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Another Soaring Investment – U.K. Farmland
As U.K. property prices continue to climb, investors' interest has also been piqued by another sector–farmland.
According to research from property firm Knight Frank the average price of U.K. farmland rose 11% in 2013 to hit a record high of £6,882 ($11,241) per acre. Over the past ten years its value has more than tripled, increasing by 210%. That's comparable with the 212% rise in the price of gold, although it must be remembered that gold prices fell 14% in 2013.
But that's not the whole story. Some deals have been done privately and land has been sold for well above this average price.
"Serious investors are increasingly prepared to do off-market deals to secure the right investments," said Tom Raynham, Head of Knight Frank's new Agricultural Investment Acquisitions department, adding that over £10,000 has been paid per acre in a number of deals not recorded in its official index.
Thinking of investing? By region, arable farmland is most expensive in East Anglia and the Welsh borders, going for up to £11,000 per acre in both regions. The Cotswolds, preserve of the weekending glitterati from London, is close behind with arable land fetching up to £10,500 per acre, while south east England and the Midlands are attracting prices up to £10,000.
Relative bargains, at £8,000 per acre, can be found in south west England and Wales, according to Knight Frank's index.
So what's the likelihood of these gains continuing?
If the U.K. government was to turn its attention to the tax laws on farmland and removed some breaks and subsidies then its attractiveness could diminish, noted Knight Frank.
That said, "there doesn't seem any intention by the government to change tax treatment towards farmland," said Andrew Shirley, Head of Rural Research in an interview with the WSJ, adding "tax is only one of the reasons that people like to invest in farmland so it wouldn't completely reduce the appeal of owning farmland as an investment."
Thus, with little sign of government intervention in the pipeline–largely due to the impact it would have on the tenanted farm market which is something the Government is keen to support–Knight Frank expects average farmland prices to rise around 6% in 2014.
"I think we will see further price growth for larger blocks of arable land, especially those of interest to investors," said James Prewett, Head of Regional Farm Sales at Knight Frank.


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MFA Exhibition 2013
The Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, was on view from April 4-15, 2013 in The Gallery at Higgins Hall on the WCSU Midtown campus, 181 White Street in Danbury.The Thesis Exhibition demonstrates the culmination of two years of work and represents the students' highest personal and academic achievements. The graduates, consisting of four painters and one illustrator, will present a distinct range of work from the figurative to the fictitious.
Thesis Exhibition
April 4 - 15
Pam Boily, of Sandy Hook, was raised in New Orleans and bases her work on the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina. Within the chaos of the debris and cleanup efforts, she senses the resiliency of the human spirit.
Antonio Carvalho, Painting
Antonio Carvalho, of Danbury, is from Portugal and his realistic paintings come from both careful observation and from his imagination. He said his "invented paintings" are "a summary and distillation of all [his] inner tension."
Xenia Hodza, Painting
Xenia Hodza, born in New York City and now residing in southwestern, Connecticut, uses large, collage-like canvases that reference historical art. She said, "My work is an attempt to discover what the paintings themselves have known all along. No matter from which trailhead I begin, the marks lead me to that cairn at which I find another painting beckons."
Karin Mansberg, of Danbury, is a student of illustration, born and raised in Estonia. Her work is a complex collage of mixed media and source materials, control and experimentation. She said her work is about people's experiences of the world and she uses language-based symbols to interpret her subject matter.
Sherri Schwartz, of Hartford, said, "My portraits are natural, yet stylized. They are reductive, almost minimal. My choice of editing is just as important as painting what is important." Her portraits are penetrating and very personal, edited down to the essentials of both form and color, remaining revealing.
Photo Gallery
Click the image above to view pictures from the opening reception

subset: commoncrawl


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These Adjustable Safety Glasses provide comfortable protection all day long. Features adjustable temples and gel nose piece for such a great fit you'll leave the lab and wear them on the slopes.
Strong, lightweight polycarbonate lenses with 11-degree base curve. Duramass scratch-resistant coating.
Filters 99.9% of UV radiation so they're great for indoor or outdoor work or play. Meets ANSI Z87.1+ Standards. Ships pack of 6.


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With the Detroit Lions last year, defensive end Turk McBride had his best NFL season recording 5 sacks and forcing 3 fumbles. The Saints hope he can at least replicate those figures in New Orleans.
A year removed from a season in which the Saints defensive line failed to generate consistent pressure, the buzzword at training camp is, "disruptive." Coach Sean Payton used the adjective more than once Monday when talking about McBride, 26, a 5-year veteran from Tennessee who signed with the Saints Sunday.
McBride looked the part Monday as he watched New Orleans practice on the fourth day of its training camp. He will be able to take the field Aug. 4.
"I'm very excited about it," McBride said. "This is defintely a prestigious organization, a great team, great leadership and great coachoes. I was excited just to have the opportunity to come down here.
"I believe I can bring a little disruption to the defense and that's what they want me to do down here," he said. "Every great defensive lineman is definitely dirsuptive."
"Physically, I feel fine - I feel powerful, I feel quick, I feel pretty fast," he said. "Right now I'm just trying to get the mental game. I can see how they won a lot of ballgames from the style they play down here. They told me I fit their kind of defense and I feel I fit their defense."


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"There is absolutely no truth or merit to the recent media reports that the Kitchener Rangers have offered Jacob any remuneration," said the statement in part.The Kitchener Rangers are community-owned team that has an external accounting firm audit their financial statements each year. Those statements are distributed to their season ticket holders at their annual general meeting. "The reality is there's nowhere to hide the kind of money people are accusing us of paying," said Bienkowski, who is a chartered accountant, last week.
Gilliland said he sent The Michigan Daily a libel notice on behalf of the Rangers on July 3, a day after the story was first published, asking for the story to be removed and a retraction to be published. When that didn't happen, the Rangers pushed forward with their lawsuit.
Also at issue for the Rangers is the fact that the report of payment was based on an anonymous source, someone allegedly within the OHL.
"When you're dealing with sources one thing you have to be very careful about is relying on a source that has a bone to pick," said Gilliland. "The Kitchener Rangers are very concerned - they don't know who the source is - they're concerned that... this was a source that was deliberately trying to cause harm to the Kitchener Rangers. Again, we don't know if that's the case, but that's a very real concern."This isn't the first time allegations of this nature have been leveled at the Rangers or the OHL. In March of 2009, both the Rangers and Windsor Spitfires threatened to sue Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson when he alleged that Kitchener had offered to pay $500,000 to the family of defenceman Cam Fowler to play in the OHL. Fowler later went on to play for the Spitfires and his father, Perry Fowler, denied the report that Kitchener had made such an offer. Last summer it was Paul Kelly, the then-head of College Hockey Inc., an arm of NCAA hockey, who threw out a figure of $300,000 during an interview in the Boston Globe as a sum allegedly shelled out to players in order to play in the CHL. None of the claims against CHL teams paying players "under the table" have ever been proven. CHL president and OHL commissioner Dave Branch said he has been in touch with the Rangers since the Daily story was published and said these kinds of allegations damage the reputation of his league. "It's disturbing," said Branch in a phone interview. "We hope that we can take the necessary steps moving forward that will preclude such proclamations that have no substance, no basis."In 2010, the OHL hired retired OPP officer Ken Miller as the league's enforcement officer to investigate claims made against teams breaking the rules. According to Branch, Miller has not been involved in this case to date. "This just came to our attention last week," said Branch. "We have not taken any steps, at this point, to engage our enforcement program into the process."Sunaya Sapurji is the Junior Hockey Editor at Yahoo! Sports.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com | Twitter @Sunayas


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Project Design Team Wednesday~ Chevron Tote Bag Tutorial
Posted by administrator on Wednesday, April 25th, 2012
Hi! I'm Maureen from Maureen Cracknell Handmade and I am SO excited to be a part of the Riley Blake Design Team!! Today I'm sharing a tutorial for a Quilted Chevron Tote bag using very simple instructions and Riley Blake's new Chevron fabric collection. This step by step tutorial is for making a casual and useful tote bag, however you can take this method of tote bag making and go crazy with your own ideas, just by adding a few steps. You can see a great example of that at the end of this post. If you have any questions feel free to email me at firstname.lastname@example.com. Now let's get started!! What you'll need : :
- 2 - pieces of chevron fabric measuring 16" x 18" for the outer bag sides
- 2 - pieces of chevron fabric measuring 16" x 18" for the inner bag lining
- 2 - pieces of solid fabric measuring 4" x 18" for the bottom of the outer bag sides
- 2 - pieces of solid fabric measuring 4" x 18" for the bottom of the inner bag lining
- 2 - pieces of solid fabric measuring 9" x 36" for the bag handles
- 1 - piece of batting measuring at least 20" x 22"
- coordinating thread
- Sewing pins and basting pins
- Sharp scissors and/or a rotary cutter/mat set
Sewing and quilting the outer tote bag piece : : 1. With right sides facing, place the solid fabric on the chevron print 2. Pin in place 3. Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew fabrics together 4. Press with iron so seams are facing down 5. Lay the pieced bag front on to the piece of batting 6. Get the basting pins ready
7. Pin together fabric and batting, carefully so the pins are in the colored chevron stripe, leaving room for quilting on the white 8. With a straight, even stitch, sew in the center of the white chevron stripe to create your quilting 9. Use a straight edge and rotary cutter to trim away excess batting
The first finished quilted chevron tote bag piece should look like this. Repeat the steps above to create the second side of the tote bag.
10. Place both pieces of the quilted chevron tote bag right sides together 11. Pin in place 12. Using a 1/2" seam allowance, sew around the three outside edges of the tote bag pieces, leaving the top side open 13. Zig zag stitch again around the outside edges of those three sides
14. To form the tote bag sides and bottom, square off the corners of the pieced tote bag front. First, form a triangle at the corner edge 15. Mark a sewing line 3.5" from the corner point 16. Sew on that line, first with your straight stitch and then with a zig zag stitch 17. Trim away the corner just to the outer edge of that seam
The finished outer quilted tote bag piece should look like this, after corners are squared off. Turn right side out.
Sewing together the lining : : 18. Sew together the Chevron lining fabric and solid lining fabric pieces 19. Sew the sides and bottom of the lining fabric pieces together first using a straight seam and then a zig zag stitch, (just as we did for the outer tote bag pieces) 20. Repeat steps to square off corners, to create the lining sides and bottom
21. Place the outer quilted tote bag piece inside of the lining piece 22. Match up the tote bag opening edges
Sewing the tote bag straps : : 23. Fold in one edge of the strap piece of fabric a 1/2", press with iron 24. Fold 1/2" again, press 25. Turn strap piece and fold in 2.5", press 26. Fold again matching up the edges, press well, and pin in place 27. Sew along both edges of the strap, removing pins as you go
The finished tote bag straps should like these.
Sewing in the straps and finishing : : 28. Mark for the straps, 3.5" in from each side 29. Place the straps in between the outer tote bag piece and the lining piece at each mark 30. Pin in place 31. Mark a line a few inches long for an opening to leave to turn out the bag 32. Sew around the edge, attaching the straps, leaving an opening for turning the tote bag out
33. Turn out the tote bag 34. Turn in the edges of the opening and pin closed 35. Sew opening closed and continue around the entire outer edge of the tote bag
Voila! Your Simple Quilted Chevron Tote Bag is finished!!
You can see here that I used more of these great Riley Blake Chevron fabrics to create a quilt block for the front of a second Quilted Chevron Tote Bag. I like the soft and easy bag this created, perfect for shopping, the beach, and for washing after much use! You can get very creative using this method of tote bag making. You can swap out the batting for interfacing, to create a sturdier bag, add pockets, appliques, magnetic closures for a fancier version.
Thank you so much for stopping by to see my Design Team Project!!! I'll be back soon with a new one! Be sure to let me know if you give this one a go!!
Thanks so much Maureen!
~We love it~
What a great was to use Chevron!
Please visit
... Rumor has it she's going to have a giveaway!
~See you next week~
Category: Project Design Team Wednesday
Absolutely DARLING {as usual}!by Simple Simon & Company
April 25th, 2012 at 9:09 a.m.
Love it!!by Cindy
April 25th, 2012 at 11:10 a.m.
Ahhhhhhdorable!by duff
April 25th, 2012 at 11:40 a.m.
As always, I love your tutorials, Maureen!by patricia
April 25th, 2012 at 12:01 p.m.
I love it too..by shirley
April 25th, 2012 at 1:22 p.m.
Love the bag! It's so eye catching, perfect for hitting the beach in summer =Dby Cheraldine
April 25th, 2012 at 3:52 p.m.
Very lovely. Great bag to carry around this Summer.by Joyce Carter
April 25th, 2012 at 4:34 p.m.
The chevrons really give this bag pizzaz without a huge amount of stitching. Thanks for the tutorial Maureen!by MarciaW
April 26th, 2012 at 9:54 a.m.
Another beautiful project and tutorial by Maureen! You really do that chevron fabric justice!by Lizzie
May 02nd, 2012 at 12:37 a.m.
Wouldn't you need 2 pieces of batting? One for each exterior side of the bag? I am kind of confused by that. Thanks!by Kim Daniels
May 22nd, 2013 at 6:47 p.m.


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Alan Harding Is in the Doghouse
Kids before food trucks.
Last week, the celebrity-chef troublemaker was Lidia Bastianich. This week, it's chef Alan Harding, the Brooklyn personality, who was perched at the Hot Bird truck for a while and also had his own TV show, Cookin' in Brooklyn, and who, allegedly, can serve up just about anything but child support. His enraged ex-wife, Leslie Parks, daughter of famed photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks, says there's been some shady action involving a real-estate deal, a dodgy lawyer, and a greedy brother. In other words, The Real Housewives emulsified with Top Chef. [NYP]


text: Commision! Remember that Rayas thing? Yep. This is the thing the winner wanted me to draw. *shrug* It didnt turn out quiet how i wanted it too... especially Rayas's pose. THE STORYLINE THING: The hooded creeper is the villian to the whole thing, but is the beta-villian i guess you could say. The mask... Yeah. Thats the skin from his/her enemy, SEWN onto his/her face. The girl is the puppet. She's a successful puppet that escaped or something, i havnt figured it out... And Rayas is helping her around in the world. If ya wanna know the villian's side (which inspired all of this, and was just a quick example of writing to vent out some emotions.... go here:http://pencil-wolf.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2tjzln


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FAQsClick the arrow for more information
General Billing Information
Q. What charges are due at the beginning of the semester?
A. All tuition, fees, room, meal plan and miscellaneous charges on your account must be paid in full by noon on the due date shown on your initial billing statement unless you have made payment arrangements with required payment. (See Payment Plan Option.)
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A. Credit card (MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and VISA), debit card, and electronic check payments may be made on-line through myGate.
** Please note: credit card payments are subject to a 2.75% service charge.
Click here for more information on payment methods.
Q. Do I have to make payment arrangements every semester?
A. Yes, and this is done through your myGate account.
Students may choose to enroll in a payment plan each semester by going to the payment
website by following the MY ACCOUNT link under the MONEY tab on their myGate. The
option to enroll in a new payment plan is available by clicking the Payment Plans
For more information on the Murray State University Payment Plan - click here!
Q. If I decide not to return to the university can I assume that the Bursar will cancel
my classes and remove related charges from my account?
A. No. To assure that your registration has been canceled, you will complete the withdrawal form located under the Academics tab on your MyGate account.
Q. When and where will billing statements be sent?
A. Initial semester billing statement notification will be sent to your Murray State E-mail, and available on your myGate account mid April for the summer semester, mid July for the fall semester and mid November for the spring semester to students who have prescheduled. Students scheduling classes during late registration will not be sent a bill. After classes begin, statements will be mailed on a monthly basis (approximately the 20th of each month) to all enrolled students who have an outstanding account balance.
If you have trouble reading/understanding your billing statement, please view our example bill or contact our office with questions.
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other about my account?
A. In order for the University to share information about a student's courses, bills, payments and financial aid (as well as other University information) the student must submit the FERPA Information Release Consent Form. The form is submitted through the student's MyGate account under the Academics tab.
When authorized callers contact Murray State - they will be required to identify themselves and answer the security question specified on the form.
Murray State University Payment Plan (MSUPP)
Murray State University Payment Plan (MSUPP)
Q. When will the payment plan be available for the next term?
A. Payment plans for the upcoming term will not be available until the billing notices are sent to the students' Murray State University email account.
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A. The MSUPP contract is calculated on a semester basis. The total allowable charges (tuition, housing, meal plan, and fees) less financial aid/scholarships/third party authorizations for a semester result in the MSUPP contract amount. At the beginning of each fall and spring semester this contract amount is then divided into four payments. Payments are due in August, September, October and November for the fall semester and December, February, March and April for the spring semester. (Accounts with a balance of $200 or less will be due in full.)
The contract amount is calculated each semester. Changes in your financial aid, tuition course fee(s), housing, or meal plan will be reflected in the monthly amount due.
Q. Direct Lending Loan and PLUS Loan amounts are estimates. The actual dollar amount
will vary due to origination and bank fees. How will this affect my MSUPP contract
amount for the semester?
A. Participants in the MSUPP will have their contract amounts adjusted to reflect the origination and bank fees (see example above). Monthly payments will be adjusted after the actual loan is credited to the student account.
Financial Aid
Q. I am a new undergraduate student this semester receiving a Direct Lending Loan.
Will there be a delay in receiving these funds?
A. The federal government requires a delay for the first disbursement of Direct Lending Loans for 30 days from the first day of class for first time, first year undergraduate borrowers. You may contact the Financial Aid Office by telephone (270) 809-2546, by mail to Student Financial Aid Office, Murray State University, 500 Sparks Hall, Murray, KY 42071-3312, or e-mail to email@example.com, if you have questions concerning your loan disbursement.
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A. Financial aid award notifications are sent from the Student Financial Aid Office. You may contact the Student Financial Aid Office at (270) 809-2546 concerning the status of your award.
Q. How will I receive my financial aid?
A. All PELL Grants, Direct Lending Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, State CAP Grants, SEOG Grants, Nursing Loans and Perkins Loans will be applied directly to your account provided you have met all requirements for receiving your aid. If you have not prescheduled classes or signed the required loan paperwork, financial aid awards will not be credited to your account.
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A. All financial aid residual balances and refund balances will be mailed or directly deposited into the students bank account. This can be found on the Money tab on the students myGate account. If the total amount of financial aid applied to your account exceeds the amount of tuition/fee/housing/meal plan charges you owe, a residual refund will be processed accordingly to how the student has their myGate account set.
Refunds will be mailed to the students REFUND address that is set up with the university. If there is no REFUND address available, checks will be mailed (secondly) to the permanent address & then finally the mailing address on file. Students may change their REFUND address through the self-service link on their myGate account.
For more information on student refunds - click here!
Tuition and Fees
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A. Students taking WEB/KYVU courses will pay the hourly tuition rate, as listed in the fee schedule, times the number of WEB/KYVU hours scheduled. (WEB/KYVU course tuition and fees are separate and in addition to REGULAR tuition and fees.)
Full-time students (undergraduates and graduates taking at least 12 hours, excluding WEB/KYVU courses, per semester) will pay the full-time rate listed in the schedule of fees.
Part-time students (undergraduates and graduates taking fewer than 12 hours, excluding WEB/KYVU courses, per semester) will pay the part-time rate, as listed in the schedule of fees, times the number of hours scheduled.
Q. What counties in Tennessee qualify for instate tuition rates?
A. Students admitted Fall 2004 and thereafter from Montgomery County will be charged out-of-state tuition and given a tuition discount to adjust their tuition charge to the instate rates.
Q. What Counties in Illinois and Indiana qualify for a tuition discount?
A. Students admitted for Fall 2004, and thereafter, from Massac county in Illinois; Montgomery county in Tennessee; or Posey, Vanderburgh or Warrick counties in Indiana will be assessed out-of-state tuition. A tuition discount will be credited for the difference between Murray State University's out-of-state tuition and instate tuition.
Housing and Meal Plans
Q. I am classified as a freshman or sophomore. Am I required to live in university
housing and purchase a meal plan?
A. Freshman and sophomore students must reside in university housing during the fall and spring semesters. Anyone with fewer than 30 semester hours earned is classified as a freshman, and anyone with 30 or more hours but fewer than 60 semester hours earned is classified as a sophomore. (See the Schedule of Fees for housing requirements.)
Freshman and sophomore students living in the residence halls must purchase a meal plan. Freshman students must purchase the "Unlimited Access" plan. This provides the students with unlimited access to Winslow Dining Hall for the entire semester. Students may enter as many times as they wish for meals, snacks, and beverages. The plan also includes eight (8) Winslow guest meals to spend on family and friends and $75 flex dollars to spend at other campus venues. This plan is available to all students, but required for freshmen. Sophomore students may purchase any of the Residential Plans. Junior and senior students may choose from any of the Residential or Commuter Plans. There are 19 meals per week served on campus starting Monday breakfast through Sunday dinner. Students who select a specific number of meals per semester will have their choice of 0-19 meals per week (based on the meal plan selected) until their maximum number of meals purchased is consumed. Students who select the Block Plan will have a combination of meals and flex dollars, which can be used like cash at Winslow.
Q. How may I obtain exemptions from the housing and meal plan requirements?
A. Exemption from housing requirements must be obtained in writing prior to the first of classes from the Housing Office, P. O. Box 9, Murray, KY 42071-0009. Exemption from meal plan requirements should be obtained in writing prior to the first of classes from the Racer Card Office, Murray State University, 101 Curris Center, Murray, KY 42071-3356; however, meal plan exemption may be obtained through the first four weeks of classes. Exemptions are normally granted by virtue of age (over 21), military service, marital status or commuter status.
Q. My bill indicates I have requested a different meal plan than I would actually
like to have. How do I change my meal plan?
A. Written notification including student name, social security number and meal plan requested should be sent to the Racer Card Office, Murray State University, 101 Curris Center, Murray, KY 42071-3356. (Freshmen and sophomores are required to have a meal plan if they live on campus.)
Q. How will I receive a refund from my scholarship, financial aid, overpayment's,
or stipends?
A. All residual balances and refund balances can be mailed or directly deposited into the students bank account. Check your eBills on a regular basis and view more information about refunds here.
Q. Why has my refund not been processed?
A. Refunds are held for many different reason and for different lengths of time:
- Any dropped classes to a schedule will hold the refund for 10 days
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another semester or source, will I receive a refund?
A. No, students will not be granted refunds if an outstanding debt still owed to the university.
1098-T and other tax information
Q. Where can I find information on my 1098-T or other tax information?
A. Tax information is available on the 1098-T page.
For more questions about how to find/view/read/pay your e-bill, how to set up an authorized user, and how to make a payment - please refer to this My Gate Billing Guide!
If you're still having problems or need additional help - contact us!


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This is a compilation of seasonal recipes and fun food facts written and created by Katharina Knoll. Her nourishing recipes and reports have been featured on renowned Dr. Perricone's site, The Daily Perricone as part of an exclusive series during the summer. These delicious, anti-inflammatory recipes will help you on the path to a healthier and more radiant you!
All recipes are:
-Low sugar
-Low salt
-Made with Love
Inspired by culture, Katharina can't help but wonder about the origins of things. Curious about foods and traditions from around the world get her to find, cook, and research all about them. Intended to share her finds with you, this site is a passport to anywhere–even back in time. "I am very conscious about the relationship that exists between food, the environment, and the body (even the mind!). Also, - Author of the blog Katharina's Food Adventures - Culture & Lifestyle Editor for JNSQ magazine - Food blogger at the Daily Perricone from Dr. Nicholas Perricone
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Cardiff University has been welcoming students from Botswana to the University for many years. The International Office visits Botswana each year to conduct interviews with applicants at all levels.Healthcare professionals from Botswana are enrolled on many of the University's acclaimed School of Medicine distance learning courses.
If you have graduated from High School in Botswana or have completed your first year at the University of Botswana (UoB), you may be required to complete a one year International Foundation Programme before entering Cardiff University's undergraduate programmes.
Please contact us if you would like more information about entry requirements.
Academic requirements may vary between Cardiff's different Schools, however, in general we would be looking for a strong performance, as evidenced by transcripts, in your UoB exams and coursework. A minimum percentage will apply for most subject areas, usually a combination of A and B grades in your UoB first year exams / projects.
The University welcomes applicants from Botswana. You are advised to contact us with information about qualifications to discuss your eligibility for a programme.
If you have studied at the University of Botswana (i.e. through the medium of English), it is unlikely that you will be asked to sit an IELTS exam, though this does vary between academic subjects. When applying, please provide a reference from your tutor to note that you studied through the medium of English, and completed all your exams in this way, to comment upon your proficiency.
If you are working, then please provide a reference from your current employer, commenting on your use of English language.
If you are unsure of your qualifications or entry requirements please contact the International Office.
We visit Botswana at least once each year, for further information regarding our visits please contact us at email@example.com .
STBK Business Services Ltd (pty)
Tshipidi House, 2nd Floor, Suite 9BThe Main Mall, GaboroneBotswana
Mobile: +267 71310365Tel: +267 3911805Email contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
Lady Kgaswane
Course Title: BSc (Hons) Occupational TherapyCountry: Botswana
Year of Graduation: 2010Current Employer: Princess Marina Referral Hospital
Intangible gifts like independence, freedom of mobility and a happy childhood are what drives and motivates Lady in her work as an occupational therapist (OT). She says that her ability to negotiate with management in her current hospital stems from her presentation and discussion skills gained at Cardiff University.
It teaches you to go out and look for the information when you don't know something. Previously, I would panic when I didn't know something and now I know to exhaust all my sources. If a professional mentions a term/condition I don't know, I need to find out and ask questions. It's a problem solving initiative that you need to have within you.
I remember when I came back to Botswana and didn't know how to make a splint. A very good colleague of mine taught me how to do that and the following day I was there doing my first splint even though I never did it before in Cardiff. Because there is a desire to learn and know more, I never want to be part of the problem.
I am an occupational therapist at one of the biggest hospitals in Botswana. I treat children and adults from all sorts of backgrounds. I work in a range of medical departments: orthopaedics, neurology, paediatrics, surgery, oncology and intensive care. I work in an inpatient clinic and outpatient clinic within a team of 3 other therapists. Each of us would see over 15 patients per day.
Working with kids is very fulfilling because what I achieve is something that will prevent disability in the long run. I have allowed them to become a kid again and do things that kids do. This enables them to become independent not only as a child, but as a teenager and further as an adult. Parents play a huge role. If the parents understand the meaning and purpose behind our work, then you find that they will be more committed to therapy.
In Cardiff I did group work which meant I had to talk in front of everyone! I was shy at first but towards the end of the first year I was going out there, sharing my knowledge, answering questions, getting into debates and investigating more about the topic at hand. This is why, in my work now, I am able to speak to management about changes that need to be made. I am always thinking about to do and how we can improve.
I also won an award for helping to develop the integrated management patients system; an online system where all the patient records are stored. All the other hospitals have had their systems go live and I had a big part in making that happen. I am teaching other departments as well. It's been really great because I used the system in the NHS and I know the benefits. There is a lot of technology that is evolving and Botswana needs to keep up with the world.
I would like to do this to become a specialist OT. I would love to come back to Cardiff to do my master's or PhD in order to would build upon the foundation laid at undergraduate level. When I first arrived I was miserable and was always complaining. But I came out of my shell and by the time I had to graduate, I didn't want to leave!
I find Cardiff to be a very multicultural and multinational place. The city is vibrant and eventful with the rugby, cricket and football. The cost of living for a student is low and there are ample part-time work opportunities within the University. The Cardiff University's Students' Union has all student needs covered under one roof. The University is within walking distance of great learning opportunities and impressive libraries. There is a bustling African community and the African Caribbean Society is a home away from home.
When I first arrived I was miserable and was always complaining. But I came out of my shell and by the time I had to graduate, I didn't want to leave!
Have fun, enjoy the food, enjoy the environment and enjoy what Cardiff city has to offer. Allow yourself to be surprised.
Yang Su Yin, BSc Psychology
The cost of living is just right for your pocket; you can have an enjoyable time both socially and academically.
Kajal Shah, MPharm Pharmacy
Hello. I'm Ellen Parkes and I am Country Manager for Botswana.
My role involves guiding and assisting students applying to Cardiff. As well as meeting with prospective students, I also work closely with Embassies and other partner organisations of the University.If you have any questions about studying or living in Cardiff, or would like advice and guidance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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Download or request our prospectus for International students.
Cardiff University is a member of the Russell Group of Universities
Cardiff University is a registered charity No. 1136855
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Mason is the Flyers starter.
Mason allowed three goals on 25 shots in the Flyers season opener. Ray Emery did not fair much better last evening so Mason will go tonight. He will face the 0-1 Carolina Hurriances
The Canucks will turn to Eddie Lack in goal. Lack, the 25-year-old netminder from Sweden, will make his NHL debut.
Lack was 7-4-1 with a 3.00 GAA and .899 SV% for the Chicago Wolves (AHL) last season. He is unlikely to see a lot of starts behind Roberto Luongo. He could make a solid spot start vs. the Flames for people who have nothing to lose in the goalie categories.
Khudobin will start for the Hurricanes.
Khudobin will make his Hurricanes debut tonight vs the Flyers. He lost his only start vs. Philly last season with a 4.61 GAA and .813 SV%.
Pavelec starts for the Jets.
Pavelec improved to 2-0 with a 33 save win over the LA Kings. He allowed three goals on the night, but he was given five goals of support on a night where Jonathan Quick looked off. Teemu Selanne and the Ducks are in town, who are coming off of a 4-3 win vs. Minnesota last night.
DailyFaceoff.com NHL starting goalies are updated daily to help you know who to start and who to sit. All sources and the level of confidence are provided.


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Magical Strike Force S
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Chevron 7 locke
@Chevron 7 locke
Join Date
: Jul 2007
: Wisconsin
: 2,404
Current Game
: The Old Republic
((Alright, that was a good first post Ma Ping. But controlling another character is not allowed. I think Shana might allow it though. Not really sure.))
"Believe me, there's not an ounce of hate in that girl."
I highly doubt that. Everyone has an inner darknes. It just takes the right kind of torment to bring it out.
Kai looked out the window at the ground which was getting closer and closer.
Three figures...two of them heading away leaving the third unprotected. Take out the first two.
He nodded at Terranova as he walked over the hatch and pulled it open. "If you'll excuse me Captain, I believe that I have something to take care of."
Kai lept out of the open hatched and activated his own flight magic. At first he was worried that it would have gone dull from lack of use but that didn't seem to be the case.
He landed behind the two figures and watched as they entered some kind of building. It's purpose was unknown to Kai and truth be told, He really didn't care. He had other things on his mind.
"Dark Guardian activate."
The pendant flashed once. "Designation Dark Guardian does not exist. Please use the correct name in future use of this device."
"What is your designation?"
"Device designated as Light Guardian. Due to corruption by a curse, device known as Light guardian lost control of circutry and was forced into dormancy while the curse took control of all functions. All traces of the curse have been removed. Default circuts coming back online."
"Alright...Light Guardian setup."
The device chimed once and then took the shape of his familiar sword and Kai quickly looked on as the two figures finally looked back and noticed him.
That's not good.
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Nabors chief's pay surrender gives investors hope
Eugene Isenberg surrendered a $100 mln severance payout. Cajoling the laggardly oil services firm to moderate its egregious compensation has been a hard, but useful, battle for shareholders. Their eventual victory should give heart to other investors fighting executive excess.
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The Library Blog
Welcome to the Library Blog! My name is Mrs. Elizabeth Fanning and I am Waldorf's School Librarian and Media Specialist. You can also email me at firstname.lastname@example.com. Thank you!
Book Club Week 2
Hello Fellow Book Clubbers!
Today was one of the most amazing book discussion I have ever had. Thank you so much for sharing all of your thoughts with me!
This weeks PRECEPT is:
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
This week we will:
1. read to page 130. (This week it's Via's point of view!!)
2. bring another three questions or thoughts you would like to discuss with the group.
3. write one way you honored our precept this week.
4. think about how your insecurity makes you special (there is definitely a way)!
Until our next meeting... Happy Reading!!!
~Mrs. Fanning~
P.S. A very special thank you to our generous book club gnome who once again fortified us with delicious healthy snacks!
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Brian's exclusive forecast for Washington DC:
This afternoon: Becoming mostly sunny and mild with a high in the mid to upper 50s.
Tonight: Variable cloudiness with a low around 40.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny with a high in the upper 50s to lower 60s.
Tuesday Night: Variable cloudiness with a low around 40.
Tuesday: Sunny early, then more clouds. Mild with a high near 65.
The extended forecast calls for rain showers on Wednesday with a low around 45 and a high near 55. Clouds and sun on Thursday. Much colder with a low around 25 and a high near 35. Mostly sunny on Friday with a low around 25 and a high near 45. Mostly sunny on Saturday and Sunday with a low in the mid 30s and a high in the mid 50s.
An upper-air disturbance has kept the capital region under a mostly cloudy sky today. Temperatures were rather cool through the early-afternoon hours, but now readings are approaching 60 degrees at 3 p.m. as more sunshine breaks through the clouds. Tuesday will be the nicest day of the week with plenty of sunshine and highs in the 60s, perhaps even some low 70s in southern Maryland and Virginia. Meanwhile, a potent late-winter storm system will move from west to east across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys on Wednesday. Although we were monitoring this system for potential winter weather, the low will track too close to Baltimore and Washington. Consequently, we will be in the mild sector and all precipitation will fall in the form of rain. There is a slight chance that the rain ends as some wet snowflakes early Thursday morning as colder air is pulled around the center of low pressure. Significantly colder air will overspread the Middle Atlantic states on Thursday with highs only around freezing. Friday will feature a sunny sky, but readings will be cool with highs in the 40s. Looking ahead, the upcoming weekend will offer mostly sunny conditions along with seasonal temperatures. Lows each day will be in the 30s and highs each day will be in the 50s.
On the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay, no advisories are currently in effect. Winds on Monday will come out of the southwest at 10 knots with waves around one foot. Winds on Monday night will come out of the southwest at 10 knots with waves around one foot. Winds on Tuesday will come out of the west at 10 knots with waves around one foot. Marine information is provided as general guidance. Boaters should always stay tuned to the latest forecasts and advisories from the National Weather Service.
The average high temperature for March 10 is 54 degrees and the average low is 36 degrees. The records at Washington on this date are 78 degrees in 2006, and 14 degrees in 1932. Today's sunrise will occur at 7:26 and the sunset will occur at 7:08. Weather data courtesy of the National Weather Service. For more weather updates, please visit my web site www.chesapeakebayweather.com, my Chesapeake Bay Weather page on Facebook, and if you're heading to Ocean City feel free to check out my Ocean City MD Weather page on Facebook. You can also follow me on Twitter @chesbayweather.


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David White'03 (M.M ) and '01 (B.M) is a trombonist, composer and arranger, a highly versatile musician who is building a strong reputation on the New York jazz scene. In addition to leading his own band, the David White Jazz Orchestra, he has had the honor of sharing the stage with Jon Faddis, Slide Hampton, James Weidman, Frank Lowe, Todd Coolman, Valery Ponomarev, Charli Persip, Delfeayo Marsalis, Junior Mance and Kenny Burrell among others. In a review of one of his recent performances, Jazz Inside NY Magazine praised David's work saying, "'I Have a Bad Feeling About This,' written by trombonist Dave White, was propelled by a snappy bass line and some first class solo work by the composer. White put his big sound, solid technique and solid intonation to good use on all of the material throughout the performance."
Born in Buffalo, NY in 1979, David began his musical studies at the age of 11. By 14, he was already playing professionally and he had the opportunity to perform locally with touring musicians such as Jeff Jarvis, Rufus Reid and Doc Severinsen. While in his hometown, David studied with Richard Meyers of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and jazz trombonist John Hasselback Jr. Around this time, bandleader Macy Favor took David under his wing, making him a member of his big band which appeared weekly at Buffalo's historic Colored Musicians Club. These experiences instilled in David a deep respect for the history and traditions of jazz and stirred within him a strong desire to strive for excellence in hopes that he could someday make a unique contribution to the art form he loved. David continued his training at the Purchase College Conservatory of Music where he studied trombone and composition with Jim Pugh. David earned both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Purchase Conservatory.
The David White Jazz Orchestra is a 17-piece ensemble that plays David's original music and arrangements exclusively. The orchestra began performing in the fall of 2007 and in 2009 David was awarded a grant from the American Music Center to support the creation of new works for it to perform. Recently, the orchestra recorded its first studio album entitled Flashpoint. The members of the orchestra come from diverse backgrounds and each individual adds something unique to the tapestry of the whole. Although they take a deep bow to the traditions passed down by our elders, their music is progressive and this is most decidedly not your grandfather's big band.
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Ok I hope this is not getting to personal with everyone. But I wanted to poll on what age catagory we fit in.
Printable View
Ok I hope this is not getting to personal with everyone. But I wanted to poll on what age catagory we fit in.
Sorry use the 50 and older as 51 and older, my bad
I corrected it for you.
First, Welcome.
Second, since people have voted but have yet to respond, I am 38 going on 5... err... well, my family says that I am anyway.
I've found that most of the folks are either middle aged or of older wisdom that have CCW's. Most of the younger folks either don't know their Rights or have been given false information concerning them.
some states allow CCW below 21 as well. ME, for example, allows this. I got my CCW at 19 there and I still consider myself just a young'un at 29 though I'll be 30 in a couple of weeks :smile:
I have no link but did run an age poll a year or so ago - I expect we'll see a similar pattern altho I suspect we have more younger folks since we have grown so much.
I know I have many compadres in the ''over 60's'' group! :wink:
got mine about 6 months after turning 21. (25 now, although I'm fairly abnormal as I started my family very young and felt a need to defend them)
Many young people are confused or misinformed about their rights and are also sheep.
Since I started carrying I have "rubbed off" on quite a few of my friends who have also started carrying. (this is the reason I don't keep my carrying a secret to some people, but that's another topic, of course they're Marines too)
that the 50 and older folks will dominate...
I'm 21, pretty proud of it too.
39 y.o. now, CCW'er for about a year. Ohio has only had it for 2 years now. I waited for a year to see what the "bugs" in the system were gonna be. Still a lot of "bugs" but it shows of improvement in the hopefully not too distant future. Been around weapons of all kinds since the age of 17 when I enlisted in the Army back in '85.
47 year old Grandpa and PROUD of it.
Old enough to know better but not old enough to quit trying.....
I'm probably one of the younger guys on here at the tender age of 23.
PS- Happy Thanksgiving all!
First got mine when it became law here at the tender age of 58, have aged 3 years since then to....39.
I stopped counting years at my fourth decade, I am now in my 6th. It really feels good to be 6 again. At this age a decade feels the same length as a year used to when I was a child.


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November 10, 2011
An ordinance to permit off-premises or "sandwich" signs as a conditional use will go to the Haines Borough's government affairs and services committee, following weeks of assembly discussion about balancing business with an order...
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Monday, September 28, 2009
Blue Seafoam
21 comments:
- ana said...
The chair is a great detail!!! everything is so lovely... specially the lovely blue and white combination
- September 28, 2009 at 10:24 AM
LOVE this pale, pretty Blue Seafoam color, and I'm impressed at how many turquoise and pale blue shades Benjamin Moore seems to offer.
Ever since starting to read your blog, I've been seriously tempted to paint my condo hallway turquoise, though I'm not sure if it'd go with the baseboard color and floor color that I have there (they're not white). Still, it's very tempting. I have some blues in one wall of my kitchen and some light and dark blues in a Moroccan mosaic table in a breakfast nook (and arched doorways leading to the kitchen and from the hallway to the living area), so it's tempting to work the Moroccan vibe a little bit but without going overboard) ...
But regardless of what I do with my hallway (it's a boring white at the moment), I'll keep reading your wonderful blog and ooh-ing and ah-ing over the gorgeous photos ! :)
- September 28, 2009 at 1:12 PM
- Laura Trevey said...
so fresh and inviting!!
xo Laura
- September 28, 2009 at 2:16 PM
- Chic Coles (Cole Design) said...
What a lovely image. the sea foam wall color is so beautiful with the white painted stairs. Also like how the chair was painted sea foam.
- September 28, 2009 at 2:46 PM
- Sarah said...
- September 28, 2009 at 3:12 PM
- ale said...
hola erin!!!! that place is sooooo pretty!!!that colour!!!!!!!!!!!beautifulll every day l love it more!!!!! un beso enorme!!!
- September 28, 2009 at 3:20 PM
- Joselyn said...
What a welcoming entryway! Love it!
- September 28, 2009 at 3:39 PM
- RLG said...
Great picture, Erin! Have you used any blues worth sharing? It's so hard to pick the perfect shade (that undoubtedly lives in your mind's eye). xoxo
- September 28, 2009 at 3:49 PM
- Viv said...
I wish I knew the Dulux equivalents of Benjamin Moore paint colours. This shade of blue is lovely. Reminds me of the blue shade I used in the armoire of my studio. I'm also a huge fan of the floorboards.
- September 28, 2009 at 4:36 PM
- Zebra Bedding said...
I can feel my blood pressure ease just looking at these turquoise bedrooms. Nice!
- September 28, 2009 at 4:59 PM
- Cristin said...
great color!!!
cristin @ simplified bee
- September 28, 2009 at 7:21 PM
- Roberta said...
There you go again Erin...finding the..prettiest...ever...turquoise..pictures!!! Love this! xo
- September 28, 2009 at 7:34 PM
- 2 By Design said...
Such a gorgeous color with those floors!
- September 28, 2009 at 7:35 PM
- Vitania said...
Oh it's so pretty - perfect for a beach house!
- September 28, 2009 at 9:38 PM
- Morning T said...
It's gorgeous Erin!
- September 28, 2009 at 10:01 PM
- Yazar Çizer said...
Really tempting. I like House of Turquoise!
- September 29, 2009 at 3:24 AM
- Shorely Chic said...
I love that sparkling clean color mixed with the distressed condition of the staircase! I also love seeing exposed wood sometimes, too. It seems like I always want to paint over everything!
The scene reminds me of somewhere you would walk into to get a glass of lemonade after working in the yard, or coming from the beach!
- September 29, 2009 at 8:35 AM
- vintage simple said...
Hmm, I don't know about that... those floors are incredibly beautiful..! But, yes, I agree, the wall color is pretty spectacular too. ;)
- September 29, 2009 at 10:43 AM
- Tee of Dragonfly Cottage said...
Ahhh, I love it!!! Like gentle wind, or the smell of seawater... mmm...m... thanks for this one Erin :)
And thank you so much for commenting so much on my blog. It makes me so happy :)
Hey, you know where to go if you're ever back in Oslo :)
- September 29, 2009 at 12:15 PM
- Down Pillow said...
Great image :) Love the paint color & wood plank floor.
- October 4, 2009 at 5:18 PM
- Clipping Path said...
Stunning and lovely. Love it so much.
- June 23, 2015 at 12:30 AM


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When Pension Reform Goes Bipartisan
Eventually the mathematical results of under-funding ever more generous pension benefits for state and local employees becomes a problem for Democrats too. Illinois legislators are expected to vote this week on pension reform that would pare back pension benefits in three important ways.
- Reducing cost of living increases.
- Increases retirement age.
- Capping the salary amount available for pension calculations.
The [state] agreement also is expected to provide a template for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to follow for his city, which for years has paid far less into its retirement system than needed to keep it solvent. City payments to local pension funds are set to more than double to nearly $1.1 billion starting in 2015. Mr. Emanuel has warned that if changes aren't made, the city will face a combination of property-tax increases and cuts in services, equating the scheduled increase to the cost of having 4,300 police officers on the street.
Labor officials excluded from the talks found out about the eventual Wednesday breakthrough from reporters.
"I think it's going to be difficult," said Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, a member of the pension conference committee and supporter of labor's arguments in pension talks. "I'm uncomfortable they didn't have a seat at the table when they're the people who'll be impacted by this."
This is one of the key issues of our day, because the proper functioning of government is being put at risk by the expense of public employee pensions. I support Kevin Faulconer for mayor of San Diego, primarily because I am convinced he can be trusted to continue the fight to reform pensions that was approved by voters under Proposition B. Alvarez' response on this issue does not "inspire confidence" as a U-T editorial put it. I would prefer to deal with our pension problems before they become a crisis like Illinois' and Chicago's.
What You Should Be Reading
- Victor Davis Hanson provides the most complete compendium of Obama-fail I have seen assembled in one column.
- In the same vain, Charles Krauthammer outlines the utter lawlessness of this administration and its Democratic allies in the Congress. The destruction of the rule of law under Obama is frightening, it troubles me greatly that this doesn't get more attention, we are on the path to dictatorship; our long history has made us believe we are immune, we are not.
- Local blogger KTCat reminds us of the real spirit of Thanksgiving in light of the President's request that we "talk about healthcare" at Thanksgiving dinner. After the ACA fully crashes and burns, what will you do? Great question.
26 Responses to "When Pension Reform Goes Bipartisan"
What Illinois is proposing is Pension (guaranteed benefits) Reform. What San Diego did was Pension Elimination. Most people understand that the former is necessary. Most people have no idea the damage the latter will end up doing in 30-40 years.
HQ, keeping defined benefit pensions for new employees is like operating to remove a deadly malignant tumor but intentionally leaving the cancer in place to grow again in the future.
Just about ALL defined benefit plans end up promising more than they can deliver — at least without "surprise" unfunded liabilities. Your unions work 24/7 to get such pensions reinstated, expanded, earlier retirement, less employee contributions, etc., etc. I think most of us are pretty confident that — given the union control of city hall — the unions would expand pensions if it were not prohibited by a proposition approved by the VOTERS (voters are harder to control than a handful of union-picked politicians). But then, you know all this, don't you?
HQ, is "Pension Elimination" the new labor union bleat? It IS clever, as it sounds like the existing employees lost their pensions. Well done! Such a careful crafting of the term (complete with proper noun capitalization) likely is no casual word selection by you, I suspect.
PENSION ELIMINATION!!! Egad, the horror!!!
And I love the sentence "Most people have no idea the damage the latter will end up doing in 30-40 years." Of course, only government workers and their unions can properly recognize the scope of this calamity.
Imagine, public sector workers dependent on 401k investments and (gasp) having to invest on their own! No guarantees! After all, it's so unfair. So, so, so . . . private sector. Investment uncertainty should be reserved for the the dolts in the free market — not for our "civil servants" ruling class.
It wasn't that long ago that most major private businesses had defined benefit pensions. We haven't yet felt the full effect of their elimination.
Corporate bankruptcies due to pension liabilities are way down.
Real pension reform would similarly reduce municipal bankruptcies. The horror!
What is your definition of pension reform?
I am a socialist/liberal. My definition of pension reform is to emulate the existing private sector (401k+5% match, no medical).
That's fair. "Libtards" can be fiscally realistic. I hope some of you are confused now.
Mike Aguirre touted the Rhode Island Pension Reform as a template. Vested benefits are untouchable. There are many Non-Vested pension benefits including the low 50/55 Retirement Age, DROP, 13th Check, retroactive benefit increases, Retiree Healthcare, etc.
Truth in Numbers. The Security and Sustainability of Rhode Island's Retirement System – 2011.
So far, the City of San Diego has not asked for any actuary reports separating legally Vested Benefits separate from Non-Vested Benefits.
La Playa,
What you are describing is reform based on the fact that you can't print money in the basement of City Hall regardless of what promises may have been made and it all makes sense. It also preserves a guaranteed income in retirement and that also makes sense.
What happened to those who wanted to retire on their 401-K's when the market crashed in 2008?
Hypocrisy, The poss. of a market crash isn't the point. The point is why should the private sector workers pay for public sector benefits that are a quantum leap from what is available to them?
Of course no one should be 100% invested in the stock market, but with the potential of living 30+ years after retirement, you definitely need some of your money invested in the market. Also, bonds can drop drastically as well.
The key question is whether you believe retiring should be a financial gamble.
These benefits were available for the majority of private sector workers not that long ago. I will ask you the same question I asked B-Daddy, Do you believe retiring should be a financial gamble?
I hope your investment strategy works out for you and I mean that sincerely.
Unfortunately, not everyone's investment strategy works out well. The latest statistics I saw said that less than 2% will be able to maintain their current lifestyle in retirement. Having senior citizens need to continue working or return to work in order to survive is a bad scenario for so many reasons.
Hypocrisy, what if your pension was with Vallejo? Detroit? Stockton? or American Airlines?
Illinois just had to come up with $100m dollars of the tax payer's money to fill the holes in their pension. Pensions seem to have so many problems.
You've pointed out in the past that people who wanted to retire in 2009 right after the market crashed were out of luck because the market dropped to around 6,900 from 12,000 in a year.
A couple of points on that:
1. If this person is retiring then they've been investing for 30 years. (approx) And 30 years before the crash, the market was around 830. Going from 830 to 6900 is a huge return on his first dollar invested and steady growth on every dollar after.
2. But, you are right, getting cut in half on the day you retire stinks. No question. However, if you are 60 and retiring, any responsible advice or strategy will have your portfolio balanced to about 60% bonds (income generating investments). Bonds did not thwacked by the market. So only 40% of your portfolio went from 12,000 to 6,900.
3. the 60% of your portfolio that was in bonds would have returned a positive 6% to 8% in 2009, '10, '11, and '12.
4. The equity portion of your portfolio went from 6900 in 2009 up to over 16,000 today. If you re-allocated some of your fixed income holdings into equity while the market was low, you did gangbusters. Even if you did not, you are better off than where you started.
What if a 401(k) type plan was offered with a forced contribution by the employer? Municipalities save a chunk of money by moving from a pension plan to a 401(k) type plan. What if some of that savings is given back to the employee into their 401(k)? It would be similar to the match that businesses give their employees and it could even be heavily protected regarding access and investment.
There is just too much there to cover in a blog post, but I will try:
1. Bonds also dropped precipitously in 2008-09. The average of municipal bond fund indexes was down almost 8% and high yield bonds almost 30%. There was simply no place to be during that time if if you had a crystal ball. Side note: Expect bonds to drop though not as much over the next few years.
2. There are thousands of bonds, bond funds, stocks and stock based mutual funds. Even in the best years, some will lose money and some people will be invested in these losers.
3. As I mentioned before, less than 2% of retirees will be able to sustain their current lifestyle in retirement and this will most likely get worse as more of us retire without the PRIVATE INDUSTRY pensions that many retirees currently have.
4. I don't know of many pension funds that have an average return of less than 8% over any period of time 30 years or longer. On the other hand, I don't know of many 401-K participants, myself included, who can say the same.
One more comment: You are correct that anyone that stayed the course and didn't panic sell after the 2008 market crash has restored their 401-K to at least the level it was prior to the crash. The problem is two-fold:
1. Even with an expected return of only 6%, the expectation would have been that the 401-K would have grown by almost 34%.
2. If someone was retired and living off of their 401-K, they would have had to use a substantial part of their principal to live and therefore would not have received the benefit of the current run-up.
The bottom line for me is that I don't think a senior citizen retiree who has done everything right should have to fear that a market downturn may cost him his future economic freedom. I accept and understand that others do not share my view.
"I don't think a senior citizen retiree who has done everything right should have to fear that a market downturn may cost him his future economic freedom."
He/she doesn't have to. Investment vehicles called annuity contracts can mitigate that risk for him/her. Why not make CalPERS and investment option, among many choices, but take taxpayer subsides away from its mistakes?
My point was more along the lines of neither DBs or DCs are inherently "right" or evil. Either one can be messed up. Either one can be run well. I am sure we can both throw statistics back and forth to back either side.
There does seem to be something about public pensions though. It's almost like you can expect a percentage of them to be mismanaged and screwed up. Mostly by the elected who probably aren't experts in this and were elected to fill potholes.
Are there some steps that can be taken to avoid municipalities from screwing up the pensions of public employees and having to stick it to tax-payers for more money? Other than elect smarter people?
Short of whatever safeguards, I think a lot of tax-payers want the ultimate safeguard which is some form of a DC plan which is putting the responsibility and consequences back on the employee.
My proposal would be to offer a 401(k) style savings plan and guarantee the employees a percentage of their pay given to them annually and invested in a balanced mutual fund that they cannot touch or borrow against. It sits there and grows until they are 59 ½. Then they can touch it like the rest of their funds. Meanwhile the employee can decide to put more of their salary away in this plan and invest it how they like.
The guaranteed amount would be similar to the private sector match or profit sharing contribution and would be less than what is normally set aside for pension reasons. (How much is that? Like, 15%?)
The municipality saves money, the investments are in the hands of the employees, there is still a guaranteed money component, and employees have the ability to save more of their salary.
I think investing money in guaranteed annuities provided by the private sector is a great idea and is probably where we should eventually end up. I do think that, much like the FDIC guarantees bank deposits, there will need to be a government guarantee in the event that the private entity can't pay the annuity. However, even with this, the risk to the taxpayer is greatly reduced from the current status of public pensions.
You do put a lot into one post. Let me address what I think is your most important question because I think it is the reason that the public has turned on pensions:
"Are there some steps that can be taken to avoid municipalities from screwing up the pensions of public employees and having to stick it to tax-payers for more money?"
There are a number of things we can do:
1. Make the giving of any retroactive benefit increase illegal.
2. Make it illegal for the municipality to skip or reduce required payments to the pension plan.
3. Stop basing the benefit on salary and years of service and base it instead on actual dollars contributed to the plan. This is not 100% of the solution, but it would stop many of the games that are played now.
4. If you are going to continue to base the pension benefit on salary, then make it illegal for any municipality to give their employees a pay raise when their pension funding level is less than 80%. This not only makes the funding level self-correcting, it also takes away the political incentive to increase pension benefits or to provide exorbitant wage increases.
On the surface and at first glance, those seem like good steps, Hypocrisy. As is Brian's idea of choices.
What do you think is the hindrance of getting those things done, Hypocrisy?
Politics and lack of trust.
The left doesn't want to be portrayed as "reducing benefits" and they don't believe there is anything wrong with the current system. They point to the current run-up in the stock market and the great returns over the last 2-3 years and they say everything is fine.
The right doesn't want to accept that DB's are viable at all. Much like the way they treat Obamacare, they would much rather eliminate it than fix it. Also, they don't trust that the Unions and their "elected puppets" won't find some way around any laws if they want more benefits. And they always want more.
Both sides have just enough truth in their arguments to at least convince themselves that they are correct. Unfortunately, they are both mostly wrong.
I think the fact that you only took exception to my explanation as to why the right doesn't want to compromise on this issue ignoring my contention as to why the left won't compromise actually proved my point so I thank you for that, but I do actually have two questions for you?
1. What "threat of force" are you referring to?
2. Do you believe in bankruptcy laws?
By the way, the government was "messing around" in the insurance business long before Obamacare.
"The left doesn't want to be portrayed as "reducing benefits"
They don't have to reduce benefits but rather define by contribution
"and they don't believe there is anything wrong with the current system"
and since we'll be offering annuities as a choice, their problem is solved.
"1. What "threat of force" are you referring to?"
extracting money from free citizens at the tip of a gun
"2. Do you believe in bankruptcy laws?"
Of course.
The core problem in all this discussion is that HQ and some others are discussing the ideal model. The unstated assumption is that "we" can establish the ideal defined benefit plan, and that will be that.
But in the REAL world (the world of HQ and other union bosses), no sooner will such a plan be put in place than the push starts to CHANGE the plan to closer match all the other failed, overpromising, underfunding defined benefit pension plans around the nation (indeed, the WORLD).
Would such a union effort succeed? Well, they almost always have in the past. It didn't much matter if it was a Republican or Democrat-controlled government, sooner or later the unions pretty much have their way with us.
So don't buy into HQ's pie-in-the-sky Utopian pension plan — rest assured that HE doesn't. HQ well knows that the goal here is to sound "reasonable" and suggest a "sensible" plan with proper safeguards. THEN the unions can start the subversion process, as they have done countless times. Elect beholden politicians, and bring back "the good old days (and pensions)." Even if, perchance, HQ opposes such a process, few can deny that this subversion process is real, relentless and (usually) successful.
That's why the INITIATIVE change banning such pensions was necessary in San Diego. With this city council, who would doubt for a moment that, given the chance, they'd do the unions' bidding (albeit through a series of incremental steps, as usual).


text:
How Can You
Have a Website
About Nothing?
Andrea Blackwell
From: "Andrea Blackwell"
To: "Positive Atheism"
Date: Wednesday, 18 August 2004
Subject: I have a question for you
How can you have a website about nothing?
[advertising removed]
From: "Positive Atheism"
To: "Andrea Blackwell"
Subject: I have a question for you
Date: August 24, 2004
How can you have a website about nothing?
You might want to ask somebody who has such a thing. They'd probably just love to help you in your quest for an answer to this most unusual question.
We're not saying that the idea itself is farfetched: we've seen some rather nothing web sites out there! All we're saying is that we're quite puzzled, frankly, that you (or anyone) would worry about such things! There is, after all, the "Back" button -- back to Google, or from whence ever you got here! We're particularly concerned that you would think that we, of all people, share your concern!
A reader needn't spend much time at all on our web site before she or he would notice that we are among the more glaring examples of the John Stewart Mill school of "mind-your-own-business" libertarianism (small-"ell" variety). We'd hope that most readers are likewise surprised that somebody thinks this subject even approaches our area of expertise!
Many web sites are like this, however. For example, a large number of web sites try to persuade their readers to believe that there exists this thing called a "God." Never mind that they cannot even describe this Puppy for us, much less demonstrate to us that it exists! But they nonetheless insist that we go along with them regarding this thing's alleged existence!
[He rolls his eyes, then, slouching shoulders and looking toward the ground, shakes his head. He then moves his mouth in way reminiscent of using the teeth to locate a familiar bump or wart on the tongue.]
Hoo, boy! Talk about having a web site about nothing! These people want me to think that nothing is something! Hah!
Had such people been satisfied to mind their own business, I would be putting my time to much more productive use, maybe finding a pill that cures alcoholism or something. But because so many of these people want to thoroughly disrupt the lives of we who just don't see eye-to-eye with the "God"-believers, I have felt compelled to dedicate my life toward finding a way to reduce or eliminate this antiatheistic bigotry that is so widespread in the country where I live.
Bigots of this variety can be very subtle, too, often going so far as to accuse me of doing nothing or "believing in nothing," etc!
At all times, however, they discredit us for wanting to be left alone by the "God"-believers -- as if demanding to be left alone by the likes of me!! Imagine someone becoming one of the several hundred who will write to an atheistic web site with similar sentiments, who has yet to see a web site featuring a letter from me!!
Have a nice life, okay?
Cliff Walker
"Positive Atheism" Magazine
Entering our 10th year of service
to people with no reason to believe


text:
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text:
May 20, 2010
Box Score
Alabama-Tennessee Boxscore
Alabama Season Stats
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Alabama erupted for eight runs in the final two innings and turned from scoreboard watching to piling up huge numbers, with an 11-3 win over Tennessee in the first game of its Southeastern Conference series opener at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Thursday night.
Alabama (32-21, 13-15 SEC) enhanced its SEC Tournament hopes with the win in the series opener. The Tide is one game ahead of Tennessee (12-16) and Kentucky (12-16) with two games to play. Kentucky dropped an 8-6 decision to Georgia in Athens on Thursday night.
The Crimson Tide can punch its ticket to Regions Park in Hoover next week with two more wins over the Volunteers, or one more win in Knoxville and one more UK loss at Georgia.
"We control our own destiny and we're playing well," Alabama head coach Mitch Gaspard said after the win. "It was a good night for Alabama, no doubt about it. I told the team this is one game and we played really well and enjoy it for a couple of hours, but get focused on what you have to do tomorrow."
Senior first baseman Clay Jones went 2-for-4 with one double, one home run and three RBI to lead the Tide to its third straight SEC win. Jones smacked a two-run home run in the first inning and scored three runs. Junior Josh Rutledge had a two-out, two-run double in the seventh to give the Tide a 5-0 lead.
Junior right-hander Jimmy Nelson (7-2) turned in his second straight complete game. The Niceville, Fla., native allowed three runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts and two walks. He no-hit UT for the first 3 2/3 innings and took a shutout into the seventh. He finished the night with 113 pitches. It was the Tide's third straight complete game in SEC play.
"For starters, I thought the two-run home run in the first inning by Clay was big and it got us going and Jimmy matched his outing from last week and just didn't let them up for air," Gaspard said. "I thought he was just outstanding.
"I thought our team played extremely well, in all phases. Obviously, we pitched it well. We ran the bases well and when they scored we answered and we answered big with the four-run inning. We have pretty good momentum going right now."
Alabama scored nine of its 11 runs with two outs beginning with Jones first-inning home run. The senior staked Alabama to a 2-0 lead with a two-run home run to right field. Sophomore center fielder Taylor Dugas led off the game with a base hit and scored on Jones' two-out, two-run home run. It was his team-leading 15th home run of the season.
Alabama added a run in the third inning without a hit to take a 3-0 lead. Jones drew a leadoff walk and took second on the wild pitch by UT starter Stephen McCray. Jones moved to third on junior DH David Kindred's ground out to first base and then trotted home on senior third baseman Jake Smith's sacrifice fly to left field to put the Tide up 3-0.
The Crimson Tide chased McCray in the seventh and padded its lead on Rutledge's clutch two-out double that stretched the lead to 5-0.
Smith drew a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position on sophomore left fielder Jon Kelton's sacrifice bunt. After junior catcher Brock Bennett flied out to the warning track in right field, Tennessee replaced McCray with left-hander Will Locante, who promptly walked Dugas on four pitches.
Steve Crnkovich replaced Locante and gave up a two-run double to Rutledge that fell just in front of UT left fielder P.J. Polk that allowed Smith and Dugas to score and extend the lead to five runs.
McCray (6-4) allowed four runs on three hits, but walked four and struck out four in the loss. He threw 125 pitches.
Tennessee (30-24, 12-16 SEC) got on the board in the seventh when Blake Forsythe's fly ball just cleared the right field wall for a two-run home run to make it 5-2.
Alabama answered back with four, two-out runs in the top of the eighth inning to take a 9-2 lead. Smith started the two-out rally with his 10th home run of the season to give the Tide a 6-2 lead.
The Crimson Tide recorded four straight singles and benefitted from a UT throwing error to build its lead. Freshman right fielder Andrew Miller stroked a single to right and Kelton followed with a base hit to center field to put runners at first and second.
Bennett blooped a single to right that allowed Miller to score from second base and send Kelton to third base. Kelton then scored when UT catcher Blake Forsythe threw the ball away. Dugas followed with a base hit off the glove of a second baseman Khayyan Norfork that scored Bennett from second base to give UA a 9-2 lead.
Tennessee got a run back in the bottom of the eighth when Polk doubled and scored on Cody Hawn's base hit to make it 9-3. Hawn had three of Tennessee's eight hits in the loss.
Alabama added two more runs in the ninth to make the final 11-3. Junior second baseman Ross Wilson was hit by a pitch and scored on Jones' double into the right center field gap to make it 10-3. Jones moved to third on Kindred's fly ball to right and scored on Smith's ground out to cap the scoring.
Alabama and Tennessee will meet in game two of this three-game SEC series on Friday, May 21 at 6 p.m. (CDT). Junior right-hander Nathan Kilcrease (5-2, 2.44 ERA) will pitch for the Tide against UT left-hander Steven Gruver (4-4, 6.62 ERA).
GAME NOTES*Alabama (32-21, 13-15 SEC) matched its season-high with its third straight SEC win. The Tide also won three straight SEC games April 23-25 as the Tide swept a home series with Mississippi State.
*Senior first baseman Clay Jones went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI to lead the Tide offense in the win over Tennessee. He stroked his team-leading 15th home run in the first inning to give Alabama a 2-0 lead. He added an RBI double in the ninth as the Tide built a 10-3 lead.
*Junior shortstop Josh Rutledge had a two-run double in the seventh inning to extend his SEC hitting streak to 19 games. Overall, Rutledge has hit safely in 27 of 28 SEC games this season for the Crimson Tide. The Cullman, Ala., native also extended his overall hitting streak to 11 games on Thursday.
*Rutledge and Jones lead Alabama with 55 RBI this season. Rutledge has 29 RBI in 28 SEC games this year and has 22 RBI in his last 14 league games.
*Junior RHP Jimmy Nelson turned in his second straight complete game for Alabama on Thursday night with an 11-3 win over Tennessee. Nelson did not allow a hit for the first 3 2/3 innings and took a shutout into the seventh inning. He held the Vols to three runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.
*In his last two games, Nelson has worked 18 innings and allowed four runs and 12 hits with 19 strikeouts and four walks.
*Alabama has recorded three straight complete games in its last three SEC outings. Nelson has two complete games against No. 14 Mississippi and Tennessee, while junior RHP Nathan Kilcrease has the other against No. 14 Mississippi.
*The Crimson Tide pitching staff has made a huge turnaround in the last five games, dating back to the series opener with Mississippi on May 14. Over the last 34 innings, UA pitchers have allowed only eight runs (seven earned) and 21 hits with 33 strikeouts and eight walks.


text:
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text:
As Frequent Travelers Go, Viruses Are...
Constant Innovation and Translation of Scientific...
GEN's Expert Panelists Discuss Technologies and...
Focused Genetic Analyses Seek To Improve...
A group of researchers have sequenced the male California purple sea urchin. Reporting in the November 10 issue of Science, the researchers say that this draft sequence covers more than 90% of the sea urchin genome.
There has been great interest in the sea urchin as a target for genome sequencing because these animals share a common ancestor with humans. "This analysis shows that sea urchins share substantially more genes and biological pathways with humans than previously suspected," says Francis S. Collins, director of the NHGRI. "Comparing the genome of the sea urchin with that of the human and other model organisms will provide scientists with novel insight into the structure and function of our own genome, deepening our understanding of the human body in health and disease."
According to the researchers, the sea urchin genome contains more than 814 million letters, spelling out 23,300 genes. To date, nearly 10,000 of the genes have been scrutinized by the international consortium. The team consisted of 240 researchers from more than 70 institutions. Most of the funding came from the NHGRI.
The sea urchin lies evolutionarily in a large niche between the chordate branch of the Deuterostomes and the non-Deuterostome superphyla. "The sea urchin fills a large evolutionary gap in sequenced genomes," says Weinstock. "It allows us to see what went on in evolution between the ancestors that gave rise to humans and insects."
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text:
On tonight's special Spike episode of "Bar Rescue," creator Jon Taffer visited his first ever episode. In 2000, Jeff purchased an abandoned building and started the South Park Bar & Grill.
After an early successful run, Jeff could not keep his temper in check, and started flying off the handle at employees and customers. After time, his staff was fired or they quit. After losing the only three managers, Jeff was left to fend for himself. In time, under his management, the place was dirty, they were out of just about everything, and the taps were dry for weeks at a time. After losing $228,000 a year, and before hanging the out of business sign, he made a call to "Bar Rescue."
Every bar needs two things to be successful; people and money. Montclair, N.J. has both, with a population of 38,000 and median income of $96,000, the South Park Bar & Grill lies on the busiest corner of town, but the dated interior and sparse offerings, has Montclair residents taking their business elsewhere.
Jon sent his beautiful wife, Nicole in to do the recon. She ordered a raspberry vodka with orange juice, but got an old fashioned screwdriver. Jeff was overseeing one of the waitresses, and Nicole asked if he was the manager, and told he was the owner. When her food arrived, it was not at all what she expected, then someone turned on the ceiling fan and dust came down all over her, her food and her drink!
When Nicole reported to Jon what she found, it was time for him to go to work. Jon found Jeff sitting listlessly in a booth. They went into his office to talk. Jeff seemed to have no enthusiasm about the place, and Jon told him he could not do this unless he followed through. Then Jon got the scoop about how he was doing $40,000 a week when they first opened. Jon asked him if he drank today? He replied that he had a drink, then he asked what would he do if his manager drank on the job, and he said that was a no-no. Jon then told him that he was the manager. Jon then told him that he would control the business for the next four days, and he cannot drink. He wanted the bar shut down, an employee meeting and would speak to each of them. However, Jon does not feel that Jeff is all in.
Jon asked the staff what was wrong with the place, and they gave him the cold hard facts. Jeff sucked at managing. When one bartender who was disgruntled, he told her to get out. Jon stepped in to keep her there, and told everyone to go home and he would see them in the morning.
The next morning, Jon told Jeff that he had to treat his employees better. Then he pointed out the dirt in the place, and the filthy bathrooms; especially the ladies' room. Jon pointed out how important the bathroom is in keeping women in his bar.
Then he looked at the profit and loss statement, and pointed out the percentages needed to make a profit. If occupancy cost is more than 10% of revenue, labor cost is more than 28% of revenue, beverage cost cannot be more than 21% or they will never make any profit. Jon knew by his attitude that Jeff did not want to hear his sermon, but he must be clued in or he will continue to fail. Jon wants to elevate this place to the marketplace it is in. He wants to create a New York style experience in Montclair, but it seemed like all of Jon's words fell on deaf ears.
That day, he gathered the staff and told them they had to clean, and show that they had pride in the place. Then Jon sent in mixology expert, Scott Ford, who saw that the bar lacked organization. When he asked if they had any questions, they all blankly stared at him. They did not pour the right amount of alcohol, so Scott will fix that problem.
For the kitchen, he brought in chef Josh Capon to fix the problems in the kitchen. Immediately, he saw that the menu was too large, so he trimmed it down to a reasonable size to make the winners and eliminate the losers. When Josh looked in the walk-in, nothing was labeled or dated. Then Josh worked with Freddie, the cook to help make appealing food.
When the night arrived for the stress test, Jeff stood around with a stern face. Jon told him to smile and walk around and smiles came easier. But when a patron lit a cigarette, Jeff became the bouncer and threw the guy out with a vengeance. He did not appreciate when Jon told him that he should have handled it differently. When Jon tried to speak with Jeff, his attitude left much to be desired and Jon walked out.
Jon knows that the place could be a gold mine once again. When Jon spoke to Toniann, the best bartender, he told her his concept and offered her the managerial job. When he told Jeff, he took, off and did not return, but Jon and his staff continued to train and the attitude was very uplifted. When Jeff returned, he was more agreeable.
When the renovations were completed, the name was now V Bar, a vodka bar, with premium drinks and a cool modern setting. Jeff even seemed happy, and the rest of the staff was too. The large crowd outside was anxious to check it out. The food and drinks were amazing and the place was jumping.
Two months after Jon left V Bar, they saw a profit of 30%, but six months later, Jeff thought he knew better, and changed the concept. He changed V Bar into Park Sports Bar & Restaurant. The new name and bar did not generate the profits the way V Bar did, so in October 2012, Jeff closed the bar for good. Currently, the space is occupied by a bank and Jon knows you can lead a horse to vodka, but you can't make him drink on this lost episode of "Bar Rescue."


text:
one awkward step down one familiar hillNagoya, Academic Year 2009-2010
Now that everything is in it's place I find how little one understands from an image. Meeting the need to record all occurances and waves of thought would demand unpresedent time and thoroughly alter the half-hazard way of living. I have been developing my ability to cook almost entirely limited to Japanese cuisine, though I haven't written about it. Having been here since the oppressive heat of August's end, I find my body has grown too use to warmer temperatures and more dissatisfied with the cold. This metropolis of a country never seems to end. If I were to recount a common sight with lackluster you would probably understand more about my position than if you saw the segmented and limited time-frame of a photograph, which I am far too lazy to post here anywhere. Something so commonplace it's mudane, such as walking down the small mountain of a paved narrow street toward the subway system. While most streets are solid, this one was patterned with circular imprints left to imitate where horses once treaded. The appartments on the right vanish back into the dorm where I live and the outdoor stairway we all must take to get to our rooms. Those buildilngs actually come from the perpendicular road at the top of the hill, where every appartment has large glass doors leading onto a small balcony, children's clothes and parents long sleeve shirts and dress pants folded on their hangers visible from the hill. On the left is a procession of two-story homes leveled and thus towering on the incline, protected by their stone wall that molds into their foundation. Collecting moss warms the stone, just as it does most anywhere. The mystery of Japan is how moss seems to take over the grass. It is growing even in the small drainage ways at the base of the stone walls, creating a gentle stream more akin to a creek than runoff. Steps seem to fall from so much higher, giving everyone a slightly off-balance ganter while they pass the cement power poles in their approach to the main road. The street is so narrow that two cars would have a struggle passing, and since sidewalks don't exist people just walk on whatever side they please, or straight down the middle. Many consider it worthy of off-time exercise, and even I end up short on breath if I walk my usual fast pace. Meet the main street and take a left, pass the Lawsons convenience store or stop in for your 'irashaimase' and bread or a bento meal, pass the bridal store where the previewing gowns change more frequently than you'd expect, and if you missed your light stop at the intersection, in front of the domoco store that I always mistook for softbank, though my first recollection of the place was while my host dad was asking if I wanted to try karate during my first commute to see the campus. There are usually a few people making this trek one way or the other. Be alert for the clear ring of a bicycle bell and proceed on as the road curves slightly left over time, the main hospital on your left being the reason you always hear the sirens, an empty lot on the right where the remains of an old building's wooden beams can be seen. Built into the fashion of a towering dirt mountain, it began growing slightly green sometime after I arrived but now shares none of the summer color we're all waiting for. Finally, next to the ever convenient post office you find the building into which the subway entrance was built, a passageway of quite a length and with several major turns. Most of the subways carry enough similarity, despite the differing tones for approach, so there is a homey touch to them. You live in the city and you'll spend a decent amount of time underground, from subways to restaurants and the many shopping centers built literally around the subway lines. I had dinner with my pastor's family and a few friends the other night. Being one of the few times I've visited someone's house for a dinner party, there were a few things I noticed well, such as the guest sitting arrangements being those furthest from the door and the use of the reverse side of the chopsticks for dealing with a guest's food. The meal was delicious and restored a love for experimental sushi that had become severely weakened by the American standard. We also got to play with the blender and making some pineapple sherbert. Spent a lot of time talking. Sometimes I am acutely aware when my company switches and I am the only foreigner in a group of inquisitive and lively company. You lose your back up if you can't translate yourself. I guess that shouldn't be a problem anymore, since I usually don't notice where my speaking partner is from and later can't recall in what language we conversed. Those vivid outsider moments are hardly standard. Currently I can only recall two such instances, and I could only compare it to a case of inverse 外人(gaijin) smash.
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1 Comment
Melinda you do paint a beautiful picture for all of us who are strangers to Japan. You will have many things to teach us when you return. Please remember to take pictures of the visual nature to show us and plan on teaching us to cook. You could make a Japanese dish for Allison and Phil's wedding.


text:
The Monterey Bay Aquarium's new exhibit, "Tentacles: The Astounding Lives of Octopuses, Squid and Cuttlefishes," will open to the public for the first time on Saturday, April 12.
Steven Morgan
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