or, a little further inland, by fields that have been drained with canals. With similar soils along the lowermost Scheldt basin starts the central plain, a smooth, slowly rising fertile area irrigated by many waterways that reaches an average height of about five metres (16.4 ft) above sea level with wide valleys of its rivers upstream as well as the Campine region to the east having sandy soils at altitudes around thirty metres[21] Near its southern edges close to Wallonia one can find slightly rougher land richer of calcium with low hills reaching up to 150 m (492 ft) and small valleys, and at the eastern border with the Netherlands, in the Meuse basin, there are marl caves (mergelgrotten). Its exclave around Voeren between the Dutch border and the Walloon province of Liège attains a maximum altitude of 288 m (945 ft) above sea level.[22][23]
The climate is maritime temperate, with significant precipitation in all seasons (Köppen climate classification: Cfb; the average temperature is 3 °C (37 °F) in January, and 21 °C (69.8 °F) in July; the average precipitation is 65 millimetres (2.6 in) in January, and 78 millimetres (3.1 in) in July).
Total GDP of the Flemish Region in 2004 was € 165,847 million (Eurostat figures). Per capita GDP at purchasing power parity was 23% above the EU average. Flemish productivity per capita is about 13% higher than that in Wallonia, and wages are about 7% higher than in Wallonia.[24]
Flanders was one of the first continental European areas to undergo the Industrial Revolution, in the 19th century. Initially, the modernization relied heavily on food processing and textile. However, by the 1840s the textile industry of Flanders was in severe crisis and there was famine in Flanders (1846–50). After World War II, Antwerp and Ghent experienced a fast expansion of the chemical and petroleum industries. Flanders also attracted a large majority of foreign investments in Belgium. The 1973 and 1979 oil crises sent the economy into a recession. The steel industry remained in relatively good shape. In the 1980s and 90s, the economic centre of Belgium continued to shift further to Flanders and is now concentrated in the populous Flemish Diamond area.[25] Nowadays, the Flemish economy is mainly service-oriented.
Belgium is a founding member of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951, which evolved into the present-day European Union. In 1999, the euro, the single European currency, was introduced in Flanders. It replaced the Belgian franc in 2002.
The Flemish economy is strongly export-oriented, in particular of high value-added goods.[citation needed] The main imports are food products, machinery, rough diamonds, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, clothing and accessories, and textiles. The main exports are automobiles, food and food products, iron and steel, finished diamonds, textiles, plastics, petroleum products, and non-ferrous metals. Since 1922, Belgium and Luxembourg have been a single trade market within a customs and currency union—the Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union. Its main trading partners are Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States, and Spain.[citation needed]
Antwerp is the number one diamond market in the world, diamond exports account for roughly 1/10 of Belgian exports. The Antwerp-based BASF plant is the largest BASF-base outside Germany, and accounts on its own for about 2% of Belgian exports. Other industrial and service activities in Antwerp include car manufacturing, telecommunications, photographic products.
Flanders is home to several science and technology institutes, such as IMEC, Flanders DC and Flanders DRIVE.
Flanders has developed an extensive transportation infrastructure of ports, canals, railways and highways. The Port of Antwerp is the second-largest in Europe, after Rotterdam.[26] Other, much smaller ports are Ghent, Bruges-Zeebrugge and Ostend, the last two being located at the Belgian coast.
Whereas railways are managed by the federal National Railway Company of Belgium, other public transport (De Lijn) and roads are managed by the Flemish region.
The main airport is Brussels Airport, the only other civilian airport with scheduled services in Flanders is Antwerp International Airport, but there are two other ones with cargo or charter flights: Ostend-Bruges International Airport and Kortrijk-Wevelgem International Airport, both in West Flanders.
The highest population density is found in the area circumscribed by the Brussels-Antwerp-Ghent-Leuven agglomerations that surround Mechelen and is known as the Flemish Diamond, in other important urban centres as Bruges and Kortrijk to the west, and notable centres Turnhout and Hasselt to the east. On 1 January 2012, the Flemish Region had a population of 6,350,765 and about 15% of the 1,138,854 people in the Brussels Region are also considered Flemish.[4][27]
The (Belgian) laicist, or secularist, constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the various governments in general respect this right in practice. Since independence, Catholicism, counterbalanced by strong freethought movements, has had an important role in Belgium's politics, since the 20th century in Flanders mainly via the Christian trade union ACV and the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V). According to the 2001 Survey and Study of Religion,[28] about 47 percent of the Belgian population identify themselves as belonging to the Catholic Church, while Islam is the second-largest religion at 3.5 percent. A 2006 inquiry in Flanders, considered more religious than Wallonia, showed that 55% considered themselves religious, and 36% believed that God created the world.[29]
Jews have been present in Flanders for a long time, in particular in Antwerp. More recently, Muslims have immigrated to Flanders, now forming the largest minority religion with about 3.9% in the Flemish Region and 25% in Brussels.[30] The largest Muslim group is the Moroccans, while the second largest is the Turks.
Education is compulsory from the ages of six to 18, but most Flemings continue to study until around 23. Among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries in 1999, Flanders had the third-highest proportion of 18–21-year-olds enrolled in postsecondary education. Flanders also scores very high in international comparative studies on education. Its secondary school students consistently rank among the top three for mathematics and science. However, the success is not evenly spread: ethnic minority youth score consistently lower, and the difference is larger than in most comparable countries.[4]
Mirroring the historical political conflicts between the freethought and Catholic segments of the population, the Flemish educational system is split into a secular branch controlled by the communities, the provinces, or the municipalities, and a subsidised religious—mostly Catholic—branch controlled by both the communities and the religious authorities—usually the dioceses. It should however be noted that—at least for the Catholic schools—the religious authorities have very limited power over these schools. Smaller school systems follow 'methodical pedagogies' (e.g. Steiner, Montessori, or Freinet) or serve the Jewish and Protestant minorities. During the school year 2003–2004, 68.30% of the total population of children between the ages of six and 18 went to subsidized private schools (both religious schools or 'methodical pedagogies' schools).[31]
This section requires expansion. (July 2012) |
Healthcare is a federal matter, but the Flemish Government is responsible for care, health education and preventive care.
At first sight, Flemish culture is defined by its language and its gourmandic mentality, as compared to the more Calvinistic Dutch culture. Dutch and Flemish paintings enjoyed more equal international admiration.
The standard language in Flanders is Dutch; spelling and grammar are regulated by a single authority, the Dutch Language Union (Nederlandse Taalunie), comprising a committee of ministers of the Flemish and Dutch governments, their advisory council of appointed experts, a controlling commission of 22 parliamentarians, and a secretariate.[32][33] The term Flemish can be applied to the Dutch spoken in Flanders; it shows many regional and local variations.[34]
Literature in non-standardized dialects of the current area of Flanders originated with Hendrik van Veldeke's Eneas Romance, the first courtly romance in a Germanic language (12th century). With a writer of Hendrik Conscience's stature, Flemish literature rose ahead of French literature in Belgium's early history.[35][36] Guido Gezelle not only explicitly referred to his writings as Flemish but actually used it in many of his poems, and strongly defended it:
Original from kleengedichtjes (1860?)[37][38] Gij zegt dat 't vlaamsch te niet zal gaan: | Translation You say Flemish will fade away: |
The distinction between Dutch and Flemish literature, often perceived politically, is also made on intrinsic grounds by some experts such as Kris Humbeeck, professor of Literature at the University of Antwerp.[39][40] Nevertheless, nearly all[citation needed] Dutch-language literature read (and appreciated to varying degrees) in Flanders is the same as that in the Netherlands.
Influential Flemish writers include Ernest Claes, Stijn Streuvels and Felix Timmermans. Their novels mostly describe rural life in Flanders in the 19th century and at beginning of the 20th. Widely read by the older generations, they are considered somewhat old-fashioned by present-day critics. Some famous Flemish writers of the early 20th century wrote in French, including Nobel Prize winners (1911) Maurice Maeterlinck and Emile Verhaeren. They were followed by a younger generation, including Paul van Ostaijen and Gaston Burssens, who activated the Flemish Movement.[39] Still widely read and translated into other languages (including English) are the novels of authors such as Willem Elsschot, Louis Paul Boon and Hugo Claus. The recent crop of writers includes the novelists Tom Lanoye and Herman Brusselmans, and poets such as the married couple Herman de Coninck and Kristien Hemmerechts.
At the creation of the Belgian state, French was the only official language. French was during a long period used as a second language in Flanders and, like elsewhere in Europe, commonly spoken among the aristocracy. There is still a French-speaking minority in Flanders, especially in the municipalities with language facilities, along the language border and the Brussels periphery (Vlaamse Rand), though many of them are French-speakers that migrated to Flanders in recent decades. Many Flemings are also able to speak French, but proficiency has been on the decline. French is the primary language in the officially bilingual Brussels Capital Region, (see Francization of Brussels). In French Flanders, French is now the native language of the majority of the population and the only official language. Historically it was a Dutch-speaking region and there is still a minority of Dutch-speakers living there.
The public radio and television broadcaster in Flanders is VRT, which operates the TV channels één, Canvas, Ketnet, OP12 and (together with the Netherlands) BVN. Flemish provinces each have up to two TV channels as well. Commercial television broadcasters include vtm and Vier (VT4). Popular TV series are for example Thuis and F.C. De Kampioenen.
The five most successful Flemish films were Loft (2008; 1,186,071 visitors), Koko Flanel (1990; 1,082,000 tickets sold), Hector (1987; 933,000 tickets sold), Daens (1993; 848,000 tickets sold) and De Zaak Alzheimer (2003; 750,000 tickets sold). The first and last ones were directed by Erik Van Looy, and an American remake is being made of both of them, respectively The Loft (2012) and The Memory of a Killer. The other three ones were directed by Stijn Coninx.
Newspapers are grouped under three main publishers: De Persgroep with Het Laatste Nieuws, the most popular newspaper in Flanders, De Morgen and De Tijd. Then Corelio with De Gentenaar, the oldest extant Flemish newspaper, Het Nieuwsblad and De Standaard. Lastly, Concentra publishes Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Belang van Limburg.
Magazines include Knack and HUMO.
Association football (soccer) is one of the most popular sports in both parts of Belgium, together with cycling, tennis, swimming and judo.[41]
In cycling, the Tour of Flanders is considered one of the five "Monuments". Other "Flanders Classics" races include Dwars door Vlaanderen and Gent–Wevelgem. Eddy Merckx is regarded as one of the greatest cyclists of all time, with five victories in the Tour de France and numerous other cycling records.[42] His hour speed record (set in 1972) stood for 12 years.
Jean-Marie Pfaff, a former Belgian goalkeeper, is considered one of the greatest in the history of football (soccer).[43]
Kim Clijsters (as well as the French-speaking Belgian Justine Henin) was Player of the Year twice in the Women's Tennis Association as she was ranked the number one female tennis player.
Kim Gevaert and Tia Hellebaut are notable track and field stars from Flanders.
The 1920 Summer Olympics were held in Antwerp. Jacques Rogge has been president of the International Olympic Committee since 2001.
The Flemish government agency for sports is Bloso.
Flanders is known for its music festivals, like the annual Rock Werchter, Tomorrowland and Pukkelpop. The Gentse Feesten are another very large yearly event.
The best-selling Flemish group or artist is the (Flemish-Dutch) group 2 Unlimited, followed by (Italian-born) Rocco Granata, Technotronic, Helmut Lotti and Vaya Con Dios.
The weekly charts of best-selling singles is the Ultratop 50. Kvraagetaan by the Fixkes holds the current record for longest time at #1 on the chart.


text: On Tue, 04 May 2004 23:48:50 -0500, Bruce Dubbs wrote > > Bob Morgan wrote: > > >In a somewhat related thought, having > >a separate /boot partition, and commenting it out in /etc/fstab can > >help a tiny bit to keep the kernel contents away from an attacker > >(one can always mount it manually long enough to install a replacement > >kernel if need be - also related to the issue of monolithic vs > modular). > > > > > I had thought of that. The problem with that is that the klogd needs > to > be able to read the System Map. I don't know if there is a way to have > it read from another location or not. That's interesting. I have been playing with Gentoo, and by default the /boot partition is not mounted automatically. I had a small discussion about this in one of their forums, and was about to bring up System.map, but then realised that I had no evidence that it was used at anything but boot time. I didn't realise that klogd needed access to it. -- Tony


text:
Q: On Andrew Luck, a big part of their turnaround and everyone knew he would be a high pick, but nonetheless is he a guy that you took a look at during the pre-draft process? If so, what are your impressions on where he is now as opposed to where you thought he would be nine games into his career?
BB: Our scouting staff scouted him but I personally didn't do a lot of work on Luck. We weren't going to draft a quarterback in the first round and there was no chance he was going to be anywhere close to where our draft position was going to be. That wasn't a guy that I spent a lot of time studying other than looking at some of their other players and of course from the PAC [Pacific Athletic Conference], watching him against some of the defensive players that Stanford played. I think the things that we knew about him coming out have certainly played out so far in his rookie season – big kid, good arm, [can] make all the throws, very athletic, good movement in the pocket, smart, handles the offense well. They do a lot of checking and changing plays and things like that and you can see him handling the offensive team and those situations as well as end of the game-type situations where he has to make good situational plays and decisions. He's done a good job of all of those things.
Q: Defensively it seems like Coach Chuck Pagano came in and instituted a new scheme. Is it a lot different from what they have shown in the past? You guys have played them quite a bit over the last decade.
BB: I'd say it's quite a bit different than what they'd been playing the last decade. Similar to the Baltimore system with kind of a 3-4 base but I think Baltimore has [Terrell] Suggs and Indianapolis has [Dwight] Freeney – those guys are linebackers but they're really not linebackers. Of course when they get into their sub defenses, all the outside guys become defensive ends so it's back to [Robert] Mathis and Freeney on the edges and all that. They do a lot of the Baltimore things: combinations of man and zone and pressure and as I said, base it out of a 3-4 look but it's really not a true 3-4, like Pittsburgh and some teams like that play it. Chuck brought [Tom] Zbikowski with him so I'm sure that helps some of the adjustments and familiarity with their defensive scheme, what they did in Baltimore. Similar to when Rex [Ryan] brought [Jim] Leonhard with him to the Jets. So, Zbikowski and [Antoine] Bethea are, well Bethea is a pretty experienced guy, [seven] years in the league, but Zbikowski having four years in that Baltimore system, I'm sure that helps some of their defensive adjustments with him out there. I'd say it's definitely the Baltimore basis for defense. They of course change it up, it's different then Baltimore but that's, I'd say, the genesis of it.
Q: Andrew Luck is one of several rookie quarterbacks starting in the NFL. Does it surprise you that so many first-year players are making an impact as starters?
BB: Well, there are a lot of good young players in the league, so not really.
Q: Do you have a personal relationship with Chuck Pagano at all, just coaching against him throughout the years?
BB: No, not a real close one.
Q: I was not sure if you touched base since he has been sick or had a chance to speak with him at all.
BB: I haven't, no.
BB: At defensive end,
Q: Yesterday you mentioned that tackling was one of the fundamental things that could be improved from Sunday. Do you think that coming off the Bye Week hurt because it takes guys out of those reps?
BB: I don't have any excuses for it; we just have to do a better job of coaching it, have to do a better job of executing it. As I said, Buffalo has a lot of good skill players and their guys are hard to tackle. But we're going to see that every week; every team is going to have players that are hard to tackle. That's what NFL offensive players are, that's why they're in the NFL. We just fundamentally have to do a better job at that and coach it better and hopefully we'll be able to do that this week.
Q: How has
BB: I think he's been able to, first of all relative to last year, he's taken all of the scout team reps that last year he was basically splitting with Brian Hoyer. So, that has given him a lot more opportunity there to take snaps and also to have command of that group and run that offense on a weekly basis and the other guys that are used there. On the opportunities that he's had to work with the regular offense and again, certainly those have been more frequent too because of his role, when he's taken plays in there for Tom [Brady] that it's just given him more experience and more opportunity to run our plays so he's not always just running the other team's plays which is the way it was last year. At least this year he's getting more plays on the scout team and also plays with our offense. I think all those things have helped him. He's been out there every day, he's working hard. I guess fortunately for us he hasn't had to play but I'm confident that if he had to, he's taken the steps he needs to be ready to go.


text:
Tennis Serve Unleashed
Take Your Tennis Serve to the Next Level
Modern Tennis Forehand Ebook
Learn How to Hit a Forehand Like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic
To hit a big serve in tennis, you must have perfect technique. This is something that you must practice constantly.
However, practicing the perfect serving technique should be complimented by strength and power training workouts in order to get your muscles and joints in better condition for hitting lots of hard serves. This will help protect your body from injuries and make your motion more bio-mechanically efficient. Muscle strength is not enough to develop a powerful serve because strength is merely the ability or capacity to lift a certain weight. In order to have a fast motion, the muscles have to be trained such that weights can be lifted quickly while still maintaining proper form. This ability to lift a weight quickly is called power, which is the component of strength that is more useful for producing big serves. A total tennis fitness program must therefore include tennis serve exercises that promote the development of muscular power. The service motion in tennis involves almost all the major muscle groups from the ground up. The ideal motion makes use of a kinetic chain that is a series of motions starting from the feet up to the legs, hips, trunk, shoulders, arm, forearm, wrist and finally the racket, which is considered an extension of the hand.


text:
Karli doesn't have any friends on yet.
Karli hasn't added any Apps yet.
Welcome toCatch 22 Campaign
Sign Upor Sign In
Or sign in with:
Added by Catch 22
Added by Beverly Pearl
© 2015 Created by Catch 22.
Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.


text:
In Brother's Loss, Lessons Emerge
By Jill Callison
Argus Leader
Chances are, Jordan Nordquist would have thought about his big brother, Davis, sometime that day anyway. But on Nov. 23, during what he expected would be a routine medical-school lecture, he received an abrupt reminder of Davis once again.
His professor, presenting a lecture on the detrimental effect E. coli bacteria can have on a person's kidneys, brought up a case he'd seen as a resident in the early 1990s.Two brothers had been infected by E. coli while on a trip near Pierre. One lived, one died. Tears filled Jordan's eyes and, he says, he felt his heart race.
He was the brother who lived. His big brother, Davis, had died. That incident last month reminded Davis' family and friends of the effect one person can have, even after death.
Not a day goes by that someone in Davis' family doesn't remember or speak of the blond youngster who died two days before his 11th birthday.
"I look at his picture every day," says Darryl Nordquist, father to Davis, Jordan and their younger sister, Courtney. "It's probably what keeps me going. The crazy thing is, he never grows up. He's always that kid, just short of 11 years old, that I hope to see again someday."
Jordan sent his family a late-night e-mail after Dr. Joel Ziebarth unknowingly used the Norquist's story to teach his students. "Davis will never be forgotten," he wrote his father; his mother, Mary Hansen; Courtney; and several others.
"Even in the field of medicine, his story lives on. ... Every time I study about E. coli or hear about other diseases in children, I am reminded of Davis. ... Deep down it gives me some inspiration. I know his death has inspired all of us in some way."
His mother cried when she read the e-mail. "It was a good cry," Hansen says. "(Davis') death had impacted someone so much they would continue to tell his story."
Tragedy helps inspire change in state law
Her oldest child's death also had a more immediate effect. Hansen worked with Linda Stensland, then a state senator, to pass legislation requiring random testing of lakes and other bodies of water for dangerous levels of coliform.
It apparently was in a stagnant pool off the Missouri River that Davis and Jordan swallowed water contaminated by cattle manure. Darryl Nordquist had taken his sons on a weekend fishing trip in early August 1992.
Davis' symptoms surfaced on the second day. By the time the trio headed home to Sioux Falls, both boys were ill.
From the onset, Davis suffered the most. Mary Hansen, a registered nurse, was at work when her then-husband and children returned Sunday night. At home Monday morning, she examined the boys and realized Davis was seriously ill.
Jordan was sick for a week but remained home. Davis was admitted to the hospital, dehydrated and with failing kidneys.On Day 3, doctors gave the family a diagnosis of E. coli. Davis' kidneys shut down, and he went on dialysis. His appendix ruptured and was removed, along with two-thirds of his colon.
Davis' lungs collapsed, and he was placed on a ventilator. Despite a deceptive rally, the infection proved to be too much for his sturdy young body. On Aug. 20, 1992, two days before his 11th birthday, Davis died.
Dying brother's request: 'I just need to see Jordan'
Jordan Nordquist's memories of his brother have faded some. But he describes Davis as a stereotypical big brother, one who picked on him but loved him anyway.
Hansen recalls a much stronger bond. During his hospitalization, Davis repeatedly asked about Jordan, seeking reassurance that his little brother was recovering.
One night, Hansen was sure her son was dying. His blood pressure was almost nonexistent, his extremities were cold, his lips blue. But, she believes, Davis had unfinished business."I just need to see Jordan, Mom," he told her. "The final time we took him into surgery, we brought Jordan in. The look on their faces was something I'll never forget," Hansen says.
"Jordan was a trooper and looked at his brother, and his brother just beamed as much as he could, having all those tubes down his throat. I truly believe that was one of the reasons he hung on, until he could see that his brother was fine."
'He definitely would have been a star athlete'
The picture chosen for Davis' obituary shows a boy in a baseball cap, a bat on his shoulder.
Jordan's memories include playing football with his brother and father. His brother loved sports, he says. So does Jordan. To honor Davis, as a tailback on the Washington High School football team, he chose 34 as his number - Davis' number on his youth football team.
Jordan often wonders what his life would have been like had Davis lived."I think growing up with a big brother throughout the rest of my life would have definitely made me a different person," he says. "He definitely would have been a star athlete, so I'd be living in his shadow."
There is no rancor in his tone when he says that. Wrestling with the question of why Davis died and he lived led him to a faith-filled life, Jordan says. "I still get emotional talking about it," he says, his voice wobbling a bit.
"As I graduated and got married, you go through milestones. That's fairly difficult."
Pain of loss lingers, but family's faith deepens
Obviously, Davis' death changed everyone's life, Darryl Nordquist says."To the point of, I guess, becoming a more Christian family and believing that things truly happen for a reason."
Hansen has remained in contact with some of Davis' friends. His effect on them is all the more amazing because the family had moved to Sioux Falls from Brookings only four years earlier. In that time, Davis had attended Hawthorne, Jefferson and John Harris elementary schools.
"His three best friends, they were only fifth-graders when this happened, but they have never, ever forgotten," Hansen says.
"As a mother, I was very selfish in that respect. You don't want him to be forgotten. He was part of my life for almost 11 years and always part of Jordan's life."
Pathology professor never forgot brothers' story
Jordan didn't immediately tell Ziebarth, his pathology professor at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, that he was the surviving brother. He confirmed the year with his professor, then told Ziebarth the next day.
"In my mind, I thought he'd be about the right age, but I didn't ask him," Ziebarth says. "It would be unprofessional to use the name, and I thought he might know the family. The next day he came up and said, 'That was us, my older brother and me.' "
Ziebarth has used the story of the two brothers with E. coli often over the years. Using a story from personal experience can have a greater effect on students, he says.
"And having a child die, that's probably why that was a big deal to me," he says. "It was an unusual case, and (E. coli) had been in the news a bit nationally. In Sioux Falls, a child had died as a result of it."
'There's a reason why things happen'
It was difficult to sit in class and hear his brother's story told, even with the respect Ziebarth showed, Jordan says.
But knowing that Davis still is helping others, knowing he might inspire someone else, knowing that a single life can continue to affect others, makes it worthwhile. Jordan is in the grueling second year of medical school: all classroom, little patient contact.
But interaction with patients is coming. And his story, and Davis', will give him a particular empathy, Jordan says.
"It's been 17 years," he says. "Some people will wonder why even thinking about it would make me tear up."
But not anyone who ever has loved a child.They know that love continues, even after death. "There's a reason why things happen," Darryl Nordquist reiterates.
"We don't question them. Well, we do question them, but you most certainly know that God is in control and doing things for the right reasons."


text:
2013 Starboard Pro
$1,815.00 — $2,991.00
$1,543.00 — $2,542.00
You save $272.00 — $449.00 (15%)!
"Sean Poynter signature model"The board that Sean is using to devastating effect on the Stand-Up World Tour. Sean's vertical backside Attack saw him through to the final and victory in Tahiti. Commentators were in disbelief that he had stock equipment under his feet.
Flatter deck's finer rails and faster rockers, and a slight pulling of the outline between the feet, have further enhanced this board. It's going to be exciting to see where Sean takes it from here.
"Continuous mono-concave"
"Connor Baxter signature model"The popular characteristics have been further enhanced, with small changes that make a big difference. One alteration was flattening the deck which greatly improved the board's stability as well as its ability to hold speed on the rail in larger surf. This was also enhanced with thinner rails throughout its length.
Another was a small outline change, providing a little more curve between the feet which enhanced responsiveness. A third tweak was the flattening of the rocker between the feet to increase acceleration and speed.
All of this on a board which was already much-loved for its radical all-round ability in any conditions. A true slayer.
"Continuous mono-concave"


text:
More than 10 years after boy-band 'NSync dissolved, the singers may reunite on the MTV VMA stage. The New York Post is reporting J.C. Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick will join Justin Timberlake onstage for a reunion performance at the Video Music Awards.
Please take a moment to sign in with your Facebook account to share videos and news on your timeline.


text:
Current Time
Mexico nightlife
Mexico is the land of the never-ending fiesta, and just about any occasion is cause for major celebration. Birthdays begin at midnight with mariachi serenades and firecrackers; nightlong wedding receptions end the next day in a hearty breakfast. As a result, Mexico's nightlife is a spirited and raucous affair, regardless of location. However, Acapulco is the queen of the nightlife scene with glitzy clubs like Palladium flashing fireworks over the bay. The clubs tend to be packed from 11 pm till dawn, and VIP passes, bottle service, and Champagne are de rigueur. In Mexico City, you'll find a hip techno vibe at places like Area, atop the Hotel Habita, and in many small bars in Coyoacán and La Roma. Cancún is headquarters for the Girls Gone Wild scene, with clubs as big as bullrings and appearances by famous DJs and bands. However, Cancún also has more grown-up nightlife options like jazz venues, salsa clubs, and cocktail bars. Wherever you go, don't miss the cantinas, where men slap down dominoes and tequila shots simultaneously. Many serve botanes (like tapas) free with your drinks or have booze prices so low that you'll find yourself stumbling toward a taco stand at dawn.
A cool, sleek indoor bar, hip DJ, and wooden over-water deck with cushy white ottomans are all unusual sights on casual Cozumel. Locals are thrilled to be...more
see the Cozumel guideThis hotel bar sits atop the minimalist Hotel Habita, which means lots of white couches and chairs set at perfect angles on the gleaming wood floors. The best...more
see the Mexico City guideDon't laugh—Arthur's doing just fine in San Miguel. Walk past this glassed-in studio around 8 pm on a Friday or Saturday night, and you'll see dozens of...more
see the San Miguel de Allende guideAge isn't an issue at Azúcar, where some of the best salsa dancers are couples who've clearly spent at least one lifetime together. That...more
see the Cancún guideChic locals mingle with hotel guests from Mexico City at this glam bar and lounge at the stimulating Hotel Matilda. The party moves between low couches and...more
see the San Miguel de Allende guideThe artsy, bohemian crowd in San Miguel consider this German bar, restaurant, and art gallery their second home. Owner Detlev Kappstein fills the series of...more
see the San Miguel de Allende guideEver since opening in 1990 with an MTV-covered Van Halen concert, band member Sammy Hagar's cantina (he's part owner) has hosted live bands and musicians...more
see the Baja California guideThis longtime hotspot (previously known as Pancho y Lefty's) hosts different events nearly every night of the week. There are Friday and Saturday night...more
see the San Miguel de Allende guideBig-name talents including DJ Sasha, Ludacris, and 50 Cent thrill thousands at The City, which lives up to its name in size and the variety of its crowds. More...more
see the Cancún guideA favorite haunt of MTV-watching frat boys, Coco Bongo is a longtime favorite of the wild young thingsup to 1,800 per night come during high season to...more
see the Cancún guide


text:
Freaking News
Funny Hannibal Pictures
Justin Bieber Hannibal Lecters Child. "Starring Justin Bieber as 'Hanny J', the story continues when Clarice discovers she is pregnant with Hannibals love seed. See if nature or nurture will win with the new thriller this Summer..."
Funny Lone Wolf with Hannibal Lecter
Member reactions:
Newsy obviously has an edge for this type of contest. Works for me.
One Wolf and Many Lambs Now the countdown begins.....
Funny Hannibal Lecter Gives Clarice a Valentine Heart
Be Mine, Clarice
Member reactions:
Nice art work... Giving a live heart is a nice way of expressing one's love
Me likes this one a lot. With fava beans too.
Funny Hannibal
Member reactions:
Great look of a Hannibal well done on the blood spills and the knife holding tight Scary look
Brilliant work, bloody and scary theme this suits him.. nicely placed the mast and knife and vein on his head is the Best part...
Great work once again, funkenstein I love the tonal quality and the dramatic lighting Congrats on the Silver.
Congrats on the silver, funkster. Great show of Dr. Lecter's spirit here.
Funny Hannibal Lecter Caricature Holding a Heart
Dedicated to you my star, my love
Member reactions:
Crazy lover. Must be some heart surgeon or Scientist, Freaking intelligent and good work of mirroring.
Excellent work in putting the slice of heart in his hand and the head in a Glass jar, Wonderful creation "Hidden" good job done here
Nice Message orientation. Love is forever. Excellent concept selection and very well executed. gr88888888
congrats PSM, no one knows the real meaning of Love like Dr: Lecter
Wonderful work, PSM. Congrats on the bronze.
Funny Hannibal Lecter TV Show
The Munsters Ready to Return to Television NBC is officially moving forward on a reboot of The Munsters. Deadline reports the network has ordered up a pilot from Bryan Fuller, the man behind NBC's other horror-themed show Hannibal based on Hannibal Lecter. Fuller has been developing the show for quite a while, envisioning a series of one-hour episodes. NBC is now considering the show for a summer debut. Let the casting speculation begin here... Who should play Herman, Grandpa, Lily, Marilyn and Eddie. Hey, Herman. What do you think of this news. Herman.
Member reactions:
Personally I don't see what this chop has to do with the Munsters.
Funny Hannibal Lecter with Head in Cell Phone
Funny Little Girl Looking at Hannibal Lecter
Hello Clarice
Member reactions:
The reflection is off it seems to be of her back side.
Thanks, I kept thinking the shadow was wrong, late at night here, brain not working.....
great stuff, yeah leave it to eagle eye DDB to notice a flaw, but still a great chop.
Funny Hannibal Lecter Easy Bake Toy Microwave
This easy bake oven didn't go over too well with parents.
Funny Hannibal on a Bench
For more funny photoshop pix visit
Freaking News front page


text:
Former Arab Strap musician Malcolm Middleton – currently receiving strong reviews for his album as Human Don't Be Angry – has been confirmed for the music festival in Kilsyth this August.
Middletonwill be bringing his band to perform his recently released Human Don't Be Angry project at the festival. Also joining the bill are Chemikal Underground's recent signing Miaoux Miaoux, Plantet Mu's Rudi Zgadlo and the award-winning Clout Theatre Company.
Weekend camping tickets are available now priced £78 – though raise to £88 on June 1 – and are available from here. Yurts and a "posh camping" area have also been announced.
Doune The Rabbit Hole Festival, which takes place at Duncarron Fort, near Kilsyth, on the weekend of August 24 to 26, is headlined by The Phantom Band, King Creosote and Hidden Orchestra.
Other bands on the bill include Pram, Kid Canaveral, Aidan Moffat & Bill Wells, Sparrow & The Workshop, Three Blind Wolves, Bwani Junction, Holy Mountain, The Imagineers, Withered Hand and JD Twitch (Optimo).
This year the festival moves to a new home at Duncarron Fort. Situated in woods in the Carron Valley, near Kilsyth, the site is a recreation of an early medieval motte and bailey fort, a clan chief's residence built as a living history attraction by the Clanranald Trust.


text:
Lloyd mats - Mercedes Benz
Reviewed By Harold S (LEHI, UT) Reviewed for a 1982 Mercedes-Benz 300 —2/25/2015 7:34 AM
Great mats. Have used them on my Audis for years. A set of these will last the life of the car. Very high quality
Reviewed By Peter R (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) Reviewed for a 2012 Mercedes-Benz R-Class —12/20/2014 6:41 AM
The light tan OEM Mercedes R Class mats were stained by the previous owner. I wanted something that was close to the OEM without paying the price. These fit the bill. They are very close to the OEM fit and color. Good value for the price


text:
Small businesses in the United States have a complicated task understanding what incentives the latest tax code provides when adding equipment, software, and vehicles - including the impact of financing or leasing equipment and software, what is deemed qualifying property, limits on vehicles, and the overall procedure for electing the Section 179 deduction and bonus depreciation.
Section179.Org is a free resource for small businesses providing the latest news and information on a range of tax deduction topics and other helpful information. We even explain how Section 179 was impacted by the 'Economic Stimulus Act of 2008', the 'American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009', the 'Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act of 2010', the 'Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010', as well as the 'Tax Relief Act of 2010'.
With the goal of delivering a straightforward, reliable education on tax saving potential, without unnecessary legal and tax jargon, Section179.Org helps small businesses succeed in this objective with easy to understand relevant content, support, and learning opportunity to be in better position to make an informed decision.


text:
The power of BlackBerry
on your computer and tablet
No wires, no saving to a cloud, no transferring between devices. It's just there.
"The BlackBerry solution helps us deliver patient-centric care and create a team that's connected and collaborating."Dr. Andrew Watson VP, UPMC International and Commercial Services, and Medical Director for the Center for Connected Medicine
In today's large and fragmented health care environments, clinical teams need to communicate better with each other to make quick, effective decisions that benefit patient care. Many times the lack of integrated information and fractured communications means delays, partial facts and a reliance on paper records, resulting in higher costs.
Pager systems don't give physicians enough information to know whether to answer a page later or drop everything and run to the bedside. Even though electronic health records are available today, these records are often stored in multiple databases that aren't always unified or easily accessible.
Clinical teams often waste time leaving messages and duplicating each other's efforts, while patients can experience long waits and multiple caregivers.
UPMC deployed BlackBerry® smartphones across key clinical roles at UPMC Mercy, one of UPMC's hospitals in the heart of Pittsburgh, PA. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and transporters are using the devices in ways that can have a meaningful impact on health care delivery.


text: Community17 Countries 0 Friends 3 Reviews & Articles 0 Firsts Last Login: Member Since: Feb 22, 2010 Andrew W.Travel ScorecardCountries See cities Andrew has been to 57 cities and 17 countries and counting... Worldly: is a scout Danger: likes a little risk Roughing it: is happy with a roof and running water Shrewdness: can dodge thieves and survive touts Off the beaten track: occasionally strays off track Depth of Knowledge: knows a lot & has written a bunch Overall TravelCred score: 670 Updates on Andrew's World! Andrew's Friends! Andrew currently has no friends, but you know what? You can be the FIRST one! |