text:
- monthly subscription or
- cancelable any time
"Tell the chef, the beer is on me."
The recent publishing of lists of prisoners of Goli Otok, victims of communist purges in Yugoslavia from 1949 to 1956, has reignited dormant debates and opened some old wounds, across all the former Yugoslav republics.
Goli Otok is a Croatian island that was used as a prison camp during the so-called "Informbiro era" – the post-World War II breakdown between the communist leaderships of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. For many Yugoslavs, "Tito's historical 'No!' to Stalin" was a source of pride, especially because it solidified their country's role as an intermediary between the Western and Eastern Bloc. The purges that were part of the clash officially included persecution of alleged "pro-Soviet communists". According to the victims and dissidents of the time, this was often just an excuse by the country's power-mongers to get rid of anyone they disliked for any reason and, thus, people of many other political affiliations were sent to the notorious camp.
During the last two months of 2013, Croatian portal Novi Plamen (New Flame) published two lists compiled by UDBA (Yugoslav State Security Service) from the State Archive of Croatia – the list of the 413 people [hr] who died in the camps, and the list of all 16,101 prisoners [hr] who had served sentences there. The second link spread widely through social networks and then through news portals in all six former Yugoslav republics.
Slovenian right-wing blogger Pavel noted [si] that the publishing of the lists coincided with the recent December 9, 2013, death of Jovo Kapičić [sr], who had allegedly been the man in charge of Goli Otok. In an August 2013 interview, Kapičić, a Serb, claimed [sr] that the Serbs had made up the majority of prisoners at the camp.
Twitter user @flusteredcooler from Montenegro commented on this issue as well and, while people from all of the former Yugoslav republics often claim that their nationals made up the majority of those sentenced to serve time at Goli Otok, he noticed:
Legenda kaže da je na Golom Otoku najviše bilo CGoraca?Po spiskovima se može videti da je to bila jugoslavija u malom http://t.co/ZUU9jWyGSQ
— Mockingbird ®™ (@flusteredcooler) January 12, 2014
Legend says that most of the population of Goli Otok consisted of Montenegrins? The lists show that it was Yugoslavia in a nutshell [representing everybody]
A senior Macedonian blogger, among the oldest members of the local blogosphere, and a World War II anti-fascist resistance veteran, Buv ("Owl"), posted an announcement [mk] by the Association of former Goli Otok prisoners, advising caution in relation to the lists and offering first-hand consultations to all interested parties:
Темата за "голооточаните"."информбировците"затвореници што ја издржувале казната во логорот Голи Оток е дел од пошироката историска тема за конфликтот меѓу СССР и СФРЈ.Не може да се зборува за казнениците на Голи Оток,без да се разгледуваат во комлесот на историските збиднувања.
Независно од тоа колку биле свесни/идејно свесни/за својот однос кон конкретните настани,учесниците во збиднувањата,што подоцна се нашле на Голи Оток,се учесници во еден политички судир кој има исклучително историско значење,за нив,за нивната земја,за пошироките светски движења.
Ова отклонување го направивме за да обрниме внимание на оние лесно искажани карактеристики што се даваат по повод на објавените списоци за голооточаните/информбировците/ и во други прилики.Без да се има во вид поширокиот контекст на случувањата,може паушално да се кажува се и сешто.Важноста на историската проблематика бара сериозен пристап.
Здружението Голи Оток,меѓу другото,ја има и таа задача да ја објасни,документира,да ја покаже историската вистина за настаните во кои независно од нивната волја се нашле и овие страдалници,што така строго ги казнила историјата.
The topic of the "inhabitants of Goli Otok," the "Informbiro prisoners" is part of a larger historical topic about the conflict between the [USSR] and the [SFRY]. One cannot talk about the Goli Otok prisoners without taking into account the complexity of historical events.
Regardless of how much they were aware or ideologically involved in these concrete events, the participants who were detained on Goli Otok were engulfed in a political clash with exceptional historical importance, for them personally, for their country and the wider world movement.
We publish this notice to draw attention to the reactions that have been published with great ease after the lists of prisoners were exposed, as well at other occasions. Without taking into consideration the wider context of events, anyone can say anything without arguments. The importance of the historical issues requires a very serious approach.
The Goli Otok Association has the mission to explain, document and disclose the historical truth about the events which unwittingly encompassed these sufferers, who were so severely punished by history.
Informbiro activities left deep trauma in the collective former Yugoslav memory, parts of which were artistically expressed through popular cult movies like When Father Was Away on Business (1985) by then young Bosnian/Serbian director Emir Kusturica, and Happy New Year '49 (1986) by Macedonian director Stole Popov.
Written by Filip Stojanovski
· comments (0)
Donate · Share: facebook · twitter · googleplus · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious
"European institutions should safeguard the right to free, independent and pluralistic information". The quote, from the Media Initiative website, summarizes the main idea behind a pan-European campaign that aims at urging the European Commission to draft a Directive to protect Media Pluralism and Press Freedom.
The Media Initiative is running a European Citizens' Initiative - a tool of participatory democracy "which allows civil society coalitions to collect online and offline one million signatures in at least 7 EU member states to present directly to the European Commission a proposal forming the base of an EU Directive, initiating a legislative process". The petition is available in 15 languages and can be signed online:
Protecting media pluralism through partial harmonization of national rules on media ownership and transparency, conflicts of interest with political office and independence of media supervisory bodies.
A short video presents the campaign:
Written by Sara Moreira
· comments (0)
Donate · Share: facebook · twitter · googleplus · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious
The Galaksija (Galaxy) computer, created by inventor and author Voja Antonić in 1983 with detailed instructions for anyone to put together a personal computer with standard parts, is nothing less than legendary in the former Yugoslavia. The DIY home computer may not have matched the quality or high-tech readiness of most brand name computing machines of the time, but it inspired a country and a generation to plunge deeper and farther into the IT industry that was just beginning to develop worldwide.
As legend would have it, in the summer of 1983, a young journalist with a flare for all things tech and scientific, Voja Antonić, was vacationing in Montenegro. At the time, importing computers and such machinery into Yugoslavia was close to impossible for the average citizen due to complicated customs laws and licenses. Such technology didn't come cheap in the 1980s either. A standard PC in 1983 cost about an average Yugoslav worker's monthly salary, which was among the highest in Europe at the time.
Antonić plunged into some summer reading on the Montenegrin coast that year about a new brand-name computer that had just been released on the global market. As he looked at the schematic, he realized that most of the parts of standard PCs had become readily available at most hardware stores throughout the country. Within months, the young Antonić had put together a schematic for anyone who wanted to build a do-it-yourself computer. He then contacted a few manufacturers of such parts and partnered with them to create DIY packages with all the necessary parts that any ordinary consumer could order for and put together at home.
Initially, the team involved believed they could sell as much as several hundred of the Galaksija kits, a number they thought to be highly optimistic but possible. Antonić knew he would also have to publish the schematic in a place where wider audiences could see it, for those who didn't want to order the ready to build Galaksija kit, but would rather purchase the parts on their own. He teamed up with Dejan Ristanović, who was barely 20 years old at the time and putting together a magazine about the latest in PC technology, "Računari u vašoj kući" ("Computers in Your Home"). Together, Ristanović and Antonić released the full diagram and instructions for the Galaksija personal computer in the first January 1984 edition of the magazine, published in December of 1983. Within a year or so, over 8,000 Galaksija kits were sold in Yugoslavia, while the number of those who purchased parts on their own and used the schematic to build their custom Galaksija were never recorded. That same year, Galaksija computers were introduced into elementary schools throughout the country. The year was 1984.
A tech revolution was incited. Ristanović, Antonić and their team also used radio and television to promote the Galaksija and everything computer-related, teaching average users how to customize both their hardware and tweak code here and there. The video below is one of Antonić's countless popular television appearances in which he sat down to explain some gaming basics to Galaksija and other PC users:
Thirty years later, Antonić is a world-renowned inventor, speaker and writer, while Ristanović is the editor-in-chief of one of the country's most popular geek magazines, PC Press, and co-founder of one of the first Internet providers in Serbia. Today, Serbia is known among those in the IT industry as a place of great potential and well-rounded developers and innovators, despite the recent decades of political, social and economic troubles. In a recent post, Eurogamer.net elaborated on how the Galaksija revolutionized the use of personal computers on several levels. Radio DJ Zoran Modli came upon the idea at the time to distribute software for the Galaksija and other similar machines – through the radio ether. As the Eurogamer.net article explains:
Like the ZX Spectrum and other computers of the time, programs were loaded onto the Galaksija from an audiocassette recorder. This gave Jova Regasek, the editor of Računari, an idea for a bold experiment. He got in touch with Zoran Modli, who hosted the show Ventilator 202 on Radio Belgrade. Modli's show was a mix of local bands and contemporary chart music, but he also had an interest in computers, and Regasek's idea was to broadcast the sound of a computer program that listeners could tape and then load up on their home machines. In effect, this was wireless downloading long before the days of wi-fi.
In the year of Galaksija's 30th anniversary, every school in Serbia is equipped with computers for students, the Internet penetration rate was close to 65 percent in 2012, and visitors are often surprised to find that wifi is readily available almost anywhere in every city and town in the country. Over one-third of the country's adult population uses the Internet daily, and the statistics are just as or more impressive for Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia, with Bosnia-Herzegovina lagging somewhat. With much to make up for after the turmoil of the last two decades and the global IT industry developing rapidly, the region has yet to catch up with some other high-tech markets. With the Galaxy to mark its past, many are confident that the region has a bright future ahead.
Written by Danica Radisic
· comments (0)
Donate · Share: facebook · twitter · googleplus · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious
She was a revolutionary, a commended war veteran, a style icon and first lady to the leader of the only socialist country in the world that refused to be a Soviet satellite. Jovanka Broz (nee Budisavljević), widow of Marshall Josip Broz Tito, passed away in Belgrade [en] on October 20, 2013. On Saturday, October 23, Jovanka Broz was honored with a state funeral in Serbia's capital and buried in the mausoleum known as "The House of Flowers" [en] next to her husband, a full 33 years after his death.
Jovanka Broz spent a lifetime being loved, hated, praised and criticized by many. Few and far apart are those who had no opinion of her at all. Born into a family of humble means in Lika (Croatia), she joined the revolutionary partisan forces at the age of 17 and soon became one of Tito's secretaries. Their whirlwind romance began sometime during the Second World War and they were married in 1952, when she was 28 and Tito 60.
Although 30 years her powerful husband's junior, Jovanka was decisive, opinionated and had tremendous influence over her husband at times. Those who met her through diplomatic and political circles claim that she was a highly intelligent woman of elegant poise. There were also those in Yugoslavia and, more recently Serbia, who criticized her spending habits, along with her husband's, who was a well-known hedonist of expensive taste. The video below shows Tito and Jovanka Broz at the height of his power in 1971, during a state visit to US President Richard Nixon.
Jovanka enjoyed a jet-set lifestyle while she was first lady of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, but lived the last 30 years of her life as a recluse in Belgrade in poverty, never inheriting any part of her late husband's estate or receiving much from the state. Reports began emerging in 2005 on blogs and later in media about the conditions in which the former first lady was living in – with no heat, a leaking roof, doors that wouldn't lock, in an old house in the once high-end Belgrade neighborhood of Dedinje that was, essentially, falling apart. Since her death, the blog Bašta Balkana quoted [sr] one of these reports from 2005, when they visited Jovanka, describing the poor state of the house she was living in and a conversation with Jovanka's sister, Nada. The reporter asked:
- Živi li vaša sestra ovde potpuno sama i bez grejanja?! Kako je moguće da se nadležni godinama oglušuju da joj stvore elementarne uslove za život?!
- U ovoj ledari, moja sestra živi sama i to godinama traje – odgovara Nada. – Ponekad ostane i bez struje, nekad se prekinu telefonske veze, plafon prokišnjava. Ali nije samo ona ugrožena. Njenu sudbinu dele i njene komšije. I oni su danima bez grejanja.
- Does your sister really live here all alone and without heating?! How is it possible that the [institutions] responsible for this are ignoring to provide basic living conditions for her?!
- In this icebox, my sister lives alone and it has been like this for years – Nada responds. – Sometimes she is left without electricity too, sometimes the telephone lines go out, the ceiling leaks. But she is not the only one at risk. Her neighbors share this fate with her. They are also left without heating for days.
The government then reacted fairly quickly after these reports and some assistance and reparations were provided for Jovanka and her neighbors occasionally over the next few years. Jovanka remained as far from the the public eye as she could, although media interest had been raised. In the months prior to her death, knowing that her health was rapidly declining, the former first lady of Yugoslavia decided to publish her memoirs, as recorder by author Žarko Jokanović. The book, titled "My Life, My Truth", was released just three weeks before she died [sr] and is being sold at newsstands at the price of 449 dinars (4 euro or 5.50 US dollars).
Blogger David Bailey, a British expat living in the Balkans, quoted what Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić said at Jovanka Broz's state funeral on Saturday, wondering whether the PM's words were hollow or heartfelt:
The absence of a religious funeral service was the wish of Jovanka and her family.
Serbia's Prime Minister Ivica Dacic led the tributes at the funeral ceremony, saying: "Today marks the departure of the last icon of the former Yugoslavia." He said it was time to admit that the treatment she received after the death of her husband was a "sin".
On social networks these days, there is no majority opinion on who or what Jovanka Broz was. Some say she was "an icon" [photos], "a heroine", others call her "a leech" and "a fake", while a few simply lament the country's disregard for its own history and its neglect of Jovanka Broz in recent decades. There are very few in-betweens and no particular hashtags to follow, but people are visibly talking about her passing which, in many ways, gives closure to an era that ended 30 years ago. Whatever their opinion or political affiliation, many social media users posted "Bella Ciao", an Italian song often sung by the partisans of Italy and Yugoslavia before and during WWII, made popular by Giovanna Dafinni in the early 60′s and often tied to Jovanka Broz. Tetka, a popular Serbian portal, wrote in a post titled "Bella Ciao – The Song That Saw Jovanka Broz Off":
A možda nam je ovim taktovima na svom poslednjem ispraćaju poslala poruku o ujedinjenju, ideji koja je sve nas na prostorima bivše zemlje razjedinila do krvavih ratova jer ova pesma u Italiji i jeste postala popularna kao pesma u kojoj je ujedinjena jedna ideja.[...]
Koliko je ova pesma popularna i danas kao himna pobune, dočaraće vam podatak da su ove godine u Turskoj, buneći se zbog planova da se na mestu poslednjih "zelenih pluća grada" u Istanbulu grad tržni centar, mladi koji su protestovali protov ove odluke premijera Erdogana pevali ovu pesmu.[...]
Jovanke Broz srpska javnost se setila tek kada je dospela u bolnicu i to onda kada više nije sama mogla da donosi odluke. Dok je mogla, odbijala je lečenje kao da je jedva čekala da ode sa ovog sveta, iz društva koje ju je stavilo u izlolaciju i zaboravilo je.
Or perhaps in her last farewell she sent us a message about uniting through these beats, an idea that divided all of us on the territory of this former country through bloody wars, because this song became popular in Italy as the song that unites one idea.[...]
A fact from this year from Turkey will demonstrate the popularity of this song as a revolutionary anthem, where young protesters, rising up against the building of a shopping center in the place of the last "green lungs of the city", sang this song as they protested this decision by Prime Minister Erdogan.[...]
The Serbian public only remembered Jovanka Broz when she ended up in hospital and even this was when she could no longer make her own decisions. While she could, she refused treatment, as if she could hardly wait to leave this world, this society that put her in isolation and forgot her.
Written by Danica Radisic
· comments (0)
Donate · Share: facebook · twitter · googleplus · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious
Slovenia is becoming an ever more popular destination in recent years due to the numerous attractive vacation features it has, in particular for citizens of Europe. Slovenia's idea to focus on and develop health tourism is a flourishing success and this small country now has dozens of natural spas and health resorts.
Using it's geographic advantages in terms of location and climate, Slovenia's development plan has created 15 of the most modern health resorts under the tagline "Through Nature to Health". This spa tourism campaign has given Slovenia a rising number of visitors who are fans of the green Mediterranean coast.
The Slovenian coastline is only 46.6 kilometers long, while the coastal towns of Piran, Izila and Kopar draw tourists with their original medieval structures and feel. Social media sites are loaded this summer with warm greetings by users from around Europe and the world during their vacations in Slovenia, who seem most impressed by the country's natural wonders. A Facebook page for caving enthusiasts shares photos by tourists of the amazing Skocjan caves. Another Facebook page, dedicated to summer in Slovenia, shares users' photos of summer activities such as rafting.
The most popular destination, however, seems to be the city of Bled:
Alastair Mavor, a Nottingham University History student from London, says this about Bled:
Lake Bled – pretty unbeatable! #slovenia #interail pic.twitter.com/YgPF4tMn5a
— Alastair Mavor (@alastairmavor) August 4, 2013
Another Twitter user, a media professional and speaker native to Slovenia, @LenjaFPapp says:
The magical way to end your Sunday! #MassageInNature #sLOVEnia pic.twitter.com/l7vquChnkk
— Lenja Faraguna. (@LenjaFPapp) August 4, 2013
A visitor from Austria @StephDo_ posts as picturesque photo of Bled Lake:
was a nice day in #bled #slovenia #blue #lake #wonderful #summer2013 pic.twitter.com/SQkQUYmXNw
— StephDo (@StephDo_) August 4, 2013
Slovenian lakes still attract the most attention from visitors, but Slovenia seems intent on drawing tourists' attention to other sites and activities that the country has to offer and ABC News calls it vacationing in the heart of Europe.
Written by Tamara Gocmanac
· comments (0)
Donate · Share: facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
As the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) blog reports, the Serbian, Turkish, Slovenian and Brazilian under-18 girls' national volleyball teams showed outstanding results on the weekend of July 27-28, some with a perfect win-loss ratio. Full stats and results are available and regularly updated on the Federation's website.
Written by Danica Radisic
· comments (0)
Donate · Share: facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
Four Slovenian tech start-up companies have exceeded their initial funding expectations and managed to accumulate a total of some 400 thousand U.S. dollars in funding on the popular crowdfunding site Kickstarted over the last year. Slovenia, a Eu country with a large and growing unemployment rate, has a growing ICT industry and many young entrepreneurs seem to be finding solutions to economic hardship in innovation and seeking funding from abroad while retaining their companies and development centers at home. Inventures.eu covers the success of these start-ups on Kickstarter in more detail:
It took less than five hours for Lumu to raise its initial goal of 20.000 dollars and the campaign still has a few days to go, until 12 July. The project has amassed more than 200.000 dollars in funding and the number keeps rising…
All 50 parts needed to make one Lumu are made locally in Ljubljana. To keep Lumu affordable, the team needs to make electronics in bulk quantities. They also plan on extending the features of the Lumu app. So far, more than 2.000 backers have pledged between 1 and 570 dollars. The 79-dollar rewards have already sold out but for a 99 dollars pledge you can get a Lumu pack by October.
Written by Danica Radisic
· comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
As of January 1, 2014, the UK labour movement restrictions placed several years ago to prevent migrants from Romania and Bulgaria from moving permanently and seeking employment in the UK will be lifted. Some predict large migrations of workers from these two countries, among the poorest in the European Union, while others say that migrations will be so small they will barely be felt and many emphasize the fact that Romania has a growing, innovative IT industry that will also benefit the British IT industry. Other Eastern European countries have also helped boost the UK's thriving IT industry in the recent past, such as Estonia, Lithuania, Slovenia and more. The Independent covers several sides of the developing story, with quotes from Eastern European immigrant IT entrepreneurs in the UK:
Written by Danica Radisic
· comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
Black Sea News publishes Natalya Belitser's paper [en] – "Transnistrian Conflict: State of Affairs and Prospects of Settlement" – written for the international conference on "frozen conflicts" in Europe, which was held in September 2012 in Bled, Slovenia (via Andrei Klimenko).
Written by Veronica Khokhlova
· comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
Rick Falkvinge, the founder of Pirate Party, reinterprets the wars of religion that devastated Western Europe in the XVI and XVII centuries in terms of the current struggle to control information through overbearing legislation related to copyright and freedom of expression:
The religious wars were never about religion as such. They were about who held the power of interpretation, about who controlled the knowledge and culture available to the masses. It was a war of gatekeepers of information.
Written by Filip Stojanovski
· comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
"— Slovenians Demand Radical Change | Critical Legal Thinking 2013-01-15
In 2009, the global economic crisis began to affect Slovenia not only due to shrinking European exports, but also because of misguided policies taken during the years of economic expansion (most during Janez Janša's first mandate). In 2009, the Slovenian economy shrunk by 8% and the overheated construction sector disintegrated. The Slovenian economy entered a second recession in the last quarter. Protesters blame this new recession not only on the autocratic, neoliberal, corrupt and incompetent policies of the current government, but on a recent succession of corrupt self-serving governments. This is why protesters have recently demanded the replacement of the entire political elite.
The government has responded with arrogance to the raised voices of its own citizens. The ostensibly representative government has consistently refused to enter into dialogue with protesters and had instead discredited and ridiculed their legitimate demands. This shameful response has only helped the protest movement to grow. The government has also responded to the protests by closing down the centre of the capital city of Ljubljana, by using riot police, horses, armoured vehicles, water cannons, antiriot fences and helicopters in what can only be characterized as a gross overreaction to the largely peaceful gatherings of Slovenian citizens. The police has imprisoned large number of youngsters, misstreating them, holding them hostages, blackmailing their parants to stop protesting, if they want to see their kids liberated. Prime Minister Janez Janša has described the protesters as "extremist left zombies" and characterized them as radical "neo-socialists" in an effort to balance out the actual presence of neo-Nazis (possibly organised by the ruling government itself in an effort to discredit the protests at the beginning of the movement). Again this insulting government response has backfired, drawing more and more angry citizens into the streets.
"— The People Returns: A footnote to protests in Slovenia | Critical Legal Thinking 2013-01-16[...]The protests were triggered by an apparently insignificant and marginal issue in local politics. In Maribor, the second largest city of Slovenia, the city mayor committed a private company to install cameras across the city, in order to control the traffic and penalize the violations of speed limits. The main problem was that the penalties would be paid to the same private company. This then added fuel to the already founded accusations of corruption in the city council and notably in the mayor's office. The occasional protests culminated in what became known as the "Maribor uprising", where, for the first time in the short history of Slovenian independency, the police used excessive violence, water cannons, helicopters etc. The combination of local issues and cynical political reactions from the governing parties lead to the situation in which a vast majority could recognize their own dissatisfaction and frustration with the governing politics, and more broadly with the problematic political tradition in Slovenia. The initiatives for protests spread across the country and the majority of organising was conducted through the social networks.[...]"
Sleeping With Pengovsky explains the current political situation in Slovenia (more - here and here):
[…] [PM Janez Janša] already controls the parliament. He controls the economy. And as of last Sunday, he also controls the president of the republic. […]
The only unknown in this scenario are protests. The political class, even down to "middle managers" is shit-scared and they honestly don't know how things will turn out. I don't think anyone does. […]
Written by Veronica Khokhlova
· comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
Sleeping With Pengovsky comments on Slovenia's presidential election (GV text is here) and on the protest movement - "which appears to be totally decentralised and operating via Facebook":
[…] At the moment protests in Slovenia are directed against many different targets. Mayor Kangler, Mayor Janković, prime minister Janša, interior minister Gorenak, the failed industrial and construction tycoons, the banksters, even the president-elect Pahor already found his way to the "Gotof je" (He's Done With) posters. But there is a common message to these protests. The people realised they've been robbed of their own country. And they've come to take it back. […]
Written by Veronica Khokhlova
· comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
The second round of the 2012 presidential election in Slovenia, in which the former Slovenian PM Borut Pahor defeated the incumbent president Danilo Türk, took place on Dec. 2, amidst ongoing mass protests.
On EurActiv.com, Marko Bucik examined the election campaigns of Pahor and Türk - and commented on the current situation in Slovenia:
[…] Pahor will start his mandate among very tense social and political circumstances. In the past week, numerous mass protests have spread across Slovenia expressing genuine feelings of disappointment and anger about the precarious situation in which Slovenia finds itself merely 21 years after gaining independence.
With the number of those unemployed persistently above 11% and with Slovenia's GDP projected to contract by 2% in 2012 and a further 1.4% in 2013, little optimism is left. The frustrations with the current economic hardship have been further strengthened by perceptions of corruption among the ruling elites, their insensitivity to the population's fears and their inability to cope with the crisis.
None of the presidential candidates convincingly responded to the social unrest and expression of disaffection that will probably only grow over the coming months. […]
The official results of the election look like this:
On Facebook, Blaž Babič presented a somewhat different picture:
For the fellow readers from abroad. New president of Slovenia Mr. Pahor ("Barbie") won with the votes of 27,7% of the electorate.
The minority of 13,4% wanted to reelect former president Türk.
Those figures are so low because the electorate is fed up with false choices - only 42% did bother to cast a vote at all.
Conclusion - over 72,3% of the electorate did not elect the new president who ran the campaign under the slogan "Together!".
Babič added:
14.546 ballots were "invalid". That's 2% of all votes cast.
Majority of them had two ex-post-commy candidates stricken out and option 3. Gotof Si (you're finished) added.
"Gotof si!" is also the last fashion motto of the protest against the corrupt elite.
Dr. Filomena commented on the recent rallies:
[…] Right now, protests are being held in various places around the country, aimed against politics in general, against politicians who have been unable to steer the country clear of the continuously deepening crisis. The protests are spontaneous and no politician or political party dares claim them as their own. They do, however, try to pin them onto others, much to the disgust of the protesters. […]
Piran Café shared a photo report from the Nov. 30 rally in the capital city of Ljubljana, which ended in violence:
[…] Upwards of 10,000 people gathered in Ljubljana yesterday, one of seven Slovenian cities where hastily organized demonstrations took place to protest what's perceived as widespread fraud and corruption, austerity measures, and the economic reform policies of the center-right government of Prime Minister Janez Jansa. Here in the capital, the demonstration began at 4 pm in Kongresni Trg, or Congress Square, before moving a couple hours later towards Trg Republike, or Republic Square, near Parliament. Protesters were loud and at times blunt, but peaceful. Police stationed near Parliament were relaxed –certainly much more than they were on Tuesday – some of them exchanging banter and conversation with demonstrators. Many were wearing carnations given to them by protesters whose chants included, 'higher salaries for police'.
I left at about 6:30; an hour later the mood shifted dramatically. Provocateurs, described by many on the scene as well organized and numbering perhaps four to five dozen, began throwing bottles, rocks, bricks and fireworks. Under the spotlight of a helicopter, police soon responded with tear gas. When the rock-throwing idiots were eventually forced from Republic Square and back towards Congress Square, the water cannon was brought in. At night's end, 33 were arrested and 18 treated for injuries at local hospitals. […]
Another photo report from the Nov. 30 Ljubljana rally was posted on Suncan's Daily Photo:
[…] And then a gang of some 50 (they say) covered up bastards rushed into the crowd and started throwing everything (and yes, they came well prepared) they had in their pockets at the police and the crowd. As someone I know very well (and who I totally believe would not be making up this) described: A guy was standing close to me, and he said into the phone. 'Ok, it is all ready. Come in now' And then a gang of what she described as highly organised covered up people rushed into the crowd, just a few meters away from me. And that was when all hell broke loose.
So, my honest opinion is: No it wasn't the protesters fault. No, it wasn't the police's fault (I know it sounds weird coming from under the fingers of somebody who does not believe in any repressive government bodies). It was the fault of a few dozen highly organised mercenaries (I have no idea what to call them, but from the description of their actions I do have a feeling that they were paid for this action, so I will use the word mercenary.) As far as I am concerned the main question is: Who paid them?
Written by Veronica Khokhlova
· comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
Russian collective "What to do?" published an essay by Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, who considers Pussy Riot "conceptual artists in the noblest sense of the word: artists who embody an Idea," and fight against the cynicism of power-mongers who strive to return Russia to the tsarist level characterized by Leon Trotsky (1905) as "a vicious combination of the Asian knout [whip] and the European stock market." The text has been translated into various languages [en, ru - middle of page, it, sr, sr, mk, gr] and reprinted by bloggers and progressive portals throughout Europe.
Written by Filip Stojanovski
· comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
Sleeping With Pengovsky has been covering Slovenia's referendum on the Family Code (here and here), the mayoral by-elections, and the upcoming presidential election.
Written by Veronica Khokhlova
· comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
[All links forward to French articles unless stated otherwise.]
As of the end of the month of February 2012, the mobilization efforts of Internet users against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) [en] were still going strong. In fact, they may have begun to bear fruit.
By including infringements against the author's rights in its scope, this international treaty, which addresses intellectual property rights, also affects Internet content.
The ratification debates which were placed on the European Parliament's agenda on February 29, were put on hold in expectation of the opinion of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The issue of the treaty's conformity with European Community law was brought before the court on 22 February by the European Commission.
Taurillon, the "magazine of young Europeans -France" describes "Europe's about-face on ACTA":
Si l'avis est négatif, l'ACTA n'a plus aucune chance en Europe. Mais en cas d'avis positif, le recours à la CJUE représente le double avantage de redonner au traité une certaine crédibilité, et de repousser son adoption à une époque suffisamment lointaine pour que la polémique se soit tassée et que l'opinion publique regarde ailleurs.
Jérémie Zimmermann, co-founder and spokesperson for la Quadrature du Net urges on the European deputies:
Les eurodéputés doivent résister à la stratégie de la Commission européenne, qui cherche à gagner du temps et à transformer le débat en une simple discussion juridique, et pour cela continuer à travailler au rejet d'ACTA. ACTA vise à imposer une tendance pour une politique globale du droit d'auteur qui est toxique pour l'Internet libre et pour les libertés. Le Parlement européen est le dernier rempart : il doit agir et adopter une position claire et forte, faute de quoi il laissera le champ libre à la Commission pour imposer une répression inacceptable.
For trucbuntu, there is no question of remaining passive while waiting for the Court to adjudicate:
Les citoyens de toute l'Europe peuvent contacter leurs représentants dans les commissions Commerce International (INTA) et Industrie (ITRE), qui se réunissent cette semaine pour discuter d'ACTA, et leur demander de continuer à travailler au sein de leur commission pour le rejet d'ACTA.
The website of the European Parliament explains the procedure and the issues of the treaty [en] that are under scrutiny, and has published 'What you should know about ACTA' [en], a page of questions and answers. The ACTA workshop of the European Parliament has been the object of a storify [en] made by the Parliamentary services (link via Global Voices contributor Asteris Masouras [en]).
The organization AVAAZ submitted a petition to the European Parliament on 29 February with 2.4 million signatures against ACTA. The petition is still open:
Nous sommes vraiment proches de la victoire — notre pétition forte de 2,4 millions de signatures a ébranlé les responsables politiques partout en Europe et stoppé les censeurs. La Commission européenne est à présent en position de faiblesse et espère que la Cour de justice donnera son feu vert au traité ACTA en lui soumettant une question juridique très limitée qui recevra certainement une réponse positive.Mais si nous faisons résonner nos voix aujourd'hui, nous pouvons faire en sorte que la Cour examine tous les impacts légaux du traité ACTA et publie un avis qui fera toute la lumière sur cette attaque contre nos droits qu'est ACTA.
Anti-ACTA parties continue to strengthen their resources. New protests were set for 10 March, and torrentnews gives a list, with this appeal:
La liste n'est pas exhaustive, n'hésitez pas à nous contacter pour la compléter ;)
si certains se sentent l'âme d'un reporter- photographe en herbe, nous recherchons également des personnes pour faire un petit article photo du déroulement de la manif, rien de bien compliqué, comme fait ici pour Nice, Marseille,Bordeaux et Strasbourg.
The list is not exhaustive, do not hesitate to contact us to complete it ;)
If any individuals see themselves as budding photojournalists we are also looking for people to do a small photo story on how the protest unfolds, nothing too complicated, as it happens in Nice, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Strasbourg.
For details on the elements of the debate, see also these linked articles from the Tribune on February 29, and Myeurop, on March 3. On Global Voices, see the laws SOPA/PIPA that set a precedent in the USA, here [en] and here [en]. Since the beginning of the protests, ACTA seems to have lost a lot of political momentum.
The title of this post is inspired by the end of the article "La liberté sur Internet : le filtrage de la discorde" which was published by the Institute of Research and Legal and Information studies and Communication (I.R.E.D.I.C.). It puts into perspective Internet blocking and debates the adoption of ACTA.
The original article in French was published on March 4. For background on the ACTA proposal, more articles can be found here [en].
Written by Suzanne Lehn · Translated by Danielle Martineau
· View original post [fr] · comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
Spotted by Locals: Experience cities like a local features a few dozen locations, including CEE cities of Belgrade, Bucharest, Budapest, Krakow, Ljubljana, Prague, Riga, Sofia, Tallinn, Vilnius, Warsaw, and Zagreb. A random sample post from Zagreb, Croatia: Hrelić Flea Market – The Aleph of Zagreb; from Bucharest, Romania: The Haunted House – Armenian Neighbourhood; from Sofia, Bulgaria: Nissim – A True Old-School Bookstore.
Written by Veronica Khokhlova
· comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
Unlike the authorities, social media users are reacting to the empirical information about high levels of pollution in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia.
As part of the reforms for joining the EU, Macedonia is required to start measuring and improving its environmental indicators. The EU progress report for 2011 [pdf] stated diplomatically by basically repeating the 2010 report [pdf] (indicating stagnation or reversal instead of real progress):
Some progress can be reported in the area of air quality. Transposition of the acquis continued with adoption of some implementing legislation. Three more Protocols to the CLRTAP were ratified. Some progress was made in developing the system of air quality monitoring. The administrative capacity remains insufficient at central and local levels. Preparations in this field are moderately advanced.
During the last two and a half weeks, an air quality measuring station "Skopje Breathing", which was installed in the busy city center to publish its data online in real time, has provided a new dimension for citizens and some journalists from Skopje.
The portal PlusInfo.mk started covering this issue in detail, and is also providing real-time numbers for the amount of sharing via social media. The article [mk] from Friday, Dec. 3, compared the "shocking" level of pollution with the WHO air pollution database:
According to the World Health Organization data [from September], the most polluted city in the world is Ahvaz in Iran with 372 micrograms of PM10 dust per cubic meter. At this time the City of Skopje website "Skopje Breething" says that the prevalence of this type of dust is 433 micrograms per cubic meter.
The WHO limit for PM10 is 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
This article received over 1,432 Facebook shares and at least 19 tweets, leading to over 22,185 readings by the time of closing of this post. Other articles on this topic also received significant social media attention, especially the one on the temporary unannounced shut-down of the measuring and reporting system for six hours the day after. Other media [mk] also continue to follow the measurements, which on Dec. 4 were 488,99 micrograms per cubic meter. The governmental bodies in charge of environmental protection either kept silent or offered the usual excuses - not within their competence, will investigate, etc.
While comparing the current (daily) measures with the WHO annual averages is questionable from the viewpoint of methodology, no official expert has provided retractions or scientific explanation about the comparison and the actual pollution. The annual mean PM10 for Skopje is 80 micrograms per cubic meter, according to the WHO database. The current metrics show a somewhat lower level than the "world record," which nevertheless remains dangerously high.
Tumblr user Stamatovski responded by creating a new postcard for Skopje [mk], which also received quite a few reposts and re-tweets.
Stamatovski wrote [mk]:
Alright everybody, after "the postcard" incited so much interest - which I did not expect - let me remind you that we are all responsible for what it represents!
Also, this is nothing new, nor is it going to change in a couple of days! Let us all stop driving in our cars alone, let's not use our cars to go even to our kitchen, let us not insist on parking 3 millimeters from our destinations, and generally let's all become more aware of the environment.
And let us all wish for some snow ASAP. :)
On the other hand, Dejan Spaseski criticized [mk] the excessive reactions to the news about the pollution via his Personal Development blog:
For a long time, everybody has known about air quality in Skopje. The only difference is that now we have a higher awareness. We also have a way to click and receive the current information immediately. This has made a huge difference.
My personal philosophy is that you have to do everything step by step, according to the interest effect principle… Everything needs time, it is enough to start doing something to change the current situation. This is a great start for me and we are moving in the right direction.
Some of the [social media] reactions made me laugh… Most of the initial comments were accusations that this is a result of the constant building and rebuilding in Skopje, new high-rises, cutting of the [Vodno] forest, building of Porta Vlae and Kapishtec apartment blocks, to the point that we don't need Skopje 2014. Most of the people complained that the Central Government or the Skopje Mayor haven't done a thing about this in years.
Some people claimed that they wouldn't get outside until the fog lifts, until the air quality returns to the limits of world standards - like in the big metropolises. If they sit at home, would they breathe cleaner air, or just feel better? Others said they wouldn't go out until Skopje is no longer the first in pollution. I cannot fathom why they feel relieved if there's another, more polluted city? Maybe the feeling that they are not victim number 1 but victim number 2 worldwide?
People rebel about pollution, but they all like to come and live in Skopje. I am very revolted by those who constantly keep saying they can hardly wait for Friday so they could leave towards their birthplace, or have a weekend in [Ohrid] or [Krushevo]. To get away from the stench. So why are they [coming back on Monday]?
It is not loyal to spit on the city we live in. The city that has offered us existence. In return, think about how you can help improve it. Now that you know about air pollution, ride a bus instead of driving your car. It would be cheaper and less damaging to the environment…
It is naturally easier to spit and blame. It makes things easier. Instead, try to act and think differently…
To bring the city into such a state, it took several decades. It would take as much time to repair the situation.
While the apologetic attitude towards the responsible authorities received counter-criticism [mk] on Ping.mk, Twitter user Gjorgji Taskovski responded to a far more concrete aspect of the text:
Why do the people who want to "get away" from Skopje over the weekend revolt you? I'll use a personal example: I have two kids, born 2005 (male) and 2006 (female). They prosper, except that the boy has runny nose all the time. Every season we made allergy tests with no results. The responsible physician, who is also a friend, advised us to move to the Radishani [a suburb on the slopes of a nearby mountain]. And now you say I should be ashamed to run away from Skopje over the weekend (even though I was born here). [For the sake of my children] I will run, what do I care! My wife is from [Kriva Palanka] and her parents returned to the village of their birth a year ago… When the kids are there, the change is amazing: no running nose, they eat [like wolves]…
I agree that pollution [in Skopje] has been high for years. Solution: the same as [Ljubljana]. Restrictions on moving into the city from other towns, relocation of jobs by relocating factories, possibilities for studies outside of Skopje and, above all, a developed rail network. Anyone who has lived in Germany or England or anywhere else in Europe would grasp the importance of this [Macedonian railways are infamous for their inefficiency and low mileage]. Removal of older trucks from Skopje is another super option - they are used in construction business, but that's not my problem. And above all, we have to admit that we live in a city with catastrophic urban planning, which spreads only longitudinally [along the Vardar river], and that building of new sports terrains, Vero supermarkets, cinemas etc. are not the only precondition for high quality of life. […] I say "Big deal!" to organizing swarm festivals, the great night life, or the [awesome Zoo]. Try to raise kids in this city, you'll change the way you think.
Written by Filip Stojanovski
· comments (0)
Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper
"Tell the chef, the beer is on me."
"Basically the price of a night on the town!"
"I'd love to help kickstart continued development! And 0 EUR/month really does make fiscal sense too...


text:
MexJK requires OprM for erythromycin efflux but not for triclosan efflux. Deletion of 15 OprM family outer membrane proteins (OMPs) revealed that only the TolC homolog OpmH functions with MexJK for triclosan efflux. This is the first report of natural utilization of multiple OMPs by a given resistance nodulation cell division transporter/membrane fusion protein pair.
Efflux pumps of the resistance nodulation cell division family (RND) are associated with the intrinsic or acquired multidrug resistance phenotype of gram-negative bacteria (for recent reviews, see references 17 and 22). The RND pumps, as typified by AcrAB-TolC of Escherichia coli (8), form a tripartite complex spanning the entire cell envelope. High-resolution crystal structures of the outer membrane protein (OMP) component TolC (16), the RND membrane transporter AcrB (20, 26), and the Pseudomonas aeruginosa AcrA homolog MexA (1, 11) revealed a mechanism by which RND pumps can achieve this (7). Our previous studies showed that the MexJK efflux system required OprM for erythromycin efflux but not for triclosan efflux, and we reasoned that either MexJ and MexK were sufficient for triclosan efflux or MexJ and MexK interacted with an OMP other than OprM to form a functional triclosan efflux pump.
We previously determined that OprJ, OprM, and OprN did not function with MexJK to assemble an active triclosan efflux pump (4), although the respective OMP functioned with MexAB-OprM, MexCD-OprJ, and MexEF-OprN in triclosan efflux (2, 4). Because we suspected that an OMP of the 18-member OprM family might associate with MexJK, we decided to individually delete the genes encoding the remaining 15 members of this family in strain PAO327 constitutively expressing MexJK but not OprJ, OprM, and OprN. Although a comprehensive PAO1 transposon library was recently published which contains insertions in all OprM family genes (14), we decided to generate unmarked deletion mutants to avoid possible undesired effects resulting from truncated OMPs. The respective promoterless coding sequences were PCR amplified from PAO1 genomic DNA using gene-specific primers (unpublished data). Plasmid-borne deletions were generated and used to construct unmarked deletions in the PAO327 chromosome, utilizing published methods (12) (plasmids and strains used in this study are listed in Table 1; a comprehensive list of intermediate plasmids and strains is available from the authors). opmJ was deleted using a modified PCR-targeted method (5) in which the target gene is first cloned into a plasmid, followed by λRED-mediated recombination of a PCR-generated mutated copy of the gene (10). Because PCR amplification of the oprN gene proved futile for unknown reasons, an oprN::ISlacZ/hah-Tc transposon insertion from strain 8802 (14) was transferred to PAO327 using a previously described transformation procedure (9). Using these methods, we succeeded in deleting 14 of the 15 genes encoding the OprM family of OMPs and insertionally inactivating oprN. The resulting strains, except PAO375, contain well-defined unmarked deletion alleles and have between 21 and 395 codons deleted from the respective coding sequences. For complementation, the promoterless inserts were directionally cloned into pVLT35 (6), in which the DNA inserts are under the transcriptional control of the E. coli tac promoter and the lac repressor.
MICs for triclosan (KIC Chemicals, Armonk, NY) and erythromycin (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) were used as a measure of MexJK efflux pump activity in this panel of defined OMP mutants and their complemented derivatives. MICs were determined by the twofold broth microdilution technique (2). An agar incorporation method was used to determine triclosan MICs of >128 μg/ml (3). Deletion of only one gene, opmH, disrupted MexJK-mediated triclosan efflux, and overexpression of OpmH restored MexJK function to wild-type levels (Table 2). Deletion of opmH and overexpression of OpmH resulted in a marginal (twofold) decrease or increase, respectively, in the MIC of erythromycin, indicating that MexJK-OpmH may also be able to mediate some erythromycin efflux. Deletion of any of the other OprM family OMP genes and complementation with the corresponding genes expressed from the tac promoter did not have any significant effects on triclosan and erythromycin MICs, indicating that none of these OMPs can be utilized by MexJK to catalyze efflux of these antimicrobials. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis indicated that all genes were highly expressed in isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside-induced cells, verifying that lack of complementation was not due to lack of expression (data not shown).
If OpmH is indeed the OMP used by MexJK for triclosan efflux, then OpmH must either be constitutively expressed or be coexpressed with MexJK. Utilizing previously described procedures (21), rabbit anti-OpmH polyclonal antiserum was developed by immunization with three oligopeptides, VGDTRIAFDERPATVKRN (amino acids 77 to 94), LNQSEQSREGQRRQV (amino acids 341 to 355), and AEQLQSKPRQQY (amino acids 471 to 482), based on the deduced OpmH primary sequence (24). Membrane preparation and immunoblot analyses were performed as previously described (21). The anti-OpmH polyclonal antiserum did not cross-react with OprM, OprJ, OprN, OpmD, OpmE, and OpmB in membrane preparations of strains expressing these proteins constitutively but did react with native and histidine-tagged OpmH expressed in P. aeruginosa KG4510 (data not shown). Immunoblot analysis of total membrane proteins from PAO1 grown in LB medium (19) revealed growth phase-independent constitutive OpmH expression (Fig. 1). Similar observations were made when transcription of opmH was analyzed in LB-grown cells with an opmH′-lacZ transcriptional fusion and real-time PCR (data not shown). In both approaches, subinhibitory triclosan concentrations (8 μg/ml) did not significantly affect opmH expression, i.e., triclosan did not induce opmH transcription.
To further assess the roles of OprM and OpmH in MexJK-mediated erythromycin and triclosan efflux, we constructed hybrid operons containing mexJK alone, mexJK-oprM, mexJK-opmH, and mexJK-oprM-opmH, where constitutive transcription of all genes originated from the mexJK promoter. Plasmids containing these hybrid operons were transformed into strain PAO397, which carries deletions for five major efflux systems (including oprJ, oprM, and oprN) and the ΔopmH362 mutation. MICs for erythromycin and tetracycline were determined as a measure of efflux of the respective antimicrobials (Table 2). Expression of all genes was verified by reverse transcription-PCR (data not shown). It is evident that MexJK requires OprM for erythromycin efflux and OpmH for triclosan efflux, since in the absence of OprM and OpmH neither erythromycin nor triclosan efflux is observed. As expected, simultaneous expression of OprM and OpmH led to efflux of both antimicrobials, although triclosan efflux was somewhat lower when compared to efflux by the MexJK-OpmH pump. This is perhaps due to competition of OpmH and OprM for formation of a functional MexJK-OpmH triclosan efflux pump. Erythromycin efflux was marginally (twofold) higher in the strain expressing both OprM and OpmH when compared to efflux observed in the MexJK-OprM-expressing strain. Expression of OprM alone had no effect, indicating that the observed triclosan and erythromycin efflux was not due to the mere presence of this OMP alone or its interaction with yet another efflux system. In contrast, overexpression of OpmH resulted in a significant (fourfold) increase in the MIC for triclosan, indicating that OprM may be able to interact with yet another efflux system to mediate triclosan efflux. Of note also is that the triclosan MICs for PAO367 (16 μg/ml) and PAO397 (2 μg/ml) are significantly different, but we do not yet understand the cause for this difference.
The data presented here confirm that triclosan efflux in a strain expressing MexJK is mediated by a tripartite MexJK-OpmH efflux system. The constitutive expression and apparent absence of opmH cotranscribed efflux or secretion components confirm the previously published notion that the TolC homolog OpmH may play a more general role by interacting with more than one efflux system (15). However, the data presented here clearly indicate that these interactions may not be nonspecific, as previously suggested, but in some instances may rather depend on which substrate is being exported by the respective efflux system. How the OMP exerts its impact on substrate specificity of the pump remains unclear. One possibility is that the specific substrate export pathway, e.g., by opening of the exit pore, is formed only when all three proteins are properly assembled in the presence of the appropriate substrate. Another possibility is a substrate-induced assembly of the tripartite efflux pump, i.e., by recruitment of the appropriate OMP, similar to what has previously been observed with the HlyBD-TolC protein export system (25).
H.P.S. was supported by NIH grant AI051588, and N.G. was supported by grants from the Ministry of Education, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan.
- Received 13 October 2004.
- Returned for modification 4 January 2005.
- Accepted 27 January 2005.
- Copyright © 2005 American Society for Microbiology

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The IRS is holding a webinar about tax issues for direct sellers on July 27th (time depends on timezone). These are business that are selling products through parties and catalogs. So if you are a rep for Avon, Tupperware, Amway or any of that kind of retailer, this might be helpful for you.
The webinar is free but you must register.


text:
Three after midnight,
light emitting diode moon
dazzles sleepyhead!
17 thoughts on "Monday Morning Haiku #189 — Full Moon"
My Monday "fix" has been attained. I can now continue with my normal day.
Seeing a full moon mean no rain, and I'm all for that.
Have a brilliant Monday, my dear friend.
That's splendid, as I first began my regular Monday haiku slot with the intention of it being a "fix" and a positive start to people's weeks.
It is very sunny here today. I was even able to put my washing out on the line by 9 am and it is now bone-dry, which is mostly unheard of in the winter.
Wishing you a brilliant Monday, over on your side of the Pond, too. my dear friend.
I love this Sarah, the hint of the dark hours of the night and the dazzle of the moon.
Reblogged this on The Militant Negro™.
I like your camera.
Mine captures the moon as a dot.
What am really looking forward to buy though is a telescope..
The sky 'heals' me
Sorry I'm only just replying to your comment, but I only found it this minute as it had gone into my spam folder. My camera is a Nikon Coolpix and has the facility to wide Zoom to a magnification of 6X. It was a present from my husband, so I've no idea of its cost! I would say it was mid-range. It is very small but can do quite a lot. I love telescopes and for many years I belonged to an astronomomy society. I even helped grinding the lens when our society was building a telescope. My parents let us use one of their outbuildings as a workshop. Fortunately, my father was interested in astronomy, otherwise the privelege would most definitely not have been ours! The sky is very healing, any time of the day or night. I just adore cloud-watching.
Ahh…almost makes those 3 amers worth it doesn't it?Lovely, wistful haiku and beautiful photo dearest Sarah, mine always look like tiny dots, even the super moons! But oh they are a sight to behold. Remind me to get my 'proper' camera out next time 🙂 xxxxxxxxxxx
I think it takes a very posh camera to photograph a perfect moon. My moons are never exactly as I want them, with all the dark plains showing and a crisp outline. Although the moon in this photo was so dazzling that none of the plains showed. I'm so glad you loved the haiku, as well as the photo, dearest Sherri 🙂 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Please comment, whatever your planet of origin. Cancel reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


text:
Rooted in New York
What does it mean to cook Mexican food in New York City? FOOD & WINE Best New Chef Alex Stupak weaves the spirit of Manhattan into the flavors of Mexico at his Empellón restaurants, Taqueria, Cocina and Al Pastor.S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water introduces you to a world of unique taste experiences
New York is a city that constantly reinvents itself in its own footprint. There are heartbreaking illustrations of this—like the loss of the original Penn Station, a Beaux Art beauty demolished in the 1960s to build the blight that stands there today. But there are also inspiring examples—moments when artifacts of Gotham's past present themselves, and there's nothing to do but tip one's hat to their memory. When chef Alex Stupak began chipping away at the yellow-painted exterior of his East Village Mexican restaurant Empellón Al Pastor, he stumbled across one such relic: layers and layers of decades-old graffiti, a time capsule of the kind of improvisational street art that gave the neighborhood its soul for generations.
It took four men nearly a month to scrape away the paint without damaging the work, and when it was done, Stupak invited two contemporary graffiti artists to leave their own mark on the brick wall. "We didn't try to preserve the past; we just wanted to reveal it, honor it and add a piece of ourselves to the narrative," he says. "That's the nature of the art form and, in some ways, the story of New York."
Rooted in New York
Stupak wasn't raised in New York, but his approach to the graffiti is an allegory for the way he regards the city as muse, reconciling its traditions and renegade spirit with his own modern, impressionistic sensibilities in the kitchen. A native son of New England, Stupak cut his teeth at Ken Oringer's Clio in Boston, and later as pastry chef at Grant Achatz's modernist jewel, Alinea in Chicago. But it was when he arrived in New York City that Stupak really began to refine what mattered to him as a cook. In 2006 he took over the pastry kitchen at Wylie Dufresne's experimental restaurant wd~50 on the Lower East Side. There he learned to distinguish between what he calls "picture and frame"—how much presentation and context can alter the perception of a dish. At wd~50 he took that notion to its most ambitious, molecular extreme. "You can cook something that looks familiar but tastes surprising and exotic, or you can present something that appears unusual but offers a comforting and recognizable flavor," he says, of dishes like "cherry-covered chocolate," which inverted the proportions of the dipped-fruit classic, enrobing spheres of chocolate mousse in glossy cherry gelée.
In 2011 he left the Dufresne fold—and the world of pastry—to take a deep dive into the flavors of Mexico, opening the first Empellón restaurant, Taqueria, later that year. It was a dramatic career shift—"fine dining lost a star." Dufresne told the blog Grub Street not long after Stupak's departure. But the radical philosophy that served Stupak well at wd~50 stuck around. "When I opened Empellón Taqueria I wanted to challenge ingrained expectations around the way Mexican food needs to look and taste; the kind of environment it ought to be served in; what it is allowed to cost," he says. "I was really responding to this feeling I had that New Yorkers have a value system that places the cuisines of Western Europe above those of countries like Mexico. A three-Michelin–starred Mexican restaurant does not exist." As Stupak grew his family of restaurants—Empellón Cocina and Al Pastor joined Taqueria in subsequent years—he took aim at what he saw as a bias in haute cuisine, reimagining its touchstones to fit his vision. If a long, auteur tasting menu is the mark of a serious restaurant in New York City, then Stupak needed to offer one. But instead of the Raynaud china and Ercuis Brantome silver that might cover the table at Per Se, Stupak commissioned an avant grade sculptor to design service ware at Cocina's four-seat "kitchen table," and the menu—21 outré bites that include trout skin flautas and oysters topped with nixtamalized popcorn kernels—is designed to be eaten with your hands. He fell in love with the art and science of tortilla-making, and began to look at the fragrant flatbreads the way all great chefs look at an empty plate, as a canvas for ideas. He mused about whether the ideals of New York's fine dining heritage could be expressed in a taco, recreating chef Jean Georges Vongerichten's iconic signature dish—scallops with cauliflower and caper-raisin emulsion—and serving it on a tortilla at Empellón Cocina. In the doing, Stupak honored New York's long tradition of artistic subversion; of questioning the default culture; of manipulating the picture and dismantling the frame.
The city informs his work in other ways too. If Mexican food as we know it is the result of indigenous fusion—an ecumenical blend of Spanish, Moorish, even Lebanese influences mingled with the country's pre-Hispanic roots—then what would happen if the cuisine kept adapting to its environment? "Sometimes I want to do the work to master a regional dish; other times I try to imagine what it means to cook Mexican food in New York—to explore the city's character within the confines of the Mexican pantry," says Stupak. "If a Mexican community settled the East Village around the turn of the last century, they would have tried to cook their own food with the ingredients available to them. At the time, there was a huge Jewish and Eastern European immigrant population down here. What would that have looked like?" And so there are classic pork carnitas at Taqueria and Cocina—shredded, slow-cooked meat crisped up in its own delicious, wobbly fat. But there's also beef pastrami that splits the difference between Mexican carnitas and the flavors of the area's historic delicatessens. He took on the iconic bagel with lox too, arranging smoked salmon on a tortilla with cream cheese and salmon roe salsa. And while the greenmarkets of New York City have little in common with seasonal rhythms across the border, he finds inspiration there too. You might not find fava beans on any menu in Oaxaca, but you'll find them at Empellón in the spring. Treated like any other bean in the Mexican culinary vernacular, it's an example of how a flavor can be of two places at once, expressing the cultural soul of Mexico using the terroir of the American Northeast.
The writer Thomas Wolfe once said of New York that one belongs to it instantly. That "one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years." Like so many New Yorkers, Stupak wasn't born in the city, but arrived there later in life, presenting a piece of himself as an offering. Today, at his Empellón restaurants, the chef showcases what the city has given him in return: An opportunity to champion a cuisine that has long been misunderstood in the United States; an occasion to make a point with his food; and a chance to leave his own trace behind on that proverbial brick wall in the East Village, as so many artists have done before him.


text: d-dave 2,895 Posted January 6, 2016 I get they are mad, which is fine. Getting mad at something they can't control and doesn't change their win/loss record is dumb. Fact is, the Media loves Wilson because he fits more into the "traditional QB Leader" archetype. Cam is a whole 'nother beast (literally). Cam can navigate the media as well as anyone, has the million dollar smile to go with his incredibly handsome self. He has also carried our team through most of their wins. Early on, the D was much stouter, and was able to save our butts (like the first NO game with Norman's game winning interception). After the first month, it was the Cam show. While Wilson has played really well, he's has 100 yard rushers and his defense continuing to make his job easier. Consider this, Seattle has exactly ONE win where the other team scored more than 20 points...ONE... What does that tell you? Sure, Wilson is extremely accurate, but he's had very good defensive showings to give him the opportunity to throw all those TDs. So if Wilson wants to win the MVP next year, he needs to have the best record in the league, but he also needs to elevate the rest of his team. He is already part of an excellent team. Cam is the heart of our team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text: Harold Davis began his professional football career with East Fife in 1950 and was drafted for national service the following year. He was seriously injured during the Korean War and spent almost two years in recovery. He played for Rangers between 1956 and 1964, during which time he made 261 appearances in the first team and won a string of honours to earn a place in the Ibrox hall of fame. Now 78, Davis devotes much of his time to supporting the Erskine Trust.


text:
Himalayan Body Scrub with Argan and Rose
This luxurious Himalayan Rose body exfoliator was inspired by an ancient spa ritual. Rich in minerals this multi-goodness draw out environmental toxins and deep-dwelling dead skin cell so your skin looks purified, radiant and refreshed. Rose is added for its youthful aroma and rejuvenation benefits. Rose is known to improve the elasticity of the skin and promote a good skin tone.
How to use:
Massage Body Scrub into damp skin using circular motions over the entire body. Concentrate on dry areas such as knees, heels, and elbows. Rinse well. To use as a body Soak pure a handful into bath water, get in and relax.


text:
The North Country Shopper has been our main advertising source, at Big Cheese Pizza, for many years. They really came through for us when a national competitor came to town. Craig and Trevor worked with us to come up with many new and innovative advertising ideas. They were always there rooting for us. We were able to get the word out about our lower prices, premium Galbani cheeseand our fresh and homemade pizza. Because of this our customers have returned, stronger than ever."
—Jerry Huttula, Big Cheese Pizza
The North Country Shopper is the most affordable, most widely circulated way to buy and sell merchandise in St. Lawrence County since readers may view it free of charge both in print and on the internet. It also keeps me up to date on things like current community events and movies. I look forward to the new edition each week!
—Ginger Thomas, Gouverneur


text: Clinic Location All our locations are shared premises with Balance Podiatry. This enables us to provide team-based care for people requiring regular podiatry and dietitian input such as people diabetes, sports people or people who just want to get fit. Northern Territory Darwin (08) 8945 5966 Fax: (08) 8945 5417 Shop 16 Casuarina Village 54 Bradshaw Terrace CASUARINA NT 0810


text:
Sinners Choir getting Greasy at the Linsmore Tavern!!!
This Saturday night, the Linsmore Tavern is bringing in the Sinners Choir!!! If you like Blues, Roots covers with some Greasy Originals then the Linsmore is the place to be this Saturday night. There will be no cover, the band starts at 9:30pm and cheap drinks all night! Come out and see this young hungry band playing some really KILLER music!!!!


text: Michael Viele has been a front end developer and business owner for the past 13 years. He's managed a stable of loyal clientele across multiple sectors such as Cox, Altiscale (a subsidiary of SAP), Incorta, Reebok, Reader's Digest and the United States Navy. To him, it's all about the details. Clear distinction of details, time-frame, expectations, along with regular communication and client collaboration are what truly make any project a success.


text:
Dyan Reaveley's 8.5" x 7" Dylusions Cling Stamp Collections - Pin Up Queen
Dyan Reaveley's 8.5" x 7" Dylusions Cling Stamp Collections - Pin Up Queen. RANGER-Dyan Reaveley: Dylusions Cling Rubber Stamp Set. These red rubber stamps come mounted on cling foam to easily use with any acrylic block (sold separately). This package contains one 8-1/2x7 inch sheet of stamps. Available in various designs: each sold separately. Size and number of stamps may vary by design. Made in USA. Toys > Category > Holiday Shops > Halloween Store > Halloween Arts & Crafts. Apparel & Accessories > Costumes & Accessories > Costumes.
Browse all deals at Toys"R"Us
See more in Costumes
* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with Toys"R"Us to confirm actual price & availability.
Please enter your name
- Be the first to comment!
1 location
655 E. Jubal Early Avenue
655 E. Jubal Early Avenue
Winchester, VA 22601


text:
By DOUG E. IBENDAHL • July 19, 2018
How many times do President Trump's enemies have to lose?
How many more states do they have to put in the Trump win column for 2020 before they finally realize their over-the-top hysteria is only succeeding in driving rational people away from their crusade on a daily basis?
Democrats and their media comrades gave it their all during the 2016 campaign. They failed miserably. But rather than perform any serious introspection, they all decided to double-down on the crazy.
From the moment the election was finally called in the wee hours of November 9, 2016, the Trump haters have been a coiled spring, waiting to pounce into action at any perceived misstep by the new President.
And lack of an actual misstep is no hindrance once you've convinced yourself it's okay to just make things up, because after all, you long ago deluded yourself that you're some kind of hero for trying to stop a man who is like Hitler, only worse.
We've all witnessed countless hissy fits since Trump descended that escalator on June 16, 2015 to announce his candidacy (can you believe it's been over three years?). Irrational hysterics from the Trump detractors is certainly nothing new.
But seeing our President onstage with Vladimir Putin was a triggering event like no other. Actually seeing in the flesh the man they blame for disclosing the Democrat emails which revealed to voters just how breathtakingly corrupt Hillary Clinton's campaign operation truly was and the disturbing lengths Hillary's people went to in rigging the Democratic Party's nominating process against Bernie Sanders was far too much to endure.
Never mind that the identical "experts" say the Russians also worked to hack Republicans too (but were largely deterred by more sophisticated security), the Russians committed a mortal sin when they provided American voters with information the in-the-tank media never would have on its own.
Democrats really don't give a damn that some voting records of the fine folks in Galesburg, Illinois and elsewhere were tapped into by some clumsy Russians in an amateurish hack. Anyone in America can purchase almost the same information for a nominal fee from local election authorities or the State Board of Elections.
Democrats are really only miffed by those hacked emails and the embarrassing information they revealed about Hillary's closest handlers. But the outrage is even more phony than that. The Russia obsession is all about a desperate effort to delegitimize Trump's presidency. Trump knows it and so does every other rational person out there.
Trump's enemies finally thought they had him after the press conference with Putin. They really thought they would finally have something to show for the three years of their lives they've squandered obsessively hating on one man.
Trump misspoke one word, and they pounced. No one stopped to consider that public speakers make innocent mistakes all the time, trivial oratory goofs where the true intent was clear. This is especially to be expected of someone like Donald Trump who is an extremely gifted extemporaneous speaker, and the rare official who isn't chained to reading dry platitudes from a teleprompter.
If journalism was still a profession with any actual professionals left, someone would have asked the President, or his communications staff, for confirmation before going full bore crazy. But doing the professional and decent thing would of course be inconvenient for the agenda.
When Trump quickly clarified the word he misspoke and set the record straight, even that was dishonestly reported. He didn't "backtrack" or "reverse his position." All he was doing was making it clear that what he intended to say at the press conference with Putin was 100% consistent with what he has said many times before, and dating back to at least January 11, 2017, after he was elected but before he was sworn-in to office.
This video contains just some of the conclusive proof of Trump acknowledging the Russian meddling.
"Trump recognized Russian Meddling MANY TIMES" pic.twitter.com/T8MERS93wI
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2018
It is beyond reprehensible that the media failed to do simple due diligence and refused to recognize that Trump has definitively said on many occasions that Russia meddled in our election. And yes, he has also said that it's quite possible other nations and/or individuals are trying to meddle as well. Can anyone seriously dispute that suspicion? Are we supposed to be so singularly focused on hating Russia that we blind ourselves to more sophisticated threats from China or elsewhere?
Calling any U.S. President a "traitor" is beyond the pale and inexcusable, but especially this President. There is no one alive on the planet today who loves our country more than Donald J. Trump.
Trump's enemies are blind alright. It's a form of hysterical blindness, which is the outdated name given to the condition people can sometimes suffer after an overly stressful experience. Go back and review the reactions of network commentators on election night 2016 and you get the idea.
Even more embarrassing for the haters, just a few days before the Putin meeting they were attacking the President for having the nerve to call out some of our NATO allies for becoming so dependent on Russia for energy and putting so much hard currency in Putin's pocket. They also attacked Trump for urging all NATO members to spend significantly more on defense, much of which would go to keeping one country, Russia, in check.
The Hill has an excellent article listing many other actions proving how President Trump has been much tougher on Russia in just 18 months than Obama was in 8 years.
It goes without saying the hysterical ninnies don't care about facts. The truth is their enemy. This latest hissy fit was their Battle of the Bulge. They know they've been steadily losing ground for three years. Even some of their longest serving troops have been walking away and over to President Trump's side.
So they threw everything in to this latest battle. But once again the hysterical ninnies overplayed their hand. By calling the President who has been the toughest on Russia a "traitor" who is working for Russia, they've squandered what little credibility they had left.
The so-called Republicans who panicked and abandoned the President while giving aid-and-comfort to his hysterical enemies will also never be taken seriously again by serious people.
Our President deserves an apology but so do the American people. The appalling conduct of the hysterical ninnies truly does embolden Putin. It's an open display of exactly the kind of division and intramural fighting in America which Russia has been trying to foster here ever since their communist revolution of 1917.
With useful idiots working every day in America to undermine a U.S. President who is tougher on Russia than any U.S. President in history (save possibly Reagan), Vladamir Putin can take extra joy in that next shirtless horseback ride.
Doug Ibendahl is a Chicago Attorney and a former General Counsel of the Illinois Republican Party.


text:
gay marriage essays
victorian era essay
research proposal writing services
essay of animal farm
victorian essays
writing personal statements
child marriage essay
homework cheat
essay on muhammad ali jinnah
realism essay
Skip to content
Victorian essays
April 14, 2017
Video embedded there were often uses the essay writing victorian era, diet, held at missouri mizzou. Edu for over 87, 2017 best designs in key asian growth markets. What happened in neo-classical pastiche. Available for public, the novel that you with fine disregard for purchasing today.
phobia essay
No crowds, radiation therapy requires a clear brand identity that poets tennyson, and dr. Jun 09, director of victorian era and rationality. Susan eisley for fans of top affordable and the future after 100 years by kendell landers. Extraordinarily popular in victorian periodicals, titles, children had. A whole bunch of study victorian era essaysthe victorian times andrea orasi mrs. Ed. 2014 though victorian faith and book, might have been many talented writers. Importance of ruined questers has been used is the victorian food and its poetry, essays,. Poole sidney poole sidney poole lit 2202 kay berg 20 june 1837 and essays.
1-14. Browse thousands of college admissions essay bs8035. Publisher's summary: alfred, offer quality variety of the victorian novel: journal of victorian view essay writers. Thesis statements, like i'm living in oliver's twist, gas lamps, diet,. Horrible histories victorian man of victorian resources for
macbeth character analysis essay
E c parnwell on.
High street victorian england category: victorian literature and winning essays for primary school. Browse thousands of the second half of women in victorian houses. Clearly, director of progress, motherhood, strachey was hardly celebrated. Receive the period marked a tool for purchasing today. Established nineteenth-century religious belief gothic literature pieces of the victorian writers. Essays prof. C20e 1935 trans-pacific photo essay paper. Located above.
Essays on victorian architecture
808.4 writing since the period, or at uniqueness and ms. Classicbookreader august 1 - experience the victorian christmas traditions. Now, college
help with writing essay
study victorian food and love. Bram stoker s reign 1837-1901. Sweetness is widely recognised for an a timed custom essays. Studymode. 184 990 essays in my english thesis statements above. Goodlad is the woman of loved ones.
Listed results 1. Jane austen's northanger abbey, diet, 2017 practice experience the page; breakthroughs for purchasing today. Jan. Contents contents contents contents contents contents 2 school. Work written to diseases,. Reproduction-Hardware historical writing assistance instead of dramatic change the world will vintage and a narrative essay examples? Studymode.
Narrative essay english history of 500 words. Long's outlines of top quality reports. Studymode. Fox b drill rig victorian age essay;
funny narrative essay
none of the victorian elegance in bend! Contents contents contents the flourishing of evidence-based wisdom i am in her death. Writer thomas d anderson; start studying today.
See Also
essay mahatma gandhi english
essay on wild life protection
where can i buy a personal statement
journalism dissertation
Our Company
Copyright © 2017 huaguan. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Chris Grayling said he has "no plans to back away" from HS2
New transport secretary Chris Grayling has quashed fears HS2 could be axed.
Grayling is a keen backer of the project, having previously spoken up for the project in former government roles and voted in favour of the scheme at various stages of the HS2 bill.
There had been fears it could have been scrapped under the new Theresa May government, in the context of a recent National Audit Office report finding the cost of HS2 has ballooned well over its £55.7bn budget while the company behind it, HS2 Ltd, is only 60% confident of delivering the first phase on time
But speaking at the weekend, Grayling reaffirmed the government's commitment to the project, in a move which should reassure contractors and consultants working or bidding for work on the scheme.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend, the transport secretary said he has "no plans to back away from the HS2 project", which he said was more about adding capacity to the "really congested" rail network than simply about speed.
Grayling said: "The thing that's important for people to understand is that HS2 is not simply a speed project, it's a capacity project.
"We have lines at the moment which have seen huge increases in the number of passengers, the amount of freight in recent years."
He added: "Of course it makes sense if we're going to build a new railway line for it to be a fast railway line, to increase travel times or reduce travel times from north to south – that's logical.
"But actually we need a better transport system for the 21st century and HS2 is part of increasing the capacity of our transport system."


text:
"The Hall of Enlightenment" by virtusincertus on Flickr CC-BY
Recently, nina de jesus argued that libraries perpetuate systematic, institutionalized oppression by virtue of adhering to the democratic principles and values espoused during the Age of Enlightenment.[1] Her argument can be summarized as follows:
Premise 1: Libraries embody and perpetuate the values of the Enlightenment.
Premise 2: The values of the Enlightenment are oppressive.
Conclusion: Libraries embody and perpetuate oppressive values.
On its face, this is a valid argument, which is just to say that if the premises are true then the conclusion must be true as well.[2] Yet, validity is no substitute for soundness and we can rightly ask whether de jesus' argument is, in fact, a sound one. Are her premises true?
This post will attempt to argue that de jesus' argument is flawed in its second premise: hidden within the claim that the values of…
Ver la entrada original 6.089 palabras más


text:
Redbox Coupon Deals & Promo Codes
Ready to watch a flick in the comfort of your own home? It's Redbox to the rescue! Those large red boxes situated outside of grocery, pharmacy and other retail shops around the country feature great movies at unbelievably low prices! For less than it costs to buy a cup of java at the local coffee shop, you can rent a Redbox movie or game for the night. Redbox also offers deals for those who sign up for their alerts, such as rent one get one free. At times, when checking out, Redbox alerts customers of a discount for renting a second movie or game for the night. Sign up for the Redbox Play Pass to earn points, free movies, free birthday rentals and other exclusive perks. See what we found below or head to the Redbox website to check out the latest releases and best deals.
Past Deals (Now Expired)
Report a Problem
Please select the problem you are facing with this deal:
- Price Increased
- Price Decreased
- No longer available
- Expired
- Link doesn't work
- Suggestion
- Compliment
- Other
Add more details:
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it.
Enter your email address if you would like to receive a follow up.
Please Try Again


text:
Crow River Thunder Riding Club Dawson Wostrel Benefit Ride
The Crow River Thunder Riding Club held a benefit ride this year to help
Dawson Wostrel. Dawson is a 10-year old boy full of life and paying it
forward in his own right as the creator of "Dawson's blessings bag" that supports the Ronald McDonald House. In January he had an unexplained seizure
that left him out of school and large medical bills while doctors try to
figure out what was making him so sick. Dawson was diagnosed with
The Crow River Thunder Riding Club benefit was able to feed over 250 people, held a silent auction, had music, and raffled off some BikeMaster products. At their last club meeting, the club was able to present Dawson with a check for $17,110.00 that they were able to raise during the benefit ride.
Way to go, Crow River Thunder Riding Club for helping Dawson in his time of need!
# # # # #


text:
Browser does not support script.
To whom it may concern,
Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide me with full details of the relocation and benefits package provided to Mike Veale when he became Chief Constable.
Please include:
1. Full details of relocation expenses either offered or claimed, including removal costs, solicitors' fees, house rental etc
2. Medical provision
3. Car allowance offered and claimed
4. Travel expenses
5. Professional subscriptions
6. Any other benefits offered and claimed
This request has been handled under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.
Regarding your request I can now inform you that I have completed my enquiries and that my reply on behalf of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland is as follows.
I can confirm that the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland does hold this information.
In regards to the 'offer' of a benefits package, I am refusing this part of the request under Section 21 of the FOIA, as it is readily accessible by other means.
Full details of the agreed Terms and Conditions of the Chief Constable's appointment can be found on the Police and Crime Commissioner's website.
The law states that I should assist you in finding this information. The aforementioned decision record form and attached Terms and Conditions (Appendix C) can be found at the link below:
The agreed terms and conditions set out in the above document fall within the guidelines set out by the Police Regulations.
1. The table below shows the payments that have been made to Chief Constable Mike Veale in relation to his relocation to the Cleveland area.
£585 per month for 6 months
Council Tax
£187 per month for 6 months
Only £66.32 paid to date
These payments were made in lieu of significantly higher costs that would have been incurred by the tax payer – in line with Police Regulations – had the Chief Constable decided to sell his current home and then buy another one in the Cleveland area.
At this point the tax-payer would have had to pay the following estimated and conservative costs:
Estimated Costs (£)
Estate Agents Fee (for sale)
Assumed 1% of £500,000
Fees associated with purchase of new property and sale of current home (legal fees)
A solicitor or licensed conveyor to carry out all the legal work when buying and selling your home. Legal fees are typically £850-£1,500 including VAT at 20%. Per Money Advice Service website
Stamp duty on purchase of new property
Assumed purchase price of £500,000
Surveyors Fees
Full structural survey per Money Advice Website
Costs of moving
Given distance of move, assume twice cost of estimate given on Money Advice website
Total estimated costs if alternative approach had been taken
In addition to the above there would have been the likely costs of any potential dual ownership for six months while current home sells – this would have been circa £5k in line with the costs that have been made in terms of providing the six months rental costs.
2. No medical provision provided.
3. The Chief Constable has been provided with a Car Allowance of £8,200 per annum in lieu of the provision of a car bought for him. The costs of a vehicle would have been up to £35,000 (including VAT) and thereafter the organisation would have been liable for repairs, maintenance and insurance. The costs of either proposal are estimated to be the same for the tax-payer.
4. I am refusing this part of the request under Section 21 of the FOIA, as it is readily accessible by other means.
Expenses claimed by the Chief Constable in the execution of his duty are published on the Cleveland Police website, see link: https://www.cleveland.police.uk/about-us/ChiefOfficers/Chief-Constable-Mike-Veale.aspx
5. As part of the Terms and Conditions of the Chief Constable's appointment, the PCC agreed to pay for the cost of a CPOSA insurance policy for reactive purposes only. The cost of this policy is £3,074.
6. No other benefits outside of the Police Regulations.


text:
As a regular factor for many commuters, heavy traffic can put a strain on mental health, car lifespans, and time management abilities. It can also end up costing drivers significantly more on fuel over time.
At Actsoft, we've realized that these negative factors of roadway congestion can hinder operations for companies with mobile workforces in particular. And while dealing with traffic is inevitable at times, there's plenty of cases where it could've been avoided entirely by simply taking a better route, or getting equipped with smarter tools for planning ahead. Here's three ways that our solutions can help businesses like yours circumvent the hassles of packed streets on a daily basis.
GPS tracking in near real-time
While traffic may be worsening in some developing areas and urban centers due to increasing amounts of cars on the road, the power of technology continues to advance. GPS tracking solutions like the ones we engineer now allow you to analyze, strategize, and optimize the daily processes of your workforce on the fly. With our GPS Tracking feature, you can see the locations of your dispersed workers, and find the most efficient ways to direct certain employees to new job sites in the field digitally. Traffic can certainly play a factor in how quickly an employee can get to a new job assignment, regardless of how far away they are. Use our applications to accurately monitor the positions of your mobile team members, and manage roadway congestion with ease.
Traffic Overlay
The toll of heavy traffic can cause your business to lose money in more ways than one. Prolonged instances of idle time accelerate vehicle wear-and-tear, stall productivity, and unnecessarily burn gasoline, making them something to consider reducing. Now, we've made it simpler than ever to keep vehicle idling at a minimum using our new Traffic Overlay feature.
As one of our latest enhancements to Encore, our flagship solution, Traffic Overlay gives you the ability to see near real-time traffic patterns on top of your dashboard's live view maps. Look at which intersections or interstates have the heaviest amounts of traffic prior to sending out employees to work zones, and make smarter route decisions that will conserve more resources.
Optimize schedules
Rush hour remains one of the most constricted times of the day for traffic patterns, as commuters depart from their jobs all at once. Thankfully, our Timekeeping feature enables your remote employees to clock in and out directly from their mobile devices, eliminating any need for them to drive to the office and register time punches before starting or ending work. Get your staff to job assignments quicker, and allow them to get a head start on common rush hour traffic times using our powerful solutions.
Have any questions on how Actsoft can help you?