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|By Marketwired .
Article Rating:
|June 6, 2014 04:36 PM EDT
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/06/14 -- Diamond Fields International Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: DFI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Sybrand van der Spuy to the Board of Directors.
Mr. Sybrand van der Spuy's career-line has its foundation in an operationally focused military career as a Senior Officer spanning over 20 years. He has an extensive track record both in Africa and the Middle East, where his career has been focussed as an operational trouble shooter and managerial optimiser with a 14-year background in enterprise risk management, business continuity, security implementation and consultation. He has extensive exposure from policy formulation to operational systems implementation in critical infrastructure, hydrocarbons and mining industries, and provides an invaluable asset to the Board of Directors of the Company.
The Board of Directors of the Company is now comprised of six directors, being Norman Roderic Baker, Earl Young, Gregg Sedun, Warner Bruckmann, Sybrand van der Spuy, and Ian Ransome.
Ian Ransome, CEO, President and Director
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Diamond Fields International Ltd.
Ian Ransome
+ 1 604 685-9911
Diamond Fields International Ltd.
Earl Young
+ 1 604 685-9911
Enterprise architects are increasingly adopting multi-cloud strategies as they seek to utilize existing data center assets, leverage the advantages of cloud computing and avoid cloud vendor lock-in. This requires a globally aware traffic management strategy that can monitor infrastructure health across data centers and end-user experience globally, while responding to control changes and system specification at the speed of today's DevOps teams. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Josh Gray, Chie...
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To get the most out of their data, successful companies are not focusing on queries and data lakes, they are actively integrating analytics into their operations with a data-first application development approach. Real-time adjustments to improve revenues, reduce costs, or mitigate risk rely on applications that minimize latency on a variety of data sources. Jack Norris reviews best practices to show how companies develop, deploy, and dynamically update these applications and how this data-first...
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Intelligent Automation is now one of the key business imperatives for CIOs and CISOs impacting all areas of business today. In his session at 21st Cloud Expo, Brian Boeggeman, VP Alliances & Partnerships at Ayehu, will talk about how business value is created and delivered through intelligent automation to today's enterprises. The open ecosystem platform approach toward Intelligent Automation that Ayehu delivers to the market is core to enabling the creation of the self-driving enterprise.
Aug. 24, 2017 03:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,428
"At the keynote this morning we spoke about the value proposition of Nutanix, of having a DevOps culture and a mindset, and the business outcomes of achieving agility and scale, which everybody here is trying to accomplish," noted Mark Lavi, DevOps Solution Architect at Nutanix, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @DevOpsSummit at 20th Cloud Expo, held June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
Aug. 24, 2017 03:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,530
"We're here to tell the world about our cloud-scale infrastructure that we have at Juniper combined with the world-class security that we put into the cloud," explained Lisa Guess, VP of Systems Engineering at Juniper Networks, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 20th Cloud Expo, held June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
Aug. 24, 2017 02:15 AM EDT Reads: 2,380
As more and more companies are making the shift from on-premises to public cloud, the standard approach to DevOps is evolving. From encryption, compliance and regulations like GDPR, security in the cloud has become a hot topic. Many DevOps-focused companies have hired dedicated staff to fulfill these requirements, often creating further siloes, complexity and cost. This session aims to highlight existing DevOps cultural approaches, tooling and how security can be wrapped in every facet of the bu...
Aug. 24, 2017 01:45 AM EDT Reads: 714
Historically, some banking activities such as trading have been relying heavily on analytics and cutting edge algorithmic tools. The coming of age of powerful data analytics solutions combined with the development of intelligent algorithms have created new opportunities for financial institutions. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Sebastien Meunier, Head of Digital for North America at Chappuis Halder & Co., discussed how these tools can be leveraged to develop a lasting competitive advantage ...
Aug. 24, 2017 01:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,167
Docker containers have brought great opportunities to shorten the deployment process through continuous integration and the delivery of applications and microservices. This applies equally to enterprise data centers as well as the cloud. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Jari Kolehmainen, founder and CTO of Kontena, discussed solutions and benefits of a deeply integrated deployment pipeline using technologies such as container management platforms, Docker containers, and the drone.io Cl tool. H...
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In his session at @ThingsExpo, Dr. Robert Cohen, an economist and senior fellow at the Economic Strategy Institute, presented the findings of a series of six detailed case studies of how large corporations are implementing IoT. The session explored how IoT has improved their economic performance, had major impacts on business models and resulted in impressive ROIs. The companies covered span manufacturing and services firms. He also explored servicification, how manufacturing firms shift from se...
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Connecting to major cloud service providers is becoming central to doing business. But your cloud provider's performance is only as good as your connectivity solution. Massive Networks will place you in the driver's seat by exposing how you can extend your LAN from any location to include any cloud platform through an advanced high-performance connection that is secure and dedicated to your business-critical data. In his session at 21st Cloud Expo, Paul Mako, CEO & CIO of Massive Networks, wil...
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You know you need the cloud, but you're hesitant to simply dump everything at Amazon since you know that not all workloads are suitable for cloud. You know that you want the kind of ease of use and scalability that you get with public cloud, but your applications are architected in a way that makes the public cloud a non-starter. You're looking at private cloud solutions based on hyperconverged infrastructure, but you're concerned with the limits inherent in those technologies.
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The question before companies today is not whether to become intelligent, it's a question of how and how fast. The key is to adopt and deploy an intelligent application strategy while simultaneously preparing to scale that intelligence. In her session at 21st Cloud Expo, Sangeeta Chakraborty, Chief Customer Officer at Ayasdi, will provide a tactical framework to become a truly intelligent enterprise, including how to identify the right applications for AI, how to build a Center of Excellence to ...
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DevOps is under attack because developers don't want to mess with infrastructure. They will happily own their code into production, but want to use platforms instead of raw automation. That's changing the landscape that we understand as DevOps with both architecture concepts (CloudNative) and process redefinition (SRE). Rob Hirschfeld's recent work in Kubernetes operations has led to the conclusion that containers and related platforms have changed the way we should be thinking about DevOps and...
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White AT&T Nokia Lumia 900 surfaces, may make you wait for April 22nd
0. phoneArena posted on 28 Mar 2012, 09:02
The AT&T-bound Nokia Lumia 900 is the first LTE Windows Phone handset by the Finnish manufacturer and it's expected to launch big on the second-largest US carrier come April 8th…
This is a discussion for a news. To read the whole news, click here
1. tigermcm (Posts: 860; Member since: 02 Sep 2009)
if i was on at&t I think just becuase I'd be impaitent I would get a black one within the 1st wk return it and get the white one*drools*
2. Birds (Posts: 1171; Member since: 21 Nov 2011)
Not going to lie......A yellow one would be awesome. lol
3. vvelez5 (Posts: 623; Member since: 29 Jan 2011)
I have to wait unfortunately
4. -box- (Posts: 3991; Member since: 04 Jan 2012)
Wish there was a green one, like a dark olive green. The cyan looks great and all, but it also looks too close to the blue Wii.
5. twenti7 (Posts: 152; Member since: 09 Jul 2011)
The phone looks great, and honestly I really like the feel Metro UI and would love to get a WP device. Sadly, I never will, at least until Microsoft adds more customization options for the theme of the UI. But the moment that there are more theme and customization options, I'll be more than willing to give WP a shot
6. Mobile-X-Pert (Posts: 565; Member since: 20 Dec 2010)
I'm really tempted to buy this phone, specially in white. I can't wait for Apollo.
8. eman99 (Posts: 393; Member since: 03 Aug 2010)
nokia should have gone with android then it would have been great
9. -RVM- (Posts: 331; Member since: 19 Oct 2011)
This is one beautiful phone. Same as Lumia 800 and N9 are.

subset: commoncrawl


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Progress Update - Are Pamati
- Details
- Category: News
- Hits: 3480
It has been some time since any updated information was put online about this, but it is still happening. Families on Rarotonga, as well as in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Taranaki and Hawkes Bay have been to achieve a successful output - the construction of a meeting house for the people of Palmerston at Takamoa on Rarotonga. It will be called Are Pamati (Palmerston House). There are also fundraising groups in Australia and who knows where else. Lets go for it and get this building up for our Pamati family to use.
There is a separate Facebook page for their fundraising efforts. Keep in touch with it to find out how you might be able to make contact with the organisers, as well as with other members of the family. Check out the following Facebook page:
AKL Palmerston House-Are Pamati Fundraising
Correction to family history in the Gloucester Echo - 7 Aug 2014
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- Category: News
- Hits: 7905
| Posted: August 07, 2014
Read more at http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/Entire-population-tiny-South-Pacific-island-speak/story-22211954-detail/story.html#eB7gy3opZJHwApRP.99
Kia orana from the South Pacific.
My letter is not to criticise Robin's article, but merely to question the credibility of some of the information he has been given by Mr John Roberts who is not connected to our family tree and whose research about my ancestor is not correct. I would not like your readers to believe that Mr Roberts is an expert on our family history.
Unfortunately, William Marsters did not originate from Gloucester although linguists originally classified the accent that remains on the island as from that region. The English spoken on the island is a meld of Cook Islands Maori dialects representing the different islands that the wives of William's sons brought to the island. They were only allowed to speak their mother tongues inside their homes. Outside in public everyone had to speak English. This version of English was based on the English William Marsters used within his family circle. Over the years they have developed their own unique English accent and still retain words that they inherited from our ancestor's own use of English vocabulary.
I am a direct descendant of William Marsters, through my mother, and have done some comprehensive research of my own which included several visits from the South Pacific to the UK specifically to research my ancestor using census documents, family history sites and records, as well as civic and church records. It was several years before I uncovered who William Marsters really was. My research even revealed some anomalies that contradicted a lot of beliefs about his life which had almost become legend among the stories told of him by my mother, grandparents, uncles and aunts.
Read more: Correction to family history in the Gloucester Echo - 7 Aug 2014
William Richard Marsters
- Details
- Category: News
- Hits: 18913
Born Richard Masters,
Walcote, Leicestershire, ENGLAND (6 November 1831)
Died William Marsters,
Palmerston Island, COOK ISLANDS (22nd May 1899)
For many years the origins of William Richard Marsters were relatively unknown. He had passed on snippets of his former life to his family and friends yet it appeared that he told different versions depending on whom he was telling...
There are many stories and versions of stories that have been passed down by word of mouth from people who grew up on Palmerston. This version of the story of William Marsters is based firstly on a theory that although William Marsters may not have revealed too much about his past life, before he arrived on Palmerston, he left clues about his past that I have attached to facts that I have revealed in my book "The Masters of Walcote". While I can appreciate that not all the family will agree with what I have found out about his former life in England, they are the truth as I believe them to be, linking those clues that he left behind on the island (in the names he used for his family, and the name of Leicester as one of his islets). The "Masters of Walcote" contains information that has been accessed from UK government records and parish records from the Leicestershire area where his parents grew up and where he and his family grew up. The little village of Walcote still exists, as does the church in which he was baptised, and in which he later married. All these constitute an interesting story that can be found in the story of Richard Masters.


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What legal obligations and rights do schools have to stop cyberbullying?
With laws and court decisions on cyberbullying behaviors constantly evolving, there's no simple answer to this pressing question. But, based on recent case law and key legal issues, two cyberbullying experts provide educators with 4 general guidelines in a recent issue of Preventing School Failure.
When confronted with a cyberbullying problem in their schools, educators are essentially caught between laws defending free speech and expression and laws guaranteeing civil rights and protecting individuals from harassment and discrimination, write Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin.
"As a result, many school district personnel are justifiably reluctant to get involved in cyberbullying cases because they fear they will overstep their legal authority," write the two researchers. Recent court decisions favoring students' rights to free speech and expression and ordering school payouts for retribution have had a chilling effect on educators' willingness to take action in cyberbullying incidents.
The standpoint of inaction to cyberbullying
But inaction is hardly safe ground from either a moral or legal standpoint, according to the researchers. There are a number of situations when it is completely appropriate and necessary for school officials to get involved, they write.
The 4 guidelines to consider when educators are trying to determine how much authority they have to intervene in a case of cyberbullying are:
- Does it substantially or materially disrupt learning?
- Does it interfere with the educational process or school discipline?
- Was school-owned technology involved?
- Were other students threatened or their civil rights infringed?
Case law
In Beussink v. Woodland R-IV School District (1998), a junior from Marble Hill, Missouri sued the district after being suspended for 10 days for creating a web site from home that denigrated the school's administration using vulgar, but not defamatory or threatening language. In Emmett v. Kent School District No. 415 (2000), the court also ruled against the school district even though students were targeted as well as school officials. In this case, a high school senior had created a web page with mock obituaries of students and educators.
The court found that the school had overstepped its bounds in its suspension of the student because school-owned equipment had not been used and the web page had not been produced on school time.
The court said the school was unable to show that anyone listed on the site actually felt intimidated or threatened or that it resulted in a significant disturbance at school.
When a Pennsylvania English teacher was the sole target of cyberbullying (J.S. v. Bethlehem Area School District 2000), the court upheld the expulsion of the student who had created a threatening web page. The web page included derogatory and threatening comments about the teacher and included lists: "Why should she be fired" and "why should she die." The writer also added "Give me $20.00 to help pay for the hitman."
The court upheld the expulsion because the teacher indicated she had been traumatized by the incident and had suffered physical problems such as headaches, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and problems with her weight as well as anxiety and depression. The incident had also disrupted her ability to teach. The district argued that the web page had had a demoralizing impact on the school community comparable to the death of a student or staff member because of a feeling of helplessness.
In a similar case, also involving an English teacher, (Wisniewski v. Board of Education of the Weedsport Central School District, 2007), the court found in favor of the district in an 8th-grade student, Aaron. The boy had created a graphic icon of his English teacher's head being shot with a bullet from a gun along with the text "Kill Mr. Vandermolen". He then sent the icon via instant message to 15 of his friends, among whom it circulated for 3 weeks before the teacher was informed. After hearing from the distressed teacher, the principal of the school made the decision to suspend the student. The parents appealed the lower court's decision but it was upheld by the higher court.
School policies advisable
The disciplinary efforts of school districts also should be supported by strong and detailed policies outlining what online behaviors are and are not acceptable, and what penalties will follow if the policy is contravened," the researchers write.
"This will help the district avoid the appearance of deliberate indifference by demonstrating to third parties that they are anticipating the foreseeable danger of cyberbullying, and are exercising reasonable care to address and prevent incidents."
In some states, local laws direct school districts to update their harassment policies to cover electronic communications. The primary problem states face is crafting legislation that protects students without overly restricting speech, the researchers write.
Civil classroom atmosphere and unpredictable court rulings
When a high school senior in western Washington posted covertly taken video of a teacher on his MySpace page, the court defended the school's right to suspend the student and peers that were also involved in the incident. The MySpace page ridiculed the teacher's hygiene, organization, body weight and classroom conduct and showed students making faces behind her and performing pelvic thrusts.
The website activity was found to be in violation of the school district's own policies of prohibiting covert video. In its decision, the court wrote: "The school is not required to establish that an actual educational discourse was disrupted by the student's activity. The 'work and discipline of the school' includes the maintenance of a civil and respectful atmosphere towards teachers and students alike—demeaning, derogatory, sexually suggestive behavior towards non-suspecting teachers in a classroom poses a disruption of that mission whenever it occurs."
Court rulings, however, are unpredictable and not all decisions that follow these 4 guidelines will hold up in court, the two experts warn. Demonstrating substantial and material disruption of school activities due to cyberbullying paves the way for formal discipline by educators. The harm suffered by victims should also impel school officials to action.
"Cyberbullying: A Review of the Legal Issues Facing Educators," by Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin, Preventing School Failure, Volume 55, Number 2, 2011.


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On The Fringe Moebius Scarf
This clever wrap is twisted in the middle in the same manner that a 'Mobius' strip is. (Lion Brand Yarn)
Lion Brand Pattern #: cgs-moebiusScarf
SKILL LEVEL: Easy (Level 2)
(A) Incredible® (Article #520) discontinued 220 yards
(B) Glitterspun® (Article #990) discontinued 230 yards
Crochet Hook - Size Q-19 (15.75 mm)
Crochet Hook - Size N-13 (9 mm)
4 sc = 3" [7.5 cm] with A on larger hook.
8 sc = 3" [7.5 cm] with B on smaller hook.
4 rows = 4" [10 cm] with A and B in pattern
Special stitches:
dtr (double treble crochet)
dtr2tog (double treble crochet 2 together)
Lion Brand Notes:
Moebius is a rectangle, given a half twist and joined at the ends. When joining yarn, leave approximately 12" [30.5 cm] long tails for tying scarf ends tog, forming "streamers".


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Mental Health
Have Mental Health Questions? Ask a Psychiatrist Online
The Expert's number of "Accepted Answers" is a good indication of how many satisfied customers he or she has helped.
Louise Brady's Registered Nurse License was verified on or about January 2012 by a leading third-party verification service.View the Terms of Service section on verifications
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I suffer from some sort of depression, anxiety would be the main symptom involved in this. Going away from home, high stress levels, being around too many people, these can all distort my mind making me feel anxious and depressed, I then cannot eat or and have broken sleep wanting to stay in bed all the time. Thankfully its not permanent, more-so reactive. What are the best therapies to resolve this problem? Thank You
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3501 S Roosevelt Blvd
Key West, FL 33040
What could be better than a day-long concert in a field by the sea, complete with a bevy of food trucks for the choosing? On Saturday, February 18 from 12pm-9pm, Key West Art & Historical Society's "Music at Martello" program presents the 2nd Annual Key West Food Truck Festival, an event that will transform the Fort East Martello parade grounds into a family-friendly musical feast with the tasty delights of Key West's top-notch food trucks and the grooving tunes of local and international acts.
Key West Food Truck Fest founder and co-producer Clint Steckly will park his ever-tasty Triano's Taco food truck on site along with Leila's Latin, Baby Cakes, Beach Bites, Jimmy SnoCone Republic, King Of Racks BBQ, and other mobile-vendor faves while performers Miguel Perez, The Coppertones, J Sneez, Capes and Apple Pipes, and Fish out of Water serve up their own individual flavors of musical beats.
Bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets, invite your friends, and come have a blast! This smorgasbord of great music and delicious food is fun for the whole family, complete with a kid's zone, a cash bar, and free parking. Admission is only $5 at the door or advanced ticket purchase can be done at KWAHS.ORG; proceeds will benefit Reef Relief and the Key West Art & Historical Society. For more information, contact Shawn Cowles at 305.295.6616 x 111. Your Museums. Your Community. It Takes an Island.


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The worldwide Islamic revival of the 1970s and the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States have prompted many to predict that the two cultures are on a major collision course.
Many in the West have come to associate Islam with violence and extremism, while Muslims, in turn, accuse the West of trampling on their rights and imposing its values on the Muslim world.
Has there been a failure on both sides to understand each other? In particular, does the responsibility lie with the West to increase its understanding of Islam? How can it be achieved?
The following comments reflect the balance of views we have received:
It is staggering how many of these comments come from people who believe that the West has discovered the elixir of freedom and political virtue, and Muslims just have to take their word for it. How can anyone think that, after the 20th century? It was the West, not Islam, which invented weapons of mass destruction, and the secularist political ideologies that brought humanity to the edge of the abyss.
Brighton, UK
Being a westerner living in an Arab country, working for a Muslim company and living with two Muslim people, I am sorry to have to say that we westerners are arrogant about our own beliefs and way of life! can honestly say that I have never before come across a culture which is positive towards others, no matter what colour, race or creed. I have had no problem because I'm from Europe, yet we are here debating, whether we understand Islam or not. Why should we understand it? If a Muslim has chosen to follow the religion of Islam, then surely that is the choice of that person. Don't we go on about freedom? That's their freedom. Maybe one day people will lose this stereotypical image of Muslims and that that are all terrorists, like I have done. Brian Davies, Dubai, U.A.E.
I think the West is only now beginning to understand Islam. Few non-Muslims have read their Koran, but everybody can read their deeds. You can argue, justify and obfuscate as much as you want, you can try to make it al the fault of "the West", whatever that is, but to any sane person, it still stands out clearly to those who look, who the terrorists are. Will, USA
Mr. Bob Duncon: We all are human beings and have bad people everywhere. Peace is not just the property of the West, as terrorism is not only the product of Muslims. And if the West was so peaceful why did the two World Wars happen. The problem with the West is that it always addresses the end-problem, not the causes.
Tayyaba Samina,
What a dreadful thing institutionalised religion has proven to be over the centuries! It is divisive and has been and still is the cause of bloody conflicts all over the world. I have come to the conclusion that we would all be better off without it irrespective of the name it carries. Maybe Humanism is the solution and then perhaps intolerance would evaporate. Philip Cunneen, England
Unfortunately, we of western heritage have a lot of prejudices against Islam. Islam is as diverse as Christianity. Let's have a look back at the darkest hours of religion wars in Europe and we'll see that we should be humble. Let's have a look at the madness of the US right wing so-called Christians and we'll see people that are no better than the Taliban's and Bin Laden. We should not judge people on religion. Christophe Constant, Montigny, France.
In the west we get a lot of our cultural references from TV, and too often drama series do not portray positive images of Muslims, compared to images of other religions. This bias is harmful and racist.
London, UK
The West does not have a problem with Islam; the West has a problem with terrorists who hijack planes, murder holidaymakers, blow up school children and hold theatre-goers hostage. However, in Israel, New York, Moscow and Bali the fact is that these atrocities have been carried out by Muslims in the name of Islam. The vast majority of peace loving Moslems throughout the world who now feel threatened and under suspicion are actually victims of these terrorists. It is up to them to join the West in unequivocally condemning terrorism and in ridiculing the link that Islamist fundamentalists try to forge between their hatred of the West and their religion. Bryan, Edinburgh, UK
Don't blame the West for not understanding Islam; how are people supposed to react if terrorist activities is undertaken under the pretence of Islam and rest of the Muslim community remains silent about it. I was in NY during the September 11th bombing but did not see any condemnation or protest from any Muslim community against the bombing, if moderate Muslims wants support and understanding form the west they clearly have to define there position clearly and visibly. Shakila Zafar, NY, USA
The fact that Islam is the only religion in the world today with the unadulterated scripture, while Muslim countries are very weak compared to the adherents of other beliefs; makes the Muslims the object of envy and Islam an easy target for certain influential groups in the west which either have some historical scores to settle or feel that their worldly interests are threatened by the rapid spread of Islam in the West. Such groups do not waste any chance or opportunity to defame the Islamic faith or to distort its image in the minds of the western people. Unfortunately some adherents of Islam, either because of ignorance or frustration, indulge in unethical practices which serve the purpose of the enemies of Islam
Saeed H H Alyousuf,
Dubai. UAE
I spent about 13 years on and off in the Gulf, the thing that always struck me was the differences in Islam. In the more secular states - such as Oman - we managed to live easily with little problem alongside the local population. We could live our western lifestyle as long as we moderated our behaviour to accommodate the local laws and mores. Saudi was at the other end of the scale - churches were banned, drink was banned, the list goes on. The short point is in the more secular countries where Islam is viewed as a religion capable of peaceful co-existence life is actually pretty easy. Where one side is forced to conform it isn't.
Birmingham UK
I am a westerner and a Muslim. The two are not mutually exclusive. A Ranaa, London, UK
I recently visited Lebanon with a friend of mine and his family who were all born over there. It was an eye-opening experience. The people were all very civil, and interested to hear my views on their country and its struggles. I found that my understanding of the Islamic people was greatly enhanced by visiting Lebanon, and I suggest that anyone that feels they do not understand their culture should visit. Richard Thorp, Southend, UK
After September 11 all Muslims are branded as heartless monsters. Where is the proof that this atrocity was carried out by Muslims anyway? Furthermore, if a Christian committed a terrorist act would anyone brand Christianity as a terrorist religion? What about the IRA? The members were predominantly of Christian faith. But does this have an impact on people's view of Christianity? I think not.
Nazia Chopdat,
It is about time people realize that the west and Islam do not get on; it is about time both sides accepted this and agreed that we should keep our worlds separate. Mike, London, England.
I am a British born Muslim I believe in democracy and I have no family from any country other than Britain. Yet people still think that as a Muslim I'm foreign for some reason. What I want to know is why doesn't anyone ever ask the native Muslims of this country what we think? James Jenkins, UK
It is amazing the racism towards Muslims from the comments. It shows the hate we Muslims face and will continue to face , if the comments reflect the western view of Islam then I fear things will only get worse for Muslims, we have become the new hate figures. Hasan, IRAQ/UK
After 11th September, living abroad has become quite unbearable for the Muslims. Most of the Westerners have equalized Islam with terror, violence and disorder. Indeed, such an image has been the result of merciless Taliban and relentless war in Middle East. Yet, it should be understood that Islam has peaceful teachings and forbids all kind of violence. Now, Islam is passing through the dark ages like the one Christianity had experienced during Middle Ages. Muslims now have to secularize and modernize their systems and make Europeans understand the insight of their religion.
The "West" is not a religion but a political concept embodying values such as the supremacy and sanctity of the individual and respect for religious freedom. Islam is a matter of personal choice up to each individual as much as Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Atheism and Agnosticism. It is up to each religion to respect the freedoms that we accord each other in the west and to live by the rules we set.
John Jones,
If you want to learn about Islam and more importantly Muslims then learn, read, meet up with Muslims, and let them explain what they are feeling. Discuss engage your intellect and see for yourself what my faith is.
Usman Ayub,
Islam, from my understanding, teaches tolerance and moderation. Yet, all that is picked up on is demands and intolerance from hard liners. Why is it necessary to demand a Muslim parliament? One should accept the ways of an adopted country and if necessary, live as the individual both spiritually and culturally within the confines of a home or Mosque.
Kevin ,
Islam has failed to accept the rights of others to live in peace. Only in Moslem countries, such as Saudi Arabia, are Christians and Jews forbidden from praying. Jews are forbidden to live in Jordan and are oppressed in other Arab countries. Randall Isaacs, Barrie, Ontario Canada
It's Islam which closes itself off to anything that is not Islamic. Islam is not a religion but an all-encompassing legal, political, social and ideological system that simply does not accept any interaction with the 'infidels' world. I'm for a secular mentality, and think religion is a personal choice; it cannot be an imposition, or an authoritarian system controlling everything. Lara, Italy
Islam is a religion like Christianity. The fault is human beings not in the religion itself. Kamal Salih
I think the main thing that confuses "The West" about Islam is this: If Islam does not allow "killing infidels" or suicide, why do Muslims allow the terrorists to do it in their name? We've seen little evidence of this "great tolerance and respect for other religions" from the militants who claim to be acting on behalf of Islam. Without action to the contrary, we can only assume they are. Through their inaction in stopping the militants, the peaceful majority of Muslims are fuelling the resentment they seek to stop. Tim, UK
Islam does not have the right to judge the West on the grounds of compassion. The ethnic and cultural diversity found in America is unparalleled in the world. One look at the world's Islamic nations will demonstrate that the majority are woefully intolerant and oppressive towards all non Muslims. Muslims expect to be granted equality in the West while not providing it to anyone else and that is hypocrisy defined. The ball is in their court. Dan O'Connor, New York City
Unfortunately, as I see it, the problem rests with Islam being unable to accept the right of others to live as they choose. The issue lies with tolerance, few people in Britain are intolerant of Muslims; yet Muslims appear to have little tolerance of anyone who does not follow their doctrine. I wouldn't expect them to have to change their beliefs; but they are going to have to become more accepting of other people having the right to be and live how they choose. David, Chesterfield
From all these comments mostly from my friends from west clearly shows NO THE WEST DONT UNDERSTAND ISLAM ENOUGH, all they are trying to do is introduce their version of Islam, while Muslims never tried to introduce their version of WEST, the western media had and will continue to show Islam as a threat to the west. Farooq, Kuwait
Just as there are Christian cults which propagate murder, there are similar cults within the Muslim world who want to see destruction meted out to those who disagree with them. Unlike Christianity, whose pope speaks out against violent propagandists such as the IRA, Islam has no central authority, and as such there is no representative who speaks for all its varied denominations. What is needed is a spokesman for mainstream Muslims, to speak on their behalf against those who seek to uproot civilisation.
Until 911, I was indifferent about Islam. After 911, I started looking into it more. As a result, I became opposed to Islam. I accept that no race is perfect, but have any of the political correctists complaining about the West's attitude to Islam ever actually looked in the Qur'aan? A simple comparison; In the Bible, there is absolutely no record of Jesus ever having instructed anyone to carry out acts of violence in pursuance of the aims of Christianity. In the Qur'aan and the Hadiths, there are far too many instances of this to count (e.g. 4:89 of the Qur'aan). The Islamophobia debate should be based on the truth and not political correctness. Basing the debate on anything other than the truth is what causes things like race riots. Graeme Phillips, Berlin, Germany (normally UK)
Since September 11th, I've tried to learn more about Islam. In every book I have read, what stands out the most is their complete intolerance. I live in France and have found it impossible to ever have a conversation with an Islamic person - it definitely does not seem to be a desired thing on their part. In France in any case, we haven't heard much from the "moderate" Muslims so all we know are the ones who shout the loudest. How can we understand people who do not know how to discuss? And where is the Arab leadership? What are they doing, what have they ever done to promote understanding, peace and tolerance on both sides? Alison Solomon, France
I think that the west tends to confuse Islam the religion with countries that are Islamic.
Some people think Sharia when they think of Islam, others think of Islamic Jihad or the Taliban.
However I do firmly believe that there is far more of an attempt to understand the Islamic world then there is in the Islamic world to understand the west.
This is not because of the religion, but rather because the majority of Islamic countries are either Theocracies, Kingdoms or Dictatorships where free thinking is certainly not encouraged. Dan M, UK
In my opinion the West does not impose its beliefs on other parts of the world, it simply makes itself available. If you don't want a McDonalds or a Coca Cola, don't buy it, no one is forcing people. If certain radicals want to make out that Western society and its values are an insult to their religion that's up to them, but its all about freedom of choice. In that respect I think the west stands head and shoulders above most others!! Jonathan, London
I don't see any reason to make extra effort to understand Islam. I find it aggressive, repressive and highly unoriginal. Added to the damage it does to individuals' lives through sheer mind control is the fact that it shares with other power structures a tendency towards corruption, cronyism and personal greed. I have spent time with extremist Catholics and found them to be only interested in you as a convert or a active member, not as an independent spiritual person. I see no reason why Islam should be any better at its heart. Patrick Curran, Oxford UK
I believe there is a silent majority amongst the Muslims and I think it is urgently necessary that this silent majority speaks loud and clear out against extreme Muslim factions (the killers). If they wait now too long, all good and peace loving Muslims will suffer because there will develop a gap between them and the non-Muslim world which can not be bridged. This will eventually lead to such a polarisation which cannot be controlled anymore, resulting in irrational actions from both sides causing wide spread bloodshed. M.C. van der Weele, Torres Novas -Portugal
Our perception of Islamic peoples in the West is often disproportionate. There is actually widespread support for al-Qaeda among the Saudi Arabian public, although that isn't solely the West's fault; it is also the monarchy's fault for living self-indulgent lifestyles in lavish palaces and wasting money on buildings like the Kingdom Centre, while poverty rates are increasing dangerously fast. However, we like to pretend this support doesn't exist. It is time we in the West got an idea of the reality of these situations.
Graeme Phillips,
Berlin, Germany (normally UK)
Islam does not allow "killing all infidels" or suicide, just two of many misconceptions. Islam recommends great tolerance and respect for other religions which even a short but accurate of history will demonstrate. Unfortunately we prefer to be preached to rather than learn ourselves.
S. Sami,
Toronto, Canada
A response to Morgana, London, UK (below): Morgana, you are the perfect example of the 'west' not understanding Islam. Your statement "Islam claims all infidels must be killed" clearly shows your ignorance in this matter, not because you are a racist and not because you are a westerner, but simply because you haven't even bothered to go to a bookstore and find out for yourself what Islam is. Sadly, many of us muslims also share Morgana's ignorance. Imran, London UK
The problem is that much of the Islamic world envies the wealth of the West but refuses to recognise that some "Western" values are essential to achieving it. You can't have stable, inclusive societies without democracy, secularism and tolerance; you can't have scientific and technological advance while adhering rigidly to the religious notions of the 7th Century; and you can't expect your culture to be respected and liked unless it in turn respects and likes other cultures. Muslims need to decide if they want to live in societies like those of the Taliban or Saudi Arabia or societies like those in Europe. The fact is, you can't have both. Lars Redmond
Can someone explain why if the Islamic way of life is so wonderful that there are so many Muslims leaving these countries to live in the so called decadent West. Why is there not a rush of people willing to go and live under these Islamic countries strict laws. Please leave our countries as they are, they may not be perfect but they suit us fine. Bob Duncan, Carnoustie, Scotland
What must be questioned is why Muslims seem to be so touchy about any supposed insults to their religion. Why must every non Muslim have to be so careful not to upset Muslims? There are many cases in this country where I feel the UK has bent over backwards to suit the Islamic faith. But this appears never to be enough. Larry, Plymouth UK
The problem we have here in Denmark is not that we don't understand Islam, it is that we are not prepared to accept about 9% of the population trying to impose their religion and way of life on the other 91%. These people are unable to accept a secular pluralist society. Paul Smith, Copenhagen, Denmark
There are of course massive and often irreconcilable differences in the two cultures and both have the common faults of demonizing the other. Only in continuing dialogue and acceptance of these differences can both avoid more painful hostility. For our part in the West we have to accept Islam in its rich and diverse forms is different but not wrong. To our Islam neighbours I would say try and reach the hearts and minds of the ordinary folk in the West try and circumvent calculating governments and multi-national companies and an essentially ignorant media. Personally might I add, I cannot embrace your beliefs but I have respect for them. Roger, UK
One important point I would like to bring to light. One cannot fully judge a theory by looking at its applications. Rather, one would attempt to understand the theory first, then observe the spectrum of practices, some of which may be ill. And so, there is Islam and there are Muslims. There is Christianity and there are Christians, and so on. Asser, USA
As a Muslim living in a part of Canada where the locals have had insignificant contact with Muslims, I have personally felt the ignorance and wrong perceptions of people towards Islam. Arif Shah, Halifax, Canada
The question is predicated on the idea of a non-Muslim West. Such a place does not exist, except in a myth which debates framed in this way perpetuate. Plenty of Western citizens are Muslim, and the percentage is rising. Once Western non-Muslims stop treating Western Muslims as foreigners, and learn to accept them as equals, the fallacy behind the question will be exposed. Julian Symes, Brighton, UK
The basis of all secular religion is that it teaches two basic elements, morals that we must adhere to and either the fear or love of God. I do not advocate religion in any form and live my life away from the complexities of all religions and as such have brought my children in the same way. I honestly do not see how Christianity or Islam can teach me anything that I do not already know or fail to understand. Why should any religion dictate to me how I should live my life ? David Westwell, Warkworth, United Kingdom
In Manchester, there have been massive moves to make the Muslims feel welcome. They can build mosques where we cannot get planning permission to build churches, they get preferential treatment in our local Safeways where they only sell halal chicken and if, like us, you refuse to buy halal meat on compassionate grounds, well tough! It is perfectly fine for them to have their "we hate capitalism, down with the West, lets turn the UK into a Muslim state" marches but woe betide any of us who dare say a word against their way of life. These Muslims understand the west just fine - it's called a free ride and thanks to Mr Blair a terrorist haven. They understand perfectly well that over here all you have to do is cry racist and you can literally get away with murder.
I have no problem with any race or religion as long as they stay in their own country and do not come to mine trying to impose their views on me. Anon, Manchester, UK
Why is the problem always posed as 'The West' (for that read every non-Islamic country) not being tolerant of Islam, when in many places around the world civil unrest, hatred and violence has followed the spread of Islam and it's intolerance towards other ways of life? Surely the real question should be can Islam sit happily with any other doctrine/way of life? It is not the responsibility of those who chose different beliefs to accommodate the Islamic beliefs of others - especially when such actions would not be reciprocated. D,B, London, UK
As a student studying Islam and the history of Western colonialism within Islamic societies, I believe generalizations and misconceptions are born out of lack of exposure and education on Islam and the modern Muslim world. I feel that it is vital for Westerners to stop essentializing and start thinking critically and informedly. Elizabeth Aakhus, New York, New York
Moslems sometimes confuse ancestral culture with religion or unquestionably recite texts from the Koran without knowing what it means. A fundamental problem with the teaching of Islam is that the Koran is written in ancient Arabic and is often learnt parrot fashion in the same language, with no translation or historical context given. A better question would be "Do Moslems understand Islam enough?"
The media constantly portray Islam in a negative manner. The only stories we get from the news is always of death and suffering in Islamic countries, we never get to see the other side of the coin. Although I am not a Muslim, I believe they receive far too much bad press and thus fuels ignorance and hatred within Western society.
Most people in the "West", as you call it (I dislike these somewhat artificial aggregates), have little knowledge of Islam, as they have little knowledge of Hinduism or Judaism. But you visit almost any bookstore in the "West", and you do see a large number of books being offered on Islam. Of course, some are better, some worse, and some are quite scholarly and quite informative. Granted, most people will not read any of these books. But there has been certainly an effort to make information on Islam available to people at large. Can we say the same of bookstores throughout the Muslim world? I think not. Yes, many Muslims don't know how to read, many do not have the money to buy books. But many simply do not make an effort to learn more about the "West", preferring to hold on to the usual clichés: the "West" is arrogant, women are "loose", gays are everywhere, people don't take proper care of their elders, etc. Joao Gata, Aveiro, Portugal
I am a French Moslem and I think that our community must stop blaming the west for its own troubles. I think that the problem is that some Moslems have failed to understand the real meaning of our religion - like the fanatics - or have even perverted it to have a whole country under their power - like the Taliban. This is opposed to Islam.
While this principle has been working perfectly fine since Islam began to spread, colonization by Western nations in the 19th and 20th centuries and the consequent migration of Muslims to Western countries have turned the former realities upon which dhimmitude is based upside down. Vast Muslim minorities live in countries where the majority religion is not Islam and more importantly, the government is not. This, in Islamic law, is an impossibility. This is also why conflicts involving Islamic for the larger part flare up on the fringes of Islam (Chechnia, Palestine, the Sudan, Kashmir etc.). From an Islamic point of view, war must be waged to bring Muslim minorities in Western countries under proper Muslim rule.
It is up to Islam, which has so far expanded rapidly, to come to terms with the geographical and cultural boundaries of its spread, much in the same way the influence of the Church has peaked, only to erode to more modest proportions in recent times. Ilan Cohen, Rotterdam, Holland
All we ever see in the West is the after-effects of suicide bombs or the smiling face of a murderer proud to have killed so many. Unfortunately, by not condemning the acts of terrorists, the clerics and religious leaders of Islam do their religion no favours and merely help perpetuate the image that Islam is a religion based on hatred, death and violence. When will these leaders let Islam show the 'peaceful' side it must surely have? Dom, London, England
I lived in Saudi Arabia for a couple of years and I loved it. There is lots to be proud about.
However, we the West will never trust Islam until it shows it can run a democratically elected country. That is what frightens us - a country run by religious fervour rather than religious harmony. Stephen, UK
The domininant ideologies in the west are consumerism and feminism. How can a culture that allows itself to be imprisoned and controlled by these ideological paradigms accept a religion that states that men and women are equal and that the earth, status and prosperity comes from and ultimately belongs to Allah? Simon, Manchester, England
There are some comments here stating that Muslims should try also to understand the West. My response to that is there is a great deal of understanding amongst Muslims: e.g. the crusades, colonialist experience, intense cultural, political and media influence. How much of the same could be said of the influence of Muslim societies on the west? I think Muslims can, should and have learnt many v.positive things from the west (as well as a lot of undesirable ones). It's time the West really tried to understand Islam and Muslims. It may be pleasantly surprised and strengthened by it. naveed, London, UK
I don't see any difference with the way that the West is portraying Muslims now, with the way that it portrayed Jews not too long ago when Jews too, were being persecuted and misrepresented in the media. While we as Muslims are always told to explain ourselves and our faith, a hostile media and western public never take the initiative to ask why they are demonising us. Bilal Patel, London, UK
The West tolerates the intolerable for fear of being branded racist. Living very near the Finsbury park Mosque in North London I wonder why Abu Hamza, who openly fuelled hatred towards the West has been allowed to live in London, the West, for so long with no problem at all. Islam claims all infidels must be killed. If that is not pure hatred against those who are 'different' what is? The West understands and tolerates Islam. Islam may understand, but does not tolerate, other cultures. Morgana, London, UK
Following the September 11 attacks, the West was united in listening to the calls of the Muslim world for better understanding and tolerance. I find it disturbing that this tolerance was only being considered in one direction. The Islamic world has gained a reputation for a fundamental lack of tolerance of other religions and cultures, to the extent of active persecution in a number of states. I would hope that the level of understanding comes from both sides, publicly and unequivocally, without the double-speak we so often hear of when statesmen play to their own domestic agendas. Name withheld, London, UK
There has been a failure of understanding, but I believe the question as posed is an oversimplification. Neither "the West" nor "Islam" are convenient, simple entities. Indeed, this tendency to simplify and package huge issues into bite-sized concepts may well contribute to the problems in communication.
The responsibility to improve the situation clearly lies with all of us. I believe that one important step is the acknowledgement and embracement of diversity. A second important point is to raise awareness of the distinction between religion and "culture" - the two are obviously correlated but are not always one and the same. I suspect that cultural, rather than strictly religious, differences may lie at the root of many problems.
Steve O.,
London, UK
Please admit it!
We do not understand each other. The west does not understand the east and the east does not understand the west. I believe that before understanding there should be acceptance. Acceptance of the truth that being different does not mean being uncivilised or 'kafir' or inferior.
Sarath Sasi,
The question should be reversed; Moslems in the West have to understand where we in the West come from. Many of the Moslems commentators appearing in the media remind me of the old communist apologists; they have all answers, do not listen to or countenance criticism. And of course, like the communists, there has never been a truly Islamic state
The greatest problem in my view is that of ignorance, on both sides; Muslims and those in the West. A vast number of Muslims don't fully understand many Islamic rulings and use emotion to prove their arguments. This sort of behaviour is then made worse by people in the West judging Islam as a whole based on what they see some or many Muslims do. An example is that of terrorism and suicide. The Qu'ran and the Prophet Sayings are clear; suicide has been condemned in the scriptures yet many Muslims justify it or sympathise with those who do it.
Saudi Arabia
I would also pose the question to Muslims living in a Western country - do you understand the West enough to live with harmony with it? Surely it is reasonable that if the West tries to understand Muslims then the reverse should be tried as well - perhaps Muslims would then stop thinking of themselves as victims all the time. Roger, England
It is time that Islam began to take the blame for its own ills rather than blaming them on the West. After all, Western views, such as democracy and liberalism, can only benefit the repressed people of the Islamic world. Gareth, Manchester, England
I think there is a general problem with religion rather than just Islam - all major religions want everyone to believe and follow their way. This is an understandable ideal; if you think you have the answers, you want to tell other people. However, it does not allow for tolerance of others who don't agree with you. This is where the problems come from; intolerance of others' opinions, rather than specifically Islam or Christianity or whatever. People don't like to be told what they have to believe. Rachel Watson, Southampton, UK
Probably not, but does Islam understand the West?
All religions seem to be in conflict with contemporary life, especially science & technology. Western Christianity has reached some sort of compromise but Islam has not. Somehow it has to adjust!
Len Williams,
Of course we don't - we treat Islam with contempt without even trying to understand. We fear what we don't understand. The Muslims have a right to mistrust the West as we the British imposed our rule on them and now the Americans are doing exactly the same. Frank, Leeds
The West knows nothing about Islam; they only see the weaker side of it and is hell bent on destroying this great religion through violence. People in the West know that they can't accept a religion which involves sacrifices in their day today lives. The truth is that this same religion is the fastest growing in the whole world and no one can deny that. Stanley, India


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Are you a blogger who loves kids books?
Updating the update to add: In my blog post below, my main point though it may not come across as such, is that I'm withholding judgment until I see what it's like. I want to see it in action before I call it a bad idea.
Updated to add: I have just read Chasing Ray's analysis of this whole blog tour idea. I'll admit to several things.
First of all, when I signed up to participate--accepted the email invitation--it was before I read the fine print. I didn't know that authors were going to be paying for the privilege of having a blog tour set up for them. I didn't. If I had, I probably, would have had a few reservations about saying yes. I still might have said yes. But I wouldn't have been so quick. I knew that BLOGGERS weren't going to be paid. And the "frequently asked questions" I read concerned the blogging aspect and NOT the authors/publishers aspects. I'll never know now what my decision would have been.
Second, Colleen's post as thorough as it may seem does not happen to mention the fact that the bloggers are encouraged to be honest and genuine. In no way do bloggers guarantee anybody a "good" "gushy" "praising" review. Bloggers who dislike a book can opt out if they hate a book OR they can post a brutally honest review as part of the tour. But regardless, they are never encouraged to give anything but an honest and thoughtful review. Also, she neglects to mention that bloggers are merely invited to be a part of each tour. They choose which authors, which books interest them. They're given control of how often (the if and when) they participate in blog tours.
Third, she hints that bloggers who participate are being "bought" and "tempted" by the offer of a free book. That might lure some people in, sure, but it's awfully assuming. I will say this some bloggers wouldn't need to sign up to participate in these blog tours in order to get free books. I wouldn't *need* the blog tours in order to get free books. If free books don't change a person's review-policy/integrity generally speaking--365 days a year--why would the posts associated with the blog tour suddenly be suspect. This blog tour isn't asking anyone to change their policy or personality or integrity.
Fourth, this blog tour is more inclusive. I think this is a GOOD thing. I don't care what anyone says. I think WBBT/SBBT is too exclusive. You're either in or out. There is no room for anyone else on the block. If you're not among the dozen (or however many) blogs in the "it" group, then too bad for you.
Fifth, for some bloggers this is the first genuine opportunity out there to be part of a community, to get a chance to receive review copies. For some this is something special. And it shouldn't necessarily be negated or held suspect before it even begins.
Sixth, there is a 'big deal' made about participating in the tours and blogging in general just to get higher scores, higher traffic, more links. Assuming that people have the worst motivations for existing in the blogosphere, the kidlitosphere. Like there isn't a love of books, a love or reading, a higher goal of connecting books with people. Like the ONLY reason a blogger might want to be a part of this is to increase traffic. I don't like the assumption that she (or anyone) can "know" a bloggers motivations, judge a bloggers integrity based on little or no facts. My goals never are focused on numbers, I think about people, about individual readers. I want my posts to be read because I want to help people. I want to entertain; I want to connect. It's all about the books. All about the love of reading. It isn't about having a certain number of visitors per day, per week, per month. My content would be the same regardless if I was "hitting" a target of ten a day or three hundred a day or a thousand a day.
Also, her focus seems to be that because the tour will be assigned specific days that that negates, cheapens any review or interview. Let's say, I receive book ABC in the mail. It was sent by the publisher or author. Book ABC isn't assigned a specific time frame for reviewing. I decide if/when I want to review it. I read it. I like it. I review it. No big deal. This is what we do every single day of the year. But let's assume that ABC, which is a book or author I likely would have read or received anyway, arrives in the mail as part of the blog tour. Again, it is being sent by the author/publisher. I am given a window of when to review ABC. I read it. I like it. I write up a review. The reviews between the two scenarios are word-for-word the same. My opinions wouldn't have been influenced. My response, my reaction, my review would be just as honest, just as genuine, just as authentic as every other review I've ever written. Why--please share the logic here--because it happens to be posted the same day (same week) as other reviews/interviews is it suddenly valueless, worthless, suspect, unoriginal? If it had been posted the week before, a month before, supposedly my readers could trust it...but now suddenly....it's tainted by association? I just don't get it. Unless you want to slide once again on the slippery slope of bloggers receiving review copies in general, why make a big deal about a free book bribing or influencing the blogger?
How fair is it to judge something, a project, to judge the organizer and participants individually and collectively before it even begins. There have been no tours as of yet. There have been no samples of what these bloggers can/will do for the tours. How can someone just assume/presume that something will be worthless trash when there is nothing to judge it by. There is nothing to assess, nothing to judge yet.
If this article had been written say two or three weeks after the project has begun, if it was based on something actual instead of just assumptions...then I'd be more likely to swallow it whole as the best thing ever written. Maybe just maybe she's right. She could be. I'm not denying that. But there is also a possibility, a chance, that she's wrong. Good or bad, it's too early to say yet. It has potential to be really good, to be really bad, to be somewhere in between. But why assume the worst? Why be so cynical, so judgmental? Why not wait and see? Why not allow for the possibility that she might be wrong?
Today I discovered a new site, KidzBookBuzz.com. If you're a blogger looking to join in on blog tours focusing on children's and YA fiction, then this could be something YOU need to consider investigating for yourself. There are two standards you have to meet: you must have a technorati authority of around fifty, and you must blog regularly. (Regularly doesn't mean every single day, but I'd guess it meant more than once a month.) Unsure of your technorati score?
Just go to Technorati's site, join (it's easy and pain free), and register or "claim" your blog
Technorati Authority is the number of blogs linking to a website in the last six months. The higher the number, the more Technorati Authority the blog has.
It is important to note that we measure the number of blogs, rather than the number of links. So, if a blog links to your blog many times, it still only count as +1 toward your authority. Of course, new links mean the +1 will last another 180 days.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews


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Last week on Presentation Agency we started a series highlighting tools that help sales people do their job smarter. Our first feature was about PrepWork a service that automates research about prospects. Today we bring you the ultimate tool for finding conferences worth attending.
Have you ever regretted the fact that the first time you heard about a conference was after the fact? Ever wish you knew which collegues and prospects are attending the next conference you plan to attend? Lanyrd.com solves both problems and more.
Like a personal assistant for all things conference-going, Lanyrd discovers the best business events in your network. It finds upcoming conferences near you based on your interests, connects you to what your LinkedIn contacts are attending, and delivers all this information straight to your email inbox or Lanyrd dashboard on desktop or mobile.
When conference time rolls around Lanyrd follows through by connecting members to conferences through hashtagged tweets, hot links, and more. Users also get access to slides, videos, and podcasts from the event.
For salespeople looking to keep up to date with the conference world, this is the perfect means for staying connected.
|© Submit to Any - jjtcomputing.co.uk


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Gold Market Update
Having broken out upside from its 3-month long trading range, which was not expected in the last update, gold is now theoretically in position to continue to advance, and may end the current intermediate uptrend by staging a vertical blowoff move. However, the recent advance looks insipid when compared to silver - gold is still only about $15 above the high attained early in February, and in the event of a downturn it is unlikely to find much support in the January - March trading range, because it has not risen sufficiently far away from it. We can observe these points on the 6-month chart, on which we can see that the RSI and MACD indicators are not at overbought extremes, and thus there is room for further short-term gains. The gap with the moving averages remains large, however, and on the 5-year chart we can see that the rate of rise of these indicators is very steep, and thus continues to point to a correction.
On the 5-year chart we can further observe how gold has succeeded in breaking out upside from its long-term uptrend channel, an event that quite frequently leads to a vertical blowoff move, that is followed by an abrupt reversal, especially if, as is the case here, the price is already way above its long-term moving average, signalling that the intermediate uptrend is mature. Not only is the price way above the 200-day moving average, but this indicator is now rising at a very steep rate - a rate that is regarded as unsustainable.
In conclusion, although further short-term upside potential exists for gold, and the current uptrend from the fall of last year may end with a vertical spike, this uptrend is believed to be getting close to terminating. This fits with silver which is getting close to burnout and is likely to go into sudden reverse.


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Inspired by my friend's 30th Beach Prom themed party I decided to make her a unique headpiece for the occasion. The evening's showings included frocks from Rebecca Taylor to Target's collection of budget friendly party dresses. Unfortunately my camera died, so I am waiting for the photographer to send out his pictures so I can post!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Prom Princess
Posted by audreychristine at 11:18 PM 0 comments
Labels: accessories, headbands, party dresses
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Alice + Olivia
Posted by audreychristine at 11:39 PM 0 comments
Labels: spring 2011, trends
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Color, Color, Color!
It is finally warming up and I get excited for every day we near closer to Spring/Summer. Here are a few of my favorite color pallets expected to make an appearance for Spring/Summer 2011.
Posted by audreychristine at 8:18 PM 0 comments
Labels: color forecast, spring 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
All That Glitters...
Silver and Gold....thank you Olivia Wilde for showing when you can't make up your mind to just wear both.
Posted by audreychristine at 10:22 PM 1 comments
Labels: Footwear, Golden Globes, Tutus
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Gifts of the Season
What was the best gift this year? In this crazy weather I would have to say Hunter's rain boots are well envied and appreciated! These will go perfectly with Krochet Kid's handmade hats which can be adorned with customized clips, pins or accessories.
Posted by audreychristine at 10:42 PM 0 comments
Labels: accessories, Boots, hats
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Way, way back in 1990, when I was but a baby nurse, Bill and Hollie would stop by in the wee small hours of the morning to say hello on their way to day care and work. That is work for my darling husband and day care for 3 year old Hollie…SIGH! It was a hard thing for her to understand at that age, her mommy (when she called me mommy) heading off to work after tucking her in. So many questions she had then because who works ALL NIGHT LONG and in their PAJAMAS; at least in her 3 year old mind the nursing scrubs I was wearing when she would come and share a bowl of cereal with Scotty, the respiratory therapist while she waited for me to get off work and take her to day care were pajamas. Hollie regarded this with a mix of admiration and suspicion because no other grown up she knew wore pajamas to work, yet how cool to be able to wear pajamas to work!
How cool indeed!
And, apparently, there is such a thing as National Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day. My Timehop app told me so yesterday.
Kind of cool except yesterday was Saturday. But hey, nurses work all the hours of every single day and every single night so naturally…
I wore my pajamas, er, scrubs to work. No, I don't sleep in my scrubs because, ew, all the hospital bugs and yuck; but my current favorite scrubs are practically soft and comfortable enough that they might as well be pajamas.
Traditionally National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day is always the day after taxes are due in the United States; and if you've just paid your taxes you deserve an ULTRA-CASUAL day, don't you? Hey, you've got to go to work, but who says you've got to change into your clothes! So actually National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day should be Tuesday, April 19 since Tax Day this year is tomorrow.
Guess what? I am working Tuesday night. I'm definitely celebrating…again. I might even get fancy and wear flowers in my hair.
If you haven't already filed, GET YOUR TAXES DONE!


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Pictures of Ashley Greene, Xavier Samuel, and Taylor Lautner Heading to England 2010-06-27 10:30:30
Ashley Greene Gets a Goodbye Kiss From a New Guy as She Heads Off With Taylor and Xavier
Ashley Greene kicked off her morning yesterday with a hot kiss from her new guy friend Brock Kelly. She then hit the gym before prepping for a flight out of LAX. Ashley was traveling to the next stop on her Eclipse press tour, and she's expected to be on the red carpet later this week for a premiere in London. She joined the rest of the Twilight gang for last Thursday's huge screening in California — check out our top 10 moments! Many of the stars will be together again in England, but not Robert Pattinson since he's working on Water For Elephants.
Xavier Samuel also reported to the airport that afternoon. Xavier, much like Rob himself, brought a guitar along for the voyage. Taylor Lautner, though, went through security with his entourage today. They're all busy with a final promotional push for their film before it opens in the US on Wednesday! After some time off, the gang will reunite on set to start filming the first installment of Breaking Dawn.
To see more photos of Ashley, Taylor, and Xavier, just


text: Hello all, I am interested in hosting my own e-commerce website on a G5 x-serve. The only problem is, I have no idea how to do it. Is this something that poses a lot of technical difficulties? Do I need a lot of specialized knowledge to do this? Could someone point me in the direction of info as to how to go about this? Any tips/suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Jeff


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Friday, 30 May 2014
Shows of Hands: University of Bristol Botanic Garden
Today's Shows of Hands is courtesy of Andy Winfield who kindly emailed me this picture from the University of Bristol Botanic Garden. He says:
"The plant is Osteospermum jucundum in our South African display and the hands belong to various staff and volunteers. I wanted the hands to form a circle around the flowers but with the age of some of the volunteers it would have meant them moving into positions they hadn't taken up for some years (their words not mine)."
I did ponder adding this photo to Monday's Puzzle Corner Special, but I loved the smiley face on one of the hands and I felt this might get lost in a smaller photo. Thanks for a great shot Andy!
I also owe Andy an apology. In my previous post about visiting the garden, I promoted him to the position of Head Gardener. His actual job title in my view is equally grand: Botanical Horticulturalist. Oops - he was subjected to a great deal of teasing as a result of my error, sorry! Andy says he's just "happy to be referred to as one of the gardeners".
Talking of the Puzzle Corner Special, here are the answers:
How did you get on? Award yourself 2 bonus points on offer for the bindweed latin names only if you found both of them and 1 point if you found just one of the names. We can't tell from the photo which one it actually is - this guide is particularly helpful for later on in the year when the weed's in flower, though it does also show the characters to look out for when attempting vegetative identification.
Add an extra brownie point for yourself if you can supply the latin species name for the Clematis. I've puzzled through the RHS Plant Finder and I'm stumped. None of the online catalogues I've found name it either. As both the pittosporum and peony plants are named with and without the species name (depending on where you look), I'm wondering why the clematis is so consistently named without it.
Award yourself a further brownie point if you spotted I forgot to italicise the bindweed's latin names. One day I'll finally get to grips with this plant naming lark. *Sigh*.
All the other Shows of Hands contributions can be found here, plus details of how you can join in.
6 comments:
I've really been enjoying all the various Shows of Hands posts and pictures. Flighty xxReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Flighty, I've been putting the summary map together which has bost blog posts & tweeted contributions. It's looking great and extends the gloves/no gloves debate you had in your contribution ;-)Delete
What a lovely photo, the shows of hands has really taken off.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks CJ - I've been thrilled by the response - there's still time to take part if you'd like to :) Now I have to think of a good idea for next year!Delete
What a happy image! It made me smile!ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Tatyana - it makes me smile too!Delete
I see you've been in England - I hope you had a wonderful visit :)
I love hearing from you and welcome thoughtful conversations :)
Comments aiming to link back and give credence to commercial websites will be composted!


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Welcome to Bloggerbase, the best place to get started building a blog. The process is incredibly simple if you have the correct information. Our goal here is to keep things quick and dirty, yet easy to understand so even a novice can follow.
We will essentially walk through exactly how this very site has been setup on WordPress running the genesis framework for a theme.
Here is a quick road map to help those first timers out there trying to make a website.
Part 1. Register domain
Part 2. Purchase a hosting plan
Part 3. Point nameservers for domain to new host
Part 4. Install WordPress
Part 5. Install themes and plugins
Part 6. Dominate with your new blog
That's the general overview, we dive into each part of the process step by step, just follow the links above. For those who need a little less hand holding, here's the quick and dirty version of the process.
Register domain
If you haven't already chosen a domain name you will want to do so immediately. Godaddy and Namecheap are both great registrars to work with.
Choose a Hosting Plan
Probably the most important part of making a website is choosing a solid host. There is no one size fits all provider that is simply the "best" hosting provider. And if you go searching for something like that you'll find nothing but biased affiliate sites. Generally if you're running a small site, Hostgator is quality and affordable solution.
Point your Nameservers
Now we have our domain, we have our hosting plan, it's go time. On your cpanel for whatever host you choose, you'll find the specific nameservers to use. Typically this is in the left sidebar and you should get them emailed to you with the welcome email.
See the example:
Now sign into your registrar and click edit nameservers. The example below shows Godaddy, every registrar is going to have a slightly different layout but the process will be the same.
Now paste in the nameservers that we just pulled up from our cpanel or welcome email.
Save and you're good to go. Now depending on the registrar it can take up to 24 hours for everything to update so be patient.
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Now this is something people tend to way over complicate. Hostgator offers a free software installer that we can use to handle the WordPress installation for us. Then all we have to do is enter in the site title, site description, username, and password, click go, and let the software do the work for us.
Login to your cpanel, then scroll down the software and services section and click the "Fantastico De luxe" smiley face icon.
Now click WordPress on the left hand side.
Next you will have to enter in your details for the install. In the screenshot we have used domain.com as an example, be sure to enter your information here. Be cautious of the Install in directory field, note how it's blank in the example.
This will install WordPress in the main root of the domain, on some installers the default will be "wp" which would install WordPress in the /wp/ folder. No bueno, so be aware of this.
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Now visit your domain.com/wp-admin and login (hopefully you saved the username password from the previous step) and take a deep breath of that fresh WordPress air.
Install Themes and Plugins
Now developing a WordPress site is not something we will even begin to tackle here, let's just cover installing your theme and a few handy plugins.
Start by navigating to the themes tab.
Click Add new, Upload, Browse to the theme, install and activate. Now your theme is installed, the process for installing and activating plugins is the same, just navigate to plugins and Add new.
Congratulations, you just built a website
For the purposes of our quick guide on how to make a website, we have covered the basics. There are obviously many level of complexity with WordPress or building any site, but this is the process for setting up a simple WordPress site, cut and dry.
We hope you found our tutorial useful and easy to follow, let us know if you need any assistance setting up a blog, we offer a free blog installation service but you must signup with the hosting provider that we recommend. For many people this is a no-brainer option as they're going to signup for hosting anyway and this compeltely takes the thinking out of it.
We send you your login and other info, then you can hit the ground running. For the in-depth guide, you can start reading Part 1 on how to choose a domain name where we cover every part of the process. Thanks for stopping in and good luck with your new site!


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Don't Over Look PID in APC
That Old Stalwart PID Can Do a Lot of Heavy Lifting in Your Process Control Efforts
Additional override controllers may be added to the mix to prevent flooding by keeping the differential pressure from getting too high across a key section of the column. Alternatively, use the VPC controllers to lower column temperature setpoint to a permissible limit, increasing distillation rate.
Minimizing Reagents
A VPC can maximize waste reagent use by forcing the purchased reagent manipulated by the pH PID to a minimum throttle position. For several stages of neutralization, a VPC can minimize the pH setpoint of the first stage for acidic waste until the final stage pH base trim valve reaches a maximum throttle position. For basic waste, the VPC would maximize the first stage setpoint. A VPC process variable can be computed to prevent cross-neutralization of reagents from multiple-stage, split-ranged operation.
Minimizing Reactants
Composition controllers can maximize yield by adjusting the ratio of reactants to be closer to the stoichiometric ratio. The at-line analyzer PID provides a bias correction to the ratio of reactants to account for bias errors in the flow measurements. A VPC can adjust the input bias to the flow feed-forward to move the analyzer PID output to 50%, which is the point of zero feedback correction of the reactant flow measurement.
Maximizing Flexibility
Plant-wide, feed-forward control can move flows in unison per ratios established by the process flow diagram (PFD). Flow feed-forward enables the process controllers to stay close to setpoint for changes in production rate or product grade. The result is fast and smooth changes in flows with minimal disruption to process variables. The production rates and grades can be optimized based on market demand, day-to-night utility rates, and waste fuel and reagent supply. The flexibility translates to minimum inventory and maximum efficiency. Feed-forward summers are generally used because of their robustness and simplicity. When the process controller output is 50%, there is no bias correction to the feed-forward. A VPC can correct the flow input bias or ratio factor or feed-forward gain to return the process controller output to 50%.
Key PID Features
Several features of the PID increase the functionality of the VPC and make the tuning easier and more robust. Directional velocity limits on setpoints manipulated by the VPC combined with dynamic reset limits in the VPC PID enable faster correction by the VPC when a process PID valve is going open to prevent running out of valve. When the process PID valve is decreased to a less efficient setting, a more gradual approach can be used. The result is a cautious approach to optimization with a fast getaway to prevent violating a constraint. The controller can be tuned for fastest correction. The dynamic reset limits in the VPC PID prevent the VPC output from changing faster than the process PID can respond, greatly simplifying the tuning.
The tuning of the VPC can be automatically identified and scheduled by an adaptive tuner. It increases VPC control action by a higher VPC gain for a higher PV corresponding to the process PID valve moving to a flatter portion of the installed characteristic. This works in conjunction with the directional velocity limits to prevent excessively exceeding a valve position constraint. Feed-forward of unmeasured disturbances can be used to assist the VPC.
An enhanced PID developed for wireless doesn't change its output unless there is an update in the setpoint, feed-forward or measurement that exceeds a threshold sensitivity limit. By suspending integral action until there is an update, limit cycles from valve stiction and backlash are eliminated. The interaction between the process PID and VPC PID is also suppressed by setting the threshold sensitivity limit to ignore inconsequential changes in the process PID output. If a VPC execution time is chosen that exceeds the process response time, the VPC gain can be set equal to the inverse of the product of the process gains, enabling a single correction for a deviation in optimum valve position.
The enhanced PID can also suppress oscillations from the sample time, cycle time and multiplex time of at-line analyzers. By waiting for an update in the communicated analysis, the enhanced PID does not cycle due to an excessive update delay. If the total delay in the analysis result is much greater than the process response time, the enhanced PID gain can be set equal to the inverse of the process gain, enabling a single correction for setpoint and composition changes. The elimination of cycling and the simplification of tuning make the job of the VPC optimizing the at-line analyzer PID valve much easier.
Greg McMillan is a retired Senior Fellow from Solutia/Monsanto, an ISA Fellow, and a member of the Process Automation Hall of Fame.
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A look at the stories that are the CNSNews.com 'Best of The Week.'
Tax Time Numbers
Another deadline for filing your taxes has passed and you may be tired of crunching numbers, but here's one you should know, 86,429,000.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau that is the number of Americans who in 2012 worked full-time in the private sector.
Meanwhile, there were 108,592,000 people in the fourth quarter of 2011 that lived in a household that included people on one or more government means-tested program.
That 108 million number does not include those on Social Security, receiving veterans' benefits or unemployment benefits.
The Spending O' The Green
The tax money that comes into the government is used for many purposes, including trips for first lady Michelle Obama.
When President Barack Obama attended the G-8 summit in Ireland last June, first lady Michelle Obama and their two daughters went on the trip but made sightseeing visits in Dublin, attended a production of Riverdance, and toured a national park, activities that cost U.S. taxpayers $251,161.86, according to Judicial Watch, a government watchdog group.
Bring the Whole Family
The Obama daughters aren't the only ones with travel privileges. Vice President Joe Biden told a gathering on Monday that he likes to bring his grandchildren with him when he travels.
Biden said his granddaughters all told him they wanted to go to the World Cup: "It was an honor to be at the last World Cup and watching Spain win," Biden said.
A Moment of Charity
Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, reported an adjusted gross income of $407,009 in 2013, from which they contributed 5% to charity, or a total of $20,523, according to their 2013 income tax return, which was released by the White House on Friday.
Among that charity-total -- $20,523 – a sum of $15,300 was royalties earned from Jill Biden's 2012 children's book, Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops. Excluding those book royalties, the Bidens' charitable contributions of $5,223 equaled 1.2% of their income.
NRA Protestors Pontificate
Some people are more charitable with their time than their money, like the group of people giving their time in protest outside the NRA Headquarters this week.
One woman told us that they wanted to tell the NRA that "30,000 people die of gun violence in this country every year, and it's their fault."
Another woman noted that Stand Your Ground laws needed to be changed because they're being "disproportionately enforced by racist people against people of color."
Father Ray Kelly's version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" was taped at a recent wedding in Ireland.
The priest changed the lyrics to make the song more suitable for a wedding. A look at video from the ceremony indicates that the audience loved it.
Check out these stories and more on CNSNews.com


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Cape Town's most recent winter tourism season has defied the odds, with visitors flocking to the city.
Cape Town Tourism has also announced an initiative to boost tourism by partnering with Facebook.
This online campaign will launch next month.
Cape Town Tourism's report for April to June found that seasonality remained a challenge. A drop in visitor numbers during winter was an ongoing problem.
In response to this, the city needed to find a way to make sure it was an all-year destination.
After the latest figure for the winter months, Grant Pascoe, mayoral committee member for tourism, events and marketing, said some of the plans were paying off.
According to figures from Cape Town Tourism, more than half of the city's accommodation establishments surveyed had a year-on-year increase for occupancy rates.
Over the three-month period, arrivals at Cape Town International Airport increased by 64 000 when compared to last year.
Cape Town Tourism's visitor information centre also welcomed more than 75 000 people over the three months, a 6 percent increase over the previous three months.
In the run-up to the winter season, the city also partnered with travel company Thompsons to create packages specifically during that time period.
These centred around sports matches like the Manchester United and Ajax CT soccer clash. Packages were also tailored around Women's Day.
International accolades such as Table Mountain being named as one of the new seven wonders of the world and winning the World Design Capital bid boosted the city's profile.
The city, along with Durban and Joburg, also has a campaign with the National Geographic channel. It runs for just over a year and includes the screening of an hour-long documentary on each of the three cities.
Pascoe said the city and Cape Town Tourism had started drafting plans well ahead of winter.
"We put in a lot of effort and are happy that some of these things are coming into fruition. And we are glad that they worked out favourably."
Pascoe said the city was optimistic that it would be able to double the numbers by next winter.
"We will push hard. We know we're up against many other cities, but these numbers show we can compete with the best of them." - Cape Argus


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Washington utility customers who have not had their water meter switched over may soon be without water, as the city tries it's final attempts to contact residents who have not scheduled their appointments.
Letters, in batches of about 50, are being sent out to about 300 residents who have not updated their meter notifying them that meters soon will be shut off if contact is not made.
The letter cites a section of the city code that reads ". . . it shall be the duty of the water consumers to allow the superintendent access to their valves and meters at reasonable times and intervals; and for refusal to allow such access, upon order of the city, the water supply may be cut off and withheld from any person so refusing."
It further states that any further delays may result in a disruption of water service until the meter can be updated.
On average, the city and Pedal Valve, Inc. (PVI), have tried to contact residents with at least two phone calls, two door hangers and knocking on the door, said Kevin Quaethem, water/wastewater superintendent.
There are roughly 400 meters that still need to be installed, Quaethem said.
"I would really hope everyone would heed to the letter and respond to it," Quaethem said. "We have tried everything we can to make contact and held off as long as we could. Unfortunately, we've gotten to that point (of having to discontinue service)."
Quaethem noted that PVI crews are working later than normal to accommodate customers' schedules.
"We're trying to be as nice as we can," he said.
The project is about 92 percent complete, Quaethem said. In total, there were about 6,700 meters that needed to be updated.
"As a whole it has gone really well," he said. "Residents have been cooperative and we appreciate it."
Quaethem urged residents who may have friends or family who haven't switched their meters to encourage them to do so.
"The last thing we want to do is disconnect their service. That is not our goal," he said.
Quaethem said the meters are a "new age system" and have been working really well.
"It's all about water conservation. The more people can see they're using, the more they may conserve on water," he said, adding that there is an ongoing drought and water conservation is important.
The city contracted with Siemens Building Technologies and PVI to install the new residential and commercial iPERL water meters throughout town this year.
PVI was pulled from the job in October because of an inventory ordering issue but remobilized the last week of November.
Those who have not had their meters switched over should call Pedal Valve, 636-221-9074 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to schedule an appointment.
There is no charge for the service.


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This Tip of the Week is brought to you by the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA)
The breeding and calving process may be challenging for some dairy calf and heifer growers. Once breeding is successful, the bred female has to carry the unborn to term and calve with minimum stress to the cow and the calf. Although this seems like a straight-forward process, there are major risk factors for stillbirth and infectious disease.
Problematic calvings may result in calves developing respiratory acidosis. Left uncorrected, it may lead to the development of metabolic acidosis. This causes the calf's blood pH to rise, which may lower the calf's ability to absorb antibodies from colostrum.
The following steps can help calves get past a rough start, ensure survival and thrive.
Clear the airway - Remove mucous from around the mouth and nose, assisting the calf to breathe. Inserting a piece of straw into the nasal cavity or pouring some cold water on the calf's head should initiate a gasping reflex to promote respiration.
Dry off the calf - Dry the calf with a clean, dry towel. This should be done if the dam is unable to dry her calf, or if the calf is removed immediately. Vigorous drying around the shoulders and neck encourages respiration and helps the calf to regulate its body temperature. As water evaporates, heat is removed, which can leave the calf vulnerable to chilling.
Feed colostrum - Once the calf is breathing well, colostrum should be administered. According to DCHA Gold Standards, colostrum equaling 10% of body weight should be fed in the first four hours of life.
Colostrum has several positive effects on a calf. Not only does it provide the calf with disease-fighting antibodies, but it also increases the calf's blood volume and improves blood circulation.
Calves from a difficult calving may need to be moved and handled with extra care.
For more information, you can read Ensuring Survival with Newborn Care.


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Thief caught
Sheriff John Casey arrested Charles Cawood in Minneapolis Saturday charging him with the theft of the money and checks taken from the Jackson hotel safe. Cawood worked at one time for the hotel and was a barkeeper. He quit the job, by request it is understood, and was barkeeper in the Columbia for a time. He went to Minneapolis, and the authorities knowing he was in Anoka the day of the robbery, they kept him under surveillance.
Saturday the sheriff located his personal effects and a little later had him in custody. He confessed to rifling the money till in the safe, and said he burned the checks in the furnace.
– 100 years ago, Jan. 17, 1912
Zion pastor's resignation is accepted
At the annual meeting of Zion Lutheran church Monday night, Rev. Adolph W. Dickhard, who has been its pastor since April 8, 1931, tendered his resignation to take effect Easter. The resignation was accepted because there was nothing else to do, but those present were visibly affected at the prospect of losing a pastor and his wife who have done so much for the church and community.
Under Rev. Dickhart's pastorate the church has grown to over 300 communicant members; the Sunday school has doubled, and all church activities have advanced.
– 75 years ago, Jan. 13, 1937
New city liquor store studied by commission
Parking and rent problems had the city commission discussing the possibility of building a new municipal liquor store Monday night.
Anoka presently pays over $4,000 in rent yearly to operate an on-sale business and an off-sale store in two downtown buildings. They pay the Henry J. Wuest VFW Post 1043 $200 monthly for use of the building downstairs at 1914 First avenue S. that is used as an on-sale store.
– 50 years ago, Jan. 12, 1962
Board ups school meal price; man gives $94,000 for gifted
Saying that he was "not happy" about it but that there was "no choice," Jim Michaelson, Anoka-Hennepin District 11's child nutrition director, asked for and received authorization from the school board to raise school lunch prices as of Feb. 2, the second year in a row prices have gone up.
– 25 years ago, Jan. 16, 1987
• Compiled by Kelly Johnson
Editor's note: "Looking Back" is reprinted exactly as the items first appeared.