text:
Bill Hamon was rough around the edges and wet behind the ears when he arrived in Sacramento, California, in January 1973. He had only $5 in his pocket. No one had paid his way for this missionary venture, and he didn't come expecting a big offering. In fact he had spent $149 of his own money for a six-week Greyhound bus ticket to get there.
Eager to preach to anybody, the Oklahoma-born Hamon was pleased to find a crowd of 85 people gathered in the small church. He gave them his best sermon, but as the congregation lingered at the altar that evening Hamon sensed God wanted to say more. Something unusual was stirring inside him.
"Lord, do you want me to prophesy over everyone here?" he prayed silently.
"Yeah, boy, let 'er rip," Hamon says God told him.
Suddenly a spiritual eruption occurred. Hamon lined everyone up near the front of the church and began laying hands on them one by one. He prophesied over each individual in forceful, rapid-fire fashion.
At 2 a.m. he was still laying hands on people at the altar. When the service ended half an hour later he had delivered personal messages from the Lord to everyone in the room.
It was not so much that Hamon's ministry was born at that moment. It was uncorked.
"It was like God opened up an artesian well inside of me," Hamon says of that night, which became a defining moment for his ministry. "A strong prophetic anointing just bubbled up. When I looked at a person, I could see their calling, their anointing and what they were going through."
Hamon might as well have stuck his finger in an electric socket. Although he was familiar with the gift of prophecy and had taught on the subject in Bible college, the marathon prophecy session in Sacramento jolted him to the core and opened a spiritual floodgate.
From that moment, prophecy came quick and easy, rushing through him like a river. Today, at age 70, Hamon is celebrating 50 years of ministry marked by such prophecies. He has delivered prophetic messages to more than 50,000 people and has written eight books about prophecy. One of them is available in 12 languages.
More active in ministry than ever, Hamon now oversees a growing network of churches from his base in the Florida panhandle town of Santa Rosa Beach. And his dream is to equip an army of Christians to hear God's voice and speak His prophetic word with the same confidence he discovered 31 years ago during that unusual meeting in California.
Flowing in the Anointing
Hamon didn't understand the phenomenon he experienced that night in Sacramento, but he labeled it "the prophetic flow."
When the invisible current begins to rush through him, he typically addresses total strangers, often giving them startling details about their past struggles, current concerns or future ministries. Information pours into his brain and out of his mouth faster than he can contain it. He knows the words come from the Holy Spirit.
At first Hamon assumed the California experience was a sovereign act of God that might never be repeated. But a few weeks later it happened again in Susquehanna Valley, Pennsylvania, where he prophesied to 150 people until 3 a.m.
"We just got people in a row and I went one by one," Hamon remembers. "The people were so hungry. It was like in the days of [the Old Testament prophet] Amos, when there was a famine for the word of the Lord."
There has been no famine for the prophetic word in Hamon's life since that time. One time he spoke personal messages from the Lord to 700 people individually over a five-hour period. He has prophesied to all types of people, from housewives and blue-collar laborers to pastors and government officials.
His prophecies have triggered unusual, miraculous results. Once he accurately prophesied to a politician in Louisiana, predicting his re-election, and to former Filipino President Fidel Ramos. When Hamon rebuked the spirit of death over a terminally ill man in Panama City, Florida, the man was healed and became eligible to buy a life insurance policy a few months later.
Hamon also has prophesied accurately to more than 100 infertile couples, declaring that they would have children. One infertile woman he prayed for in West Palm Beach, Florida, soon conceived and gave birth to a girl. Hamon still keeps in touch with the family today.
And Hamon doesn't just give prophecies--he receives them too. In fact when he receives a prophecy from someone else, he records it, transcribes it and keeps the document in a notebook. He currently has 2,500 pages of such messages.
Once a woman Hamon didn't know prayed for him and offered a most unusual utterance: "The book. The book. The book. The book. The book. The book. The book. The book. The book." Hamon said it was her peculiar declaration that prompted him to write his first book, The Eternal Church, which was published in 1981.
Although the gift of prophecy comes naturally for Hamon and is widely embraced among charismatic and Pentecostal Christians worldwide, the phenomenon is still viewed with caution in some church circles and has sparked plenty of controversy. Some believers who aren't comfortable with the supernatural dimension regard prophecy as occultic or New Age. Even some charismatics avoid prophecy because it has been abused and misused.
Popular charismatic author John Bevere, for example, argues in his book Thus Saith the Lord? that personal prophecy shouldn't be practiced because too many prophets who claim to hear God deliver faulty messages and aren't held accountable for their mistakes. Charismatic prophet Rick Joyner publicly denounced Bevere's book after it was published in 1999, and Hamon sided with Joyner--arguing that the misuse of a spiritual gift doesn't give Christians the right to throw it out.
Hamon claims that "99.9 percent" of the prophecies he has delivered have been accurate. But when he has "missed it" he blames his error on the fact that he knew the person and may have held preconceived notions about their situation. That's why he avoids giving prophetic directives to his own family.
In his book Prophets and Personal Prophecy, which has sold 200,000 copies, Hamon offers guidelines to help people steer clear of the many weird, wacky and destructive ways people have misused the gift--often because they maintain no connection to a church or disregard spiritual authority.
Hamon does not endorse such freelance prophesying. "I tell anyone in prophetic ministry today: Prophets should be ladies and gentlemen. And they should be submitted to a local pastor," he says.
But Hamon also seeks to demystify prophecy so that average Christians can experience the joy of hearing God and speaking what He tells them. Always eager to empower others, Hamon doesn't want anyone to think that prophecy is only for the super-spiritual or the elite few. After all, he points out, the Bible predicts in Joel 2:28 that all kinds of people--men, women and those in the lowest socioeconomic classes--will be prophetic in the last days.
The Making of a Mouthpiece
Prophets in the Bible rarely came from glamorous places, even if they ended up speaking in kings' palaces. Hamon's humble Oklahoma upbringing made him a perfect candidate for this unusual profession.
Raised on a cotton and peanut farm near Boswell, he gave his life to Jesus in 1950 on his 16th birthday during an old-fashioned Pentecostal meeting. A female evangelist affiliated with the Assemblies of God led the service, which was held in a crude structure made of leafy tree limbs. The venue had a sawdust floor and an altar made of boards, and a kerosene lantern gave just enough light for Hamon to make his way to the front where he knelt and repented.
"I felt clean and pure," he remembers. "I got so happy I started laughing, but then I was so thankful I started crying. I worshiped the Lord that night until 2 a.m."
Hamon did not have to wait months or years to experience Pentecostal manifestations. He spoke in tongues for 45 minutes on the night of his conversion, even though he had never heard of the practice and no one had prompted him to do it.
Coming from an unchurched family, Hamon had never read about glossolalia (supernaturally speaking in unknown tongues), the gift of prophecy or any other spiritual gift mentioned in the New Testament. The only Bible in his house didn't have a cover, and the book of Genesis had been torn out of it. After Hamon gave his life to Christ he had to ride his horse five miles to attend church.
"I was just a farm boy who was called by God," Hamon says with an Oklahoma twang that is just as thick today as it was in his teen years. "But from that moment I felt God wanted me to be His man."
This deep sense of calling propelled Hamon to leave home and attend a Pentecostal Bible college in Oregon. He sold encyclopedias and worked in a hardware store to pay his bills, and he rarely ate supper the whole time he was in school.
"Every month I started a 40-day fast. I got so skinny," he says with a laugh. His longest fast lasted 10 days. During that period he cut his spiritual teeth by reading the Bible along with books such as Franklin Hall's Atomic Power With God Through Prayer and Fasting.
Hamon's early years in ministry, beginning with a pastorate in Toppenish, Washington, coincided with the Latter Rain movement--a significant period in American Pentecostal history in which spiritual gifts such as prophecy and healing were emphasized. Though some Latter Rain churches moved into excess (and the movement was branded heretical by the Assemblies of God), Hamon sought to recover the genuine truths stressed by Latter Rain ministers while holding tightly to biblical integrity.
When Hamon first began his preaching ministry, Pentecostals treated prophecy like an exotic gift, and they invented bizarre rules to administer it. For example, those who had the gift were expected to speak in King James English. Prophets seemed all the more peculiar when they delivered a message to a congregation that said, "Yea, thus saith the Lord, incline thine heart to Me."
Says Hamon: "Back in those days, they had the idea that prophets were supposed to be wild-eyed and fanatical."
In the 1950s and 1960s, some Pentecostals would invite prophets to give messages to people individually. But they practiced a strict form of protocol, requiring that anyone who was to receive one of the prophecies had to fast for three days before the church service. They also limited the number of people who could receive these words from the Lord to five or 10 per service, and no one under 18 was allowed to receive such ministry.
After Hamon's experience in Sacramento, however, he could no longer go along with the man-made rules. He had been uncorked. His gift flowed too fast and too furiously to be controlled in such arbitrary fashion. He was eager to minister to anyone, of any age, for as long as the supernatural river inside him would flow.
Besides that, he prophesied in modern vernacular, avoiding the thees and thous of his King James language colleagues. To Hamon, the gift of prophecy was not an antiquated tool from the past but a contemporary weapon that God wanted to use in the here and now.
"It has taken us from the 1960s until today to make the gift of prophecy acceptable in the church," he adds. Hamon says nothing thrills him more than to know that God is raising up an army of prophets who will hear a relevant message from the Lord and declare it not only in churches but also in the secular marketplace.
Tested by God
Though Hamon still has the demeanor of an Oklahoma country boy, even at age 70, he now has a worldwide vision and is viewed as a spiritual father by many, both inside and outside his network. His passion for spreading the gospel--shared by his wife of 49 years, Evelyn--is most obvious in his office at Christian International Family Church, where he keeps a collection of lions made of pewter, clay, malachite, crystal, wood and stone. He even has stuffed lion heads from India and South Africa.
The lion, he says, is symbolic of Jesus as the Lion of Judah who is aggressively claiming the nations for God's glory. Hamon's passion is to instill in today's prophets that same zeal.
He certainly has passed it on to his family. All three of the Hamon children are in ministry: Tim, 47, with wife Karen, runs the Christian International (CI) office; Tom, 44, pastors the 600-member Christian International Family Church with his wife, Jane; and Sherilyn, 43, and husband Glenn Miller are traveling prophets.
Hamon is thrilled, on one hand, that prophetic ministry has become so common today. CI has ordained 700 people, many of whom function primarily as prophets. He also hosts conferences on prophetic ministry, preaching alongside well-known younger prophets including Chuck Pierce, Cindy Jacobs and Kim Clement.
"I thank God that Bishop Bill Hamon has been a father to prophets throughout the world," Pierce told Charisma. "He has endured and persevered past criticism, unbelief and religiosity to encourage and activate the prophetic gift in the church."
Hamon appreciates such affirmation. But he also is concerned that today's prophets might go off track if they don't heed the guidelines he has emphasized for years.
He constantly stresses that those who are called by God must pass through a series of fiery tests.
"All Christian must go through the fire," Hamon told Charisma. "We are destined for processing. And the greater the calling, the greater the process."
For Hamon that process involved a series of crushing disappointments that he says "killed" his ego. The first one occurred in the early 1960s when he had to lay down ministry and take a secular job--at the same time that Evelyn was almost permanently disabled in a serious car accident. The second blow came in 1979 when he lost some property he had planned to use to build a church.
Hamon went into a six-month depression after that financial setback. "It was hell for a while," he says. "I was in an Elijah cave. I just crawled into a pit of despair in my own house."
The third trial came in 1981 when Hamon's niece was killed in a car wreck while he and Evelyn were traveling with her. Evelyn told Hamon that day: "I feel like I've been skinned alive."
Hamon believes that all men and women called to speak for God must pass through such ordeals in order to develop the character needed to handle the responsibility of carrying God's message. Those who don't want to be tested, he says, shouldn't consider the job.
"God spoke to me after I walked through these things," Hamon says. "God said: 'You didn't lose anything. [These trials] are the tuition I paid for your maturity and wisdom. I had to bring you to this place of death. You would never have been able to be a father to the prophetic if you had not passed this test. You didn't come out with bitterness, resentment or the smell of smoke.'"
That is perhaps the richest legacy that Bill Hamon leaves us. Though his writings and tapes are used today to train thousands of Christians to hear God's voice, his forceful challenge to embrace surrender and sacrifice will echo through the church long after he is gone.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. He interviewed Bill Hamon in April. For more information about Bill Hamon's ministry, call 800-388-5308 or log on to the Web at www.christianinternational.org.


text:
Regatta Crib Skirt
- Overview
The littlest sailors can drop anchor for a good night's rest on these supersoft sheets. Colorful sailboats race across a sea of pure cotton percale as wide-winged seagulls fly past. Bright and colorful, the patchwork quilt is surrounded by a border of ocean blue with waves of texture created by stitched detailing. A little racing boat zips across a bed of thick stripes on the coordinating sham.
- Quilt reverses to yarn-dyed navy and white pinstripe.
- Our Easy-Care finish ensures that the crib sheet emerges smooth from the dryer.
- Crib sheet is 200-thread-count cotton percale with an Easy-Care finish.
- Quilt is pure cotton percale with cotton batting.
- Pleated crib skirt is a yarn-dyed pinstripe pieced with a navy border.
- Use only a fitted bottom sheet that is specifically made for crib use (Pottery Barn Kids fitted sheets have elastic around the top and bottom, rather than around the entire edge, for added safety), along with a mattress pad and/or a waterproof pad.
- Four-sided skirt fits around the entire crib and is tailored with split corners for easy placement around posts.
- If you use a blanket, ensure it is tucked around the sides of the crib mattress and covers your baby only up to the chest.
- Do not place decorative pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins or stuffed animals in the crib while your baby is sleeping, as they may prevent proper air circulation around your baby's face.
- When your child is able to pull up to a standing position, you should remove the crib bumper.
- Machine wash.
- Imported.
- Nursery set includes fitted crib sheet, toddler quilt and crib skirt.
- Dimensions & Care
Toddler Quilt
- 36" wide x 50" long
Fitted Crib Sheet
- 26" wide x 53" long; fits mattresses up to 8" high
Crib Skirt
- 28" wide x 52" long; 16" drop
- Machine wash in warm water; gentle cycle.
- Use only non chlorine bleach, if needed.
- Tumble dry on low heat.
- Warm iron as needed.
- Shipping & Return Info
This is a general shipping item.
View Our Shipping Information
Return Policy
At Pottery Barn Kids, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction is our priority. We carefully inspect your order prior to shipment; upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage. We will arrange for a prompt replacement. If, within 7 days for Quick Ship upholstery and 30 days for all other products, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value.
If your return for Merchandise Credit Cards is greater than $10,000, we will issue $10,000 in Merchandise Credit Cards to you that day, and then mail additional Merchandise Credit Card(s) for the amount in excess of $10,000 to you.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. We also cannot accept returns of final-sale items, which are identified by a price that ends in $0.99.
For returns of items purchased from your Pottery Barn Kids registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later.
For assistance, please contact Customer Service at 800.993.4923
International Returns: Online returns are available only for items that were shipped to the United States. If you would like to return items that were shipped outside the US, please see International Returns and Exceptions.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
245 North Undermountain Road | Sheffield, MA 01257 | T: 413 229 8511
Berkshire School is a co-ed, New England college preparatory boarding and day school offering a rigorous academic course of study in the northeast United States. Our campus, located in Massachusetts, has state-of-the-art academic, artistic and athletic facilities on a stunning 400-acre campus in the Berkshires.
Watch Our School Video
WATCH: What Makes Berkshire, Berkshire?
See Where Berkshire's Graduates Are Headed
Check Out Our Scheduled Performances
Get Involved At Berkshire
Join Berkshire Connect Today
Every Gift Supports a Berkshire Experience - Thank You!


text:
AIMA responds to final AIFMD implementation text
19 December 2012
AIMA has responded to the publication of the final text of the implementing measures of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers' Directive (AIFMD) by the European Commission.
AIMA and Deutsche Bank publish new Roadmap to Hedge Funds for institutional investors
20 November 2012
AIMA, the global hedge fund association, and Deutsche Bank today announced the launch of a new edition of the educational guide for institutional investors in hedge funds - the Roadmap to Hedge Funds.
AIMA announces AIFMD implementation project
06 November 2012
AIMA has announced its AIFMD Implementation Project ahead of the release of the final implementation text of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) by the European Commission.
AIMA calls for depositary passport in UCITS V position paper
22 October 2012
AIMA has called for the establishment of a UCITS depositary "passport" regime in its Position Paper on the proposal for a UCITS V Directive.
AIMA announces Middle East initiative
11 October 2012
AIMA has announced the launch of a Middle East initiative. AIMA is seeking to create a network for managers and service providers in the Middle East that can give the local industry a voice in terms of engaging with investors and its relations with policymakers and regulators.


text:
Editor's Note: This entry appeared first on the U.S. Embassy Syria Facebook page. You can find additional satellite imagery of Syrian military movements here.
The violence is not equal.
Yesterday I put out a note about the situation in Syria as I've witnessed it from the ground and since leaving the country. A terrible and tragic development in Syria is the use of heavy weaponry by the Assad regime against residential neighborhoods. For those unfamiliar with military equipment, the artillery used by the regime is designed for full scale warfare, and the regime is using it to pound civilian apartment buildings and homes from a distance. There is no evidence that the opposition -- even those opposition members who have defected from the military -- has access or has employed such heavy weapons. Those who defect from the military are often lucky to leave with only the rifle in their hands, fearful that those loyal to the regime will hunt them down for refusing to kill unarmed civilians. It's also important to note the opposition began as a peaceful movement and it is still mostly a peaceful protest movement that has been met by the regime with imprisonment, torture and killing.
I mention this because some try to equate the violence perpetrated by the regime with the violence perpetrated by the opposition -- it is unfair to do so when one side is using such heavy weaponry. Satellite photos have captured both the carnage and those causing it -- the artillery is clearly there, it is clearly bombing entire neighborhoods, and it marks a new low for the Assad regime. We are intent on exposing the regime's brutal tactics for the world to see.
W.W. writes:
when in time of great emergency when people get killed when a regime bombs with financial movment or real bombs and you find on the other side at un people who don't work cos is friday staurday or sundays you know you ve got a real issue -
UN has lost legitimacy you have lost legitimacy just cos you are there
Syria Revolt in Syria writes:
Dear Mr. Ford, Thank you for your support to the Syrian people. As you well know, the Asad regime is intent on using all means of violence, including mass murder, in order to remain in power. As such, by stating that only a political solution can be achieved in Syria, only embolden the regime is its sense of lack of accountability for its actions. An international intervention and the creation of safe zones are the only protection to the unarmed Syrian people against the killing machine of the Syrian regime's army. Any political approach is viewed by the regime as an opportunity to gain time. Thank you.
Heath in Washington, D.C. writes:
Very helpful insight. So glad to see this kind of useful, first hand information.
Eric in New Mexico writes:
@ Amb. Ford,
So now folks have sat. pictures to show the Russians how their arms sales to Assad are being used, you think they might wanna "repo" those weapons, unilaterally? Or are they still telling folks their sales are perfectly "legal" under these circumstances?
Seems if the Russians want to keep their naval base , the'll prop up the devil himself to hang onto it, when their better bet would be to hang their hat on the people's hope and hope they renue their lease after Assad's inevitable fall....thet're going about securing Russia's interests in a way that is guranteed to cost them dearly when the Syrian people do an accounting and send the Kremlin a hefty bill for supporting Assad's crimes against humanity.
Are the Russians being informed of these things by the US gov. as food for thought?
Or are they beyond reason too?
W.W. writes:
people always working = No crisis
Friend of Syria
Speaking today, the Foreign Secretary said:
"Over the past week the Assad regime has increased its already brutal assault on Syria's civilian population. The world has watched in horror. There can no longer be any doubt that President Assad has lost legitimacy. I call on him again to spare the Syrian people from the atrocities of his regime, step aside, and allow a peaceful transition to a new Syria.
I welcome Tunisia's offer to host a "Friends of Syria" meeting on 24 February to build a coordinated international response to events in Syria. The UK is determined to pursue every possible peaceful means of pressurising Assad's regime until it ceases its brutal repression of the Syrian people, and the Friends of Syria group is an essential means of doing that. The meeting will show the breadth and strength of international support for the Arab League's efforts to resolve the crisis.
The UK looks forward to working closely with Arab and international partners in the "Friends of Syria†group to end the violence and begin the process of transition that the Syrian people deserve.â€
John P. in Virginia writes:
Russian and China are wrong.
Homs is the new Bengazi.
Assad is As bad as Gaddafi.
Palgye in South Korea writes:
Given the opposition of Russia and China, Syria, through an internal coup d'etat in Syria believe that the possibility of the problem is resolved.
Absolute, rather than military intervention, by the external forces of the dictatorship of Syria ... It's not like the disappearance of
In the current situation, the Syrian issue, rather than to solve the economic crisis in Europe,
People assisting you, some symbolic things to show in the media, is considered sufficient. And cooperate with your new government .....
The liberation of Libya?, Many people did the opposite, the situation in Syria has been deeply involved in the presidential election, so ....
$ 30 billion of new market?
Thank You.
Everyone knows the story, but a visit to China that the United States news reporting,
Syria, rather than the problem
China's yuan exchange rate is expected'd be more important issues.
Syria, too, Russia has been linked more closely I think.
Maureen in Massachusetts writes:
@ Amb. Ford,
Your posts are genuine and we get a sense of your profound remorse for the developments in Syria. The anguish felt in taking down the embassy flag could also symbolize the hope and promise of a better day when it will once again fly in a peaceful Syria -so keep that flag safe.
If a last minute cease fire proposal from Russia and China was suddenly brought to the table???
Donald in the U.S.A. writes:
Well, perhaps one can appreciate why we Americans reject federal militarization of our local police and joint task forces involving federal troops, Fusion Centers and useless checkpoints across the nation co-manned by the US military in violation of the 4th Amendment and the Posse Comitatus Act.
We used to have a legal structure designed to prevent a US president from doing in America what Assad is doing in Syria. With the NDAA and Patriot Act, a president like Assad could feel comfortable doing the same thing in America.
Syria is a nearly perfect example of why our founders wrote the 2nd Amendment.
The right of self-defense is a fundamental right of the people to defend themselves against government oppression. What the US/UN should have been doing was to promote the private ownership of firearms in all nations, including assault rifles with high capacity magazines. Every willing citizen should be heavily armed just as they are in Switzerland.
When a government is fighting to prevent its overthrow, the violence is never equal because the government is heavily armed and trained to crush its citizens. The violence was not equal when General Washington fought the British, and the reaction of the Crown was why we have a Bill of Rights in our Constitution that Obama and Congress have tried to destroy.
It is not so different in Syria than it would be in America if the Obama administration decided to use all those GPS coordinates of our homes taken by Census workers for a military campaign against dissent.
Russia made clear why they vetoed the proposed UN resolution. Russian leaders were angry when they discovered NATO far exceeded the scope of the UN Resolution regarding Libya.
The deliberate massacre of the black Libyan population by NATO-supported rebels horrified the world. Americans were sickened and outraged to learn that Al Qaeda led the Libyan rebels, who promptly flew their terrorist flag at the first opportunity.
So American public support of Syrian intervention is just not happening.
The Syrian government is notoriously bad, but who needs another failed state like Libya? Any advice to stay out of Syria is good advice.
If President Assad is responsible for murdering his citizens as some in the Obama administration claim, have charges been filed at the Hague and an arrest warrant issued through Interpol? If you've got the evidence, where is the request for prosecution?
Portia S. in the U.S.A. writes:
Mr. Ford, I do not find your arguments persuasive. The putative rebel forces are reported to have armored personnel carriers and the Israeli DEBKAfile has reported British and Qatari special ops units assisting the rebels. This is shaping up as Libya all over again, with US entering into a tactical alliance with elements of Al-Qaeda in order to overthrow one of the few remaining secular governments in the region.
The double standard here is obvious: the Obama administration, echoing the UK, demands that Syrian sovereignty be abrogated because of human rights violations, while turning a blind eye to similar violations in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Israel.
It is clear to me that the overall objective here is geopolitical. The present administration is reacting to the collapse of the financial system by reviving the Cold War, looking for opportunities to engage in proxy warfare with Russia and China. I really don't think that they understand how rapidly this situation could develop into a "hot" war which would devastate the planet.
W.W. writes:
It is not a written piece of paper that makes humanity and its history - everybody can write -- It is not a speech that makes rules or power - everybody can speak
Today what it makes the difference are action and act toward a common future identifying what works and what it doesn't- nations and humanity with new communicative tools must reach into a new era made of Prosperity Security and peace eliminating current financial criminal lobby leading the West for more then 70 years and eliminating Violence expressed by Islam -
P. in Lebanon writes:
I just wish to say thanks, i havent posted on your blog but i have been an avid reader for very some time now.
W.W. writes:
Hearts Full Of Shame :
western financial criminal corruption - unevoluted islamic ideology
violence is not equal but you don't know which one is worse between the two


text:
135 Miles in the Nation's Icebox - Page 2
Racers are required to carry mandatory gear that includes a sleeping bag rated to at least minus-20-degrees Fahrenheit (though a colder rating is strongly recommended), an insulated sleeping pad, a bivy sack or tent, a fire starter, a stove and pot, a consistent supply of at least eight ounces of fuel, a consistent supply of at least 3000 calories of food, approximately two liters of insulated water and a headlamp. There are three checkpoints, roughly 35 miles apart, and a total of nine shelters, from seven to 14 miles apart. Drop bags with non-essential items are flown in via small ski plane to checkpoint locations.
To keep fees low, the event aims to break even financially. Any proceeds, however, are donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation Charity, providing college scholarships to children of US Spec Ops Soldiers killed and wounded or Minnesota Safe Families, a charity working to prevent child abuse.
New in 2013, the top runner (and cyclist) receives a free guaranteed entry into the Granddaddy of Ultras, the 2014 Iditarod Trail Invitational. The Invitational is a completely self-sufficient 350-mile foot (or bike) race from Knik Lake, Alaska, to McGrath, Alaska. Runners who finish the 350-mile race receive four points toward qualification for The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.
The Arrowhead 135 is part of a small but daunting category of races covering 135 miles. The Badwater Ultra is a well-known mid-summer race across Death Valley, where temps can top 130 degrees. The Brazil 135, which took place January 17 to 18 this year, is run on a notoriously difficult Brazilian pilgrimage path and boasts approximately 30,000 feet of climbing and 28,000 feet of descending. The Badwater Ultra, the Brazil 135 and the Arrowhead 135 make up the Badwater World Cup, a challenge requiring competitors to finish all three races in the same calendar year. Few attempt, much less complete, the challenge. "One-hundred-thirty-five miles is a great distance," says Pramann, "You cannot fake it at 135 miles."


text:
Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
- Cooking spray
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked
- One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick ) of butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Two 10-ounce bricks sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (about 5 cups)
- Dash of paprika
DirectionsWatch how to make this recipe.
In a large 4-quart slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray, mix the macaroni, evaporated milk, milk, butter, salt, pepper, eggs and all but 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top of the mixture and then sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours and 15 minutes. Turn off the slow cooker, stir the mixture and serve hot.
Cook's Note: If you don't have a slow cooker, grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan with butter, add the mixture and bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.
Note: This recipe has been updated and may differ from what was originally published or broadcast.
Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood (c) Clarkson Potter 2010
CATEGORIES:View All
Cooking Tips
More Recipes and Ideas
Three-Cheese Macaroni
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
Chili Mac and Cheese
Recipe courtesy of Trisha Yearwood


text:
Jack Love
Jen Edwards
Mark Schneider
Ruth Bitz
Dan Rudisill
Stephen A. Glaser
-- MaddMann 26 (Jon Lee)
-- Charles West
-- David Brukman (in a review on his site.)
-- A reader from Chattanooga (on Amazon.com)
-- Henry D. Crockett, Ph.D.
-- Erik Peterson
-- Rebecca Terry
-- Chris (Taruc)
-- Melanie M. Manning
-- James Estrada
-- Wayne Zieschang
-- Stephen Cumberworth
-- Joyce Ronquillo
You may notice the liberal use of ellipses -- this is in no way an effort at censorship; I was just trying to get everything to fit in a reasonable space, and took the liberty of excising the many reasonable questions and pertinent (but non-flattering) comments. (By the way, if you don't want to be on this list, and I've included you, e-mail me and I'll remove the offending material.)
Also, this list should not be considered complete -- oh no, not by a long shot. There's a lot more, just waiting to be posted... and some of them I didn't even pay for!


text:
Barlean's, Fresh Catch Fish Oil, Omega-3 EPA/DHA, Orange Flavor, 16 fl oz (473 ml) (Discontinued Item)
Shipping Weight:?1.24 lbs (0.56 kg)Shipping WeightThe Shipping Weight includes the product, protective packaging material and the actual shipping box. In addition, the Shipping Weight may be adjusted for the Dimensional Weight (e.g. length, width & height) of a package. It is important to note that certain types of products (e.g. glass containers, liquids, fragile, refrigerated or ice packed) will often require protective packaging material. As such, these products will reflect a higher Shipping Weight compared to the unprotected product.
- Product Code: BAR-60014
- UPC Code: 705875600149
- Package Quantity: 16 fl oz (473 ml)
- Dimensions: 2.8 x 2.8 x 6.3 in, 1.05 lbs (0.48 kg)
- Estd 1989
- From Our Family to Yours
- Ultra-Purified
- Pharmaceutical Grade
- Guaranteed Best-Tasting
Barlean's Fresh Catch Fish Oil is for those who aspire to nutritionally support the optimal structure and function of:
- Joint Mobility & Bone Density
- Skin, Hair and Nail Health
- Sexual and Hormonal Health
- Heart Health
- Eye Health - Visual Acuity
- Energy & Endurance
- Mental Health, Wellness & Acuity
Fresh Catch Fish Oils are in a class of their own. We choose to date our fish oils 6 months (not up to 3 years) to ensure the very freshest fish oil available.
Suggested Use
1 tsp daily with a meal.
Other Ingredients
Pure & pristine, ultra-purified cold water deep-sea fish oil from anchovy, sardine and mackerel, natural citrus flavoring, FreshLok antioxidant containing rosemary extract, ascorbyl palmitate, ascorbic acid, soy lecithin, sunflower lecithin and d-alpha tocopherol to ensure freshness.
Purity guaranteed - Ultra purified.
Free of mercury, lead, PCBs and other contaminants.
Refrigerate for quality. A cloudy appearance is natural.
Shake well.
Keep out of reach of children.
|Supplement Facts
|Serving Size: 1 Tsp. (5 ml)
|Servings Per Container: 94
|Amount Per Serving
|% Daily Value*
|Calories from Fat
|Total Fat
|4.5 g
|Saturated Fat
|1.5 g
|Polyunsaturated Fat
|2 g
|Monounsaturated Fat
|1 g
|2 mg
|Vitamin E Natural 5 IU (d-alpha tocopherol)
|Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fat
|Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)
|850 mg
|Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)
|550 mg
|Other Omega-3 Fatty Acids
|340 mg
|Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fat
|Linoleic Acid (LA)
|50 mg
|Other Omega-6 Fatty Acids
|90 mg
|Omega-9 Monounsaturated Fat
|Oleic Acid
|510 mg
|* Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
† Daily Value not established.


text:
Court should let EPA help Adirondacks
Hopefully the Supreme Court will recognize that the people of the United States need their federal government to reduce acid rain and mercury pollution.
On Monday, justices of the high court agreed to review a lower court's ruling that limited the Environmental Protection Agency's power to stop pollution and lessen acid rain. We hope they reverse the decision and let the EPA do the job it was founded to do.
Prevailing winds carry emissions from Midwest power plants right toward upstate New York, and the clouds often dump their acidic rain and snow when they hit our mountains. Exhaustive studies and constant monitoring, which continues today, have long proven that power plants' poisonous emissions have killed untold numbers of fish – making many Adirondack lakes completely fishless – and have done horrible damage to forests as well. Native brook trout, the favorite of anglers, were on their way to being extirpated from this area.
If you want to bring up the old environment-vs.-economy thing, listen – up here, our fish and our trees are economic necessities. When someone from another state kills them by belching out toxic fumes, that's not OK. We need the federal government to step in to stop it and police the situation over time to make sure there's no backsliding.
So it's hard to defend the polluters, yet some do. Critics say the Obama administration is waging war on the coal industry and that the EPA's cross-state air pollution limits are part of that. Our rebuttal: By knowingly creating acid rain, the coal industry has been waging war on the Adirondacks – specifically its fish, anglers, birds, trees and plants – for decades. Every president's administration since George H.W. Bush has defended the Park and many other innocent victims against this chemical weaponry.
This is not an example of presidents running amok. The Clean Air Act of 1990, an enduring piece of legislation, was passed by the people's representatives in Congress.
Americans made a major choice back then that they did not want a polluted nation, one where lakes and forests were killed to keep electricity a little bit cheaper. Many power companies are still resisting that decision at their dirty Midwest plants, and they are lobbying politicians to speak for them.
We are convinced that most Americans stand by the choice – no backsliding.
Twenty-three years later, the Clean Air Act and subsequent updates have largely worked, and Adirondack lakes are recovering – a man recently caught a state-record brook trout in the once-fishless Silver Lake in the southern Adirondacks. But it's been slowed down because the offending companies have done much foot-dragging. Sometimes, to avoid installing air scrubbers, they've stuck with old-school plants that were grandfathered in before the Clean Air Act. The act's drafters assumed that these plants would eventually have to be replaced, but power companies have circumvented that by building all around the old core – cyborg plants that are mostly new but still allowed to be dirty.
The American people need the EPA to keep the air clean.
If the court does find that the EPA has overstepped its legal bounds, Congress should respond by passing a law authorizing the agency to do its job and put more pressure on the polluters. Our Adirondack environment and economy depend on that job being done.


text:
Introduction to Game Design Camp: For kids aged 9-12
Like movie making, game design involves a lot of complicated processes, from programming the environment and character abilities to inventing the levels and point systems. These parts of game design and more will be covered in this weeklong course, using the game design software GameMaker. Participants will have the chance to work in a small group setting to discover more about the fascinating world of gaming. Participants will receive with both an editable GameMaker file and an executable file of their game to send to their friends.
Register for Introduction to Game Design Camp
Time: June 24th-28th, 1pm-4pm
Price: $225
Please see main kidscamp page here for the max count of students needed to run this class.
Kids Summer Camp: Introduction to Game Design
- Event:
- Start:
- End:
- Category:
- Updated:
- Schedule:
Introduction to Game Design Camp: For kids aged 9-12
Previous post: Kids Summer Camp: Introduction to Robotics
Next post: Kids Summer Camp: Crafts


text:
Today you can get a Cobra Starship autographed bundle in The Fueled By Ramen Webstore while supplies last. The bundle includes the brand new 'FXXXING Starship' T-Shirt, a Gold Cobra Necklace and an autographed photobooth card from one of the members of Cobra Starship, similar to the ones used in the 'You Make Me Feel...' music video.
Featured Deals of the Day:
- FREE SHIPPING on orders of $100 or more!
- 10% - 60% Off Select Items. (The biggest discounts yet!)
- FREE FBR Sticker Pack with orders of $25 or more! while supplies last. Click HERE to see.
Shop now HERE!


text:
Hurricane Irene is gone.. Thank God!!! Now is the time for cleanup. We encourage everyone to pitch in and help those that were affected by the floods. Although the hurricane did not bring the devastation that was touted so many lives have been affected. Have a heart and seek out those that need a helping hand.
The news has covered so many stories of small businesses and homes that have lost everything due to the flood waters and rivers overflowing. My heart and prayers go out to the innocent victims of this storm. I chose a charity to donate to and want to encourage others to do the same. There are so many charities that are trying to help out. Choose one that is legitimately helping people.
One of my favorite charities of choice is the American Red Cross. They are always one of the first on the scene that people in need turn to when tragedy strikes. They have shelters, give food, solace and just about everything that people need in these instances.
The AARP has a toy donation program that collects toys for children in hospitals and shelters. When you think about all of the displaced kids in shelters, it really makes sense to have toys for kids.
Food Banks in cities are in desperate need right now, since so many people are without power and have lost so much. The NYC Blood Center lost valuable donations because they had to close for the hurricane. I am sure that other areas like Vermont, North Carolina, upstate New York, and Massachusetts are feeling the same pain. If you are in those areas or visiting, consider making a donation to save a life, if you can.
We can all do something to ease the burden a little off someone who has lost so much in the storm. We are a nation of giving and helping out our fellow brethern.
As a Ft. Lauderdale home improvement contractor, we are encouraging everyone to pitch in and help someone that may have lost their home due to a flood, their job or some other loss due to Hurricane Irene.
Click on the following links to read more about how you can donate to Hurricane Irene victims:
NYC Hurricane: How To Help In NYC After Irene
Central Florida ready to help victims of Hurricane Irene
Check legitimacy of charities before donating to Hurricane Irene victims


text:
|2011 Roster
Sport Links
- Recruits
- Recruiting Information
- Recruit Form
- General Info
- Big West Water Polo Tournament Central
- 2009 Women's Water Polo Media Guide
- Team History
- Ticket Information
- Booster Clubs
- Flyer for Club
- Related Links
- USA Water Polo
- Collegiate Water Polo
- National Statistics
Media Guides
Section 1Profiles and Records
Section 2This is Long Beach State
Section 3Complete Media Guide
More Headlines
Emily Garczynski Earns Big West Player Of The...04/27/2016 - W. Water Polo
Sophomore Emily Garczynski lifted Long Beach State to its first Big West Championship with her...
First-Seeded Beach Water Polo Travels To UC...04/27/2016 - W. Water Polo
No. 11 Long Beach State women's water polo will play as the first seed in the Big West Tournament...
Butler, Garczynski Lead Beach Water Polo To Big...04/23/2016 - W. Water Polo
No. 13 Long Beach State women's water polo won the team's first Big West Title as...
UC Irvine Hands Beach Water Polo First...04/21/2016 - W. Water Polo
No. 13 Long Beach State women's water polo went the distance but came up one goal short,...
Beach Water Polo Concludes Regular Season With ...04/20/2016 - W. Water Polo
No. 13 Long Beach State will look to finish the regular season strong with two key Big West...
Beach Water Polo Still Undefeated In Big West, ...04/16/2016 - W. Water Polo
No. 17 Long Beach State women's water polo proved rank means nothing in a commanding 8-5 win over...
Official Online Store


text:
Share Your Orders Thread
It's tea-related. I bought Upton's set of tins.
received my for life teapot 1l. wholeleaf (white with lime green lid); 400gr. organic/fairtrade rooibos and yes, the ff 2013 dajeerling. It's absolutely DELICIOUS this year. (costed me a fortune though lol)
My boyfriend wanted to get me a special tea gift since I'm selling so much… I don't know – I didn't ask questions, I just said yes! haha!
So, I got my first order from Den's Tea since they had these gorgeous teapots for only 5 bucks until the end of the month!!!
1 x Shudei Kyusu – $5 till 4/30 $5.00
1 x Houji-Genmaicha (roasted Genmaicha) (2oz/56g) $5.50
1 x Mango Iced Green Tea Bags (10 teabags) $6.00
1 x $3 Green Tea Sampler for Novices $3.00
yes, I have to admit, this forlife teapot pours best of all teapots i ever owned.
I recently developed some sort of teapot mania lol. when i went shopping for another yixing (couldn't find a nice one in an acceptable price range) I ended up with a zero teapot 350ml, which is a 2-cup I use for darjeerlings.
I recently broke my teapot from the Uk that had been with me for ages (brown London Pottery 0.9ltr) so needed another one and ended up with this FORLIFE pot. I use it for anything from rooibos to PG tips, Earl Grey, tisanes, etc… when friends are coming over and I need a bigger pot. Find it pours even better than my ZERO pot, the lid comes off, not very practical.
wanted a cool colour but had to settle for an ivory white with a lime lid as most of the colours were no longer in stock here in NL.
I enjoy this kyusu also. It's pleasant to hold and clean. Excellent for brewing Japanese greens. I wish I had it when I ordered the sampler.
sandra: I'm sorry to hear that your teapot broke. I'd hate to part with a teaware like that after using it for so long :(
My first Verdant tea order!
Hand Picked Early Spring Tieguanyin
Amount: 2 oz. $18.00
Mrs. Li's Shi Feng Dragonwell Green Tea
Amount: 2 oz. $24.00
Taiwanese Dong Ding Oolong
Amount: 1 oz. $9.95
Subtotal: $51.95
Shipping & Handling: $0.00
Order Total: $51.95
I decided to expand my horizons this week and try some new companies out since there were so many good promotions going.
Verdant Tea:
Five Teas for Five Dollars
My first order from them so I'm excited to try so many different types for only $5.
Utopia Tea:
Roasted Almond Cookie 4oz for 7.00 + 4.95 Shipping Total = $11.95
Includes 2 additional ounces of black tea plus free tea samples
I was thinking this might make a good tea latte ::crosses fingers::
white blueberry sample $2.00
ginger peach sample $2.00
summer rose sample $2.00
dewy cherry sample $2.00
honeybush apricot sample $0.00
Order Total (after $5 coupon) $6.75
I've also placed some fairly large orders with Rishi and Della Terra in the last week or so. I decided to use up all of my Christmas money that has been burning a hole in my pocket. I'm surprised I made it to the end of April without going nuts.
Oh, I almost forgot, my husband ordered me the Adagio Ingenuitea Teapot 32oz $20.50 on amazon and free 2 day shipping with Prime. Happy Mother's day to me :)
Happy early birthday (by 4 days) to me! I was planning a birthday Verdant order, and then they posted a 15% off all teas coupon to facebook to make up for recent downtime on the website (UPTIME15)
Bi Family Top Grade Anxi Gande Tieguanyin (Reserve) Amount: 1 oz.
Hand Picked Early Spring Tieguanyin Amount: 1 oz.
Hand Picked Autumn Tieguanyin Amount: 1 oz.
Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha Amount: 1 oz.
Earl of Anxi Amount: 2 oz.
Eight Treasures Yabao Amount: 7 g.
They did what? :O
I wonder if you can use coupons along with the 15% off? I've got a $5 GC from points, and another one in my sample order!
Well once you put in one code in the code redeem box the box doesn't disappear, so it can't hurt to try to put in more codes!
PS: the 15% off code is good through this Wednesday
Well hopefully my samples arrive tomorrow so I can see what I like! Then I'll try the code. :)
Also, happy early birthday!
Verdant Order! oooh boy, I just couldn't resist the 15% off.
Mt. Banzhang Farmer's Cooperative '03 Sheng
Hand Picked Early Spring Tieguanyin
Mrs. Li's Shi Feng Dragonwell Green Tea
All 1 oz, $35 after shipping and discount.
Uh…so in the past 2? days I've ordered from Della Terra to pick up non caffinated blends that i like to have in my cupboard; Butiki teas to pick up the newest teas that i haven't yet tried that aren't in my previous order waiting for me with the girls…and uh last night i picked up 10+5 matcha from red leaf to finish up my gift certificates from the referral program.
As much as i'm trying to stop buying teas, i know that there will also be an order from the steape shoppe in the near future and my parents are picking up tea for my in paris. lol soooo yeah maybe no orders except the steap shoppe in may? i hope?
a delicious 4oz of Cinnamon Swirl Bread from sTEAp Shoppe
Bluebird Tea Co
'Pick + Mix' 5 Bluebird Experience Packs
(Tea 1: Birthday Cake, Tea 2: Bonfire Toffee, Tea 3: Rhubarb + Custard, Tea 4: Hot Mama Jama, Tea 5: Vicky's Sponge Cake
approx. $34 with the conversion
DAVIDsTEA I am ALREADY out of Blood Orange Pu'erh so had to make another order
Blood Orange Pu'erh (Organic)
Size: 100g bag
Organic Berry Good
Size: 50g
Cinnamon Heart
Size: 50g
The Skinny (organic)
Size: 50g
Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait
Size: 100g bag
Retro Flower Cup And Saucer (Yellow)
Color: Yellow Style: Buttercup
Your Savings: $2.00
2 FREE Tea Tins
Subtotal $63.00
Shipping & Handling $0.00
Tax $0.98
Grand Total $63.98


text:
Why are we doing this dance again? Just so Boenher can be a stick in the mud again and be happy because he's in the news?
Boehner lost 8 seats in the House. Obama won 51-47, with a 5 million vote margin of victory, 332 - 206.
What gives? Is it just a slow news week? The markets are fine - they get it.
Boehner got his 98%. Tax rates return to Clinton era rates on January 1, just what Boehner asked for. We get Boehner's spending cuts on January 1.
Let's move on and fix this country. Let's fix immigration. Let's fix the jobs crisis. Boehner told us "Elections have consequences"
Let's go.
This story contains 146 words.
If you are a paid subscriber, check to make sure you have logged in. Otherwise our system cannot recognize you as having full free access to our site.
If you are a paid print subscriber and haven't yet set up an online account, click here to get your online account activated.


text:
Thursday, November 1, 2012
12-14 ATM World Congress, IFEMA, Madrid, Spain. Visit www.worldatmcongress.org.
4-7 Heli-Expo 2013, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas. Visit www.heliexpo.com.
12-14 ATC Global, Amsterdam RAI Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Visit www.atcglobalhub.com.
25-28 Aircraft Electronics Association International Convention and Trade Show, MGM Grand Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas. Visit www.aea.net.
9-11 Aircraft Interiors Expo, Hamburg Messe, Hamburg, Germany. Visit www.aircraftinteriorsexpo.com.
8-10 Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exposition, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, Md. Visit www.seaairspace.org.
16–18 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE), Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre, Shanghai, China. Visit www.abace.aero
22-26 AMC Open Forum and AEEC General Session, Hilton Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Fla. Visit www.aviation-ia.com.
21-23 European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE),
Geneva PALEXPO and Geneva International Airport, Geneva, Switzerland. Visit www.ebace.aero.
17-23 Paris Airshow, Le Bourget, Paris. Visit www.paris-air-show.com.
29-Aug. 4 EAA AirVenture, Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wis. Visit www.eaa.org.
12-15 Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems 2013, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. Visit www.auvsi.org.
9-12 Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Annual Expo. Anaheim, Calif. Visit http://apex.aero.
21-23 Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. Visit www.ausa.org
22-24 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Annual Meeting & Convention, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas. Visit www.nbaa.org
17-21 Dubai Airshow, Dubai World Central, Dubai. Visit www.dubaiairshow.aero.


text:
Veteran Harlem politician Inez Dickens has her heart set on becoming speaker of the City Council early next year, but a number of new challenges stand in her way.
Dickens, who retained her current council seat after defeating challenger Vince Morgan by an overwhelming 40 percent in September, will be entering her third and last term as District 9's representative.
Dickens is one of about a half dozen council members in the running for what many have called the city's second-most-powerful position. However, the results from last month's primaries could change the race dramatically before January, when the new City Council will convene to elect a speaker.
During her eight years in office, Dickens has made plenty of connections that will boost her prospects for the speakership. But mayoral politics, unseemly headlines about her real estate business, and the growing power of the council's progressives will make Dickens' road to the speakership a challenging one.
'An insiders' game'
The council speaker is not directly elected by voters but is instead chosen from among the members in what has been a historically closed-door process involving negotiations between Democratic county leaders, individual council members, interest groups, and the mayor.
"It's an insiders' game. It's done by the City Council members," Dickens said in a telephone interview Tuesday, adding that the council members look at "who's going to be more fair and who's going to be more willing to negotiate."
Dickens has "firmly made a lot of friends in the council during her tenure. I think she definitely has the opportunity," said Basil Smikle, a Harlem-based political analyst and professor at the School of International and Public Affairs.
Because of term limits, 22 of the 51 council members will also be new to office, adding a lot of unpredictability to the speaker race.
Ester Fuchs, a SIPA professor who previously served as an adviser to Bloomberg's administration, said that with Democrats filling 49 out of 51 council seats, the vote would also be influenced by race, ethnicity, and ideology.
With heavy representation from Brooklyn and Manhattan between the candidates who are expected to be the next mayor, comptroller, and public advocate, Smikle said there could be pressure for the speaker to come from another borough.
"What works against both [Dickens and East Harlem City Council member Mark-Viverito] is that they're from Manhattan," he said. "And there is a lot of pressure for the speaker to come from an outer borough."
That would put Council Members Mark Weprin of Queens and Annabel Palma and James Vacca of the Bronx at an advantage.
Fuchs, however, doesn't think geography will necessarily be an important factor.
"It depends on how cohesive the votes are by borough," she said. "I don't see them particularly as strong candidates in this pool, either."
De Blasio and Quinn
The new mayor will also influence who gets the speaker position, especially if that mayor is a Democrat—and Democratic nominee Bill de Blasio is more than 40 points above Republican nominee Joseph Lhota in the latest polls.
"As soon as de Blasio is elected he's going to have a lot to say in the choice," Kenneth Sherrill, a political science professor emeritus at Hunter College, said. "He's going to look for someone who adds diversity and balance to the leadership."
De Blasio is not seen as favoring Dickens in the speakership race. In the District 9 primary, de Blasio endorsed Morgan—the only council candidate he backed who was challenging an incumbent.
In the mayoral primary, meanwhile, Dickens backed current Speaker Christine Quinn, who came in third after de Blasio and former Comptroller Bill Thompson. Long the frontrunner, Quinn's poll numbers fell this summer after a long assault from critics who portrayed her as running the council with an iron fist and cozying up to real estate developers, among other charges.
Throughout her campaign, Quinn was accused of using the city's $50 million in discretionary funds—which the speaker controls—to reward council members who supported her and to punish those who didn't.
Dickens, who endorsed Quinn and stood next to her at her first public appearance the day after the primary, vigorously defended Quinn in the interview, arguing that she had distributed the funding fairly.
"What's different is the capital, and that's based upon each member district's needs—who has put in for what," Dickens said. "I don't care who's speaker, but it's always going to be based on numbers."
The member item system was based on data, she said.
"Now, is it perfect? Absolutely not," Dickens said. However, "it makes it more fair than any system anyone else comes up with."
A 2012 report released by good government group Citizens Union, however, said that "most discretionary funds … are not distributed using an objective formula, but rather based on political relationships, which contributes to wide variances in funding among council districts."
Real estate troubles
Dickens isn't a stranger to election controversy. Over the summer, a New York Post article called attention to her hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes and building code fines, in addition to nine-year-old maintenance requests unfilled in rental buildings that she and her sister own in Harlem.
The buildings became a campaign issue during the City Council race, as Morgan argued that they showed Dickens lacked the character to serve her district. Dickens has said that she had no day-to-day role in the real estate business and that the problems are being addressed.
Although the issue has made her unpopular among tenants' rights groups, she appears to have support from real estate groups. During her council primary campaign, the developer-backed Jobs For New York PAC distributed flyers on Dickens' behalf, and several Harlem real estate executives donated large sums of money to her campaign.
"Real estate always plays a major role. They have power, and they have power because they have money," said Mike McKee of Tenants PAC, a tenants advocacy group. He said he thinks Dickens "is pretty much out of the running" after the building revelations.
Putting the blocs together
One factor that could play in Dickens' favor is her political ties with Manhattan Democratic Party leader Keith Wright. Wright and Dickens are both members of the old Harlem political guard.
In past speaker votes, the borough party leaders have often delivered most or all of their members as a bloc. They also have a role in negotiating prized committee positions on the Council.
Rep. Charles Rangel, who has called Dickens his "political wife" and has endorsed her for speaker, said Wright would have influence over the speaker race.
"As it relates to the City Council, I always check with my county leader," he said, referring to Wright. "I am also in close contact with the Bronx county leader, Carl Heastie, the Queens county leader who works with me every day, Joe Crowley. I listen to them because ultimately the different boroughs are going to have to bring some balance to the leadership in the City Council."
But some observers say the influence of the county leaders is declining, while the council's Progressive Caucus could be a powerful new force in the speaker race. Founded in 2010, the caucus has 11 members in the 51-member council and is expected to grow when new members take office. Mark-Viverito is the co-chair, while Dickens is not a member.
"The significant presence of a progressive caucus in the council, of which Mark-Viverito is the chair of, could also prove a challenge to Dickens," Fuchs said.
"It's not obvious at this point that anybody can even deliver the Progressive Caucus," she added. "Is the Progressive Caucus committed to voting as a bloc? It's not clear."
If the caucus did vote in a bloc, it would be a bloc that cut across borough lines. And many of its members are looking for a speaker who would not centralize power as much as Quinn did.
Upper Manhattan City Council candidate Mark Levine, who said he supports the Progressive Caucus, said he wants a speaker who "is committed to progressive policy and democratizing the City Council."
Fuchs, however, said a strong speaker is needed to balance the mayor.
"They think by weakening the speaker, they can strengthen the council," she said. "But by weakening the speaker, they're weakening the council."
Overall, much will change between now and January. But a number of roadblocks remain for Dickens.
"It's highly unlikely Inez Dickens will prevail as speaker of the City Council," Fuchs said. "Part of it is some background on how choices get made and how things work."
"In it of itself, the new members aren't going to have a preference," Smikle said. But progressive members, he said, will "see who represents them … and I'm not sure that's Inez."
Casey Tolan contributed reporting.


text:
Pet care
Dear editor:
Yesterday was a hard day for me. A dog was hit by some vehicle and killed. A man, Mike Burlingame who rides the transit bus came to the door to tell me he thought it was our dog. Had no collar but the sad thing the other dog his buddy traveled house to house barking for help not knowing the dog was dead.
Animals have feelings as he stayed by the dog.
To Animal Control, than you for coming to take care of the dog and to state police for calling them.
As to who ever owned the dog if you want a pet take care of it love it put a collar and tag on it because now the dog is gone I cried because along a highway you don't leave them run loose.
Please save a life and take care of your pet.
Ellen Peroski and family


text: Apparel Companies Coverage Equipment/Gear Lifestyle Pop Culture Most Popular Lacrosse Playground Stories of 2012 Lacrosse Playground / December 29, 2012 I'm still standing. The world didn't end. Thank you Larry! In hindsight, 2012 has been amazing. We witnessed Loyola (how about Lehigh, right?) dominate all year in NCAA action, we saw a transformation of lacrosse Continue Reading Share


text:
On the Bright Side: Laura and Harry Slatkin's Palm Beach Home
Los Angeles-based interior designer Justina Blakeney's bohemain heart and passion for pattern, color, and all things vintage come across in a big way on her blog, Justina Blakeney Est. 1979. Her musings on plants, interiors, and life in general come across as genuine and stylish, and always leave readers wanting more.
As told to Laura Eckstein
Dabito's site Old Brand New has a relaxed, playful tone that reminds me of the beauty in imperfection and to enjoy the little things.
Coming Clean: Malcolm Carfrae's Hamptons Cottage


text:
Just a proud Grandma and GrandpaPosted Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at 7:00 PM
Jilly has been seriously riding for about a year now. She's only just now 7, and she is quite an incredible young horseperson already. To date, she hasn't yet taken a spill, (though she will) ...except off of Precious, who is all of 2 feet of the ground. She has had some freaky close calls, and clung on while I held my breath. You can't teach that "hang on for dear life" to the degree that she has it. I've seen some that don't have it, and you can help them prepare and "know what to do" but it takes a lot of self preservation to cling when everything is telling you it's hopeless. Then, they need to know what to do, when all else has failed,... tuck and ROLL! Land on your feet if possible. And actually, now that I think of it, Jilly has come off Marshmallow. She leannnnnnneeeeeeeeeeddddd soooooooooooo far out to get a flag outta the bucket at the play day, that she tipped herself right off. But then, to her credit, she knew she'd over done it, and grabbed Flaxen mane of Marshmallow, and let her feet go first. And stood there wondering how that happened. So, her lesson at that moment? Two of them
1. don't lean farther out than your body has arms.
2. when you realize your error, land on your feet, save yourself!
now that I've remembered, I've gone back and found the photo. Here she is with Jess going to put her back on. She just doesn't have enough leg for that either.
The following photos are from Monday night, and show how this little girl has come a long long way. If you remember, Marshmallow only had her first jump a couple months ago.
And it takes a lot (or did) to get her lined out and over the jump. She doesn't want to work any harder than she has to, and she's a pro (if allowed) to just veer around the jump. We teach the kids to use their legs, and not just the reins. And as you can see, Jilly is using her legs to keep the filly lined out, and to support herself. The proof is in the photo. Those reins are LOOSE and SWINGING. I can't fake that in a photo. Jilly isn't pulling her to one side or another, and yet, they are centered over that very high tech log. (we use the best of stuff here!) Obviously, that isn't a big log, and really, it's not a big jump. They've walked over a lot, and trotted over it. This particular jump is their first lope over. Jilly has been practicing 'climbing up her neck' for this moment.
2nd jump of the day. Just as good.
The 'come down' is just as important for the rider. You gotta get your feet up there to 'land on' or you can topple right off the front. Jilly's hands are at Marshmallow's neck, to help herself.
3rd Jump.....
4th Jump, different direction. That girl is concentrating on a million things. I can't begin to describe the things she started learning the first time we put her in a saddle, that started preparing her for this day, and many like them. Positioning is soooo important.
This photo shows a great 'come down' It shows both filly and girl relaxed. Reins loose. Marshmallow's ears have Jilly in her thoughts, and where she's going in her thoughts.... One ear to Jilly, one forward. Jilly is looking ahead, her feet are ahead, and her hands/reins are laying on the filly's neck for support. Climbing up on the neck, and grabbing some mane, keep you from accidentally jerking the horse's mouth. (enough of that, and the horse will decide jumping isn't worth it, if they are going to get jerked on each time) It has other purposes too, but it's not a sign of weakness as many people think. You see people who NEVER want to grab on, cuz it's looks like they're scared. To me, it looks like consideration of the horse doing a lot of work.
Then on the come down, lay that loop over the neck, and balance yourself, and you don't topple forward, and you don't jerk that mouth again. Considerate. (Now that I think of it, there's a lot to be learned from this!)
I thought I'd bring photos from Mother's Day. It's good for kids (anyone really) to ride as many horses as they can, safely. Learning the different feel and cadence makes it easier to adapt to different feels and cadences.
Beamer of course, is the horse that should be jumping. At 17 hands, there isn't much he shouldn't be able to jump. He's pretty lazy though, and would really prefer to not have to do this type of shenanigans. But everyone has to work!
And another "come down'. Love how Jilly is "looking where you wanna go"
Do not mistake though, that this comes easy. I do a lot of nagging, and I demand if she's going to attempt jumping, she has to "without a doubt, do it my way" And she's MINE, so I have permission, (and Jilly wants to) so demand as near perfection as I can weedle out of her. (I'm not an expert, but her safety is of my utmost concern) These are the moments that make her know what I was talking about. I always tell her, "Look where you want to go" so, "Do NOT look at the ground!" (unless you wanna land there)
There is an increasing possibility of accidents when you get more experienced and start to do more things. And then of course, you might be a higher rate of speed. Doo doo happens fast sometimes....
What happened here .... (and many have heard similar stories) was an low hanging branch. She didn't come off, but it made her duck, and scared her pretty good. To Marshmallow's credit/discredit, she was in charge here, and Jilly didn't plan the route very well. I'm thinking that won't happen again. That tree has been there probably since I've been alive.... (or not) so, she has been told ...better stay away from there. Well, she didn't always listen to me, but the branch had another 'say' that I think had pretty good impact.
This picture shows her learning to 'tough it out" And I'm telling I'm proud she's still on! And my dork of a Beamer horse is looking at the camera, saying "Didja see that???? huh??? didja? I didn't do it! Yellow horse did! so there!"
(Thanks Evan, for capturing that moment of fear, love, triumph and dork horse, or is that Duck Horse? inside joke)
Jilly is leaning down for a well deserved hug from a totally relieved Grandma. Shewie!
Moments later....I think she is ok
Her Dad is pretty proud of her. Some of these photos are compliments of one of my cameras, in his hands. He is a professional in his own right. He knows more technical stuff about these cameras than I do, and manages to help me learn inspite of myself at times. I just wanna 'do it'! He is incredibly persistent though, and I'm learning technicalities all the time.
She is learning to handle split reins.... and it's not easy. Trust me...and this face shows it! I love this photo! Some say there "is nothing to riding a horse"....hmmmmmmmmmmm
I do think she's figuring it out. I know a plethora of adults who can't figure out what to do with reins, except pull on them. Learning now will make her life and the horses she rides, so much more pleasant.
If you look closely, you can see her hands, she's sliding off, to give the horse to her brother. It's his turn
How cute is he???!!!!! Ask me, I'll tell ya That hat is one of his "Prides and Joys" It's like Grandpa's summer hat, and has a 'made by Grandpa" leather hat band. Don't even consider taking it from him. It won't happen easily!
Start them young, and they learn it forever. I can't wait to see what this little man will be doing next year, the next year, and so on.
It is really hard work, when you arms are barely 3 inches long. It takes everything you have. And he is ultra willing to give it all. He's been riding behind Jilly and Al now for months, and he's been waiting for this time! He's not about to give it up! His hands are wrong, but that will come
'specially with me around to
I'd say he's figuring it out. With a smile on his face.
Just hanging around chit chatting
Most people hold the reins kind of in front of their belly, in front of the saddle (or should) but when you are this short, you practically have to hold them up to your eyes, to get them high enough to be where they need to be. Lots of effort going on here! And of course, he doesn't reach the stirrups, so even more effort. Maybe next year, he'll get to the stirrups....
Here he is practicing his spins. We may have an up and coming Reiner on our hands. Scout is there, keeping an eye on things with his kid
And his first jump/walk over. I can NOT tell you how I love this horse.
I might be just a bit proud of this lil Cowboy....he just slid down by himself, with me holding his shirt, like I do. It won't be long and he'll just be doing it on his own.
Then he's off to play with Daddy on the trampoline!
Every story has a 'behind the scenes' .... this is what was also going on.
Another lesson girl, learning to use split reins. She says "I'm worried" ...what do I do?
give a loving slap of the reins on her leg, and say "I'll tell you what to be nervous about!" Now, before you think I'm mean, imagine this in a joking tone, with a girl who is totally comfortable with me. She's been coming for years. I'm serious though, don't go worrying about things you don't need to worry about. So many times, we bring on our troubles, where they don't need to be at all.
She's laughing....
Jilly is lucky, she gets to come every time I have a lesson. Gives her opportunity to ride each horse, cuz I like certain other lesson people on a particular horse, at a particular time. And it's funner to learn with a friend. Jilly has lots of friends!
She's trying to act like she doesn't like her picture taken, but we all know that's not the way it is.........
How convenient! Evan took this photo, showing the branch that become a suspect!
Any guesses what this is?
Do you suppose the kids have fun here?
We talk a lot about discipline and being strict. A lot. I kindof don't believe in 2nd chances. Not when you've been told NOT to do something, or it's just so dang obvious. And around here, where there are horses, (gentle though they may be) I don't want that "2nd Chance" to be a fatal kick to the head. If I say "No" You better believe I mean it, and I am the SCARIEST GRANDMA around, if you show you doubt it. Bryce walked into the field once, after being told not to. It was his first offence. I got in his face and climbed up one side and down the other. I didn't hurt him, but he cried. Or started to. I told him to "better stop that" or " I'll give you a reason to" He quit crying, (cuz they can turn that off) and he NEVER has gone in there again, and he makes sure no one else does either. "Grandma will get you" That experience was over in a moment, and I never speak of it to him. He has absolutely no doubt, that something real bad would happen if he goes all illegal on me. Right along with all that, is my belief, that the good times have to outweigh the other times. He told Jess on Sunday "Mommy, I love you the mostest, but I might love Grandma Jessie a little more" Grandma's heart swells,.... and Jess knows he loves her with all his heart. The point is, that he knows the rules, knows the consequences, and knows I love him, and it's always fun....
Saying "bye bye" to my lesson girl for the day. They never want to leave. But at my house, if you don't leave "nice", you don't get to play next time. Very Simple
Showing comments in chronological order
[Show most recent comments first]
I got a smile on my face when I read the first word of your blog "Jilly". That kid is too cool :) Then that smile turned to anger when it set in that she is a better rider than me , grrrr! lol
Great blog as usual and OUTSTANDING pictures!
P.S. Sorry I couldn't make it out Sunday. I don't do too well with holidays and people. Add that to the "weird" list. LOL
-- Posted by KentuckyTransplant on Tue, May 15, 2012, at 11:59 PM
They have better nerves than I ever did. I wasn't ever much of a horseman. You don't forget the lessons though.
Thank you for the pics. They bring back some memories of my own with Dad.
-- Posted by KH Gal on Wed, May 16, 2012, at 7:39 AM
The little ones do add cheer to many of the more mundane things in life. Yesterday, I took my grandson with me to get haircuts. It was his first trip to a regular men's barber shop AND my first solo adventure with him.
The barber is a long time friend and has cut many a nervous child's hair. As Orrin rather reluctantly climbed up on the chair and sat down, he looked my buddy square in the eye and said:
"Will you please try not to give me a BAD haircut?"
Wish I'd thought of that....LOL!
-- Posted by wh67 on Wed, May 16, 2012, at 11:37 AM
Respond to this blog
Posting a comment requires free registration:
Sharing the Beauty
- Archives
- Blog RSS feed
- Comments RSS feed
- Login
I am interested in this Community, County, and the beautiful state of Idaho. Most of my photos will be in Idaho, but from time to time, they will be my vacations aay from Idaho. You'll see lots of my Children and Grand children, along with others in my family. Of course there will be horses and horse related things, and things I photo'd horseback.
Hot topicsNew Beginnings
(4 ~ 10:54 AM, Dec 26)
Remembrances and our own Mortality
What Kind of People Come to a Roping?
Wedding of the Year!
Elmore County Fair 2014 and back home again


text:
Here's how RW members rated this race (227 votes).
In short: Well done Grantham ACIn full: This is a cracking race, certainly one where a PB is possible. There are two big hills, the first after six miles at an average of 8.5 per cent gradient and the second after 10 miles at 5.3 per cent, but the downhills and flat sections make up for this and hey, if it was easy it wouldnt be worthwhile. The techy shirt is great and overall you can pay double elsewhere and not get a race half as good. See you next year!Date of review: April 6, 2012
In short: There's pain in them there hillsIn full: Great friendly, well organised race. Good value for money, especially given the quality of the finishers tech t-shirt. Marshalls were very encouraging and water was plentiful. Only improvement would be to some of the road crossings, but thats a failry minor niggle.Date of review: April 3, 2012
In short: Good race, quite hard route in places. In full: The two places where runners cross the roads on the way back need to be marshalled a bit better otherwise there is an accident waiting to happenDate of review: March 20, 2012
In short: A fantatsDate of review: March 17, 2012
In short: Brilliant race again- well done!In full: This was my second year doing this race, again I could find no fault. Don't be put off by the small entry list, this race will convert even the staunchest 'big race' junkie.Loads of parking, easy to find and more or less straight out of the industrial estate where the stadium is into the countryside.The canal path section is lovely, the fist half is flat, the second half less so with the two hills oft mentioned elsewhere definitely challenging!Support varies from Sunday morning dog walkers and bike riders (all of whom get well out of the way) to the residents of the odd village the route takes you through.The scenery really is gorgeous throughout, what a shame to see the British Legion Club gutted by fire though.I've PB'd both times I've done this race so it must be a quickie, even with them there hills. I will be back again, and again, and again.Date of review: March 15, 2012
In short: A well organised event with a challenging courseIn full: The first half of the race is nice and easy and scenic. Then you get to the first hill which wasn't as bad as I was expecting (after speaking to some Fractioneers from previous years).However the second hill was difficult to say the least. It just drains everything out of you and even when I got to the top I didn't have a lot left for the last 1-2 miles. That makes it a challenge, which is good and it will set me up with confidence for the rest of the year.I am definiltey planning to be back next yearDate of review: March 15, 2012
In short: It was a fabulous day, the weather was stunning, the atmosphere was brilliant!, the race it self was a good mix of road and cannel path, as for the hills.... huumm ... !! only thing to make it better... ladies sized T shirts!!!Date of review: March 15, 2012
In full: My first time at this race, and it won't be the last! Very friendly, very well organised, enough challenges for everyone beginner or seasoned half-marathon runner. Lovely, scenic course, very friendly and supportive marshalls. Super technical t-shirt, super goodybag, went home very happy. The one you'd want to do again and again...Date of review: March 14, 2012
In short: If you have negative preconceptions on the mention of Grantham, then forget them. Stunning scenery and first rate organisation made this my best race for years.Date of review: March 14, 2012
In short: great race, will be back for another try at those hillsDate of review: March 14, 2012
Visit the official Runner's World page
Follow Runner's World on Twitter
Click here
Other Natmag-Rodale Sites
Run For Charity
Injury Clinics
About Runner's World


text:
The following list includes key points for you to remember when you meet with the players' parents at the beginning of the season:
* Leave plenty of time so parents can ask any questions or voice any concerns they may have.
Some parents do not feel comfortable talking in front of other parents, especially if they have some issues and/or concerns regarding their own child. So, I would recommend that you mention that you will be available to talk in private with any parent and/or they can call and/or send you an email.


text:
Directed by Terry George
What Would Ethan Do?: Notes on Revenge
Joel Bleifuss on the history of getting even.
Real Baseball: America's Favorite Pastimes
How baseball found a home in film.
Peter Gethers
Random House start making films.
Grief 2.0: How the Internet Is Sad
How the web weeps.
Production Notes - Reservation Road
Notes from the production of Reservation Road.
Sign up for updates on new film releases, casting announcements, special offers, & more.


text:
Nominations are being accepted for the 2013 Jefferson Awards, a program to recognize residents who make significant contributions to their communities.
The national Jefferson Awards program was founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Ohio Sen. Robert Taft Jr., to recognize individuals who do extraordinary things in their communities without expecting a reward.
The program is sponsored locally by WBNS-10TV and Nationwide Insurance. Organizers are seeking nominees who embody the true spirit of volunteerism -- people who don't look for recognition, but who deserve to be recognized.
Twenty nominees will be invited to the local Jefferson Awards ceremony planned for April 4. Five central Ohio winners will be announced.
Each of those winners will receive a medallion and a check for $500. One of those five will be selected to attend the national Jefferson Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., where five national winners are selected. In 2011, one of the central Ohio local winners, Rachel Muha of Westerville, was selected as a national winner.
The deadline for 2013 nominations is Feb. 8. To make an award nomination, visit 10tv.com and click on the Jefferson Awards icon. For information, email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
European Commission, UN Environment step up cooperation to protect the world's oceans 20/12/2016 00:00:00
Mushrooming Cooperation 05/12/2016 00:00:00
Kurumba Island, Maldives. Image courtesy of the Small Island Developing States Network (SIDSNet)
Nairobi, 24 February 2014- Creating the enabling conditions for a Green Economy transition in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)from improved public investment to reliable market instruments and better governance will help the estimated 50 million SIDS residents build climate resilience, achieve economic growth and enjoy better standards of living.
The transition will offer opportunities for SIDS to better manage natural capital, protect the environment, create green jobs and achieve sustainable development, according to studies by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said, "For many Small Island Developing States future development is dependent on a very narrow resource base that is constantly challenged by the high-risk impacts of climate change and natural disasters. In our lifetime, there may be small island developing nations that will cease to exist as a result of sea level rise."
"From economic growth to climate change and food security, the issues facing SIDS are multi-dimensional and require integrated action to address them. An inclusive Green Economy approach offers opportunities for SIDS to better manage natural capital, protect the environment, create green jobs and achieve sustainable development. For this end, it is vital that the right enabling conditions are provided to generate and stimulate both public and private sector investments that incorporate broader environmental and social criteria," he added.
SIDS are known to be especially vulnerable to climate change due to their small size, narrow resource base, high susceptibility to natural hazards, low economic resilience, and limited human and technological capacity.
In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that global warming will lead to a sea-level rise of 180 to 590 mm by 2100, while more recent research suggests that these estimates are likely to be at least twice as large.
Nations such as Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands and Tuvalu will become uninhabitable in this scenario, while a large share of the population of many other SIDS will be displaced or otherwise adversely impacted.
These negative impacts come even though the combined annual carbon dioxide output of SIDS accounts for less than one per cent of global emissions, meaning they have not contributed significantly to climate change. However, SIDS emissions are on the rise: from 1990 to 2006, CO2 emissions of SIDS increased at an average annual rate of 2.3 per cent.
Adverse impacts on drinking water and agricultural production are expected due to saline intrusion on coastal aquifers and the destruction of coral reefs and fishery habitats from temperature rises and increased ocean acidification.
Other climate-change impacts include the destruction of infrastructure and development gains due to stronger tropical cyclones, such as those in 2004 (Grenada, Haiti and Niue), 2005 (the Cook Islands) and 2008 (Cuba, Fiji and Haiti).
For instance, Hurricane Ivan damaged 90 per cent of the housing stock of the island of Grenada, with an estimated impact of US $527 million or 38 per cent of the country's GDP, according to the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Climate change adaptation has been identified as a top priority for SIDS. It also represents a major economic cost; the capital cost of sea level rise in the Caribbean Community Countries alone is estimated at US $187 billion by 2080 under a business-as-usual scenario.
UNEP's climate change adaptation programme works in SIDS across the Caribbean, the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific to support them in reducing their vulnerability and building resilience to the impacts of climate change.
UNEP is working with SIDS to better understand the impacts and vulnerabilities associated with climate change, and to identify, select and implement adaptation options, including Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) approaches (usingthe services provided by ecosystems).
Through its National Adaptation Plans Global Support Programme, UNEP is also assisting SIDS in their long-term adaptation planning. Furthermore, to facilitate countries' access to adaptation finance, UNEP is supporting several SIDS in the process towards Adaptation Fund direct access accreditation.
Through Regional Networks linked with the Global Adaptation Network (GAN), UNEP is facilitating knowledge-sharing and learning on adaptation. To provide a platform for cross-regional exchanges between SIDS, UNEP is exploring interest from the countries and relevant organizations in launching a GAN inter-regional thematic network on SIDS at the Third SIDS Conference in Samoa.
Many SIDS have little or no access to modern and affordable energy sources, and energy prices are among the highest globally. In some cases electricity cost is 500 per cent more than in the US, primarily as a result of the dependence on imported petroleum fuels.
Consequently, the energy sector in the vast majority of SIDS is the principal source of CO2 emissions and economic vulnerability. Power generation consumes in excess of 50 million barrels of petroleum annually to provide 90 per cent of primary energy.
Improving the SIDS power sector requires fossil fuel dependence to be halved by 2035 via a switch to renewable energy sources (ocean, geothermal, solar, wind and biofuels). Caribbean Community Countries estimate the shift could cost tens of billions of US dollars.
Transportation, meanwhile, consumes in excess of 100 million barrels of fuel annually. Reducing this by 25 percent by 2035 will require new technologies, infrastructure and financial support.
At the same time, individual countries have embarked on projects to improve energy efficiencies,:
Fisheries play a significant role in the economy, livelihoods and food security of SIDS, who hold jurisdiction over coastal waters and open seas many times larger than their land mass. Fisheries-generated GDP in some SIDS is estimated at up to 12 per cent of the total.
Fish consumption in the Pacific SIDS accounts for 50-90 per cent of animal protein in the diet of coastal communities, while national fish consumption can be as much as 3-4 times higher than the global average per capita.
Climate change is anticipated to indirectly affect fisheries in SIDS, as changing water temperature impacts negatively on coral reefs and mangroves that function as nurseries, habitats and foraging grounds for fish. Associated shifts in migratory patterns of fish species are expected to affect availability.
Other threats to fisheries include: pollution, habitat loss and alteration, destructive harvesting methods, overexploitation, invasive species and natural disasters. Amid those challenges, the fisheries sector is expected to meet the demands of a growing population.
A "green economy" fishery sector is one that is ecologically sustainable, provides a higher level of economic goods and services at lower environmental costs and equitably distributes those benefits.
Transitioning to a green economy will require introducing specific measures for policy planning and institutional reform, sustainable financing, investment in technology and building public awareness.
For more than half of the SIDS, tourism is their largest source of foreign exchange and tourism receipts represent more than 30 per cent of their total exports. In comparison, the average for the world is just over 5 per cent, according to World Bank estimates.
Climate change presents one of the most significant challenges to the sector. Rising sea levels can cause loss of land along coastlines of low-lying islands, disrupting economies and livelihoods.
Climate change may cause coral bleaching to become an annual occurrence causing further losses in revenue. Dominica has reported that 50 per cent of its corals are bleached, and coral bleaching in Tobago affected an average of 66 per cent of its hard corals in 2005 alone.
The tourism industry is a major consumer of both energy and water. Given that most SIDS import their energy supplies and face challenges with regard to water availability and quality, investment in greening tourism is vital to reducing additional burdens placed on related sectors.
The tourism industry should be one of the lead industries in the promotion of green initiatives, being both an industry dependent on natural resources and a major contributor to employment and economic growth.
Greening tourism requires a shift across the entire industry to the implementation of policies, practices and programmes that embrace sustainability with a focus on the conservation of natural resources, transitioning towards renewable sources of energy, reduction of water consumption and generating income for local communities.
The overall goals of a green economy are supportive of the sustainable development concept, which has as its main objectives development and poverty eradication predicated on the sustainable use of environmental resources.
It is vital that the right enabling conditions are provided to generate and stimulate both public and private sector investments that incorporate broader environmental and social criteria.
Several recommendations have been presented for enabling the transition to an inclusive green economy, including: increasing public investment in Green Economy activities, developing market-based instruments, revising legislative and regulatory frameworks and enhancing institutional capacity.
Economic valuation of environmental capital and social equity underpins the capacity of policy makers to make balanced policy choices in pursuit of sustainable development.
UNEP has also recently launched a unique new Foresight Process to identify and prioritize global emerging environmental and sustainability issues from the perspective of the SIDS.
The Foresight Process will contribute to the Third International Conference on SIDS in 2014.
UNEP is also working with partners to produce a Guidance Manual on Valuation and Accounting of Ecosystem Services for Small Islands Developing States, which aims to develop the capacity of governments to integrate economic valuations of environmental capital into sustainable development planning and implementation.
For more information, please contact:
Shereen Zorba, Head, UNEP News Desk. firstname.lastname@example.com ;
Tel: +254-20 762 5022 / +254788526000.
Small Islands - UN TV